Following the conclusion of last night’s AEW Dynamite, the cameras kept rolling as the AEW World Champion was still in the ring. Moxley picked up a microphone and spoke about his opponent Darby Allin and the interference by Maxwell Jacob Friedman in the match.
“Not for nothing, Darby Allin, you are a persistent little bastard aren’t you?” Moxley said. “You are relentless. Dude, one day, mark my words, I know what I’m talking about, one day Darby you are going to be a world champion. You will win many championships. But it ain’t going to be on my watch, this is my time.”
“One of these days you’re going to take me out and I know that but today ain’t that day. There’s a lot of fake, disingenuous, just any insult you can think of, there’s a lot of crappy people in wrestling. There’s a lot of bad dudes in this company who does bad things. You are a loner like me. You can ride with me anytime you want.”
Moxley then addressed MJF’s interference in the match last night.
“It’s a little scrambled in my brain right now, I’m not sure exactly what happened but I got a pretty good idea. There’s a kid out there with no heart and even if he did, it stops beating real soon. He’s a dead man.”
MJF responded to an AEW tweet about the promo as well:
Ever since Rhea Ripley dropped the NXT Women’s Championship, people have been wondering if it’s the start of the end of the former Champion’s NXT run and if WWE could be planning to bring her up on the main roster.
The Australian star recently had an interview with Newsweek where she talked about a number of things and also revealed her thoughts on a potential main roster call up.
Ripley said that she can’t outgrow NXT and she wants to be on the Black and Yellow brand for a long time but revealed that she doesn’t know if that’s what the officials are planning for her:
“I don’t think I can ever outgrow NXT. There is always something coming up and I honestly want to be in NXT for a long long time, Whether that’s the case or not, I don’t know, I don’t have that call.
I feel like I have so much more to do here.” said Rhea Ripley. “Whether that’s singles matches or whatever, I love NXT and I love being a part of it. And I hope I’m here for longer. I guess we’ll see.”
The former champion also admitted that she feels that the spotlight on her has diminished a little bit since her WrestleMania loss, though the NXT star said that her time will come again.
Apart from this, Rhea Ripley talked about her match with Dakota Kai, possibly facing Mercedes Martinez in the future and more. You can check out her full interview at this link.
WWE RAW Superstar Mustafa Ali recently joined WWE show The Bump. During his time on the show, Ali addressed being away from WWE programming. He also spoke about making the most of opportunities, his recent return to TV, and how he’s ready for someone to “take these chains off me.”
Since his return, Ali competed on two matches on RAW. He won his return bout before losing to Bobby Lashley in another. This week, however, Ali didn’t feature on RAW. Instead, he worked the Main Event TV tapings.
“As far as adaptation, it’s hard because you can’t adapt without opportunity, right? If you don’t have the opportunity, if you’re not given a platform, if you’re not included in the discussion, it’s hard. You could be the best in the world, but if you’re sitting in a dark room and no one sees you, no one sees you.”
Mustafa Ali On Staying Ready For Opportunity
Mustafa Ali explained how he tries to stay in a state of readiness and preparedness. That way, should an opportunity present itself, he would be able to “hit a home run.”
However, for that to happen, he acknowledged he needs to be “called up to bat.”
“That is not me complaining at all. The thing that I am craving for, the thing that I am asking for, the thing that I want, is to tell a story. I could sit here and tell everybody, I have not had that opportunity yet.”
Ali addressed how taking time off can be challenging, especially when it isn’t your choice. He argued how he would view his time away differently had he been injured. Ali stressed how his comments don’t come from a place of anger. Instead, it’s because he is so passionate about wrestling and performing.
Ali then stressed how he is currently in his prime and “ready to go,” joking how he wanted someone in WWE to take his chains off. He noted how anybody that is passionate about something would be able to understand his frustrations.
Add CM Punk to the growing list of people who are interested in New Day member Big E breaking off as a singles competitor.
Punk made the comments this week during a SummerSlam 1992 Watch Party with Renee Young, Booker T and Finn Balor.
Punk agreed with Booker T that now is the time for Big E to make a name for himself. He believes that in order to that, Big E needs to detach himself from the New Day. He pointed to how the group has been together for a long time and that to succeed, Big E would need to disassociate with both Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston.
“I definitely think…Big E and New Day they’ve been rolling for like how long?” Punk asked. “I agree with you that he has to dump Woods and Kofi, kick those guys to the curb. That’s what we’re talking about right?”
Booker T chimed in on Punk’s sentiments, adding how he believes that for Big E to make an immediate, memorable impact, he needs to turn heel against his New Day cohorts. Booker T stressed how, although attacking Kingston would send a message, he believes Big E should focus on attacking Woods.
This prompted Young to share how many of the WWE Universe aren’t interested in the New Day breaking up. Instead, they would rather have the group succeed alongside a successful Big E singles push. CM Punk replied how “Sometimes that’s the best thing to do, something that people don’t want to see.”
Both Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods are currently injured. Kingston is expected to be out for up to 6 weeks. Woods, meanwhile, is still rehabbing and recovering from a torn Achilles Tendon. Their absence has placed Big E in prime position for a singles run.3
Speaking during a Twitch stream, “The Phenomenal One” addressed his former O.C. stablemates’ comments. Styles admitted he didn’t know what to make of it, adding how fans “know how I feel about that.”
“Yeah, Gallows and Anderson are trying to get me back [in Impact Wrestling] is what they said. Never say never but I also have said that I would like to finish my career in the WWE. So, we will see.”
Styles acknowledged how Impact Wrestling has “a lot going on right now,” especially after its influx of former WWE Superstars. He stressed how Impact’s roster was good beforehand, but with the addition of The Good Brothers, EC3, Eric Young and more, “they’ve upped it just a little bit more.”
Looking at the prospects on the horizon for Gallow and Anderson, AJ Styles expressed how thrilled he was for his friends, saying, “Man, I am so happy for those guys. I’m happy they’re happy, you know what I mean? ‘Cause there was a tough time there for all of us. So, they’re kicking tail right now anyway.”
Gallows and Anderson were released earlier this year as a cost-cutting measure by WWE due to the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on business.
WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair has provided a medical update on his daughter, Charlotte Flair. Speaking with Ring Rust Radio, “The Nature Boy” shared how she’s “doing great” following surgery to fix a breast implant issue.
Flair explained how she is currently “climbing the walls” out of boredom, with Charlotte recently having texted him to tell him she’s “going crazy.” According to him, however, her current frustrations will be worth it as the surgery was necessary.
“She is so intense and so invested in our business, in the product, in her work ethic. This surgery was something that had to take place. Personally, I wish she had done it earlier, but she would never ever leave without fulfilling what she felt she had to do.”
He noted how nobody in WWE “made her stay.” Flair shared how Charlotte will never be anything less than “100 percent committed to the success of the company and her career and her involvement.”
Ric Flair revealed how she’s recovering well but is missing WWE and performing. He added how she “does not know how to turn it off.” He cited this as the reason she is so great. Flair believes his daughter could have the greatest match in the world, but wouldn’t rest or be satisfied with it.
“She’s a walking, talking highlight reel. And when she’s not working, she dresses immaculately, spends the money, she invests in her gimmick. She’s not crazy like me.”
He added how she doesn’t waste her money on luxury, materialistic items. Flair then stressed how she invests in her appearance to look like a champion. He argued that if people wanted to see a champion, all they have to do is look at Charlotte Flair.
WWE has announced via a press release that they have hired Nick Khan as the new President and Chief Revenue Officer of the company. Khan previously worked as the co-head of television at the Creative Artist Agency or CAA.
He represented many big corporations during his time in CAA including WWE and Khan played a part in negotiating the promotion’s much talked TV deals with both Fox Network and NBC Universal in 2019.
Commenting on his appointment in the press release, the former CAA official said that he is looking forward to expanding his relationship with Vince McMahon and it’s a rare opportunity:
“It’s rare to have an opportunity to work at a company that is not only legendary in what it has already accomplished, but also uniquely poised to enter into an unprecedented phase of growth and expansion across all lines of business. Our collective industry experience will enable us to extract maximum value across the portfolio globally while driving long-term shareholder value.”
Nick Khan will be taking over the duties of both George Barrios who was previously acting as a Co-President for the company and Michelle Wilson who was previously the CFO of the promotion.
WWE is always looking to figure out who might be their next big star and latest reports suggest that the company has very high hopes for a current NXT star.
This week’s episode of NXT featured another triple threat match between Damien Priest, Oney Lorcan and Ridge Holland to determine the contender for the upcoming NXT North American Championship match.
Talking about the bout, Bryan Alvarez on the latest Wrestling Observer Live made an interesting comment about Holland, mentioning that the WWE officials “think that he has the potential to be the next big thing.”
The wording of this assessment is very interesting as ‘The Next Big Thing’ catchphrase has long been associated with Brock Lesnar and it was used to promote The Beast Incarnate during his early WWE career.
Ridge Holland signed with WWE back in May 2018, and after making some appearances for the NXT brand, he was assigned to NXT UK.
The triple threat match at this week’s episode of the Black and Yellow brand was Ridge’s first appearance on the main NXT brand since his time in 2018.
Even though he lost the bout at this week’s show, this report suggests that WWE has high hopes regarding the English wrestler and it wouldn’t be a surprise if we see a lot more of him in coming future.
This week’s episode of AEW Dynamite saw the in-ring debut of Matt Cardona, better known to WWE fans as the former US Champion Zack Ryder.
The former WWE star teamed up with the TNT Champion Cody to face John Silver and Alex Reynolds of the Dark Order, after setting up this tag team match during his debut for the promotion last week.
The match was won by the faces and Cardona picked up the victory for his team after hitting his finisher Radio Silence on Reynolds.
Matt Cardona’s long career with WWE ended back in April when he was released as a cost-cutting measure. He had been with the organization for 15 years.
After the conclusion of his 3-month “no compete” period, he showed up in AEW last week on Dynamite to save Cody from an attack by the Dark Order.
Though Cardona’s himself has confirmed that he is currently on a short term deal with the company and while he has said that he plans to stay with the promotion, we will have to see what the future brings for the newest AEW star.
Matt Cardona had this to say following his AEW in-ring debut:
The August 5, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University.
WWE NXT Results (8/5)
Dakota Kai def. Rhea Ripley
Bronson Reed def. Shane Thorne
Damian Priest def. Ridge Holland and Oney Lorcan
Keith Lee def. Cameron Grimes.
Tegan Nox def. Indi Hartwell.
NXT Tag Team Champions Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner def. Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Ladder Match Spot
Photo Credit: WWE.com
A triple threat match that featured Damian Priest vs. Oney Lorcan vs. NXT UK Superstar Ridge Holland doing battle for the second Ladder Match spot at NXT TakeOver: 30 to crown a new North American Champion took place.
So far there have been three of these matches and this one was the least entertaining. They all worked hard, but something was lacking. It was interesting to see Holland in there as he hadn’t been used on NXT television in the past.
The finish saw Priest hit Lorcan with his finisher to get the win.
As a result, Priest now joins Bronson Reed as the other competitor in the match. More stars will be added to the bout in the coming weeks.
NXT Tag Team Champions Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner vs. Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish was booked in the main event.
As expected, this match delivered. With the challengers being distracted by the argument between Pat McAfee and Adam Cole at ringside, the champions hit their finisher for the win.
Some could argue that WWE should’ve saved this contest for the NXT TakeOver: XXX event that is slated to take place in a few weeks.
WWE hadn’t given this match much build especially considering that NXT is lacking tag teams right now. That hadn’t been an issue in the past, but we’re in a different era of NXT compared to what it was when it was a one-hour program on the WWE Network.
We now know who is next in line for a title shot in the women’s division as Rhea Ripley vs. Dakota Kai was booked in a #1 Contender’s Match.
The back and forth match was quite entertaining with both stars getting a chance to shine in a competitive bout. The finish saw Kai get the pinfall when Rhea was taken out with a big boot by Mercedes Martinez.
After the match, Martinez laid out the former NXT Women’s Champion. It appears that is the new direction for these two stars.
As a result, Kai has earned the right to challenge NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai for the strap at the NXT TakeOver: XXX event. Either one would’ve been a fine choice.
Ripley clearly is one of the two top stars in the division. On the flip side, Kai has been built up by management over the past few months as someone that fans should take notice of.
NXT Champion Keith Lee vs. Cameron Grimes in a non-title match was booked with what many felt as just filing time while also advancing the storyline with Lee and Karrion Kross.
WWE actually gave Grimes some offense and made him look serious, which was a surprise. Lee went over with a powerbomb.
After the match, Kross was seen on the big screen and had laid out several people in the backstage area.
Of course, Grimes had interrupted Lee last week, which led to him getting laid out. The match was very much one-sided and rightfully so.
Grimes is a comedy guy with a limited shelf life in this current gimmick. While he’s talented and gets the job done, some could argue that he’s not being allowed to hit his full potential in a somewhat limited character role.
Former NFL punter and current sports personality Pat McAfee made an appearance in order to address his confrontation with former NXT Champion Adam Cole last month.
Cole was a guest on “The Pat McAfee Show” and things got heated between the two men. After trading some jabs, Cole finally snapped when called short and dropped a couple of F-bombs before he shoved McAfee’s co-host. Cole has since then apologized for his actions.
WWE did a storyline where McAfee had made up with Cole earlier in the night. He joined Tom Phillips on commentary for the last 30 minutes of the show. This includes the main event for the tag team titles. During it, he was taking jabs at Cole.
Cole came over and threw water on Pat. They were separated. Shawn Michaels and Triple H appeared to break it up. All of a sudden, Pat laid him out with a kick to the head.
On just a week’s notice, Jon Moxley and Darby Allin met inside of the squared circle.
Moxley made his latest defense of the AEW World Heavyweight Title against the rising star in the main event of Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite.
Moxley successfully retained the title over Allin from Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place. During the match, MJF came out and hit Moxley with the title, which busted him open. Despite this, Moxley managed to pull through and hit Allin with a Paradigm Shift and scored the clean pin.
AEW set up this contest last week when Moxley and Allin defeated Brian Cage & Ricky Starks in a Texas Tornado Tag Team Match in the main event.
After the match, Tony Schiavone announced as the show was about to go off the air that AEW President Tony Khan had told him that these two stars would meet in a title bout. They proceeded to have a staredown.
The AEW All Out pay-per-view event will take place on Saturday, September 5, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place. At this show, MJF will challenge Moxley for the
AEW Dynamite aired from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville. Jon Moxley put the AEW Championship on the line against Darby Allin. Chris Jericho and Orange Cassidy had a debate with a special moderator during tonight’s show as well.
Dynamite Results (8/5)
Dark Order def. The Elite & FTR
Best Friends def. Santana & Ortiz
Cody & Matt Cardona def. Alex Reynolds & John Silver
Big Swole def. Reba
Jon Moxley def. Darby Allin to retain the AEW Championship
Here are 6 takeaways from this week’s show:
Dark Order Picked Up A Win
The Elite & FTR battled Dark Order in a 12-man tag team match to begin the show.
Match Recap: Brodie Lee and Nick Jackson started off the action. Matt tagged in and blasted Brodie in the face with a Dropkick. Young Bucks tried to beat Brodie down some more but exploded out of nowhere with a Clothesline that took Matt and Nick down.
#9 tagged in and Young Bucks beat him down in the corner. Omega tagged in and went for the cover but Evil Uno and Grayson broke it up. FTR, Page, and Omega connected with a triple Suplex on Dark Order for another near fall.
Dark Order took control and isolated Kenny Omega in the ring for the next couple of minutes. Omega battled back with a Backbreaker and tagged in Dax Hawwood. Dax hit #5 with an elbow to the face and followed it up with a headbutt for a two count.
Cash tagged in and planted Grayson with a Back Suplex. Hangman tagged in and #5 rolled him up for a near fall. The Elite teamed up on Five and beat him down. Nick Jackson took out some of the Dark Order with a flip outside the ring.
Harwood tweaked his knee and Kenny tagged in. Omega hit a Powerbomb but Dark Order broke up the cover. Dax was assisted backstage by the rest of The Elite as Kenny was left alone in the ring. Matt hopped on the apron and tagged in. Brodie planted Matt with a Slam and Stu tagged in.
Dark Order beat Matt down and Colt Cabana hit a Splash for a near fall. Hangman Page went backstage with FTR as Dark Order dominated Omega and the Young Bucks. Hangman made his way back to the ring and planted #5 on the apron. Page climbed to the top rope and hit a Moonsault onto Dark Order outside the ring. Brodie Lee leveled Hangman with a massive Lariat for the pinfall victory.
Santana & Ortiz Destroyed Trent’s Mom’s Car
Best Friends squared off against Santana & Ortiz tonight on Dynamite.
Match Recap: Santana beat Chuck down and tagged in Ortiz. Chuck quickly turned the tables and brought Ortiz to the corner. Trent tagged in and went to work on Ortiz’s arm. Trent connected with Double Knees and followed it up with a Northern Lights Suplex for a near fall.
Trent hit Santana with a Tornado DDT and then delivered a Cutter to Ortiz. Best Friends shared a hug as Dynamite went to a commercial break. When Dynamite returned, Trent and Ortiz were trading shots in the middle of the ring. The action spilled to the outside and Ortiz launched Trent into the barricade.
Back in the ring, Santana tagged in and hit Trent with Backbreaker for a two count. Chuck Taylor finally tagged back in and hit Santana with a Michinoku Driver for a near fall. Chuck followed it up with a Falcon Arrow for another two count. Santana planted Trent with a Powerbomb for a two count. Ortiz tagged in and got rolled up by Trent for the pinfall victory. Santana and Ortiz then went to Trent’s mom car and hit it with a sledgehammer several times.
Best Friends later called Santana and Ortiz cowards for destroying Trent’s mom car. Best Friends said they wanted a rematch and after they beat them, Santana and Ortiz will have to apologize to Trent’s mom on speaker phone.
As expected, Eric Bischoff made an appearance on AEW Dynamite, which marked his promotional debut.
All Elite Wrestling had previously announced that Chris Jericho would debate Orange Cassidy with a special guest moderator on Wednesday’s broadcast from Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place. It marked the first appearance for Bischoff on TNT since the summer of 2000 on WCW.
The promotion hadn’t announced who the moderator would be, but it turned out to be Bischoff. His appearance on this show was leaked last week.
Bischoff was behind a desk on the stage while Jericho and Cassidy were in the ring at podiums. Jericho mostly trash-talked Cassidy during the segment.
It was revealed that Jericho will battle Cassidy next week in a singles match. The stipulation is that if Cassidy loses then he’ll have to pay $7,000 for the expensive shirt that he destroyed when he dumped orange juice on him and fellow members of The Inner Circle.
.@EBischoff has arrived and is your special guest moderator in this debate!
Bischoff had been in WWE while serving as the SmackDown Executive Director for a few months in 2019. He was replaced by Bruce Prichard as the Executive Director of SmackDown.
Since that time, he has continued his 83 Weeks podcast with Conrad Thompson.
The next challenger to WWE NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai will be Dakota Kai and it’s the latest match to be added to the card the upcoming WWE NXT TakeOver: 30
During Wednesday’s episode of NXT on the USA Network in Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University, WWE held a match that would determine who is next in line for a title shot.
A singles match between Rhea Ripley and Kai took place with the winner becoming the next challenger to the title. It was a lengthy match that featured a finish where Mercedes Martinez hit Ripley with a big boot that allowed Kai to capitalize on it.
Kai was victorious, earning the right to challenge Shirai for the NXT Women’s Title.
WWE has adjusted its TV taping schedule from Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center.
Dave Meltzer reported on F4Wonline that “due to problems regarding organization, yesterday’s Smackdown tapings only taped one show instead of the scheduled two. The one show taped will air this Friday.”
As a result, WWE will have to make up for that and has updated its schedule. Currently, WWE will tape the August 17th episode of RAW on August 13th in addition to the August 14 episode of Smackdown and the August 17 episode of RAW on that date.
This will come one day after WWE holds NXT TV tapings. Meltzer noted that due to this, several people will have to stay an extra day. WWE will need to find a new date for August 21 Smackdown taping that was to be taped on August 17.
WWE taped two episodes of RAW this past Monday – one for this week’s show and then the August 10 episode. It was reported at the time that the situation backstage was described as being more chaotic than usual due to constant changes.
WWE has already confirmed two matches for next week’s episode of RAW.
Those matches are Kevin Owens facing Randy Orton in a singles match in addition to Asuka vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley in a non-title match with the stipulation that if Asuka wins then she earns the right to challenge RAW Women’s Champion Sasha Banks for the title at SummerSlam.
It was believed that this may have had something to do with the Cole vs. McAfee rivalry, which began back in 2018 at a NXT house show. McAfee later announced that he will be appearing on tonight’s NXT episode, and WWE has since confirmed the appearance.
McAfee and Cole are set to appear tonight for a follow-up to the recent incident on The Pat McAfee Show. For those who missed it, Cole appeared on McAfee’s podcast last month and stormed off the set after things got heated between the two, and Cole shoved one of McAfee’s hosts to the ground.
McAfee, a former NFL player turned podcaster & sports analyst, revealed on Instagram that he is leaving his honeymoon to confront Cole on tonight’s show. He was just married this past Saturday.
“Wifey just gave us the go ahead.. About to take a mid honeymoon daytrip to clear up some drama in my life,” McAfee wrote in the following Instagram post. He continued, “Well.. sometimes a little face to face conversation in the middle of a honeymoon is exactly what is needed to clear up some drama.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDgoFAlJlgN/
It will be interesting to see what goes down between McAfee and Cole on tonight’s show. Cole was expected to be ringside for the championship match that will see Imperium defend the NXT Tag Team Championships against Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish of The Undisputed Era.
Cole has been out of the main event scene since losing the NXT Championship to Keith Lee in early July. The Undisputed Era made a statement last week by attacking Imperium, which led to tonight’s championship match. Cole announced then that they were reminding everyone how NXT still belongs to The Undisputed Era.
Here is the updated card for tonight’s NXT episode on the USA Network:
* Pat McAfee appears to confront Adam Cole
* Imperium defends the NXT Tag Team Championships against Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish
* Shane Thorne vs. Bronson Reed
* NXT Champion Keith Lee vs. Cameron Grime in a non-title match
* Dakota Kai vs. Rhea Ripley to determine the new #1 contender to NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai
* Damian Priest vs. Oney Lorcan vs. Ridge Holland in a Triple Threat qualifier for the NXT North American Championship Ladder Match at Takeover: XXX
A bizarre post on Facebook by Marty Jannetty has led to an investigation by police. The former member of the Rockers posted a story about having made a man “disappear” when he was 13.
“That was the very first time I made a man disappear. They never found him. They shoulda looked in the Chattahoochie River,” Jannetty says in the post. The post has since been deleted but several outlets grabbed screenshots of it before it was taken down.
A screenshot of Jannetty’s comments can be viewed below:
Local police responded to TMZ stating that they would be looking into the matter.
“We are going to look into this,” a Police representative said to TMZ. “The first step will be seeing if we have any missing persons or unidentified remains cases that match the limited information in the post.”
The police department also noted that they have “several current active homicide investigations underway and they will have to remain the priority.”
Jannetty is 60-years-old. The alleged incident would have happened in 1973 if he has his age correct in the post.
Jannetty teamed with Shawn Michaels as the Rockers from 1985 until 1992. They were voted the Tag Team of the Year by subscribers to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter in 1989.
Former WWE Superstar and 205 Live Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore/nZo recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio to discuss a number of topics from his recent career in and out of a pro wrestling ring.
Enzo Amore would bring up the fact that it has been a while since he has had a ‘major’ run in a wrestling company. The former WWE Superstar did appear at the ‘Talk n Shop-a-Mania’ show this past weekend, but his appearances in general have thus far been sparse.
Enzo Amore on ‘monumental plans’
“You know Big Cass’ trials and tribulations? You know like they…they way down, you know?” Enzo Amore began on the show. “A lot of what it is that I wanted to achieve in pro wrestling at that time and where my head was at? We were planning on doing together, as opposed to now ‘okay Eric you’re on your own again. What are you going to do? how do you see yourself getting involved in the forefront?'”
Amore would then reveal that he has ‘monumental’ plans in the pipeline for when he does return to pro wrestling. “I can say like as far as pro wrestling goes? I’m working out some things right now that are f*cking monumental. Things that the world is not gonna see coming from a million miles away. Something that I’m working on that’s going to be very unique, that I just can’t give any details about.”
“And I don’t want to blow any smoke up anybody’s a**” Enzo continued. “But we’ll see what happens…when it happens. Bottom line is, wrestling is a part of me. But, I couldn’t bring myself in this present climate to get out there in front of no fans. I don’t want to say rest assured, but I can almost guarantee to you that you won’t see me pop up unless there’s a big ass crowd there, because I’m out.”
AEW star MJF recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio show. The ‘Salt of The Earth’ appeared on the show to discuss his ongoing role with All Elite Wrestling, specifically his recent promo on AEW Dynamite where he called out AEW Champion Jon Moxley.
During said promo, MJF stated that he would be wrestling for AEW for “another 25 years.” Maxwell Jacob Friedman clarified those statements on Busted Open, comparing his career trajectory to that of Chris Jericho.
MJF on Chris Jericho
“That’s just accurate, nothing, nothing that came out of my mouth wasn’t something that I hold true” MJF began on the show. “There was no hyperbole, it was just all facts. I said, ‘grab a calculator’ because in fact, right now? Who’s one of the top stars in pro wrestling? The guy’s name is Chris Jericho, my hat’s off to him. The man’s 49.”
“In 25 years from now? I will be 49” MJF continued. “So that is why I was so comfortable saying that, and to be honest with the way I wrestle? My style? I’m probably going to be able to wrestle till I’m 70 on top. Because I’m not being an idiot.”
MJF would elaborate on this further, saying this his in-ring style is not the ‘car-crash’ that his peers appear to have adopted. “I’m not doing what everyone else in my generation is doing; which is succumbing to this car-crash style that ‘Dictator Jon [Moxley]’ wants us to succumb to. I’m not going to jump into that style, because I want to make sure that I am helping our company. I want to help them go from being the alternative, I’m not saying I want to monopolise professional wrestling, that didn’t come out of my mouth. What I am saying, though? Is I want AEW to be number one, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
Do you think that MJF will be a major star for at least the next 25 years? Let us know in the comments
All Elite Wrestling has announced a new “dynamic membership platform” for female wrestling fans, AEW Heels. The new female-forward community led by Brandi Rhodes will hold its first event this Friday, August 7th. Rhodes also spoke with Sports Illustrated this week about the initiative.
AEW Heels began earlier this year with two online video conference events. AEW says the Heels program is “designed to celebrate and inspire” female wrestling fans around the world.
AEW sent in the following press release regarding the AEW Heels subscription platform:
August 5, 2020 – AEW Heels, the new female-focused wrestling community led by AEW Chief Brand Officer Brandi Rhodes and the stars of AEW’s women’s division, today announced the launch of its new fan membership platform. Powered by Wonderful Union’s secure digital platform, female wrestling fans can seamlessly access AEW Heels’ exclusive content and other special benefits — all in a safe environment for engaging in conversation and developing friendships worldwide.
With an annual paid subscription of $49, members receive access to a variety of features including virtual meet-and-greets, video conference discussions with industry experts, exclusive AEW talent Q&A sessions, customized merchandise, special promotions, themed parties and more. The secure space enables AEW Heels members to connect, learn and thrive together through shared passions for women’s wrestling.
Female fans can subscribe to AEW Heels at: AllEliteHeels.com
The first event for AEW Heels members is scheduled for Friday, August 7, which is included in the annual subscription. The virtual event will be curated on the platform and feature a Q&A session with Aubrey Edwards, a social media strategizing discussion with Brandi, and a special session on respect and empowerment in the workplace with Keisha-Ann Gray, partner at Proskauer.
“AEW Heels is a first-of-its-kind community designed to celebrate and inspire our female fans around the world,” said AEW Chief Brand Officer Brandi Rhodes. “With our new platform, we look forward to the next step in connecting the AEW Heels community and making this the best time ever to be a female wrestling fan.”
AEW Heels debuted earlier this year with two special video conference sessions designed for women. Session elements included a Q&A with former AEW Women’s World Champion Nyla Rose, a tutorial with renowned AEW makeup artist Stella Kae, and a mental health seminar with AEW Chief Legal Officer Megha Parekh, as well as a sweepstakes program and donation opportunities to support The George Floyd Memorial Fund and The Trevor Project.
About AEW Heels
AEW Heels is a new community for females who love wrestling. The female-forward movement, led by Brandi Rhodes and the stars of AEW’s women’s division, is designed to celebrate and inspire our female fans around the world. AEW Heels is dedicated to making this the best time ever to be a female wrestling fan. Be who you are and come as you are, because we’re all going to come together as a community to change the world. For more info, check out @AEW_Heels (Twitter) and @AEW_Heels (Instagram).
AEW has released new rankings ahead of tonight’s episode of Dynamite. FTR debut in the rankings at the #1 spot after being officially signed to contracts last week.
Here are this week’s AEW Top-5 rankings:
AEW Men’s Singles Division
AEW World Champion: Jon Moxley (14-0) TNT Champion: Cody (17-1)
MJF (8-0)
Lance Archer (10-1)
Brian Cage (6-1)
Brodie Lee (5-1)
Darby Allin (7-4)
There was no movement in the men’s single’s rankings this week. Many of the top stars of the division had the week off. TNT Champion Cody did successfully defend his title against Warhorse on last week’s Dynamite, however. He’ll team with Matt Cardona tonight to go up against the Dark Order.
#5 Darby Allin teamed up with World Champion Jon Moxley last week to defeat #3 Brian Cage and Ricky Starks. After the win, it was announced that Allin will face Moxley this week for the title.
AEW Women’s Division
AEW Women’s Champion: Hikaru Shida (15-1)
Nyla Rose (7-2)
Big Swole (5-3)
Penelope Ford (5-4)
Abadon (3-1) (+1)
Dr. Britt Baker (4-4) (-1)
Abadon continues her creepy climb up the rankings this week. She moves into the #4 spot, replacing the injured Britt Baker after picking up another victory on Dark.
Champion Hikaru Shida picked up a win last week over the unranked Diamante.
The Women’s Tag Team Cup kicked off this week. #1 Nyla Rose’s team with Ariane Andrew was ousted in the first round by the Dark Order’s Anna Jay and the debuting Tay Conti. Allie and Brandi Rhodes also picked up the victory over #3 Penelope Ford and the unranked former member of the Nightmare Collective, Mel.
#2 Big Swole is suspended and #5 Britt Baker is injured.
AEW Tag Team Division
AEW Tag Team Champions: Kenny Omega & “Hangman” Page (11-0)
FTR (5-0) (previously unranked)
Best Friends (12-4)
Dark Order (8-0) (-2)
Young Bucks (5-2) (-1)
Jurassic Express (5-2) (-1)
The biggest news this week in terms of the rankings is FTR debuting in the #1 contender position. FTR is undefeated in 2-on-2 tag matches since arriving in AEW. They’ve defeated The Butcher and the Blade, SCU, Lucha Bros, Brandon Cutler & Peter Avalon, and Brian Pillman Jr. & Griff Garrison.
Last week, the champions successfully retained over the Dark Order. As a result, Evil Uno and Stu Grayson drop down 2 spots in the rankings.
Tonight on Dynamite, #1 FTR teams with #4 the Young Bucks and the tag champions to face 6 members of the Dark Order.
#2 The Best Friends will also take on the unranked Proud and Powerful on Dynamite tonight.
Gina Carano recently praised both Sasha Banks and Shayna Baszler on Twitter. This somehow led to Banks taking a shot at the former MMA fighter turned actor. Carano, who recently starred in The Mandalorian from the Star Wars franchise, posted the following message to Twitter in response to an angle from WWE RAW this Monday:
Banks, perhaps still upset at taking the shot from Baszler, then said she’d whoop Carano too.
And just like that, I wanna whoop your ass too… you wouldn’t last in my Universe but you’re welcome to try ? #2BeltzBankshttps://t.co/vqjaB3OKb8
— Mercedes Moné Varnado (@MercedesVarnado) August 4, 2020
Baszler has been lobbying for a title shot since coming back to RAW. She most recently fought to a double count-out with Nia Jax. Next week on RAW, Asuka will take on Bayley in single’s action. If Asuka is victorious, she’ll get the next RAW Women’s title match at SummerSlam later this month.
Banks holds the record for most reigns with the RAW Women’s Championship with 5. She rarely holds the title for long, however. As of this writing, her combined days spent with the title across 5 reigns is only 97 days. That’s less than 3 weeks per title reign.
RAW Women’s Title Combined Days Spent as Champion:
Impact Wrestling on AXS TV for August 4th, 2020 featured an emotional retirement speech from Rich Swann followed by a heinous attack by Eric Young. Both the TNA and Impact World Championships were on the line and Wrestle House was back as well.
Impact 8/4 Quick Results:
TNA World Heavyweight Championship (Unofficial) Moose (c) defeated Heath
Wrestle House Susie & Alisha Edwards defeated Johnny Swinger (referee: Cody Deaner)
Impact World Championship Eddie Edwards (c) defeated Sami Callihan
TJP & Fallah Bah defeated Chris Bey & Rohit Raju
Wrestle House Kylie Rae defeated Rosemary (referee: Taya Valkyrie)
Here are 8 takeaways from Impact 8/4
Rich Swann’s Retirement Speech Ends With Vicious Assault By Eric Young
Rich Swann made a surprise return in the main event of Slammiversary. Swann was returning from an injury that doctors said might end his career. He cut a promo this week and spoke about how hard he had to work to return only for Eric Young to assault him on the PPV. With his leg in a walking boot, Rich Swann announced he was retiring.
The entire Impact locker room emptied out and banged on the mat in support of Swann. As the former X-Division champion looked to take one final moment on the stage, Eric Young sprinted out and assaulted his already badly injured leg before running away. Young has quickly become the most hated man in the promotion since returning.
Rob Van Dam Takes Out Sami Callihan Ahead Of World Title Match
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQdmdBqnfA0
Sami Callihan was set to take on Eddie Edwards for the world title this week. As he was making his entrance, however, he was assaulted by Rob Van Dam and twerked at by Katie Forbes. Callihan had interrupted Forbes’ new website reveal last week.
Despite the assault, Callihan managed to make it to the ring for a match with his longtime rival. Even after taking a beating before the match, Callihan was competitive and almost won the title for a second time. He grew frustrated after not being able to pin Edwards after several piledrivers, however. Callihan picked up a chair but then thought better of using it. He then took two Boston Knee Parties from the champion and was pinned. One has to wonder how this match would have gone had Callihan not been assautled by Rob Van Dam beforehand.
Doc Gallows Arrested, Ace Austin & Madman Fulton Assault Karl Anderson
The Good Brothers are walking back to their truck when they noticed it was open and beer cans were on the ground next to it. As it turns out, this was a trap set by Ace Austin and Madman Fulton. During a melee with Austin and Madman, Gallows accidentally gave a back elbow to a police officer who had arrived to investigate. The police then arrested Gallows, leaving Anderson on his own.
Later in the show, Karl Anderson was on the phone saying he was going to get Gallows out of jail. He was then jumped by Ace Austin and Fulton and the two delivered a 2-on-1 beatdown to the Good Brother.
Wrestle House Returns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaZKFs1aGlc
Wrestle House continued this week and there is a lot to cover here.
Susie and Cousin Jake seem to have a budding romance. Alisha offered to help Susie with her love-interest but this drew some comments from Johnny Swinger. As a result, Susie and Alisha took on Swinger in a 2-on-1 match at Wrestle House with Cody Deaner as the referee. It didn’t take long for the two Knockouts to land a double splash on Swinger for the win.
Kylie Rae is motivated to get back to the Impact zone as she is the #1 contender for the Knockouts title. Rosemary said nobody is leaving until John E Bravo (who Rosemary has been trying to seduce) “gets the hint.” Later, Kylie would inform Bravo of this who then seemed to not really understand and left the house. This infuriated Rosemary and set up a match between her and Kylie Rae.
Taya would be the special guest referee here, which is notable as she seems to find Kylie quite annoying. Kylie seems comedically oblivious to this. With the referee in her back-pocket, Rosemary seemed to have the match won. John E Bravo then returned and began cheering for her. Bravo’s reappearance seemed to please Rosemary and while she was distracted, Kylie super kicked her in the face. Taya reluctantly and slowly counted the pin and awarded the match to Kylie.
Heath Suffers Loss To Moose, Still Without Contract
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-q8b4Pnlj0
Scott D’Amore granted Heath a match against Moose this week with the stipulation that if he could defeat the self-proclaimed TNA champ, he’d earn a contract. While Moose isn’t officially the TNA World Heavyweight Champion, he has been victorious in numerous unofficial title defences. He would do the same thing here, finding a way to snatch victory from the claws of defeat.
The referee got bumped during an irish whip into the buckle. With the ref down, Heath hit a reverse bulldog which he is now calling “The Wake-Up Call” but there was no ref to count the pin. Moose then hit a low blow and got the 3-count after the ref recovered.
The North Cashing In Rematch Clause Against The Motor City Machine Guns At Emergence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx82UXKIcHY
Yesterday, Impact Wrestling announced a special 2-week event called Emergence. The branded shows will take place August 18th and 25th. The North announced during this segment that they will be cashing in their rematch clause on one of the two shows.
Jimmy Jacobs sat down with Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin for an interview this week. The team talked about how they had been training together for a return and decided to reunite. Ethan Page and Josh Alexander then came out and said MCMG didn’t beat them when they were at 100%. Page said that defending the titles for over a year had left them injured and far from the team they can be. The North said they will be at 100% for Emergence.
TJP Makes X-Division Champ Chris Bey Submit In Tag-Team Match
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZQnsopmph0
Chris Bey defeated Willie Mack to win the X-Division Championship at Slammiversary. This week, he teamed with Rohit Raju to take on the team of TJP and Fallah Bah. The finish of the match came when Bey went for his patented springboard cutter finish but was countered by TJP. Bey then submitted to a cross arm-breaker possibly setting TJP up for a future shot at the X-Division title.
Kimber Lee Agrees To Take Out Jordynne Grace For Deonna Purrazzo
There was a backstage segment this week featuring Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo and the newly signed Kimber Lee. Purrazzo is set to defend the title against Jordynne Grace at Emergence. Kimber Lee offered to take Grace out ahead of the match on the condition that she receive a title shot after. Purrazzo agreed to the deal.
Hulk Hogan and “Macho Man” Randy Savage had an on-again off-again friendship both on-screen and off. Hogan was recently interviewed by WWE.com about his year-long angle with Savage from WrestleMania IV to WrestleMania V. During the discussion, Hogan talked about having reconciled with his former Mega Powers teammate before his death.
“It was so tough when we had that blow-up when he got divorced. He didn’t want to have anything to do with me for eight years. I just thank God that we got back together before he passed away,” Hogan said during the interview.
Hogan then detailed the story of him and Savage reconciling just a few months before Savage died. Savage died on May 20th, 2011 at the age of 58. He suffered a heart attack and crashed his Jeep Wrangler into a tree.
“We ran into each other at a doctor’s office. I was on my seventh or eighth back surgery,” Hogan said of what sparked their reconciliation.
“We talked on the phone a couple of times,” Hogan continued. “I invited him over to have a barbeque, and really got back on track, which was cool. Later, I was with Lanny, his brother, at an independent wrestling show. He told me their mom wasn’t doing so well with [Randy’s father] Angelo passing away. So we had planned on having a barbeque at her house — because I got along well with Randy’s mom — and try to cheer her up. So, Lanny and I called Randy from the arena. Three days later, he had the heart attack. It was crazy.”
WWE Champion Drew McIntyre has addressed RAW’s declining viewership and ratings in a recent interview with TVInsider.
McIntyre shared how the numbers don’t negatively affect him. He talked about how he’s personally been through so many ups and downs during his career, highlighting how there had been some real low points. Despite those troubles, he doesn’t “let it get to me or distract me from the goal at home.”
He noted how previous champions have allowed ratings to get to them. When they did, he shared how they “suffered in their personal life as a result and lashed out on social media. I don’t allow it to get to me from that standpoint.”
McIntyre stressed how the WWE Universe is such a core component to their shows and that, during the coronavirus pandemic, WWE is “giving it all we can.” He added how everyone is “learning through this period.”
Drew McIntyre On Audience Investment & Character Depth
Drew McIntyre argued that the audience that has stuck with the show is getting to learn about their characters on a “deeper level.” McIntyre believes that this deeper investment and character understanding will boost viewership when WWE can finally permit fans once again.
“I think we will reach new heights to be honest because we’re going to have so many compelling characters. A lot of superstars are maximizing their opportunity in this environment.”
McIntyre continued, “Right now you can really develop your character on a deeper level through this unique lens. I think when we do get back in the arenas they will attract the attention of fans. I hear what is going on. I see what’s going on social media. Things are going well there, but they can also be better. Once we get back to normal, I think we’ll reach new heights as a company.”
Drew McIntyre is scheduled to defend his WWE Championship against Randy Orton at SummerSlam. The event takes place on August 23.
