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Marty Scurll Teased For XPW Reboot Show

Chris Stephens
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When the 2nd half of Dark Side of the Ring’s season 3 airs later this year, one episode will focus on XPW. Xtreme Pro Wrestling was a promotion run by Rob Black (Rob Zicari) from 1999 until 2003.

Black recently announced plans to reboot the promotion with a tournament on November 7th, 2021. In a video released by Black yesterday, Marty Scurll was teased as the first entrant in the tournament. It is not clear if Scurll will have anything at all to do with the show, however.

https://twitter.com/therobblackshow/status/1410301264378925061
https://www.facebook.com/RobZicariShow/posts/2146908668785356

No venue or broadcast deal has been announced for the show.

UPDATE:

Others have reached out as well to say that Marty Scurll will not be on the show. Rob Black has continued to Tweet on the matter:

XPW – Dark Side of the Ring

It is possible Black is hoping to build on the publicity his former promotion will gain from the Dark Side of the Ring episode scheduled to air later this year. The following topics will air in the second half of season 3:

  • The WWE Steroid Trials
  • FMW
  • Luna Vachon
  • WWE’s Plane Ride from Hell
  • XPW
  • Johnny K-9 (Bruiser Bedlam)
  • Chris Kanyon

The other promotion scheduled to be featured in the second half of season 3, FMW, has also announced a reboot. Atsushi Onita has announced FMWE will run a show later this month.

“The meaning of E is explosion,” Onita said. “It is an explosion. It is an organization specializing in hardcore that is said in the world. There is a request to see an electric current blast in the United States, and we are doing an electric current blast all over the world.”

Sonjay Dutt Joins AEW As A Producer

Chris Stephens
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It was reported earlier this week that Sonjay Dutt had left WWE after having worked in a producer’s role for the company since 2019. According to a report from PW Insider, Dutt was backstage at AEW Dynamite last night. He is believed to have signed on to work full-time in a producer’s role.

According to the Wrestling Observer, Dutt left WWE on his own accord a couple of weeks ago. He had been with the company since early 2019. In addition to working backstage as a producer in WWE, he also worked at the Performance Center as a trainer. He left Impact Wrestling in January of 2019 and began work backstage in WWE shortly after.

Dutt hasn’t wrestled since 2017. He underwent surgery for a torn right achilles in early 2018 and quietly retired after. He then started working as a commentator and backstage in Impact Wrestling.

During his in-ring career, Dutt is a former 1x X-Division Champion in WWE. He’s also a 2x CZW Junior Heavyweight Champion and was inducted into the promotion’s Hall of Fame in 2019. Dutt also held the GFW NEX*GEN Championship in Jeff Jarrett’s Global Force Wrestling. He began his career in 2000 and broke out in 2003 with Major League Wrestling and would then debut for TNA Wrestling later that same year.

Roman Reigns Not Interested In A Shield Reunion: ‘It’s A One Man Show Now’

Anutosh Bajpai
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The Shield helped launch the career of Roman Reigns as a main event star. He has only achieved new heights since then. The Big Dog has claimed WWE as his yard and he has become the face of the company. While many fans still have hope to see the group reuniting sometime in the future, the Tribal Chief is not interested in sharing the spotlight with his former teammates anymore.

The reigning Universal champion recently spoke to Peter Rosenberg and Stat Guy Greg for Hot 97 radio. The WWE star discussed a variety of things during the talk and also commented on a potential Shield reunion. Reigns was asked if he has any interest in reuniting with his old teammates in future. He replied with a straight ‘no’ for an answer. Roman Reigns explained that while he has respect for the time he spent as a part of the group, it’s a one man show for him now:

“No. I have respect for everything we did now. A lot of that time was really pivotal for me to learn and gain experience. Be around other performers. See their processes and how they attack things and how they think about things. But where I am at now it’s a one-man show. I have the family dynamic with my cousins but at the same time, I call the shots. It’s my thumb that’s down on this pole. So yeah, I don’t think I can share it anymore.”

Roman Reigns Wants To Work With Seth Rollins Again

A Shield reunion will also be hard because Jon Moxley has moved on from WWE and found a new home in AEW. What we can be certain about is that we will see the other two Shield members crossing paths sooner or later, something which WWE also teased recently. When asked if he thinks he and Seth Rollins can still pull off something special at a stage such as WrestleMania, Roman Reigns explained that the two can make anything special:

“Seth is a special performer, especially in ring. It can be a cold situation, you give us a crowd, you give us a ring and we’re gonna make something special happen. So you put us in a scenario like Wrestlemania or SummerSlam, a big PPV, no question. I mean that chemistry, that stride for greatness, the ambition for greatness between the both of us, it’ll always be there. So that’s what’s always gonna make it special. So that’s easy, that’s like insurance policy. When in doubt, throw me and him together.”

The Shield made their surprise debut in November 2012. The group’s original WWE run lasted until June 2014, when Seth Rollins betrayed his friends and joined The Authority. The following years saw the trio reuniting for a number of times. However, their final reunion took place in late 2018 after Jon Moxley chose not to renew his WWE contract. He subsequently left the promotion in April 2019 to join AEW in May.

Subscribe to Cheap Heat on Apple Podcasts & Spotify to listen to the full interview. Please credit SEScoops for h/t if you use any quotes from this article.

WWE returns to Madison Square Garden in New York City Friday, September 10th for a live SmackDown TV taping. Tickets go on sale Friday, July 9 at 10 AM ET at Ticketmaster.

Jim Ross Makes Unfortunate Error on Dynamite Commentary

Alex Laybourne
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Jim Ross is the voice of wrestling, for many fans. He has been there for many iconic moments for several different organizations through the years. However, being a veteran of anything does not make you immune to errors.

Since making the move over to AEW, Jim Ross has made a couple of blunders, but none quite so large as at the end of this week’s AEW Dynamite. JR accidentally referred to the show by the wrong company moniker just as they were going off the air.

As the show was going off the air Good ‘ol JR said “Tickets available at AEWtix.com. Folks, there’s nothing in your life that will top seeing a live WWE Dynamite,”

It is an easy mistake to make, especially for a man who has been in the business for so long. Especially when thinking about how many years he spent in WWE before joining AEW.

Naturally, fans were quick to jump on the error, many raising questions as to whether Jim Ross would face repercussions for his faux pas. Not one to hide from things, Jim Ross took to Twitter to address his slip of the tongue.

There were also those that came to JR’s defence, including Busted Open Radio host David LaGreca, who also took to social media to voice his support for the legendary voice of wrestling.

Jim Ross has been with AEW since its inception and is widely regarded as being the best commentator in the business. Usually flanked on commentary by Tony Schiavone and Excalibur, he has seen AEW through the pandemic era and back out onto the road.

Mistakes in the commentary booth are common, with all of the different AEW team members making them frequently. However, they do seem to stick longer when uttered by Jim Ross.

AEW Dynamite Results (6/30): MJF vs. Sammy Guevara, TNT Title Match

Robert Lentini
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AEW Dynamite returned to Wednesday this week and aired live from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville. MJF squared off against Sammy Guevara tonight and Miro defended the TNT Championship against Brian Pillman Jr. Eddie Kingston & Pentagon Jr. faced AEW Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks tonight. If they defeated the champs, Kingston & Penta would earn a future shot at the tag titles. It was also announced that Andrade El Idolo will face Matt Sydal next week at Road Rager.

Dynamite Results (6/30)

  1. Eddie Kingston & Pentagon Jr. def. The Young Bucks to earn a future title shot
  2. Jungle Boy def. Jack Evans via DQ
  3. Miro def. Brian Pillman Jr. to retain the TNT Championship
  4. Britt Baker & Rebel def. Nyla Rose & Vickie Guerrero
  5. MJF def. Sammy Guevara

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Eddie Kingston & Penta Earned A Title Shot

Eddie Kingston and Pentagon Jr. faced Young Bucks in the first match of the night. Kingston and Penta would get a future title shot if they won the match. Brandon Cutler and Alex Abrahantes were ringside. Young Bucks took control of the action early and isolated Penta in the corner. Penta battled back with a Backbreaker outside the ring and then a Crossbody onto Nick Jackson.

Kingston tagged in and hit Nick with a Powerslam for a near fall. Eddie brought Nick up to the top rope and delivered some headbutts. Kingston connected with a Superplex and tagged in Pentagon Jr. Penta connected with a DDT on Matt and followed it up with Code Red for a two count.

Pentagon hit Nick with a Backstabber and went for the cover but Matt broke up the cover at two. Nick hit a low blow while the. referee was distracted and Young Bucks followed that up with a Piledriver/Stomp combo and went for the cover but Eddie broke it up at two.

Good Brothers made their way to the ring as Young Bucks hit Kingston with a couple Superkicks to the face. Good Brothers distracted the referee and Brandon Cutler tried to spray the cold spray in Penta’s face but wound up hitting Matt. Frankie Kazarian attacked Cutler as Eddie hit Backfist to the Future for the pinfall victory. Kingston and Pentagon are in line for a rematch against the Young Bucks for the AEW Tag Team Championships.

Ethan Page Canceled The Coffin Match At Road Rager

Tony Schiavone interviewed Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky in the ring on this week’s episode of Dynamite. Tony wondered why Ethan challenged Darby Allin to a Coffin Match and Ethan stated that his goal was to exterminate Allin. Ethan claimed that he has been trying to cripple Darby since the indies but clearly has not been doing enough.

Ethan added that Darby will think of him every time he hits a Coffin Drop moving forward. Sting interrupted and pulled down a coffin with him. Darby leaped out of the coffin and attacked Ethan as Sting battled with Sky. Sting hit the Scorpion Death Drop on Sky. Page retreated and shouted that Darby just knows he cannot beat him when he is 100%. Ethan said that the Coffin Match at Road Rager is off and maybe they can have the match at Fyter Fest if Allin signs papers that he cannot touch him for a week before the match.

Jungle Boy Tapped Out Jack Evans

Jack Evans faced Jungle Boy this week on Dynamite. Evans and Jungle Boy locked up in the middle of the ring to begin the match. Evans took control and applied a Headlock. Jungle Boy escaped and connected with a Dropkick as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, Jungle Boy hit another Dropkick and then followed it up with a Clothesline. Jungle Boy and Jack Evans battled to the top turnbuckle. Evans slid through and went for a German Suplex but Jungle Boy landed on his feet. Jungle Boy hit a Dropkick and locked in the Snare Trap for the submission victory.

After the match, Hardy Family Office battled with Jurassic Express. Christian came to the ring to even the odds and beat Matt down. Cage hit the Killswitch and choked Matt with his own jacket before Jack Evans broke it up. Hardy and Christian traded words after Christian beat Evans down.

MJF Sent A Message To Jericho

MJF cut a promo on Chris Jericho during tonight’s show. Maxwell said that he has dethroned Jericho as the king of AEW and thought Le Champion would have thrown in the towel by now. MJF said that he will reveal the stipulations for his own last match against Jericho next week and then brought up his match against Sammy Guevara tonight. Friedman said that fans want to see this match because they want to know what the future of All Elite Wrestling is.

MJF added that they will know after tonight that Sammy is the future, because MJF is the now. Jericho was on commentary tonight and said he will accept any stipulation as long as he doesn’t have to get run over by a truck.

Evil Uno Interrupted Kenny Omega

Tony Schiavone interviewed AEW Champion Kenny Omega and the champion boasted about defeating the toughest guy, the greatest high flyer, the most charismatic act, and the most promising star in AEW. Omega added that he is going to go around the world and beat some dudes, but his work in AEW is far from over.

Evil Uno of Dark Order interrupted and Omega said nobody from Dark Order deserves a title shot. Uno agrees but said that they have befriended someone that Omega used to be friends with. Omega said that if he is talking about who he thinks he is talking about, that person would not appreciate Evil Uno speaking on his behalf. Omega added that he wouldn’t have the guts to face the champ anyway.

Hangman Page stormed into Dark Order’s dressing room and yelled at them for making challenges on his behalf. Cold Cabana told Hangman that he is just afraid of failure and needs to know he can do this. Dark Order told Hangman they believe in him to end the segment.

Miro Retained The TNT Title

Miro defended the TNT Championship against Brian Pillman Jr. tonight. Pillman controlled the match early and hit Miro with a flurry of chops. Miro connected with a Samoan Drop and followed it up with a Suplex that sent Pillman out of the ring as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, Pillman connected with a Dropkick that sent the TNT Champion out of the ring. Brian hit a Superkick but Miro shrugged it off and responded with a kick of his own. Miro applied the Game Over but Pillman wouldn’t give up. Miro transitioned into a body scissors and applied a Sleeper Hold. The referee called for the bell as Pillman passed out.

Nyla Rose Attacked Britt Baker

Britt Baker & Rebel faced Nyla Rose & Vickie Guerrero this week. Rebel shoved Vickie to the canvas and Guerrero tagged out. Nyla went after Britt but Rebel hopped on her back. Nyla slammed Rebel to the canvas and hit a Leg Drop as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, Britt Baker dodged the Beast Bomb from Nyla and hit a couple kicks. Rose grabbed Baker by the throat and connected with a big Chokeslam. Rose got sent out of the ring and Baker applied the Lockjaw on Vickie for the submission victory.

After the match, Nyla Rose attacked Baker and hit her with a Beast Bomb. Rose then delivered another Beast Bomb but this time Baker was sent out of the ring and through a table below.

MJF def. Sammy Guevara

MJF faced Sammy Guevara in this week’s main event. The action started off back and forth until Sammy sent MJF to the corner. Guevara unloaded several strikes and connected with a springboard Ace Crusher. MJF battled back and threw Sammy into the barricade as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, MJF and Sammy battled on the turnbuckle. Guevara hit a Spanish Fly and followed it up with an a Destroyer but somehow MJF was able to kick out at two. MJF battled back and went to work on Guevara’s arm. MJF tried to lock in the Salt of the Earth Armbar but Sammy was able to block it.

MJF found a chair and held it up at the fans. It backfired and Sammy hit a Dropkick that sent the chair into MJF’s face and Maxwell tumbling into the crowd as Dynamite went to a commercial break. Back in the ring, Sammy made his way to the top rope but MJF hopped up and crotched Guevara on the top turnbuckle.

Maxwell connected with a Piledriver off the middle turnbuckle and went for the cover but Sammy kicked out at two. Guevara hit a GTH and went for the cover but MJF was just able to get his feet on the ropes to break it up. Sammy hit a 630 Senton for another near fall.

Shawn Spears made his way down the entrance ramp but Jericho stopped him. Spears and Wardlow beat Jericho down and then Spears hit Sammy over the head with the chair. MJF pinned Guevara for the victory and celebrated with Wardlow and Spears after the win. After the match, AEW run highlights from their run at Daily’s Place during the pandemic. They are set to head back on the road with Road Rager next week in Miami.

AEW Faced Many Roster Changes During Daily’s Place Residency

Kristen Ashly
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AEW is close to finishing up residency at Daily’s Place, and their roster has changed drastically since first arriving at the start of the pandemic.

As noted by William R. Washington of the RBR Wrestling Podcast, AEW has lost and gained many notable roster members during the company’s ‘residency’ at the amphitheater in downtown Jacksonville.

Since housing weekly shows at Daily’s Place, AEW has lost Awesome Kong, Bea Priestley, CIMA, Jimmy Havoc, Sadie Gibbs, and Shanna from their roster.

The promotion added many more wrestlers to the roster during their time at Daily’s Place, however. Over 25 wrestlers were added, including The Acclaimed, Anna Jay, Eddie Kingston, Ethan Page, and wrestling legends like Christian Cage, Matt Hardy, and Sting.

AEW Fight For the Fallen in July 2019 was AEW’s first event at Daily’s Place, and the promotion made it a regular home starting in March 2020. Since last March, AEW has held 165 events at the arena, including annual events All Out, Full Gear, and Revolution.

The company made the decision to house their weekly shows at the location after traveling during the COVID pandemic became impossible. Originally, shows were taped with no audience, but after health restrictions loosened, AEW added fans and live shows to their schedule.

AEW will finish its residency at Daily’s Place and return to live show tours in mid-July. The company has stated they will return to the arena in the future to hold events.

Catch the RBR Weekly Wrestling Talk Podcast at FanoffMedia.com.

Andrade El Idolo On Adding Nakamura And Charlotte To Los Ingobernables

Kristen Ashly
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Andrade El Idolo is looking to expand Los Ingobernables to include two of his favorite WWE wrestlers.

During an interview with Hugo Savinovich of Lucha Libre Online, newly-signed AEW roster member Andrade El Idolo expressed interest in working with Charlotte Flair and Shinsuke Nakamura as new members of Los Ingobernables.

“It’s a wonderful pitch,” said Andrade. “Nakamura is a great talent, so are RUSH and Charlotte. I have never been with my fiancé [Charlotte Flair] on TV, so it would be a dream to be with her, whether that be in this faction or not.”

Andrade continued by stating, “I also have never been on TV with Ric [Flair], who is always a great person with me, so it would be very cool to make a faction with my friend, RUSH, with my fiancé and my father-in-law, and with [Shinsuke] Nakamura, who has treated me well since Japan and is always a great person. This group would be wonderful, and I think we would make history. I hope this dream becomes a reality in a not-so-distant future.”

Los Ingobernables, which as a stable has not competed since 2019, has featured members La Sombra (Andrade El Idolo), RUSH, La Mascara, La Bestia Del Ring, El Terrible, Tetsuya Naito, Marco Corleone, and Rey Escorpion, competing primarily in CMLL. In New Japan Pro Wrestling, the stable Los Ingobernables de Japon consists of member Naito, EVIL, BUSHI, SANADA, Hiromu Takahashi, and Shingo Takagi.

Watch the entire interview with Andrade El Idolo from Lucha Libre Online below, where he also speaks on potentially reuniting with former manager Zelina Vega.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=308601527619769

(h/t Fightful, translation credit to Luis Pulido)

Darby Allin Denies He Is Appearing In ‘Jackass Forever’ Movie

Michael Reichlin
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AEW star Darby Allin denies he’s appearing in the upcoming movie Jackass Forever, due out October 22nd.

Multiple outlets have listed Allin as a cast member, but the former TNT Champion says that’s not the case.

The Jackass movies are a continuation of the popular MTV series Jackass (2000-2002), which featured a group of friends performing a variety of dangerous (and disgusting) stunts.

Jackass 4 will reunite the Jackass gang one more time, including Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Jason ‘Wee Man’ Acuña, Chris Raab, Ehren McGhehey, Dave England, and Preston Lacy.

Jeff Tremaine will return to direct the fourth Jackass movie, with Tremaine, Spike Jones, Knoxville, and Steve-O serving as producers.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGi5TSLJavX/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=208b8936-2009-4d1d-8c02-2593d9016750

Guest appearances by extreme sports legends Tony Hawk and Matt Hoffman, comedian Eric Andre, UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou and basketball great (and AEW part-timer) Shaquille O’Neil.

Jackass is rooted in skateboard culture and Darby Allin’s love of skating is well-documented. The former TNT Champion is friends with members of the extended Jackass family, with Steve-O and Tony Hawk both appearing on AEW Dynamite in some of Allin’ segments.

WWE Names The Top-50 Tag-Teams In Company History

Chris Stephens
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WWE has unveiled their list for the Top 50 Tag Teams in history. The includes only tag teams who have competed in WWE.

In a documentary piece that has been airing on the WWE Network, WWE has been counting down the top teams. The final episode has been released and The New Day has been declared the greatest tag team in WWE history.

The full list is below:

50. The Bushwhackers
49. Too Cool
48. The Quebecers
47. Smoking Gunns
46. Strikeforce
45. The Headshrinkers
44. Kane & X-Pac
43. Batista & Ric Flair
42. MNM
41. Nasty Boys
40. Rated RKO
39. Paul London and Brian Kendrick
38. DIY
37. World’s Greatest Tag Team
36. Money Inc.
35. Chris Jericho and The Big Show (Jeri-Show)
34. Natural Disasters
33. The Street Profits
32. Jack and Gerald Brisco
31. The Bludgeon Brothers
30. British Bulldog and Owen Hart
29. John Morrison and The Miz
28. The Bar
27. Team Hell No
26. Nikolai Volkoff and The Iron Sheik
25. Los Guerreros
24. The APA
23. The Blackjacks
22. The Shield
21. Shawn Michaels and Triple H
20. The Undisputed Era
19. Rocky Johnson and Tony Atlas
18. Toru Tanaka and Mr. Fuji
17. The Steiner Brothers
16. The Rock N’ Sock Connection
15. The Wild Samoans
14. The Rockers
13. The Mega Powers
12. The Valiant Brothers
11. Demolition
10. The British Bulldogs
9. The Brothers of Destruction
8. The New Age Outlaws
7. The Usos
6. The Legion of Doom
5. The Dudley Boyz
4. Edge & Christian
3. Hart Foundation
2. The Hardy Boyz
1. The New Day

People have been reacting online to New Day being declared the greatest tag-team in WWE history.

Bully Ray: Eddie Kingston Should “Stay In His Lane” & Stop Bashing WWE

Chris Stephens
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Bully Ray thinks Eddie Kingston needs to “stay in his lane” following comments the AEW wrestler made about WWE recently. Kingston cut a promo following Dynamite this weekend and had some disparaging things to say regarding WWE. He said later, however, that he was just trying to support AEW.

Bully Ray responded to Kingston’s comments recently on Busted Open Radio.

“Eddie Kingston needs to s**t the f**k up and stay in his lane,” Bully said after spending a minute complimenting him. “And his lane is as an AEW guy speaking about AEW and flying the flag for AEW. Then I’m completely on board. Tell me how great AEW is, fly the flag for your company, show me you wear your heart on your sleeve.”

“Don’t take the easy way out and knock the WWE because if you go back and you listen to the fans, they really didn’t pop that hard when he took a jab at WWE.”

Bully Ray continued to say, however, that he understands it when former WWE guys Cody and Jericho take shots at WWE but not Eddie. “If Cody wants to destroy a throne, I get it. If Jericho wants to say F-U, I get it. But Eddie? Why?”

Eddie Kingston’s “Other Channel” Promo

Following Dynamite last Saturday, Kingston got on the microphone and complimented AEW while taking some shots at WWE.

“Because the competition sometimes doesn’t want to hear their fans,” Kingston said. “Well, I guess I’m burning another bridge, surprise. Ladies and gentlemen, AEW cares about their fans. We are not here just to get ourselves a paycheck.”

He was later interviewed by Wrestle Zone and clarified his comments, however.

“Relax, relax. I expect people from the other joint if they’re allowed to mention our names. They’ll probably do the same thing cause you know what I mean? They want their home team to win. It’s just like the NFL or Major League Baseball, man. You wanna go with your home team, AEW’s my team. That’s my squad.”

Response to Bully Ray’s Comments

Bully Ray’s comments have garnered some strong reactions online.

The IIconics Reveal Visa Issues Following WWE Release

Jake Skudder
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The former Billie Kay and Peyton Royce, known in WWE as The IIconics, recently revealed that they are unable to work in the United States due to their visa status following their release from WWE.

Speaking on Renee Paquette’s Oral Sessions podcast, the now Cassie Lee and Jessica McKay revealed how they aren’t earning from their own podcast and are just using it as a way to stay relevant in wrestling and keep their profile out with fans.

“The difficult thing for us is, we still don’t have our green cards, so we’re not allowed to work until we get those or until we find sponsorship anywhere else” Cassie Lee would begin on Oral Sessions. “We’re so excited; we have all this freedom and so many ideas, but pump the brakes because we can’t do any of it.”

The IIconics on Visa Issues

“The podcast, we’re not making any money off of it” Lee continued. “It’s purely to get our name out there and stay relevant. It’s been tough just knowing we have all these things we want to do but can’t do it.”

“People are like, ‘What are going to do now?’ Well, nothing, because I can’t legally work in the country and people think that you apply for the green card and it comes in the mail” Billie Kay/Jessica McKay then added, explaining the awkward situation that the pair are in, being from Australia.

“This stuff takes years and we’ve been through the wringer with this, getting stuff denied and switching the process because of the pandemic. It keeps backing up, year after year. We’re almost there, but almost there could still be a year away” Billie McKay would then conclude.

It has been rumored that the pair are on the radar of AEW, with the former Peyton Royce’s AEW star husband Shawn Spears saying publicly that he wants the tag team to go All Elite.

The duo are currently sitting out their non-compete clauses and will be able to sign with another national promotion at that point.

Renee Paquette Reveals WWE Offered To Help Jon Moxley With Injury

Chris Stephens
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Things aren’t always contentious between WWE and talent that have left the company. Renee Paquette spoke about this recently on her Oral Sessions podcast. During the show, Paquette revealed that WWE offered to help Jon Moxley with an injury after he had left the company.

“Even when Jon left, there was times that Hunter pulled me aside because Jon was injured when he came back from New Japan. Hunter kept checking in to make sure that Jon was okay. If he needed anything, they would have been able to help him in any kind of capacity.”

“So it was nice to know that, that olive branch was still extended, and it wasn’t that heat-seeking thing that everybody thinks that it is. We’ve all spent so much time together and nothing bad went down.”

Chelsea Green On WWE Helping Her Recover From Injury

Renee’s comments are similar to some made recently by Chelsea Green. The former “Hot Mess” revealed on her podcast that she was rehabilitating an injury at the WWE Performance Center despite having been released this spring. Granted, in Green’s case her injury occurred in a WWE ring.

“I reached out to WWE and they were kind enough to let me come into the Performance Center and use their Physical Therapist, and rehab my arm. Thank God. I’m very thankful for that because the injury happened in a WWE ring, so even though I was released, they still take care of that injury, thank God.”

H/T to Essentially Sports for the transcriptions.

Mercedes Martinez Taken To Hospital Following Injury On NXT

Chris Stephens
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Last night on NXT, Xia Li connected with a kick to Mercedes Martinez that seemed to knock her out. Martinez got her shoulder up awkwardly on the pin attempt but the ref called for the bell shortly after it became clear she was hurt.

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Tweeted out shortly after the incident that Martinez was helped to the back and would be taken to hospital for further evaluation.

“Mercedes Martinez was checked in the back and talent/staff were told she’s headed to the hospital for further evaluation,” he Tweeted. No further updates on her condition are currently available.

https://twitter.com/RicardoESegarra/status/1410050938233049092

Below is the clip again in slow motion:

https://twitter.com/TheLouisDangoor/status/1410148904067289089

Mercedes Martinez On NXT Women’s Division

Martinez recently spoke to Solo Wrestling about the NXT Women’s Division.

“From what I’ve seen, and from being a part of NXT right now, it’s a family atmosphere, it really is. When it comes to the women’s division, we don’t bring each other down. We really do bring each other up. Each woman’s success is the success of others. When one rises to the top, she brings everybody with her. And that’s really what I love about the NXT Women’s division… the Women’s roster on NXT is untouchable, I can tell you that.”

“I’ve been around a long time and these girls really, really put in the work. And with the facilities at the performance center it’s really top notch at this point.”

Isaiah Scott Wins WWE NXT North American Title

Andrew Ravens
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Isaiah Scott turned out to be the man to dethrone Bronson Reed as the WWE NXT North American Champion. 

It happened on Tuesday’s episode of NXT TV on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center.  Scott challenged Reed for the strap in the main event. 

After Reed dominated early, Scott took over until the end. There was some outside interference as Reed tossed Top Dolla through the barricade. Once he got back into the ring, he ate a big boot then Scott hit a 450 splash off the top rope for the win. 

This marks the first title reign for Scott since he joined NXT. 

Reed became the North American Champion when he defeated Johnny Gargano in a steel cage match over a month ago.  Reed’s previous title defense came when he teamed up with  NXT Tag Team Champions MSK (Wes Lee & Nash Carter) to retain their titles by beating Legado del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde) at the WWE NXT TakeOver:  In Your House event earlier this month. 

In recent weeks, Reed has been working dark matches on the main roster at Raw and SmackDown TV events just like NXT Champion Karrion Kross. 

WWE officials are having these stars do tryouts to see if they want to call them up for the Draft later this summer.

WWE NXT Results (6/29): Triple Threat Match, Face-Off, Title Change

Andrew Ravens
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The June 29, 2021 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center. 

WWE NXT Results 

  • Zoey Stark & Io Shirai def. Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez and Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart.
  • Roderick Strong def. Asher Hale.
  • Cameron Grimes def. Ari Sterling.
  • Isaiah “Swerve” Scott def. Bronson Reed to win North American Title

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

North American Title Match

nxt 1 2

A late addition to the card was Bronson Reed defending the North American Title against Isiah Scott. This was the main event of the show. 

Reed got the advantage in the early going. Scott took over in the middle of the match and dominated the champion. They did some near falls to tease Scott winning. Scott went for a big boot, but Reed hit him with a clothesline. Reed followed up with a big samoan drop. 

Top Dolla charged at Reed, who tossed him through the barricade. Back in the ring, Scott kicked him in the head then hit a 450 splash for the win. 

Karrion Kross-Johnny Gargano Feud Continues

nxt 1 1

Johnny Gargano attacked NXT Champion Karrion Kross in the backstage area. This led to Kross coming out to the ring to cut a promo where he dared Gargano to come out to the ring. 

Gargano did just that and said that he’s not afraid of Kross. Gargano said Kross jumped him last week like a coward and this week he will beat him at his own game. Gargano said that he has actual talent unlike Kross. Austin Theory attacked Kross from behind. Kross cleared the ring and was about to throw steel steps on Gargano until security broke it up. Gargano landed a superkick to Kross. There was an intense staredown between Kross and Samoa Joe before Kross walked away. 

Later in the show, Gargano and Theory tried to attack Kross in the parking lot, but Kross laid them both out. 

Diamond Mine Follow-Up

nxt 1

The Diamond Mine made their debut as a group last week after the match between Johnny Gargano and Kushida. The group consists of Roderick Strong, Tyler Rust, Malcolm Bivens and another mysterious Superstar. 

WWE announced that fans would find out more on this show. So what happened? Strong worked in a singles match. 

It was a one-sided win for Strong, who worked even more technical than in the past. Strong won with an arm submission. 

Bivens said that Diamond Mine is open for business and this is just the beginning. 

Cameron Grimes Returns To Action

meme 2 2

Cameron Grimes was back in action against Ari Sterling. Grimes won the short match with his finisher. 

Grimes has been feuding with LA Knight that resulted in him losing a ladder match to Knight with the Million Dollar Title on the line. This was done after WWE brought in Ted Debiase and the two NXT stars feuded to become the new Million Dollar Man. Once Knight won the title, he turned on the WWE Hall of Famer. 

Post-match, Knight came out and was about to start talking about Ted. Grimes interrupted him and told him to get down to the ring. Grimes challenged Knight to a match for the title. Kight declined his challenge and said Grimes didn’t deserve it. Knight said the title has a lot of power, but one thing is missing. He said that he is the million dollar megatar. 

Knight said he’d put the title on the line and if Grimes loses then Grimes becomes his butler. Grimes agreed to it. It will take place at Great American Bash. 

Tag Team Match

meme 3 1

Mercedes Martinez and Jake Atlas vs. Xia Li and Boa in a tag team match took place. 

Martinez  lost Li at NXT TakeOver: In Your House, but after the match, she was attacked by the mystery 1000 year-old-won. Last week after Martinez scored a win, Li and Boa attacked her until Atlas came out to make the save. Thus, this match was booked. 

The babyfaces put up a decent fight, but it was Li, who hit a head kick for the win. 

Face-Off

meme 1 3

Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher did a face-off with NXT Tag Team Champions MSK ahead of their Great American Bash match next week. 

The segment saw them sit in chairs and talk trash. Ciampa said that everyone knows that there’s no one like him to elevate a title. MSK said that they respect them and they hear the talk. MSK said that Ciampa and Thatcher are the challengers and they will know why MSK are the tag team champions. MSK slapped the challengers, but Ciampa held back Thatcher. 

Ciampa said that tonight MSK got a free one and next week they won’t be so lucky. They had a staredown to end the segment. 

Triple Threat Match

meme 6

Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon vs. Io Shirai and Zoey Stark vs. Dakota Kai and NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez took place with the stipulation that the winners will challenge NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell at Great American Bash next week. 

This match was booked after a brawl between Shirai & Stark, Gonzalez & Kai, and Blackheart & Moon took place last week. On that same show, Shirai & Stark defeated Aliyah & Jessi Kamea then there was a confrontation between LeRae & Hartwell and Shirai & Stark. Gonzalez & Kai and Blackheart & Moon came out to argue as to why they should get a title shot. 

These ladies worked hard in the opening match of the show and everyone had shining moments. Io hit her top rope finisher for the win by pinning Kai. 

WWE NXT Breakout Tournament Announced

Andrew Ravens
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WWE is bringing back the NXT Breakout Tournament this year. The company held matches before Tuesday’s NXT episode.

There were qualifying matches with the winners earning spots in the tournament. Those bouts were Guru Raaj vs. Andre Chase, and Desmond Troy vs. Joe Gacy. WWE has confirmed that the tournament will start in two weeks. 

Chase is the new ring name for indie star Harlem Bravado after he signed with WWE back in February while Raaj (Laxmi Kant Rajpoot) signed with WWE back in January 2020. He made his promotional debut at a February 2020 NXT live event then lost to Finn Balor at the WWE Superstar Spectacle event back in January 2021.

Chase is the new ring name for indie star Harlem Bravado, who signed with WWE back in February. Raaj (Laxmi Kant Rajpoot) signed with WWE back in January 2020 and debuted in six-man action at a February 2020 NXT live event. He also lost to Finn Balor at the WWE Superstar Spectacle event back in January.

Troy is the former Desmond Dejournette, who worked in NXT and the main roster in 2019 and 2020. He signed with WWE in 2018. Gacy, a former CZW Champion and EVOLVE star, signed in the same October 2020. 

He was part of the same Performance Center Class that featured Leon Ruff, Josh Briggs, Julius Creed, Curt Stallion, August Grey, Skyler Storie, and referee Jake Clemons.

The first tournament took place in 2019 that featured some notable stars including Angel Garza, Dexter Lumis, Boa, Cameron Grimes, Joaquin Wilde, Isaiah “Swerve” Scott and current NXT North American Champion Bronson Reed. 

Jordan Myles, also known as ACH, ended up winning the tournament.

WWE Raw Ratings Sink Against Strong NBA Competition (6/28)

Andrew Ravens
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Monday’s edition of WWE Raw averaged 1.570 million viewers with a 0.41 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic. This is down from last week’s 1.719 million viewers and the 0.49 rating. 

Here are the viewership numbers for each demo, courtesy of Brandon Thurston of WrestleNomics:

  • P2+ (total viewers): 1570 (-7%)
  • P18-49: 535 (-14%)
  • P18-34: 342 (-0%)
  • M18-49: 193 (-16%)
  • F18-49: 212 (-11%)
  • M18-34: 124 (-5%)
  • F18-34: 88 (+9%)
  • P35-49: 323 (-18%)
  • M35-49: 218 (-16%)
  • F35-49: 105 (-20%)

WWE faced strong NBA Playoff competition as the game did over 5 million viewers, which resulted in Raw doing its third-lowest total viewership on record and the second-lowest 18-49 audience. It was also the second-lowest viewed episode of the year. 

This episode featured Elias vs. Jaxson Ryker in a Strap Match, Raw Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley, Dana Brooke & Mandy Rose vs. WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Natalya, Tamina Snuka & Charlotte Flair, and Randy Orton vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Raw Tag Team Champion AJ Styles in a Last Chance Money in the Bank Qualifying Match.

SmackDown Viewership

The episode drew an average of 1.859 million viewers in the overnight ratings, down from the previous week that did 1.928 million viewers. In the 18-49 demographic, it did a 0.54 rating, which was the same as the 0.54 rating the week before.  The final ratings were 1.971 million viewers, down from last week’s 2.045 million viewers.

WWE Files Trademark For Baron Corbin’s Potential New Name

Andrew Ravens
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It’s looking more likely that WWE is moving away from Baron Corbin’s king character and going towards a new character for him. 

WWE has filed a trademark for “Happy Corbin.” This may end up being his new name going forward after going by the name “King Corbin.”

This comes after WWE released a video on social media last week after SmackDown where Corbin was seen unhappy and despondent about losing his crown following a program with Shinsuke Nakamura

In the clip, Corbin was asked if he feels that his career is slipping away from him in addition to it being noted that he lost “hundreds of thousands of dollars” on investments when he was still “a wealthy man” but that is no longer the case.

It should be noted that WWE had King Corbin’s name reverted back to Baron Corbin on the official WWE website following his loss to Nakamura and he’s also changed it on social media.  Perhaps, when the storyline reaches the point where Corbin has validated himself again, he will go by this name. 

Old school fans may recall WCW doing an angle in the early 90s with Diamond Dallas Page where he “lost everything” to the point where he was homeless and had to rebuild himself.

Seth Rollins & Becky Lynch Get Married

Andrew Ravens
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Seth Rollins announced that he was marrying Becky Lynch on Tuesday. 

The former WWE Universal Champion took to his Instagram Stories where he showed photos of the couple somewhere tropical. In one of the photos, he wrote in the caption, “Seems like a fine day to (finally) get married.”

seth becky

WWE confirmed Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins are getting married today, June 29th:

The WWE couple announced their engagement back on August 22, 2019 then Lynch revealed her first pregnancy on May 11, 2020 and gave birth to their daughter, named Roux, on December 4, 2020. 

Lynch previously stated that their wedding was supposed to take place in May 2020, but that was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rollins has been in a program with Cesaro on Friday Night SmackDown over the past few weeks. On the flip side, it’s been reported that the former Raw Women’s Champion is preparing for her in-ring return. She’s been backstage at some recent WWE shows and spotted training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida to get back into ring shape. 

It’s speculated that WWE is holding off on her return since they will be resuming to live event touring on July 16th. Perhaps her return will lead to another big match being added to SummerSlam to help sell tickets to the stadium show. 

Ronda Rousey and Travis Browne Reveal The Sex Of Their Baby

Chris Stephens
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Ronda Rousey and Travis Browne revealed in April that they are expecting their first child. Rousey said her pregnancy dates back to January so the couple is likely looking at a September birth. Today, Rousey and Browne posted a YouTube video to reveal the sex of their baby.

“Our gender reveal is finally here! We didn’t want to do anything that would set hundreds of acres ablaze or thousands even, some people are idiots. We didn’t want to do that so we are keeping it simple, we are keeping it safe, we are keeping it Browsey Acres style,” Ronda said to begin the video.

An animated video then revealed the couple are expecting a girl.

Rousey spoke to ESPN shortly after WrestleMania 35 and revealed her plans to have a family.

“I’ve not kept it a secret that I would definitely want to start a family,” Rousey said. “But how do you go about doing that? I love this way more than I thought that I would. So do you just keep going until you just happen to get pregnant? Or should you stop and go try and get pregnant? Or is going and trying to get pregnant putting yourself on the spot and then you’re less likely to get pregnant?”

Ronda Rousey and Travis Brown revealed the sex of their baby in the below video:

Sonjay Dutt No Longer Working As A Producer In WWE

Chris Stephens
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WWE’s internal shakeups continue. Producer Sonjay Dutt is no longer with the company, as first reported by Fightful. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer adds that Dutt left on his own after asking to be released a couple weeks ago.

Dutt requested his release from Impact Wrestling in early 2019 and signed with WWE shortly after receiving it. The 39-year-old is a former X-Division Champion in TNA/Impact. Upon his retirement in 2019 was inducted into the CZW Hall of Fame as well.

Meltzer also reported that Canyon Ceman was also out as the Senior Vice President of Talent Development. However, WWE has denied Ceman’s release and Meltzer backtracked, calling it a “crazy story.”

Ceman has been with WWE since March of 2012. He is one of the most influential people behind the scenes, working closely with Superstars on their contracts and also scouting new talent for the company.

Prior to joining WWE, Canyon Ceman worked as an executive with the Association of Volleyball Professions after having playing pro volleyball for 14 years.

There have been numerous shakeups regarding WWE executives recently, however, including Mark Carrano’s release earlier this year.

Tommaso Ciampa Comments On Possibly Moving To WWE’s Main Roster

Chris Stephens
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Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher are currently a tag team in NXT. Ciampa recently was interviewed by PW Insider and was asked about possibly moving to WWE’s main roster.

“When I was a kid, I wanted like, ‘Oh, I want to be on WrestleMania and stuff.’ For sure, those were the goals. Because I was signed at 20, 21, and released, and then did a bunch of independents, and toured around the world, and just found myself and grew as a performer. It’s just all these different experiences I had, and it just became more about the journey than anything,” Ciampa said.

He would continue to say that it’s more about performing with talented wrestlers and building his legacy than it is about being on a specific show.

“The Raw brand is fantastic,” Ciampa continued. “Great roster, lots of talented men and women. Same thing with SmackDown, same thing with NXT. I’d love to get in there with everybody.”

Ciampa continued to talk about how he wants to build upon his legacy. and it doesn’t matter so much where he does so.

“It’s just more about me doing things that, I don’t know, help my own legacy at the end of it, that helped me, as a performer, grow and get better and stuff. There’s no door that’s closed, but at the same time, there’s no weird carrot that’s dangling in front of me, where I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s what I got to do.’ It’s just going with the flow of it all and making the most of every opportunity that’s presented to me, essentially.”

Triple H on Tommaso Ciampa Working Backstage in NXT

In 2019, Triple H spoke about Ciampa possibly working backstage in NXT after his in-ring career concludes.

“I’ll tell you, when the time is right, he’ll be a phenomenal coach,” Triple H said on After the Bell. “He’ll be a phenomenal backstage producer. We’re letting him get experienced in that now.”

“He’s picking up the things that we’re teaching him, and he’s putting it someplace else. And that’s gonna translate long-term in his career too.”

Kenny Omega, Others React To Jungle Boy & Anna Jay Make-Out Photo

Chris Stephens
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Yesterday, Jungle Boy Tweeted out a photo that showed him and the Dark Order’s Anna Jay in an embrace. Kenny Omega was not impressed. He took to Twitter to voice his dismay.

“Oh geez Louise…,” Omega Tweeted. “Is this the part where some loser out there tells me, “there are things in the world more important than titles”??

More People Respond To Jungle Boy and Anna Jay

The rather aesthetically gifted couple drew reactions from others online as well.

The Dark Order’s Colt Cabana was impressed with the new recruitment tactics the faction is using.

Tay Conti offered up the following reaction:

Then there was this response from MJF’s scarf:

Big Swole meanwhile, offered up several thoughts.

https://twitter.com/SwoleWorld/status/1409587078250205188

She continued to then debate with some fans about the PG-level of the pic.

https://twitter.com/SwoleWorld/status/1409596595335729153

“Dah! Put an asterisk on it cuz it’s still PG to me. Pending…” she continued.

Stu Grayson wants people to stop tagging him in the picture.

Evil Uno doesn’t understand it’s not Grayson in the picture with Anna.

NXT’s Jake Atlas offered up the following:

https://twitter.com/JakeAtlas_/status/1409619035101204486

Kenny Omega Title Defences

The win for Omega was his 5th successful title defence after winning the title at Winter is Coming on December 2nd, 2020. Omega has defeated Rey Fenix, Jon Moxley, Rich Swann (title for title in Impact), Orange Cassidy and PAC (Triple Threat), and now Jungle Boy.

Chris Jericho Returning to AEW Commentary Booth

Alex Laybourne
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It has been announced that Chris Jericho is returning to the commentary booth this week on AEW Dynamite. The leader of the Inner Circle is no stranger to the commentary booth, having filled in on numerous occasions in the past.

Chris Jericho broke the news on his Instagram channel. He drew particular attention to the scheduled match between his Inner Circle protégé Sammy Guevara and Pinnacle frontman MJF.

“I’m returning to the commentary desk this Wednesday for the entire duration of #AEWDynamite!! And I’m very Excited to have a front row seat for @sammyguevara vs @the_mjf!! Im expecting this to be one of the most heated…and best…matches in @allelitewrestling history!!,

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQrUV4wDuWo/

Chris Jericho Has Proven Himself on Commentary

There is no denying that Chris Jericho is one of the greatest wrestlers on the mic. His promos are some of the best in the business, as demonstrated during his recent feud with MJF. It’s not surprising therefore that Jericho has proven himself to be a natural in the commentary booth.

The character of Chris Jericho is a natural at both heel and face characters. Again, his journey in AEW has shown this, as he moved from the most hated to the most loved character on the show. This skill means Jericho could easily apply himself as the heel or face commentator depending on who is he paired with.

Father Time catches up with us all, and Chris Jericho’s time in the ring is reaching its end. Yet wrestling is in Jericho’s blood, and it looks almost certain a post-career in the commentary booth is in his future.

AEW has already said that one of the commentator’s for AEW Rampage will be an existing member of the AEW team. AEW could do a lot worse than having Chris Jericho fill that position.

WWE RAW Results (6/28): Last Chance MITB Qualifier, Battle Royal, Strap Match

Robert Lentini
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0

WWE RAW aired live from the ThunderDome in Tampa, Florida. Riddle, AJ Styles, and Drew McIntyre battled in a Last Chance Money in the Bank Qualifying Match in this week’s main event. Orton was originally scheduled to be in the match but was ruled out. Jaxson Ryker also faced Elias in a Strap Match tonight.

RAW Results (6/28)

  1. Riddle won the Battle Royal and will replace Randy Orton tonight in the Qualifying Match
  2. Nikki Cross def. Shayna Baszler
  3. Eva Marie & Doudrop def. Asuka & Naomi
  4. Ricochet vs. John Morrison ended in a double count out
  5. Charlotte, Natalya, Tamina def. Dana Brooke, Mandy Rose, Rhea Ripley
  6. Jaxson Ryker def. Elias in a Strap Match
  7. Drew McIntyre def. Riddle & AJ Styles to qualify for the MITB Ladder Match

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Riddle Will Replace Randy Orton In The Last Chance MITB Qualifying Match

Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville kicked off the show from backstage. They announced that Randy Orton is unable to compete tonight due to circumstances out of their control. There will be a Battle Royal tonight to determine who will take Orton’s place in the original scheduled last chance Qualifying Match (Orton vs. AJ Styles vs. Drew McIntyre). Riddle showed up with a letter he claimed was written by Orton. The letter said to give Riddle the spot in the qualifying match. Sonya and Pearce don’t believe Riddle and he then said he wants to be in the Battle Royal before riding off.

Shelton eliminated Gulak early but then got eliminated by Jinder Mahal. Mustafa Ali eliminated Garza and then threw Mansoor over the top rope after arguing with him. Jinder eliminated Tozawa and R-Truth and then Gulak pinned Tozawa to become the new 24/7 Champion. R-Truth then won the title only to lose it back to Tozawa. Omos made his way to the ring and eliminated the Viking Raiders as RAW went to a break.

When RAW returned, it was down to Damian Priest, Jeff Hardy, Cedric Alexander, Jinder Mahal, and Riddle. Priest quickly eliminated Mahal and traded punches with Hardy. Jeff hit Riddle and Priest with a Twist of Fate but Cedric eliminated him. Damian connected with Hit the Lights on Cedric and sent him over the top rope.

Riddle hit Priest with a German Suplex and applied a Sleeper Hold. Damian escaped and leveled Riddle with a Clothesline. They then battled to the apron and Riddle got back in the ring. Riddle hit a knee to the face to eliminate Priest. Riddle will now battle AJ Styles and Drew McIntyre later tonight in the Last Chance Money in the Bank Qualifying Match. Riddle posed like Orton after the victory.

Nikki Cross def. Shayna Baszler

Nikki Cross was interviewed backstage after Lucha House Party complimented her on the new superhero gimmick. Cross said she now has the courage to show up and delivered some inspiring words about how everyone has it inside of them. Nikki referred to herself as Nikki A.S.H. (Nikki Almost a Superhero)

Cross then squared off with Shayna Baszler. Nia Jax and Reginald were ringside. Baszler started off the match in control and connected with a shoulder tackle. Shayna followed it up with a Powerslam and bounced Nikki’s face off the turnbuckle. Nikki battled back with a Dropkick that knocked Baszler to the floor in front of Nia & Reginald. Alexa Bliss interrupted and came down to the entrance ramp with Lilly shown on the Jumbotron. Nikki capitalized on the distraction with a Crossbody onto Reginald, Nia, and Shayna as RAW went to a break.

When RAW returned, Cross connected with a Tornado DDT. Alexa then kicked Reginald and Nia Jax before leaving. Nikki battled back and rolled up Baszler (La Casita) for the pinfall victory.

Kofi Kingston Attacked MVP

Kofi Kingston came down to the ring and said that he hated he couldn’t do anything to help Xavier Woods last week as he was trapped inside the Hell in a Cell with Lashley and MVP. Kofi added that Woods showed what kind of competitor he is and it is time for everyone to put respond on Woods’ name. Kingston said Lashley won fair and square last week but what he did to Woods after the match was not okay.

Kingston vowed to take everything away from Lashley and win the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank. MVP and the models interrupted and MVP laughed at the idea of Kingston defeating Lashley at the PPV. MVP said Lashley was on vacation but wanted him to say that he enjoyed what he did to Woods last week and Woods deserved it.

MVP claimed that what Lesnar did to Kingston will be nothing compared to what Lashley does to him at Money in the Bank. Kingston poked fun at MVP for milking a knee injury for six months and MVP said that he hasn’t been cleared yet, and if he was he would come down to the ring and kick Kofi’s ass. Kingston rushed up the entrance ramp and leveled MVP with Trouble in Paradise. Kofi stood over MVP as the and yelled at him to end the segment.

Eva Marie & Doudrop Picked Up A Win

Asuka & Naomi faced Eva Marie & Doudrop tonight on RAW. Naomi connected with a kick on Doudrop and tagged in Asuka. Asuka hit a Dropkick off the top rope that knocked Doudrop to the canvas. Asuka hit a Hip Attack and followed it up with a kick to the head. Asuka got the Asuka Lock applied but Doudrop broke out of it. Doudrop went for the tag but Eva Marie hopped off the apron. Doudrop hit Asuka with a Senton, knocked Naomi off the apron and hit a Crossbody on Asuka for the pinfall victory.

Ricochet vs. John Morrison Ended In A Double Count Out

John Morrison faced Ricochet tonight on RAW. Ricochet sprayed them both with a dripstick before the match.

Ricochet controlled the action early and connected with a Body Slam. Ricochet followed it up with a Dropkick that knocked Morrison out of the ring. The Miz rolled in the way but Ricochet leaped off him and hit a Frankensteiner. Ricochet grabbed the dripstick from Miz and sprayed him again as RAW went to a break.

When RAW returned, Ricochet hit an elbow to the face and then a Clothesline for a near fall. Morrison hit a knee to the face and went for Starship Pain but Ricochet got out of the way. The action spilled out of the ring and Ricochet hit an insane Crossbody on Morrison over the barricade. Both superstars couldn’t make it back to the ring and the match ended in a double count out.

Charlotte, Tamina, Natalya Picked Up A Win

Charlotte Flair, Tamina, Natalya faced Rhea Ripley, Dana Brooke, Mandy Rose tonight on RAW. Before the match, Charlotte praised Natalya and Tamina backstage. The Women’s Tag Team Champions said it was time to give Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke their receipts.

Natalya went for the Sharpshooter early but Mandy Rose was able to escape. Dana tagged in and connected with a Clothesline for a near fall. Tamina tagged in and Dana hit her with a Dropkick. Charlotte tagged in and continued to beat Brooke down. Charlotte taunted Ripley until eventually the RAW Women’s Champion was able to tag in.

Ripley attacked Flair and leveled her with a Clothesline. Natalya tagged in and rolled up Rhea for a two count. Mandy and Dana beat Natalya down until Tamina broke it up. Ripley attacked Tamina but Charlotte caught Rhea with a chop block to the knee. Charlotte tagged in and Mandy didn’t see it. Mandy hit Natalya with a knee to the head but turned around into a big boot from Charlotte for the pinfall victory. After the match, Ripley got some revenge and hit Flair with a chop block and taunted her.

Jaxson Ryker def. Elias In A Strap Match

Jaxson Ryker battled Elias in a Strap Match this week. Elias went right after Ryker and beat him down in the corner. The action spilled to the outside and Elias whipped Jaxson with the strap before launching him into the steel steps. Ryker battled back and sent Elias into the ring post.

Back in the ring, Ryker whipped Elias with the strap several times. Elias hit a knee to the face and went for the cover but Ryker powered out at two. Jaxson beat Elias down some more and then connected with a Side Slam for the pinfall victory.

Drew McIntyre Qualified For The MITB Ladder Match

AJ Styles, Riddle, and Drew McIntyre battled in a Last Chance MITB Qualifying Match. McIntyre leveled Riddle with a boot to the face and sent Styles to the corner. McIntyre hit a couple Belly to Belly Suplexes and leveled Styles with a Clothesline. Riddle planted Styles with a Suplex on the floor outside the ring but then was on the receiving end of a Suplex from McIntyre. AJ caught Drew with an Enziguri and then teamed up with Riddle to slam McIntyre through the announce table as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Styles and Riddle were battling in the ring. Styles connected with an Enziguri and went to work on Riddle’s leg. Styles locked in a submission hold and Riddle reached the ropes but there are no rope breaks in a Triple Threat. Styles kept the hold locked in and then hit a Brainbuster for a two count.

Styles stomped on McIntyre outside the ring but got caught with a Draping DDT from Riddle as he tried to get back in the ring. Riddle set up for an RKO but Styles countered for another two count. AJ went for the Styles Clash but Riddle was able to break free.

McIntyre dragged AJ outside and threw him into the barricade and then the apron. McIntyre beat the hell out of Riddle in the ring and bounced his head off the turnbuckle several times. Drew connected with an inverted Alabama Slam and went for the Claymore but Riddle got out of the way. McIntyre wound up tumbling over the top rope and to the floor. Styles leveled Drew with a forearm to the face but Riddle hit him with a knee to the face. Riddle then hit a Moonsault onto both superstars.

Riddle set up Styles against the steel steps and went for a kick but AJ got out of the way and Riddle booted the steps with his bare foot. Riddle yelled that his foot was broken and the referee called for the medical staff. Riddle claimed that he was fine and could continue but the medical staff helped him to the back as RAW went to a break.

When RAW returned, Styles connected with an Ushigoroshi and went for the cover but McIntyre kicked out. Riddle made his way back down to the ring with a taped ankle and got Styles in a Sleeper Hold. Styles broke free and went for the Phenomenal Forearm but Riddle countered with a knee to the face. Riddle hit the RKO but couldn’t go for the cover because Omos dragged AJ to the outside. McIntyre then hit Riddle with the Claymore for the pinfall victory to earn a spot in the men’s MITB Ladder Match. McIntyre posed on the turnbuckle to end the show.

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