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Vince McMahon To Scout Talent At The Performance Center This Week

Andrew Ravens
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Vince McMahon is headed to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida to scout talent. 

WWE’s Chairman and CEO will be there to visit this week, according to a report at Fightful. Thursday is the most likely date for McMahon’s visit. This is part of a major scouting effort to replenish the main roster with NXT talent. 

WWE has cut various wrestlers over the last few months in addition to having repetitive matches on TV and it appears the company feels like they need some new faces on the main roster. In recent weeks, other top executives that have been at the Performance Center such as Bruce Prichard and John Laurinaitis to scout talent.

NXT talent has been backstage at Raw and SmackDown shows to wrestle dark matches and evaluations by WWE officials. NXT Champion Karrion Kross and NXT North American Champion Bronson Reed competed in matches that were taped for WWE Main Event last week. 

Scarlett, who has been Kross’s manager on NXT, wasn’t with him for his dark matches, but she competed in a dark match against Shotzi Blackheart, who is a former NXT Women’s Tag Team Champion with Ember Moon, at last Friday’s SmackDown. 

Kross, Scarlett, and Blackheart are all backstage at Monday’s Raw to work matches. The belief is WWE is trying out these wrestlers to see if they want to call-up the NXT stars to the main roster when the Draft takes place after SummerSlam.

WWE Las Vegas Tryout Application Reveals Ideal Superstar Traits

Kristen Ashly
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The application to participate in WWE’s upcoming Las Vegas tryout camp reveals unique details about what the company looks for in prospective recruits.

Earlier this month, WWE announced they would hold a multi-day talent tryout in Las Vegas as part of SummerSlam week, hoping to find “the next generation of Superstars”.

On Monday, WWE announced they were accepting applications by releasing a promo that featured Mandy Rose, who shares her pre-WWE resume, before inviting interested parties to apply at the link in the tweet.

When initially opened, the application asks for basic information before sending the applicant to the meat of the questionnaire. Included are basic questions on contact information and physical build, as well as questions on experience within wrestling.

Also included in the question set, however, are questions that ask the applicant to describe any acting and public speaking experience, their nearest airport city, if they have any military and/or athletic background, and if they speak any other foreign languages; all questions indicative of the type of person WWE looks for when choosing their next Superstar.

Applicants are also able to describe what type of background best fits their experience by choosing “athlete”, “wrestler”, “referee”, or “other”; indicating that WWE is not only considering wrestlers during the SummerSlam tryouts.

It’s well known that WWE considers themselves a “Sports Entertainment” company, rather that just a wrestling promotion. The tryout application confirms this by making allowances for those who have skills other than wrestling.

WWE’s invite-only Las Vegas tryouts are scheduled for SummerSlam week, from Wednesday, August 18 to Friday, August 20.

SummerSlam takes place Sunday, August 21st from Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada.

Nick Khan Wants Las Vegas To Be A Major Destination For Wrestling

Michael Reichlin
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WWE President Nick Khan wants to see Las Vegas, Nevada become one of the premiere wrestling cities in the United States.

WWE is gearing up to invade the Vegas area later this summer. SummerSlam will take place on Sunday, August 21st from the new Allegiant Stadium.

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Based on what we’ve been hearing in recent weeks, WWE is hoping to make SummerSlam bigger than ever this year with a loaded card and “all hands on deck.”

During an interview with the Las Vegas Sun, Nick Khan touted Vegas a world-class destination for live sporting events. The city has a long list of venues, including the MGM Grand Garden Arena, the Mandalay Bay Events Center, the Thomas & Mack Center, the T-Mobile Arena and more.

“There’s a surge of sports in Las Vegas and the mistake I think the sports world was making previously is looking at the local market without seeing the hundreds of millions of tourism dollars every year. With the NFL’s 16, now 17-week season, you’re figuring if the home games can attract enough out-of-town fans, and that’s easy. It makes all the sense in the world.”

WWE and Las Vegas city officials are betting that SummerSlam will provide another boost to the city’s reputation a destination for sports. Khan noted that Allegiant Stadium is close to the strip, which makes it easily accessible.

Visit the Las Vegas Sun to read the full interview with Nick Khan.

PROGRESS World Champion Cara Noir Opens Training School

Jake Skudder
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PROGRESS Wrestling World Champion Cara Noir has opened his own training school in London. The PlayFight school in London will be run by the man himself to help establish a new crop of talent in British pro wrestling.

In a recent press release, Tom Dawkins/Cara Noir would outlay how the new school would work:

Take your wrestling to the next level in the best-equipped independent wrestling studio in the world.

Drawing on a teaching method of Isolate, Integrate, Improvise & Experiment, we’ve created a 3-grade training system for the teaching of professional wrestling. By grading students in a similar way to that of martial arts, our intention is to ensure the progression & safety of our athletes at all times.

Check out more information about the PlayFight London school here.

Cara Noir

Cara Noir has been at the top of British wrestling since winning the PROGRESS World Title early last year. Prior to that, The Black Swan had established himself as a name on the independent scene due to his unique presentation and matches with some of the biggest names in BritWres.

Cara’s debut PROGRESS Chapter match against Pete Dunne and his star making turn against PAC from RIPTIDE Wrestling are two of the more prominent matches in the Brit’s career.

You can check out the incredible match against AEW star PAC below:

Jungle Boy Posts Photo Making Out With Anna Jay

Michael Reichlin
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AEW stars Jungle Boy and Anna Jay of the Dark Order appear to be more than “just friends.”

Jungle Boy had an impressive showing against AEW World Champion Kenny Omega this past weekend on Saturday Night Dynamite. Omega retained the gold, but Jack Perry showed once again that he can hang in the main events.

On Monday, Jungle Boy posted this photo of himself making out with Anna Jay outside Jacksonville’s TIAA Bank Field stadium.

Colt Cabana replied to the tweet and jokingly asked Anna Jay if this was her way of trying to recruit Jungle Boy to the Dark Order.

Anna Jay’s Road Back To AEW

Anna Jay has been out of action since February dealing with a shoulder injury that required surgery. At the time, AEW announced that she’s expected to miss 6-12 months of action.

Anna Jay recently tweeted that she “can’t wait to get back in the ring.” Late July would be 6-months from the time of her injury, so she could be back in action as early as next month.

Nikki Bella Apologizes For Trashing Chyna During 2013 TV Appearance

Chris Stephens
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On July 26th, 2013 the Bella Twins appeared on an edition of E! Network’s Fashion Police. During the appearance, Nikki Bella commented on now knowing if Chyna was a man or a woman.

A video clip from the show has been shared online recently, leading Nikki Bella to issue an apology for her comments in it. “We don’t know if it’s a man or a woman,” she says in the clip.

Joan Rivers, who would pass away the following year, also made fun of Chyna during the segment.

Nikki Bella Issues An Apology

Nikki Bella has issued an apology for her comments today. She wrote on social media:

“I want to sincerely apologize for a comment I made over 8 years ago on Fashion Police. I am sorry and embarrassed by my 29-year-old self, who offended Chyna and in turn, hurt her family and others.”

Nikki continued to say she wishes she could take back her comments.

“I wish I could it back. Please learn from me, it’s not worth hurting someone’s feelings for a meaningless laugh. Chyna will always be remembered as an icon and pioneer who helped create the opportunities for women in wrestling that exist today. Thank you Chyna! – Nikki Bella”

Update: Chyna’s family has replied to Nikki Bella’s apology:

Chris Jericho Responds To WWE Talent Critical Of Blood & Guts Bump

Chris Stephens
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At the conclusion of the Blood & Guts match between the Pinnacle and Inner Circle last month, MJF threw Chris Jericho off the top of the cage. Shortly following the match, fans and a couple of wrestlers from WWE were critical of this or made fun of it online. Jericho addressed two wrestlers from WWE who were critical of the bump during his Saturday night live stream.

“Best of luck to anybody in our business, and anybody that bags on somebody who’s taking a chance and putting their bodies on the line can really f*** off,” Jericho said. “Especially people in the business. I could say some names.”

Jericho then mentioned there were some women from WWE who took shots at the bump.

“There’s a couple of chicks in WWE who said some stuff and they should probably not have said that. They probably weren’t trained any better, and in 6 months they’ll probably be asking us for a job anyways and I’ll remember that, so we’ll leave it at that.” 

Shayna Baszler and Shotzi Blackheart each posted about the bump from Blood & Guts. Blackheart posted the following the night of the match:

https://twitter.com/ShotziWWE/status/1390124361357660163

Baszler posted the following the day after the match:

Jericho’s Saturday Night live stream can be viewed in the player below:

H/T To Fightful for the transcriptions.

Samoa Joe Scouting Talent For WWE, Wants To Wrestle Again

Michael Reichlin
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Samoa Joe is motivated to get back in the ring. During an appearance on the Out of Character podcast, Joe told Ryan Satin that he is “absolutely” working on getting medically cleared to compete again. He’s been sidelined since February 2020 due to concussion-related injuries.

He recently returned to WWE television after a 2-month hiatus. He was released on April 15th, but now serves as NXT General Manager William Regal’s new enforcer. Since returning, we’ve seen Joe cross paths with some of NXT’s top stars.

Samoa Joe sees several NXT competitors he’d like to mix it up with. “Karrion Kross and Pete Dunne are at the top of that list,” he said. “A guy like WALTER, people have been asking for it, I’m not blind. It’s for good reason. The guy is a powerhouse and people want to see some furniture moving.”

Joe vs. WALTER is a dream match that would have wrestling fans salivating. We can only hope it comes to fruition one day. He also named Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly and Bronson Reed as potential opponents.

Samoa Joe: Talent Scout

In addition Samoa Joe’s new on-screen role, he is also scouting talent for WWE and doing other tasks behind-the-scenes.

“It’s a transition into some of the other aspects of the business,” says Joe. “It’s an evolution of my journey. It was a cool opportunity that Hunter offered me. It was a very nice understanding that we had come to.”

Joe is particularly well-suited for his job . He follows pro wrestling, MMA and other sports closely. His vast network of connections will be a valuable resource for WWE as they look to sign the next generation of athletes.

H/T to Fightful for the transcribed quotes

WWE Raw Preview: Orton vs McIntyre vs. Styles, 6-Woman Tag

Michael Reichlin
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WWE returns to the ThunderDome tonight for an all-new episode of Monday Night Raw. We’re on the road to Money in the Bank, which takes place in less than three weeks.

The following items are being advertised for WWE Raw:

  • Second Chance Money In the Bank Qualifier: Randy Orton vs. Drew McIntyre vs. AJ Styles. As of this writing, qualified competitors for the men’s MITB ladder match include Big E, Riddle, Ricochet and John Morrison.
  • Raw Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley, Dana Brooke and Mandy Rose vs. Charlotte Flair and Women’s Tag Team Champions Natalya and Tamina Snuka.
  • Former partners clash when Elias takes on Jaxson Ryker in a Strap Match.

Plus, Kofi Kingston will confront MVP ahead of his match against WWE Champion Bobby Lashley at Money in the Bank.

All this and more goes down in just a matter of hours on the USA Network.

Head over to our WWE News page for more of our recent articles.

Eddie Kingston Says That He Would Return To ROH

Jake Skudder
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AEW star Eddie Kingston recently revealed that he would be open to the idea of returning to Ring of Honor, specifically to ‘help’ his friend Homicide. Speaking on a Pro Wrestling Junkies Q&A, Kingston said that he would go over to ROH as part of the ongoing ‘Forbidden Door’ angle that has seen AEW, IMPACT, NWA and New Japan all work together over the past year.

“Me and Homicide got to Ring of Honor, they asked us what we wanted to do and of course, we have the same attitude and if we’re going to do something, it might as well be for a championship or getting a title shot” Kingston began, discussing when he and Homicide became a tag team in 2013 for Ring of Honor.

Eddie Kingston on Ring of Honor

“We didn’t get along with Bobby and Kyle, surprise, we don’t get along with other people” Kingston added, referring to NXT Superstars Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly, the ROH Champions at the time who Homicide and Eddie Kingston attacked on their first night back in the promotion. “They know that and they don’t like us either.”

“God bless them, I’m happy for both of them and don’t want to knock anybody’s hustle. Competition is competition. We had the match, it was fun. I didn’t like it and then we got suspended” Eddie Kingston continued.

Kingston would finish by then stating that he would now return to ROH if it would help out his friend and former LAX member Homicide. “I have nothing but love for Ring of Honor. When I broke in, it was the place to be. I’m happy for them now. Homicide is back there. It’s all about a forbidden door, if I could, I would go back over there and help Homicide out”

NXT Stars Working Additional Main Roster TV Tapings (Updated)

Andrew Ravens
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Update: NXT stars Shotzi Blackheart and Scarlett are scheduled to work Monday’s Main Event tapings, which are held prior to Raw going on the air. The news comes courtesy of PWInsider. This will mark Scarlett’s first televised appearance for WWE.

WWE had wrestlers from NXT wrestle before Friday’s SmackDown broadcast from the ThunderDome in Tampa, FL.

Prior to SmackDown going on the air, NXT Champion Karrion Kross wrestled Slapjack, while Shotzi Blackheart took worked against Scarlett.

WWE producers were there to evaluate the match and determine the competitors’ readiness for the main roster.

Kross and NXT North American champion Bronson Reed have been wrestling at the main roster TV tapings over the past week. At last week’s SmackDown, Kross wrestled Dolph Ziggler while Reed faced off with Bobby Roode.

Kross and Reed wrestled on this week’s Main Event, which took place prior to Monday’s Raw tapings. Kross defeated Shelton Benjamin and Reed defeated Drew Gulak. Kross and Reed are on WWE’s short list for main roster call-ups, according to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

There is a good chance they will be moved to Raw or SmackDown when the next WWE Draft takes place after SummerSlam.

Edge & Roman Reigns Talk Trash Ahead Of MITB Showdown

Michael Reichlin
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Edge will challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship at WWE’s upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view.

The Rated R Superstar made a surprise return at Friday’s SmackDown. He laid out the Tribal Chief and later demanded a shot at Reigns. WWE officials granted his request and the match is set for July 18th

Some fans have questioned the logic of Edge being placed into the top feud on SmackDown after being away from TV for several months. However, Edge and Reigns are seasoned veterans. They are more than capable of building a captivating program as WWE returns to a road schedule.

Over the weekend, Roman Reigns tweeted:

Edge replied and reassured Reigns he’s ready to face him head-on:

WWE Money in the Bank takes place Sunday, July 18th from the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. The show will stream live on Peacock and the WWE Network.

Barry Windham Says His Nephew Bray Wyatt Hasn’t Been Used Properly In WWE

Chris Stephens
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Former NWA World Heavyweight Champion and WWE Hall of Famer Barry Windham was recently interviewed by Bill Apter. During the discussion, Windham was asked about his nephew Bray Wyatt and gave some surprising answers.

“I hope he makes the cut in WWE, we’ll just have to see,” Windham said when asked about Bray Wyatt.

Apter then noted that Wyatt has been an amazing performer. Windham would continue to say that he does not feel his nephew has been used properly in WWE, however.

“He has been (a great performer), he just hasn’t been used properly there,” Windham continued. When asked, however, Windham said he’s only seen some of the vignettes they’ve done with the Fiend.

“You know I haven’t really seen any of his matches, I’ve just seen a few of the little vignettes that he’s done.”

“He was always ready to be a wrestler growing up,” Windham continued to say about his nephew.

Back in 2018, Windham spoke to Hannibal TV about Bray Wyatt and Bo Dallas.

“Bray is really doing well. He’s so good on the mic and Taylor (Bo) just needs a chance,” Windham said. “He’s really talented but to have him do that Bo-lieve thing for so long, it was just brutal.”

You can see the full discussion between Bill Apter and Barry Windham in the video below:

John Morrison Comments On Working With Scripted Promos In WWE

Chris Stephens
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John Morrison returned to WWE in 2019 after having been gone for 8 years. During his absence, Morrison was involved in many film projects. These included his own Boone: The Bounty Hunter film.

Morrison was recently interviewed by TV Insider and spoke about working with scripted promos in WWE.

“Sometimes it’s improv, but I would call it more collaborative,” Morrison said about the creative process he and the Miz have in WWE. “We’re not going to talk or say anything without producers, agents, writers, Vince [McMahon]. As soon as we get anything, we read it and talk to each other. We may say, ‘These lines are crap. Let’s fix it the best way we can and then go talk to them about our fixes.’ It’s not good to be thrown into an office and just say something is garbage.”

Morrisson continued to talk about what he feels is the best way to handle things if they end up with lines they don’t like.

“You may say, ‘You know what I like better is this other option.’ We constantly do that. A writer or Vince may agree and say, ‘This is better. But you know what would be even better? This.’ It then evolves…”

Morrison continued to say that they work hard but also have a lot of fun with the promos and backstage segments they do.

“Also, something that is lost on so many people is it takes a lot of courage to be vulnerable and be affected by something. Just being cognizant about that, which I wasn’t during the first run. Doing improv and saying things. We are having fun, but we also work really hard on the promos. Everything you see on TV, it’s a process.” 

Tyler Breeze Comments On His WWE Release, His Future & More

Chris Stephens
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Tyler Breeze was one of several names released from WWE last week. The former NXT tag-team champion had been with the company for 11 years. During a streaming session on Twitch over the weekend, Breeze spoke about his release and time with the company.

“I was with the company for eleven years,” Breeze said. “An eleven year run in the biggest wrestling company in the world is unheard of, it’s a huge thing. Most people are there for three or four years. The fact that I was there for 11, fantastic, more than I could ask for.”

In terms of what comes next for the 33-year-old, that is not yet clear. Breeze said he has a lot still to consider.

“I’ll be streaming and we have a lot of stuff to figure out,” he continued. “A lot of stuff is still in the works. Yes, I’m setting up my Cameo again, I’m just waiting for them to approve it. There’s a lot of stuff in the air that we’re slowly figuring out. You guys will kinda know as I know. We’re trying to figure out a lot of stuff.”

Breeze also sounded noncommittal over continuing his wrestling career following his release from WWE. He stated that he has not yet made up his mind if he’ll continue.

“Will I continue my wrestling career? I don’t know, we’ll have to see,” Breeze said. “I haven’t decided yet.”

Breeze also confirmed that he has a 90-day no-compete clause with WWE.

H/T to Wrestling Observer for the transcribed quotes

Raven & Tommy Dreamer Discuss Their Epic Rivalry

Chris Stephens
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On the 100th episode of his House of Hardcore podcast, Tommy Dreamer spoke to his longtime rival, Raven. During the discussion the two on-screen enemies discussed a variety of topics including Raven’s early time in ECW.

“As soon as I saw (ECW), the first episode I saw I was like ‘this is the best TV show I’ve ever seen, I gotta to be on this,'” Raven said. “I called Page to call Paul E because I didn’t know Paul E. I didn’t know his number and I didn’t think he liked me anyway. I figured DDP has always been a good friend to me. He called Paul E and Paul E hired me to put you (Dreamer) over.”

Raven continued to say that Paul Heyman had a different understanding of the Raven character at first.

“He thought it was going to be like a comedy gimmick. He didn’t really get where I was going,” Raven continued.

Raven Says Paul Heyman Saw Himself Through Dreamer and Raven

Raven continued to say that once Heyman got the character, he started to see himself in it.

“Bookers always see themselves through a certain wrestler’s eyes. Like Vince sees himself through Lex Luger, The Patriot and the Million Dollar Man. That’s who he views the world through and Paul E saw the world through my eyes and (Dreamer’s) eyes.”

Tommy Dreamer and Raven Comment On Their Rivalry

Dreamer and Raven then spoke about his favorite parts about the rivalry.

“My favorite thing part about the Raven/Dreamer feud, was you were a very giving heel,” Dreamer said.

“I’m a giving lover too,” Raven interrupted to add.

“Behind the scenes, it was all about to make the match better. It wasn’t like you wanted to get yourself over,” Dreamer continued.

Dreamer and Raven then spoke about what each other meant to their careers.

“Without you there would be no Tommy Dreamer. You had an amazing mind for what I would say is layering a finish,” Dreamer continued.

“You were the perfect dance partner,” Raven said. “I couldn’t have had a better dance partner to open up my new career with.”

Dreamer and Raven went through much of their long feud with one another during the podcast. The full discussion between Raven and Tommy Dreamer can be viewed in the player below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOfFU9Jf230&list=PLiZDieKlGwDEoFY-CbQiKQMiarOQowlvS

Joey Janela Dealing With A Concussion

Chris Stephens
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Joey Janela has been on the shelf since wrestling Hangman Page on the go-home episode of Dynamite before Double or Nothing. Page defeated Janela on the show before then defeating Brian Cage on the PPV.

Janela appeared recently on the Wrestling Perspectives podcast and spoke about dealing with a concussion.

“I’ll be coming back soon. I’m dealing with an injury right now, a little concussion deal. S**t happens, everyone knows that, it’s wrestling. All sports, everyone gets concussions. I’ll be cleared from that in the coming weeks, maybe the coming weekend. I’ll be good and hopefully doing AEW stuff soon. Things were about to pick up for me right before [the concussion].” (transcriptions via Fightful).

Not long after his match with Page on Dynamite, Janela posted a video to Twitter noting that he will have to miss his bookings in June.

https://twitter.com/JANELABABY/status/1399495805921288194

Joey Janela In AEW

Before getting injured, Janela and Sonny Kiss appeared to be building an angle. Janela’s character seems like it might be going heel as he was making excuses for not coming out to help his tag-team partner. In the below backstage segment from Dark 2 weeks ago, Kiss seems to be done with their team. Janela then tried to blame Alex Marvez for his recent actions.

Britt Baker Responds To Critics Of AEW Women’s Division

Chris Stephens
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AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker was recently interviewed by Sporting News. During the discussion, Baker spoke about the improvement seen in AEW’s women’s division as of late.

Baker was asked about fans who are critical of how AEW has handled its women’s division.

“The match that I had with Thunder Rosa we put everything we had out there. We had the women’s eliminator tournament, we have so much to look forward to. We have so many talented females on our roster: myself, Hikaru Shida, Tay Conti, Red Velvet, Jade, Thunder Rosa, Anna Jay. It’s not something you can just turn a blind eye to anymore. We’ve improved so much, we’re putting out great content,” Baker responded.

Baker then continued to say that perhaps some of the division’s critics simply don’t want to like it.

“So, at some point you have to really look at yourself in the mirror and say: Do you not like the women’s division, or do you just not want yourself to like the women’s division?” Baker continued to ask.

Baker was also asked if she could shed any light on the 10th dentist who actually doesn’t recommend flossing.

“I do, but I’m sworn to secrecy,” the dentist answered.

Baker has a match coming up this Wednesday on Dynamite. She’ll team with Rebel to face Nyla Rose and Vickie Guerrero.

Update On Kevin Owens Taking Time Away From WWE

Chris Stephens
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Shortly after losing to Sami Zayn on the Hell in a Cell PPV, Kevin Owens took to Twitter to say he was taking some time away. Now, he’s scheduled to face Sami Zayn in a Last Man’s Standing match on next week’s Smackdown. The winner will qualify for the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match.

What is going on with Kevin Owens possibly taking time away from WWE was addressed recently on Wrestling Observer Radio.

“I asked ‘what’s up with Kevin? Is he hurt? And it’s like ‘No, he asked for personal time off,'” Meltzer said on the show. “I was told that specifically.”

“Well, he got a week off!” said Bryan Alvarez.

Why Owens seemed like he was taking time away but now has a match scheduled for next week is not immediately clear.

“This booking is giving me a headache. Trying to decipher this booking, it doesn’t work,” Meltzer continued.

Owens also noted in the below Tweet that he “can’t stay away for very long.”

Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and the Montreal Canadiens

As Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn square off next week on Smackdown, their hometown Montreal Canadiens will be in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals. This is the first time the team has made it to the finals since 1993. A few months after the Canadiens beat the LA Kings in the finals that year, the Quebecers (Jacques Rougeau and Pierre Carl Ouellet/PCO) won the WWF tag-team championships.

Aleister Black (Tommy End) Announces Sponsorship With Hayabusa

Chris Stephens
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Aleister Black has announced that he’s signed a sponsorship deal with combat sports apparel and equipment company, Hayabusa. Black took to Twitter to announce the news yesterday.

“Only have so many characters that I can type but as of today I am officially sponsored by @hayabusacombat. Which ironically was the name of one of my favorite wrestler growing up. More to come as I will give some cool stuff away for you hip kids that hit bags and pads,” he Tweeted.

Next Stop For Aleister Black/Tommy End

Where Aleister Black/Tommy End ends up next is something many fans are wondering about. According to comments made by Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio last week, he’s likely headed to AEW.

“Unofficially, because you are not allowed to negotiate and all that but I certainly have heard at one point not many days ago to expect him in AEW,” Meltzer said. “Officially, there’s no deal and there can’t be a deal until end of August, I think.” 

During an appearance on Oral Sessions with Renee Paquette, he mentioned wrestlers he hopes to face in his post-WWE career.

“I want to get in the ring with Moose, Callihan, Mox, Omega, Chris Daniels. My god. There is such an array of crazy talent. I think Jungle Boy is great. Hobbs, I think Hobbs is awesome. Brian Cage, Brody King from Ring of Honor. Homicide, I would love to get in there with Homicide, I think Homicide is the OG, I love Homicide, tons of respect. Eddie Kingston is another one.”

Carmella Reveals Huge Praise from Vince McMahon Regarding Her Promo Ability

Jake Skudder
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WWE SmackDown Superstar Carmella recently appeared on the Out of Character podcast with Ryan Satin. ‘Mella discussed a number of topics on the show, specifically her two Money In The Bank briefcase wins, including in the first ever MITB Women’s match in history.

“I was super excited. At that point in my career, I had never won a title and thought it was something that would solidify me as making history” Carmella began, discussing how she won the first ever Women’s MITB match.

“Even though I wasn’t the one grabbing the briefcase and I knew that would be very controversial, but I thought even better that it’s controversial because people would be talking about it” Carmella revealed. “It was trending on Twitter for a few days because people were so upset.”

Carmella on Vince McMahon

In the first ever MITB match for the Women’s division, Carmella was joined ringside by James Ellsworth. Ellsworth would actually grab the briefcase and throw it to Carmella, meaning that the first person to ever grab the Women’s briefcase…was a man.

Carmella would then reveal that Vince McMahon was quick to praise her once she started cutting promos following her big MITB win. “The SmackDown after winning, I cut a promo and I going out there and going, ‘This is my opportunity. Let me go out there and kill it.’”

“I came back through the curtain and Vince was so complimentary to me about my promo that night and was like, ‘Some of my top guys can’t even cut a promo like that’” Carmella revealed. “So I was just so excited and it ended up hat I won it again. I think it really propelled my career.”

Eddie Kingston Shoots on WWE Following This Week’s AEW Dynamite

Jake Skudder
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AEW star Eddie Kingston had some choice words for WWE when speaking to fans following this week’s episode of Dynamite. The former IMPACT/PROGRESS star referred to the ‘other channel’ whilst cutting a ‘shoot’ promo after cameras stopped rolling for the crowd inside Daily’s Place.

“The competition sometimes doesn’t want to hear their fans” Eddie Kingston began when speaking to the fans. “Oh, I guess I’m burning another bridge — surprise. Ladies and gentlemen, AEW cares about their fans.”

“Because we are not here just to get ourselves a paycheck” Kingston admitted. “We’re here every week  — with you people, without you people — and we come out here and we bust our asses. We love professional wrestling!”

Eddie Kingston on WWE

“You saw a match between Kenny Omega and my dude, Jungle Boy, that you will not see on the other channel. And you will not see legends who are respected on the other channel. You will not see people like me and my best friend (Penta) on the other channel” Kingston stated.

“And you will not see the heart that everybody in that locker room has on the other channel. Ladies and gentlemen, I’m was supposed to send you home happy, but I’m speaking from my heart. The bottom line is this: We are AEW. We will see you Wednesday, and we want to hear you!” Eddie Kingston then concluded.

You can check out the full promo below via Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam.net:

MJF: “Video Games Are For Virgins, But Wrestling Video Games, That’s For Winners”

Jake Skudder
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Leader of AEW’s The Pinnacle group MJF recently appeared on the Game Marks podcast. Game Marks is a show based around classic pro wrestling video games including interviews with wrestling personalities discussing some of their favorite games from past generations or current.

MJF would reveal that he did play games such as Day of Reckoning 2 when he was younger, although he now doesn’t have time for video games as they’re for ‘virgins.’

“I always thought that I was going to be this dark, brooding, black face paint around the eyes, Kane-like, Legion of Doom-esque character” MJF began on the podcast, describing the sort of CAW he would create and what he saw himself being as a pro wrestler when he finally got to live his dream.

‘Complete F*cking Losers’

“The character name was Mad Max and I remember, I always gave my guy a red mohawk with long tights, black boots, and a skull with a big leather jacket” The Pinnacle leader would continue.”

“Then, I grew out of being a complete f*cking loser and I realized I should just be myself and start making Maxwell Jacob Friedman, a fun-loving guy that everyone likes” MJF jokingly added.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman would finish by taking a shot at video game players in general, saying “video games are for virgins, but wrestling video games — that’s for winners.”

“Okay, I think anybody can agree on that” MJF noted. “But regular video games like ‘Zelda’, you know, or Cuck Central part two, or whatever the f**k people are playing nowadays, I don’t know, I’m not a simp.”

AEW’s wrestling game for consoles is currently in development and will be released for the latest generation of consoles, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

AEW Dynamite Results (6/26): Kenny Omega vs. Jungle Boy For AEW Title, Konnan Appears

Robert Lentini
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AEW Dynamite aired on Saturday this week from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville. Kenny Omega defended the AEW Championship against Jungle Boy in the main event. Tony Schiavone interviewed Tully Blanchard and Konnan in the ring during tonight’s episode of Dynamite as well.

Dynamite Results (6/26)

  1. Hangman Page def. Powerhouse Hobbs
  2. Matt Sydal def. Dante Martin
  3. Ethan Page def. Bear Bronson
  4. Kris Statlander def. The Bunny
  5. Kenny Omega def. Jungle Boy to retain the AEW Championship

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Hangman Page Picked Up A Win

Powerhouse Hobbs faced Hangman Page in the first match of the night. Hobbs started off the match in control and sent Page to the corner. Hobbs hit Page with some shoulder thrusts to the midsection but Hangman was able to battle back with some strikes of his own.

Hangman set up for the Buckshot Lariat but Hobbs saw it coming and rolled out of the ring. Page followed him out of the ring but it backfired as Hobbs sent Hangman into the barricade. The action returned to the ring and Hobbs connected with a Suplex. Hangman got busted open after Hobbs threw him into the ring post.

Page connected with a Splash and followed it up with a Moonsault for a near fall. Hook and Ricky Starks made their way ringside and Hobbs asked for the FTW Championship. Brian Cage joined the party and ripped his title away. Cage chased Ricky Starks to the back as Hangman capitalized on the distraction with a German Suplex. Page then hit Deadeye for the pinfall victory.

FTR Attacked Konnan

Tony Schiavone interviewed Tully Blanchard and Konnan in the ring on this week’s Dynamite. Tully said Konnan can go first due to his legendary status. Konnan said he is not intimidated by Blanchard’s mind games and Santana & Ortiz aren’t afraid of Tully & FTR either.

Konnan said that FTR are not the same as Santana & Ortiz because they grew up with gangs, trying to find food, and avoiding police. Konnan joked that Tully should learn some Spanish so he can speak with his grandchildren. Tully’s daughter (Tessa Blanchard) is married to professional wrestler Daga. Konnan added that Tully may need work after they defeat FTR and suggested that he go to Walmart and become a greeter.

A couple guys in masks showed up behind Tully and Konnan as footage of Santana & Ortiz beaten down backstage was shown. They were revealed to be FTR and they attacked Konnan. FTR beat Konnan down and hit him with a Piledriver. Blanchard shouted at Konnan and FTR taunted him as well to end the segment.

Matt Sydal def. Dante Martin

Matt Sydal faced Dante Martin tonight on Dynamite. Before the match, Vickie Guerrero introduced Andrade El Idolo. Vickie said they have a huge announcement to make but was interrupted by Sydal’s entrance music. Mike and Matt Sydal made their way to the ring as Vickie held Andrade back. Vickie and Andrade then exited as the match began.

Dante hit a Dropkick but Sydal responded with a boot to the face. Matt kept Dante on the canvas but Martin battled back with a Moonsault for a near fall. Both wrestlers battled on the top turnbuckle and Matt sent Dante to the mat. Sydal connected with Double Knees and went for the cover but Dante was able to kick out at the last moment.

Martin hit a Stunner and went for the cover but Sydal kicked out at two. Martin went for a flip but landed on his injured leg. Sydal quickly capitalized with the Lightning Spiral for the pinfall victory.

Guevara Sent A Message To MJF

Alex Marvez interviewed MJF, Wardlow, and Shawn Spears backstage during tonight’s show. MJF didn’t understand why people had an issue with his attack on Dean Malenko and claimed that Dean is a sick old man that doesn’t belong in a place as dangerous as professional wrestling. MJF added that he should be thanked for giving Dean an early retirement.

Chris Jericho and Jake Hager interrupted but The Pinnacle members beat them down. Sammy Guevara made the save as the brawl made it’s way to the ring and Spears was about to crush Jericho’s arm on the mat. Guevara hit Spears and Wardlow with the chair and vowed to beat MJF on next week’s Dynamite.

Ethan Page Challenged Darby Allin To A Coffin Match

Ethan Page battled Bear Bronson tonight on Dynamite. Scorpio Sky and Bear Boulder were ringside for the match. Page got in a cheap shot early and Bronson responded with a series of strikes. Bronson connected with a Powerslam and sent Page out of the ring. Bronson went for a Suicide Dive but Scorpio hopped in the way and took the move.

Page claimed that Boulder hit him with a cheap shot and while the referee was distracted Scorpio caught Bronson with a cheap shot. Back in the ring, Bronston hit a Spinebuster and went for a Senton but Ethan got out of the way. Bronson followed it up with a massive Sidewalk Slam for a two count. Page connected with a Superplex and both men fell to the floor. Scorpio Sky hopped on the apron but Boulder dragged him off. The referee was distracted by Sky and Boulder fighting outside the ring and Page hit Bronson with a low blow.

Page followed it up with Ego’s Edge for the pinfall victory. After the match, Scorpio Sky boasted about Page’s win and Ethan said he is not stupid. The crowd chanted “yes, you are!” as Page turned his attention to Darby Allin. Page said he wants to be in the nail in Allin’s coffin and challenged him to a Coffin Match on July 7th (Road Rage) in Miami.

Kris Statlander def. The Bunny

Krist Statlander battled The Bunny on this week’s Dynamite. Kris dominated early and showed off her power with a couple of Arm Drags. The Bunny responded with a slap to the face and then a Superkick as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, The Bunny was in control and sent Statlander out of the ring. Statlander connected with a Powerslam and both women were down. Back in the ring, Statlander hit a Blue Thunder Bomb but The Bunny kicked out at two. The Blade distracted the referee and tried to throw brass knuckles to The Bunny. Orange Cassidy intercepted it and stuck them inside his pocket. Kris then hit the Big Bang Theory for the pinfall victory.

Kenny Omega Retained The AEW Title

Kenny Omega put his AEW Championship on the line against Jungle Boy in the main event of this week’s Dynamite. Jungle Boy’s family were ringside for the match.

Marko Stunt and Luchasaurus got thrown out of ringside early and the referee decided to even everything out and sent the Good Brothers to the back as well. Omega and Jungle Boy tied up in the middle of the ring. Kenny and Jungle Boy traded chops and then Jungle Boy hit an Arm Drag that sent the champion out of the ring. Omega took back control and sent Jungle Boy into the barricade as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, Jungle Boy hit Omega with a Dropkick to his knee. Jungle Boy sent Omega to the outside and hit two Suicide Dives. Jungle Boy went for a third but Omega rolled back into the ring. Jungle Boy hit a Slingshot DDT and then flipped onto Omega back on the outside.

The action returned to the ring and the AEW Champion took control with a Superplex. Kenny went for the V-Trigger but Jungle Boy blocked it. Omega went for a Snap German Suplex but Jungle Boy was able to land on his feet. Omega then connected with the V-Trigger, a Snap Dragon Suplex, and another V-Trigger.

Omega set up for the One Winged Angel but Jungle Boy countered into a reverse Hurricanrana. Kenny hit a couple more V-Triggers but couldn’t keep Jungle Boy down. Jungle Boy applied the Snaretrap as Good Brothers made their way back to the entrance ramp. Jurassic Express and Frankie Kazarian met them in the middle and the two squads battled to the back.

Omega broke free and hit another V-Trigger but Jungle Boy bounced off the ropes and responded with a Clothesline. Omega shrugged that off and hit a Brainbuster for a two count. Another V-Trigger from the champion and he went for the One Winged Angel again but Jungle Boy countered into a cover for a two count.

Jungle Boy got the Snaretrap locked in again but Omega broke the hold by raking the eyes. Omega and Jungle Boy battled on the top turnbuckle again. Omega slipped under and bounced Jungle Boy’s face off the top rope. Omega connected with a Tiger Driver 98 for a near fall but quickly hit the One Winged Angel for the pinfall victory. Kenny Omega is still the AEW Champion.

After the match, Omega set up with the title and was about to hit Jungle Boy but Christian Cage made the save. Omega retreated out of the ring but Matt Hardy and Private Party showed up. Matt went for the Twist of Fate but Christian was able to block it. Christian went for the Killswitch but AEW Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks broke it up with a couple Superkicks. They then celebrated to close this week’s show.

Marina Shafir Releases Statement On WWE Release

Chris Stephens
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4 Horsewoman of MMA Marina Sharfir was one of several names WWE released yesterday. News of her release is said to have come as bit of surprise as there were reportedly plans in place for her to be part of upcoming storylines.

“It’s a cold world. Good thing I was born in Moldova. Thank you to everyone who reached out and thank you for the opportunity @WWENXT. I will continue to be the hardest worker in the motherfucking room, but now i need to be keen. I’m not done,” Shafir Tweeted.

Marina Shafir in WWE

The “Supernova from Moldova” signed with WWE in 2018. Shafir’s MMA career finished with a 1-2 professional record after having won 5 straight as an amateur. Her last MMA fight was in July of 2015. She’d marry Roderick Strong later that year and she gave birth to their first child the following April.

WWE announced that her and Jessamyn Duke signed in May of 2018. She lost her final WWE match back in January when her and Zoey Stark were eliminated in the 1st round of the Dusty Rhodes Classic. Most of Shafir’s WWE matches were untelevised. From 2018 to 2021 she only wrestled 8x on WWE programming.

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