Heath Slater has the opportunity to take advantage of the current competitive environment for the first time in his career after getting his release from WWE last month and he has a plethora of options to choose from.
The former WWE star recently had an interview with WrestlingInc where he talked about things like his release from the company, the coronavirus pandemic and more.
During the interview, Slater discussed his WWE contract and the One Man Band revealed that he will be a free agent on July 18 as this is when his non-compete clause expires:
“I know that by July 18, I’m gonna have to start making some moves and get my name out there again. I can do whatever I want then. I’m hanging in there until then and just working on myself – mentally and physically and all that good stuff.”
When asked what he wants to do in his future, Heath Slater said that he wants to hit all the platforms because he has never had the opportunity to do so:
“Honestly, I want to hit all the platforms. The reason why is because I’ve never had the opportunity to. I wanna do the indies. I wanna go to some of the big indie promotions and have a good time.
Heath continued by name dropping promotions such as TNA, NWA and AEW as potential places for him to work at and said that he just wants to go out there and have fun.
The Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn has been stripped of the title and WWE has announced a tournament for the crowing of a new champion.
The news was announced just recently and it was noted that WWE is declaring the title vacant because the former Champion is unable to compete and defend the championship.
BREAKING NEWS:@SamiZayn is unable to compete and defend the Intercontinental Championship, therefore @WWE has declared the title vacant. A tournament to crown a new Champion will begin on Friday Night Smackdown on FOX. pic.twitter.com/5qZgUyL9rC
Sami Zayn has been away from WWE programming for a while and he was last seen on WWE TV during WrestleMania 36 where he defended his title against Daniel Bryan in a one on one match.
It was reported recently that the former NXT Champion was booked for the April 23 episode of SmackDown but he pulled out of the show due to coronavirus concerns.
This move from the officials is especially surprising because the company has previously told its employees that they would not face any consequences over the decision to pull out of the shows amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The Intercontinental Championship was Sami Zayn’s first title in the WWE main roster since his debut on Raw 5 years ago during the May 4, 2015 episode of the show.
The high flying star is not the only wrestler to have pulled out of WWE shows. Roman Reigns infamously decided against working his WrestleMania 36 match with Goldberg and he hasn’t been mentioned on WWE programming ever since.
The now-former champion has not reacted to this change as of this writing but we will keep you posted on any development in the situation.
The rumors about the relationship between WWE and Sting have picked up steam after some recent developments and now latest reports suggest that there might be some truth to these speculations.
According to reports from Pro Wrestling Sheet, the former WCW star’s deal with WWE has expired and as of right now The Icon is not under a WWE contract.
Though the site notes that this development doesn’t necessarily mean that the two parties could not work out a merchandising deal in the future.
The rumors about the WWE status of Sting first became a topic of discussion after he was abruptly pulled from an upcoming WWE action figure lineup of Mattel.
The statement from the toy company did not provide a clear reason for this change and they just noted that the former champion was being pulled from the series due to ‘circumstances out of their control’.
Sting made his WWE debut in November 2014 during Survivor Series and he was inducted into the Hall Of Fame in 2016. His last WWE appearance came during the February 25, 2019 episode of Raw where he took part in Ric Flair’s 70th birthday celebration.
There have also been rumors about the wrestling legend’s future and some latest developments suggest that he could be making his AEW debut soon. You can check out a detailed report on the matter here.
There have been mixed feelings among the WWE roster about the company’s decision to run shows amid the coronavirus outbreak but it appears that at least Kofi Kingston is in support of the decision.
The former WWE Champion recently had an interview with WrestlingInc where he talked about things like spending time with his family in quarantine and more.
Talking about the company’s decision to run the shows, Kingston claimed that he takes a lot of pride in providing the escapism for people in these trying times:
“We do take a lot of pride in providing this escapism for people because I do think it’s important to allow people to think about something else besides what is going on, we want to provide a sense of normalcy, provide something that puts smiles on people’s faces.
We need that. If we’re on just news lines all day, there is so much negativity out there.” said Kofi Kingston. “Maybe rightfully so because of all the uncertainty, and we don’t’ really know what’s going on.”
The New Day member went on to say that there should be some positive stuff out there and he takes a lot of pride in being part of the positivity.
Kofi Kingston and Big E successfully defended their SmackDown Tag Team Championships at the Money In The Bank PPV. We should get an idea about what’s next for them on this week’s episode of the Blue Branded Show.
Viewership data is in for Monday’s WWE RAW and Friday’s SmackDown. Here is the breakdown of the live and same-night DVR viewership, courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:
RAW Viewership
Monday’s edition of WWE RAW averaged 1.920 million viewers, which is up from the 1.686 million viewers last week, the lowest viewership in the 27-year history of the program.
Here is the hourly viewership breakdown:
Hour 1: 1.993 million, 0.59 in the 18-49 Demo
Hour 2: 1.961 million, 0.58 in the 18-49 Demo
Hour 3: 1.802 million, 0.53 in the 18-49 Demo
RAW featured the returns of Edge and Randy Orton in the final segment as well as the opening segment that saw Becky Lynch award Asuka the RAW Women’s Title as she announced she is pregnant. Bobby Lashley vs. Humberto Carrillo, Drew McIntyre vs. Andrade, The IIconics vs. Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross, Aleister Black & Rey Mysterio vs. Murphy & Seth Rollins, and Shayna Baszler vs. Natalya also took place.
SmackDown averaged 2.025 million viewers on FOX in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center. This is up from the 1.885 million viewers that the show did for the previous week’s episode of SmackDown.
The show averaged 2.040 million viewers in the fast nationals, which was up from the 1.919 million viewers a week ago. This number measured the top metered markets.
The first hour drew 2.087 million viewers while the second hour did 1.992 million viewers. For comparison, the first show of last week’s show did 1.941 million viewers while the second hour did 1.896 million viewers.
SmackDown pulled in a 0.50 rating in the 18-49 demos, the same from the 0.50 rating as last week’s show.
Former WWE Superstar Heath Slater recently appeared on the Chris Van Vliet podcast. The ‘One Man Band’ would discuss a number of topics from his time with the company and what he plans on doing now that he has hit the independent circuit.
Two names that Heath said he wants to face in the ring are NJPW and Japanese Wrestling legend Hiroshi Tanahashi and AEW’s Kenny Omega.
Heath Slater on Meeting Tanahashi
Heath would tell a story of when Tanahashi visited the FCW developmental territory while he was there. “I remember Hiroshi Tanahashi came to FCW, and this was a decade or so ago? No longer than that. This was when FCW finally got into the warehouse” Heath Slater began.
“He [Tanahashi] came down I want to say he was with Yoshi [Tatsu]? He came down for a visit and just talking and shaking hands and stuff but then left. And then, he was huge in Japan! But I remember him just talking and stuff.”
Heath elaborated further, saying “I remember seeing these clips and everything and then people reminded me ‘that was him, that was him!’ I was like ‘oh crap!’ And then he became the mega star over there in Japan to where I would like to go and work him over there.”
Kenny Omega
Slater would then discuss his time in WWE’s Deep South developmental territory, where he worked alongside another extremely notable talent, Kenny Omega.
“Kenny Omega. You know, I worked him back in the developmental days of Deep South” Heath Slater would reveal. “That’s the only match we ever had, and we were babies, you know? I would like to work him again. I feel like we can kill it.”
Who would you like to see Heath Slater mix it up with on the independents or otherwise? Let us know in the comments.
Crazzy Steve returned to Impact Wresting at Rebellion. He was the mystery partner of Tommy Dreamer and Rhino as they went up against OVE. The former member of Decay has now been announced as having signed a new multi-year deal with the promotion.
The 36-year-old from Montreal was trained by Eric Young and made his professional debut in 2003. His first run with Impact lasted from 2014 to 2017. During that time, he was a member of the Menagerie and later Decay. He is a former TNA Tag Team champion along with Abyss.
Crazzy Steve and Abyss won the Impact tag belts in a “Valley of Shadows” match against Beer Money. The match took place at Sacrifice on March 19th, 2016. They would hold the belts until dropping them that October to the Broken Hardys at Bound for Glory.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBqjRrnieYw
Impact announced the news today as having first been broken by Wrestling Inc:
Impact Wrestling is back on the air tonight. The #1 contenders tournament kicks off with two opening-round matches. Additionally, Kimber Lee is scheduled to take on Havok, and Moose will defend the TNA World Championship against Suicide.
Former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Lio Rush was one of many WWE talents to be released from the company last month. Recently, Lio Rush took part in an interview with Forbes and commented about how he found out he was released from the company.
According to Rush, he called the company to ask when he heard about the releases and they informed him he was one of those being let go.
“I was the first group of people that were announced. I actually made the call myself,” Rush said. He continued to talk about how he saw the releases on new sites and then called the company.
“I saw that there were a lot of news sites posting about it. It made mainstream news, so I was like ‘oh man, this might be a real thing.’ So I called the Head of Talent Relations and I just asked—like, straight up—’Am I one of these people who is going to be released today? Because I’m seeing it all over the internet and I don’t want to find out over the internet or through one of my fans.’”
“He said yes, unfortunately, you are.”
Lio Rush On His Time In WWE, Wrestling Future
Rush signed with WWE in the summer of 2017. He started off in NXT but was moved to the main roster in 2018. After spending some time as Bobby Lashley’s “hype man,” Rush was reported to have been involved in some conflict with management. He began appearing in NXT once against in September of 2019, wrestling in the cruiserweight division.
Rush continued to say he’s not in a hurry to wrestle again after his release.
“I had good times in WWE. I had bad times too. And some of those bad times were a little traumatizing to me. I just thought to myself: Why put myself back in a situation where I was going to be unhappy?”
WrestleMania 36 was the first time in close to a decade the event occurred without Jon Moxley on WWE’s talent roster. Moxley signed with the promotion in April of 2011. He recently took part in an interview with Fightful where he noted that not only did he watch both nights of WrestleMania 36 but he also enjoyed the show.
“I watched the whole thing,” Moxley said. “Both nights. I enjoyed it. I thought it flowed nicely and a lot of people really worked their ass off and put on great performances.”
Moxley specifically mentioned the Boneyard match between the Undertaker and AJ Styles as a match he enjoyed.
“I enjoyed the Boneyard Match, I thought that was cool. I thought that was really cool, too, because the Undertaker is a really beloved character. He’s like a comic book character. He’s a beloved character from our childhood. Same as John Wayne or John McClane or any action movie star you can think of, so it was really cool. I think everybody really enjoyed that.”
Moxley also recently took part in an exclusive interview with SEScoops. The current AEW World Champion spoke about the difficulty of performing in front of no fans.
“Everybody’s kind of finding different ways to work around that, whether that’s the way you shoot it on camera, or lot of people are doing different cinematic style matches and stuff. It’s definitely tough.”
The interview can be viewed below or found on our official YouTube page here.
Otis won the men’s Money in the Bank match this Sunday. Although he wasn’t able to climb the ladder, the briefcase escaped the grasp of both AJ Styles and King Corbin before falling into his’ hands. Heading into the match, Otis was not a heavy favorite. He spoke to SI.com recently about his reaction to finding out he was to win the match.
“I found out and was like, ‘What?’” Otis said. “When the briefcase got into my hands, that’s when it felt real. I remember watching the first ‘Money in the Bank’ match at WrestleMania, and it blows my mind that I woke up right next to it this morning.”
Otis On Being In The WWE Main Event Picture
Otis debuted on the WWE main roster in January of 2019 along with his Heavy Machinery partner, Tucker. He entered into a program along with Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville, and Dolph Ziggler in the build-up to WrestleMania 36. He then defeated Ziggler on the show and celebrated with Rose after. Otis also spoke to SI.com about moving up to the main event picture in WWE after his win at Money in the Bank.
“I’ve heard I’m just a big man comedy wrestler,” Otis continued. “I’ll admit it, I’m always the loud one in the room. But when it’s time for business, it’s time for business. Can I be in the main event? Let’s do it. If I sink, then that’s on me. I love wrestling, and I’m going to show people that I can do it.”
Real-name Nikola Bogojevi, Otis is a 28-year-old from Duluth, Minnesota. He was voted the 2017 Rookie of the Year by Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Otis is scheduled to appear in a MizTV segment this Friday night on Smackdown.
Asuka is the new RAW Women’s Champion after Becky Lynch vacated the title last night on RAW. The 38-year-old who has been with WWE since 2015 has now done something no other woman in WWE history has achieved.
Asuka is now the only woman in WWE history to have won a Money in the Bank briefcase, a Royal Rumble, the NXT Women’s Title, the Smackdown Women’s Title, the tag titles, and now the RAW Women’s title.
The 3 women’s Royal Rumble winners are Asuka, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair. Lynch never won the NXT Women’s title or the tag titles. Flair has never won a Money in the Bank match or the tag titles.
Other wrestlers who are close include Bayley, who just needs to win a Royal Rumble to equal Asuka. Alexa Bliss needs to win a Royal Rumble and the NXT title to do the same.
Asuka WWE Championship Statistics
Asuka held the NXT Women’s title from April 1st, 2016 (NXT TakeOver: Dallas) until vacating the title in August of 2017. She would later win the Royal Rumble in January of 2018.
Asuka won the Smackdown women’s title at TLC on December 16th, 2018. She would then drop the title on March 26th, 2019 to Charlotte Flair.
The Kabuki Warriors won the Women’s Tag Team titles at Hell in a Cell 2019 from Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross. They then dropped them back to “Bliss Cross” at WrestleMania 36.
Former WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch spoke with People.com following the big news she shared on Monday’s episode of RAW.
Lynch had to vacate the championship because she is pregnant with her first child. She’s been engaged to Seth Rollins since August.
In this interview, Lynch said she learned she was pregnant in April and that the baby is due in December.
Lynch also stated that she won’t be making a decision regarding her in-ring future yet
“It’s just such a joyous time and then such a sad time too. I loved this and I’ve given my life to this. I’ve achieved everything that I want to achieve in this business,” she explained.
“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,” the WWE star continued. “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.”
Lynch also talked about how she went through a number of pregnancy tests in April because the first test came out negative. However, she had believed that she might be pregnant and bought more until a digital test that confirmed what she suspected.
Lynch recalled being with Rollins when she took the test and he just threw his hands up in the air as he was excited.
WWE ran an injury angle with Rey Mysterio on Monday’s RAW. Father-to-be Seth Rollins snapped and violently assaulted Mysterio. He drove the masked legend’s eye into the ringside steps, drawing blood and putting him on the sidelines for the foreseeable future.
With his contract reportedly set to expire in September, the question arises if WWE was taking Mysterio off television to begin contract negotiations or deal with an injury. According to Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline.com, Rey Mysterio “isn’t going anywhere.”
He’s not the only one to think that Mysterio will be staying put. All Elite Wrestling’s Jim Ross recently spoke about Mysterio’s contract status during his podcast. During a discussion with co-host Conrad Thompson, Ross believed Mysterio had signed a new contract WWE. He shared how he felt that was a good call for Mysterio “at this stage of the game.”
Ross stressed how Rey Mysterio was a “different breed of cat” compared to other cruiserweights and Superstars. He stated how Mysterio was simply “that much better and on a different level” in his opinion.
EC3 was back at it again with another warning video posted on his official Twitter account.
This is where he pledged the destruction of his former self, meaning WWE character, and not be the corporately made persona anymore. He also talked about how he’s not reliant on the authority to make out right and wrong as well as finding freedom.
This is all part of his new gimmick that he came up with following his WWE release. He has changed his look by cutting his hair shorter and growing a goatee. You can check out his latest warning video here:
EC3 was just one of many talent and staff who was released by WWE last month due to budget cuts as a result of the financial impact of the coronavirus.
Just a few days ago, EC3 cut a promo in a video shared on Twitter where he put over The Revolt, the tag team formerly known as The Revival.
Just like all that were released by the company, his non-compete clause is slated to expire in July. Until then, he won’t be able to sign with any promotion nor can they legally make him a contract offer or appear on its programming.
WWE Superstar AJ Styles was unsuccessful in his attempts to claim the Money In The Bank briefcase during this past Sunday’s pay-per-view. Despite having the briefcase in his hands, “The Phenomenal One” would fumble the prize, dropping it into the waiting hands of Otis.
Although he wasn’t able to secure the win, AJ Styles still has his eyes set on some of WWE’s top Superstars including Seth Rollins and WWE Champion Drew McIntyre. Those two clashed at the event in a title match, with McIntyre successfully defending his belt.
Joining WWE show The Bump, Styles discussed both men and whom he’d prefer to face for the championship if it came to it. AJ Styles admitted he didn’t have a preference, praising both as “super athletic” and “super on fire” when it comes to their performance. “They have what it takes to get the job done. There’s no doubt about that, they obviously have one who’s the champion what has been the champion.”
AJ Styles On The “Biggest Threat” To Championship Contendenders
AJ Styles then singled out current WWE Champion Drew McIntyre. He highlighted how McIntyre is on a “different level” at this time.
Acknowledging his extensive experience in wrestling, Styles stated how McIntyre has also been wrestling for a long while. He believes that McIntyre is the “biggest threat to anyone who wants to go after the WWE Championship.”
AJ Styles recently referred to the events at Money In The Bank as a “travesty,” perhaps hinting that he intends to take his issues with Otis further on-screen.
WWE had confirmed that Becky Lynch will be making a big announcement on this week’s episode of Raw but the company had not revealed any details about it.
So the announcement of her pregnancy came as a big surprise to all the fans of The Man and her speech during the opening segment of Raw left them emotional.
The now former Raw Women’s Champion took on her twitter after the show and addressed the fans who have helped in making her dreams come true.
Becky said that she doesn’t know what will happen in the future but recalled how she entered the Performance Center in 2013 not knowing anyone and now she has a family:
Asuka won the Women’s Money In The Bank match this past Sunday during the namesake PPV and she was named the new Raw Women’s Champion after the announcement on Raw.
There is no word yet on what Becky Lynch is planning for her future and there is no news on when or if she will return to wrestling after her pregnancy.
The former Champion gave some more details about her pregnancy and revealed when she found out about it in an interview before this week’s episode of Raw. You can check out her comments on the matter at this link.
The Undertaker’s WWE documentary series The Last Riderecently debuted on the WWE Network. As part of WWE’s promotional push for the series, the WWE Legend sat down with People Magazine for an interview.
During their conversation, “The Deadman” opened up about his reluctance to retire from in-ring competition. He also shared his ambition to wrestle a perfect final match.
Reflecting on his historic career, The Undertaker acknowledged how he has been blessed to have exceeded any and all expectations since his debut as the character. That being said, he stressed how he wants a “John Elway ending.”
The Undertaker noted how he’s “fighting an uphill battle,” and admitted how time is running out for him. “But that’s the struggle. It has nothing to do with fame, it has nothing to do with money, it has nothing to do with anything other than wanting just that, “Yeah. That’s the match that I needed to go out on.’”
The first episode of The Last Ride is available to stream now on the WWE Network. It documents The Undertaker’s journey into WrestleMania 33. He wrestled Roman Reigns at the event in what was intended to be his final match.
Upon losing the match to Reigns, The Undertaker would symbolically leave his coat, gloves and hat in the ring, signifying the end of his career.
Money In The Bank winner Otis joined Lilian Garcia on a recent episode of her podcast Chasing Glory. During their conversation, Otis opened up about being bullied and dealing with dyslexia while growing up.
When Garcia asked if he had ever been picked on during high school, Otis admitted he had been. He shared how he has “always been made fun of” because of the way he looks. He stressed how it wasn’t always weight-related, noting how he has difficulty reading due to dyslexia.
“I got plenty of stories with me trying to follow kids back home trying to get at them but it’s just I wasn’t the fast one and yeah, reading assessment was weird. These days, like it’s funny to look back now because a lot of those kids that did do that, I don’t think they have the balls to talk to me anymore. I don’t think.”
Otis On Not Having Body Insecurities
Despite having to deal with people trying to make fun of him, Otis admitted he’s never had a problem with his size. He recalled how WWE wanted him to wrestle in trunks after moving away from NXT. He shared how he doesn’t have a lot of insecurities, but remembered thinking “‘Wow that’s not going to look good on camera here. I got a shakey belly, ya know?’”
Having adopted the idea of competing in trunks, however, Otis shared how the WWE Universe went nuts when he first debuted them. “I’m sitting there shaking my belly. So I guess I’m making a living shaking my belly…”
Otis would emerge victorious from this Sunday’s Money In The Bank pay-per-view. He caught the lucrative briefcase after AJ Styles fumbled it at the top of the ladder. At the time of writing, there is no indication as to what title Otis will challenge for. He has the option to compete with any champion from RAW, SmackDown or NXT.
Prior to being thrown off the top of WWE HQ’s roof during Sunday’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match, Aleister Black spoke withNew York Post. During the interview, Black was asked if he would be interested in being managed by his real-life wife, Zelina Vega.
Black stressed he has no interest in having Vega manage him at this time. He noted how “I don’t think she has to because it would be kind of cliché.”
He explained how the idea she would manage him because of their relationship falls in line with expectations, which is something he doesn’t want.
“I don’t think that I necessarily need my wife or my wife needs me on screen because clearly my wife is doing a phenomenal job. She’s basically been the head of Raw for the last two, three weeks.”
Aleister Black revealed how he’d prefer to carve out his own path as Vega continues to flourish on her own merits. That being said, it appears Black isn’t completely closed to the idea:
“Maybe in the future, you know, if they come up with something good and something we would both agree on, who knows. I’ll never say never, but as I’m looking at it right now, no.”
Although unsuccessful in claiming the briefcase during Sunday’s pay-per-view, Aleister Black did defeat Bobby Lashley during last month’s WrestleMania 36. He teamed last night with Rey Mysterio against the pair of Seth Rollins and Murphy.
Former WWE Superstar Christian has reflected on his jump to TNA back in 2005, comparing his move to Jon Moxley’s recent signing with All Elite Wrestling. Speaking with Wrestling Inc. Daily, Christian noted how every person’s story is different but stressed that Moxley has been doing a “tremendous job.”
Christian shared how when he left WWE, he was physically and mentally burned out from WWE’s arduous schedule. He was also frustrated. Christian believed that he could “perform at a higher level” than he was able to showcase.
He admitted that when he left, he knew he was going to go back to WWE at some point. Until then, however, he knew he needed to take a chance on himself and get better. He felt the only way to do that was to “take some risks and go somewhere.”
This decision to sign with TNA gave Christian the confidence boost he needed. He knew that when we returned to WWE, he would be “better equipped” than before. This need to leave in order to grow and get better is something he believes Moxley is experiencing during his successful run in AEW.
Speaking on Moxley’s time in AEW, Christian said “Obviously he’s the champion and there was great noise about him and what he was gonna do next. Anytime you can surprise the fan base – which is hard to do these days and he did that – and that gave him a lot of momentum as well.”
Christian and Jon Moxley recently worked together on a new film, Cagefighter: Worlds Collide. Christian produced and starred in the film, which also features Moxley and UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell.
You can read an exclusive SEScoops interview with Jon Moxley regarding his work on Cagefighter: Worlds Collide here.
RAW Superstar AJ Styles has addressed the fallout of Money in the Bank from this past Sunday. Having scaled the ladder, he and King Corbin fought over the unhooked briefcase. Despite his best efforts to secure the prize, Styles would fumble the briefcase. Otis would catch it after Styles dropped it, winning the match in the process.
AJ Styles’ Anger
Taking to Twitter, “The Phenomenal One” vented his frustrations with the situation, believing he was cheated from his victory. He stressed how no one had heard from either Aleister Black or Rey Mysterio at the time of his message.
AJ Styles noted how King Corbin was “running from the law,” acknowledging how Corbin had seemingly hurled both Black and Mysterio off the WWE HQ’s roof. Styles then noted how he was “CHEATED out of #MITB by @otisWWE!” The entire situation is something he called a travesty.
Although AJ Styles wasn’t a featured part of last night’s Monday Night RAW, both Rey Mysterio and Aleister Black were on the show. The Superstars teamed up in a matchup against Seth Rollins and Murphy.
With his win, Otis now has the opportunity to challenge for a championship. It is unknown at this time whether he will be challenging for gold on RAW, SmackDown or NXT, or if AJ Styles will take issue with Otis’ victory on TV.
The recent WWE releases has opened the doors for other companies to add some star power to their roster and it appears that Impact Wrestling is in the race to sign at least two such talents in Gallows and Anderson.
The now-former WWE stars were talking about their future and other things on the latest episode of their Talkin Shop podcast which is hosted by the duo and Rocky Romero.
What’s interesting to note here is that Impact Vice President Scott D’Amore ended up making an accidental appearance during the broadcast of the episode.
As first noted by The Combat Republic, D’Amore called Gallows while the show was still being recorded and they put him on speakerphone. You can check out their conversation in the clip below:
Impact EVP Scott D’Amore makes an accidental appearance on the Gallows and Anderson podcast “Talkin Shop”. Sure sounds to me like they may be negotiating. pic.twitter.com/6yp6S3If74
Gallows and Anderson signed a three year deal with WWE in 2016 and they had renewed their contracts with the promotion in July earlier last year.
However, the company released the duo alongside numerous other stars such as Kurt Angle and Rusev as part of WWE’s coronavirus budget cuts last month.
There is no news yet on what the former champions are planning for their future but we should get a better idea about their plans after July 15 when their non compete clause with the company expires.
This week’s episode of Monday Night Raw was the follow-up episode of Money In The Bank and the company followed the PPV with a number of interesting announcements and the return of the former women’s tag team champions The IIconics.
The duo appeared as the guests on “A Moment of Bliss” show hosted by the current Women’s Tag Team Champions Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross and they demanded a title shot from the current champions.
While Bliss and Cross did not grant them a title match, they did agree to a nontitle clash and the IIconics ended up winning this bout after Peyton Royce pinned Alexa for the win.
This win earned them a title shot and the company later announced that the former NXT stars will be challenging the current champions for their titles at next week’s episode of the Red Branded Show.
This week’s episode of Raw was an eventful episode and apart from the return of the IIconics, the show featured a number of buzzing announcements and segments.
The episode started with Becky Lynch announcing her pregnancy and relinquishing the Raw Women’s Championship. After this, the Money In The Bank winner Asuka was named the new champion.
The company also reintroduced the wild card rule with a new format. The shows can now challenge the other brand and the first match under this new rule has already been announced which you can check out here.
It was reported earlier yesterday that WWE is looking to reintroduce the wild card rule and the company confirmed the same during the latest episode of Monday Night Raw.
WWE Champion Drew McIntyre defeated the US Champion Andrade in a champion vs. champion non-title match on this week’s episode of the show.
After the bout, the Scottish superstar announced that a Brand-to-Brand invitation had been extended to SmackDown and the Blue Branded Show has accepted the challenge.
He then announced that SmackDown has chosen King Corbin as his opponent and the two will be battling in an inter-brand match at next week’s episode of the Red Branded Show.
Though this was not the only announced cross-brand appearance and the company also confirmed that the NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair will be making an appearance on SmackDown this week.
Charlotte has been a regular of NXT since winning the title at WrestleMania 36 but she is still considered a Raw star and the Queen continues to make appearances for the brand.
There is no word yet on what she will be doing at the show this Friday night but like Baron Corbin, it’s possible that she will be making this appearance for a match.
While not confirmed, it’s believed that WWE has decided to bring back this new version of the wild card rule due to the plummeting ratings. You can check out a more detailed report on the matter here.
Rey Mysterio & Aleister Black def. Seth Rollins & Murphy via DQ
Shayna Baszler def. Natalya
Here are 5 takeaways from this week’s show:
Becky Lynch Announces She Is Pregnant, Asuka Is The New RAW Women’s Champion
RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch came down to the ring holding the women’s MITB briefcase. Lynch placed in on a table set up in the ring and grabbed a microphone. The Man was emotional and said that she is at a very difficult point in her life. Becky started crying and said that she didn’t know if anyone in this country would care about her but she found out that they did.
Lynch thanked the fans and said that they deserve to hear this from her first. Becky said she has to go away for a while and Asuka interrupted. Asuka came down to the ring and started shouting at Lynch. Becky told Asuka that she has beaten her when nobody else could and that she has been the best wrestler in the world.
Becky told Asuka that the match last night wasn’t for an opportunity to win the title, it was for so much more. Becky opened the briefcase and revealed that the RAW Women’s Championship was in the briefcase. Lynch stated that she cannot fight anymore and Asuka is the champion.
Asuka celebrated with the title and started running around the ring as Lynch cried in the ring. Becky congratulated Asuka and announced that she is leaving to go be a mother.
Becky was congratulated by Rey Mysterio (apparently being thrown off a roof is no big deal), Natalya, Street Profits, Bianca Belair, Ricochet, Liv Morgan, Cedric Alexander, R-Truth, Kairi Sane, Akira Tozawa, and other superstars backstage.
Bobby Lashley battled Humberto Carrillo in a No DQ match tonight on RAW.
Match Recap: Lashley dominated the action early and set up for a Spear. Humberto dodged it and sent Bobby tumbling out of the ring. Lashley grabbed a chair but Humberto hit the chair into his face with a Dropkick as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Lashley was back in control and was beating down Carrillo and the corner of the ring. Humberto battled back and connected with a Dropkick off the second rope. Carrillo followed it up with an Enziguri that knocked Lashley out of the ring. Humberto went for a Crossbody but Bobby caught him and bashed him into the ring post.
Bobby tried to hit Carrillo with a chair but Humberto ducked. Carrillo grabbed the steel chair and beat the hell out of Lashley. Back in the ring, Lashley locked in a Full Nelson for a submission victory.
Angel Garza defeated Akira Tozawa in a squash match. After the match, WWE Champion Drew McIntyre came down to the ring as Garza, Theory, and Vega were arguing in the ring.
McIntyre hit Theory with a Claymore and did the same to Garza. McIntyre and Andrade started arguing in the ring as RAW went to a break. McIntyre then battled Andrade in a non-title match.
Match Recap: McIntyre dominated early and slammed Andrade on the ring apron. Andrade battled back and locked in an Armbreaker across the ropes. McIntyre hit a boot to the face and made his way to the top rope. Drew connected with a Flying Clothesline and followed it up with a Powerbomb for a near fall. Andrade sent McIntyre into the turnbuckle and then hit Double Knees for a one count. McIntyre hit a reverse Alabama Slam and then a Claymore Kick for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Drew McIntyre cut a promo and said his match with Seth Rollins was a hell of a fight. McIntyre announced that SmackDown’s King Corbin will come to RAW and battle next week.
Seth Rollins Snapped & Brutally Attacked Rey Mysterio
Aleister Black and Rey Mysterio teamed up against Seth Rollins and Murphy.
Match Recap: Rollins stared off into the distance as Black and Mysterio took turns beating Murphy down. Aleister connected with a kick to the face and went for the cover but Murphy kicked out at two.
Murphy pleaded for a tag but Rollins just stood there. Rollins stared at Aleister for moment and Murphy capitalized with a Dropkick that sent Black into the ring post as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Mysterio hit Murphy with a Hurricanrana into the barricade. Back in the ring, Rey went for a Crossbody but Murphy countered into a roll-up for a two count. Mysterio went for the 619 but Seth caught him. Rollins launched Mysterio into the barricade and the ref called for the bell.
Rollins set up Mysterio on the steel steps and demanded that Rey stay back. Seth then brutally shove Rey’s eye into a corner of the steel steps and had a deranged look on his face while doing so.
Opinion: I was not ready for this spot at all. Rollins psychotic face and the blood pouring out of Rey’s face caught me completely off guard and it was awesome. It made no sense why the referee called for the bell and disqualified Rollins. Despite that, this was easily the best part of the night so far.
Rollins tried to apologize to Rey backstage but Mysterio was dragged away by WWE’s medical staff. Aleister Black and Murphy then brawled backstage before security arrived.
Edge came down to the ring in the final segment of this week’s RAW. He stated that he came back here to retire on his terms and wondered what is next. Edge claimed WrestleMania was not the end for him and brought up RAW airing a promo package that he was coming to hunt Orton.
Edge added that he got his closure at WrestleMania and is ready to move on. Randy Orton interrupted and joined Edge in the ring. Orton walked up to Edge and said congratulations. Randy added that the better man won at WrestleMania and exited the ring.
Orton stopped on the entrance ramp and started laughing. Randy slid back into the ring and said while it is true that the better man won at WrestleMania but the better wrestler didn’t. Orton noted that maybe he didn’t get back up after the 10 count at WrestleMania but it didn’t take him 9-years.
Randy questioned if Edge can compete in a traditional wrestling match anymore and claimed to see doubt in his eyes. Orton said that all of Edge’s grit doesn’t come close to his natural ability. Orton challenged Edge to a match at Backlash in a traditional wrestling match. Charly asked if Edge had a response but he just stood in silence. Charly Caruso then stated that this could be the greatest wrestling match ever as RAW went off the air.
Opinion: I’m down for another Edge and Orton match as I found their Last Man Standing match at WrestleMania to be disappointing. I am sure that their match at Backlash will be much better. The Viking Raiders and Street Profits playing basketball just highlights the terrible state of the tag team division on the main roster.
I don’t find Drew McIntyre versus King Corbin to be a selling point for next week’s show at all. I can think of a bunch of superstars I’d rather see McIntyre wrestle than Corbin. Congratulations to Becky Lynch, but her leaving creates a huge void in the women’s division on RAW. Hopefully, Asuka gets a solid title reign and can help build up other superstars along the way.
