Keith Lee is the new NXT Champion. He defeated Adam Cole in the main event of NXT’s Great American Bash night 2. The 35-year-old signed with WWE in 2018 but his road to the top of NXT wasn’t a smooth one. At first, Lee says he wasn’t sure who WWE wanted him to be. He eventually learned how to just be himself.
“The beginning was tough,” Lee said to SI.com. “I thought the company wanted something else from me. The entire time, they wanted me to be myself. The one person who really helped me work through all of that was [WWE trainer] Terry Taylor.”
Lee continued to say that when he began to doubt himself, Taylor helped him through it.
“I thought I was doing something wrong, but Terry Taylor was the one that kept reminding me who I was. When I was filled with doubt, he kept me together. If it wasn’t for him, I don’t know what would have happened for me in this company.“
Lee is a 15-year pro having begun his career in 2005. He tried out for WWE 3 times before eventually signing in 2018. Lee’s WWE tryouts came in 2008, 2011, and again in 2013.
He also said during the interview, that he wants to be a representative for African Americans.
“I want to be the representation for African American people, to have someone that looks like them and represents them on the top stage and has top caliber matches,” Lee continued.
WWE Hall of Famer and AEW Commentator Jim Ross recently discussed a number of intriguing topics on the Grilling JR podcast. A recent episode of the audio show saw JR and co-host Conrad Thompson look at the 7.6.98 episode of WCW Monday Nitro.
This episode of the WCW flagship show was hugely significant, as it featured Goldberg challenging for and winning the WCW World Championship against Hollywood Hulk Hogan.
One of the acts that appeared during the watch-along was Marcus ‘Buff’ Bagwell and his mother, Judy Bagwell. Conrad would ask JR about the infamous story that involved all three when Bagwell first joined WWE as part of the Invasion angle in 2001.
Jim Ross and Buff Bagwell
Supposedly, Bagwell was unhappy with the way he was being treated in then WWF and wanted to skip a live date. Judy Bagwell apparently called JR and asked that Buff be allowed to skip a date, with Jim Ross apparently saying that Judy should pass on the news that Marcus was fired.
Buff Bagwell would refute these claims back in 2017. “Do you really believe, out there in video world, that Buff Bagwell got fired because of his mother?” Buff stated on The Steve Austin Show. “Do people really believe that I had my mother call the WWF and say let him off Augusta in Birmingham? Well f**k no that’s not true! Why would I do that? But people believed it. And one person was responsible: Jim Ross. And only God, Jim Ross and me know the truth, and who’s gonna believe me. Nobody… The true, true story is Jim Ross created that monster, and people believed it.”
JR gave his own take on the situation on Grilling JR. “That’s old news. You know, we had a conversation on the phone, once. [I said] I want to talk to Marc, not to her. With all due respect I’d never met the lady, I didn’t know her. I have no issues with her. I’ve just made it clear that when Marcus wanted to talk about his WWE run? He should just call me. Simple as that. It became a story and it really wasn’t a story.”
This podcast episode as well as a ton of other premium audio content is available now on AdFreeShows.com. Subscribers get exclusive content from Grilling Jr, What Happened When (w/Tony Schiavone), 83 Weeks (w/Eric Bischoff), ARN (w/Arn Anderson) and Something To Wrestle (w/Bruce Prichard).
Earlier this week, it was reported that Rey Mysterio is working without a contract in WWE. He signed with the company in September of 2018 shortly after performing in the main event of All In that month. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Mysterio asked WWE for a raise recently and was told the company is not giving those out at the moment.
“Essentially where things stand is that Mysterio had asked for a raise and been told that no raises were being offered, and that they had just let a number of wrestlers go,” wrote Dave Meltzer. Mysterio is working under the terms set out in his previous contract.
Mysterio is currently in a high-profile storyline with Seth Rollins on WWE RAW. They did an angle where Rollins damaged Mysterio’s eye leading to an “Eye for an Eye” match at Extreme Rules. WWE.com has said the match can only end when one competitor has extracted the eyeball of the other.
It is also being reported that CGI will likely be apart of the match at Extreme Rules.
“The idea is to do a taped match and use some form of CGI effects to simulate an eye being pulled out as the finish,” Meltzer wrote.
Should Mysterio lose the match and his eye, it would likely serve as a way to write him off television.
A major factor which will could determine where Mysterio ends up might be how his son Dominik is used. Mysterio will likely want to sign with a company that would also bring in Dominik.
All Elite Wrestling’s Matt Hardy has opened up about his experience with the promotion to date. He also detailed his future plans in the company and how where he sees his current gimmick going.
Speaking with Sportskeeda, Hardy shared how he has been “thrilled” so far with his time in AEW. He added how he “honestly can’t say enough good things about it.”
Hardy explained how he wanted to pick up where the Broken Matt Hardy character should have been left off. This is what led to the creation of his Free The Delete show on YouTube. He noted how the show highlighted how a “new version” of Matt Hardy was heading to AEW.
Since his time in the promotion, Hardy has been embracing several different gimmicks and appearances that reference his career, often within the same segment or match. He explained that had always been his intention.
“Once I started, from the jump, my plan was to do different versions of my personas throughout time, as the ‘Multifarious’ Matt Hardy. Ultimately my goal is to lead that into something new, something to put that together into one entity, and have that be the next persona I really want to get over and run with.”
Matt Hardy has recently been accompanying and helping Private Party. He coached them from ringside during their AEW Tag Team Championship match on Wednesday night at Fyter Fest Night Two. Despite their best efforts, however, they were unable to wrest the championships from reigning champions Kenny Omega and Hangman Page.
This week’s episode of AEW Fyter Fest Night Two saw Taz bring back the FTW Championship. He awarded it to his new protege, Brian Cage.
Taz and All Elite Wrestling are able to use the championship on television because it never officially owned by ECW. Because of this, ownership of the ‘FTW’ rights never transferred over to WWE when they purchased ECW.
Additionally, Taz himself owns the copyright to the belt’s design. The belt Cage received this past Wednesday night was the actual FTW Championship belt Taz defended.
BEWARE: #FTWChampionship is BACK and DOUBLE BEWARE because @MrGMSI_BCage holds the Title.
Taz held the FTW Championship during his run in ECW back in the ‘90s. Prior to Cage, only two wrestlers have held the FTW Championship: Taz and Sabu. The title would eventually be unified with the ECW World Heavy Championship in March 1999.
Brian Cage was scheduled to face off against AEW World Champion Jon Moxley this past Wednesday. This was forced to reschedule, however, after Moxley’s real-life wife, WWE’s Renee Young, confirmed she had COVID-19.
Wanting Cage to head into their reschedule championship bout with some momentum, Taz presented him with the FTW Championship. This now makes their future bout a champion versus champion matchup.
Brian Cage and Jon Moxley will face off for the AEW Championship next week on AEW Fight for the Fallen on TNT.
New NXT Superstar Karrion Kross has already made a major impact since debuting on WWE’s black-and-gold brand. Turns out he’s already got an idea of who he’d like to face at WrestleMania.
Speaking with the Gorilla Positionpodcast, Kross revealed he’d love to stand opposite none other than Brock Lesnar at “The Grandest Stage of them All.”
According to Kross, the “measuring stick” should be defined by who can draw the most people into a building and garner the most attention.
“[Brock Lesnar] is a guy that transcended sports entertainment. He is in mainstream entertainment. I think that figures like that in our business are pretty important.”
Karrion Kross added how wrestling always wants to create new fans. He explained how, although there are hardcore purists amongst WWE’s audience, it’s important to have a mainstream appeal as well.
He then juxtaposed Lesnar with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Kross argued that although he’d love to face Lesnar at WrestleMania, in terms of generating attention and interest, that he’d have to go with The Rock as his personal measuring stick.
“I think he is the highest paid actor in Hollywood. He came from here. If someone wants to emulate the absolute most success they can find in this business, I would say The Rock is the guy.”
Karrion Kross featured during the tail end of this week’s episode of NXT Great American Bash Night Two. He was revealed to have been watching the main event clash from above the ring. This appearance heavily hints at his NXT Championship aspirations going forward.
During the first episode of his new Confessions of a Hitman series, Bret Hart reflected on his feud with his brother Owen Hart back in 1993. He also spoke about how Owen never got a big break in WWE despite his in-ring talent.
Hart recalled how when he was first pitched about feuding with his brother, he didn’t want to do it. When WWE told him the planned story, “The Hitman” shared how he needed to think about it as he was reticent over feuding with his brother.
Speaking with his mother on the subject, Hart shared how she began crying down the phone. He argued that Owen needed a break and that this feud could be the very thing that could help:
“I needed to do this for Owen, so he could show everybody that he’s better than they give him credit for. They didn’t understand how good of a talent Owen was.”
Bret Hart On Getting Owen Hart A Big Break
Bret Hart had informed Owen of WWE’s plans and told him to think about it too. He reflected on his close relationship with Vince McMahon at the time, noting he had some “leverage” as “they needed me and they had to re-sign me.”
He spoke with WWE and explained that Owen needed to be pushed, adding “I’m not asking you. I’m telling you because he’s too good of a wrestler and he’s going to quit and become a fireman because you guys aren’t using him very [well]!’”
According to Hart, he spoke with his brother the next day to get his thoughts. Owen was apparently all in on the idea. This surprised Bret who had decided he didn’t want to feud with Owen.
“He goes, ‘why can’t I work with you? I’d make’ – because I was the highest paid wrestler with the company at that time and whenever you wrestled me, you got paid the highest – he goes, ‘why can’t I get my break? I can work with you and we’ll have great matches.'”
It was because this conversation that Bret Hart would agree to their sibling rivalry.
Turning his attention to Owen’s time in WWE, Bret Hart believes the company “never gave him a real break.” According to him, WWE just pushed Owen to the side. He noted how by being beaten down enough times, it’s hard to “make your stock rise unless something magical happens.”
He added how if an individual is torn down so many times, you can’t be revived. If that happens, your career is done. This is something he believes was happening to his brother.
“I remember talking to Owen about it. I said, ‘quit, go home, go somewhere else. Go to Japan for a couple of years. Then, come back and you’ll get your break.’ They needed good wrestlers, but they obviously missed the boat with Owen. I think for a long time.”
If you are interested in subscribing to his Confessions of a Hitman series, you can do so here.
New Day member Kofi Kingston has claimed The Big Show is responsible for forever changing his chest. The former WWE Champion made his claims on a recent episode of the stables podcast, The New Day: Feel The Power. Big Show was a guest on the show.
When their conversation turned to Big Show’s famous chops, Kingston mentioned how Big Show delivered hard chops to Superstars based on their attitude. He added how he wished Big Show had let him know about that back in 2009. Kingston joked how he used to have a full chest before competing against Big Show.
“I wished that you would have told me that back in 2009 because I came out, I debuted in 2008, and you’ll remember, I had a nice, full chest. My chest was popping. Do you know what I mean?” Kingston said. “I go to do a pushup and my chest hits the ground. Do you know what I mean? I had a real, life chest. And then, [Show] and I ended up having a match, and I got chopped so hard in the chest, and my chest has never been the same since.”
Kofi Kingston’s Receipt
The Big Show opened up about how the hard chops were a receipt to Kofi Kingston. He explained how Kingston had delivered a stiff shot to him with a spinning back kick. That kick connected hard with his chin. Big Show added how he’s only been kicked hard on the chin by two people: Kofi Kingston and RVD.
According to Big Show, Kofi Kingston came into their match wanting to show off his “fighting spirit, which was making me crazy.”
He explained how he was in the corner when Kingston nailed a hard kick. Big Show noted how appreciated the effort as he likes it when sequences are “snug.” He then explained how there’s something in the business called a receipt.
Big Show shared how Kingston delivered that kick, so he was happy to deliver the receipt with the chop that supposedly forever changed Kingston’s chest.
SmackDown Superstar Jeff Hardy was a guest on this week’s episode of WWE show The Bump. During his time on the show, Hardy reflected on his recent feud with Sheamus. He acknowledged the comparisons that could be made between their current rivalry with his previous feud with CM Punk back in 2009. Both feuds utilized Hardy’s real-life personal problems as a starting point for a storyline.
“Since my early 20’s, I’ve been in and out of addiction – the roller coaster of good and bad. Sadly, but in a creative sense, it’s been a big power for me,” Hardy admitted. “Even back in the days of feuding with [CM] Punk, it kind of reminds me of that with Sheamus. It can be extremely uncomfortable at times, but that’s when I’ve got to stay strong on my beliefs, and where I am right now.”
The hosts then spoke about his feud with Punk, highlighting when Punk cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase on Hardy back at Extreme Rules 2009. Hardy confessed the moment gives him “goosebumps” and that he was genuinely excited for Punk to have his moment. He added how he was happy to be a “tremendous loser” that night, arguing that if you’re a good loser in pro wrestling you’re a better winner in the bigger scheme of things.
Jeff Hardy recently lost his matchup against Sheamus at WWE’s last pay-per-view, Backlash.
WWE’s current Intercontinental champion AJ Styles has denied rumors regarding his move from RAW to SmackDown. Reports suggested that Styles had essentially been bullied off of Monday Night RAW and that the “Phenomenal One” was upset with Paul Heyman after Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson were released by the promotion.
Speaking on a recent Mixer stream, Styles addressed the rumors head-on:
“[…] there were some rumors going around that AJ Styles left Raw to go to SmackDown because he was being bullied. That may be the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” Styles stated. “I’m a grown man. If there was some bullying going on that upset me enough to leave Raw and go to SmackDown, I would handle it…”
Styles then turned his attention to the supposed Heyman animosity regarding his former OC members. He stressed how “that’s now what it was at all. Not even close.” AJ Styles then shared a snippet of what he, Gallows and Anderson know by labeling Heyman a liar.
“He’s a liar, now you know. I’m sure you’ve heard that before if you go back to his ECW days, you’ll hear that. He’s a bold-faced liar. That’s my take on that.”
Styles’ former teammates, Gallows and Anderson, were let go by WWE as a cut cutting measure due to the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on business. They joined several other WWE Superstars and backstage personnel in being released.
All Elite Wrestling President and CEO Tony Khan has shared his thoughts on this week’s ratings battle between Dynamite and WWE NXT. The two went head-to-head on Wednesday night with concurrent specials. AEW delivered Fyter Fest Night Two and WWE hosted NXT Great American Bash Night Two.
NXT Great American Bash Night Two actually defeated Fyter Fest Night Two in total viewership. This was WWE’s third victory in a row. However, they did not top the key demographic ratings. Khan took to Twitter to reflect on the numbers. He argued how he considers being a top 7 show on cable a “huge win.”
Khan stressed how “A win in the demo is a win in the business, and this is a business.” He noted how the industry as a whole no longer talks about the demographic as much as 20 years ago but explained how it “drives our revenue today.”
Here’s the chart the industry uses to analyze performance. The leftmost color-coded column is 18-49 demo. The rightmost color-coded column is total viewers. The chart’s ranked by 18-49 viewers. We love & value all viewers, in or outside that demo, but that’s how we score the game pic.twitter.com/aipX0MDfjP
He shared the Nielsen ratings chart and stated how AEW loves and values all its viewers, whether they are inside or outside that 18-49 year old demographic. Khan did add, however, that this is how “we score the game.”
Tony Khan revealed he was thrilled about the ratings from this Wednesday night. He tweeted about celebrating with A Little Bit of the Bubbly on Thursdays whenever AEW is in the top 10. He added how “this is the 3rd time in 4 weeks, & I’m grateful for the great #AEW fans that make it possible!”
AEW will host another special episode next Wednesday night with Fight for the Fallen.
Viewership data is in for this week’s battle in the WWE NXT vs. AEW Dynamite Wednesday Night War.
NXT won the night in total viewers, but it was AEW, which won in the key 18-49 demo. Here is the breakdown of the live and same-night DVR viewership, courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:
WWE NXT Viewership
NXT on the USA Network averaged 759,000 viewers, down last week’s 792,000. In the 18-49 demo, they drew a 0.20 rating, down from 0.22 last week.
The episode featured North American Champion Keith Lee vs. NXT Champion Adam Cole in a Winner Takes All Match, Santos Escobar, Raul Mendoza, Joaquin Wilde vs. Drake Maverick and Breezango, Isaiah “Swerve” Scott vs. Johnny Gargano, and Mia Yim vs. Candice LeRae in a Street Fight.
AEW Dynamite on TNT was watched by 715,000 viewers, down from the 748,000 viewers last week. In the 18-49 demo, Dynamite pulled in a 0.28 rating, down from the 0.29 rating that the show did last week.
AEW Dynamite featured bouts such as Orange Cassidy vs. Chris Jericho, FTR & Young Bucks vs. Butcher, Blade & Lucha Bros, Lance Archer vs. Joey Janela, SCU vs The Dark Order, and AEW World Tag Team Champions Kenny Omega & Adam Page vs. Private Party.
WWE Hall of Famer and AEW Commentator Jim Ross recently discussed a number of intriguing topics on the Grilling JR podcast. A recent episode of the audio show saw JR and co-host Conrad Thompson look at the 7.6.98 episode of WCW Monday Nitro.
During the episode talk turned to AEW and co-host Conrad Thompson made a joke related to former NXT Champion Adam Cole. JR would then give his opinion on the longtime NXT Superstar and how he would sometimes appear at AEW events to support his real life partner Britt Baker.
“Adam Cole is a good kid” Jim Ross began. “I’ve got a lot of time for him. He’s a great, great worker.”
“We had a big Memorial Day party in Jacksonville” JR continued. “And sometimes when he’s off? He’ll come join his wife, which is cool. He’s always welcome in our group. And he’s just, just a pleasure to be around.”
Jim Ross would also praise Britt Baker for her recent character work on AEW television. “Britt? She’s playing her role very well, she’s getting better and better. You see her improving her game [all the time].”
AdFreeShows
This podcast episode as well as a ton of other content is available now on AdFreeShows.com. AdFreeShows has exclusive content from Grilling Jr, What Happened When (w/ Tony Schiavone), 83 Weeks (w/ Eric Bischoff), ARN and Something To Wrestle with Bruce Prichard.
Want EVERY episode from ALL 5 of my podcasts, early and ad-free?
EXCLUSIVE merch from your favorite shows?
Want BONUS content that you can’t hear anywhere else?
Want to CONNECT with other wrestling fans just like you?
AdFreeShows.com is bringing all of it to you, plus tons of other exclusive perks!
WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio Bully Ray recently discussed Heath Slater’s appearance on WWE RAW this week. This was Slater’s first appearance on the show since being released by WWE due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and having to ‘cut costs.’
Bully Ray would mention on Busted Open how performers like Heath Slater do not get enough credit; Ray believes that Slater still has a lot of potential and that Superstars like him get ‘typecast’ by the company.
Bully Ray on Heath Slater
“Sometimes in a company like WWE? Once they have you typecast or pigeonholed or have a certain idea of what you are or what they’re going to need you to be? You can never get out of that” Bully Ray began on the SiriusXM show.
“Heath Slater was there for a long time and was always used in a certain role. He gets let go and then all of a sudden somebody on the writing team says ‘hey let’s bring him back to do this’ and within five minutes? You see the guy has range” Bully would continue. “You see what he can do. And you’re like, ‘well if he was that good last night why didn’t they do that with him for the past 10 years!?'”
Bully Ray would elaborate further, saying “I know that they put you in a certain role, and they compartmentalise you. You have your five minutes to get over and in those five minutes they decide what they’re going to do with you, sometimes for an entire career. SOME key guys and gals are able to get out of it. You know, they always talk about grabbing the brass ring. I thought last night, he [Heath Slater] did.”
Do you think that Heath Slater deserves another chance in WWE? Let us know in the comments
WWE Hall of Famer and AEW Commentator Jim Ross recently discussed a number of intriguing topics on the Grilling JR podcast. A recent episode of the audio show saw JR and co-host Conrad Thompson look at the 7.6.98 episode of WCW Monday Nitro.
This episode of the WCW flagship show was hugely significant, as it featured Goldberg challenging for and winning the WCW World Championship against Hollywood Hulk Hogan.
Conrad would ask JR about Hogan on the show, asking if he ever thought that the massively popular Hogan character from the 80s would transition so well to being the biggest heel in the wrestling business in the late 90s.
Jim Ross on Hollywood Hogan
“Well I thought at the end of the day? It would be timely” Jim Ross began on the podcast. “I thought that probably it was going to be a no brainer at some point…if done correctly. He [Hogan] was a galvanising figure, very polarising to a lot of fans. So, I wasn’t shocked about it quite frankly. Hulk you know, he was all over the territories over the early part of his career, so he understood the psychology and the difference that it takes to make a great babyface, which he was; and then subsequently what is took to become a great villain, at which he did a hell of a job.”
AdFreeShows
This podcast episode as well as a ton of other content is available now on AdFreeShows.com. AdFreeShows has exclusive content from Grilling Jr, What Happened When (w/ Tony Schiavone), 83 Weeks (w/ Eric Bischoff), ARN and Something To Wrestle with Bruce Prichard.
Want EVERY episode from ALL 5 of my podcasts, early and ad-free?
EXCLUSIVE merch from your favorite shows?
Want BONUS content that you can’t hear anywhere else?
Want to CONNECT with other wrestling fans just like you?
AdFreeShows.com is bringing all of it to you, plus tons of other exclusive perks!
Tony Khan and AEW have suspended Big Swole for an undetermined amount of time. The suspension is as a result of Swole kidnapping Britt Baker on a recent episode of Dynamite. Khan later was adamant that wrestlers are not permitted to kidnap one another.
Swole was served with a letter on Dynamite informing her that she was suspended. She would show up inside Daily’s Place later in the show, however.
“As we just informed @SwoleWorld on #AEWDynamite via formal letter, Big Swole has been suspended from AEW for kidnapping Dr. Britt Baker. Wrestlers can’t kidnap each other. We asked Swole to go home to cool off. Swole’s an important member of our team, and we’ll see her back soon,” Tony Khan Tweeted.
As we just informed @SwoleWorld on #AEWDynamite via formal letter, Big Swole has been suspended from AEW for kidnapping Dr. Britt Baker. Wrestlers can’t kidnap each other. We asked Swole to go home to cool off. Swole’s an important member of our team, and we’ll see her back soon.
Tony Khan Clarifies AEW Policy Regarding Wrestler Kidnapping
Khan would also respond to some questions online about what is and is not a suspendible offence in AEW.
Lance Archer assaults people and then throws them at or around the ring. That’s different. This is wrestling. You have to draw the line somewhere, but assault isn’t it.
“Fair enough on the coffee, but take away the kidnapping, which we can’t condone, and then I thought the coffee was offset by the garbage (twice) + then using your credential and an #AEW facemask to get back into the building under false pretenses, so I’d say call it even on that,” Khan Tweeted.
Next week’s episode of AEW Dynamite will be branded “Fight for the Fallen.” The show will raise money for COVID-19 relief. The Khan family has already donated $1 million as part of the fundraising efforts.
Last year’s inaugural FTTF event raised money for victims of gun violence.
The main event will be see AEW World Champion Jon Moxley’s highly anticipated defense against “The Machine” Brian Cage. This bout was previously scheduled for Fyter Fest Week 2, however it was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns. Moxley’s wife, WWE broadcaster Renee Young, tested positive for the virus last month.
AEW Champion Jon Moxley vs. FTW Champion Brian Cage
AEW has also booked a TNT title match for the show. Cody will defend the belt against Sonny Kiss.
After being on the losing end of an 8-man tag this week on Dynamite, FTR will look to get back in the win column at Fight for the Fallen. They will take on the Lucha Bros in tag action on the show.
Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks will team up in 6-man action at Fight for the Fallen. They will take on all 3 members of Jurassic Express.
AEW Fight for the Fallen Card
The full lineup for the show is below:
– AEW World Champion Jon Moxley vs. FTW Champion “The Machine” Brian Cage
– TNT Champion Cody vs Sonny Kiss
– The Elite (Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks) vs. Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy, Luchasaurus, Marko Stunt)
– FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) vs The Lucha Bros (Pentagon Jr. & Fenix)
Ring of Honor has announced that the next episode of its weekly television program will be a tribute to Hana Kimura. She wrestled 4 matches for the promotion including at the G1 Supercard in Madison Square Garden in 2019.
“Next week on ROH TV is a very special tribute episode celebrating the career of Hana Kimura We look back at Hana’s ROH matches, Her G1 Supercard match at Madison Square Garden, The stars of ROH share their favorite memories of Hana & more!” ROH Tweeted.
Following a period of mourning, Hana Kimura’s family has been speaking out concerning Hana’s death. Her mother has stated to media that producers for the Terrance House reality show encouraged Hana to act aggressively on the show. Fuji TV has said they are currently investigating the matter.
2. This is the first time that Kyoko Kimura is responding to the mainstream media after Hana's death.
On May 15th, Hana celebrated her grandmother's birthday with her grandmother & mother…
Hana Kimura was only 22 years-old when she died on May 23rd, 2020. Her death has led numerous wrestling personalities to speak out against a toxic social media culture.
In response to Hana’s passing, the Japanese government is looking into stronger anti-cyberbullying laws.
“Online slander only serves to induce even more similar messages, and this is a serious violation of human rights,” Justice Minister Masako Mori said on the matter.
WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has shared his thoughts on Heath Slater’s recent return to Monday Night RAW. Speaking on his podcast The Hall of Fame, Booker T stressed how Slater’s “not a guy you want to lose.”
He explained how Slater is a talent “you want on your team” as he’s going to make sure to “pull his weight.” Booker T added how Slater is committed to playing the role he is given, whatever that may be.
“That’s what I talk in this game all the time as far as ‘hey man, just play your role tonight. Don’t try to play someone else’s role. If you do that, we’ll have a great show tonight, but if you go out there and you want to take one job then take on another job, then you got three jobs that you’re trying to take on, and then, you complain about it. You’re the one who took those jobs.'” Booker T said. “Heath Slater is a guy that’s gonna play his role, and that’s why he got the phone call. ‘Hey Heath, you want to come on back?’ That’s what it’s about.”
Booker T went on to compare Heath Sleater to WCW wrestler Brad Armstrong. He explained how Armstrong never had to worry about his job. That’s because he was a “utility guy.”
Extrapolating his point, Booker T added how Armstong could do just about anything at a moment’s notice. He noted that Slater has the same ability. He argued that this makes him a valuable talent that you can trust to get the job done.
Triple H has congratulated newly crowned NXT North American and NXT Champion Keith Lee. Lee emerged victorious from the Winner Take All match with Adam Cole during last night’s NXT Great American Bash Night Two.
Taking to social media, Triple H reflected on the occasion, calling it a “truly historic night” for NXT. He also noted how, with Lee now NXT Champion, the possibilities going forward are limitless.
“A truly historic night for #WWENXT tonight at #NXTGAB as @RealKeithLee now holds both the #NXTChampionship AND #NXTNATitle. Each new champion begins a new era… where he brings @WWENXT? The possibilities are #Limitless. #Congrats”
“The Game” also reflected on Adam Cole’s contribution to WWE’s black-and-gold brand. His loss ended his historic 403-day reign as NXT Champion.
Triple H explained how there is a saying that goes “it’s the talent that makes the title.” He stressed how Cole’s reign in NXT made the NXT Championship as prestigious as it is. Although the run may be over, Triple H noted how Cole is “just getting started.” He highlighted how Adam Cole is NXT and that fact is undisputed.
After the match, Lee dedicated his victory to WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry. Cameras caught up with the Undisputed Leader as well. Unable to voice his feelings at the moment, Cole walked away from the interview.
Keith Lee has dedicated his momentous championship victory to WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry. Lee successfully defeated former-NXT Champion Adam Cole last night in a Winner Take All match up. He is now the NXT North American and NXT World Champion.
Speaking after his win, Lee spoke about making NXT history before dedicating his win and remembering his trainer, “Killer” Tim Brooks who recently passed away. When asked how he felt, he admitted he was in a lot of pain. Despite the discomfort, however, he reflected on the moment, calling his journey “sweet in so many ways.”
“History, McKenzie. I’m feeling like a historian. I’m feeling historical,” Keith Lee said. “How else do you describe this, except for ‘magic’?”
Lee continued, “I believe Mark Henry said to me that I would bring back — forgive me if I misquote him, but, I’m fairly certain I was paying attention when he said I would bring back — ‘big man magic.’ Mr. Henry, this one’s for you, too. But more importantly, McKenzie, my coach who just passed away, just last week, once told me I would be the top, I would be one of the best this industry has ever seen. Today, he’s a prophet, and for me it doesn’t get sweeter than that.”
Keith Lee’s championship victory saw him snap Adam Cole’s record-setting 403-day reign as NXT Champion.
If you use any quotes from this article, please provide a H/T to SEScoops.
WWE’s Renee Young has provided an update on her current condition having recently confirmed she, unfortunately, contracted COVID-19.
Taking to Twitter, Young implored her follows to wear face masks. She explained how doing so could be lifesaving, whether it’s your life or somebody else’s. Young also stressed how people need to trust her on this subject as she is somebody who has actively suffered from coronavirus.
Renee Young wrote:
“Just a friendly little reminder: wearing a mask can literally be saving yours or someone else’s life. As someone that’s had covid – trust me, you don’t want it. Be safe. Take care of each other.”
Just a friendly little reminder: wearing a mask can literally be saving yours or someone else’s life. As someone that’s had covid- trust me, you don’t want it. Be safe. Take care of each other.
Renee Young confirmed via social media on June 24 that she had tested positive for COVID-19. Her public announcement reportedly displeased some within WWE. She noted how she felt sick with pressure on her chest whilst being unable to do anything but stay in bed. She also lost her sense of taste. Given her recent tweet, it appears as though Young has thankfully gotten through the worst of it and has seemingly recovered.
Her positive test had a subsequent impact on All Elite Wrestling. Renee Young’s husband, Jon Moxley, was set to defend his AEW World Championship last night during Fyter Fest Night Two. However, as he had been in contact with someone with COVID-19 symptoms, the title bout was delayed. Moxley now faces challenger, and new FTW Champion Brian Cage, next week at Fight for the Fallen.
Night 2 of Fyter Fest aired on TNT tonight. Omega & Hangman Page defended the AEW Tag Team Championships against Private Party. FTR teamed up with the Young Bucks to face Lucha Bros and Butcher & Blade. Chris Jericho battled Orange Cassidy tonight as well. Taz brought back the FTW Championship and awarded it to Brian Cage during tonight’s show. Moxley will defend the AEW Championship against Brian Cage next week at Fight for the Fallen.
Taz unveils the new FTW World Championship and gives it to Brian Cage ?
Omega & Page def. Private Party to retain the AEW Tag Team Championships
Lance Archer def. Joey Janela
Lucha Bros, Butcher & Blade def. Young Bucks & FTR
Nyla Rose def. Kenzi Paigie & Kilynn King
Dark Order def. SCU
Chris Jericho def. Orange Cassidy
Here are 5 takeaways from Night 2 of Fyter Fest:
Omega & Page Are Still The Tag Team Champions
Omega and Page defended their AEW Tag Team Championships against Private Party (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen). Matt Hardy accompanied Private Party to the ring.
Match Recap: Quen and Omega locked up in the middle of the ring to start off the match. Kenny took control and stomped on Marq in the corner of the ring. Quen battled back with a Dropkick to Page and Omega. Marq hit Kenny with a couple chops and tagged in Isiah Kassidy.
Isiah planted Omega with a DDT as Hangman brought Marq out of the ring. Hangman Powerbombed Quen onto the crowd outside the ring. Kassidy then hit Hangman with a Dropkick and followed it up with a Cannonball onto the crowd. The action returned to the ring and the champs took control once again.
Hangman connected with a German Suplex but was then knocked out of the ring. Private Party planted Kenny with a double Spanish Fly for a near fall. Omega hit Kassidy with a chop but Isiah shrugged it off and connected with a Backbreaker for a two count. Hangman tagged in and Powerbombed Quen on top of Kassidy in the middle of the ring. Page and Omega then hit Kassidy with the Last Call for the pinfall victory. Hangman Adam Page and Kenny Omega are still AEW Tag Team Champions.
Joey Janela battled Lance Archer tonight at Fyter Fest.
Match Recap: Archer launched Janela into the barricade and rolled him back into the ring. Janela caught him with a forearm to the face and followed it up with a Dropkick through the ropes. Joey climbed to the top rope and leveled Archer with a Crossbody outside the ring.
Janela brought out a table from under the ring and set it up. Joey hit a couple punches to the back of Archer’s head before grabbing a steel chair from under the ring. Joey made his way to the top rope but the referee ripped the chair away from him.
Lance took advantage of the distraction and slammed Joey to the canvas. Archer sent Joey flying into the ropes with a massive shoulder tackle. Archer beat Janela down for the next few minutes before Dynamite went to a commercial break. When Dynamite returned, Joey battled back with a couple of Clotheslines but couldn’t knock Archer down.
Joey countered Archer’s finisher with an elbow to the face and followed it up with a knee strike. Jake Roberts hopped on the apron and Joey hit Archer with a Senton. Sonny Kiss hit Archer with a 450 Splash and Joey went for the cover but Lance kicked out at two. Archer hit the Blackout on Janela through the table outside the ring. Lance bashed Joey’s head off the table several times and covered him for the victory.
Lucha Bros, Butcher, Blade Defeated Young Bucks & FTR
FTR and Young Bucks teamed up to face Lucha Bros, Butcher and Blade tonight at Fyter Fest.
Match Recap: Pentagon hit Dax Harwood with a chop to the chest and Dax got pissed off. Dax leveled Pentagon with a Clothesline and followed it up with some stomps. Pentagon battled back with another chop to the chest that echoed throughout Daily’s Place. Fenix tagged in and hit a springboard kick to the back of Dax’s head for a one count.
Cash tagged in and connected with a Slam on Fenix for a near fall. Matt Jackson and Blade then tagged in. Nick tagged himself in and planted Blade with Backbreaker. Young Bucks hit Butcher and Blade with a couple Dropkicks. Blade planted Nick with a Powerbomb for a two count. Fenix tagged in and Nick hit him win an awesome Hurricanrana off the top rope as AEW went to a commercial break.
Back from the break, Blade had Cash Wheeler in a Headlock in the middle of the ring. Wheeler broke free and planted Blade with a Back Body Drop. Matt Jackson tagged in and slammed Fenix to the canvas. Matt climbed to the top rope and hit Butcher and Blade with a Crossbody outside the ring. Matt went back to the top rope and hit Fenix with an Elbow Drop for a two count.
Dax tagged in and planted Blade with a DDT. Dax and Matt hit Butcher with a couple Superkicks and turned around into a Dropkick from Fenix. Wheeler and Nick Jackson hit Fenix with Goodnight Express and Matt and Harwood hit Blade with a Piledriver. Young Bucks and FTR worked together and hit a Superplex, Splash, and a Senton but Fenix broke up the cover at the last moment.
Pentagon hit Matt hit a chop to the chest as Rey ran across the ropes to boot Nick in the face. Fenix then leaped off of Pentagon’s back and hit Nick with a Canadian Destroyer onto everyone outside the ring. Matt accidentally hit Dax with a Superkick and Lucha Bros took advantage and planted Matt with a Piledriver for the pinfall victory.
Dark Order faced SCU tonight on Fyter Fest. Brodie Lee approached Cabana as he was being evaluated backstage with a massive bruise on his side from being thrown into a barricade last week. Brodie told Cabana that these accidents won’t happen anymore with the Dark Order watching his back. Lee told Cabana to get ready for his match and Cabana said “you’ve got it Mr. Brodie”.
Match Recap: Daniels and Stu Grayson started off the match as members of Dark Order watched from the entrance ramp. Stu leveled Daniels with a Dropkick and went for the cover but Daniels kicked out at two. Daniels planted Grayson with a Backbreaker and tagged in Frankie.
Kazarian hit Stu with a Double Stomp and followed it up with a release German Suplex for a near fall. Brodie Lee planted Scorpio Sky and told Colt Cabana to cover him. Scorpio kicked out at two as Dynamite went to a break. When Dynamite returned, Mr. Brodie Lee tagged in and walked into a Dropkick from Frankie.
Frankie followed it up with a DDT and went for the cover but Brodie kicked out at one. Brodie battled back and hit Frankie with a Sidewalk Slam. Daniels knocked Brodie to the outside and hit him with a Suicide Dive. Back in the ring, Daniels connected with a Uranage and followed it up with a Moonsault onto Grayson but Cabana broke it up at two. Brodie Lee leveled Daniels with the Discus Lariat and demanded that Stu tagged Colt in. Cabana pinned Daniels to give Dark Order the victory.
Chris Jericho Defeated Orange Cassidy In A Great Match
Chris Jericho faced Orange Cassidy in the main event of Night 2 of Fyter Fest. Orange Cassidy told Best Friends to not come down to the ring with him and go backstage. Jericho came to the ring with Santana and Ortiz. Jericho had “Floyd” the baseball bat and Santana & Ortiz had gallons of orange juice.
Match Recap: Orange Cassidy dominated the action early and connected with a Crossbody off the top rope. Jericho locked in the Walls of Jericho but Cassidy fought through the pain and reached the bottom rope to break the hold. Ortiz hit Orange Cassidy with the madball while the referee was distracted. Jericho mocked Orange Cassidy and slapped him across the face.
Jericho planted Cassidy with a Backbreaker as the crowd booed. Cassidy rolled up Jericho for a two count and followed it up with an Arm Drag for another near fall. Orange Cassidy went for the Superman Punch but Jericho avoided it and sent him out of the ring. Jericho then hit a Dropkick through the ropes that sent Cassidy into the barricade as Dynamite went to a break.
When Dynamite returned, Jericho was still in control and had Cassidy in an Abdominal Stretch in the middle of the ring. Cassidy broke free but Jericho once again sent him flying into the barricade. Santana and Ortiz got in some cheap shots on Cassidy before the action returned to the ring.
Orange Cassidy fought back with a few forearms and a boot to the face. Cassidy put his hands in his pockets and delivered a Superkick for a near fall. Cassidy made his way to the top rope but Jericho caught him with a right hand. Chris went for a Superplex but Cassidy blocked it and sent Jericho to the canvas.
Cassidy connected with a Splash off the top rope and went for the cover but Jericho kicked out at two. Orange sent Jericho out of the ring and then flipped onto everyone. Cassidy rolled Jericho into the ring and planted him with a DDT for a near fall. Cassidy went for the Superman Punch but Jericho caught him. Chris locked in the Walls of Jericho in the middle of the ring but Cassidy countered into a roll-up for a two count. Orange followed it up with a massive right hand but Santana threw orange juice in Cassidy’s face. Best Friends rushed down the ramp and battled with Santana and Ortiz through the crowd.
Jericho hit Cassidy with the bat while referee Aubrey Edwards was distracted. Jericho followed it up with the Codebreaker and went for the cover but Cassidy kicked out at two. Jericho went for the Lionsault but Cassidy got out of the way. Cassidy hit Jericho with a Michinoku Driver for a near fall. Cassidy hit the Stundog Millionaire and followed it up with a swinging DDT for another near fall. Cassidy went for the Superman Punch but Jericho countered with the Judas Effect for the pinfall victory.
Opinion: Jericho versus Cassidy was a very fun match to close out another solid edition of Dynamite. This was one of those matches that I really wish there was a crowd there because they would have popped after Cassidy kicked out of the Codebreaker. Overall, both weeks of Fyter Fest were entertaining and I’m looking forward to the AEW Championship match next week at Fight for the Fallen.
Isaiah “Swerve” Scott vs. Johnny Gargano was a late addition to this card as WWE had announced it on Tuesday. In fact, WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels noted in a post on Twitter following the announcement that it could end up as the show-stealer.
While it was very good with both guys being able to have a spotlight on the show, it wasn’t the best match on the show as that honor goes to Adam Cole vs. Keith Lee.
Scott continues to be a prospect who has star power written all over him. While yes, putting him in the ring with the type of star that Gargano is, he does get a rub, which is great. The only problem is the fact that he doesn’t win big matches.
From a booking standpoint, WWE can only do that with certain stars for so long. Unless WWE is making a storyline of this, which is something that they did with Bayley while she was a babyface, it hurts Scott in the long run instead of helping him as his stock with fans drop.
Mia Yim vs. Candice LeRae in a street fight is in the books after taking place. If you’ve seen one street fight in WWE then you’ve basically seen all of them. That’s unfortunate but that’s the way that these types of matches in WWE are booked.
Don’t mistake that statement as necessarily a bad thing as both girls worked hard in the contest to put forward the best performance possible.
The finish saw LeRae hit a neck breaker off the top of a table set up in the corner onto a pile of steel chairs.
Both girls have been built up as title contenders in the women’s division, which currently sees Io Shirai as the top star as champion. While Yim has had recent title opportunities, LeRae, on the other hand, is still out in the cold in that regard.
LeRae and Johnny Gargano have been accorded a ton of television time as of late so one would think that she would be getting a title match against Io sooner rather than later.
Santos Escobar, Raul Mendoza, Joaquin Wilde vs. Drake Maverick and Breezango in a six-man tag team match was booked.
While yes, it was part of a bigger story being told here, this was also just to fill time while continuing the ongoing story between Escobar and Maverick.
The match saw the heels go over for the win. Clearly, Breezango is just being used as comedy players who can do jobs to get younger talent over. It works nicely for both sides, but by pairing them with Maverick at a time where he is in such a serious storyline could be questioned by fans.
It will be interesting to see when Maverick gets his chance to not only get revenge but also challenge for the Cruiserweight Title will be interesting.
WWE does have a TakeOver special coming up in August that they could save it for, but this seems more like a television feud than a big storyline that’s worthy of a spot on the card of a TakeOver event.
WWE booked Keith Lee vs. Adam Cole in a Winner Takes All match for the NXT Championship & North American Championship. This served as the main event and rightfully so as it was the biggest match announced on the card.
WWE gave them plenty of time to tell the story that they had set out to tell. The back and forth contest came down to when Lee hit him with his finisher.
The finish of this contest might have caught some fans off guard although the apparent match result was leaked by a fellow NXT star just last week in a really bad mistake.
Up until this point, WWE had been building up Karrion Kross to be the next challenge for the title. In fact, he had already sent a warning to Cole about his intentions.
Whether this title change causes a delay in that happening remains to be seen. Either way, we’re likely getting another match between Lee and Cole, but this was a nice way to cap off the night.
?Oooooooo, bask in his glooOOOoory! Oooooooo, bask in his glooOOOoory! ?
Keith Lee has dethroned Adam Cole as the top champion in the WWE NXT banner.
WWE booked a Winner Takes All Match between Cole and Lee on this Wednesday’s episode of NXT, which is the second week of The Great American Bash. The stipulation heading into this contest on the USA Network was Cole’s NXT Title and Lee’s NXT North American Title would be on the line.
As seen on the show, which took place from Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University, Lee ended up beating Cole to become the new NXT Champion. This ended Cole’s reign as champion that lasted over 400 days.
Cole originally won the title by defeating Johnny Gargano for it at NXT TakeOver: XXV on June 1, 2019 in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
This big win was spoiled by NXT star Saurav Gurjar, who is part of the tag team Indus Sher, as he decided it was a good idea to post a photo from the tapings last week of Lee standing tall with the title.
What are your thoughts on Keith Lee winning the WWE NXT Title from Adam Cole? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.
