WWE superstar Edge was a recent guest on The Kurt Angle Show. During his appearance, he spoke about a number of topics including the status of Rey Mysterio. Rey and his son Dominik ran to the ring to help Edge fend off an attack from the Usos at Money in the Bank.
Rey Mysterio is held in high regard by almost every wrestling fan around the world. However, Edge feels the man still doesn’t get the full level of credit that he deserves.
“Rey Mysterio, he gets credit, but it’s still not the credit he deserves,” Edge said. “I think because he’s been so consistent for so long, that he’s not appreciated to his full extent. I don’t know if he will be fully appreciated until he retires. When there’s no Rey Mysterio on the show, they’ll go ‘But wait? We need Rey.’ I think as a writer, as a company, as a fan, as a colleague, although I think colleagues and peers appreciate him more than anyone else because they truly fully grasp and understand it.”
Edge is Amazed by Rey Mysterio’s Career Longevity
Wrestling is a tough business. It is hard on the body, especially if you wrestle a high lying luchador style. Yet, Mysterio is still going just as hard and fast today as he did in his youth. This is a fact not lost on Edge, and one of the core reasons he believes we won’t fully appreciate Rey until he has retired.
“That dude, for his style and what he’s done, to still even be in there at all let alone at the level that he’s performing at, he just did a Hell in a Cell with Roman Reigns. The term legend is thrown around a lot, dudes a legend. He’s a living legend and one day people will fully latch onto how special Rey Mysterio is.” Edge explained before going on to talk about how he paved the way for so many current superstars and is doing it for future ones too.
Edge is one of the most popular figures in WWE, arguably on a par with Rey Mysterio. Regardless, both men are in their twilight years and wrestling won’t be the same once either hang up their boots.
After being moved to a Friday night slot for a few weeks, AEW Dynamite is back on Wednesday nights. Since returning, the AEW ratings have continued to climb, and TNT is over the moon about it.
Night Two of Fyter Fest say AEW ratings peak with 1,148,000 hourly viewers and a 0.44 rating in the core 18-49 demographic. Aside from the show’s debut show, the Fyter Fest figures, for both nights one and two are among some of the best the show has seen.
In fact, this year AEW ratings are up 5% in the key 18-49 demographic and 3% in total viewers. These are certainly impressive gains for a company that is just 93 weeks into its life. It’s no wonder that TNT felt compelled to issue a statement on AEW’s ratings charge.
TNT’s AEW: DYNAMITE continues domination as Wednesday’s #1 cable program in P18-49 for the second week in a row. See highlights below:
AEW: Dynamite
575K P18-49 / 150K P18-34 / 1.15M P2+
Week 93 of AEW was up 11% vs. last week
AEW Ratings Continue to Recover Following Wednesday Night Return
During the recent NBA playoffs, AEW had been forced to move to a temporary Friday night slow. This change did knock the AEW ratings for a few weeks, with record low numbers being posted. However, since returning to Wednesday nights, the company is moving from strength to strength.
With all the rumors floating around about names like CM Punk and Daniel Bryan, interest in AEW is at an all-time high. This will surely be reflected in the AEW ratings through the rest of the year and beyond.
AEW Dynamite is now an established part of Wednesday night TV. Dark Elevation and Dark occupy Monday and Tuesday nights on YouTube. Now, we are less than a month away from the debut episode of AEW Rampage on a Friday night. How long will it be before we start talking about AEW ratings dominance across the entire week?
Michael Cole has been working with WWE since 1995 and has been a commentator for the majority of this period. He has been there and done it all, rising through the ranks behind the scenes. It is only natural, however, that you begin to feel a little jaded, or stale after so long. That doesn’t mean your work slips, or you’re unhappy, just that things begin to feel a little routine.
Talking during a recent interview on The Pat McAfee Show, Michael Cole spoke openly about how working alongside McAfee in the commentary booth has changed his career.
“You have completely revitalized my career.” Michael Cole said. I’ve been doing this for almost 25 years and have seen and been part of everything in WWE. You go through different partners and everyone I have worked with has been great and have all brought a different style to the product. JBL, unbelievable partner. Corey Graves, incredible talent. You’re different than all of those guys because you’re a true fan and you bring that enthusiasm to the product and seeing how you’ve been acting over the past couple of months has really revitalized what I do and I realize that I have to step up my game to keep up with what you’re doing from an enthusiastic standpoint and that’s what I’m trying to do. It’s been a lot of fun for me and it’s been really different. Thank you for breathing life into this old man.”
Michael Cole is the Voice of WWE
There have been some memorable men sitting in the WWE announcer’s booth. However, few have had the longevity Michael Cole has. From playing the heel commentator to leading the ship through many different eras, he has proven himself to be dependable and competent.
He will long be remembered for his deft handling of the Jerry ‘the King’ Lawler incident, along with many other moments during his career.
Bringing in someone with the character of McAfee for Michael Cole to play off makes a great pairing and in its own right, has many avenues for possible character building and storytelling within the commentary booth.
Wrestling veteran Jim Ross talked about a number of things on the latest episode of his Grilling JR Podcast. He also revealed which current AEW star reminds him the most of Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Steve Austin is widely regarded as one of the biggest if not the biggest wrestling superstars of all time. Ross has the first-hand experience of his rise to superstardom. He was the lead commentator for WWE throughout the Attitude Era.
During the episode, Jim Ross claimed that Jon Moxley is the closest thing he has seen to Stone Cold since the Texas Rattlesnake hung up his boots:
“[Jon] Moxley is the closest thing I’ve seen in pro wrestling like Stone Cold, since Stone Cold, attitude, body english, facial expressions, legitimate intensity, absolutely phenomenal.”
Alongside the other companies, AEW has also welcomed the fans back to the arenas this month. Speaking of the AEW crowds, Ross claimed that they remind him of the Attitude Era audience:
“Our audience because they’re younger, they come prepared. They have their signs, posters, it reminds me of the Attitude Era as far as audience participation. It’s a really good time to be a wrestling fan no matter which brand you support,
I’m a really big believer in if you’re a wrestling fan, be a wrestling fan of all of them., said Jim Ross, “Don’t go out of your way to piss on something that’s not on fire. It’s a great time to be a fan.”
Jim Ross also discussed how people like Jon Moxley know how to work TV matches in an arena full of fans but there are many young wrestlers in AEW who are having this experience for the first time in their careers.
Britt Baker picked up a big win on this week’s Fyter Fest edition of Dynamite. If her victory wasn’t impressive enough on its own, it’s now been revealed that she did it with a broken wrist.
The AEW women’s champion recently posted a picture of herself with MMA fighter Paige VanZant. In the photo she is seen wearing a cast on her right hand and in the caption she confirmed that she has a broken wrist:
“With @paigevanzant …And oh yeah, I retained the title on Wednesday night at #aewdynamite with a broken wrist. Not taking any time off either. #AndStill”
— Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (@RealBrittBaker) July 24, 2021
Britt Baker won her first women’s title in AEW during the Double Or Nothing PPV in May. She defeated Hikaru Shida in a one-on-one match for the championship.
The women’s champion had her first title defense on this Wednesday’s Fyter Fest edition of Dynamite. She successfully defended the title in a match against Nyla Rose.
She apparently suffered the injury during a death valley driver spot in the match. Though according to the champion herself, she is taking no time off.
There is no word yet on who will be Britt Baker’s next challenger after her victory on Dynamite this week. She will likely not be defending her title again until the All Out PPV on September 5.
SmackDown aired live from the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland & Rolling Loud festival in Miami. Bianca Belair defended the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Carmella during tonight’s show. Universal Champion Roman Reigns responded to John Cena’s challenge for a title match at SummerSlam.
SmackDown Results (7/23)
Finn Balor def. Sami Zayn
Angelo Dawkins def. Chad Gable
Bianca Belair def. Carmella to retain the SmackDown Women’s Championship
Toni Storm def. Zelina Vega
Jimmy Uso def. Dominik
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Paul Heyman Mocked John Cena
John Cena kicked off the show and made his way to the ring to a great reaction from the crowd. Cena referred to Roman Reigns as a lifeless egomaniac and said he came back to challenge him for the Universal Championship at SummerSlam.
Cena joked about the Indians changing their names to Guardians and claimed that SmackDown with Roman Reigns as champion sucks. Cena added that SummerSlam is not just a match for the Universal Championship, it is a chance for people to stand up for what they believe.
John asked if the crowd was on team jorts or on team cargo pants and a “Cena!” chant broke out. Cena asked Reigns to come to the ring but the Universal Champion didn’t show. Paul Heyman finally made his way to the entrance ramp and said that Cena has it all wrong.
Heyman told Cena that he’s not worth Reigns listening to and that John will get an answer to his challenge tonight whenever Roman decides to come to the ring. Heyman then hilariously mocked Cena’s theme before leaving.
Finn Balor squared off with Sami Zayn in his first match back on the main roster. Sami hit Finn with an elbow to the face and brought him down to the canvas. Balor battled back but Sami dropped him again with a punch. Zayn followed it up with some more punches to Balor’s face before throwing him out of the ring.
Sami beat Balor down against the barricade and rolled him back into the ring. Balor tackled Sami and got in some punches of his own. Finn threw Sami out of the ring and flipped onto him as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Sami hit a Clothesline and went for the cover but Finn kicked out at two. Zayn applied a Headlock but Finn was able to break free and take control of the match. Finn Dropkicked Sami to the corner and followed it up with the Coup de Grace for the pinfall victory.
MITB winner Big E made his way to the ring to chants of “you deserve it!” from the crowd. Big E thanked the crowd and said that he will never forget this past Sunday. Big E joked that has no business jumping off of ladders but was interrupted by Intercontinental Champion Apollo Crews & Commander Azeez.
Crews laughed at Big E for winning a contract and brought up beating Big E at WrestleMania. Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode interrupted but they were quickly interrupted by a screaming Rick Boogs. Shinsuke Nakamura made his way to the ring as Boogs played the guitar. Cesaro ran to the ring and a brawl broke out. Big E Clotheslined Azeez out of the ring as Cesaro got Crews in the Swing.
Angelo Dawkins faced Chad Gable in a singles match from Rolling Loud. Ford and Otis were ringside. Dawkins perched Gable up on the top rope and sent him to the mat with a Clothesline. Gable battled back with a Flying Clothesline off the top rope for a two count. Gable hit a Northern Lights Suplex for a two count. Dawkins hit Splash and went for the cover but Gable kicked out at two. Angelo then connected with Sky High for the pinfall victory.
Bianca Belair put the SmackDown Women’s Championship on the line against Carmella. The match aired from Rolling Loud. Bianca connected with a shoulder tackle and sent Carmella to the ring apron. Carmella connected with a punch and went for a Crossbody off the top rope.
Bianca caught Carmella and connected with a Fallaway Slam. Belair followed it up with a Standing Moonsault for a near fall. Carmella caught Belair with a Jawbreaker and followed it up with a Facebuster for a two count. Belair took control and hit KOD for the pinfall victory. Bianca Belair is still the SmackDown Women’s Champion.
Edge came down to the ring to a great reaction from the Cleveland crowd. Edge said that Rollins is going to find out what he is capable of and Rollins’ music hit.Rollins interrupted and cackled into the microphone. Edge told Seth to shut up and come down to the ring. Edge added that he wasn’t going to put a hand on him. Seth added that he was going to talk about people like Cena & Edge coming back whenever they want and jumping the line but isn’t going to.
Seth said that Edge has been such a scumbag to him that he would be thrilled to end his dreams of becoming champion once again. Rollins noted that he hesitated to end Edge’s career 7 years ago but will not hesitate this time around. Edge told Rollins he lied and hit him with some punches. Rollins stomped Edge to the mat but the he got up and hit Edgecution. Edge went for the Spear but Seth retreated out of the ring.
Toni Storm made her debut on SmackDown against Zelina Vega. Zelina got the jobber entrance. Toni was wrestling as a babyface and Vega beat her down to start off the action. Vega hit a running knee to the face but Toni shrugged it off and connected with a headbutt. Vega got distracted by accidentally taking Toni’s belt off somehow. Toni then hit Storm Zero for the pinfall victory.
Jimmy Uso faced Dominik tonight on SmackDown. Jey Uso and Rey Mysterio were ringside for the match. Jimmy dominated the match early and hit Dominim with a Superkick for a near fall. Uso focused his attack on Dominik’s knee and then hit him with an Enziguri to the face for a two count.
Rey took out Jey outside the ring with a Senton and Dominik hit Jimmy with a Crossbody as SmackDown went to a break. When SmackDown returned, Dominik hit a Neckbreaker and sent Jimmy to the apron. Jimmy battled back and rolled up Dominik with an assist from Jey for the win.
Reigns stood in the ring silent with Paul Heyman as the Cleveland crowd chanted “you suck!”. Roman told Cleveland and the audience at home to acknowledge him as Heyman raised the Universal Championship above his head.
Roman stated that John Cena is a nostalgia act with the same entrance, same outfits, and same promos. Reigns joked that if he wanted that he could just search 2005 John Cena on the internet. Roman added that Cena was like missionary every night and that everyone is tired of Cena. He declined Cena’s challenge for a title shot at SummerSlam. Paul Heyman raised the Universal Championship but Finn Balor’s theme hit.
Balor came to the ring and Reigns wondered if Finn was here to acknowledge him. Finn said he was not here to do that but if Roman isn’t interested in Cena’s challenge, maybe he’d be interested in Balor’s. The crowd chanted “Roman’s scared!” and the champion quieted them down. Roman then accepted Balor’s challenge to end the show.
A batch of new WWE action figures are on their way to fans, soon.
Friday, WWE and Mattel joined forces to host a fan panel during this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, where they revealed their newest round of upcoming WWE figure releases.
The panel was moderated by WWE broadcaster Sam Roberts, and featured Mattel Elite Squad representatives Bill Miekina and Steve Ozer. WWE Superstars Johnny Gargano, Bianca Belair, Dominik Mysterio, and Adam Cole also dropped by at various points to help reveal the figures.
Among those released are various Elite Collection Series, Ultimate Edition, and Retro figures, along with figures for Masters of the WWE Universe Wave 8. Superstars with new figures range from current NXT and WWE talent like Ember Moon, Keith Lee, Santos Escobar, Damian Priest, Reckoning, to legends like Trish Stratus, Sgt. Slaughter, Zodiac, and The Goon.
The panel revealed several new Championship Showdown 2-Pack sets, including the Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair set, and the Drew McIntyre and Goldberg set. New Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, and WrestleMania Elite figures were also added to the new batch, which included new Dakota Kai, Bayley, Bret Hart, and Vince McMahon figures.
New entries into the Hollywood Elite Collection Series was introduced, featuring The Rock as Luke Hobbs from “Hobbs & Shaw”, John Cena as Jakob Toretto from “F9”, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper as John Nada from “They Live”, Roman Reigns as Mateo Hobbs from “Hobbs & Shaw”, and even The Rock as “The Scorpion King”.
Most notable from the panel, was the new campaign from WWE and Mattel seeking backers for the WWE Ultimate New Generation Arena. The crowdfunding campaign requires at least 5,000 backers at $250 each before Aug. 22 to produce the set. More features are “unlocked” after 7,000 and 8,000 backers are reached. At the time of this article, there are 660 backers.
WWE released a gallery of photos featuring the new Mattel WWE action figures Friday, as well.
The entire San Diego Comic-Con virtual panel that aired Friday can be seen at the video below.
Goldberg is being advertised for two WWE Raw episodes on the road to SummerSlam.
It was recently announced that the WWE Hall of Famer will be appearing on the Raw episode at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois on Monday, August 2nd. Also, he will be at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas on the Monday, August 16 episode of Raw.
It should be noted that the episode in San Antonio will be Raw’s go-home show for SummerSlam.
The former Universal Champion just made his return this past Monday night to start the build for his match with Bobby Lashley for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam. It happened after Goldberg came out to the ring and confronted Lashley. Goldberg started laughing in Lashley’s face and declared that “I’m next.”
In a backstage segment after the confrontation, MVP said Goldberg disrespected Lashley and they weren’t going to dignify it with a response.
Goldberg was previously in action when he challenged for the WWE Championship at this January’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view but lost to Drew McIntyre.
WWE holds the SummerSlam pay-per-view event on Saturday, August 21 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada at Allegiant Stadium which will air on Peacock.
Chelsea Green’s doctor has put her back in a cast.
July 17, Green made her return to Impact Wrestling at their annual pay-per-view event Slammiversary, teaming up with her fiancé Matt Cardona in a winning effort against Brian Myers and Tenille Dashwood. During the match, Green landed a one-arm Canadian Destroyer on Myers.
Friday, Green posted x-ray photos on Twitter before visiting her surgeon for a follow-up on her injured arm, stating she had plans to show her doctor a video of the Destroyer.
Later Friday, Green updated her followers on Twitter by revealing her doctor had watched the video and put her arm back in a cast.
Green had appeared at Slammiversary with a cast on her arm; commentary claiming she had been cleared medically to compete. On her podcast “Green with Envy with Chelsea Green”, Green confirmed she had wrestled with a broken arm, noting Tennessee doesn’t have a health commission. A health commission can prevent a wrestler from competing when injured.
“So, obviously I’ve been talking about the familiarity—look at that fancy f*cking word. Ah, the familiarity of IMPACT. But one thing that wasn’t familiar, clearly, was wrestling with a broken arm,” started Green. “Slammiversary was in Tennessee, so they don’t have a health commission, so a health commission cannot ban me from wrestling with a broken arm. See what I mean? So I f*cking did it. YOLO, right?”
Green continued by stating that though her arm didn’t feel the best, it was worth it to wrestle, in her opinion.
“Last week, obviously I was upset that I couldn’t wrestle for Ring of Honor in the Women’s Championship tournament, but I understood why,” shared Green. “The Maryland Commission was not having any of it. But in Nashville, however, it is balls to the wall. Woo! We were good to go, so I took the opportunity and I ran with it, cast and all. I will say it doesn’t feel great, okay. Doesn’t feel 10 out of 10, but it was 10 out of 10 worth it, 100 percent worth it. A little pain, a lot of pleasure; that sounds dirty.”
The Canadian native first suffered a broken wrist during her first TV match on the March 13, 2019 NXT TV tapings, undergoing surgery the next day. Green re-injured her wrist on her SmackDown debut in November 2020, placing her on the sidelines again. After months on inactivity, WWE released Green in April, despite having signed a three-year contract.
On the same episode of “Green with Envy with Chelsea Green”, Green shared how the injury affected her mentally while preparing for Slammiversary.
“I just had this weird mental blockage,” shared Green. “I didn’t realize how much this injury would affect me mentally this time around. I think the first and second time that I broke my arm, I truly believed in my head that it was a freak accident. So, when it happened for the third time, because this is the third time I’ve broken my arm, if you don’t know, I really was in my head about it.”
Green worked recent Impact Wrestling tapings, and appeared on Thursday’s episode of Impact Wrestling in a six-man tag team match with Jake Something and Cardona. She’ll also be featured in a tournament for the upcoming Impact Homecoming special, which was also taped during the same time.
Quotes used from “Green with Envy with Chelsea Green” were h/t POST Wrestling.
Off to the surgeons. He told me to take it easy. What do you think he’ll say when I show him the one-armed Canadian destroyer I hit? ? #YOLOpic.twitter.com/WfxuHrk5UN
Daniel Bryan has reportedly signed with All Elite Wrestling, which is just one of the big additions to the roster as well as the promotion having talks with fellow former WWE Champion CM Punk.
Bryan is expected to make his debut during the Grand Slam edition of Dynamite from the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City on September 22nd. This show has already sold over 15,000 tickets.
As part of his deal, in addition to comparable money to his WWE contract, Bryan wanted to work fewer dates and be able to work in Japan as well as have creative input.
Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam, who initially broke the news, has an update on the situation. AEW’s internal talks on bringing Bryan in began back in May after his WWE contract expired
While AEW was talking about it among top executives, there were no contract talks or negotiations happening with Bryan. However, talks between Bryan and AEW began some time over the last few weeks.
As of this writing, it’s still unclear how long the contract is nor the amount of money the fan-favorite star is getting.
Several WWE executives cashed in on company stock earlier this week including Vince McMahon, “Triple H” Paul Levesque, and Stephanie McMahon-Levesque.
WWE uploaded a new SEC filing to their corporate website that shows the sold shares of Class A Common Stock.
The following trades were made earlier this week (July 20):
Vince McMahon sold 17,465 shares at $48.68 for an approximate total of $850,196. The Chairman & CEO still has 72,265 shares.
Paul Levesque sold 4,547 shares at $48.68 for an approximate total of $221,347. The Executive Vice President of Global Talent Strategy & Development still has 45,465 shares.
Stephanie Levesque sold 4,410 shares at $48.68 for an approximate total of $214,678. The Chief Brand Officer still has 77,712 shares.
Kevin Dunn sold 14,404 shares at $48.68 for an approximate total of $701,186. The Executive Producer & Chief of Global Television Distribution still has 82,798 shares.
Kristina Salen sold 1,233 shares at $48.68 for an approximate total of $60,022. The Chief Financial Officer still has 10,817 shares.
Nick Khan sold 1,098 shares at $48.68 for an approximate total of $53,450. The President & Chief Revenue Officer still has 9,410 shares.
Bradley Blum, Executive Vice President of Operations, sold 3,558 shares at $48.68 for an approximate total of $173,203. Blum still has 26,230 shares.
Next Thursday (July 29), WWE is expected to report earnings after the market closes. The report will be for the fiscal quarter ending Jun 2021.
WWE’s stock has been trading around $49 per share this week.
There’s been a lot of press in recent days revolving around Daniel Bryan and his likely deal with AEW. While his actual signing remains unconfirmed, Dave Meltzer has reported that WWE has taken a big step with regards to his character and their use of it.
In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Meltzer says WWE officials sent a memo to 2K games to have Daniel Bryan’s character removed. The release date of it has not yet been announced, which would make changes such as this easier to accomplish.
This is a big move for WWE to make, given Bryans affinity with the fans and the frequent use of legacy characters in their virtual rosters. Perhaps the wound is still a little too fresh for WWE to accept.
Meltzer went on to confirm the memo was sent to multiple media outlets, meaning there will be no Daniel Bryan merchandise being created.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X1fufate4Y
Daniel Bryan Has a Long History in WWE Video Games
Daniel Bryan has long been part of the WWE video game franchise. He has been a playable character in no less than 10 different games since 2011. This is every single video game released by WWE including the most recent WWE 2K Battlegrounds.
Daniel Bryan was even the central part of the storyline mode in the 2K19 edition of the series. Players could play as Brian Danielson and play the story of his career. He was also the alternate cover art design for WWE 2K14.
The sudden request for his removal could just be a kneejerk reaction to his crossing over to their biggest rival. However, with digital downloads adding new content and characters post-launch is easy. Alongside that, there is a high chance that Daniel Bryan’s move set will still be part of the game. Gamers are able to create their own character in 2k games. It’s a safe bet that we will see players creating their own Brian Danielson characters.
On a similar note, maybe there is still time to have a Daniel Bryan character added to the upcoming AEW console video game.
AEW’s upcoming All Out PPV in Chicago on September 5th sold out quickly and long before any rumors of CM Punk signing with the promotion leaked. Despite this, rumors of Punk heading to AEW have caused a spike in the secondary ticket market for the event.
According to a recent report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, secondary market ticket prices have increased 18% since news of Punk possibly signing with AEW was reported. The current “get-in” price for the event is $141.
“All Out on 9/5 in Chicago has a $141 get-in price, so the C.M. Punk rumors have upped ticket prices about 18 percent across the board,” wrote Dave Meltzer.
The event will be held in what is now known as the NOW Arena. Previously, it was named the Sears Center. It is the home of the famous “All In” PPV put on by Cody Rhodes and Ring of Honor in 2018.
If CM Punk is headed to AEW, an event in Chicago is the place to do it. Punk has very strong roots in the city and some of his biggest moments in wrestling occurred in Chicago as well. Possibly the biggest moment being the Money in the Bank PPV from 2011. Punk defeated Cena to win the WWE Championship that night. The event drew an attendance of 14,815 people to the Allstate Arena. The PPV did 195,000 buys.
Last year’s WWE Draft may have separated the New Day, but it did not defeat them. Far from it. Many, including Big E, feel the brand split just means their group gets even more exposure than it did before.
“Even though we’re on different shows, I still feel like the caveman that’s gone out and grabbed fresh meat and berries and brought it back to the cave so that my family can eat,” Big E said speaking to Bleacher Report.
Big E was largely referring to his recent Money in the Bank victory. However, in his mind, the same would apply even if he were to lift the WWE Championship. In fact, while chatting, Big E reflected that his victory wasn’t his, but rather, the groups.
“That may have been one of the greatest nights of my career,” Big E said about becoming Mr Money in the Bank. “I almost don’t want to say it because I have so much reverence for Kofi and Woods and what we’ve done together. It almost feels like saying that diminishes that, but to me, but it’s still a New Day accomplishment. I don’t think I would’ve gotten here without those guys and how much I was able to grow as a performer because of that run.”
Being in the New Day Changed Big E’s Career Forever
When they first debuted, the New Day sank almost as fast as the League of Nations faction. However, something changed. Something clicked. It was an organic growth that nobody could have stopped. Not even the big man of the group. In creating the New Day, the lives of Big E, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods were changed forever.
Even if the stable does disband, and change their personas, the legacy of the New Day will live on. From their incredible battles against The Uso’s, to their trombone-playing, pancake-flinging antics, they are a faction that changed the landscape.
“That’s still my perspective. I don’t just do this for me. Everything I do adds to our legacy as a trio.” Big E said, confirming his earlier statements about the New Day still having a lot they want to accomplish.
A new challenger for Miro’s TNT Championship was named this week while AEW was taping episodes of Dark and Dark: Elevation. Lee Johnson defeated Luther of Chaos Project during the tapings and after the match, Miro came out and announced him as the next challenger for his title.
It’s not yet clear when this match will take place. What took place will likely air on either AEW Dark or AEW Dark: Elevation next week.
The 23-year-old Johnson is from Gary, Indiana. He has been trained by AR Fox and QT Marshall. Last week, Johnson wrestled on both Dark and Dark: Elevation in tag team action along with Brock Anderson. Both up-and-comers are aligned with the Nightmare Family in AEW.
Don't cheer too loudly, False Leader. Soon you'll have to talk to The Redeemer yourself. https://t.co/gGMVuDd9Ui
As of this writing, Miro is at 72 days as TNT Champion. He’s defended the title 4x since winning it from Darby Allin. Miro’s successful defenses have come against Dante Martin, Lance Archer, Evil Uno, and Brian Pillman Jr.
Darby Allin and Cody are tied for the record of most successful title defences in a single TNT title reign with 8. Cody defended the title 8x in his first run and then twice more in his second before dropping the belt to Darby Allin.
At the conclusion of Slammiversary this weekend, “Switchblade” Jay White confronted Kenny Omega. White took part in the tapings on Sunday and Monday as well. As it turns out, however, AEW’s Andrade El Idola was the one originally booked in that spot.
According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Andrade was to confront Omega building to their TripleMania match for AAA next month. There would also be a trios match on Impact television featuring Omega and the Good Brothers against Andrade and two other wrestlers. Andrade and Impact couldn’t come to a deal, however, leading to the change.
The switch to going with Jay White instead was something Omega only found out about when he arrived in Nashville for the shows.
“The plan was for Andrade to be in that spot, to build a program with Andrade, managed by Konnan, against Omega,” wrote Dave Meltzer. “They were going to do a six-man tag at the tapings with Omega & Gallows & Anderson vs. Andrade and two others.”
“But in the end, it fell through because Impact and Andrade didn’t come to money terms for the deal.”
It is not clear if a match between Jay White and Kenny Omega will take place. If it does, it’s not clear which promotion it would take place in. TripleMania will take place the same day as NJPW Resurgence on August 14th.
In addition to Omega vs Andrade for the AAA Mega Championship, Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo will face Reina de Reinas Champion Faby Apache in a title vs title match.
The news of CM Punk being in talks for an in-ring return for the first time since leaving WWE in 2014 has possibly been the biggest wrestling story of the week.
Multiple parties are said to be interested in bringing the Straight Edge star on board. Though AEW seems to be the most likely destination for his comeback. It appears that people within WWE believe the same.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the internal belief in WWE is that Punk has already signed a deal with their rival promotion.
There are ‘a number of things going on behind-the-scenes’ that would indicate that AEW is going to be the new home for the former world champion.
Meltzer notes that nobody in AEW has confirmed the news about CM Punk so far. It’s understandable as people would keep quiet about an announcement of this magnitude until the top brass decides to go public with it.
The former WWE champion had originally shot down the possibility of an in-ring return in the future after quitting WWE. However, he seems to have changed his mind in recent times.
Punk himself has claimed that he would be open to making an in-ring return against the right opponent. He has indicated that the right circumstances and storyline are more important than the amount offered to him for a comeback.
With AEW becoming home to some of the most exciting free agents of the wrestling world in recent months, it wouldn’t be a big surprise if a potential program with any of them has caught his eye and made him consider the return.
Former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi says he’s been cleared to return to New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Takahashi posted on Twitter today that doctors have cleared him to wrestle again after rehabbing a torn left pectoral muscle. NJPW Global Twitter account also quoted Takahashi’s post and said, “Somebody is clear.”
Fightful’s Jeremy Lambert reported that the injury occurred in a tag team match with current IWGP World Heavyweight champion Shingo Takagi vs. Kota Ibushi and Tomoaki Honma on February 19th at Road to Castle Attack at the Iwate Prefectural Gymnasium in Iwate, Japan.
As a result, The timetable after he sustained his injury was that he’d be out for six months. The timing of Takahashi’s tweet suggests that the rehab went according to plan.
The tweet from Takahashi said, “Good news. The doctor gave me permission to return! Let’s go crazy again. Feeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.”
— ????? / Hiromu Takahashi (@TIMEBOMB1105) July 22, 2021
Hiromu Takahashi Injury History
When Takahashi announced his injury shortly after, he had to relinquish his IWGP Junior heavyweight championship. It marked the second time Takahashi had to vacate the championship because of an injury.
The first time Takahashi vacated the championship was when he broke his neck. The injury occurred in a match against Dragon Lee during the G1 Special on July 9, 2018, at the Cow Palace in San Fransisco, California.
Takahashi would be inactive for over a year until he made his return in December 2019. He reclaimed the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship by defeating Will Ospreay on January 4, 2020, at Wrestle Kingdom 14 in the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Picture
El Desperado won the vacant championship at Castle Attack at the Osaka-j? Hall in Osaka, Japan, on February 28 in a three-way match against Bushi and El-Phantasmo.
Desperado will defend against Robbie Eagles at Wrestle Grand Slam on July 25th in the Tokyo Dome. However, now cleared, Takahashi could be on track to reclaim the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship once again.
The decision to let Braun Strowman go was a surprising move from WWE. Now latest reports suggest that the officials are interested in bringing him back.
Dave Meltzer talked about the Monster Among Men on the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter. He wrote “there is interest in bringing Strowman back especially after recent AEW signings”
AEW has recently signed a number of stars released by WWE during the budget cuts in the past year. People like Andrade and Malakai Black have already made their debut for the promotion.
Braun Strowman was released from WWE on June 2. At the time it was said that Strowman’s massive contract that earned him over $1 million per year was one big reason behind his release.
The belief among fans has always been that the company will bring him back after a renegotiation of his salary. Now the competition from AEW seems to be an added incentive for WWE officials to get him back before his non-compete clause expires on August 31.
Though people like Mark Henry have shown interest in signing Braun Strowman to AEW. So it’s possible that the two companies will find themselves competing over the former Universal champion in near future.
Impact Wrestling on 7/22 featured the fallout from an event Slammiversary PPV. Jay White, Mickie James, Chelsea Green, and FinJuice were all back in the Impact Zone for the show.
Impact 7/22 Quick results:
Chris Bey defeated Rohit Raju
Chelsea Green, Matt Cardona & Jake Something defeated Tenille Dashwood, Brian Myers, and Sam Beale
Knockouts Tag Team Championships Havok & Rosemary (c) defeated Fire N Flava (Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz)
What Happened After Slammiversary Went Off The Air?
The camera cut away at Slammiversary before fans could see if White aligned with the Elite. Footage of what happened was released by Impact and White did not, in fact, 2 sweet the Elite. Finjuice ran out and ran off both White and the Elite, although White returned to give Finlay his finisher to close the segment.
This week on Impact Wrestling, Chris Bey kicked things off with a singles victory over Rohit Raju. Before the match, highlights of Bey coming inches away from winning back the X-Division title at Slammiversary in the Ultimate-X match were shown.
After Bey’s victory, Jay White came up to Bey to ask him if he had gotten his message. Earlier this week, Impact put out a video on Twitter that featured Bey discovering that someone had left a Bullet Club shirt by his locker. White said that BC is always looking for new talent but Bey said he rides alone. White asked him how that was working out for him and asked him to think about what he said.
Deonna Purrazzo Accepts Mickie James Invitation, With Some Help From Gail Kim
After Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo defeated Thunder Rosa at Slammiversary, Mickie James came to the ring. James invited the Virtuosa to NWA Empowerrr next month but Purrazzo said that James was trying to steal her moment. This week, Mickie James came out again and attempted to smooth the situation over with the KO champ. Gail Kim came out as well and told Purrazzo that it was her idea for James to come out at Slammiversary and it wasn’t meant to steal the moment from her. In a rare occurrence in wrestling, this talking segment ended up with everyone coming to an agreement. Purrazzo and James shook hands and it looks like we’ll see the Knockouts title defended at NWA Empowerrr.
It’s been a big week for Drama King Matt. A vignette previewing his debut in Impact aired at Slammiversary, then he was announced for the broadcast team of NJPW Resurgence, and this week another vignette previewing his arrival was played.
Taylor Wilde’s Return Helps Chelsea Green Pick Up Another Win
At Slammiversary, Chelsea Green and Matt Cardona defeated the team of Tenille Dashwood and Brian Myers. This week on Impact, Green and Cardona would team with Jake Something while Dashwood and Myers would team with Sam Beale. Kaleb with a K tried to get involved from the outside, as he is one to do, but a returning Taylor Wilde thwarted his efforts. Wilde has been gone since Under Siege back in May. Green picked up the win on Beale with the UnprettyHer, giving her team two straight wins over Myers and his teammates.
Later on in the show, Dashwood told Myers she didn’t want to go to homecoming with him anymore, meaning she’s not going to team with him on the Homecoming Impact Plus show on the 31st. Beale said he’ll find Myers a new partner.
Eddie Edwards and W. Morrissey Brawl In The Parking Lot
Morrissey picked up the win over Edwards at Slammiversary after hitting him in the head with a fist wrapped with a steel chain. This week, Edwards challenged Morrissey to meet him in the parking lot. The two brawled until Edwards picked up two kendo sticks and beat the big man into retreat. A hardcore match between the two has since been scheduled for Homecoming on July 31st.
Jay White came out to cut a promo. He said that he was in Impact Wrestling for one man and that man is David Finlay. White and Finlay will meet at NJPW Resurgence for the NEVER Openweight title. Earlier this year, Finlay defeated White in the New Japan Cup. White then spoke about the Good Brothers and the Elite. He said that The Good Brothers weren’t good enough for the faction anymore and said their application for re-entry into Bullet Club was denied.
Don Callis, Kenny Omega, and the Good Brothers then hit the stage. Callis gave White some disingenuous compliments, as he is one to do, but then ran down the current incarnation of Bullet Club as being less important. Callis said it is White who should be applying to them for entry into the Elite.
The Good Brothers then hit the ring as Callis and Omega went to the back. Anderson and Gallows said that White should be thanking them for making Bullet Club the big thing that it is. Things turned into a brawl and while the Good Brothers had the numbers advantage at first, Chris Bey hit the ring to make the save for White.
Later in the show, The Good Brothers challenged White and Bey to a match for next week. The match was later made official.
Is There Something Brewing Between Kenny Omega and Josh Alexander?
Kenny Omega walked in on Josh Alexander’s interview this week. Omega had some words for Alexander but Callis encouraged him to just keep walking. Alexander seemed unfazed but we’ll see what this potentially leads to.
Juice Robinson and David Finlay picked up a win in tag-team action this week against Ace Austin and Madman Fulton. After the match, however, Rohit Raju and Shera hit the ring and joined Austin and Fulton in a 4-on-2 attack.
Havok & Rosemary Retain Knockouts Tag Titles Over Fire N Flava
Havok and Rosemary won the Knockouts tag team titles from Kiera Hogan and Tasha Steelz on the Slammiversary pre-show. This week, the rematch would headline the show. The finish of the match saw Hogan and Steelz uncharacteristically fall out of sync with one another. Hogan ended up accidentally kicking Steelz off the apron, leaving her vulnerable to a double team from Decay. Rosemary hit her with a spear and picked up the victory to retain the titles. Decay would celebrate to end the show.
Next Week On Impact Wrestling
The following matches have been booked for next week’s show:
The Good Brothers vs Jay White & Chris Bey
Violent by Design (Deaner and Rhino) vs. Willie Mack & Rich Swann
Levi Cooper – formerly known as Tucker in WWE – recently joined Joey Karni for a chat on The Angle Podcast. During the chat, he naturally spoke about his time as part of Heavy Machinery. Despite being loved by the fans during their run, the team never won a single championship in WWE.
My exclusive with @REALLeviCooper is available everywhere now!
We discussed his @WWE release, changing his lifestyle, Heavy Machinery breakup, Mandy Rose, what he thinks about @otiswwe current story, & MORE!
Levi Cooper was happy to share his thoughts on why this was, and why he isn’t bothered by that fact.
“At the risk of sounding arrogant, I think maybe a part of the reason we didn’t get those [Tag Team Titles] is because we were able to get over on our own. We’re this big babyface team, you listen to the crowd when we come out. They love us they’re all about us, you don’t need to put the straps on us for them to be like ‘hey we like these guys and we’re all about them, we’re already all about them.” Levi Cooper explained.
Levi Cooper Feels Titles Are Secondary When It Comes to Success
As he spoke, Levi Cooper expanded on his theory regarding Heavy Machinery. Explaining how he viewed the use of tag team titles in wrestling. Viewing them as props that are used to get certain teams to where they need to be, rather than a reflection of one team necessarily being better than the rest.
“Championships are… for a lack of a better term television props. It’s the prize that’s fought over when there’s a protagonist and an antagonist, they have to both want the same thing for that conflict to work. In a wrestling setting, that’s what the championship exists for. Obviously, the main championship, the top prize that comes with a level of stature. There’s a realness about being that guy… The tag championships for me, it doesn’t mean that we’re any better or worse than any other tag team, it’s just a part of our television atmosphere and what we do. And of course, we’re gonna try and get those, but when we were having conversations together me and Otis, it was about how do we think the audience is gonna react to us, versus what do we need to do to get those tag team championships.” Levi Cooper said.
Championships are used to proclaim a person or team as being the best. However, there is a reality to Levi Cooper’s words. They don’t sound bitter, or resentful, but rather down to earth and straightforward. Every wrestler wants to win titles. However, real success and true character is not driven by gold, but by a connection with the fan base.
Recent reports of former world champion Daniel Bryan signing a contract with AEW have excited fans. WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T recently commented on it.
The former WCW star talked about this major development on the latest episode of his Hall Of Fame podcast. He said that he is not going to hate this decision.
Booker explained how WWE shouldn’t hate the decision either, giving the example of basketball players who change teams every year. He then mentioned how Bryan will be able to do his own thing in AEW:
“One thing about Daniel Bryan and AEW, he’s going to be able to pretty much write his own ticket, go out and have the matches that he wants to have. Go ahead and create the stories that he wants to create.
That’s what guys want to do, they want to be able to do their own thing” said Booker T, “And AEW has given a lot of these guys a chance to do their own thing.”
Daniel Bryan’s contract with WWE expired in May this year. While WWE officials were said to be pushing hard to re-sign him, there hadn’t been any positive update in the direction since then.
A report then came out earlier this week that claimed the former world champion has made his choice. It mentions that he has officially signed a contract with AEW and his debut date for the promotion is already set.
Any long-term WWE fan will remember the heated rivalry between Edge and John Cena back in 2006. The pair had undeniable chemistry, with their feud running for ten months and an impressive eleven singles matches.
Talking during his recent appearance on The Kurt Angle Show, Edge spoke about his feud with Cena and revealed the one match they never had.
Edge spoke fondly of the recently returned Cena and said their chemistry worked because they were both on the same page from the get-go. Both understood the point of the feud and the expected end result.
“When I got to John, and we kind of got on the same page and he realized what I was out to do, which was just that, to make him Superman. Once we both had that understanding. Then, we were off and running, because I don’t think that program was supposed to last more than three weeks.” Edge explained.
Edge and John Cena Have Never Met at Wrestlemania
One fact that Edge raised during his chat was that while he and John Cena have fought many times over the years. There was one event where they are yet to clash.
“The only thing was with John and I, we never wrestled a one-on-one at WrestleMania. Which is crazy, right? We worked everything else, but.”
The pair have not faced off in a ring since 2010, however, now, in 2021, both men are active on WWE programming once more. Currently, Edge and Cena both have feuds taking place on Smackdown. Edge with Seth Rollins, and Cena with Roman Reigns. It is not inconceivable to think that the pair could still get their shared Wrestlemania moment.
“I’m back. The scent is in the air. You never know, it could happen one day.” From the sound of things, Edge thinks it could happen too. Whether there are titles on the line or not, there is no denying the fact that a match between them would be a perfect fit for any card.
Listening to Kevin Nash chat with Stone Cold Steve Austin is something special. The two nattered like long lost buddies catching up on old times. During his recent appearance on Broken Skull Sessions, Nash and Austin spoke about a great many things. One of which was acting, which seems to be the go-to backup profession for wrestlers these days.
Kevin Nash admitted that he would love to get into film and tv work. Nash admitted during the talk that opportunities would likely be limited for him, given his size. However, he did reveal there was already a role out there he wanted to claim as his own.
“I love to act,” Kevin Nash said. “Like right now, Rob Zombie’s got the rights to The Munsters. I’d love to play Herman. The thing is, there’s a sensibility and femininity in Herman Munster. That would be if I had to pick the perfect role that I’ve always wanted to play.”
As of the time of writing, there is no official word on who has been cast for any roles in the Munsters reboot. However, it is believed all roles have been filled.
Kevin Nash is No Stranger to the Big Screen
While Kevin Nash is correct, a big man may struggle to find roles in most conventional movies, he is certainly no stranger to the camera.
Nash has acted in films dating back to 1991. Then, he played the role of Super Shredder in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze. In fact, Kevin Nash has quite a number of small productions under his belt.
It’s not surprising that so many wrestlers turn towards acting when their in-ring careers begin drawing to a close. A large part of wrestling is developing a character and performing night after night. Skills that will serve you well on the big screen. Just look at the success of The Rock or John Cena.
Kevin Nash is a talented man, and he is right about one thing. The role of Herman Munster would be perfect for him.
W. Morrissey better known to WWE fans as Big Cass has created a spot for himself in the Impact Wrestling roster since his debut for the promotion in April earlier this year. The former WWE star recently appeared on the Pro Wrestling 4 Life podcast, where he discussed his current run and future in Impact Wrestling.
During the interview, Morrissey claimed that he doesn’t know how long his run with Impact will last. When asked if he is under contract with the promotion, the heavyweight star revealed that he is signed until October:
“I wasn’t at first, but I am signed with IMPACT until Bound For Glory in October. Things could change tomorrow. We’ll see. We’re kind of going on a ‘feel’ basis. They brought me in and I’m not stupid, I understand I’m a high risk because they don’t know what they’re getting.
We’ve gone taping by taping and they were like, ‘We’ll sign you up until Bound For Glory’ and that was cool with me” said W. Morrissey, “because I’m not interested in signing anything long-term right now. It worked out perfectly. I’m there until October for right now.”
Big Cass made his Impact Wrestling debut during the Rebellion PPV in April. He was revealed as a surprise replacement for Eric Young in an 8 men tag match.
He has been on a PPV winning streak since then. W. Morrissey defeated Rich Swann at Against All Odds and Willie Mack at Under Siege. He then beat Eddie Edwards in a singles match at this past Sunday’s Slammiversary.
