WWE had NXT General Manager William Regal open Wednesday’s episode of NXT with a major announcement.
Clearly, WWE didn’t want to waste any time in getting the announcement made. In the opening segment, Regal did a quick introduction before giving the platform to NXT and North American Champion Keith Lee.
Lee cut a promo from his home office where he talked about cashing in on the opportunity to become the NXT North American Champion and later the top champion on the brand.
However, he won’t be limiting the brand and thus, decided to vacate the North American Title. He wants as many people as possible to have the opportunity to win the title.
Regal started that there will be a series of triple threat matches that will serve as qualifying matches. The first match will be Johnny Gargano vs. Roderick Strong vs. Bronson Reed on Wednesday’s episode of NXT. The winners of these matches will then advance to a Ladder Match at the NXT TakeOver special next month to crown the new North American Champion.
The event, titled NXT TakeOver XXX, will take place on August 22nd.
Regal had been hyping this announcement as something that would be yet another step forward for the brand. In that same tweet, he said that seeing the men and women of this brand over the last couple of months has been inspiring and invigorating.
Eric Young gave some interesting insight into the system that WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon has created now that he’s no longer under contract with the company.
He did so while making an appearance on SiriusXM’s Busted Open. Although he felt like he had a part in the creative direction of his character in NXT while working with Triple H, that quickly changed once he moved to the main roster.
He talked about how his transition to the main roster didn’t go very well and part of that is due to him not wanting to be a political person in pro wrestling. He admitted that might be a bit of a hindrance to his career.
“We don’t need to go on and on about it, but the system is broken. It’s hard to get a word in.”
He stated that even when a wrestler isn’t doing anything, it feels like your trying to fix the mistakes made by other people.
“There is no creativity. They want everyone to do things the same and be the same and bump the same and sell the same. There’s millions of rules, which I’m sure you guys have all heard and talked about on the show at length, and people talk about on the internet. The secret rules. Those change daily and it’s just really hard to understand what’s going on and why it’s going on. The system is flawed. And I would say that to anyone there. I would say it to Vince himself.”
He stated that he’s not the first person that McMahon has made a mistake on and he won’t be the last person.
“I don’t think it’s anything personal. Anytime me and him were in a room together, or we spoke, he was always respectful. We had two pretty decently long conversations and I thought they went well and he understood where I was coming from.”
Young stated that as a man, he refuses to stand around and wait on McMahon to talk to him. While he thinks that could be wrong or stubborn on his part, but he just won’t do it.
“I’m a forty-year-old man and I’m not gonna wait in the hallway like a child to maybe get five minutes to talk to him. I said my peace to him. He seemed to be responsive to it. And nothing ever came from it. I don’t take it personally. He made a mistake and, as a leader of the company and the person that decides everything, it’s a massive mistake to pass on somebody with me.”
He added, “You have a three-hour television show and you can’t find five minutes for Eric Young? Your show is broken. It’s as simple as that. I’ve proven that I can do whatever. Any role. I’m not saying I can do it. I’ve already done it and I’ve proven that I can do it and do it very well.”
He considers that a huge miss and mistake. He now sees it as a gain for somebody else. Young stated that his soul hadn’t felt good in a long time and that he didn’t exist for two years while on the main roster.
He stated that everyone in wrestling is creative and to have your hard work be discarded is hard to deal with and a huge blow to the psyche.
“I never thought, ‘Oh, this is my fault.’ The system is just broken. It’s flawed. All the flaws are created by one person and that’s not gonna change, unfortunately.”
Young stated that a lot of people who are creative and talented are never going to be able to fully do what they can do because of the way the system is organized.
He called it super frustrating when you’re in it. He added that he can smile now because he doesn’t have to deal with that anymore.
Over the last year, WWE’s stock price has taken a significant hit from the all-time high of $99.25 per share back in April 2019.
WWE’s stock has been trading around $46 per share this week. Since hitting that all-time high price tag, the company’s value has taken a big hit, down several billion dollars.
Next Thursday (July 30), WWE is expected to report earnings after the market closes. The report will be for the fiscal quarter ending Jun 2020. This quarter will not include how business did around WrestleMania 36 and the beginning of the coronavirus.
Even though WWE stock is down, that didn’t stop several executives from recently cashing out in WWE stock.
This includes WWE CEO Vince McMahon, Paul Levesque, Stephanie McMahon, EVP of Television Production Kevin Dunn, EVP of Operations Bradley Blum, Corporate Controller Mark Kowal and General Counsel Brian Nurse.
According to recent SEC filings, the following trades were made earlier this week (July 20):
Vince McMahon sold 12,762 shares worth $590,370.12. He still owns 69,421 of the Company’s Class A common stock.
Levesque sold 10,628 shares worth $491,651.28
Stephanie sold 11,167 shares totaling $516,585.42.
Stephanie McMahon made an appearance on Ad Age Remotely where she discussed a wide range of interesting topics.
During the interview, she talked about how WWE is operating during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the outbreak, WWE has continued to hold shows but had to do so in front of no fans from the Performance Center.
“It’s all optional, it’s volunteer-based. It’s up to them if they want to participate, we did have talent and crew members opt-out, and we do support that. We do testing before all programming. It is more advanced testing, it isn’t the rapid test, that does have false positives and negative, we want the best testing positive.
She talked about having pandemic level cleaning every night including fogging and special lighting. They also have an application of a product that creates a barrier between the virus and surfaces.
She added that if someone tests negative for the virus, they still need a temperature check and fill out a form. She called it as thorough as it possibly can be.
Regarding having fans back at their TV events, McMahon gave a teaser about the possible timeline.
“I think that happens sooner than later. So I’ll just throw that out there to the universe.”
It’s been reported that WWE wanted to have fans back this month then that got pushed back to August and now September due to cases of positive tests spiking in recent weeks.
AEW has released new rankings for 7/22. The biggest movement came in the men’s singles division with Maxwell Jacob Friedman retaking the #1 contender spot.
AEW Men’s Division
AEW World Champion: Jon Moxley (14-0) TNT Champion: Cody (15-1)
Maxwell Jacob Friedman (7-0) (+1)
Lance Archer (9-1) (+1)
Brian Cage (6-1) (-2)
Brodie Lee (5-1) (+1)
Darby Allin (7-4) (previously unranked)
#3 Brian Cage drops 2 spots in the rankings after losing his title shot against Jon Moxley at Fight for the Fallen. This means #2 Lance Archer and #1 MJF each move up one spot. Neither Archer nor MJF wrestled last week.
#4 Brodie Lee didn’t wrestle last week but he moves up one spot as Chris Jericho dropped out of the rankings.
#5 Darby Allin is back in the rankings after returning from injury. He picked up a win over Robert Anthony on Dark. He also appeared in the final moments of Dynamite, getting a measure of revenge on Brian Cage.
TNT Champion Cody defeated Sonny Kiss last week and has an open challenge setup for tonight’s Dynamite.
AEW Women’s Division
AEW Women’s Champion: Hikaru Shida (14-1)
Nyla Rose (7-2)
Big Swole (5-3)
Penelope Ford (4-4)
Kris Statlander (4-4) (injured)
Britt Baker (4-4) (injured) (role model)
There was no movement in the women’s division this week. Many of the top-ranked wrestlers in the division are unavailable at the moment. Baker and Statlander are both injured. Big Swole is suspended for kidnapping Britt Baker. #3 Penelope Ford hasn’t wrestled since dropping her title match to Hikaru Shida at Fyter Fest Night 1.
Champion Hikaru Shida picked up a win over Rache Chanel on Dark. The Unranked Nightmare Sisters (Allie & Brandi Rhodes) picked up a win on Dynamite.
#1 Nyla Rose had the week off after winning a 2-on-1 handicap match at Fyter Fest Night 2 and then announcing Vickie Guerrero as her new manager.
Tonight, Ivelisse and Diamante will face off. Diamante has had 4 matches in the promotion on Dark but this will be her first match on Dynamite tonight. The former LAX-member defeated KiLynn King on Dark this week. Ivelisse wrestled in the Casino Battle Royal at All Out last year but hasn’t been back in the promotion since.
AEW Tag Team Division
AEW Tag Team Champions: Kenny Omega & Hangman Page (10-0)
The Dark Order (7-0)
The Best Friends (11-4)
Jurassic Express (5-1)
The Young Bucks (4-2)
Private Party (5-3)
There was no movement in the tag-team division this week.
Unranked FTR defeated the unranked Lucha Bros on Dynamite. #4 the Young Bucks teamed with tag champion Kenny Omega in a win over Jurassic Express.
#2 The Best Friends picked up a win on Dark over Brady Pierce & Sabby.
There are two tag team matches scheduled for tonight’s Dynamite. #4 The Young Bucks will take on the unranked Butcher and the Blade in a Falls Count Anywhere match. #3 Jurassic Express will also go up against Chris Jericho and Jake Hager of the Inner Circle.
IMPACT Wrestling Champion Eddie Edwards recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. Edwards won the Championship at this past weekend’s Slammiversary event; winning a Five Way Elimination Match against Ace Austin, Trey, Rich Swann and a returning Eric Young.
During the Busted Open broadcast, Eddie Edwards was asked how he felt about the company’s current management team. Edwards has been part of a number of changes during IMPACT and TNA’s history, and he had high praise for the current crop of leaders behind the scenes.
Eddie Edwards on IMPACT Locker Room
“You know it’s kind of like I said before, right now I feel like IMPACT is all on the same page” Eddie Edwards began. “That’s the boys and girls in the locker room to the front office. I know speaking for myself I have a very open relationship with the office. You know Tommy’s (Dreamer) one of my good friends and I can talk to Scott (D’Amore) and Don (Callis) anytime.
Eddie Edwards elaborated further, saying “I feel like they’ve [management] done a good job of leaving that door open with talent. We have D’Lo (Brown) as kind of the mediator in-between. I think we have a good relationship between the boys and girls and the office. It’s clear that you know we’re all dealing with stuff at the same time, like things change, things happen, and we’re all in this together.”
Edwards would then talk about the difficult set of circumstances surrounding the Slammiversary PPV event. With the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic ongoing the company were forced to make changes over the past few months, specifically when it comes to talent. “So, if anything, the circumstances of Slammiversary and circumstance leading in? It has kind of brought us closer together. I text with some of the boys and stuff on the side and I’m constantly reminded that we are on the same page and we have that same frame of mind. ‘Let’s just show what IMPACT’s about.'”
The IMPACT Champion finished by saying “I’ve been here through numerous changes and stuff and you know it doesn’t change our job in the ring. We go out there, we kill it and we do our job; and we hope that things work out on the back end. But I feel right now, you know? That we’re in a good place.”
Do you think that IMPACT is changing for the better recently? Let us know in the comments
WWE Superstar Becky Lynch is the latest guest on the Bella Twins podcast. During the discussion, Lynch spoke candidly about her pregnancy, including how she and fiancé Seth Rollins learned the big news.
Becky Lynch successfully defended the Raw Women’s Championship against Shayna Bazsler at WrestleMania 36. At the time of the match, she was already feeling some pregnancy-related nausea, but she did not yet know she pregnant.
Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 36 (Photo: WWE)
Lynch told the Bellas that she was feeling sick after she returned home from filming WrestleMania. However, it was ‘too early’ for her to take a pregnancy test. She purchased an ‘early response’ pregnancy test, used it, but did not read the instructions. She discarded the test results assuming that she was not pregnant. After returning home from a workout, she took another look at the pregnancy test and realized it showed a positive result. She and Seth Rollins took another pregnancy test and confirmed that she was in fact pregnant.
Becky Lynch announced her pregnancy on the May 11th edition of WWE Raw. She surrendered the Raw Women’s Championship to Asuka, who won the Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match the previous night.
During an interview with People Magazine released the day after her pregnancy announcement, Lynch said she does not know if she will return to wrestling after giving birth later this year.
“I don’t know what the next chapter is because I only know what it’s like to think for myself when I’m by myself,” she said. “So I don’t know what it’ll look like and how my priorities shift and what I’m going to want in the future. So, everything’s open.”
Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins’ baby is due in December. The Bella Twins are also pregnant. Amazingly, their due dates are just a week and a half apart (end of July and early August).
Ruby Riott defeated Peyton Royce on RAW this week. The win avenges a loss Riott suffered to the Iiconics member on the June 27th edition of RAW.
Riott took to Twitter to release a statement on the win and what it means in light of the double shoulder surgery she underwent last year.
“Monday night was a special night. My match against Peyton Royce might not have been for a title, or even an opportunity at one. But, it was my first singles win since November of 2019.”
Ruby then begins to address her relationship with former Riott squad member, Liv Morgan, in the statement.
“When I came back from my shoulder surgeries, I thought things would be exactly how I left them, but they weren’t. Things changed…people changed and I didn’t know how to handle it, but the fire that was lit after Peyton disrespected Liv Morgan, was one that I needed to shake the guilt and the defeat that I’ve felt for months.”
Ruby then addresses Liv directly in the her statement.
“Liv, if you watched on Monday, I hope you were proud. And Peyton, from now on, keep her name outta your mouth.”
Riott has wrestled 14 times since returning to action beginning on March 2nd, 2020. Dates listed below are when the match was taped, not when it aired. She’s only had one singles win and one tag-team win in those 14 matches.
3/2/20: Liv Morgan defeated Ruby Riott (RAW)
3/8/20: Elimination Chamber Match: Shayna Baszler (RAW)defeated Asuka, Liv Morgan, Natalya, Ruby Riott, and Sarah Logan (RAW)
4/13/20: MITB Qualifier: Liv Morgan defeated Ruby Riott (RAW)
WWE NXT General Manager William Regal took to Twitter today and fueled rumors & speculation on the “huge announcement” that he has scheduled for tonight’s NXT show.
Regal commented on how it’s been an incredible honor to serve as the General Manager of NXT, and noted that tonight’s announcement will be another step forward for the brand.
“Serving as the General Manager or #WWENXT has been an incredible honor,” Regal wrote. “To see the men and women of this brand over the last couple of months has been inspiring and invigorating. Tonight’s major announcement will be yet another step forward for @WWENXT”
Serving as the General Manager or #WWENXT has been an incredible honor. To see the men and women of this brand over the last couple of months has been inspiring and invigorating.
Tonight’s major announcement will be yet another step forward for @WWENXT.
The ‘Nature Boy’ Ric Flair recently appeared on Sirius XM’s Busted Open Radio to celebrate host Dave LaGreca’s birthday. During his short time on the programme Flair addressed his status as the ‘greatest ever’ and revealed that he just wants to “be remembered” by fans.
“I was watching an interview with Bret [Hart]” Ric Flair begin during the interview. “I’m watching this interview and Bret talking about being happy after 20 years of being retired that he is remembered. This was the interview, I guess he did two years ago now? I guess he retired in ’99?”
Ric Flair on Being 71
Ric Flair would elaborate further, saying “you’re happy to be in the conversation and just be remembered [after you’ve been retired this long]. That’s where I’m at, you know? I mean I just reached 71 years old and even, you know…and I mean this sincerely, to even be asked to call [into the show today]? That means something to me, to you guys. And to have fun? That’s what matters to me.
The Nature Boy would finish by talking about his previous issues, specifically during his runs in the NWA and WCW. “You know, for a guy that has done so many screwed up things? And I mean, really man I was, I was so wrapped up in trying to be ME in the 70s and 80s. Everything I was doing TV was REALLY me. To just be remembered? I appreciate that.”
It’s fair to say that Ric Flair will never be forgotten by wrestling fans.
The Triple Whammy had been scheduled for February 1-5, 2021 from Miami. As with the first two events, the cruise sails from Miami to Grand Bahama Island.
The new dates are October 21-25. Triple Whammy will be held aboard the Norwegian Jewel, a slightly smaller vessel than the Norwegian Pearl, which hosted Part Deux earlier this year.
The Jericho cruise features live wrestling shows from All Elite Wrestling, autograph signings, live music and comedy and much more.
Click here to join the Waiting List for Triple Whammy.
Cruise organizers issued a statement on Wednesday announcing the postponement.
After careful consideration and caution for everyone’s health and safety, we have made the difficult but necessary decision to postpone the Triple Whammy. We will now sail Oct 21-25, 2021 from Miami, Florida to Grand Bahama Island. Learn more: https://t.co/3OqvhZjwsU
— Chris Jericho Cruise (@jericho_cruise) July 22, 2020
Impact Wrestling presented Slammiversary this weekend. The show was promoted on the idea that several of the wrestlers recently released by WWE could appear. The Good Brothers, EC3, Eric Young, Heath (Slater), and the Motor City Machine Guns would all either debut or return to the promotion.
According to a report from PW Insider, early indicators are the show did well on PPV. FITE doesn’t publish streaming numbers and traditional PPV numbers won’t be available for awhile, however. Reports are that the Slammiversary buy rate was the best the company has done in “a long time.”
Slammiversary Social Media Numbers Break Records
Impact sent out a press release to note how well their social media numbers did during the show as well.
“IMPACT Wrestling captured the world’s attention on Saturday night,” said IMPACT Wrestling Executive Vice President Scott D’Amore. “Slammiversary 2020 was the result of two-and-a-half years of hard work by our incredible team and talented roster, along with new additions who have decided to bet on IMPACT.”
In terms of Twitter impressions, Impact nearly doubled their previous record. The top post for the company was the one in which it was revealed the Good Brothers had officially signed. Instagram impressions increased by 172% from their previous record.
“During the month leading up to Slammiversary 2020, IMPACT’s YouTube Channel saw its total views rise by 26.5 percent and total watch time grow by 32 percent,” a press release reads. “The channel, which already ranks as the No. 2 most-subscribed wrestling account on the platform, added over 100 thousand new subscribers, marking a 20% rise in monthly subscriber rate.”
Fans can check out Impact Wrestling every Tuesday night on AXS TV as well as Twitch.TV. Impact has its own streaming service, Impact Plus, featuring events from the promotion’s history dating back to 2004.
Orange Cassidy has become one of AEW’s biggest stars. Lately, he’s even been involved in a memorable rivalry with “Le Champion” Chris Jericho. The two main event’ed night 2 of Fyter Fest and on last week’s episode, Cassidy had orange juice dumped on his rival from up above.
Tony Khan was recently interviewed by ESPN and noted he didn’t originally have big plans for Cassidy when he first booked him for last year’s Double or Nothing. Cassidy was in the 21-person Casino Battle Royal at the 2019 Double or Nothing event.
“He clearly had a following, but he wasn’t somebody, when we started, that I was really particularly aware of or had real big plans for,” said Khan to ESPN. “[After Double or Nothing,] I spent a lot of time with Orange Cassidy and got to know him a lot better, and also talked to him about ideas, and that opened a lot of doors for both of us.”
Khan continued to say he was surprised by how much thought the performer actually puts into his rather unique character.
“I had no idea what an intelligent person Orange Cassidy is, and he is very, very smart. And really, I had no idea how well-thought-out this all was.”
Khan also noted that he feels Cassidy has been a real team-player in AEW.
“He’s multitalented, he’s a team player, he’s tried to make other people look good as much as possible, and the most important thing above all else is his work is phenomenal. He’s a great wrestler.”
Khan (and many, many other wrestling fans) dressed up as Orange Cassidy for Halloween last year.
Impact 7/21 was the first episode following Slammiversary and featured several new signees making their AXS TV debut. The Good Brothers, Curt Hawkins, EC3, and the Motor City Machine Guns would all appear on the show.
Impact 7/21 Quick Results:
X-Division Championship Chris Bey (c) defeated Willie Mack
TNA World Heavyweight Championship Moose (c) defeated Fallah Bah
Impact Tag Team Championships The Motor City Machine Guns defeated The North – New Champions
Here are 10 takeaways from Impact Wrestling 7/21
Motor City Machine Guns Win Tag Team Championships From The North
Both of these two teams scored big victories at Slammiversary. MCMG made their return to the promotion at the PPV as part of the Rascalz Open Challenge. The North retained their titles over Sami Callihan and Ken Shamrock on the show as well. It was also announced on the PPV, that the MCMG would get the title opportunity on this show.
The finish of the match came when The North went for their assisted spine buster finish but Sabin reversed it into a cradle on Page and got the pin.
There have been all-new champions now (aside from Moose’s TNT title) since Slammiversary. Eddie Edwards is the new world champion, Chris Bey the X-Division champ, Deonna Purrazzo the new KO champ, and now MCMG with the tag belts.
MCMG are now 2-time Impact tag team champions. They first won the titles in 2010 (titles were vacant at the time) and lost them to Beer Money 6 months later.
Ace Austin’s Run-In Buddies Attack The Good Brothers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlcq0NMSeCE
The Good Brothers made their AXS TV debut and took credit for Slammiversary trending worldwide. Their promo was then interrupted by Ace Austin and Madman Fulton. Austin said that Anderson and Gallows owed them an apology for the Good Brothers attacking them at the end of Slammiversary. Austin and Fulton then attempted to attack Anderson and Gallows but the Good Brothers tossed them out of the ring and stood tall to end the segment.
Later in the show, Anderson and Gallows were shown in the parking lot when Austin and Fulton pulled up in an SUV. With The Good Brothers distracted, Reno Scum attacked them from behind. A match was then made for next week between the two tag-teams.
The Talkin-Shop-A-Mania PPV on FITE August 1st was also promoted during this segment.
Eric Young Confronts New Champion Eddie Edwards
Eddie Edwards came out this week and said he plans on being a fighting champion. Edwards said he plans on defending the title every week against all challengers. Eric Young then came out to confront the new champion. Edwards told EY that Rich Swann is his friend and there is concern that after Slammiversary and Young’s attack, Swann may never be able to wrestle or even walk again.
Young told Edwards that he could have just as easily attacked him and that the only reason he was champion now was that he allowed it to be the case. The two brawled and had to be separated to end the segment.
Later in the show, Trey Miguel told Edwards he’d like a shot at his title. The match was made for next week.
Curt Hawkins/Bryan Myers Is Coming To Impact Wrestling, Heath Slips In The Back Door
Two new signees to Impact were involved in backstage segments this week. A new vignette featuring the former Curt Hawkins was shown. Bryan Myers sent the following out on Twitter in regards to his pending Impact debut:
Also, Heath (who can no longer use his last name) was shown several times trying to get into the building. Rhino had told him at Slammiversary to show up. Finally, at the end of the show Slater snuck in through a door marked “Exit.”
EC3 Attacks “TNA World Champion” Moose
Shortly after Eddie Edwards said he plans on being a fighting champion, Moose let it be known he does not plan on doing the same. Moose said in the back that you have to be invited to challenge for his title. He blew off comments about EC3 possibly challenging for the belt as well.
Later in the show, Moose would defend the unofficial title against Fallah Bah. The finish of the match came when Moose countered a move from Fallah Bah with a rake to the eyes. Moose then followed that up with the recently renamed “Lights Out Spear” for the win.
“Wrestle House” To Debut Next Week
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOv1zPFbLps
Rosemary has been trying to seduce John E Bravo as of late. The cards told her to manipulate him a while back. This week Bravo and Rosemary were shown in Bravo’s place where Rosemary thought they would be alone. Taya was there as well, however. Rosemary said, “Three’s a crowd unless its a party.” She then teleported several other guests to the home, including Crazzy Steve who remarked that this was the craziest reality show ever. It was then announced a new episode of “Wrestle House” will debut next week.
Chris Bey Retains In Slammiversary Rematch Against Willie Mack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMGg2IlXrIM
At Slammiversary, Chris Bey defeated Willie Mack for the X-Division title. He did it without the help of Johnny Swinger as well. This week the “Finesse Division Champ” retained again over the former champion. The finish of the match came when Mack missed a 6-Star Frog Splash and Bey countered with a springboard cutter.
Later in the show, Rohit Raju interrupted Bey’s celebration in the locker room. Raju said that Bey has a bullseye on him now that he’s champion but Raju is willing to watch his back. Bey doesn’t seem too interested but didn’t immediately turn him down.
Havok & Neveah Pick Up Revenge On Tasha Steelz & Kiera Hogan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LkqF8umTVI
Tasha Steelz and Kiera Hogan had been victorious in recent single’s matches over Neveah and Havok but would drop this tag match here. The finish of the match came when Steelz hit Havok with a steel chair but even that didn’t do much to prevent Havok and Neveah from beating her team down. Havok basically no-sold the chair shot and continued to deliver a tombstone to Hogan. Neveah hit Steelz with the chair and her and Havok celebrated to end the segment.
Rhino Defeats Hernandez In Quick Fashion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GwN5RdctZk
Rhino and Hernandez recently had an arm wrestling contest that went a full week. The two then engaged in a brutal backstage brawl before earning each other’s respect and deciding to split the money they had bet one another. This week, Rhino would defeat Hernandez just moments after the bell rang to start the match. Both Rhino and Hernandez handed over a wad of cash to the referee but as Hernandez did so, Rhino Gored him for the victory. Rhino picks up the win and earned all the money.
All Elite Wrestling’s Colt Cabana has revealed when he was first told by The Young Bucks about their plans to launch a new promotion.
Speaking with Aubrey Edwards and Tony Schiavone on AEW’s official podcast, AEW Unrestricted, Cabana shared how The Young Bucks told him their plans at All In.
He divulged how he has been close with Matt and Nick Jackson for years and is someone they often come to for advice.
“I’m someone that they talk to. They’ll ask advice. They like pulled me aside, and they were like, ‘hey this thing is happening. I’m sure you don’t believe it, but I think we’re doing this.’ That was at All In, which from All In to when it all started was pretty long, so I kept that under my hood. I’m a good secret keeper, and it was pretty exciting.”
Colt Cabana Never Doubted AEW
Cabana noted how he believed AEW would eventually become a reality. He recalled how he had often been told different things during his 21-year career. Cabana shared how he had been offered enough fake offers and tours to know when something wouldn’t actually happen. That was never the feeling he had regarding All Elite Wrestling.
“It seemed about right, and it also made sense. The Bucks, Cody, Kenny and Hangman, they were the hottest thing in wrestling,” Cabana said. “I watched it at Ring of Honor when it was x amount of people. Then Being The Elite became so hot. I watched the numbers go up. I watched everything go up.”
He continued, “I saw All In. I was going to be able to be a part of All In. For someone to realize and to understand that, it’s pretty obvious, but it’s just so much to have to put into in order to get that thing on a higher ground, it made sense. So I understood why Tony would take this gamble and this risk.”
Since his debut in AEW, Colt Cabana has become involved in a storyline involving Brodie Lee and The Dark Order. He recently teamed with Lee and Stu Grayson in a six-man tag team match on Fyter Fest Night Two. They successfully defeated SoCal Uncensored.
Current WWE Intercontinental Champion AJ Styles has shared which Superstars would feature on his personal pro wrestling Mount Rushmore.
Speaking with The Sun, Styles noted how it was a tough decision. Clarifying his choice parameters, Styles shared how he would be picking people who “made the biggest difference” to the wrestling industry. He wanted to make his choices reflected those who helped shape the business, and are why people “get the opportunity to make a living [wrestling].”
With that established, he was quick to name two WWE Hall of Famers: Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan.
He explained how Ric Flair was undoubtedly up there in his long-lasting impact. Styles explained how he didn’t watch WWF as a kid but was familiar with Hulk Hogan because of his cartoon. He pointed to Hogan’s role in Rocky III as Thunderlips, noting he was more aware of Hogan’s impact on pop culture than his in-ring career.
AJ Styles admitted he had a hard time selecting his next choice. He argued how “[…] there’s Ricky the Dragon Steamboat, The Macho Man, Andre the Giant, like he also broke that barrier of larger than life.”
“In fact, he was probably the first one to do it. So if I had to, and I know I’ll go back and I’ll change this a million times, Ric Flair. Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Lou Thesz.”
He admitted he was making deliberate choices that skewed away from WWE. Styles then noted how he chose Lou Thesz because of how Thesz helped shaped the business:
“The reason why I saw Lou Thesz and not some other guys who have definitely shaped this business is because I didn’t watch it. I didn’t have that cable where I could watch WWF. So I think my three for sure gotta be Hogan, Andre, and Ric Flair. That fourth is open to debate.”
AJ Styles recently defended his championship this past Friday on SmackDown. He successfully beat Matt Riddle.
It was recently reported that Bobby Fulton’s throat cancer had returned and the legend of tag-team wrestling was back in the hospital. As it turns out, the cancer had not returned, although Fulton and his family had a miscommunication with the ER doctor that led to them believing it had.
Fulton’s son gave an update on his father’s condition recently. It turns out that while Fulton was coughing up blood, the blood was coming from an artery that had been damaged by his cancer treatment. The doctors informed Fulton the artery is right where his tumor was, only they used the word “is” instead of “was.” This led Fulton and his family to believe the cancer had returned.
The cancer has not returned and Fulton’s symptoms were from a damaged artery only. Surgery was performed to stop the artery from bleeding.
“So I said to another person that they’ve been telling me the artery was near where the tumor IS. That person told me they should have used the word WAS and not IS. And I said, yes it makes a big difference. I’m thankful that at this time, I can say I’m cancer free. I’m thankful for all the prayers and all the love you all continue to show me. That’s why it is always important to choose your words wisely. There’s a big difference between IS and WAS.”
Update on Dad: He’s still in rough shape and needs prayers and thoughts to continue. Thanks! pic.twitter.com/fAzeoFqgBY
WWE has revealed it will still be hosting a panel at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con event. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the San Diego Comic-Con was forced to pivot into an online event. Having been a regular fixture of the convention for years, and not wanting to miss the occasion, WWE will be hosting a virtual panel with Mattel and the WWE Elite Suard.
In an official statement, WWE acknowledged how San Diego Comic-Con will be different this year. It teased how the panel will feature some big announcements and new WWE action figure news. This news will be revealed by Mattel and the WWE Elite Squad.
The WWE Elite Squad consists of NXT’s Johnny Gargano, Candice LeRae and Sam Roberts. They will join WWE Hall of Famer Edge, Ricochet, Rhea Ripley and members of Mattel’s WWE team.
Their San Diego Comic-Con presentation promises “in-depth conversation on all things WWE and a look into what the future holds for WWE action figure collectors.”
Additionally, WWE’s digital team will be doing further reveals and announcements across the week.
Fans and collectors interested in the panel can join in this Thursday at 3 PM ET via Comic-Con International’s official YouTube channel and by using the #ComicConAt Home hashtag.
The Big Show has revealed he has no future interest in becoming a producer for WWE once his extensive in-ring career has come to an end.
Speaking with Newsweek, Big Show joked how he “may as well put my head under a car and back over it.” He explained how he wouldn’t want the headache that WWE’s backstage producers go through. Instead, he’d rather continue to serve as in-ring talent for as long as possible, working with up-and-coming Superstars.
“I’m in a unique position that I don’t have to work five nights a week like when I was full time. If you have a talent that is on their way as a big guy or medium-sized guy and I get the chance to get in the ring and work again and ride with this guy for a few days and help them that way, that’s where I get to do my best work—being in the ring with them and work out their timing and what’s going on in their head, and take them where they need to be.”
Big Show On Working With Younger Talent
The Big Show admitted the hardest thing in working with younger talent is ensuring they relax in the ring. He pointed out how a lot of them struggle in finding the flow and fluid nature of the match.
According to him, several younger Superstars are hung up in forcing stuff and overplanning spots. He noted how the empty arenas have made it different to create a connection, and so instead of connecting with fans, they have to connect with hard in-ring work.
“As far as me: I’m around as long as I’m still able to compete and produce. I know that those times are not as much as they used to be back in the day. Father Time is undefeated, but I’ll always respect and love this business and I’m always around to help anyone, whether it’s a talent from the Cruiserweights on up, I’m willing to help anybody. If the experiences that I’ve been through can help and make things easier, I’m always willing to give it.”
The Big Show recently competed in an Unsanctioned matchup this Monday Night on Raw. He lost to Randy Orton after receiving an RKO. After the match had ended, Orton delivered a punt kick to Big Show’s head.
WWE Hall of Famer Booker T recently addressed the hashtag #NaomiDeservesBetter trending on Twitter. The hashtag gained momentum as disgruntled fans who believe WWE has been mishandling the Superstar rallied in support of Naomi.
“They can go to hell with all these hashtags,” Booker T stated. “I’m tired of hearing about them. Don’t nobody ‘deserve’ a chance. You have to earn a chance and your spot on the roster, this is not some kind of movement just to pull somebody up just because. I hate to say this because I like Naomi, but as far as the business goes, you get it on your merit alone. There is no buddy system.”
Booker T noted how, although some people may have benefited from help, ultimately “life is not fair.”
He added how people have to make their own breaks and rise to the occasion. Acknowledging how this kind of shift doesn’t happen overnight, he pointed to himself as an example:
“No one expected me to become a six-time champ, but my persistence of going out there and performing better than all of those suckas in the locker room, and they knew it, and the fans saw something different.”
#NaomiDeservesBetter
Booker T argued how the hashtag doesn’t serve a purpose and doesn’t benefit Naomi. Instead, he believes she should be advocating for herself and consistently performing at a high level. Booker T believes if a Superstar can achieve that, then they “cannot be denied” and “No one will ever say you were given anything.”
He explained how, if someone gave Naomi a championship tomorrow it wouldn’t feel earned or as though she “did it on her own.”
Booker T stressed how he would never have wanted to have the championship simply given to him. He then praised Naomi as the most athletic female Superstar in the WWE locker room.
However, he added how “psychology and working are two different things.” Booker T then suggested that if he could guide her for a month, she would look at the pro wrestling business in a totally different way.
Naomi Reacts To Booker T’s Thoughts
Naomi saw Booker T’s comments on the situation. She responded with a succinct reply, writing “Will do @BookerT5x.” She accompanied her answer with a Gif of Jim Carrey wrapped in tape, waving.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Sasha Banks also commented on Booker T’s observations. She wrote in support of Naomi, telling her not to “feed into useless opinions, no matter who they come from.” She encouraged Naomi to keep glowing and how she has nothing to prove to anybody. Sasha Banks recently irked Booker T after claiming she and Bayley were a better tag team than Harlem Heat.
The Undertaker is venturing into the world of TikTok.
The WWE Legend launched an official TikTok account this week, which can be found at @undertaker. He currently has 50,700 followers.
The Dead Man shocked fans around the world in May 2018 when he created an Instagram account. He then launched a Twitter account in January 2019.
Undertaker appeared on The Bill Simmons Podcast back in May of this year and talked about why he got into social media.
“I got a social media account, it’s probably less than two years, right? You know, the writing was on the wall,” he said. “I got more matches behind me than I do in front of me. And, people are saying like, ‘Dude, you need to get yourself out there because your wrestling career is coming to an end. Now, it’s time to cash in on the brand, you know, the stuff that you didn’t do all these years.'”
TikTok launched in September 2016 but has become a household name in the past year. The video-sharing social platform is especially popular with teenagers, and most of the half-a-billion-plus users are under the age of thirty. The website is facing a possible ban by the United States government due to its parent company’s authoritarian links to the Chinese government. The Guardian recently reported on privacy, data and national security concerns that has led to ongoing controversy for the site from multiple countries.
Taker has not started creating content on TikTok as of this writing, but below is a screenshot of the account:
The former Curt Hawkins is set to make his Impact Wrestling return soon.
A new vignette aired for Brian Myers during Tuesday’s Impact episode, which you can see below. The teaser included Hawkins in and around a wrestling ring while several phrases were called out, including “Close your mouth, open your ears,” and, “Trust the process, just missing something…”
Myers tweeted WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon after the show and officially moved on from his former employer.
“Well, @VinceMcMahon,” Myers wrote. “I’m sorry, I love you. *superkick @IMPACTWRESTLING Let’s. Go.”
The virtual superkick is a reference to WWE Hall of Famers Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels, from their Career Threatening Match at WrestleMania 24. You may recall how Michaels hit Sweet Chin Music twice on Flair, then told him, “I’m sorry, I love you.” The finish to that match then saw Shawn deliver another superkick to Flair, to get the pin and put an emotional end his in-ring career.
Myers became a free agent last week after his 90-day non-compete with WWE expired. He had been released in mid-April, along with dozens of talent and employees, due to COVID-19 and the negative impact it had on WWE business.
Myers originally worked for WWE from February 24th, 2006 through June 12th, 2014. He held the RAW Tag Team Titles once during that run, with Zack Ryder. He then had a run on the indies and in Impact Wrestling, when it was still known as TNA, and had one run as TNA Tag Team Champion with Trevor Lee (NXT’s Cameron Grimes). WWE brought Myers back on July 21, 2016, and he would go on to become a two-time RAW Tag Team Champion with Ryder.
Impact has not announced when Myers will return to the ring, but we will keep you updated on when that is.
The Motor City Machine Guns have captured the Impact Wrestling World Tag Team Championships.
Tuesday’s Impact Wrestling episode on AXS TV saw Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin defeat The North’s Josh Alexander and Ethan Page to take home the gold. The finish to the match featured Sabin countering The Northern Assault to roll Page up for the win.
Sabin and Shelley are now two-time tag team champions for the promotion. Their first championship reign came in 2010 when Impact Wrestling was still known as TNA. The North’s championship reign lasted 383 days, making them the longest-reigning tag team champions in promotion history.
Page and Alexander won the titles back in July 2019 by defeating LAX during Impact’s The Bash At The Brewery event, which was co-promoted with River City Wrestling.
The MCMG just returned to Impact at Saturday’s Slammiversary pay-per-view, defeating The Rascalz after answering their open challenge. Sabin and Shelley later challenged The North during a segment on the pay-per-view, and the match was made for tonight’s post-Slammiversary episode.
Video: MCMG Win Impact Tag Titles
Watch the Motor City Machine Guns capture the Impact Wrestling World tag team championships below:
Shelley took to Twitter after the match and gave praise to The North.
“I can honestly say that The North are one of the best teams I have been in with. And I have been in with all of the best teams in the past 15 years,” he wrote.
Shelley made a follow-up tweet and mentioned FTR, writing, “Edit: All the best teams except FTR, those dudes rule real hard.”
I can honestly say that The North are one of the best teams I have been in with. And I have been in with all of the best teams in the past 15 years.
Monday’s edition of WWE Raw averaged 1.628 million viewers with a 0.46 rating in the 18-49 demo. This was a 4% increase over last week, which did 1.561 million viewers and was the least-watched episode in the 27-year history of the show.
One year ago, Raw averaged 3.093 million viewers, which is alarming on many levels.
Orton vs Show did a 0.42 18-49 in Q3. That is staggeringly bad when put into perspective. Worst quarter performance in 27+ year history of the show for a bout promoted for weeks.
Raw did beat last week's overall numbers, but that was a given. To me, while a higher number this week in overall, it was a far worst performance given what was promoted and coming after a PPV designed to promote ratings the next week.
Here’s the hourly viewership breakdown for Raw, courtesy of Showbuzzdaily.com:
Hour 1: 1.740 million viewers
Hour 2: 1.609 million viewers
Hour 3: 1.535 million viewers
This week’s Raw featured fallout from Sunday night’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view. Top items on the show included Randy Orton vs. Big Show in a non-sanctioned match, Kairi Sane’s final match (against Bayley) before returning to Japan and the surprise return of Mustafa Ali.
SmackDown Viewership
Friday’s SmackDown averaged 1.912 million viewers on FOX. This is up from the 1.900 million viewers that the show did for the previous week.
SmackDown averaged 1.893 million viewers in the fast nationals, which was down from the 1.905 million viewers a week ago. This number measured the top metered markets.
The first hour drew 1.919 million viewers while the second hour did 1.867 million viewers. For comparison, the first show of last week’s show did 1.930 million viewers while the second hour did 1.879 million viewers.
SmackDown pulled in a 0.45 rating in the 18-49 demos, down from the 0.50 rating as last week’s show.
WWE Champion Drew McIntyre is doing an excellent job leading the company during the COVID-19 era, according to Mick Foley.
Foley tweeted praise for McIntyre this week and commented on his championship run during these unprecedented times for the pro wrestling industry.
“@WWE Champion @DMcIntyreWWE is doing an excellent job holding down the fort during unprecedented tough times. I hope he gets to address live crowds during his title reign, to get the #RoadWarriorPop he deserves. #RAW,” Foley wrote.
Natalya responded to Foley’s tweet and agreed with the WWE Hall of Famer.
McIntyre won the WWE Championship from Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 36 in April, a month into the coronavirus pandemic and the closed-set WWE TV tapings. He is rumored to defend the championship against Randy Orton at SummerSlam next month, and could get to represent the company in front of fans if WWE is able to have regular crowds in the fall, as has been rumored.
