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Dustin Rhodes On AEW’s Women’s Division: “It Is Slow, But It Is Developing”

Steve Russell
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All Elite Wrestling in-ring talent and promo coach Dustin Rhodes recently discussed the promotion’s approach to their Women’s Division. Speaking with Alex McCarthy of talkSPORT, Rhodes acknowledged that the company is taking a “slow, steady” approach to building the division. He shared how he has become more involved in helping AEW’s women train following his coaching of Brandi Rhodes.

“Brandi came to me and said ‘Hey, would you like to step in and give me some training sessions?’ And it was meant more for her, and then we just started bringing all the girls, and they were loving it, man, and they have such a good time every single week, and I try to switch it up and teach them new things,” Rhodes explained. “Teach them repetition, because it’s all about repetition. Getting in the habit of doing the right thing instead of the wrong thing.”

Dustin Rhodes’ Training Approach

Dustin explained how some of the repetition he has been drilling with them revolves around making sure cameras see their expressions. He noted how most of the talent haven’t been on television before. He stressed the importance of their emotions being translated on screen as well as in the ring.

“The women’s division is developing,” he said. “It is slow, but it is developing, and we will get there over time. You know, this isn’t a race, it’s not a sprint, it’s a slow, steady build, like simmer on the stove, man.”

Regarding the future of the division and how it will grow and evolve, Dustin stated that he wants the women to feel comfortable in themselves, allowing their characters to flourish—a mentality they bring to their training session every week.

Dustin Rhodes is set to face Inner Circle member Jake Hager at AEW Revolution. The show takes place on February 29th from Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois.

If you use any quotes from this article, please provide a H/T to SEScoops.

Paul Heyman On John Cena’s Brock Lesnar Comments

Steve Russell
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Brock Lesnar’s advocate, Paul Heyman, has responded to John Cena’s recent comments. Cena praised Lesnar in an interview with Sports Illustrated, calling Lesnar the “best in-ring performer of all time.” Despite his kind words, it doesn’t seem Heyman is impressed with Cena’s sentiment. 

Taking to his Twitter account, Heyman shared an image of Brock Lesnar and John Cena from their early days on SmackDown. Lesnar has Cena hoisted onto his shoulders, seemingly ready to deliver an F5. Heyman accompanied the Tweet with the following caption:

“Dear @johncena, #BrockLesnar doesn’t want your F’N compliments! Happy Valentine’s Day, #YourHumbleAdvocate.”

Making sure Cena would see the post, Paul Heyman tagged him, the official WWE Universe account, and Brock Lesnar himself. Cena has yet to respond to Heyman’s post at the time of writing.

Brock Lesnar’s Upcoming Bouts

Brock Lesnar is set to defend his WWE Championship against Ricochet. The two will face off at WWE Super ShowDown which takes place on February 27th from King Fahd International Stadium in Saudi Arabia. 

If he retains, Lesnar will proceed to clash with the winner of the 2020 Men’s Royal Rumble match, Drew McIntyre. They would compete on “The Grandest Stage of Them All” WrestleMania 36 on April 5th in Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida.

Triple H Addresses NXT Women’s Championship Name Change Rumors

Steve Russell
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Triple H has addressed rumors that WWE intends to rename the NXT Women’s Championship. It had been reported that the company planned to drop the word “Women’s” going forward, with the belt simply being referred to as the NXT Championship. Speaking on an NXT TakeOver: Portland media call, Triple H dismissed the idea.

“There were conversation that were had,” Triple H admitted. “It was basically about not having to beat it into the ground when you say it, but it just got run with and once… when you have that many people working on a product, and something gets taken the wrong way, everybody in trying to do their job, just spreads it.”

He continued, “There was never an edict, there was never anything. It really was what it was, of just trying not to… if you’re showing a graphic, you don’t have to say, the title belt that says ‘Women’ s’, the graphic that says ‘Women’ s’, the announcers saying ‘Women’ s’, so everybody is… but you get it. There are pictures of women there, you get what it is. You don’t have to beat it into the ground. It was more of, it just got run with and speculated on.”

NXT Champion

Since the rumors first started, there has only been one time that a WWE graphic has showcased current champion, Rhea Ripley, as “NXT Champion.” This graphic was used during WWE’s Worlds Collide event. Since then, there have been no other occasions where the genderless description has been used.

Rhea Ripley is set to defend her NXT Women’s Championship against Bianca Belair this Sunday. The two will compete at NXT TakeOver: Portland, which takes place from the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

WWE Reportedly Wants To Acquire Indie Promotions’ Tape Libraries

Rayan Sayyed
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WWE is looking to acquire tape libraries from US indie promotions for its streaming platform, WWE Network.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE is reaching out to indie promotions to acquire their tape libraries. The company wants to stream indie wrestling content on its streaming service.

It is worth noting that this is not the first time a situation like this has been teased. In the past, there have been similar reports of the company wanting to get libraries indie promotions like Insane Championship Wrestling (ICW), PROGRESS, and EVOLVE on WWE Network.

WWE had even surveyed Network subscribers on their opinion of wanting indie wrestling content on the streaming service.

Vince McMahon has said that “transformative changes” will be coming to the WWE Network. WWE is looking at ways to further grow and monetize their content. The company has said that there is a lot of interest from other parties for licensing and partnering with them.

Vince McMahon has said that the company is in talks to sell the rights to its PPV events to another major streaming service. During the Q4 2019/FY 2019 earnings conference call, McMahon said that they have a lot of options and they would continue as they are now with a free tier and a more enhanced paid tier for the WWE Network. He added that there is no better time than right now to sell the rights to the majors who are “clamoring for our content,” since this would add a significant increase to WWE’s revenue.

If PPV content is taken off of WWE Network, then the company would need some additional content for its subscribers, as live PPVs are one of the major selling points of the Network. That’s where indie wrestling content comes in.

McMahon has said that if a deal is made, they will be announcing it in the first quarter of 2020. “That’s how far along we are,” he noted.

Jordynne Grace On How She Signed With Impact, Scott Steiner Backlash

Steve Russell
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Current Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion, Jordynne Grace has addressed the rumors over how she came to sign with the promotion. She also reflected on her storyline with Scott Steiner that received a negative reception online.

There had been a long-gestating rumor that Grace was offered her Impact contract through a direct message on social media. Turns out, although the contract itself wasn’t delivered by social media, the conversation that eventually led to it did.

“Scott D’Amore originally contacted me through a Twitter DM and we exchanged phone numbers,” Grace explained to Wrestling Inc. Daily. “Then I was offered the contract through the phone conversation. Scott is one of the coolest guys ever. When he talks business, it’s serious. But in general, he’s kinda one of the boys. He was a wrestler himself so he knows how it is and looks out for the best interests for everybody.”

Jordynne Grace & Scott Steiner Backlash

Turning her mind back to Impact’s 2019 Unbreakable event, Grace reflected on her matchup. She teamed with Scott Steiner and Petey Williams against the team of Dicky Mayer, Gentleman Jervis and Ryan Taylor. The match received some backlash, however, not for the in-ring action but because of Steiner’s actions before and after the match where he slapped Grace’s backside.

“You know what’s so funny is that the first few times we worked together I don’t think he knew my name,” Grace stated. “He’s Scott Steiner so why would he know my name? But he’s been my idol for a long time and I think he’s awesome. But I don’t think he knew I was jokingly calling him my dad because the first time we did our Impact [promo] together along with Petey, he slapped my ass during the promo. I was like, ‘Well, I can never say you’re my dad again.'”

Regarding the controversy itself, Grace said “It was stupid. The first time he slapped my ass, I said, ‘Ok, whatever.’ I didn’t know he was gonna slap my ass at the end of the match, but what are you gonna do? I acted like I was surprised because I didn’t know how to play it off. He asked me if he could do it and I don’t know how I can tell Scott Steiner’ no.’ So I just let him do it.”

Jordynne Grace recently defeated Taya Valkyrie for the Knockouts Championship.

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Flip Gordon Talks About Marty Scurll’s New ROH Responsibilities

Steve Russell
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Ring of Honor star Flip Gordon has opened up about Marty Scurll’s increased responsibilities with the promotion. Scurll, who is the leader of Villain Enterprises, recently signed a new contract with ROH which saw him become co-booker alongside Delirious. 

Speaking with Wrestling Inc. Daily, Gordon addressed Scurll’s new role, praising the business acumen that saw him become a part of ROH’s booking team.

“Marty is a very good businessman and I think whatever position he’s put in, he’s gonna thrive. He’s one of the most creative people I’ve ever met and he’s gonna do wonders. Give him a chance and I think you’re gonna be very proud of him,” said Gordon. “Look what he’s done with Villain Enterprises – that’s just on a microlevel. Now he’s got a whole company.”

Flip Gordon On Villain Enterprises Recent Record

Reflecting on his position with Villain Enterprises as their resident “Mercenary,” Gordon confessed that he’s lucky to be a part of the stable, especially as he’s been fired once before.

“I’m surprised I didn’t get fired for losing to Nick [Aldis] this past weekend,” said Gordon. “Marty’s not happy. Since the new year we haven’t been doing that hot. We haven’t won very many matches, I mean I’ve won a few. He’s not in the best of moods. I don’t know if he’s gonna wanna to add a member now.”

Despite their lack of victories, the stable can boast one major win: PCO becoming the new ROH World Champion. The 52-year-old defeated Rush for the title back at ROH’s Final Battle event in December.

Addressing the victory for PCO and, subsequently, Villain Enterprises, Flip Gordon said “I think it’s great he’s world champion and it’s his time. It was a long road to the top of that mountain and he absolutely deserves it. He’s a legend and by him being World Champion, Villain Enterprises is World Champion.”

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Ted DiBiase’s Nonprofit Reportedly Received $2 Million From Mississippi

Rayan Sayyed
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Ted DiBiase Sr.’s non-profit organization, Heart of David Ministry, has received $2.1 million in welfare money from the state of Mississippi, according to state records.

The report comes from The Clarion-Ledger, which states that the WWE Hall of Famer’s ministry had only “meager” funds until Ted’s son Brett DiBiase got hired as the deputy administrator at the Mississippi Department of Human Services. He was hired back in early 2017.

In May 2017, the Heart of David Ministry started receiving payments as much as $900,000 in a year. It has received a total of $2,126,739 from May 2017 to now. The ministry reported that the grant money received in 2017 was used for “general church speaking engagements, religious conferences, school assemblies, and wrestling events.”

The report also notes that the ministry appears to not have filed any tax documents with the IRS for the last two years.

Last week, Mississippi State Auditor Shad White had announced that six people, including Brett DiBiase, were arrested in the biggest embezzlement scam in the history of the state.

The arrested are alleged to have stolen more than $4.15 million in welfare money. John Davis, the former director of Mississippi’s welfare agency, was also among the arrested. He allegedly used the money for personal use and for DiBiase’s “luxury” drug rehab center.

DiBiase was paid with welfare money to teach drug awareness classes, but he never taught any classes as he was instead being treated for opioid addiction at Rise in Malibu, an addiction treatment center in Malibu, California.

Ted DiBiase Sr. has not been charged with anything as of this writing.

Booker T Discusses John Cena’s Brock Lesnar Comments

Steve Russell
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WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has shared his two cents on John Cena’s comments regarding Brock Lesnar. Cena recently shared his opinion that Lesnar is the “best in-ring performer of all time” in an interview with Sports Illustrated. Speaking on his podcast, The Hall of Fame, Booker T addressed Cena’s words.

“I know where John is coming from,” Booker T said. “[…] I can say I had a small piece in teaching John Cena the art in Shakespeare. People think I am throwing shade on him when I say John Cena is very limited as far as move set. He’s a guy who parlayed his skills all the way to the main event, the most decorated champion in WWE history. For John to make that statement about Brock Lesnar, I can’t say he’s wrong.”

He continued, “I wouldn’t necessarily say the best, he’s not number one on my list but as far a performer goes, right now, today, on the roster, in my opinion, Brock Lesnar is the most believable guy on our roster today in 2020, bar none. If anybody wants to challenge me on that, do so. The most believable athlete walking out of that curtain. He makes you believe it, you want more of it even if you don’t want more.”

Booker T On Lesnar’s Rumble Performance

Booker T looked at Lesnar’s performance in the Royal Rumble matchup as an example of this, calling it “awesome.” He believes people will remember January’s Rumble match for a long time because of Lesnar’s involvement and that, no matter who Lesnar’s opponent is, “if and when that guy beats Brock Lesnar, the fans go crazy. That’s a moment.” 

Brock Lesnar defends his WWE Championship against Ricochet at WWE Super ShowDown on Thursday, February 27th. The event takes place from King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Dustin Rhodes Reflects On Cody’s Lashings Segment

Steve Russell
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All Elite Wrestling’s Dustin Rhodes has reflected on the recent AEW segment featuring his younger brother. Cody recently featured in a whipping segment, where he received ten lashes from Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF). Speaking with the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling Podcast, Dustin recalled how emotional the process was.

In the build-up to the lashings, AEW ran a few promos featuring people speaking about what Cody was heading towards. One of the people interviewed was Dustin. He stressed how they were intended to help to get “people invested” in the feud and lashings—something he believes they achieved.

Dustin Rhodes’ Reaction

“Cody sold it so well and his acting was so good and the way he was taking them and Arn comes out, his big brother comes out and we are all rallying behind him and I wanted to take the lashes for him,” Dustin said. “I think the only thing that might have been a little bit better is if MJF told me to give him the last five lashes, but this was after I was thinking of all these different scenarios.”

“[…] They were invested and they were standing, and you get some audience shots of them saying “Oh my God” and people are just really upset about it. It is uncomfortable. Whippings are always uncomfortable.”

Dustin admitted that it was “really cool” being out there for that moment. He praised Cody for doing a tremendous job. As far as he is concerned, Cody has really come into his own and is taking the world by storm.

Dustin Rhodes challenged Jake Hager to a matchup on this week’s episode of AEW: Dynamite. The two will face off at AEW’s next pay-per-view, Revolution, on February 29th.

Jim Ross On Ratings, AEW’s Locker Room Leaders, Young Talent

Steve Russell
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All Elite Wrestling commentator Jim Ross has shared his thoughts about obsessing over ratings. He claimed how they are “irrelevant” to him. He also discussed locker room leaders in AEW and Darby Allin’s potential. Addressing the ratings war, Ross was clear with his opinions: “I don’t care what the ratings do.”

“Look, we have to be realistic about things. The more that AEW devotes more time than they devote on WWE and what they’re doing, we’re wasting time on our own product. If we’re thinking about them, we ain’t thinking about us,” he told WrestleZone in an interview.

He continued, “I don’t care what the ratings do. It’s irrelevant to me what the ratings do—that’s a good sound byte. I don’t care about it because all we can do is work our ass off and provide a great product or as best as we are being produced to do, that’s what we have to worry about, not the other stuff. So I believe if we spend all our time working on how to get us better and improve our team and not worry about anybody else’s team because we can’t change or affect it. Too many of us worry about things that we have absolutely no control over.”

Jim Ross On Locker Room Leaders

The AEW roster is filled with a mixture of younger talent and industry veterans. This provides plenty of opportunities for people to learn from established names.

“I think we have a healthy locker room being built. There’s leaders there,” Ross stated. “There’s young guys that want to be led, want to be taught, coached up, and you’ve got veterans on your squad. We have several. We live by our champion, Chris Jericho.”

“How do you not respect and follow the lead of a Chris Jericho who’s reinvented himself over and over again—always for the better, always leading to more success at a high-level? So if you’re a young guy and you’re wanting to talk about being a wrestling villain or fan-favorite or whatever it may be, Chris Jericho’s a great source of information with that.”

Potential Stars & Long-Term Booking

When it comes to using that talent in AEW storylines, Ross explained how he isn’t a fan of “50/50 booking. Although he concedes that technology and social media can be great tools for wrestlers to connect with fans, he noted how “It’s a sad thing because that’s how you invest emotionally in the characters and that’s how they become big stars and part of that is how they’re booked. You can’t book somebody 50/50. They win one week, they lose the next, that’s silly. Nobody merits from that and the way you get talent over is you get guys on a roll.”

With a plethora of younger talent to cultivate and develop for these opportunities, Jim Ross is familiar with spotting talent with potential to develop.

One of those young talents he believes in his Darby Allin. To him, Allin has a great future ahead of him. He noted how Allin reminds him of a young Jeff Hardy. Another is Jungle Boy. Ross described him as having an “unlimited upside” before comparing him to a young Kevin Von Erich.

Alongside these two is Inner Circle member, Sammy Guevara, who Ross claimed is a “little Eddie Guerrero-ish. Great personality, never going to beat anybody with his size, he’s gonna beat him with his technique, his skill set and his speed and so forth.”

H/T to WrestleZone for the transcriptions.

Tommy Dreamer: Rhea Ripley And Bianca Belair Will “Steal The Show” At NXT TakOver: Portland

Steve Russell
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Former WWE Superstar Tommy Dreamer has shared which match he feels will steal the show at NXT TakeOver: Portland. Speaking with Bully Ray on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio, Dreamer highlighted the in-ring talent of Bianca Belair and the current NXT Women’s Champion, Rhea Ripley. Describing the women as true stars, he is confident the two will deliver something memorable this Sunday.

“For me, it’s been since Survivor Series, this woman continues to step up,” Dreamer said of Belair. “I’m enjoying them. They have been the MVPs of NXT each and every week, and I want to say that they are the top guys in NXT, and that is nothing but a compliment. She has the ‘it’ factor. She can work, she can talk, she’s officially my favorite bumper […] she just has this crispness, this ‘it’ factor about her.”

He continued, “She has a presence. I want to to be her manager so I can get a braid to cover my bald spot. I think she’s amazing, and Ripley is off the charts, putting the rocket on her for any brand, she’s a star. They’re both stars. And when you have that star power, it does nothing but help you, and at TakeOver: Portland they’re going to steal the show.”

Rhea Ripley defends her NXT Women’s Championship against Bianca Belair this Sunday at NXT TakeOver: Portland. The show takes place at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. 

If you use any quotes from this article, please provide a H/T to SEScoops.

Adam Cole Reveals His WrestleMania Dream Match

Steve Russell
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Current NXT Champion Adam Cole has revealed who his WrestleMania dream match would be against. For the black-and-gold brand Superstar, there’s only one name that comes to mind: “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles.

“[…] if I could have a WrestleMania match with anybody right now in WWE, really in the world, I would love to wrestle AJ Styles at WrestleMania,” Cole told FLO WWF. “I’ve wrestled him a couple of times before. He’s one of the absolute best I’ve ever faced before, but I’ve never beat him.”

“So he’s a guy I definitely want to get the chance to get in the ring with again. But, to me, when I think about, like, the top 3 lists of the best performers on the planet today, AJ Styles is always on my list. [He’s] just an unbelievably great athlete and I think we could have a really, really great match, especially on a stage like WrestleMania. Yeah, so AJ Styles would be my pick.”

Adam Cole Versus AJ Styles

The Undisputed Era had a run-in with AJ Style and his O.C. cohorts, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, a few months ago. The O.C. invaded NXT, attacking Cole and his stablemates before the show had a chance to start.

They would end up in the main event of that episode against the team of Tommaso Ciampa, Matt Riddle and Keith Lee. Following their NXT appearance, it was reported that AJ Styles attempted to pitch a matchup between the two stables for last year’s Survivor Series.

Adam Cole is scheduled to defend his NXT Championship against Tommaso Ciampa at NXT TakeOver: Portland. The event takes place on February 16th from the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.

If you use any quotes from this article, please provide a H/T to SEScoops.

Dustin Rhodes Discusses His AEW Coaching Role

Steve Russell
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All Elite Wrestling’s Dustin Rhodes isn’t only an in-ring talent. He also uses his vast experience in the industry to help coach AEW talents with their promo skills. Speaking with the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling Podcast, Rhodes opened up about his coaching experience to date and how the talent has been growing under his tutelage. 

A lot of AEW’s roster weren’t initially familiar with adapting their style for a television production. Rhodes acknowledged this fact but noted how “they are handling it pretty good. There are still some things every single week that I see that I go up to them and I tell them.”

Dustin Rhodes’ Feedback

Rhodes shared how there are still occasions where talent will turn around and face the audience rather than the hard cam. Valuing feedback, Rhodes will approach them to let them know how to improve these subtle things that have a massive impact for the “million people at home” rather than the “4,5 or 6,000 in the arena.” 

He continued, “That’s a transition for them to learn because they are coming from the indies and they never had that. Guys like Chris Jericho, myself, Moxley, Cody are teaching that, and it is very important for them to learn. We’ve got three months in now and they are doing good and they are starting to be cognisant of where those cameras are and lifting their heads up because they know the camera is right there to make them look good and the people at home get to see them. If you are looking the other way, they just see your ass and they want to see you.”

Dustin Rhodes recently challenged Inner Circle member Jake Hager. The two will clash at AEW’s next pay-per-view, Revolution, on February 29th. 

H/T to TMPT Empire for the transcription. 

Roman Reigns Reveals His Advice For Simone Johnson

Anutosh Bajpai
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Simone Johnson has no shortage of family members she can turn to for advice when it comes to wrestling and one of them is the current WWE superstar and cousin of her father The Rock, Roman Reigns.

Reigns recently had an interview with TMZ where he talked about a number of things and he also revealed his advice for the newest WWE star.

The former World Champion was asked if his niece should use the People’s Elbow made famous by her dad and replying to the question, Roman said that his advice to Simone would be to develop her own personality:

“If I were to give her some advice, I’d say try to develop your own personality and develop your own shtick, your own character,” Reigns said.

“I mean, we can do anything we want. I could’ve been The Savage from the Island of Samoa if I wanted to, but I developed a different character and I went a different route.”

Reigns then explained that he has developed his own character but he is still able to pay homage to his heritage and Johnson will feel more accomplished if she does the same.

Apart from this, Roman Reigns also responded to UFC star Jon Jones’ recent comments about joining WWE and discussed a potential match with the MMA fighter. You can check out his comments on the matter here.

Former Lucha Underground Star To Make NXT Debut This Weekend

Anutosh Bajpai
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Former Lucha Underground star King Cuerno, also known as El Hijo del Fantasma will finally be making his NXT debut during a live event this weekend.

The Mexican star, now renamed to Jorge Bolly recently appeared on a video with new NXT on-air personality Kat Marino and announced that he will be making his NXT debut at Saturday’s Live Event from Ft. Pierce, Florida.

He revealed that he will be teaming with Raul Mendoza for a tag team match but their opponents were not confirmed. You can check out the video featuring the announcement of his debut below:

Making his professional wrestling debut in 2000, Bolly has wrestled for a number of big companies in Mexico, including AAA and Lucha Underground.

He also made several appearances for Impact Wrestling in 2017 and 2018, competing at events like Slammiversary XV and Bound For Glory.

WWE announced the signing of the Luchador back in September but it was later revealed that he was recovering from a knee injury and that’s why he hasn’t made his debut yet.

Jorge Bolly also teased the introduction of his tag team partner in the video above and called their team ‘Tequila’. So now it would be interesting to see which star he introduces as his partner during the show.

Roman Reigns On Potential Match With UFC Star Jon Jones

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones had recently said that a move to WWE is ‘inevitable’ and it’s only a matter of time. Now it appears that Roman Reigns is ready to take on the MMA star when he arrives.

Reigns recently spoke to TMZ during the WrestleMania 37 press conference. He was asked if Jones can dominate WWE like UFC, and Roman said that he has the tools and there could be a future for him in wrestling if he can put in the time.

Discussing a potential match with the UFC star, the former World Champion said that someone like Jon would definitely want to be in there with the Big Dog. When asked if he can take on Jones in a match, Roman said that it would be a hell of a fight:

“Oh man, it would be a helluva fight,” Reigns said. “But when it comes to the squared circle, I don’t think there’s anybody better in the world. So, yeah, I feel very comfortable being in the ring with Jon Jones.”

Roman also said that Jon Jones has a huge career in UFC which is still going on so he should keep his eyes on the ball and don’t worry about WWE right now.

Apart from this, Roman Reigns discussed The Rock’s daughter Simone Johnson joining WWE. You can check out what advice he would give to Simone in the video below:

The Usos To Miss SmackDown Due To Legal Issues, Mystery Partner Match Announced For Roman Reigns

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

The Usos will be missing this week’s episode of SmackDown due to past legal issues and it means that Roman Reigns will have to find a new partner to defend the pride of his bloodline in a match against the Miz and John Morrison.

The Miz took on his Twitter yesterday and made some interesting comments. He mentioned how he has done more than what many superstars can dream of and name-dropped The Usos and Roman Reigns.

The A-Lister had also teased that the Usos won’t be able to appear on SmackDown this week. Reigns then jumped in to defend his bloodline and he fired some shots of his own:

WWE has since confirmed that the Miz and John Morrison will be competing in a tag match against Roman Reigns at this week’s episode of the show.

They confirmed the news on their official website and announced that the Big Dog will have to find a partner for himself due to the “impending absence” of the Usos.

For those who don’t know, this week’s SmackDown will be taking place from Vancouver, Canada and the Usos will not be a part of it because their past legal troubles prevent them from entering the country.

Update On Rusev’s Contract Dispute With WWE, Super Showdown Appearance

Anutosh Bajpai
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When WWE announced Rusev for a gauntlet match at the upcoming Super Showdown event, a lot of people started wondering if his contract dispute with the company has been resolved but latest reports suggest that this isn’t the case.

According to reports from Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Rusev’s dispute with the company is still ongoing and him being booked for the event is not a sign of things getting settled.

For those who don’t know, it was reported earlier this month that WWE has pulled Rusev from TV due a contract dispute, though not many details were revealed about the situation between the two parties.

The Bulgarian Brute last appeared on WWE programming during the January 20 episode of Monday Night Raw where he teamed up with Liv Morgan and lost a mixed tag match to Bobby Lashley and Lana.

Rusev has been unhappy with his position for a while and many believe that he will be leaving the company once his current contract expires.

The former US Champion had also changed his twitter bio back in mid-January to indicate that he will be a free agent soon but he has since removed the reference and the Newsletter is reporting that there is still “plenty of time” left on his current contract.

Whether or not he actually leaves WWE will be revealed in future but one thing we know is that his wife Lana will be staying with the company for the foreseeable future as she has recently signed a new 5 year deal with the promotion.

Rusev will be competing in a gauntlet match alongside AJ Styles, Erick Rowan, R-Truth, Bobby Lashley, and WWE United States Champion Andrade at the upcoming Super Showdown event for the Tuwaiq Mountain Trophy.

Backstage Update On Advertised Elimination Chamber Line Up

Anutosh Bajpai
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1

The advertised line up for the Elimination Chamber has got fans excited but latest reports suggest that this could change when the time for the event comes.

Dave Meltzer talked about the advertised line up on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio and revealed that WWE has not made a final decision on the participants for the chamber match yet.

According to Meltzer, the advertisements are just something the company has sent out to help the ticket sales and it’s possible that the line up will change before the PPV.

Roman Reigns is rumoured to be winning the Elimination Chamber this year and face the Fiend at WrestleMania 36 so he is still very likely to end up in the match.

However other advertised names like Robert Roode could be replaced because WWE just “threw six names” in the line up to advertise the bout in the local market.

For those who don’t know, the Wells Fargo Center is advertising that Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Shinsuke Nakamura, King Corbin & Robert Roode will be competing in the Elimination Chamber match this year.

The winner is then expected to challenge the Universal Champion Bray Wyatt or Goldberg at the Grandest Stage Of Them All.

Though this isn’t the only match which is being advertised for the PPV and the company is also promoting a Super Showdown championship rematch for the show. You can check out the match here.

AEW Dynamite & NXT TV Viewership (2/12)

Andrew Ravens
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Viewership data is in for this week’s battle in the WWE NXT vs. AEW Dynamite Wednesday Night War.

This week, AEW won in total viewers. It was close in every demographic group except Adults 50+, where NXT had a significant edge as they usually do.

Here is the breakdown of the live and same-night DVR viewership, courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:

WWE NXT Viewership

NXT on the USA Network averaged 757,000 viewers, which is down from 770,000 last week. In the 18-49 demo, they drew a 0.24 rating, up from the 0.22 rating the previous week. 

The episode featured Lio Rush vs. Angel Garza with the winner to become the No. 1 contender to the NXT Cruiserweight Title, Roderick Strong vs. Bronson Reed, Dakota Kai vs. Candice LeRae, Johnny Gargano vs. Cameron Grimes, and NXT Champion Adam Cole vs. Kushida in a non-title match.

AEW Dynamite Viewership

AEW Dynamite on TNT was watched by 817,000 viewers, down from the 928,000 viewers last week. In the 18-49 demo, Dynamite pulled in a 0.30 rating, down from the 0.36 rating that the show did last week. 

AEW Dynamite featured matches such as MJF vs. Jungle Boy, Sammy Guevara vs. Dustin Rhodes, Jon Moxley vs. Santana, AEW Tag Team Champions Adam Page and Kenny Omega vs. SCU, and Riho vs. Nyla Rose for the AEW Women’s Title. 

Next week’s battle will be very interesting to see which show wins the ratings battle as NXT will be getting closer to their next special, TakeOver: Portland while AEW edges closer to Revolution.

Becky Lynch Offers Advice For Simone Johnson

Chris Stephens
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Simone Johnson, the 18-year-old daughter of Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson has signed with WWE. WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch offered up some advice for Johnson when reporters from TMZ caught up with her recently.

“Work hard, work as hard as you possibly can,” Lynch said when asked if she had any advice for Johnson. “Work harder than everybody else.”

“The thing is it’s going to be a lot of pressure on her,” Becky Lynch continued. “There is big shoes to fill, she’s going to feel that, she’s going to know that everybody expects a lot more from her and that she is going to be under a lot more criticism than everybody else.”

“She doesn’t get that chance, that slack-line that other people might get but I think she’s up for the challenge and I think that tests you, that makes you into the woman that you want to be and to be a champion. And hey, whenever she’s ready I’ll be holding down the fort. I’ll still be holding onto this whenever she’s ready.”

“I think it’ll be good for her to try and make her own way, don’t rely on the past, don’t rely on what got other people over, try to make something new for yourself. I think there’s merit in that,” Lynch said about Johnson blazing her own path.

Lynch’s comments can be viewed in the full with the player below:

Billy Corgan Compares The NWA To The Smashing Pumpkins

Chris Stephens
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Billy Corgan’s NWA is back on PPV in April with the 2020 edition of the Crockett Cup. An exact date and location for the show have yet to be announced, however. Corgan sat down with Chris Van Vliet recently to discuss his plans for the National Wrestling Alliance.

According to Corgan, he is approaching the NWA today the same way he has approached the music scene with his band, the Smashing Pumpkins.

“We are nowhere near as funded as the other companies that are being talked about,” Corgan said, noting that he is not himself a billionaire.

“Ring of Honor, AEW, and WWE are all owned by billionaires. So to even be in the conversation without that same level of resources, that’s more a credit to our hard work and our creativity and that’s exactly the way I raised the Smashing Pumpkins through the ranks of the rock business,” Corgan continued.

Corgan would continue to talk about the mentality the Smashing Pumpkins had.

“We had to be a better band, we had to tell better stories musically-speaking and that’s exactly the blueprint for the NWA.”`

Corgan also hinted during that the throwback feel to the NWA is being done to get people’s attention

“You have to get people’s attention first,” Corgan said. “If you don’t have their attention they are not going to listen to what you have to say down the road.”

The full interview can be viewed in the player below:

ROH Women’s World Title To Replace WOH Title, Tournament Announced

Chris Stephens
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Ring of Honor has announced plans to replace the Women of Honor Championship with the Ring of Honor Women’s World Championship. The promotion will begin a tournament starting on April 24th.

ROH Quest for the Gold will take place April 24th, 2020 from Philadelphia’s famed 2300 Arena.

“To emphasize ROH’s commitment to women’s wrestling, a new Ring of Honor Women’s World Championship has been created. This title will replace the Women of Honor Title and carry the utmost prestige as only the best competitors will earn its gold,” an ROH press release for the tournament reads.

ROH Women’s World Championship To Replace WOH World Championship

A tournament to determine the first-ever WOH World Champion began in early 2018. Sumie Sakai would defeat Kelly Klein in the finals to become the inaugural holder of the title.

Klein is a 3x holder of the title but was officially stripped of the belt on January 1st, 2020 due to her departure from the company.

WOH World Championship Statistics:

  1. Kelly Kelin (3x) 313 days spent as champion.
  2. Sumie Sakai (1x) 251 days spent as champion.
  3. Mayu Iwatani (1x) 55 days spent as champion.
  4. Angelina Love (1x) 15 days spent as champion.

Jim Ross Talks AEW’s Focus Regarding New Talent Signings

Jake Skudder
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AEW Commentator Jim Ross recently took part in a Q&A episode of his ‘Grilling JR‘ podcast. The former voice of WWE answered questions across his illustrious career, both for WWE and his new home on TNT with AEW.

One of the questions posed to Jim Ross revolved around AEW’s stance in terms of new signings. Ring of Honor star Jeff Cobb appeared in a shock appearance on Dynamite this week to the end the show. Interestingly, although JR is reportedly not involved in talent relations he did mention that the likes of Cobb would be a great fit for All Elite.

“I’m a big fan of Lance Archer, I’m a big fan of Jeff Cobb” – Jim Ross

When asked about the type of talent AEW should be looking for JR replied “size. Athletic, big guys. I don’t know who is signed. I [just] know that I’m a big fan of Lance Archer, I’m a big fan of Jeff Cobb. I’m a big fan of the former Harper in WWE [now Brodie Lee].”

Jim Ross elaborated further, saying “guys like that have ability that we all can see. [Guys] That have not been given the total opportunity to become a global star with a spotlight on them. I like those kind of guys, because all those guys I just mentioned are from athletic backgrounds. So that means to me that since being a kid they were competitive. That’s important. Because this business is not easy. So finding athletes to become pro wrestlers is not a bad formula, it worked for generations in our country. Bronko Nagurski is an NFL Hall of Famer. [He] was playing football in the height of his career, but left the NFL [to] wrestle full time cause he made more money wrestling at that point.”

Jim Ross also made the point of saying that AEW needs to look at bringing in bigger stars to play the heel role. “We need heels, big heels, we need heels on our roster to develop. We [AEW] probably have too many babyfaces. So I think big athletic heels are something they’re looking for.”

Who do you think AEW are likely to sign next? Let us know in the comments

Carmella Talks SmackDown Title Match Against Bayley Next Week

Jake Skudder
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WWE Superstar Carmella recently appeared on the After The Bell podcast alongside her partner and host Corey Graves. During the interview on the show Graves asked Carmella about her upcoming Championship match against Bayley. The match will be taking place next Friday on SmackDown for the brand’s Women’s Title.

“I didn’t know what the hell I was doing”

“I mean Bayley and I’ve only had one match against each other” Carmella began. “That was in NXT and that was for the [NXT Women’s] title. I had only been wrestling at the time for…it was probably less than two years. I didn’t know what the hell I was doing, not that I know any more now, but to know where we’re at now?”

“it’s gonna happen on Friday, which I just found out last night!”

Carmella elaborated further, saying “I have been a Champion. I’ve been, you know, Miss Money In The Bank. I’ve done so many things in my career. So, I don’t know, I’m just excited for this opportunity and apparently it’s gonna happen on Friday, which I just found out last night! So, I’m ready. I’m excited, and I’m [going to be] ready to go in time for Smackdown.”

“I was hopefully waiting for a bigger stage” – Carmella

Graves then revealed that Carmella had legitimately not been told about the match until it was confirmed earlier that week. “I was like ‘what the hell!?’ Carmella revealed. “I had no idea that was gonna be this soon. I was hopefully waiting for a bigger stage. Maybe a pay per view? Maybe Super Showdown, maybe WrestleMania? I don’t know, and now it’s gonna be this Friday but I’m really ready for it.”

Do you think that there’s a chance Carmella wins the Championship on Friday? Let us know in the comments

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