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WWE To Release Trademark Of Chelsea Green Name (Report)

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE has made contact with Chelsea Green and informed the former NXT star that they are going to release the trademark on her name, according to latest reports.

It was reported earlier yesterday that both WWE and the female star were trying to trademark the name she used as a performer in the company.

The news was especially surprising as Chelsea Green is the former WWE star’s birth name. The officials were trying to trademark it after letting her go.

The Ring of Honor star had expressed frustration over the situation with a tweet yesterday saying that she had never thought she would have to go in a legal battle over her birth name.

Now Fightful Select is reporting that the promotion contacted Chelsea Green on Sunday. They informed her that they were going to release the trademark and Green herself has confirmed the news to the site.

The 30-year-old was signed by WWE back in 2018 and she was assigned to the development territory NXT. She made her SmackDown debut in November last year.

However, WWE decided to release Chelsea after months of inactivity in April this year. She has made her ROH debut since then and returned to Impact wrestling as well.

Rene Dupree On Injury He Suffered In Match With Goldberg

Anutosh Bajpai
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Former WWE star Rene Dupree recently appeared on the That 90’s Wrestling podcast where he talked about a number of things. He also detailed his experience of wrestling with Goldberg.

The former Universal champion has a reputation for being an unsafe worker. He has injured many stars during his career which includes the infamous injury that ended the career of Bret Hart.

Dupree also recalled one such time when he was having a match with Goldberg. According to him, the former champion dislocated his collarbone:

“Yeah he dislocated my collarbone, we (La Resistance) had a pre-tape in the back with Goldberg and he hit me with the French flag and we had to do 5 takes.

To this day, if I try to flex it, it still hurts. Yeah he’s the s***s. He’s horrible; many wrestlers will tell you that.”

Rene Dupree then discussed Goldberg’s return to WWE programming in recent times. He said that the company must be really desperate to bring him back:

“To me they (WWE) must be desperate, that’s the only thing I can figure. They can’t create new stars or they don’t have confidence in the people they have.”

Apart from this, Rene also talked about things such as his WWE career from 2002 to 2007 and a potential return to the company in future.

Malakai Black On What Paul Heyman Told Him About Being In Charge Of Raw

Anutosh Bajpai
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Malakai Black was one of the talents Paul Heyman tried to push during his time as the Executive Director of Monday Night Raw. Though he got lost in the shuffle not long after Heyman was removed from the position.

The former NXT champion discussed his relationship with Heyman during a recent appearance on Talk Is Jericho and claimed that they ‘meshed’ from day one.

Talking about Heyman’s run as the Executive Director of Raw, Black claimed that the former ECW owner told him that he only had ‘one night of control’ over things:

“He once told me that he had one night of control. That was the first night he was on, and after that, everything became a fight. Well, maybe ‘a fight’ is not the right word but a debate, which I can understand, but sometimes it makes you wonder.”

Malakai Black also revealed the plans Paul Heyman had for him and Buddy Murphy, another former WWE talent who Heyman saw as a big future star:

“He’s like, ‘I want to set something up between you and Buddy, that we can come back on WrestleMania in three – four years, maybe five years down the line. We lay a foundation now, and then five years from now, we circle back around,

But we make it bigger. We put it on a bigger stage, and we can draw from what you guys did there.’ It writes itself because that’s how wrestling’s done.”

Paul Heyman was made the Executive Director of Raw back in June 2019. He tried to push young talents as opposed to WWE’s approach of relying on older stars before being relieved of his position in June 2020.

Paul Wight On Why He Transitioned To AEW: “I Could See The Writing On The Wall”

Anutosh Bajpai
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Paul Wight, fka Big Show recently had an interview with The Ring Report where he talked about a number of things such as the recent WWE releases and more.

The former world champion was asked about the recent WWE releases potentially ending up in his new promotion. Replying to it, he claimed that the momentum is with AEW and explained why he made the transition himself:

“Anyone now who has been in this business long enough is smart enough to see where momentum is going and you’ve got to agree that it’s with AEW. It’s got a great groundswell of support from fans who are really into the product.

The storylines are unique. They have a different flavour and excitement about them. I made the transition myself because after four decades, I left as I could see the writing on the wall of where professional wrestling was headed.”

He was then asked specifically about Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman and Ric Flair potentially joining the promotion. Paul Wight claimed that there is always an opportunity for them to contribute:

“For those other talents like Bray Wyatt, Braun, Ric Flair, and all those guys, there’s always an opportunity for people of that caliber to be a part of AEW and contribute, that’s the thing with wrestling. You never say never.

Wight continued to explain that the young prospects can learn from these veterans and the former WWE stars can prepare young AEW names for the future.

Bronson Reed Comments On His Release From WWE

Chris Stephens
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Bronson Reed is one of over 50 wrestlers WWE has released in 2021. The former NXT North American Champion took to social media recently to comment on his departure from the company.

“I was very shocked, very upset,” Reed said. “As you know this doesn’t just affect me but affects my wife as well as we are here in a foreign country. But my wife is a super positive person and she’s kept my positive as well.”

“The love and support that I’ve received online is just incredible. I was trending on Twitter. That means a lot to me, it means a lot to me that a lot of you feel for me and will still continue to follow me no matter what.”

“I did want to thank NXT, I want to thank Hunter and Shawn for believing in me. I want to thank all the coaches; Terry Taylor, Scotty 2 Hotty, Normal Smiley, Steve Corino, those guys that I learned a lot from. And I want to thank all the boys backstage as well. It was a great locker room to be apart of.”

Reed continued to talk about what might be next for him in his career.

“I am staying positive and I do believe I am bar none the best super heavyweight in the world. And I will continue to prove that,” he continued. “As they say, one door closes and another one opens but for me, many doors are open and now it’s just about which one I want to walk through.”

Chelsea Green & WWE In Trademark Dispute Over “Chelsea Green”

Chris Stephens
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Chelsea Green’s birth name is Chelsea Green. Despite this, both WWE and Chelsea herself have been attempting to trademark the name. Green was released from WWE in April. She is 1 of 52 wrestlers the company has let go in 2021 alone.

Green signed a 3-year deal with the promotion in September 2020. Shortly after, WWE filed to trademark the term “Chelsea Green” for wrestling purposes. On literally the same day that she was released, Green filed to trademark the name as well.

Green took to social media recently to comment on the situation.

Green is not the only person in this situation either. Keith Lee’s real given birth name is Keith Lee, but he is also in a trademark dispute with WWE over it.

It is not clear if WWE’s attempt to trademark the real names of performers would hold up to legal challenge.

It has been quite the eventful year for Green thus far. Since being released, she has already appeared in Ring of Honor, Impact Wrestling, and is set for the NWA Empowerrr PPV at the end fo the year.

Green has a new episode of her “Green With Envy” podcast coming out later tonight as well. It will be released at midnight tonight.

Andrade El Idolo Wants ‘The Whole Family’ With Him in AEW

Jake Skudder
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AEW star Andrade El Idolo reportedly wants to have ‘the whole family’ with him in All Elite Wrestling.

According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, that means that the former WWE Superstar wants to see stars from ROH and beyond make their way over to All Elite.

Dave Meltzer confirmed that the new AEW signee wants to bring more than Chavo Guerrero with him over to All Elite, with his partner Charlotte Flair someone who he is really eager to see make the jump over from WWE.

“Andrade has told people that he wants the whole family there. And by the family, it’s, you know, RUSH, Bestia, Dragon Lee, him, Ashley [Charlotte], Ric, that’s what he wants. Ashley, you know, I don’t know her. I’m certainly not going to speak for her, I sense that she wants to be in WWE, that it’s the big leagues to her.”

WRESTLING OBSERVER NEWSLETTER

Andrade Wants Charlotte Flair in AEW

It’s doubtful that Flair will be making a move over to AEW, but there’s a chance that this news was leaked to try and help secure the WWE Superstar a better contract.

With Charlotte Flair one of the bigger names on the main roster, WWE will no doubt want to ensure that she does not go anywhere, and news like her partner wanting her to move to the competition (despite what Vince McMahon may say) is a good bargaining tactic for negotiation.

Ric Flair however is a different prospect, with the former WCW and NWA star almost a shoe-in to appear on the AEW product, with the history between himself, the TNT network and stars such as Tully Blanchard? There’s at least a one-off appearance waiting to happen for the Nature Boy.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ4mxP2ncuq/

Pete Dunne: When His WWE Contract Finishes Revealed

Jake Skudder
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It was recently reported by Fightful Select that WWE NXT Superstar Pete Dunne is extremely close to the end of his WWE contract and that he has not as of yet signed an extension to remain with the company.

This week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted that Pete Dunne’s WWE NXT contract is up at the end of August.

Prior to this report, there were no reports as to when Dunne’s contract was up, only that he is in a situation similar to Adam Cole, whose own contract ended around NXT Great American Bash and he signed a extension up to WWE SummerSlam 2021.

“Pete Dunne’s deal is also coming due on either 8/31 or 9/1. He’s another super worker who has been in the system for years and should have been a main roster star, even if he started as part of a tag team, long ago.”

WRESTLING OBSERVER NEWSLETTER

Pete Dunne Moving To AEW

Pete Dunne began on the WWE NXT UK roster, holding on to the WWE United Kingdom Championship for 685 days. Dunne was then moved to NXT in the United States ‘officially’, where he then won the NXT Tag Team Championships with Matt Riddle in early 2020.

Dunne is considered a hot commodity, with WWE eager to keep the 27-year-old performer and stop him moving over to AEW. The former PROGRESS World Champion could be a major player if he were to make the move to All Elite, with a wealth of experience but youth meaning that he’s got at least another potential 15 years left in his career, should he wish to wrestle for that long.

Chris Jericho Reveals If He Will Do Any More Deathmatches in AEW

Jake Skudder
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AEW Star Chris Jericho recently spoke to the Inside the Ropes website. The former WWE Superstar discussed several topics during the interview, including his no holds barred/deathmatch against Nick Gage on AEW Dynamite.

‘Le Champion’ Jericho revealed in the interview that he has no plans to do any other deathmatches for the rest of his career; although, he would be prepared to get gory once again if the storyline dictated as such.

“Well, I’m not being egotistical when I say, ‘Of course it was my idea, and of course I was fine with it’ because I thought of it. I booked the whole match as well” Jericho began.

“You never thought you’d see Chris Jericho in that type of match, maybe not on TNT, but why wouldn’t you see Chris Jericho in that type of match? Because I’ve done every other match!” the former AEW Champion continued

Chris Jericho vs Nick Gage

It was then that Jericho stated that he would do another similar match if the storyline called for it. The ongoing blood feud between Jericho and MJF may well necessitate a match of this type, or close to it.

“If the story fits, I’ll do it – because it is all about storytelling. Obviously, it’s not something I would want to do every night or probably will ever do again but when you’re talking about the story that we’re telling, it was perfect for it. And I think that match was a classic in its genre.”

CHRIS JERICHO

“I think it might even be the most-watched death match of all time in the fact that we had 1.2 million people watching it. Show me another deathmatch that had that type of viewership” Jericho would conclude.

Kurt Angle Says That WWE Performers “Don’t Connect With Fans” Anymore

Jake Skudder
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WWE and TNA Hall of Famer Kurt Angle recently sat down with Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp. The Olympic gold medallist discussed several topics during the interview, including how he feels WWE performers are not able to connect to the crowd like they used to in prior eras.

“It’s not the same. I think the character development was a lot stronger back in the early 2000s, 1990s, 1980s,” Kurt Angle began on interview. “We were able to connect with the fans a lot better. Now they don’t really connect with fans.”

“There are some characters, but for the most part, today is about performance” Kurt Angle continued, alluding to the idea of in-ring technicality being more important to modern performers than developing a rapport with the fans.

Kurt Angle on modern wrestling

“It’s about what you can do in the ring. How good you are. It’s about high-flying stunts and acrobatic stuff. These guys are incredible athletes today” Angle would conclude.

Kurt would also reveal who he felt was the best writer when he was performing with the company. “Brian Gewirtz,” Angle emphatically stated. “He was my writer at WWE. I think he was the best writer in the history of the business.”

“Actually, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson hired him to be a writer for his production company, and that was a brilliant move”, Angle continued.

“Brian was incredibly talented. He was a nerd too, so he liked to do nerdy stuff and he liked me to do nerdy stuff,” Kurt Angle revealed, praising the former WWE/WWF writer.

Check out the full interview with Fightful below:

Update On How Adam Cole’s Meeting With Vince McMahon Went (Report)

Chris Stephens
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Recently, reports surfaced that Adam Cole’s contract with WWE had expired and he’d agreed to an extension to run through SummerSlam. Cole met with Vince McMahon at Smackdown on Friday night. How the meeting went was addressed on Wrestling Observer Radio.

“I was under the impression that they promised him a main roster spot,” said Dave Meltzer. “And they told the writers that they want storylines for Adam Cole on the main roster, on RAW or Smackdown. So, I think that was part of the meeting that happened yesterday.”

Adam Cole Is The “Exception To The Rule”

Cole’s status with WWE was determined “the exception to the rule” regarding WWE’s recent objective to focus on bigger talents.

“There’s always exceptions to the rule and Adam Cole is an exception to the rule,” Meltzer said.

“He’s an exception to the rule that they are not looking to cut a guy like that they are looking to keep a guy like that. And they are looking to feature a guy like that.”

Meltzer continued to say that he has not heard the same regarding other smaller talents on the NXT roster.

“I haven’t heard that for KUSHIDA, or Kyle O’Reilly, or Ciampa or Gargano or anyone like that,” Meltzer continued.

The 32-year-old has been with the company since 2017. His 396-day reign as NXT Champion is the longest single reign in the title’s lineage.

Update On Expected Changes To NXT (Report)

Chris Stephens
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The look, format, and wrestlers pushed in NXT are all expected to change. The focus of the show is expected to fully move back to being a developmental brand with an objective to produce main roster talent in WWE. The expected changes to NXT were addressed recently on Wrestling Observer Radio.

“Paul Levesque and Shawn Michaels didn’t have anything to do with the cuts,” said Dave Meltzer. “It was done by Vince McMahon, Bruce Prichard, and John Laurinaitis. And the basic gist is NXT is going to change in some ways. They think that a lot of the competitors are too small and too old.”

He continued to say that the basic feeling is that NXT lost the war and now it is returning to its previous goal of developing talent for the main roster.

“This is the aftermath and this is the new direction. And the new direction is younger guys and bigger guys,” Meltzer continued.

“What happened happened and now they want to get it back to what it was.”

He would continue to say that WWE doesn’t want older or smaller wrestlers. The focus will return on developing talent that “could one day main event WrestleMania”.

“The wording is ‘no more midgets, no one starting in their 30s, they want people who can be box office attractions and main characters’ so that’s what they are looking for now,” Meltzer continued.

Daniel Bryan Compared To A Modern Day Bret Hart

Michael Reichlin
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Bret Hart is revered as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, so a comparison to the Hitman is high praise. During a recent discussion with Wrestling Inc, former WWE wrestler Tucker say Daniel Bryan is the closest thing we have to a modern day Bret Hart.

“To me, Daniel Bryan is the modern day Bret Hart,” he began.”“He’s the man. He’s the best. Whether it comes to his mind and talking through how and why we’re going to do things or whether it comes to the execution of said thing in the ring, I don’t think you or me could point out somebody or defend somebody better than him at either of those two things.”

Both Hart and Bryan are known for their technical expertise, so the similarities are there. Tucker said not only was Daniel Bryan an incredible mat technician, he was also a locker room leader. Many younger WWE Superstars would turn to Bryan for advice in and out of the ring.

Daniel Bryan & Bret Hart
Daniel Bryan & Bret Hart

Tucker and former partner Otis would consult with Daniel Bryan on ways to improve their team, Heavy Machinery.

“What a glorious opportunity it was for us to be able to pick his brain a little bit and kind of see how he moved around the Heavy Machinery pieces. ‘What do you guys do?’ Having a discussion about the ethos, if you will, of Heavy Machinery and that might be able to play off of them in the large scale, in the big picture.”

He recalls Bryan helping them review the ins and outs of their presentation. Everything was considered, from their promos to their character development

“Just kind of seeing how [Bryan] operates, seeing what questions he’s asking what people and why he’s going about doing those things, at least for me, I was trying to take away as much of that kind of stuff as I possibly could from working with someone like that.”

Daniel Bryan will be a tremendous asset wherever he winds up, whether its AEW, New Japan Pro Wrestling, back in WWE or elsewhere.

Backstage Notes on WWE Releases Becoming a ‘Regular Occurrence’ Going Forward

Jake Skudder
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WWE made even more releases this weekend, with 12 names being cut from the roster across the NXT and 205 Live shows. The biggest names to be released were Bronson Reed, Bobby Fish and Tyler Rust; all of which seemed to be locked in with the company going forward.

According to a new report from Fightful Select, WWE making these releases of talent is going to become a ‘regular occurrence going forward. A source noted to Fightful that “Vince McMahon can personally put a stop to any of these,” when it comes to the names being cut.

WWE Releases becoming regular

The same source claimed that WWE releases are going to be a regular occurrence moving forward. However, the source also personally expects that “2021 will be an outlier with both the frequency and the level of talent.”

The idea of ‘mass releases’ hadn’t been a topic of discussion or concern in WWE for nearly four years, since the summer of 2016 and the beginning of 2020 and the pandemic.

A number of former WWE Superstars have already made the move over to AEW following their releases. Interestingly, Vince McMahon himself even joked about making more cuts to help All Elite on a recent investor’s call, saying that he didn’t understand their investment structure.

Here is the full list of talent that was released from their WWE contracts on Friday:

  • Bronson Reed
  • Bobby Fish
  • Mercedes Martinez
  • Leon Ruff
  • Tyler Rust
  • Jake Atlas
  • Ari Sterling
  • Kona Reeves
  • Zechariah Smith
  • Asher Hale
  • Giant Zanjeer 
  • Stephon Smith

Major Changes To NXT Expected (Report)

Chris Stephens
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Last night during WWE’s broadcast of Smackdown, it was reported that several members of the NXT roster have been released. According to a report from PW Insider, sweeping changes are expected to take place for the brand as well.

Among the changes expected to take place are a new logo, lighting, and a different look and feel. Additionally, it is being reported that the show will undergo some type of format change. An increased focus on younger and developing talents is also expected to be part of the changes.

The changes expected to occur further the debate as to if NXT is a developmental territory or a 3rd media rights brand.

Moving NXT to the USA Network on Wednesday nights did not derail AEW Dynamite as may have been the goal.

Is NXT WWE’s Developmental Brand (Again)?

In its quarterly filings recently, WWE has returned to referring to NXT as a “developmental” brand.

“Metrics exclude the events for our domestic and United Kingdom NXT brands. These are our developmental brands that typically conduct their events in smaller venues with lower ticket prices. We did not conduct any ticketed NXT events in the periods presented,” reads page 33 of WWE’s report.

In an interview with Newsweek when NXT moved to the USA Network, Adam Cole stated that NXT is no longer a developmental brand.

“We’ve called it this for a while, but we look at NXT as the third brand. And now I feel this move to USA just solidifies it. Instead of calling it “moved up” it’ll just be “moving.” Some guys may move to RAW or SmackDown. Some guys on RAW or SmackDown can move to NXT. To me, this move to the USA totally solidifies NXT as the third brand. I’m sure you’ll see lots of guys moving to different brands as time goes on.”

Adam Cole’s future with NXT continues to be up in the air. Reports recently stated Cole was backstage at Smackdown for a meeting with Vince McMahon.

PROGRESS Release Doug Williams Interview on Peacock and WWE Network

Jake Skudder
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PROGRESS Wrestling has released a new video interview on Peacock and WWE Network. The company confirmed this afternoon that the new series, Hi Def With Hustle, would be starting with a sit down between PROGRESS commentator Lee ‘Hustle’ Malone and British wrestling legend Doug Williams.

Doug Williams discusses a number of topics during the interview, ranging from his start in judo to his PROGRESS retirement match against Trent Seven inside of Wembley Arena.

Williams has most notably performed for Ring of Honor in the early to mid 2000s and TNA. During his time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, Doug Williams would become the X Division and Television Champion, whilst also winning the TNA Tag Team Championships and IWGP Tag Team Championships alongside Nick Aldis/Magnus in New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Doug Williams

Doug Williams retired from the British scene back in 2018, losing to the aforementioned NXT UK Superstar Trent Seven in a PROGRESS ATLAS Title match at Wembley Arena. Williams stated that he would retire the moment that he lost the belt, and did until earlier this year where he confirmed that he would be entering the ring once again.

Williams has already performed for ICW and Rev Pro. The Ambassador of British Wrestling confirmed his return to the ring on Twitter earlier this year, writing “the events of the past year has made me reassess my decision to retire as it made me understand that you should use your life to fullest doing what you enjoy. As such I am open to bookings again, email is in my bio…”

WWE SmackDown Results (8/6): Bianca Belair & Sasha Banks, Reigns Attacks Finn Balor

Robert Lentini
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WWE SmackDown aired from the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. Finn Balor squared off against Baron Corbin and SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair responded to the attack from Sasha Banks last week. Edge also addressed Seth Rollins’ attack during tonight’s show.

SmackDown Results

  1. Jey Uso def. Dominik
  2. Shinsuke Nakamura def. Apollo Crews via DQ
  3. Nox def. Tamina
  4. Street Profits def. Robert Roode & Dolph Ziggler
  5. Bianca Belair def. Zelina Vega
  6. Finn Balor def. Baron Corbin

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Bianca Belair Will Face Sasha Banks At SummerSlam

Sasha Banks kicked off this week’s episode of SmackDown and made her way to the ring. Sasha Banks returned on SmackDown last week and attacked Bianca Belair after tagging with her in a match.

Banks said she will never let anyone steal her spotlight again and rolled footage of the attack on Belair last week. Sasha claimed that Bianca would be nothing without her and noted that Belair was crying before their match at WrestleMania because she was standing in the ring with the greatest of all time.

Sasha stated that she came back to SmackDown to make Bianca pay for the disrespect she has shown her. SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair interrupted and told Banks that she just doesn’t want her to shine. Belair rolled into the ring and Banks retreated.

Belair joked that Sasha is about to take another four months off. Bianca said that Banks is one of the greatest but she’s the champ and if she will have to take it from her. Zelina Vega joined the party and made her way to the ring. Belair told Zelina not to think about getting into the ring with her.

Vega claimed that Banks was a “ratchet little vulture” that swooped in and took her title match. Zelina pointed out that Belair accepted her challenge for a match. Bianca told Zelina that she will fight her tonight and fight Sasha Banks at SummerSlam.

Jey Uso def. Dominik

Dominik faced Jey Uso tonight on SmackDown. Jimmy Uso and Rey Mysterio were ringside for the match.

Before the match, Rey and Dominik had a conversation backstage. Rey said that they have to be more strategic because they are in line for a shot at the SmackDown Tag Team Championships at SummerSlam. Rey noted that he beat Jimmy Uso last week with Dominik’s help and told him that he didn’t need it. Dominik laughed and told Rey that he wouldn’t need his help tonight either then.

Jey dominated the action early as Jimmy Uso cheered him on. Dominik battled back and connected with an awesome Sunset Flip Powerbomb into the barricade as SmackDown went to a break.

Jey hit a Clothesline for a two count went SmackDown returned. Jey went for a Samoan Drop but Dominik countered into a Neckbreaker for a two count. Dominik followed it up with the 619 and made his way to the top rope. Jimmy tried to interfere but Rey stopped it with a Senton off the steel steps. Jey capitalized on the distraction with a Superkick and a Frog Splash for the pinfall victory.

Nakamura def. Crews via DQ

King Nakamura faced Apollo Crews in an Intercontinental Championship Contenders Match (Nakamura would get a title shot if he pinned the champion). Boogs and Commander Azeez were ringside for the match.

Crews hit a kick to the midsection and followed it up with a shoulder tackle that knocked Nakamura to the mat. Shinsuke battled back with a Dropkick for a near fall. Apollo slammed Shinsuke’s neck across the top rope and leveled him with a Clothesline.

Apollo planted Nakamura with a Body Slam for a two count. The Intercontinental Champion made his way to the top rope but Nakamura caught him with a boot to the face. Shinsuke connected with a knee to the face for a two count. Nakamura hit another knee to the face and went for the cover but Azeez dragged him out of the ring to end the match in a DQ. Shinsuke threw Apollo onto Azeez and then posed with Boogs as he shredded on the guitar.

Big E Interrupted Paul Heyman

Kayla Braxton was standing outside Universal Champion Roman Reigns’ locker room. Paul Heyman opened the door and Kayla asked if Roman had a comment about what transpired last week. Heyman said Cena was thieving a title match at SummerSlam from Finn Balor. Paul joked that it would be like Tom Brady signing with the Buccaneers for 75 million and then Heyman hit him with a kendo stick, signed the contract and took the money. Heyman called the contract a joke, and that Roman Reigns has nothing to say about John Cena. Big E showed up with the MITB briefcase and laughed at Paul as he closed the door.

Nox Picked Up A Win

Tamina faced Nox tonight and Shotzi was ringside for the match. Nox ran into a big Clothesline from Tamina and then got sent to the corner. Tamina went for a Splash but Nox got out of the way. Nox booted Tamina to the canvas and stomped on her in the corner of the ring. Nox connected with a Bronco Buster and went for the cover but Tamina kicked out at two. Tamina hit a Superkick and went for a Samoan Drop. Shotzi shot something out of the tank and it distracted Tamina. Nox capitalized with a roll-up for the victory.

Edge vs. Rollins Is Official For SummerSlam

Edge began the 2nd hour of this week’s SmackDown and got a great reaction from the crowd. Edge said that Seth Rollins isn’t here tonight and he doesn’t blame him for not showing up. Edge stated that Rollins cost him the Universal Championship at Money in the Bank. He added that things would have ended tonight if Rollins showed up.

Seth Rollins appeared via satellite in a suit that resembled a couch. Rollins laughed and noted that they are a lot a like. Seth claimed that Edge would have done the same thing if he were in his shoes. Edge challenged Seth Rollins to a match at SummerSlam and Rollins said he will think about it. Rollins brought up Edge’s family and suggested that he should retire. Edge flipped out that Rollins brought up his family and called Seth “Edge lite”. Rollins got pissed off and accepted the match. Edge will battle Seth Rollins for the first time at SummerSlam.

Street Profits Picked Up A Win

Street Profits faced Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode tonight on SmackDown. Ziggler and Roode isolated Montez Ford in the ring to start off the action. Dawkins tagged in and planted Ziggler with a DDT but Roode broke up the cover. Ziggler sent Ford out of the ring and hit Dawkins with a Fameasser for a near fall. Dawkins hit a Spinebuster and tagged in Montez Ford. Montez climbed to the top rope and connected with a Frog Splash for the pinfall victory.

Bianca Belair def. Zelina Vega

SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair faced Zelina Vega in a non-title match. Vega would earn a future title shot if she was able to defeat the champion. Zelina got in some offense but Belair put an end to it by slamming Vega’s head on the turnbuckle. Vega responded with an elbow to the face and rolled up Belair for a near fall.

Belair showed off her power and lifted Vega up. Zelina escaped and grabbed Bianca’s hair. The referee broke it up and Bianca hit a Dropkick that sent Vega to the outside. Bianca lifted up Vega again but Sasha Banks’ music hit. The Boss distracted Belair on the apron and Vega connected with a Hurricanrana. Back in the ring, Zelina went for the cover but Belair kicked out at one. Sasha laughed as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Vega connected with a DDT for a two count. Zelina booted the SmackDown Women’s Champion out of the ring and leaped onto her. Belair caught her and slammed Vega into the barricade. Back in the ring, Belair hit the KOD for the pinfall victory.

Roman Reigns Sent A Message To Finn Balor

Finn Balor battled Baron Corbin tonight on SmackDown. Corbin pleaded for mercy at the beginning but then attacked Balor. Corbin connected with a Suplex and beat Finn down in the corner of the ring. Balor battled back and Dropkicked Corbin into the turnbuckle. Corbin fell to the canvas and Balor made his way to the top rope. Finn hit the Coup de Grace for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Finn Balor said that he’s not smiling about what happened last week and still wants to face Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship. Balor added that he is willing to go through John Cena to get his title match.

Universal Champion Roman Reigns interrupted with Paul Heyman and posed with the title as SmackDown went to a commercial break. When SmackDown returned, Reigns said that Heyman has already addressed what John Cena did last week. Roman told Balor that he tried to help him and told Finn to keep the Head of the Table’s name out of his mouth. Roman threw the mic at Balor and went to leave the ring. Balor shoved Reigns to the outside and posed in the middle of the ring.

Roman Reigns hopped on the ring apron and had a stare down with Finn. The Usos attacked Balor from behind and beat him down as Reigns made his way up the entrance ramp. Finn battled back as Reigns took notice on the top of the entrance ramp. Balor threw The Usos to the outside and flipped onto them before posing once again in the ring. Reigns took off his jacket and marched down the entrance ramp. Roman got into the ring and Balor hit him with a knee to the face.

Balor followed it up with a Slingbalde and set up for a Dropkick but The Usos broke it up. Jimmy and Jey attacked Balor once again and Roman hit a Superman Punch. Uso followed it up with a Frog Splash and Reigns hit Balor with several punches and then applied the Guillotine choke. Reigns then raised the Universal Championship to close the show.

WWE SummerSlam Updated Card: Edge vs. Seth Rollins Booked

Andrew Ravens
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Edge vs. Seth Rollins is the latest match to be announced for the upcoming WWE SummerSlam PPV.

After a few weeks of tension and them getting physical, the match was booked on Friday’s episode of SmackDown. Last week,  Rollins ambushed Edge on the stage. This week saw Edge do a promo about The Architect. Rollins interrupted by doing a backstage segment to taunt The Rated R Superstar. 

Edge ended up challenging Rollins for SummerSlam. At first, Rollins said he would have to think it over because he’s got a lot going on right now, but Edge talked some trash to the point where Rollins ended up accepting the SummerSlam challenge.

WWE presents the SummerSlam pay-per-view event on Saturday, August 21 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada at Allegiant Stadium that will air on Peacock. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks. 

Updated WWE SummerSlam Card

  • WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. John Cena
  • WWE Champion Bobby Lashley vs. Goldberg
  • WWE Raw Women’s Champion Nikki A.S.H vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley
  • WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair vs. Sasha Banks
  • WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. Rey and Dominik Mysterio
  • Seth Rollins vs. Edge

Bronson Reed & Bobby Fish Among 12 WWE NXT Talent Releases

Andrew Ravens
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WWE has made more talent cuts and this time it hit the NXT brand hard. 

On Friday,  Fightful and PWInsider reported the following names that were released by the company: 

  • Bronson Reed
  • Bobby Fish
  • Mercedes Martinez
  • Leon Ruff
  • Tyler Rust
  • Jake Atlas
  • Ari Sterling
  • Kona Reeves
  • Zechariah Smith
  • Asher Hale
  • Giant Zanjeer 
  • Stephon Smith

This is the latest round of cuts. Because these are NXT stars, they will have 30-day non-compete clauses instead of the 90-day non-compete clauses that main roster talent are under. 

Several of these newer wrestlers such as Hale had just moved to Florida to start training at the WWE Performance Center: 

Reed is the biggest name from these cuts as he signed with WWE in 2019 and won the North American title earlier this year where he held it for a month. 

Reed reacted to the news by writing on Twitter, “Just got released by WWE. This monster is back on the loose … you don’t know WHAT you’ve just done.” He tagged AEW, Ring of Honor, Impact and New Japan in the tweet. 

Fish, a former NXT Tag Team Champion, found success with the Undisputed Era faction that included Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong. The group broke up earlier this year. In fact, Fish just lost a match to Strong on Tuesday’s NXT that was taped two weeks ago. 

In April, WWE cut Samoa Joe, Iiconics, Mickie James, Chelsea Green and others while in June, both main roster and NXT/205 Live talents were let go included Braun Strowman, Aleister Black, Ruby Riott, Fandango, Lana, Tyler Breeze, Tony Nese and others.

Last Saturday, Bray Wyatt was released and Ric Flair got out of his contract earlier this week.

WWE NXT Stars Work Dark Matches Before Friday’s SmackDown

Andrew Ravens
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WWE held dark matches before Friday’s episode of SmackDown in Tampa, FL at the Amalie Arena, which involved a few different NXT stars. 

Dakota Kai took on fellow NXT star Aliyah and went over. There have been rumors of Kai being called up to the main roster. 

This marked the first time Kai has appeared on the main roster. Another dark match at this event saw Austin Theory, who has also competed in dark matches in recent weeks, lost to Raw star Keith Lee via pinfall. 

WWE has booked several NXT stars in dark matches since they returned to live crowds last month.

Scarlett, Xia Li, Bronson Reed, Odyssey Jones, and Xyon Quinn have all wrestled in dark matches. Reed has appeared on WWE Main Event. Former WWE Tag Team Champion Davey Boy Smith Jr, who has recently re-signed with WWE, also has worked a dark match, but has yet to return on TV.

Shotzi, Nox, Karrion Kross, and Toni Storm all wrestled in dark matches as well before making their debuts on the main roster. Kross was sent to Raw and Shotzi, Nox, and Storm appearing on SmackDown.

More NXT stars could be brought up to the main roster when the Draft takes place.

Bianca Belair vs. Sasha Banks Set For WWE SummerSlam

Andrew Ravens
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WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair vs. Sasha Banks has been confirmed for this year’s SummerSlam. 

WWE confirmed it on Friday’s episode of Smackdown when Banks did a promo about how she is back to reclaim the spotlight that she created and said she turned Belair from a rookie to a champion. Banks doesn’t appreciate the lack of gratitude for all the accolades and fame she has brought to Belair. This led to Belair coming out to challenge her to a title match at SummerSlam. 

Banks returned to WWE television on the July 30th episode of SmackDown. A segment where Belair celebrated reaching 100 days as SmackDown Women’s Champion led Carmella and Zelina Vega wanting a title shot. 

When they didn’t get what they wanted, they attacked the champion. Banks made her return to make the save. This led to a tag team match being made. 

After teaming with Belair to defeat Carmella & Vega in the main event, Banks attacked Belair and beat her down. The show ended with Banks having Belair locked in the Banks Statement.

Belair won the SmackDown Women’s Championship by defeating Banks in the main event of WrestleMania 37 night one this April and had been off television since then.

Adam Cole To Meet With Vince McMahon At SmackDown (Report)

Michael Reichlin
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Adam Cole is in high demand. The former NXT Champion will be a free agent later this month. WWE officials thought he was locked in through the end of the year, but that was not the case.

Cole’s WWE contract reportedly expired several weeks ago, but he agreed to work through SummerSlam weekend as an act of good faith.

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon will meet with Cole at tonight’s SmackDown from Washington D.C., according to Fightful. The wrestling war between WWE and AEW heating up, so rest assured McMahon will pull out all the stops to keep Adam Cole on his payroll.

Adam Cole’s Choice

Adam Cole has been with WWE since 2017. He’s reached the top of the mountain in the company’s yellow and gold brand. Cole is the longest-reigning NXT Champion in history. He’s also the held the North American and Tag Team titles.

There is a lot of uncertainty about how he’d fare on the main roster, despite everything he’s accomplished in NXT. WWE has a mixed track record when transitioning talent to Raw and SmackDown.

Adam Cole could re-sign with WWE or he could wait until September 1st and test his value on the open market. He’d almost certainly get a strong offer from AEW.

Britt Baker, Cole’s girlfriend, recently commented on the possibility of him joining her in AEW. During an interview with the Daily Star, she said:

“He’s happy where he is. So, if he were to jump ship and come my way, that would be awesome, but if he stays in WWE forever then I’d be happy, too, as I just want him to be happy.”

– Britt Baker

The 32-year-old Bullet Club alum is set to cash in with the biggest contract of his wrestling career, wherever he winds up.

We will continue to follow this situation closely. Stay tuned for further updates on Adam Cole and his future.

Britt Baker Comments On Adam Cole Possibly Joining AEW

Jim Ross Comments On CM Punk/AEW Rumors

Chris Stephens
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With CM Punk widely believed to be headed to AEW in just two weeks, Conrad Thompson asked Jim Ross about Punk on the latest edition of “Grillin Jr“.

“I hope we sign him, I hope he’s one of our guys,” JR said about Punk on the show. “CM Punk is a treasure. And he can contribute a lot to a lot of guys and he’s willing to share his knowledge and his expertise to other talents. He pays it forward and has no problem doing so, that’s my take on him.”

“If we can sign CM Punk to our team and our roster, it’s a great get,” JR continued.

Punk’s debut in AEW is heavily rumored to take place at AEW First Dance. The event will be held in Chicago’s United Center on August 20th. Ross also commented on if Punk’s 8 years away from the ring will impact his work.

“He’s a huge player in the big picture and am I worried his layoff is going to affect his work? We know it’s going to affect his work to some degree because he’s 8 years older. And he’s in his 40s. But that doesn’t seem to matter in today’s wrestling business especially when you have a schedule like ours.”

JR also spoke about how valuable he feels Punk will be for developing talent on the roster. Having someone like Punk around gives up-and-comers a valuable veteran to get advice from.

“There’s no doubt in my mind he’s going to be effective as hell,” JR continued.

“If CM Punk signs with us he will be used and valued in multiple areas and I don’t think that anybody that’s concerned about his in-ring game have anything to worry about.”

Renee Paquette Will Be A Free Agent Soon, Open To Working For AEW

Chris Stephens
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Renee Pacquette (FKA Renee Young) announced last summer that she would be leaving WWE. Her last show was SummerSlam on August 23rd, 2020. She is still under a non-compete clause with WWE, which evidently extended 1-year after her leaving the company.

She addressed her situation recently during an interview with Wrestling Inc.

“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; I know that’s essentially going to always be my bread and butter — and I love that. I love professional wrestling, so I’m not looking to ‘get away’ from it by any stretch.”

Renee Paquette Talks AEW

Renee also commented on the possibility of working with All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

“Looking at AEW, I think there are endless opportunities of other things I could be doing over there, if that was to be something that came up down the line,” she continued. “I’ve honestly not put much thought into it. That’s interesting to be like, ‘Oh, wait! I can do wrestling things again!'”

Her situation was addressed recently in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

“She had an employee contract and could leave with two weeks notice, but because she left on her own, she couldn’t work for a competitor for one year, which sounds insane, but that’s the nature of the contract,” wrote Dave Meltzer. “Unlike the 90-day non-compete for a main roster talent when they are let go, she wasn’t paid for the year.”

Paquette hosts the popular Oral Sessions podcast. She and husband Jon Moxley welcomed the birth of their baby daughter Nora last month.

Check out our exclusive interview with Renee Paquette (May 2021):

AEW Releases Darby Allin’s New Entrance Video Animated By Rooster Teeth

Chris Stephens
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AEW has released the new entrance video used by Darby Allin to its official AEW Music YouTube channel. The video was animated by video production company, Rooster Teeth.

The full video can be viewed in the player below:

Darby Allin On Filmmaking and Art

A former film student, Darby Allin spoke to the Independent about filmmaking, art, and more earlier this year.

“There’s so much in this world that I want to do that I don’t want to pigeonhole myself into one thing. I love art, whether it be film-making, fashion, anything. I don’t want to be this 55-year-old guy wrestling in a high school gym, not because he wants to but because he has to,” Allin said during the interview.

“The wheels are spinning in my head on what’s after all of this, so it’s fun.”

During an appearance on the Wrestling Perspectives podcast earlier this year, Allin spoke about how he feels he’s more productive when he’s alone.

 “So I really just feel super more productive when I’m by myself. But when it’s time to go out there and put a match together or put a storyline together, I’ll be totally in your face like super collabing and just talking, but otherwise man I really like to be left alone.”

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