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Hikaru Shida, Scorpio Sky, Nyla Rose, & More Talk Diversity In AEW

Chris Stephens
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Several members of the AEW roster recently took part in an interview where the main topic of discussion was diversity and representation in wrestling. Their comments were recently published in an article for Complex.

Scorpio Sky talked about the importance of representation in wrestling during the interview.

“If you look at pro wrestling now, there are a lot more people of color being heavily profiled, which is a great thing, ” Scorpio said. “I think kids of color can look up and say, Okay, I see people on television. I see people in wrestling that look like me, so maybe I can do it too. And I think that’s going to do a lot for their confidence.”

Hikaru Shida Comments

Hikaru Shida also was interviewed about the diversity of wrestling styles the promotion offers. In particular, she spoke about introducing joshi puroresu to an American audience.

“Joshi-style wrestling, which is Japanese women’s wrestling, is very unique and original,” Shida says. “So, I believe that joshi-style wrestling can be as good as women’s wrestling in other parts of the world. In Japan, our population, which compared to the US, is very few, but now, representing Japanese joshi wrestlers, I can show myself in front of American fans.”

AEW was expected to feature more Joshi than they have since the onset of the pandemic. Travel restrictions have prevented many of the top Joshi stars from traveling to AEW shows.

Nyla Rose Comments

Nyla Rose was also interviewed for the piece and the interviewer noted that she is the first Black champion in the promotion.

“I like to present the fact that I am Native American because I feel that gets overshadowed a lot, but I’m very much a proud Black woman as well. And I will shout that from the mountaintop every day of the week. To have achieved that goal in February is nothing short of monumental.”

Rose continued to talk about the diversity of AEW’s women’s roster.

“Every woman so far has been a person of color,” Rose continued. “And I think a large part of the public, they have blinders on to that, simply because Riho and Hikaru are fair-skinned. They kind of overlook that but, at the end of the day, they are women of color. They represent a minority, as well.”

The full article from Complex is available here.

Jake Hager: AEW Has Been ‘The Greatest Year In My Career’

Steve Russell
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Inner Circle member Jake Hager has described the past year in All Elite Wrestling as the “greatest year in my career.”

Hager shared his feelings on his AEW tenure while appearing on Chris Jericho’s podcast, Talk is Jericho. From a pro wrestling perspective, he believes signing with AEW has allowed him to experience some memorable moments over the past year.

“I look back at this year with AEW as the greatest year in my career pro wrestling wise. Moments like that were really cool,” Hager said. “14,000 people, the debut episode – I was nervous as s–t and I had the easiest thing to do. All I had to do was run out to the ring without tripping and then slide in the ring and do a couple things. You look back at some of the uncut footage that they have formatted, it’s so cool, and the crowd was going so crazy.”

Hager reflected on how he immediately knew something special was happening as soon as he debuted. He recalled how the crowd was chanting, “We The People.” Hager noted how “[…] the second night is when you completely cut it off, and they haven’t said it since.”

He then stressed how it was essential to separate themselves from previous gimmicks. Hager expressed how “[…] we are different characters with AEW, so let’s be different.”

Jericho agreed with Jake Hager’s point. He explained how, although he appreciates fans still changing “Y2J,” it irks him as the character is 20 years old. Jericho also added how chanting for old WWE gimmicks and catchphrases is “demeaning” to AEW and that fans should embrace the fact they are new people with new characters.

Jake Hager Claims John Cena Refused To Lose WWE Title To Him In 2010

The Undertaker And Kane Reflect On The Streak Ending

Steve Russell
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During the WWE Network’s ‘Brothers of Destruction‘ special, The Undertaker and Kane reflected on The Streak coming to an end. They also discussed who they believed should have been the Superstar to end The Streak.

Kane looked back on how he felt that day after Brock Lesnar had defeated The Undertaker, ending The Streak at WrestleMania XXX.

He explained how he initially believed that the finish to the match “got messed up.” Kane explained how he thought the match would restart as something had to have gone wrong. After the realization sunk in, Kane shared how he walked out of the room as he was so angry.

“I know that the streak wasn’t something that anybody had ever planned and it was just something that had kind of organically evolved, but it had become a part of WrestleMania lore at that point.”

The Undertaker shared his memory of that day. He discussed how he had been under the impression he would be beating Lesnar. It wasn’t until later that Vince McMahon told him otherwise.

“I got to the arena that day and I was going over. I mean, we had gone back and forth and when I showed up, I was going over,” The Undertaker recalled. “Through the course of the day, Vince would come to me and say that he’s changed his mind. man, I was like, ‘Okay, I don’t think Brock needs it, but at the end of the day, it’s your show, it’s your call. If you’re sure about it, then that’s what we’ll do.”

Undertaker & Kane Name Who Should Have Ended The Streak

Turning their attention to who they did think should have ended the legendary Streak, both Undertaker and Kane pointed to the same Superstar: Roman Reigns.

Undertaker noted how, “I thought there would be somebody, like Roman Roman would have been, I think Roman would have been fine.”

Kane agreed, adding how defeating The Undertaker at WrestleMania and ending The Streak would have “made” Roman Reigns and “put even more luster” on the decision.

Three years later, Roman Reigns would face The Undertaker at WrestleMania 33. Reigns defeated “The Dead Man.”

This Sunday’s Survivor Series event also acts as a ‘Final Farewell,’ celebrating The Undertaker’s 30th Anniversary in WWE.

WWE Survivor Series takes place Sunday, November 22nd from the Thunderdome in Orlando, FL.

Bully Ray Compares Leon Ruff NXT Win to 1-2-3 Kid

Jake Skudder
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WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of Sirius XM’s Busted Open Radio Bully Ray recently discussed Leon Ruff’s NXT North American Championship win.

Leon Ruff defeated Johnny Gargano in shocking fashion on the most recent episode of NXT. Bully Ray would state that he ‘loved’ the angle, comparing it to when the 1-2-3 Kid (Sean Waltman) defeated Razor Ramon on WWF television.

Bully Ray on Leon Ruff

“Obviously in the middle of the match I’m saying to myself ‘please do the 1-2-3 Kid thing here'” Bully Ray began on the show. “What they did there? It was great, really entertaining, and with Gargano bitching and moaning [even] later on to Regal? Leon Ruff played his part perfectly.

When Leon Ruff was on the top of the stage and he put the Championship around his waist and the Championship fell down like his pants were too big? Mega Pop, out loud! it was amazing.”

Bully Ray would then discuss the average size of wrestler in the industry today. Of course Leon Ruff is on the diminutive side but even Johnny Gargano is nowhere near the size of a performer from the mid-80s.

“You know what stuck out to me? The size of a lot of wrestlers, it’s not a big man’s business anymore now. That was evident to me last night when Gargano and Regal were face to face in the back.”

“When it was just the two of them on the screen? Oh my god” Bully Ray continued. “Regal was an average size guy in my world of pro wrestling! Back in my day? Regal was average size, and he was towering over Gargano last night. The business has morphed into maybe a smaller man’s game, with a few big men.”

Busted Open co-host Dave LaGreca would chime in by saying how the size of Leon Ruff would’ve made the angle even more memorable ‘back in the day,’ as he was so much smaller than the ‘average’ wrestler. “If that would have happened say 25 years ago it would have been ‘oh my god!’ Just because the pure size of Leon Ruff. [But] we’ve seen champions the size of a Leon Ruff over the last five or six years.”

Do you agree with Bully Ray? Do you think that Pro Wrestling is now a ‘smaller man’s game?’ Let us know in the comments

Bully Ray
Bully Ray

The Undertaker: ‘In My Eyes, I Am Officially Retired’

Steve Russell
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The WWE Network docuseries, Undertaker: The Last Ride, ended with the Legend saying “never say never” when it came to a return to the ring. However, in a new interview with The Wrap, The Undertaker confessed how, in his eyes, he is officially retired.

When asked if it’s fair for people to assume he is retired, The Undertaker explained, “I’m going with it, but I work for a man by the name of Vince McMahon, whose motto is ‘Never say never.’ And I’ll kind of leave that there. In my eyes, yeah, I am officially retired.”

Looking towards this Sunday’s “Final Farewell” at Survivor Series, The Undertaker teased how “what I do there, there’s no telling. But I will be live at Survivor Series. You never know what will happen […]”

The Undertaker has previously admitted how outside influences affected his personal feelings on retirement.

He acknowledged how “I had a group of people telling me stuff like, ‘You can still go out to the ring and people will go crazy.’ On the inside, I’m thinking, ‘I don’t move the way I used to, and this is a watered down version of The Undertaker.’ I needed to get a point where [Undertaker: The Last Ride] will solidify [my retirement] and I wouldn’t have a choice. It was almost like I needed somebody to put the bullet in there and stop it.”

This year’s Survivor Series also acts as a “Final Farewell” celebration, honoring The Undertaker’s 30th Anniversary in WWE.

Survivor Series takes place on November 22nd from the Amway Center in Orlando, FL.

Screen Actors Guild Will Help Wrestlers “Secure The Protections They Deserve”

Chris Stephens
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The Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG AFTRA) President has released a statement to media concerning wrestlers needing protection from employers.

According to their statement, the organization plans on engaging wrestlers and working to secure the protection they deserve. SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris told Jon Alba:

“Wrestling is as much about media as it is sports, and we are going to directly engage with members of this profession to help find ways for them to protect themselves.”

“As more people reinvest in unions, and as more working people are harassed by employers who don’t want to protect them, SAG-AFTRA is committed to doing what we can to help professional wrestlers secure the protections they deserve.”

Carteris and the official SG-AFTRA account recently responded to Tweets by Zelina Vega following her release:

Earlier this year, WWE announced a new policy of preventing its independent contractors from working with sites such as Twitch or Cameo. Aside from the affected pro wrestlers and industry pundits, the policy got some mainstream attention.

2020 Presidential Candidate Andrew Yang, have voiced concerns that WWE should not be able to hold independent contractors to such a policy. Yang responded to SAG-AFTRA’s outreach to Zelina Vega and WWE wrestlers seeking fair rights. He tweeted on Monday, “Pro wrestlers joining SAG-AFTRA makes a lot of sense to me. They star in some of the highest-rated shows on TV each week.”

For more on Andrew Yang’s stance on WWE classifying wrestlers as independent contractors, check out”

Ryback Explains Why He Publicly Criticizes WWE

Steve Russell
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Former WWE Superstar Ryback has opened up about why he publicly scrutinizes his former employer. He explained his reasoning after fans questioned him about his vocal criticisms.

Taking to Twitter, Ryback had argued how the “frustration Vince McMahon has lived is empowering people.”

He explained how Vince’s “evil ways” will always ensure people leave him. Ryback then proposed that if Vince learned to “empower and love talents fully,” they would always love him in return.

Ultimately, he believes “Vince is living in fear and going up in flames for his own insecurities due to his father.”

Ryback Explains How WWE “Betrayed” Him

Replying to another fan, who argued that the former Superstar had built his own brand following his release, Ryback explained how WWE had “betrayed” him from the start.

He added how they “never once offered to help with the problems they were responsible for.”

According to him, WWE “suppressed my Social media and forcing me to spend lots of cash for a trademark they only renewed because it was being awarded to me.”

“It’s all my fault and I will fix it as I have. This isn’t about creative or any of the fake BS, it’s about life and I will continue to speak up for change. I get nothing from doing so, but I believe change is already happening in the business for the better.

“The Big Guy” had noted how fans don’t know the ins and outs of his personal life. He shared how he needed 16 stem cell procedures to save his back and shoulder from injuries.

RetroMania Wrestling Release Date Announced, New Trailer

Michael Reichlin
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We finally have an official release date for RetroMania Wrestling, the official sequel to the beloved 1991 arcade game WWF WrestleFest.

RetroMania Wrestling will be released on Friday, February 26th for Playstation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Steam.

Developer Retrosoft Studios has released an updated trailer for the game featuring updated gameplay mechanics and new arenas:

https://youtu.be/3oY2NxPtHyY


RetroMania bills itself as a “pick up and play” arcade wrestling game featuring 2D sprites, lively backgrounds and and fast-paced gameplay.

The game is launching with 16 playable characters, with more to be added post-launch via DLC. Match types will include one-on-one, tag team, cage matches and battle royals.

RetroMania is also coming to IIRCade bar-top and full-sized cabinets:

For more information and to pre-order the game, visit RetroManiaWrestling.com.

wfp orig

Bianca Belair On If She’s Interested In Returning To NXT

Steve Russell
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SmackDown Superstar Bianca Belair has shared whether she is interested in a potential return to WWE’s black-and-gold brand, NXT.

In an interview with Bleacher Report, Belair revealed how she always tries to make the most out of every opportunity. She noted how, if she were to return to NXT, there’s still plenty for her to accomplish, including winning the NXT Women’s Championship.

Belair shared how she loves how she’s already experienced all three WWE brands, from NXT to Raw to SmackDown. She noted how she’s experienced them all in a “very short amount of time.”

“The thing about my journey from NXT that I love is that with every brand I’ve been on, I’ve always left still having something to do. If it came down to it and I had to go back to NXT, I still never got the NXT Women’s Championship. I’ll always have something to do if I go back to NXT.”

She acknowledged how she has several “ties to NXT” and loved the locker room. Belair confessed that she does miss NXT but remains “happy for them because they’re still doing it right now. They’re having all these great matches. I’m not surprised because they always put on those types of matches.”

Despite missing NXT and a brief stint on Raw, Belair admitted she is excited to be on SmackDown and accomplish new things on the blue brand.

Bianca Belair is a member of Team SmackDown alongside Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan. Their last new members have yet to be decided. Team SmackDown faces off against Team Raw at this Sunday’s Survivor Series pay-per-view.

Paul Heyman: ‘Timing Was Never Right’ To Turn Roman Reigns Heel Until Now

Steve Russell
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Paul Heyman has explained that, despite himself, Roman Reigns, and even Vince McMahon all wanting Reigns to turn heel sooner, “the timing was never right.”

Speaking with the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast, Heyman opened up about how, despite Reigns’ interest in turning heel, he wasn’t ready for this kind of persona.

“Roman Reigns could not pull off this portrayal of the top star in the industry even a year ago. He wasn’t weathered enough, he wasn’t seasoned enough, and he wasn’t experienced enough,” Heyman explained. “He still looked too young. But now, you look at his face, you see some seasoning and some weathering.”

Heyman pointed to how Reigns was dominating Jey Uso during their Hell in a Cell bout. He highlighted how Reigns was demeaning Uso throughout, pointing to how he had done the exact same thing when they were kids.

Paul Heyman believes that Reigns didn’t look grizzled enough for his current Tribal Chief persona. Now, however, “you see the wars on his face” and the “pressure and the obligation and the responsibility and the accountability and the sheer burden” of his role and how it weighs on Reigns.

Roman Reigns is set for a Champion vs. Champion matchup against WWE Champion Randy Orton at Survivor Series. Paul Heyman will be ringside in support of Reigns for the bout.

Survivor Series takes place on November 22nd from the Amway Center in Orlando, FL.

The Undertaker: Vince McMahon Is ‘Not The Monster That People Think He Is’

Steve Russell
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The Undertaker has defended WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon, explaining how he’s “not the monster that people think he is.”

Undertaker shared his thoughts on Vince McMahon while speaking with The New York Post to promote this Sunday’s “Final Farewell” at Survivor Series.

According to The Undertaker, Vince McMahon is a “caring human being, not the monster that people think that he is.”

He explained how “I’ve never taken for granted the special opportunity he gave me. If Vince feels like there’s still something there, I have a place on the roster, then I had no problem doing it.”

Undertaker then acknowledged how fans were voicing their opinions about his retirement online. He noted he saw people debating what Vince McMahon should or shouldn’t do concerning his in-ring career. Undertaker stressed how he’s a “[…] grown man” before noting he could “walk away anytime I want.”

This Sunday’s Survivor Series event also acts as a celebration for The Undertaker’s 30th Anniversary in WWE.

Throughout November, WWE has been celebrating and honoring The Undertaker and his historic career. Alongside the “Final Farewell” celebrations, WWE has been airing ’30 Days of the Deadman’ specials on the WWE Network.

WWE Survivor Series takes place Sunday, November 22nd from the Thunderdome in Orlando, FL.

Sasha Banks Still Hoping For Second WWE Evolution PPV

Steve Russell
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WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks has called out current NXT UK Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray.

In an interview with WWE on BT Sport, Banks declared her interest in facing off against Ray. She shared how a potential bout between them is a personal “dream match” of hers.

“My whole career has been incredible. I’m only 28 and I’ve done so much already, but, just within this year, I’ve held nearly every title except the NXT one and the UK one,” Banks said.

Sasha Banks then turned her attention to the NXT UK Women’s Champion. She offered to do what it took to ensure a match between them took place:

“So, Kay Lee Ray, I’ve got a private jet, sweetie, I’m making millions, I don’t mind flying over there or we can meet halfway. I can buy an island, I’m that rich. I don’t mind snatching that from her, ’cause that’s a nice little dream match of mine.”

Sasha Banks On Evolution 2

In another interview with Digital Spy, Banks addressed the fact WWE has yet to host a follow up to 2018’s Evolution pay-per-view.

Banks argued how the all-women’s event was something she would “absolutely want to happen again.”

She explained how the pay-per-view was an incredible event for WWE’s female Superstars and the WWE Universe. As far as she’s concerned, it was such a popular show, she “can’t understand why there hasn’t been a second one yet.”

That being said, Sasha Banks remains optimistic over an Evolution 2 taking place. She shared how it “definitely can happen in the future” before promising that when it does, she believes it will be better than the first.

Sasha Banks is set to face off against Raw Women’s Champion Asuka at Survivor Series in a Champion vs. Champion matchup.

Survivor Series takes on November 22 from the Amway Center in Orlando, FL.

Alexa Bliss Announces Engagement To Ryan Cabrera

Steve Russell
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WWE Superstar Alexa Bliss is engaged to be wed. Bliss shared the happy news via her Twitter account, revealing how she and Ryan Cabrera are officially engaged.

Cabrera initially shared an image of himself down on one knee, proposing to Bliss, who has her hand covering her mouth in shock. It is accompanied by a caption reading, “Tonight was the best night of my life!!! And it’s just the beginning!!!”

Bliss eventually shared the image to her personal Twitter account and confirmed the news to her followers. She explained how “One year ago we said hello, tonight I said YES.” She accompanied her message with a black heart emoji.

Alexa Bliss has been enjoying a character resurgence as of late on WWE television. Having partnered with Nikki Cross, the two enjoyed a reign as WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions.

Bliss would eventually be folded into a storyline featuring Braun Strowman and Bray Wyatt. This has led her to develop new layers to her character. On a recent episode of Monday Night Raw, Bliss aligned herself fully with “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt, much to the surprise of her long-time best friend, Nikki Cross.

All of us here at SEScoops would like to extend a huge congratulations to the happy couple.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHpi8VzAl3x/

More Details On Zelina Vega’s WWE Release, Internal Resentment

Steve Russell
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More details have emerged regarding former WWE Superstar Zelina Vega’s recent release.

Zelina Vega’s refusal to adhere to WWE’s third-party mandate was recently discussed by Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. He explained how Superstars were informed they would need to “get rid of” their accounts. Vega, however, not only did not delete her accounts, she also opened an OnlyFans account.

According to Meltzer, “[…] there are a couple of women that are making more money with their social media than they are making with WWE and they are gonna be real interesting and one of those was Zelina Vega.”

He added how Vega was making a lot of money via her Twitch account. “[…] I think she made her choice and they had to fire her and then right before it got out that she was fired she made a tweet about how she supports unionization which she has said before. I mean it’s not like that’s the first time she said that and that did play into some of it.”

WWE Mandate Resentment

It was noted that there is some internal resentment within WWE. Meltzer explained how Superstars were begrudging the fact they are currently only working once a week. They are reportedly unhappy at having the means to make additional money during this time taken away.

Playing Devil’s Advocate, Meltzer shared how he understood WWE’s standpoint on the matter. He highlighted how WWE is intending to strike up a Twitch deal and want to capitalize directly on the platform.

https://twitter.com/Zelina_VegaWWE/status/1327427296807022592

Update On Brodie Lee’s Absence From AEW

Chris Stephens
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Brodie Lee hasn’t wrestled since October 7th, 2020. That was the night he lost the TNT Championship to Cody Rhodes in a dog-collar match on Dynamite. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, Lee is out of action with an injury.

While not confirmed, it is believed he’s dealing with an ankle injury. There are no details currently available regarding how long he’ll be out of action or the severity of the injury.

Lee’s loss to Rhodes last month was just his second loss in a singles match since arriving in AEW. He holds an 8-2 record in singles matches in the promotion. His only other loss came to Jon Moxley in an AEW World Championship match at Double or Nothing back in May.

Brodie Lee in AEW

Below is Brodie Lee’s record in singles matches since joining AEW:

  1. 3/25/20: defeated QT Marshall
  2. 4/8/20: defeated Lee Johnson
  3. 4/22/20: defeated Justin Law
  4. 4/29/20: defeated Marko Stunt
  5. 5/13/20: defeated Christopher Daniels
  6. 5/23/20: Jon Moxley defeated Brodie Lee
  7. 8/13/20: defeated Cody Rhodes (won the TNT Championship)
  8. 9/9/20: defeated Dustin Rhodes (retained TNT Championship)
  9. 9/23/20: defeated Orange Cassidy (retained TNT Championship)
  10. 10/7/20: Cody Rhodes defeated Brodie Lee (lost the TNT Championship)

Additionally, Lee is 3-1 in tag-team matches in AEW.

Seth Rollins Taking Time Away From WWE Soon

Chris Stephens
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Seth Rollins is set to take some time off from WWE soon. With him and partner Becky Lynch about to welcome their first child into the world, Rollins could be on the sidelines for a few months. His pending absence was discussed recently on an episode of Wrestling Observer Radio.

“Becky Lynch is about to give birth, I think within a week or two, that’s why they blew off the Rey thing this week,” said Dave Meltzer. “They are going to do the Seth Rollins and Buddy Murphy match next week and then the Survivor Series. Probably after Survivor Series, maybe a week after, but he’s going to be gone for probably to the 1st of the year maybe, I don’t know that there’s a definite date.”

Rollins and Rey Mysterio had a no holds barred match on Smackdown this week that was billed as the blow-off to the feud. Murphy turned on Rollins during the match, however, setting up a future match between the two.

Becky Lynch announced she was pregnant in the spring. Rollins then spoke to People about finding out they were going to have a child.

“We got the test back and it said pregnant and she was more shocked and I was just hyped,” Rollins said. “I was so excited, I think, right out of the gate. I wish we had a camera on because I threw my arms up in the air, I was so excited about it.”

Impact Announces Knockouts Tag Title Tournament Brackets

Chris Stephens
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Impact Wrestling has announced the brackets for the upcoming Knockouts Tag Team title tournament. The 8-team single-elimination tournament will begin on Tuesday’s edition of Impact. The brackets are below:

  1. Tenille Dashwood & Alisha Edwards vs Havok & Nevaeh
  2. Killer Kelly & Renee Michelle vs Jordynne Grace & TBA
  3. Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz vs Team Sea Stars (Ashley Vox & Delmi Exo)
  4. Deonna Purrazzo & Kimber Lee vs Taya Valkyrie & Rosemary
  5. Semi-Finals: Winner of Match 1 vs Winner of Match 2
  6. Semi-Finals: Winner of Match 3 vs Winner of Match 4
  7. Finals: Winner of Match 5 vs Winner of Match 6

In storyline, Jordynne Grace is having trouble finding a tag partner. She has almost formed a team with rival, Tenille Dashwood, but the “social media influencer” opted to choose Alisha Edwards as her partner instead.

Killer Kelly and Renee Michelle will each be making their Impact debut in the tournament. They’ll face Grace and a partner of her choosing in the first round.

The Team Sea Stars pairing consists of Ashley Vox and Delmi Exo. They are former tag champs in SHIMMER.

Knockouts Tag Team Championships

The Knockouts tag team titles didn’t have a long run in Impact. They were introduced in the fall of 2009 but were essentially gone by early 2012. Sarah Stock and Taylor Wilde were the first holders of the belts, after winning an 8-team single-elimination tournament similar to the one that has just been scheduled.

The titles were deactivated after ODB and Eric Young won them in 2012. Then Knockouts-division executive, Brooke Hogan, made the decision to strip them of the belts, though that didn’t officially occur until the summer of 2013.

Impact Crowns Multiple New Champions At Turning Point

Chris Stephens
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New tag-team champions and a new Knockouts champion were crowned at Impact’s Turning Point event last night. The show was exclusive to Impact’s streaming service, Impact Plus. Additionally, former AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion, Joe Doering returned to the promotion.

Good Brothers Win Impact Tag Team Championships

The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson) defeated The North (Josh Alexander & Ethan Page) to win the Impact tag-team titles. They are the 37th team to win the titles and begin the 55th reign in the titles’ lineage. The Good Brothers have now won the WWE RAW tag-team titles (2x), the IWGP heavyweight tag-team titles (3x), and Impact’s tag titles once.

The win ends the North’s 2nd reign with the belts. Their first reign lasted a record of 380 days. The team’s second reign lasted only 3 weeks. The North’s combined 401 days with the title rank them 4th all-time in combined days as champions. They sit behind only LAX, Beer Money, and the Wolves in that category.

Deonna Purrazzo Regains Knockouts Championship

Deonna Purrazzo regained the Impact Knockouts Championship at Turning Point. She defeated Su Yung in a no disqualification match for the honors. Purrazzo also debuted a new piledriver finishing move she calls the “Cosa Nostra”. Yung had defeated Purrazzo for the title at Bound For Glory.

Purrazzo was the 24th Knockouts Champion when she first won the title. She is the 14th wrestler to win the title more than once.

Eric Young Aligns With Joe Doering

Joe Doering has returned to the promotion and aligned with Eric Young. He attacked the Deaners last night at Turning Point.

Turning Point Results:

  1. Eddie Edwards defeated Daivari
  2. Rosemary & Taya Valkyrie defeated Jordynne Grace & Tenille Dashwood
  3. Brian Myers defeated Swoggle
  4. Chris Sabin & James Storm defeated XXXL (Acey Romero & Larry D)
  5. X-Division Championship
    Rohit Raju (c) defeated Cousin Jake
  6. Willie Mack defeated Moose by DQ
  7. Impact Tag Team Championships
    The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson) defeated The North (Ethan Page & Josh Alexander) (c) – New Champions
  8. Knockouts Championship
    Deonna Purrazzo defeated Su Yung (c) – New Champion
  9. Impact World Championship
    Rich Swann (c) defeated Sami Callihan

Aleister Black Denied Request For Transfer To NXT

Andrew Ravens
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Shortly after Aleister Black’s wife was released by WWE on Friday, an interesting report came out about his status with the company. 

WWE announced Zelina Vega’s release just minutes after she tweeted, “I support unionization.” 

It turns out that Black had tried to go back to WWE NXT where he found success as a top star for the brand only to be turned down. This is according to a new report by WrestleVotes. 

Although Black had hoped to work under Triple H once again, that request was denied. This all comes at an interesting time.

WrestleVotes tweeted, “There’s a bit more behind the scenes to the Zelina Vega release. Frustration from both sides is an understatement. While it can’t be directly tied to today’s news, Aleister Black recently requested to move back to NXT and was denied. Dissension amongst the parties involved.”

Of course, if Black could go back to NXT, a brand that he became the top champion in, it would mean that he would be away from Vince McMahon, who oversees all creative on the main roster – Monday Night RAW and SmackDown. 

Black was traded to SmackDown from Raw during this year’s Draft. It should be noted that Black didn’t appear on Friday’s episode of SmackDown. 

Zelina Vega On Wanting To Keep Her Marriage To Aleister Black A Secret, Triple H’s Reaction

Sasha Banks: Main Eventing WrestleMania With Bayley Would Be A Dream Come True

Andrew Ravens
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Sasha Banks has moved on from feuding with Bayley for the WWE SmackDown Women’s Title. 

Digital Spy has an article covering this feud that has been on and off again for a few years now on the main roster. 

2020 was the year that the feud came full circle from them being best friends to tag team champions to them facing off as a babyface and heel in singles competition. 

During this interview, Banks was asked if a WrestleMania match between her and Bayley was the ultimate goal. 

“I just want to have the most fun time that I can have in WWE. Whether that’s Bayley at WrestleMania, whether that’s Liv Morgan, whether that’s Ruby Riott – it could be anybody.

But, of course, to main event WrestleMania is still one of my biggest dreams and to do that with Bayley would be ultimately a dream come true.”

Banks is slated to take on WWE RAW Women’s Champion Asuka in a non-title match at the upcoming Survivor Series pay-per-view event on November 22 in Orlando, Florida at the Amway Center that will air on the WWE Network. Bayley doesn’t have a match lined up just yet. 

Sasha Banks On Bayley Feud: ‘It’s Been Everything That I’ve Ever Wanted’

Renee Young Reacts To Zelina Vega WWE Release

Jake Skudder
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WWE recently hit the news again with their ongoing ‘third party’ edicts and are under pressure regarding the independent contractor statuses of on-screen talent. This maelstrom was caused by the release of Zelina Vega this weekend, confirmed around the time that she tweeted “I support unionization.”

Although the reason for Vega’s ‘firing’ is not publicly confirmed, it is likely to be linked to her own use of Twitch and the OnlyFans platforms; with Thea Trinidad/Zelina Vega unwilling to hand over her own personal accounts and continuing to stream on Twitch.

Several names in the pro wrestling industry have offered their support for the former manager of Andrade and wife of Aleister Black. One notable name was former WWE on screen personality Renee Young/Paquette.

The former Renee Young has made some (low level) disparaging and sarcastic remarks regarding WWE in the past few months. This of course since she ‘quit’ the company. Just a few days ago, Renee wrote this on Twitter: “I’m trying to watch the east coast feed of Raw, but my @USA_Network app won’t work. Has @LanaWWE gone through a table again? @NiaJaxWWE can you confirm?”

Renee Paquette wrote the following on Twitter today praising Zelina Vega. “We have all become very familiar with the talents and drive of @Zelina_VegaWWE . Despite a pain in the ass setback? I have no doubt she will wind up doing something incredible in a matter of time. You can’t steal someone’s magic.”

There’s currently no confirmation on what Zelina Vega’s next move will be outside of WWE.

Arn Anderson Talks The Inner Workings of Booking a Royal Rumble Match

Jake Skudder
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Former WWE Agent and current AEW on-screen Coach Arn Anderson recently discussed the Royal Rumble concept on his ARN podcast.

This week’s episode was another ‘Ask Arn Anything’ show, with the former NWA/WCW great taking questions from listeners. One question posed to Anderson was the booking of the Royal Rumble match; a bout that he would’ve had a hand in throughout his time agenting at WWE.

It’s interesting to hear how Anderson would define the intricacies of the bout. With a lot of WWE match concepts feeling overdone, the Royal Rumble still remains arguably one of the best match types in WWE, with surprises and real stakes being on the line every year.

Arn Anderson on The Royal Rumble

“Well, an hour or so is a long time to watch a match” Anderson began on the show. “You’ve got to be careful that you separate your surprises from your superstars. You’re going to have your day to day talent that need to be in there too, that have earned the right to be in the Rumble.”

Arn Anderson would elaborate further, saying how every entrant in the match needs to feel ‘special.’ “Certainly the prize [is special], the main event of WrestleMania? Make sure everybody that comes through the curtain special, it could literally be anybody. The key is not to have the ring too full at any one time. [You need to] figure out what four or five guys you’re going to feature and come up with something, and scatter it through the match to where you have some really big explosions and a roller coaster ride where you really feature some talent.”

Anderson would finish by saying how eliminations in the match are also used as a tool to boost a performer. Arn would reference Kane as having the most eliminations in a single match, however this record was broken by Roman Reigns (in 2014) and Braun Strowman (although that was in the ‘Greatest Royal Rumble’ which had 50 entrants).

“Eliminations at the Royal Rumble [are so important]. I think Kane had the record? Or it might have moved on to someone else but I think he had it for a long time. You know that’s something you walk away with if you don’t win the match, but if you had nine eliminations? It’s something you can hang your hat on going forward.”

WWE Posting Job Adverts for Twitch Expansion

Jake Skudder
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WWE recently hit the news again with their ongoing ‘third party’ edicts and are under pressure regarding the independent contractor statuses of on-screen talent. This maelstrom was caused by the release of Zelina Vega this weekend, confirmed around the time that she tweeted “I support unionization.”

WWE also has a job posting advertised online for their own expansion on the Twitch platform. The company are looking for a GFX Motion Designer, to help “create motion graphics, animation and content optimized for Twitch.”

You can check out the full job listing below:

GFX Motion Designer, Twitch

WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The Advanced Media Group is responsible for the company’s social platforms, original short form digital series and the OTT subscription service, the WWE Network.

The Role

We are seeking an enthusiastic, detail-oriented Motion Graphics Designer. To work within WWE’s growing Advanced Media Group, specifically for Twitch. This position will create motion graphics, animation and content optimized for Twitch and digital/social media platforms. Candidate will see projects from concept to finish.

  • Design & animate on-air graphics packages (titles, lower thirds, transitions, etc.)
  • Create corresponding style guides and AE templates
  • Work closely with video producers and creative leads to meet video calendar
  • Fulfill requests from social media producers to solve daily video graphics needs
  • Report to Senior Motion Art Director

Qualifications

  • 4+ years of motion graphics for digital platforms
  • Accustom to the speed of daily, video production for the internet, second screen appearances
  • Experience with news & entertainment graphics for digital videos
  • Excellent typography skills
  • Sense of screen layout, image cropping and photo/video selection
  • Knowledge of current web motion design best practices and emerging trends
  • Comfortable with a multi-disciplinary environment of creative, tech and product
  • Mature; respectful of business needs, shipping dates and “real world” challenges
  • Work within various video formats and platforms (Twitch, IG, Facebook, Snapchat, etc.)
  • Adobe After Effects & Creative Suite required; Cinema 4D and modeling tools helpful
  • Entertainment brand experience preferred
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills
  • Portfolio must be submitted with application
https://twitter.com/Zelina_VegaWWE/status/1327382306491928576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1327382306491928576%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fs46315.p1736.sites.pressdns.com%2Fzelina-vega-gets-labor-union-presidents-support-following-wwe-release%2F

Bully Ray Questions Jade Cargill Debut, Says She “Stood Out” Weeks Ago

Jake Skudder
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WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of Sirius XM’s Busted Open Radio Bully Ray recently discussed the official AEW ‘debut’ of Jade Cargill.

Cargill appeared on Dynamite this week during an in-ring promo by former TNT Champion Cody Rhodes. The reasoning for Cargill leaving the ringside area and entering the ring? It was so that she could belittle Rhodes and forewarn of Shaq coming to take on the ‘Prince of Pro Wrestling.’

Bully Ray would question how Jade Cargill made her in-ring debut on AEW programming. Ray would mention how he saw Cargill over the past few weeks ringside; as she played one of the front row ‘performers’ that give the show extra atmosphere during this pandemic ‘era.’

Bully Ray on Jade Cargill Debut

“Am I to believe that anybody who’s hanging out in the front row can just get in the ring and get a microphone? While Cody Rhodes is in the middle of the ring?” Bully Ray began on the show. “When I saw her I’m like, ‘what, what is this!?’ The only reason I knew who that woman was? A couple of weeks ago I made a phone call to a friend of mine in AEW; I said, ‘who is the tall blonde black girl in the front row?’ They told me who it was and I said ‘she has a presence, she has a look.'”

“I’m glad they took advantage of her presence and her look” Bully Ray would continue, before again questioning how she debuted. “What the hell was she doing in the ring with Cody!? There’s much better way to plan out that segment, especially if Cody would have been saying whatever he had to say in his promo; and that woman would have been yelling and screaming at the top of her lungs in the front row, which is where I’m used to seeing her.”

Do you agree with Bully Ray? Do you think that AEW could’ve found a better way to debut Jade Cargill? Check out the segment in the video below and let us know

Zelina Vega Gets Labor Union President’s Support Following WWE Release

Rayan Sayyed
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Zelina Vega is no longer working with WWE as the company announced on Friday, November 13, that she has been released from her contract.

Before WWE’s announcement of Vega’s departure, she sent out an interesting tweet about her support for unionization. Only ten minutes after posting her message, WWE’s announcement was released.

https://twitter.com/Zelina_VegaWWE/status/1327382306491928576?s=20

This lead many to believe that WWE immediately fired Vega merely minutes after her statement of support for unionization.

That was reportedly not the case, as it was noted Vega was already informed that she would be released.

Related: Zelina Vega Issues Statement After WWE Release

After the news of her departure, Vega received support from the President of SAG-AFTRA labor union, Gabrielle Carteris on Twitter.

SAG-AFTRA (The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) is a labor union that represents approximately 160,000 professionals working in different fields of film and television.

The President of the union Carteris thanked Vega for standing up against WWE’s edict and said that she supported her. She also shared her email address with Vega.

The official Twitter page of SAG-AFTRA also voiced support for Vega by saying that they also stand with her in support for unionization.

It was reported earlier that several talents on the roster had a meeting with Vince McMahon regarding the Twitch ban but they were unable to persuade him to change his stance. Several Twitch accounts belonging to names like AJ Styles, Mia Yim, Aleister Black and Zelina Vega shut down in October after WWE passed the edict to shut down third-party activities on platforms like Twitch and Cameo.

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