WWE NXT may be where talent go to hone their skills ahead of a move to the main roster, but it appears there’s plenty of romance in the Performance Center.
In this article, we’ll look at the relationships that exist within NXT that have seen talent date fellow NXT stars, main roster talent, or other wrestlers.
Kelani Jordan & Carmelo Hayes
The first-ever NXT Women’s North American Champion, Kelani Jordan is currently dating WWE SmackDown Superstar & former NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes. In October 2023, the pair went public with their relationship with a series of Instagram posts celebrating Jordan’s birthday.
Trick Williams & Lash Legend
The Kiss Heard Around the World earlier this year between Trick Williams and Lash Legend wasn’t just for show. The Meta-Four member and the former NXT Champion are in a relationship, though keep their private lives to themselves on social media.
Sol Ruca & Tyler Bate
Sol Ruca has been making a splash in WWE NXT and is currently dating the inaugural WWE United Kingdom Champion Tyler Bate, who is unfortunately out with an injury. The couple went public with their relationship in early 2024 with an Instagram post by the English Superstar.
Stevie Turner & Kit Wilson
Turner, who is currently looking to be the official assistant of Ava, has been with Pretty Deadly’s Kit Wilson for some time now. In March 2022, the happy couple shared that they are engaged to be married.
Since arriving in WWE NXT, Roxanne Perez has been a force to be reckoned with, despite her diminutive size. The reigning WWE NXT Women’s Champion has been dating independent wrestler Gino Medina since 2022.
Bliss hasn’t competed for WWE since January of 2023 when she challenged for the RAW Women’s Championship at that year’s Royal Rumble PLE. In May of 2023, Bliss shared that she was pregnant with a social media post describing her child as the “best oops ever.” She and Ryan Cabrera welcomed their daughter Hendrix into the world in November 2023.
Eight months on from the birth of Hendrix Cabrera and there’s still no sign of when Bliss will return, or what she will do once she’s back. Some have suggested that she will ae a program with the Wyatt Sicks, especially as her Royal Rumble 2023 appearance concluded with Uncle Howdy appearing on a screen and asking if she felt in control.
Bliss could work as either an ally of the Wyatt Sicks or perhaps as an adversary. After all, it was Bliss’ interference that cost Bray Wyatt his WrestleMania 37 match against Randy Orton, in what would be Bray’s final WWE match before his 2021 release. With that said, Bliss downplayed the idea of being linked to the QR codes that teased the Wyatt Sicks and she has not teased being a part of the faction.
WWE’s Wyatt Sicks faction dropped their latest cryptic message on social media Sunday afternoon. The message contains an image of someone holding a sheep mask and the word “hope” along with a string of two and three-digit numbers.
The seemingly-random series of numbers contains a hidden message in ASCII format. By pasting the numbers into an ASCII to text converter tool, it reveals the phrase:
The Wyatt Sicks has maintained an eerie presence since their violent debut last month. While they haven’t competed in any matches yet, they’ve had the entire WWE roster looking over their shoulders. Their next VHS tape is expected to be featured on the July 15th episode of WWE RAW and will focus on Erick Rowan.
This marks a departure from their previous VHS tapes, which have featured interviews between Bo Dallas and Uncle Howdy. Rowan, a disciple of Bray Wyatt, has been wearing a rabbit mask, reminiscent of the Rambling Rabbit character from the Firefly Funhouse.
MJF mocked England’s heartbreaking loss to Spain in Sunday’s UEFA EURO 2024 championship game.
The former AEW World Champion battles Will Ospreay for the International Championship this Wednesday on the 250th episode of AEW Dynamite. MJF is back in full-blown heel mode, and mocking English football fans after this loss to taunt Ospreay may be a new low for him.
Ospreay joined his countrymen in showing his support for England on social media.
— Will Ospreay • ????????? (@WillOspreay) July 14, 2024
After England’s defeat, MJF couldn’t help but use it as an opportunity to play mind games with the disappointed champion. He says Englishmen “can’t win when put under pressure” and simply aren’t equipped to be athletes. He and Ospreay have been exchanging personal attacks for several weeks, but this latest insult shows that Friedman will stop at nothing to antagonize his opponents.
Time and time again, the British prove they can’t win when put under pressure.
Whether it’s the Euro Cup.
Or this Wednesday.
Englishmen just aren’t equipped to be athletes.#EURO2024
Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite 250th episode celebration will feature Will Ospreay vs. MJF, Swerve Strickland vs. Kazuchika Okada, Mercedes Mone vs. Nyla Rose and fallout from Mariah May’s attack on Toni Storm at the end of last week.
Finn Balor wanted to make sure Dominik Mysterio flourished as a heel in The Judgment Day, but Dom already had a hold on being “Dirty.”
Speaking on the “What’s The Story?” podcast, Balor mentioned how much Mysterio took to being a heel. Finn recalled Rey Mysterio asking him and Damian Priest to take care of Dom during his heel turn. Balor respected Rey so much that he was going to make sure Dom did his best as a bad guy, but when Balor approached Dom about help on his first heel promo, he was ready to call it in the ring.
“He said, ‘No, no. I’m good.’ I said, ‘You know what you’re going to say?’ He said, ‘No, I’ll figure it out when I’m out there.And here’s me like naively thinking that me, Damian and Rhea are supposed to be helping Dominik, but in reality it’s Dominik helping us get heat and making us more of a believable heel unit.”
Finn said how at the time, he, Damian and Rhea were having an uphill battle at being heels, but Dominik really made them “guilty by association” and his involvement really helped to establish the faction as a “bad guy” act.
Now as it stands, The Judgment Day are really the fulcrum that all of WWE RAW pivots on. Damian Priest is the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Finn Balor and JD McDonagh are the World Tag Champs while Dom and Rhea Ripley are involved in the major Liv Morgan storyline in build for SummerSlam.
Please credit “What’s The Story?” and h/t to SEScoops for the transcription.
Rob Van Dam and John Cena had one of the most memorable matches in pro wrestling history and RVD is confident he and Cena could repeat it before John hangs up the jorts.
Speaking on an upcoming episode of his 1 Of A Kind With RVD, Rob Van Dam was asked his thoughts on John Cena announcing his 2025 retirement tour for WWE. Van Dam is still very active in the squared circle and believes the two could recreate the magic they did back at ECW One Night Stand 2006.
“I Hope they bring me in for a rematch with Cena. That would be super cool. I don’t know if they know, but I know I could have that same match, Absolutely.”
Rob Van Dam has shown he hasn’t missed a beat in the several matches he’s had in AEW and even over WrestleMania 40 weekend, competed against Speedball Mike Bailey in a memorable singles match that featured Jerry Lynn as the special guest referee.
Due to injury, RVD was unable to compete at the first WWE version of One Night Stand in 2005, but fate would have it that Van Dam would battle Cena for the WWE Championship a year later. RVD arguably had one of, if not the greatest Money In The Bank cash-in, by calling his shot ahead of time to challenge Cena at the Hammerstein Ballroom.
Van Dam was asked what it was like grappling up with Cena that night and he commended John for his pure strength, but also how he handled the hostile crowd in the Hammerstein Ballroom.
“He was able to pull the strings with the crowdvand he knew going out there that he was going to be up against a crowd that that hated him. A really vocal, physical, most opinionated crowd ever, but he was ready for it, and he handled it great, and I enjoyed working with him. And also he was very, very snug.”
WWE returns to Dayton, Ohio tonight for this week’s WWE RAW at the Nutter Center. We’re just four weeks out from WWE SummerSlam on Saturday, August 3, where the Gunther will challenge Damian Priest for the World Heavyweight championship. What will happen when Priest stares down his SummerSlam opponent tonight?
Ilja Dragunov challenges Sami Zayn for the Intercontinental Championship
Sheamus vs. Bronson Reed
Braun Strowman vs. Damian Priest
Segments
Rhea Ripley opens the show and will surely have words for Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio
Drew McIntyre returns from suspension. Adam Pearce will has said he’ll evaluate McIntyre’s frame of mind to determine whether or not to lift his suspension.
Gunther and Damian Priest go face-to-face
Stay tuned to SEScoops for our coverage of tonight’s WWE Raw and all things WWE.
What Happened on WWE Raw Last Week?
Last week’s July 8, 2024 episode of WWE Raw featured a main event involving Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio against Zelina Vega and Rey Mysterio. As Liv and Dom were celebrating their win, Rhea Ripley made a surprise return and had a chilly reunion with her Dirty Dom. Also on the show, CM Punk and Seth Rollins engaged in a tense faceoff, Uncle Howdy revealed more of his family and more.
Catch up on last week’s happenings with this video from WWE recapping the Top 10 moments:
Plenty went down at WWE’s live event in Mexico City including the continuation of the ‘romance’ between Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan & Dominik Mysterio.
At the July 13, event, Morgan defended her title against Shayna Baszler. After the match, Morgan introduced Dominik for his match against his father Rey. Contrary to what we’ve seen on TV, Dominik didn’t seem as opposed to Liv’s proximity at this event.
Dirán lo que quieran de Dominik Mysterio, pero es el que más hace enojar al público mexicano ????
The latest battle of the Mysterios ended in a DQ when Carlito interfered to aid Dominik but Dragon Lee arrived to back up Rey. This set up a tag-team match the faces would win.
Dominik and Liv being aligned at this WWE live event comes at an interesting time considering the return of Rhea Ripley on Monday Night Raw. It has been confirmed that Ripley will open up the next episode of Raw and will address the Dominik-Liv situation.
Liv wasn’t the only woman making waves at the event in Mexico City. During the show, WWE Women’s Champion Bayley defended her title against Bianca Belair. After the match, Tiffany Stratton attempted to cash in her Money in the Bank briefcase but Belair put a stop to her plans. Since the bell never rang though, Stratton’s cash-in attempt never officially started and therefore she still holds the briefcase and the coveted title shot.
? ¡SE SALVÓ DEL CANJEO! ?
Tiffany Stratton quiso canjear su Money In The Bank ante Bayley pero Bianca Belair lo impidió, el campeonato no cambia de manos y el maletín no se utilizó oficialmente ??
Stratton attempted to cash in during the most recent episode of SmackDown but had second thoughts after being confronted by her ally Nia Jax. The 2024 Queen of the Ring will challenge Bayley for the title at SummerSlam, if Stratton does not cash in first.
Former WWE Superstar Donovan Dijak has captured his first championship in close to seven years, in what is the wrestler’s second match since being released.
At a July 13, event, Dijak captured the Ryse Wrestling Grand Championship. On Twitter, Ryse Wrestling shared some photos of the new champion. Dijak himself shared a photo with the gold and had a message for his followers.
This championship victory has been a long time coming for Dijak. The last time Dijak won a title came in July 2017 when he captured the Pro Wrestling Resurgence Heavyweight Championship, according to ProFight. In WWE, Dijak challenged for the NXT, NXT Tag, and North American Championships but never won the gold.
Leaving WWE
Dijak’s victory comes mere weeks after his abrupt exit from WWE. On Twitter, the former Retribution alum shared that not only would he be leaving WWE, but very little effort had been made by the company to retain his services. Dijak had been called to the main roster during the 2024 WWE Supplemental Draft after years of re-establishing himself in WWE NXT. Despite the call-up, Dijak was not used in any capacity as a RAW Superstar and has since said that he was sure he was doomed when he was the last pick in the Supplemental Draft.
This win is certainly a strong start for Dijak now that his career with WWE has come to an end. The question now is whether Dijak will be able to keep this momentum going forward in Ryse Wrestling and other promotions.
“What a rush” may have been running through Donald Trump’s mind after an assasination attempt was made on the WWE Hall of Famer on July 13.
The forthcoming Republican Presidential nominee was mere inches from death as he was doing a stump speech in Butler, PA. Trump’s ear got grazed by a bullet before secret service swarmed him to make sure he was safe.
However, once matters were settled and the shooter was taken out, Trump made certain to stand himself up and give a fist pump to the people in the crowd. The moment certainly created a lot of memorable photographs for the press and felllow WWE Hall Of Famer JBL made note that Trump must have been taking notes from a certain legendary tag team in Road Warrior Hawk and Road Warrior Animal.
Although JBL was posting in jest, it’s heaviily believed that Trump has adopted a lot of his speaking style and “promo skills” from the world of pro wrestling. There’s the urban legend that during his WWE Hall of Fame induction in 2013, Trump was really impressed with the promo work of Zeb Coulter, better known as Dutch Mantell.
Trump did issue a statement following the assasination attempt, thanking the police and the secret service for their work, but also sending his condolences to the victims of the shooter as one rally attendee was killed and two others were in critical condition.
After great speculation that Natalya could be heading to AEW once her contract expired, it appears as if the ‘BOAT’ will be sticking around WWE.
PWInisder first reported that Natalya re-signed with WWE and Fightful Select later confirmed that news. Her new deal has reportedly been in place since late June but contract negotiations seemed to begin back in May. The new contract is reportedly a multi-year deal.
Natalya had interest from companies outside of WWE and it’s understandably so considering she has been very hands-on with wrestlers from all promotions. A lot of different names have gotten some extra training at her Dungeon 2.0.
An added point of note regarding the Natalya news was that Tyson Kidd had interest from outside companies as an agent too. WWE was reportedly in the right to be concerned about losing Natalya and the company wanted to make certain they locked her down. The deal happened to get done before she hit the free agent market.
Natalya is one of the longest-tenured names on the WWE roster, being over 16 years with the company. Within the last year, she’s been a big part of helping talent in NXT and also has been major in getting rising talent over, recently competing against Lyra Valkyria on an episode of WWE RAW. There was a good deal of speculation that she could be available to head to AEW and compete in the Owen Hart tournament, but that obviously didn’t happen.
Dominik Mysterio is hoping to fix things with Rhea Ripley on the next episode of Raw following the climactic ending to this week’s show.
In the main event, Dominik and Liv Morgan defeated Rey Mysterio & Zelina Vega, marking Dom’s first WWE victory over his father. After the match, it appeared that Dominik was ready to give in to Morgan’s advances until Rhea Ripley returned and confronted her ‘Dom Dom.’
Making Things Right
While Mysterio is well and truly in the ‘doghouse’ the former NXT North American Champion is ready to fight for his (on-screen) relationship with Rhea Ripley. Speaking to ESPN, Mysterio gave his happiness on a scale of 1-10 during the Raw main event.
“I had finally beaten that deadbeat, I was about a ten. I was about a solid 9.5-10. Not even taking Liv into consideration. Just the fact that I had beaten that deadbeat. Once Mami’s music hit and everything happened afterward, I felt like I was at about a two, maybe a one.”
When asked about his current situation with Ripley, Mysterio admitted that it’s been tough to talk to her in recent days, but he’s confident thing will work out.
“I tried my best to communicate with her. She’s kind of avoided me as of now, but she kind of has no choice but to see me on Mondays. So, I’m going to fix things. I’m going to do my best to fix things on Monday.”
What’s to Come?
We don’t know what will be said between the two on next week’s Raw but fans won’t have to wait long. It’s been confirmed that Rhea will open the show and fans will no doubt be intrigued to hear what she has to say in her first promo since vacating the WWE Women’s World Championship.
As for Liv Morgan, she’ll likely continue to try and play Ripley and Dominik against one another. While Liv quickly ran from the ring when Ripley returned, backstage footage suggests that she is happy to see Rhea back (and at odds with Dominik.) With SummerSlam around the corner, some have predicted a Ripley-Morgan title match but that has yet to be confirmed. Until then, fans will remain gripped by what has become one of the most popular love triangles we’ve seen in years.
AEW wrestler Trent has been sidelined with an injury that has kept him from receiving a push that the promotion had in the works for him.
On the July 13, edition of AEW Collision, Trent was taken out by Orange Cassidy who used a monkey wrench to attack his former friend from behind. The pair have been feuding for months and Trent delivered an attack to Chuck Taylor back in May that has raised serious questions about Taylor’s future in the ring.
While Trent has been feuding with OC, the 37-year-old hasn’t competed since Double or Nothing 2024. That’s because Trent has been sidelined with an injury, Fightful Select reports. There had been plans for Trent to receive a push before the injury, but he hasn’t been cleared to compete for quite some time.
AEW’s Injuries
Trent is the latest AEW name confirmed for the injury list, a list that many believe is worryingly long. Other names out of action at this time include Adam Cole, Adam Copeland, Jamie Hayter, and ‘Switchblade’ Jay White.
A lot has been said about AEW talent getting injured and why (in the eyes of some) it seems more prevalent in the promotion compared to WWE. Some have chalked this up to a more hard-hitting, violent style in AEW, while others have suggested that a facility akin to WWE’s Performance Center would lower the rate of injuries.
Oddly enough, those at WWE believe AEW’s high injury rate stems from not wrestling enough. The belief among many is that the rigorous schedule of WWE allows for the bodies of Superstars to callus and grow more immune to bumps and scrapes in the ring. AEW has a more relaxed schedule which may see a wrestler compete once or twice a week, which those in WWE feel allows for too long a gap between matches to properly toughen up.
At the July 13, event, Vaquer defeated current WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Ilja Dawn. After the match, Vaquer said that it was a dream come true to be part of WWE.
Vaquer certainly proved to be a hit with the crowd in Mexico City and fans won’t have to wait long before they see her again. WWE’s newest signing is also expected to be at tonight’s WWE live event in Monterrey.
Stephanie Vaquer Joining WWE NXT
Vaquer officially joined WWE this past Wednesday after it was announced she had left CMLL. On Twitter, SVP of Talent Development and Head of NXT Shawn Michaels welcomed Vaquer to the family, which some have taken as a sign she’ll start in WWE on the gold brand.
In a post-match interview at the Mexico City live event, Vaquer told the cameras “NXT, see you soon” seemingly confirming the notion that she’ll be joining the gold brand.
WWE and AEW had been interested in Vaquer following her show-stealing performance at last month’s AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door 2024 pay-per-view. Though she lost to Mercedes Mone at the event, Vaquer was praised for how she won the crowd over, despite them being more familiar with Mone and her work in and out of WWE.
While Vaquer only signed with WWE in recent days, this isn’t her first time being associated with the company. In 2018, Vaquer had a tryout for the promotion but was not signed.
The Motor City Machine Guns have bid goodbye to the independent scene amid growing speculation that the tag team will soon be ‘All-Elite.’
At Prestige Wrestling’s Combat Clash event, Chris Sabin defeated Alex Shelley in the second match of the night. After the match, the pair hugged and waved goodbye to the fans, which many saw as them saying goodbye for good. On commentary, Brian Zane and Jordan Castle asked what’s next for the pair and suggested this may be the last time fans see the Guns in Prestige Wrestling.
Shelley and Sabin became free agents on April 1, after ending their most recent run as part of TNA Wrestling. That same month, it was reported that the pair will be joining AEW and that the two sides were finalizing a deal. While it was said that a deal would not be finalized for a bit, the decision had been made at the time for MCMG to join AEW.
Joining WWE?
Despite this report of signing with AEW, more recent reports have stated that the pair have been in discussions with higher-ups at WWE. Tag Team Champion Tommaso Ciampa further fuelled these rumors by posting a photo of the duo on his Instagram stories.
Shelley himself recently hinted at a move to WWE with an Instagram post that stated “This past week, I celebrated the 4th of July by (maybe) having my final match at @beyondwrestling for awhile.” Some have seen this apparent exit from the indies as a sign the team has joined WWE as AEW would be more inclined to allow talent to work independent dates.
Wherever is next for the Motor City Machine Guns, the duo will continue to excel in the ring as tag-team specialists or as singles talent. Either AEW or WWE would be fortunate to have them on the roster, but it remains to be seen where they’ll go.
Willow Nightingale is a champion once again. The All Elite grappler captured the CMLL Women’s World Championship at NJPW x CMLL FantasticaMania USA on Saturday, July 13 from San Jose, California.
https://x.com/AEW/status/1812319444665807279
Nightingale defeated Viva Van and Lluvia in a 3-way match for the vacant title. The former champion was Stephanie Vaquer, who has since departed CMLL/NJPW and signed with WWE. Vaquer made her WWE debut Saturday night from Mexico City.
Nightingale has held the NJPW Strong Women’s Champion, AEW TBS Champion and won the 2023 Women’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament. She’s wrestled in Mexico for CMLL several times this year, including a victory in a 3-on-3 match back in March 2024 over a team that included Stephanie Vaquer, Lluvia and Zeuxis.
Legendary wrestling announcer Jim Ross underwent another surgery this week. The 72-year-old from Norman, Oklahoma announced on Saturday that he’d undergone successful wrist surgery.
Wrist surgery successfully done. Healing continues. ?
Ross has battled a series of health issues in recent years, which he’s documented in gory detail on social media. He was recently admitted to the emergency room with difficulty breathing, but went on to call some of the action at the AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door pay-per-view.
In addition to his work with AEW, Ross hosts the popular Grilling JR podcast.
SEScoops wishes Jim Ross a speedy recovery and good health.
Both AJ Styles and IYO SKY were successful in this week’s matches that took place outside of WWE as the company continues to work with other promotions.
For Styles, he defeated Naomichi Marufuji at Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Destination 2024 event. This match marked Styles’ first non-WWE match in eight-and-a-half years and his first time ever competing for NOAH. Styles had quite the entrance that saw him don a black mask; a staple of his time competing in Japan.
— ?????????? ?PRO WRESTLING NOAH (@noah_ghc) July 13, 2024
Despite a valiant effort by Marufuji, a three-time GHC World Champion, it was Styles who got the win with his Styles Clash. After the match, Styles and Marufuji shared a sign of respect in the ring by bowing to each other.
Styles wasn’t the only top WWE name in action outside of the company today. IYO SKY competed in her first non-WWE match since 2017 at the Marigold ‘Summer Destiny’ event. At the show, SKY defeated Utami Hayashishita.
It remains to be seen what companies WWE will work with next, though many feel it is likely under the post-McMahon administration. In the meantime, WWE NXT will continue to welcome TNA talent and don’t be surprised if we see Superstars appearing outside the Sports Entertainment juggernaut.
QT Marshall won a bodybuilding competition on Saturday in Atlanta, GA. The AEW executive announced on social media that he won first place in a ‘classic physique’ event at the 2024 NPC Lenda Murray Atlanta Classic, presented by Wings of Strength.
A year ago I decided to change my lifestyle. Today, I competed in my first (& most likely only) classic physique event today with a first place victory. ?
Marshall has kept an active in-ring schedule this year, competing in Calgary, Alberta, Canada this past week for Ring of Honor and at last month’s AAA TripleMania XXXII pay-per-view from Tijuana, Mexico. He’s the reigning Heavyweight Champion of Florida’s Coastal Championship Wrestling.
Pro wrestling and bodybuilding share a deep-rooted connection, as impressive physiques have been a selling point of the sport since its inception. This natural synergy has led many promoters and wrestlers to embrace bodybuilding, often competing in prestigious competitions and starting bodybuilding federations. Triple H, for instance, began competing in bodybuilding competitions as a teenager. John Cena’s eye-popping physique has been a hallmark of his wrestling persona, earning him features in various bodybuilding and fitness magazines. Trish Stratus transitioned from a successful career as a fitness model to becoming one of WWE’s most celebrated wrestlers.
Alexa Bliss’s journey is particularly inspiring, as she credits bodybuilding with helping her overcome an eating disorder. Her dedication to the sport led her to compete in the Arnold Classic and become a certified pro bodybuilder by the age of 20. Bianca Belair and Montez Ford have both competed in bodybuilding in recent years, showcasing their dedication to maintaining peak physical condition. In November 2023, Montez Ford announced he’d overcome body dysmorphia to win his first bodybuilding competition.
Bodybuilding requires incredible discipline, strength, and determination, but it’s even more impressive for the pro wrestlers who have dabbled in bodybuilding and excelled at the highest level in a sport that demands much more than just looking good on stage. Their ability to combine the physical rigor of bodybuilding with the athleticism, charisma, and performance skills required in pro wrestling that truly sets them apart.
Marigold held its big Summer Destiny 2024 event on Saturday from Ryogoku Sumo Hall. The show was broadcast live on WRESTLE UNIVERSE.
Here are the results from this 10-match card, featuring the crowning two inaugural Marigold champions, as well as an appearance by WWE Superstar IYO SKY.
Marigold Summer Destiny Results
tWin toWer vs. Victoria Yuzuki & Kizuna Tanaka ended in a 10-minute time-limit draw
Marigold announced the Dream Star Grand Prix. The round-robin tournament will run from August 31 to September 28th
Michiko Omukai announced that her daughter Shinno Omukai has officially joined the Marigold roster
The Marigold World Championship! Continuing tradition handed down by All Japan Women’s Pro Wrestling, our version of The Red Belt has been christened The Crimson Red Belt! pic.twitter.com/mrT2jYz33v
The post-Money in the Bank WWE SmackDown show fallout was certainly busy, with several big moments occurring on the programme.
WWE has now uploaded all of the video highlights for the show to their official YouTube channel, which we have compiled in an easy to view format on one page below.
WWE SmackDown Full Highlights This Week
If you didn’t get the chance to watch the show in full, you can see a Full Recap of WWE SmackDown this week via the video below:
WWE SmackDown Segments This Week
Here are all of the individual Video Highlights that WWE has released this week after SmackDown:
As “Ms. Money in the Bank” Tiffany Stratton celebrates her victory, WWE Women’s Champion Bayley questions the alliance between Nia Jax and Stratton.
After WWE Women’s Champion Bayley tries to stop Nia Jax and Tiffany Stratton’s assault on Michin, she gets beaten down herself, leading to The Center of the Universe almost cashing in.
Following their victory at WWE Money in the Bank, Solo Sikoa vows to stay on top and demands acknowledgement.
Queen Nia Jax smites Michin in a royal conquest.
LA Knight is officially granted a contract to face Logan Paul at SummerSlam but needs The Maverick’s signature.
Baron Corbin and Apollo Crews combine to take on Angel and Berto of Legado del Fantasma.
Naomi takes on the up-and-coming Blair Davenport in a fierce contest.
Even after losing to The Bloodline at Money in the Bank, Randy Orton informs Cody Rhodes that he still has his back.
#DIY defend their WWE Tag Team Title against A-Town Down Under.
Despite coming up on the losing end to Nia Jax, Michin states she is not done with the Queen of the Ring Winner, offering her services to Bayley.
The Bloodline dismantle Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton, making The American Nightmare watch as they eradicate The Viper.
The Motor City Machine Guns, consisting of Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin, became free agents on April 1 after departing from TNA Wrestling.
This immediately sparked rumors of their potential signing with All Elite Wrestling (AEW), but as time has passed without confirmation, attention has turned to another genuine possibility: WWE.
Alex Shelley WWE Interest and Negotiations
Recent reports from the likes of PWN on Discord suggest that Shelley and Sabin have been in discussions with WWE.
Although specific details remain scarce, the interest from WWE appears genuine. WWE superstar Tommaso Ciampa further fuelled these rumors by posting a photo of the duo on his Instagram stories.
Additionally, Alex Shelley himself has hinted at a potential WWE signing through a cryptic Instagram post, which began “This past week, I celebrated the 4th of July by (maybe) having my final match at @beyondwrestling for awhile.”
Social Media Hints and Speculation
Fans were taken aback by Shelley’s Instagram post, which perhaps indicated that he was wrestling his final matches on the independent circuit, at least “for a while.”
This sort of move is, generally, seen as a precursor to signing with WWE, given that AEW would be more inclined to allow talent to work independent dates whilst signed to All Elite.
What Signing the Motor City Machine Guns Means for WWE
Should WWE secure the signatures of the Motor City Machine Guns, it would be a significant acquisition for the tag team divisions on RAW, SmackDown or NXT.
The duo is highly regarded in the wrestling world, known for their fantastic tenure in TNA where they won multiple World Tag Team Championships.
Despite both members being over 40, they continue to perform at a high level. WWE has successfully managed to bring in TNA veteran stars like AJ Styles, suggesting that Shelley and Sabin could also thrive in WWE’s environment.
This recap was originally written on MLW.com by SEScoops’ Dominic DeAngelo.
Major League Wrestling is back in the notorious Coliseum in St. Petersburg, FL and its a stacked card and a main event with high stakes between Matt Riddle and Sami Callihan. We kick it off with a unique clash that features the opening round of The Opera Cup.
MATCH 1 Opera Cup Round 1 Atlantis Jr. vs. Shigeo Okumura
It’s a youngster vs. a veteran in this first round fight and Okumura was ready to unleash some tough love on Atlantis Jr. Okumura slowed the pace down to keep Atlantis underwater. However, the innovative generational talent got Okumura off-his-game with an airplane blue thunder bomb. Although Okumura kicked out Atlantis quickly followed up with a frog splash for the 1-2-3.
WINNER & ADVANCING: Atlantis Jr.
Post-match, both fighters paid one another respect. Can Atlantis go the distance and become the first CMLL star to capture The Opera Cup?
Alex Kane nor does Mr. Thomas plan for that not to happen, but they actually have to go through one another in their own opening round match. If you thought their match between could cause a rift with each other, think again. Both Kane and Thomas know it’s called the BOMAYE “FIGHT” Club!
MATCH 2 Opera Cup Round 1 Tom Lawlor vs. Jake Crist
Lawlor is a former Opera Cup winner and Crist was well-aware of that. The Ohio-born boy wasted no time in taking it to Filthy Tom, not even letting him get to the ring before starting the fight. The two used all elements of the ring in attempt to keep one another down, but it actually took Lawlor a superplex turned to Kimura Lock to cause Crist to pass out.
WINNER & ADVANCING: Tom Lawlor
Post-fight, Lawlor got on the mic to talk trash to Tampa, but up on the screen popped Paul Walter Hauser who issued a major challenge to Lawlor – an MMA cage fight! MSL banned from the building! Lawlor accepted!
It’s Suzuki’s first match as a CONTRA soldier and joining the ranks may have even furthered his sadism. AKIRA, however, was game for the battle. Some intense shots were traded as AKIRA found it hard to shake Suzuki, but the Death Fighter kept bringing it. However, a Gotch Piledriver was good enough for Suzuki to ultimately get the 1-2-3.
WINNER: Minoru Suzuki
Post-fight, there was no respect shown as Minoru and Ikuro Kwon went on to further attack AKIRA devastatingly laying him out with more diabolical ideas in mind. Minoru was going for another Gotch when MLW World Champ Satoshi Kojima ran down to clear the evil out!
A concerned Cesar Duran saunters down to the ring to demand to see who Salina de la Renta’s baby daddy is after she revealed she has a bun in the oven. Well Salina showed up, but she was not without her mind games to her estranged daddy. Before making the reveal, she teased that the father was Bad Dude Tito and EVEN MSL but it was a surprise that made Duran literally sick: one of his own AZTECA henchman. The mysterious man pulled off the mask, revealing a Rudolph Valentino face with an even stronger libido as he and Salina started making out! Duran couldn’t take the discuss and fainted in the ring!
MATCH 4 Three Stages Of Destruction (First Blood + Street Fight + Medical Evacuation) Mads Krule Krugger vs. Matthew Justice (Bill Alfonso)
Matthew Justice was not only ready to roll for this intense battle, but so was Fonzie who certainly has had his issues with CONTRA. Do both bring it to Krugger in the First Blood round of the fight as plenty of plunder is used. Justice gets Krugger off his feet with the indirect help of his own CONTRA soldier as he leapt off the back of a downed man to spear Krugger! Fonzie then tossed Justice a chair with barbed wire as he cracked Krugger HARD with it. Then Justice had some Mr. PPV plans as Fonzie held the chair for Justice to leap all the way across the ring for a Van TERMINATOR!! A few more cracks with the chair had the ref call for the bell noting that Krugger has poured enough crimson!
WINNER of STAGE 1: Matthew Justice
Next stage was a street fight and Justice continued to keep at his business of violence. He even showed his strength by hoisting the monster Mads up for a Death Valley Driver onto a chair! A massive ladder gets set up and Justice has to fight off a CONTRA soldier, allowing Mads to climb up and superplex Matt through a table! Krugger does drape an arm over Matt for the 1-2-3!
WINNER of STAGE 2: Mads Krugger
Someone will now be leaving in an ambulance. The two begin to brawl on the entryway as another ladder is presented. Justice gets Krugger on a table for his own plans of retribution, but the table collapses under the weight of Krugger. That doesn’t stop Justice who still decides to splash on top of Mads! Justice has a gameplan in mind as he gets a dolly. Both he and Fonzie get Krugger on it and push the massive man to the back! Fonzie hydrates Matt as they get Krugger to the ambulance, but when he opens the door to the back Ikuro Kwon is there to spray mist into Matt’s eyes! The fix was in! Kwon and Krugger gang up on Matt, set up a table, light it aflame and powerbomb Justice through it! Krugger tosses Matt in the ambulance and the match is over.
WINNER: Mads Krule Krugger
MATCH 5 MLW World Featherweight Championship Gigi Ray vs. Janai Kai (c)
The Kick Demon Kai aimed to keep the momentum moving for CONTRA against Gigi Ray who definitely showed up ready for battle. Ray received plenty of kicks in this fight, but she had her own share of offense in this fight. However, Kai caught Ray with a roundhouse thrust in the corner and it was good to keep Ray down for the pinfall.
WINNER and STILL MLW World Featherweight Champion: Janai Kai
MATCH 6 Opera Cup Round 1 Bobby Fish vs. KENTA
Fish is ready to unleash “beautiful violence” onto KENTA who is making his Major League debut tonight. KENTA had an off-the-beaten path gameplan against Bobby as he was very disrespectful to the squared circle veteran, basically treating him like a young boy in the ring. Both men delivered in this battle though and Fish got his fair share of strikes in, but KENTA did take the mouthpiece out of Bobby with a GTS and it was good enough to advance in the Opera Cup.
WINNER & ADVANCING: KENTA
MAIN EVENT No Ropes, No Hold Barred Sami Callihan vs. Matt Riddle
The stakes are high in this brutal battle as if Riddle loses, he forgoes his future World Title shot to Callihan, the right he won at Battle Riot VI.
Tampa was all behind The Super King Of Bros and Callihan was less than pleased, getting on the mic to say he’s going to beat Riddle in less than five second. That didn’t happen as Riddle rocked him with a foot to the face. Despite that, Callihan had some nasty plans in mind.
Sami pulled out all types of violent ideas including paper cuts, lemon zest and staple gun tags. He got Riddle right in the foot with one but before that, wrapped Matt’s hair around a barbed wire bat! A broken beer bottle was introduced and its remaining chards became a factor.
The ring was ripped up, boards were broken and literal nuts and bolts became a bed of brutalitiy. Despite all that, Riddle persevered and caused Callihan to submit when he crossfaced Sami with loose ring ropes!
It seems there’s no love lost between Darby Allin and Brody King.
Allin was involved in a hilarious incident during a recent concert. A video clip surfaced on social media in which fellow AEW wrestler Brody King’s band God’s Hate was performing. The House of Black member could be seen on stage when Allin rushed at him. The powerhouse retaliated as he easily picked up Allin and threw him into the crowd. Check out the video clip below:
The rivalry between Darby Allin and Brody King has been well-documented. They have locked horns inside the squared circle a handful of times. Their Coffin Match that transpired on Quake by the Lake edition of AEW Dynamite in 2022 still remains one of the memorable bouts.
Darby Allin’s return
Allin had been away from AEW TV since his last match when he teamed up in a loss with FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) and Bryan Danielson against The Elite (Jack Perry, Kazuchika Okada, Matthew Jackson & Nicholas Jackson) in Anarchy In the Arena Match at AEW Double Or Nothing in May 26.
‘The Daredevil’ made his return on the latest edition of AEW Dynamite and surprised the fans. It seems that he has his sights set on The Elite. During the show, The Elite’s cameraman Brandon Cutler was seen backstage. However, he had half of his face painted in the style of Darby Allin, who attacked him. He eventually took the camera and sent a stern warning to Jack Perry and the EVPs, Matthew and Nicholas Jackson.
"Elite you really think this was over? Dynamite 250, we're just getting started!" – Darby Allin.
The excitement didn’t stop at this week’s SmackDown from Worcester’s DCU Center after the latest episode of the blue brand went off the air.
The July 12, edition of WWE SmackDown saw the road to SummerSlam stretch on with matches set for the Biggest Party of the Summer. Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and Solo Sikoa agreed to a showdown this August in Cleveland. LA Knight also has a contract for a U.S. title match with Logan Paul for SummerSlam but needs Paul to sign the paperwork to make it official.
After WWE SmackDown
The closing moments of this week’s SmackDown saw Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton be laid out by Solo Sikoa and the Bloodline. Rhodes was forced to watch on as Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, and Jacob Fatu delivered a triple powerbomb to Orton through the announce table. After the show, Rhodes, alongside WWE officials (including Jamie Noble and Hurricane Helms) helped Orton to the back.
Fans who stuck around in the DCU Center after SmackDown got to see much more than Orton be helped to the back. In a dark match, Braun Strowman made quick work of honorary Judgment Day member Carlito.
The fans were also treated to a rematch from WWE Backlash: France as World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest took on Jey Uso. Despite a valiant effort by Main Event Jey, it was Priest who once again left with the gold.
— Damian Priest Fansite Media (@DPFansite_Media) July 13, 2024
Priest will now have to turn his attention to SummerSlam where he will defend against WWE King of the Ring GUNTHER. The 37th annual SummerSlam will take place on August 3, from the Cleveland Brown Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio.
