John Cena addressed his pending return to in-ring action on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon last night.
“Those rumors are true. I’ll definitely be back in WWE, I just don’t know when,” Cena said when asked about a possible return to WWE.
“I haven’t had my last much and I can’t wait to have my next one,” he continued.
Cena also addressed how his film career will impact his WWE return as well. Issues with insurance have to be worked out for him to return.
“Once you do one of these things (a big film), the insurance doesn’t let you go wrestle on the weekends, so we’ll see what happens,” Cena also said.
Cena’s appearance on the show can be viewed below:
John Cena vs Roman Reigns At SummerSlam?
Cena’s rumoured match for SummerSlam in August is against Roman Reigns. During an interview with the ACC network, Reigns addressed possibly facing Cena on the show.
“If John wants to get smashed, then he knows where I’m at, when it comes to whooping people’s ass, I do not discriminate. Luchadores, mat wrestlers, legends, Hollywood superstars, anybody. Anybody can get it.”
Cena also addressed how his role in F9 could possibly lay the foundation for a heel turn in WWE during a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet.
“I think this is a beginning to showcase the fact that it’s possible,” Cena responded when asked if F9 was the heel turn fans never saw in WWE. “Now as WWE invests and builds its roster and has a wealth of talent, it truly has many different anchors to the ship.”
Ruby Riott was released from WWE earlier this month. She later revealed on the Wrestling Perspective podcast that she does not plan on going back to her previous name, Heidi Lovelace.
During this discussion, she noted that she wants to keep the name “Ruby” as it is an homage to the Rancid song, Ruby Soho. Rancid’s Lars Frederiksen is also a co-host of the Wrestling Perspectives podcast.
“I am shopping for a new name I would like to keep [the name Ruby] if it’s possible. I feel like it fits me. Ruby came from Ruby Soho and that’s dear to my heart,” she said on the show. This led some fans to say she could just use the name “Ruby Soho.”
Ruby Riott recently changed her name on Instagram to “Ruby Soho,” another indication that this is the name she’ll be using moving forward. Her location is as “Destination Unknown” – another reference to the Rancid song.
Following her WWE release earlier this month, she wrote on Instagram, “Well… here it goes. I’ve never been good at this sort of stuff. Yesterday in a matter of minutes, my life changed very drastically. But after some tears, some panic and a full box of Oreos, I was able look back at how lucky I’ve been to accomplish what have. I never thought I’d make it to WWE. I’ve been honored to be apart of a Squad of the most incredible women I’ve ever met.”
Melissa Coates, aka Super Genie, has passed away. The 50-year-old had been Sabu’s valet in recent years. Prior to that she’d had stints with WSU, NWA Anarchy, and had worked as an extra for WWE on multiple occasions.
Last year, Coates had a leg amputated below the knee due to issues with blood clots. Her cause of death is not immediately clear, however.
News of her passing was first passed on by the Cauliflower Alley Club.
“Everyone here at the CAC is deeply saddened to hear the news that Super Genie Melissa Coates has passed away. We send out our sincerest condolences to her family, friends and fans. May they find comfort in the memories left behind during this most difficult time. R.I.P. Melissa,” the organization wrote on Twitter.
Everyone here at the CAC is deeply saddened to hear the news that Super Genie Melissa Coates has passed away. We send out our sincerest condolences to her family, friends and fans. May they find comfort in the memories left behind during this most difficult time. R.I.P. Melissa. pic.twitter.com/mD77rvsFyO
— Cauliflower Alley Club (@CACReunion) June 24, 2021
The NWA’s Velvet Sky posted that Melissa had been helpful and supportive to her during health issues she went through.
When I was going thru my health issues last yr, Melissa Coates, @RealSuperGenie reached out to check on me & sent me this message of encouragement. Goes to show what a sweet, amazing person & friend she was.I’ll miss her so much. Rest in eternal peace, my beautiful friend. ???? pic.twitter.com/w44yMpRECY
I had my very first match against Melissa Coates. There’s always a forever connection when you share the ring with someone and I’m honored to have that with her. Thank you for being so sweet, helpful and busting my brace face open. I’ll truly never forget you. ???? pic.twitter.com/wi33PmoyaD
“Coates was always super nice and friendly and on the occasion when we’d see each other at a signing or convention we were always happy to see each other again. RIP Melissa Coates,” Lance Storm continued.
Just heard of the passing of my long time friend @RealMelisCoates (@RealSuperGenie) 1 of the kindest,most genuinely nice people I’ve ever met.She loved wrestling SO much & was trying to raise enough $ for a prosthetic to get back in the ring. My condolences to @TheRealSabuECW??? pic.twitter.com/2bCMvA9CW1
“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Melissa Coates – better known to IMPACT fans as Super Genie, the manager of Sabu. We offer our heartfelt condolences to her friends and family,” wrote Impact Wrestling on Twitter.
PROGRESS Wrestling star Gisele Shaw has stated her intent for a match against former WWE Superstar Mickie James. The Canadian/Filipina ‘Quintessential Diva’ took to Twitter to post a throwback photo of her and ‘Hardcore Country’ Mickie James before saying that the match needs to happen.
“Throwback to the first time I met @MickieJames before I started training” Gisele Shaw tweeted. “We’d cross paths again a few years later, however it was in catering…”
Gisele Shaw on Mickie James
“I’d love to see her again but this time in the ring and make one of my dreams come true!” The PROGRESS Women’s Division star added, “Hardcore Country vs The Quintessential Diva.”
Gisele Shaw recently appeared on WWE’s The Bump, where she would make a challenge to WWE RAW Superstar Charlotte Flair. Shaw appeared on the show alongside Kanji ahead of their Best of 3 Series final for the PROGRESS Women’s final, which Kanji would eventually win and become the new Champion after NXT UK Superstar Jinny had to vacate the title.
Shaw is currently set for a match at PROGRESS Chapter 114 against Taonga. Chapter 114: Set Eyeballs To Stun will be available on Peacock in United States and WWE Network everywhere else as of 5pm BST on Saturday July 3.
Throwback to the first time I met @MickieJames before I started training. We’d cross paths again a few years later, however it was in catering… I’d love to see her again but this time in the ring and make one of my dreams come true!
It’s all about Steve Austin this week as the wrestling world celebrates the 25th anniversary of Austin 3:16.
Before his unexpected (and previously unplanned) victory over Jake ‘the Snake’ Roberts in the final of the 1996 tournament, Steve Austin was a new guy trying to find his place. Winning the King of the Ring tournament was always viewed as being the start of a push. Everybody knows that it should have been Triple H winning. However, the infamous curtain call moment happened, and history was set in motion.
“That incident had to happen at the Garden where the guys hugged, because Triple H was supposed to win that King of the Ring. Vince tells me I’m going to win.”
Following his win, Austin delivered the now famous, unscripted promo that created the brand that carried WWE through an entire era.
“Hell, I don’t care if its Davey Boy Smith or Shawn Michaels, but you’re looking at the next WWF Champion if I ever get the shot. And that’s the bottom line cause Stone Cold said so.”
Steve Austin Needed the Undertakers Permission to Get His Merch Approved
The rest is history. First came the signs, then came the chants, and on their heels, came merchandise. The Stone Cold brand was born. However, what many people never realized is that it could never have happened. There was one very important figure backstage in WWE, who could have brought it all crashing down.
Talking about his legacy on Busted Open Radio, Steve Austin recalled having to ask permission from the Undertaker before his 3:16 skull logo could be approved.
— SiriusXM Busted Open (@BustedOpenRadio) June 23, 2021
“Here’s something I’ve said before, maybe not everybody knows; Undertaker had to give me clearance to use that skull because Vince thought that might be gimmick infringement. I ran it by Mark, he was cool enough to give me the green light on the skull, thank you Mark. And that shirt was born.”
Who knows what would’ve happened if any one of the series of events leading to that speech had gone differently? Would Steve Austin have gone on to be the star he was? We will never know, and thankfully, never need to imagine a wrestling world where it went any other way.
Stone Cold Steve Austin is a wrestling legend. Arguably the most well known and popular wrestler, not only of his generation but ever. His portrayal of the anti-hero during WWE’s attitude era lives on long in the memory of all wrestling fans.
The story of the Austin 3:16 promo at the king of the ring tournament is one of those magical moments in history resulting from a series of events happening at just the right moment in time.
— SiriusXM Busted Open (@BustedOpenRadio) June 23, 2021
Talking during a recent appearance on Busted Open Radio, Steve Austin spoke at length about the night that 3:16 was born. Even now, the depth of his legacy as a result of that one promo astounds him.
“Who would’ve figured it would’ve lasted that long? I watched that promo about ten times last night, just so I could kind of take myself back to where I was. But so many things had to happen for that promo to even happen. That incident had to happen at the Garden where the guys hugged because Triple H was supposed to win that King of the Ring. Vince tells me I’m going to win.”
“I go in and wrestle Marc Mero, who’s a wonderful human being, get along really good with him. I was fortunate enough that he kicked me in the mouth. If he’d never kicked me in the mouth, this never would’ve happened. They haul me to the hospital, I get fourteen stitches, come back. Michael P.S. Hayes is right there at the ambulance, telling me ‘hey, Jake just cut a religious promo on you.’ So thank you Jake for cutting a religious promo, thank you Michael P.S. Hayes for telling me that.”
Steve Austin Knows the Impact THAT Promo Had on His Career
A career is not defined by a single moment. However, a legend is often born as a result of one. For Stone Cold Steve Austin, that moment came at King of the Ring in 1996.
A series of events led to an off the cuff, unscripted promo. Something that would never happen in modern-day WWE. Creating a groundswell that still surges today.
“It was almost like it was predestined for that promo to happen. And if none of those events had happened or happened out of order, that promo would’ve never happened. Maybe I’d have still been a big star, but that promo gave me two tag lines, 3:16 and ‘because Stone Cold said so’, at one night at an event I was never supposed to win. So I’m entirely grateful for all the pieces and people that fell in place for this to happen.”
Stone Cold Steve Austin grew into his legend. Sadly, we may never see another character quite like him in WWE. Not because what he did was so special it could never be repeated, but because the creative control is too tight to give wrestlers room to grow their character naturally.
Tony Khan can stand back and be proud of everything AEW has achieved so far. Not only have they flourished in the early years of their formation, but they did so in the face of a global pandemic. An event that challenged the world and changed the face of sport for over a year.
AEW made the choice to resist the call for virtual fans. Choosing instead for an open-air stadium as part of Tony Khan’s Jacksonville Jaguars complex.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQeGXNytvUz/
During a recent discussion on Barstool’s Pardon My Take podcast, Tony Khan spoke about AEW, and especially their core PPV Double or Nothing.
Khan was proud of the way both editions of the annual show have turned out, making a bold claim against WWE’s own premier PPV, Wrestlemania.
“I’ll tell you something; Double or Nothing last year and this year, in my opinion, was a better show (than WrestleMania). I liked this year’s WrestleMania a lot better than last years. They had some fans this year and everyone there worked their ass off both years. This year I thought, both (were) good shows. They did a two-night show, and it was a good show. But I thought Double or Nothing this year was outstanding, and it was the best wrestling show of the year so far. And last year Double or Nothing, during the pandemic, it kicked the s**t out of WrestleMania last year. The pandemic version last year? Not even close. Double or Nothing was a much better show.”
Every Right to be Confident
Tony Khan is a businessman at heart, and it is natural that he will think his product superior. However, it is interesting to see the pressure that AEW has already placed on WWE. A bigger name, a bigger brand, with unquestionably more history. To be confident enough to make such claims already speaks for both Tony Khan and the way he runs his business.
Looking at the strides AEW has made in their first year. The addition of a second weekly television show, as well as the formation of two dark shows. The names they have signed both in the ring and out. It all speaks of the clarity of vision Khan has for the product, and the passion he brings to his job.
Sonya Deville has taken a break from her in-ring career during the pandemic era. She has instead assumed the role of an on-screen authority figure on WWE TV.
With the company finally returning to the road next month with a big 25 city tour, a lot of people have been wondering if we will see the former Absolution member making an in-ring return as well.
Deville was asked about the possibility during her recent appearance on WWE’s The Bump and she claimed that she is content with her current role:
“You know, I love what I’m doing right now. I think it’s a natural fit. I’m a leader in life, and I think it transitions well into a suit and tie. I love being in charge, so I’m content with where I am right now,”
Sonya Deville confirmed that her in-ring career is not over yet. She indicated that she will return to the ring eventually but it won’t be happening anytime soon:
“At the end of the day, of course, I’m a fighter, but I’m really enjoying growing and learning in this role. I don’t see an end to it anytime soon.”
Sonya Deville had been off WWE TV since August 2020. She made her return to the company in a non wrestling role in January earlier this year.
She originally acted as an assistant to Adam Pearce but has started making executive decisions of her own since then.
Big E has been one of the top SmackDown babyfaces for a long time but his current run on the show might be coming to an end soon.
According to WrestleVotes on Twitter, WWE officials are considering moving the former Intercontinental champion to Raw from the blue brand during the upcoming drafts in August.
The idea is for E to reunite with his New Day partners on Mondays but not join them as a team again. The former NXT champion is expected to continue to focus on his singles career instead:
I’ve heard from a few sources an idea making the rounds – Big E moving from SD to RAW in the post SummerSlam draft while still be pushed as a singles. In essence, New Day back together without necessary being a team. If so, E would become a fresh face for the RAW main event scene
Drew McIntyre finished up his feud with the WWE champion Bobby Lashley at Hell In A Cell. With McIntyre out of the title picture, the red brand has an opening for underutilized babyfaces to step up to the All Mighty.
Fans have been demanding a world title push for Big E from a while now. Changing brands may help him get a fresh opportunity to gain momentum.
With people’s support behind him, it would not be a surprise if the New Day member ends up being the one to defeat Bobby Lashley for the WWE title somewhere down the line.
What do you think about Big E potentially changing brands during the upcoming WWE drafts? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
Last night on NXT, Kyle O’Reilly and KUSHIDA faced off in the main event. It was the 6th singles match they have had dating back to 2015. O’Reilly holds a 4-2 lead in the head-to-head series.
Kushida recently took to Twitter to note that 4 years ago he was considering retirement. He was dealing with severe abdominal pain at the time.
“In 2017, around this time, I was considering retirement after every match. I was concerned about my mental and physical health after every match,” his statement reads. “I wrestled back and forth between Japan and the United States twice a month.”
Kushida was in NJPW at the time. He’d win the Best of the Super Juniors tournament for a second time that year.
“During that time, I sometimes suffered from severe abdominal pain after matches. I crouched on the floor with a cold sweat and had no choice but to wait for the pain to pass. I had to insert a gastro camera down my throat at the hospital to examine my stomach. But the doctors couldn’t find anything wrong. The doctor’s diagnosis was that my autonomic nerves must have been disturbed. My level of this abdominal pain wasn’t normal. And, if it continued, I couldn’t wrestle anymore. I knew it wasn’t an exaggeration. And I knew that my wrestling career could be over at any time.”
O’Reilly and Kushida have met twice in singles competition for NJPW, twice for RevPro, and once each for ROH and NXT. Their last match before yesterday’s show was in the 1st round of the RevPro British J-Cup tournament. Kushida came out the victor that night.
“I had a mach with Kyle O’Reilly at that time. It was four years ago in London. At that point, it was rumoured that Kyle O’Reilly would soon sign a contract with WWE. After our match, I talked to him directly. He told me his honest intentions. At that time, I thought it would be great to have a match against him in the WWE some day. I knew my professional wrestling life wouldn’t last forever.”
Kushida’s signing with WWE was announced in April of 2019.
“So Yesterday was special. WWE/NXT universe! Thank you for watching.”
Keith Lee’s real name is Keith Lee and it’s been his wrestling name as well since 2008. WWE filed to trademark the name “Keith Lee” for wrestling purposes in the summer of 2019. Lee had signed with WWE the previous year.
Back in December, Lee put in his own trademark application for the name as well. According to documents obtained by HeelByNature, however, Lee’s attorney was sent a response from the USPTO recently stating there are two issues with his application and one of them is that WWE had previously filed to trademark the name.
“a mark in a prior-filed pending application may present a bar to registration of applicant’s mark.”
“The filing date of pending U.S. Application Serial No. 88594009 precedes applicant’s filing date.”
Today is a day that can and will define the future. The wheels can have motion and move forward….or…. they can stop completely.
The application is also being rejected on the grounds that “Keith Lee” refers to a person and not a service.
“The personal name of an individual or group is registrable as a service mark only where the record shows that it is used in a manner that would be perceived by consumers as identifying the services in addition to identifying the person or group. In this case, the specimen shows the applied-for mark used only to identify the name of an individual/group and not as a service mark for applicant’s services because, as used in the specimen of record, the wording KEITH LEE appears only to refer to the name of an individual, not the identified services.”
To the people offering uplifting words…. know that I appreciate you greatly. And worry not, when I say #iAmLimitless, I MEAN IT.
I will try to find a way to explain everything in the most efficient way possible. Give me just a little more time.
That Keith Lee and WWE are both attempting to trademark his name will likely lead to speculation regarding Lee’s recent absence from WWE programming. Lee has not wrestled on WWE programming since February. He defeated Riddle in a match on the February 8th, 2021 episode.
Lee has also been sharing numerous ominous messages regarding his whereabouts in recent months.
I wanted to do something educational, but also inspiring to tell you guys about everything since late January. Seems that is off the table for now.
So….with that, I will find another way to tell guys about everything. It might simply a video of me chatting with you. We'll see.
John Cena’s next big project is DC’s Suicide Squad sequel directed by James Gunn. The cenation leader will be playing the role of Peacemaker in the movie.
During a recent interview with Collider, the 16 time world champion offered some high praise to Gunn and compared him to the WWE chairman, Vince McMahon.
Cena first discussed James Gunn’s approach to his projects, explaining that he is very hands on with all the different aspects of the production of a movie:
“James is everything, and the reason he is such a great director is because he assumes all roles. He creates the story from the ground up, he supervises the story as a producer, he manages all personalities.”
John Cena went on to compare the Guardians Of The Galaxy director to the WWE chairman Vince McMahon. He mentioned how the boss likes to be involved in everything, just like Gunn:
“I think his ability to have his hands in everything—he’s almost like the Vince McMahon of a movie. Vince is involved in everything and wants to be.
And I mean everything from—and this is James as well—marketing, certainly putting himself out there. ‘Suicide Squad: A James Gunn Film’, he’s putting his stamp on that which means he believes in the product.”
The former world champion said that Gunn is able to do all this very fluently because he is invested in every piece and has confidence in what he does.
The Suicide Squad sequel featuring John Cena and others is expected to hit theaters on August 6. You can check out the latest trailer of the movie below:
Tony Khan recently appeared as a guest on Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take. During the discussion, the AEW President spoke about his theories regarding booking legends, current stars, and developing talent.
“I believe in the wrestling of the past, the present and the future,” Khan said on the show. “The top stars of the past still have great value and can still come in and contribute in a meaningful way. Sting and Jake the Snake are still a huge part of our show, just as an example.”
Khan would then continue to say that he’s careful to make sure the young talent is booked in a meaningful way in addition to the top stars of the past and present. He said it’s all about keeping the past, present, and future all together in an organized show.
“We have a great roster of really young talent. Some of them became viral wrestling stars before AEW. They are being pushed in a meaningful way. Like I said, the past the present and the future all in one. And then trying to keep into a fun, organized show that delivers good wrestling every single Wednesday.”
Khan spoke on a variety of other topics during the discussion including Jaguars football, balancing his various roles, and the AEW’s shows this fall in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Many believe that WWE did not utilize the Broken Matt character to its full extent during Matt Hardy’s last run with the company. It appears that Vince McMahon being unaware of the character’s origin may have been the reason for it.
The former WWE star recently held his first Twitch ama. He answered questions related to a wide variety of topics including things such as crowds coming back after covid, his scariest bump, and more.
When a fan asked how much Vince McMahon knew about Broken Matt Hardy before their return at WrestleMania 33, the attitude era star revealed that the boss knew absolutely nothing about it:
“He didn’t know anything about it. We worked out the deal with Triple H, on the down low. Triple H was great. Really, I think we came back because Vince was like, “Why are all these people saying Delete?”
Hardy mentioned how he had to explain the whole story of the character to McMahon in 30 minutes. Though according to the former world champion, the boss kept an open mind during their discussion:
“Explaining the Broken Matt story to Vince McMahon in 30 minutes was one of my favorite moments of all time. I had to sound like a madman to him. But he stayed open minded. They said they’ve give us a compound deletion fight, and he kept his word.”
Broken Matt Hardy is one of the most popular gimmicks of the wrestling veteran’s long career. Originally created during his TNA run in 2016, he has taken the persona to multiple promotions since then. He has successfully utilized it in companies such as WWE, ROH, and AEW.
CM Punk hosted a Q&A session on Twitter earlier yesterday where the former WWE champion answered questions related to a wide variety of topics.
The Broken Skull Sessions hosted by Stone Cold Steve Austin is one of the biggest shows on WWE Network and many have wondered if we will ever see the former WWE star on the show.
When asked what it would take for him to make an appearance on the show, Punk replied: “Money. Nobody gets any royalties for anything shown on peacock. Nobody. Yay wrestling biz!”
The recent multiple waves of WWE releases have been a topic of discussion among wrestling fans. The former leader of Straight Edge Society had previously blasted the company for the same.
A fan discussed how Samoa Joe was fired from the main roster only to be rehired on NXT. He asked CM Punk for his thoughts. Replying to it he said that it’s an instance of “the left hand not talking to the right hand.”
The retired wrestling star was then asked which is the one match of his career he would like to redo. He picked his last match before his retirement.
Apart from this, CM Punk answered questions such as his favorite Bret Hart match, if he has any of his previously worn wrestling gear, and more. You can check out his entire Q&A thread below:
JTG debuted with the NWA at the “When Our Shadows Fall” PPV earlier this month. He defeated Fred Rosser on the show and has since been taking part in episodes of Powerrr exclusively on FITE. The former member of Cryme Tyme spoke to Metro UK recently about how he is hoping to keep Shad Gaspard’s memory alive through his run with the NWA.
JTG was asked what is driving him to get back in the ring at this point in his career.
“Besides my passion, it would definitely be representing both Shad and myself,” JTG said during the interview.
JTG continued to say he wants to represent Cryme Tyme in the best light possible with everything he does in his career moving forward.
“I’m not just representing myself anymore. When people see JTG, Jay Tha Gawd, they automatically think of Shad”
“I wanna make sure I represent the team and myself and him in the best light possible, and keep Cryme Tyme alive with whatever I do forwards.”
JTG On Fan Response To Shad Gaspard’s Passing
Also during the interview, JTG said that the outpouring of respect and care following Gaspard’s passing really helped him in the grieving process.
“To see it on social media, everybody sharing – it helped me a lot during my grieving, seeing all these things that people were writing about him, the videos, charity, all that good stuff,” JTG said. “It definitely helped me through the grieving process.”
.@Jtg1284 made a HUGE statement as he advanced in the NWA National Title qualifiers.
WWE Superstar and SmackDown Tag Team Champion Rey Mysterio recently spoke to the UK’s Metro. The luchador legend discussed a number of topics during the interview, including the potential for a feud between himself and his son Dominik down the line.
“We actually talked about this a while back, when my son started to train,” Mysterio began. “The more and more we got to spend time together in the ring and outside of the ring, it came to the point where me and my son were like, ‘there’s no need.’”
“The connection here is so beautiful, the love – more than father and son, I think we’re like best friends” Rey Mysterio added. “For the moment, there’s no time for us to even be thinking, ‘how would it be like to face each other?’”
Rey Mysterio on Father/Son Feud
Mysterio would also discuss what it has been like winning the tag titles with his son and being the Champions over the past month. “We’re enjoying such a great moment right now within our personal lives, within our wrestling careers,” Mysterio revealed.
“For me, it’s a complete blessing, before I end up retiring – to have been able to share these moments with my son” Mysterio concluded. “So that thought of possibly facing each other, I think was thrown down the trash a while back.”
The Diamond Mine stable officially made their NXT debut on this week’s episode of the show. The new group, lead by Roderick Strong and with Malcolm Bivens as their apparent mouthpiece, attacked KUSHIDA following the main event of the show.
There have been vignettes promoting the debut of the group for some time now, with MMA and ‘shoot’ style footage promoting this brand new faction of performers. As of now, the group consists of the aforementioned Bivens, Strong, Hideki Suzuki and Tyler Rust.
According to a new report from Fightful Select, the group has been ‘ready to debut’ for quite some time now. The concept was already in talks backstage since even before Roderick Strong ‘quit’ on NXT programming.
Diamond Mine Debuts
Select confirmed that there “were actually plans to debut the stable well before, but it was moved back on more than one occasion for it to take center stage on an episode of NXT.”
It was also confirmed that the fan speculation of Tessa Blanchard or Parker Boudreaux being brought onto television with the Diamond Mine gimmick was just that, speculation. WWE had apparently been discussing other members for the group, but these two names were never in consideration.
Parker Boudreaux was signed to WWE on a developmental deal earlier this year and Tessa Blanchard is still unlikely to be signed in the near future.
Peyton Royce had a very awkward meeting with Vince McMahon before her release from WWE. According to her, it may have been the reason for her firing from the promotion. The former WWE star talked about a number of things on the latest episode of her Off The Chops podcast with her partner Billie Kay.
During the episode, she detailed a meeting she had with the boss before her departure from the company. Royce recalled the time after the officials had broken off their tag team and she wasn’t doing much on WWE programming. So she went to Vince McMahon to pitch an idea:
“I decided to put on my big girl panties and talk to Vince. I had in my head what I wanted to say but he brushed it off very quickly and I went ‘crap’. I had an idea that I wanted to present, and he wanted to discuss other ideas – but I didn’t have other ideas. This is what I wanted to talk about and put my time and effort into. Vince says “What do you do for fun?” Me being me, the introvert and the homebody that I am, I had to let him know that I like to sit on the couch with my dogs and watch TV.”
However, Royce went blank after Vince McMahon didn’t find her first idea interesting. She tried to make something else up but failed. Peyton finally decided to tell this to the boss. According to her, this encounter may have contributed to the decision of her release from the company :
“He just stared at me and in my head I’m just like, ‘make something up’ and I couldn’t make anything up – nothing was coming out. I’m not a liar. I feel like he could have seen right through that. I basically said to him ‘I’m sorry, I’m boring’ and I just like to be home on my off days’. I didn’t contribute much during that unfortunately and that’s probably why I lost the job.”
Billie Kay and Peyton Royce made their NXT TV debut as a team back in October 2016. Their main roster debut came in April 2018 and the duo had a reign with the women’s tag team championships before their release. The former champions have since confirmed that they want to continue wrestling as a tag team and teased both Impact Wrestling and AEW as potential future destinations.
After weeks of build-up, The Diamond Mine finally made their debut on NXT this week with a returning Roderick Strong as its apparent leader.
Mysterious MMA-themed vignettes have been airing on NXT TV for quite some time promoting the group’s arrival. The promo on last week’s episode of the show said that the mine will finally be opening this week.
This week’s episode of NXT then saw The Diamond Mine making their debut after the main event of the show which saw Kyle O’Reilly defeating the cruiserweight champion Kushida in a non-title one-on-one match.
O’Reilly got into a brawl with Adam Cole after the bout. They fought each other until the enforcer Samoa Joe brought some security and escorted them away.
A mysterious man then attacked Kushida who was still in the ring. He revealed himself as a returning Roderick Strong. Though Strong didn’t come alone as Hideki Suzuki and Tyler Rust watched this from the apron.
The two then entered the ring and stood tall with Strong. Malcolm Bivens got in the ring with the NXT cruiserweight title and he showed it to Strong before laying it over the champion.
Bivens introduced this new faction as The Diamond Mine. The Diamond Mine stood tall over the cruiserweight champion as the cameras went off air.
Roderick Strong had been off NXT TV in recent months. He walked out of the WWE programming after the breakup of The Undisputed Era, claiming that he was done with everything.
Bivens had been managing Rust but the two hadn’t been seen on NXT TV since March. Suzuki on the other hand was signed earlier this year to work as a coach though it appears the company has decided to use the Japanese wrestling legend as a performer as well.
WWE has announced that the NXT tag team champions MSK will be defending their titles against the team of Timothy Thatcher and Tommaso Ciampa at the upcoming Great American Bash event.
Last week’s episode of the black and yellow brand saw the current tag champions exchanging looks with their future challengers in a backstage segment.
Thatcher and Ciampa then competed in a tornado tag team match against The Grizzled Young Veterans. The former picked up the victory in this bout which was the main event of the show.
WWE announced during this Tuesday’s NXT that the duo of Thatcher and Ciampa will get a title shot at the upcoming special edition of the show.
The company also confirmed several segments for next week’s episode including a face-off between MSK and their challengers.
This is the second match that has been announced for the upcoming event. They previously confirmed that former undisputed era partners Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly will be competing in a one-on-one match at the show.
WWE brought back the Great American Bash name for a two-night NXT special last year. They announced that the name will be returning for a special NXT episode on July 6 this year, making it an annual event.
The June 22, 2021 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center.
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
WWE NXT Results
Adam Cole def. Carmelo Hayes.
Io Shirai & Zoey Stark def. Jessi Kamea & Aliyah.
Johnny Gargano & Austin Theory def. Pete Dunne & Oney Lorcan.
Franky Monet def. Elektra Lopez
Hit Row (Ashante ‘Thee’ Adonis & Top Dolla) def. Ever-Rise (Chase Parker & Matt Martel).
Kyle O’Reilly def. Kushida
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
The Way Speaks/We Got A Match
Johnny Gargano and Austin Theory came out. Gargano said that they need a new NXT Champion and they don’t need Karrion Kross. Instead, they need him because he’s a respectable family man.
He said that he outclassed Kross at TakeOver: In Your House and everyone knows that he can outwrestle Kross.
This led to Pete Dunne coming out with Oney Lorcan. Gargano said that they are rules for a reason and they are good people so they won’t fight. Gargano and Theory left the ring before Theory told Dunne that he was watching him. Dunne twisted his fingers and Theory sold it.
In a backstage segment, Gargano and Theory want William Regal to do something about so a match was booked. The Way went over clean. Post-match, Kross attacked Gargano.
Adam Cole opened the show with a promo about how he won’t pick his own opponent because he is the king of NXT. He said that he will embarrass Kyle O’Reilly at NXT Great American Bash.
He said that no one will change his mind. This led to Carmelo Hayes coming out. Hayes cut a promo about how if anyone is going to change Cole’s mind, it will be him. Hayes did John Cena’s “Ruthless Aggression” promo spot before slapping Cole. A match broke out.
This was a fun back and forth match with Cole dominating the majority of it with Hayes having bursts of offense. Cole won with the panama sunrise.
This was done to further promote Cole’s match with O’Reilly’ at the NXT Great American Bash special. Originally, WWE had NXT General Manager William Regal state in a backstage segment last week that O’Reilly and Cole would pick each other’s opponents, but that wasn’t the case.
The encore of Franky Monet’s recent World Premiere continued on this show when she battled Elektra Lopez, formerly known as Karissa Rivera, in a singles match.
This marked Monet’s only second match in NXT. She beat Cora Jade in her in-ring debut back on the May 25th edition of NXT.
This latest outing was a short squash match that saw her go over with her finisher.
The Diamond Mind opened up after various vignettes teasing the opening of the Diamond Mine have been airing since April. Little details had came out about what it was aside from unidentified athletes working out at an MMA gym with phrases like “Pressure Makes Diamonds” appearing.
So what was it? After the main event, Roderick Strong came out in a hoodie to attack Kushida. Malcom Bivens, Tyler Rust and Hideki Suzuki were with him. Bivens said this is Diamond Mine.
Fans may recall there was a storyline where Strong had announced he was leaving NXT. Well, he’s back. Questions remain yet answers will be given.
NXT Cruiserweight Champion Kushida vs. Kyle O’Reilly in a non-title match took place.
The match was everything and more that fans had hoped to see. A stiff yet technical bout. Down the stretch, Kyle landed some kicks then went for a leg submission, but Kushida rolled through and went for a pin attempt for 2. Kushida caught him with a head kick only for Kyle to no sell it and land one of his own. Kyle hit a brain buster for a near fall. Lyle rolled him up for the win.
This was done to further promote O’Reilly’s upcoming match with Adam Cole at the NXT Great American Bash special on Tuesday, July 6. After the match, Cole attacked Kyle.
Monday’s edition of WWE Raw averaged 1.719 million viewers with a 0.49 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic. This is even from last week’s 1.742 million viewers and the 0.49 rating.
To compare, last week’s hourly viewership numbers were 1.761 million viewers in the first hour, 1.782 million viewers in the second hour, and the third hour had 1.685 million viewers.
This was the post-show edition of Raw for Sunday’s Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event.
This episode featured Lashley facing Xavier Woods in a Hell in a Cell match that ended up as the main event, Ricochet battled AJ Styles, Randy Orton faced John Morrison, and Riddle took on Drew McIntyre in men’s Money in the Bank qualifying matches. Also, Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross reunited to take on Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler and Asuka & Naomi faced Eva Marie and Doudrop in women’s Money in the Bank qualifying matches.
SmackDown Viewership
The episode drew an average of 1.928 million viewers in the overnight ratings, up from the previous week that did 1.853 million viewers. In the 18-49 demographic, it did a 0.54 rating, which was up from the 0.48 rating the week before. The final ratings were 2.045 million viewers, up from last week’s 1.944 million viewers.
Mickie James made an announcement on Wednesday in a video that she posted on Instagram, which is that she will be competing at the NWA’s 73rd Anniversary show.
The pay-per-view event takes place on August 29th in St. Louis Missouri. She noted that she wants fans to let NWA President Billy Corgan know who they want her to wrestle.
“On August 29 is NWA 73, the Anniversary Show. And so on the Anniversary Show, I am announcing that I am going to wrestle at NWA 73, and I’m looking for an opponent. And so I want you to tell Billy who you want to see me wrestle. Who wants to wrestle me at NWA 73? That is the big question.”
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CQbv9fPHIl4/
James was released from WWE along with Billie Kay, Peyton Royce, Samoa Joe, and several more performers in April. James’ husband, Nick Aldis, is the NWA World Heavyweight Champion.
The former WWE star made her promotional debut earlier this month on an episode of Powerrr. This episode also had the announcement of the first all-women’s NWA pay-per-view now entitled, Empowerrr, which takes place the night before the 73rd Anniversary show.
James will be producing the all-women’s PPV event.
WWE NXT is looking to emphasize the Cruiserweight division and the title more on their programming going forward.
Fightful Select reported the news today. It was said that this plan has been one WWE officials have been working on for a long time. It was noted NXT officials have been high on Kushida ever since he came in, as has the roster around him.
The report stated fans should expect NXT to integrate more storyline, some bigger names, and angles into the Cruiserweight division, especially this Summer.
Back on the April 13th episode of NXT, Kushida beat Santos Escobar to win the title after the then-champion had issued an open challenge. The two later worked a few different matches before the feud ended.
Since that time, Kushida has kept doing the open challenges and wrestled various new WWE signees such as Carmelo Hayes, formerly known as Christian Casanova.
NXT Cruiserweight Champion Kushida is slated to wrestle Kyle O’Reilly in a non-title match on this week’s episode of NXT. Originally, General Manager William Regal said that O’Reilly and Adam Cole would pick each other’s opponent on this show, but it was Kushida who challenged O’Reilly to this match. Cole vs. O’Reilly has been booked for the Great American Bash special on July 6th.
