In a matter of hours,WWE NXT will launch on The CW with an exciting show from the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois, where Trick Williams seeks to become a two-time NXT Champion. Speaking this week on the Insight podcast, Williams gave his high estimation for what the gold brand’s new era will look like.
“We are about to bring the best two-hour show to CW. I mean, I put our show against anybody’s. NXT is on fire right now, and shout out to Shawn Michaels. We just clicking on all cylinders and we’re ready to put on the show.”
All eyes will be on Williams tonight as he looks to end the 82-day reign of Ethan Page, who won the gold in controversial fashion at Heatwave in July. Page’s debut in May saw the ‘All Ego’ talent attack Williams and the pair have been at odds ever since.
“He stole the title, he conned his way into WWE. He conned his way into the title picture. He conned the title of me. He ain’t gonna con his way into CW, enough is enough.”
WWE NXT On The CW
Williams Vs. Page, as officiated by CM Punk, will be just one highlight of tonight’s launch of WWE NXT on The CW. The show will also see NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez take on Giulia. Wes Lee and TNA’s Zachary Wentz will collide in a Street Fight while Miz TV will feature Oba Femi and Tony D’Angelo.
Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on WWE NXT’s premiere on The CW, including breaking news and live results.
In 2024, A.J. Befumo and his son Eric have taken TikTok by storm with their series of videos demonstrating their love for all things Costco. After appearing for AEW at the All Out 2024 pay-per-view alongside RJ City and Renee Paquette, the father-son duo will be returning to AEW and will be doing much more than talking.
On social media, Befumo shared that the pair have signed a contract with AEW which will see A.J. compete in one match for Tony Khan’s promotion.
“I am wrestling one more match and it will be for AEW, All Elite Wrestling. We don’t know exactly where, we don’t know exactly who my opponent’s gonna be, but I am wrestling for one match at All Elite Wrestling. The contract is signed.”
A.J wrestled professionally for years as ‘The American Powerhouse’ Eric Justice, and named his son after his wrestling persona. He retired from the ring in 2005 and until his TikTok popularity exploded, had been working full-time as a regional manager for a nationwide mortgage-lending company.
The Costco Guys
A.J. Befumo and his 11-year-old son, Eric, aka Big Justice, have become viral sensations in 2024 with their TikTok food reviews of products from Costco. In recent months, the pair has garnered over 1.3 million followers on TikTok, and the videos have tens of millions of views.
Celebrities and wrestling have gone together for decades and now both AEW and the Costco Guys will be able to introduce their respective fanbases to the other side. Stay tuned to SEScoops for all the latest from AEW and its place in the world of wrestling.
Batista has revealed the best pieces of advice he got from his mentors in wrestling.
The former World Champion recently had a short conversation with The School of Hard Knocks on TikTok. He was asked about the best piece of advice he has ever got.
The Animal reflected on the time when he first got hired by WWE back in the early 2000. He mentioned that he was very afraid of pissing people off, until Triple H changed his perspective with two incredible pieces of wisdom:
“There’s been a few things, especially when I was wrestling, I had a mentor named Triple H, and it was a couple things he said to me that always stuck with me. And one of the things was, you know, when I first got there, I was so afraid, like I didn’t want to piss people off, it was a hierarchy thing, and I was so afraid of being disrespectful, or pissing somebody off. And one day he said, ‘Look, man, you want to make money or you want to make friends?’
He says ‘This is a business. You got to look at it as a business. You’re a business.’ And so I always thought about myself as my own commodity. I am my brand. And so another thing he said, he said, ‘Just always imagine that everybody’s pointing a gun at your head. it’s up to you how many bullets you give them.'”
Batista did a mini interview with The School Of Hard Knocks and my man was dropping GEMS pic.twitter.com/gsiVdKetHJ
Batista has been pretty open about his financial difficulties after leaving WWE in 2010. Despite multiple world titles in the company, the retired wrestling star found himself in a pickle. The 55-year-old wanted to pursue an acting career but he had a hard time because he couldn’t find a lot of jobs the first few years.
The Hollywood star has since found success and starred in hit franchises like Guardians of The Galaxy and Dune. Despite this, however, he tries to live beneath his means, as explained to him by The Undertaker:
“Financial advice. Best advice that I ever got, which I always offer to, especially to like professional athletes, because a lot of professional athletes they grow up, you know, not really having much. So when you get all this money dumped on you, you just want to buy everything you can afford. The best advice that I ever got was actually from the Undertaker, another wrestler.
He said, ‘always live beneath your means.’ I learned that the hard way. When I came out of wrestling, I literally lost everything. My house got foreclosed on, but I had a second opportunity to be successful in the film industry. Now that money in the bank means more to me than something that I don’t really need. Like I don’t need a Bugatti. I’d love to have a Bugatti but I’m not paying 3-5 million for a car because I don’t need one.”
Batista has not only found success for himself in the movie industry but he is also helping other wrestling stars get their foot into the door. Drew McIntyre is one such talent who has gotten a big movie role recently due to a recommendation from the MCU star.
Pete Rose, a legend of baseball who also made appearances for WWE, has died at the age of 83. Stephanie Wheatley, a spokesperson for Clark County in Nevada, confirmed on behalf of the medical examiner that Rose died Monday, September 30. Rose had appeared at an autograph show over the weekend in Nashville alongside other celebrity athletes, including fellow WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair.
Known as ‘Charlie Hustle’ of the Cincinnati Reds, Rose was arguably the most exciting player of the 1960s and 70s, and remains MLB’s all-time leader in hits with 4,256. The following decade, Rose managed the Reds and in 1989, was accused of betting on games while he played for and managed the team. After years of denying accusations, Rose admitted in 2004 that he made wagers on the team, and his permanent ban from the Hall of Fame remains a topic of debate to this day.
Pete Rose In WWE
Rose debuted in WWE at WrestleMania 14 where he mocked the hometown team of Boston, earning himself a chokeslam from Kane shortly after. The pair would run into another again at WrestleManias 15 and 16 with the Big Red Machine always getting the better of Rose.
For his work with WWE, Rose was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004 on the eve of WrestleMania 20, the first celebrity inductee. It was fitting that Kane inducted the original Big Red Machine, and fortunately for Rose, the pair did not come to blows. On Twitter, WWE shared a statement on Rose’s passing.
WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer Pete Rose has passed away.
WWE has announced an injury to former NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov that will likely keep him out of action for the rest of the year as well as the WrestleMania season next year.
On Monday’s episode of Raw, the company aired footage of the 30-year-old facing the World Heavyweight Champion Gunther in a match at this past Saturday’s house show from Columbus, Georgia.
In the commentary, they noted that Dragunov is suspected to have suffered a torn ACL and the medical team believes that he will be out of action for 6 to 9 months:
Ilja Dragunov had a successful run in WWE developmental. He started in NXT UK in January 2019 and has the credit of ending Gunther’s 2 year-long reign with the NXT UK Championship at NXT: Takeover 36 in August 2021.
He had to relinquish the title after 346 days due to a leg injury in July 2022. Dragunov joined the main NXT brand after returning from injury where he had a 200+ days run with the NXT title.
The former champion was finally called up to the main roster during the 2024 Drafts. He has competed in the King of The Ring tournament and also unsuccessfully challenged Sami Zayn for the IC title since then.
A minimum of 6 months recovery time means Dragunov will not be ring-ready until April at least. That implies he’ll be absent for the whole WrestleMania 41 season, with a high potential of missing the Show of Shows as well.
SEScoops wishes a speedy recovery to Ilja Dragunov
On the August 5, episode of Raw, Bronson Reed vowed to make a name for himself and did just that by attacking Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins, flattening him with six Tsunamis. After close to two months away, Rollins is back on WWE TV and is hungry for revenge on this year’s Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal winner.
In the main event of the September 30, edition of WWE Raw, Reed faced Braun Strowman in the ‘Last Monster Standing’ match, which as the name suggests, was a collision of two titans of the red brand. After the ring exploded under the weight of a superplex between the two, Reed tried to get back to his feet, only to earn a stomp by the returning Rollins onto the steel steps.
Rollins’ war with Reed is far from over, judging by the finale of this week’s Monday Night Raw. The former Universal Champion has been appearing at NFL games during his time away and went viral after being ejected from the field during a Bears Vs. Colts game. Stay tuned to SEScoops for all the latest on Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins now that the Visionary is back on WWE programming.
On February 1, WWE will host its Royal Rumble PLE from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, officially kicking off the road to WrestleMania 41. The Royal Rumble is always one of the most exciting nights on WWE’s calendar and next year’s show could see involvement from the NBA’s Tyrese Haliburton.
On Twitter, the Indiana Pacers star shared that tickets for the 2025 Royal Rumble will go on sale on Friday, November 15, with a presale beginning two days earlier. Haliburton pointed out that the Rumble is “always full of surprises” and his watching eyes emoji led some to believe that Haliburton could be planning on entering the 30-Man match.
INDY, it’s almost time! Royal Rumble tickets will be available Friday November 15th with presale beginning Wednesday November 13th. The Rumble is always full of surprises? @WWEpic.twitter.com/qsAakzsUwn
Haliburton is no stranger to WWE, having appeared on SmackDown earlier this year and came to the aid of Logan Paul in a Money in the Bank qualifying match. Unfortunately for the duo, Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks prevented Haliburton from passing the brass knuckles to Paul and the match was won by LA Knight.
More recently, Haliburton, decked in the shirt of NXT head Shawn Michaels, appeared on the September 17, 2024, edition of WWE NXT. The basketball star was seen meeting with Ava and was later part of the contract signing between NXT Champion Ethan Page and Trick Williams.
WWE and Indiana
Indiana will host the 2025 Royal Rumble but major WWE events will become a regular thing for Circle City. A massive deal between the two sides will see next year’s Royal Rumble take place in Lucas Oli Stadium, as well as a future two-night SummerSlam and two-night WrestleMania. WWE CCO Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque has called this a “groundbreaking, first-of-its-kind partnership” between the two sides and promised “countless unforgettable moments.”
AEW World Champion Bryan Danielson has laid out a huge challenge for the upcoming Dynamite 5-year anniversary show this Wednesday night.
The wrestling veteran recently shared an Instagram video of himself meditating in a forest. He started off his promo by calling out Jon Moxley. Mox had said that Bryan’s idea of a world champion wasn’t working after turning on his BCC teammate at All Out.
Danielson responded to the former Shield member saying that as much as he’d like to face Jon in a match, he realizes that he is fighting against an idea and not a man.
The AEW Champion proclaimed that he wants to be someone who defends his title at a monumental show like the upcoming Anniversary Special and proceeded to call out Kazuchika Okada for the bout:
Bryan Danielson has called out Okada for a World title match at Dynamite this Wednesdaypic.twitter.com/GG76Cpclmw
— Anutosh Bajpai || SEScoops || Wrestling News (@AuthorAnutosh) October 1, 2024
The AEW world title match is the 4rth match announced for the October 2 episode of Dynamite. Here is the updated line up for the show:
Singles Match: Hangman Page vs. Juice Robinson
Singles Match: Britt Baker vs. Serena Deeb
AEW International Championship Match: Will Ospreay (c) vs. Ricochet
AEW World Heavyweight Championship Match: Bryan Danielson (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada
Bryan Danielson has faced Okada in two singles matches so far. He defeated the Japanese star in their first match when they collided at the Forbidden Door 2023 event.
A rematch between the two took place at WrestleKingdom 18 in January this year. Okada picked up the win this time, tying the score to 1-1.
Okada has since signed a contract with AEW, becoming a full-time member of the Elite roster. We’ll have to tune in on Wednesday to see which one of the two picks up the victory in this rubber match.
Jey Uso has been the WWE Intercontinental Champion for exactly one week and has already changed the belt. As seen below, Uso has made a noticeable change to the belt with new blue side plates:
In an emotional scene on Monday’s episode of Raw, Uso kicked off the show where he celebrated winning the title belt from Bron Breakker a week ago in the main event. This is where Uso cut a promo about how he was afforded the opportunity to open the show.
He was welcomed by a lively crowd chanting YEET as he made his way to the ring alongside his son, Jace. This is when he got emotional as he talked to a standing crowd and thanked his mother, who is his biggest supporter.
This led to the former champion coming out to interrupt, but he did so in a respectful way, congratulating him. They shook hands with a big smile on the face of Breakker. Uso praised the young star and it appeared that Bron has turned babyface for now.
Uso said that he would be a fighting champion every week if that’s what it meant. As of this writing, it’s unclear when his next title defense will come against.
Killswitch, who is one of AEW’s longer-tenured wrestlers, has suffered a medical scare.
The former Luchasaurus was rushed to the hospital over the weekend after suffering severe lung damage. Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful reported the news on Monday evening.
The masked wrestler was taken to the hospital by his wife on Friday after he was found collapsed. Once arriving at the medical facility, tests were down, and his blood oxygen level was below 80 percent.
Per the report, doctors said that he had pneumonia in both lungs, and he was told that he was “days away” from suffering permanent lung damage. Now, he is on the road to recovery, with the expected timeline of about a month. However, as of this writing, it’s unknown how long he will be out of action and off AEW programming.
The AEW star has been part of the promotion since it launched in 2019, where he began his tenure in a tag team with Jack Perry, named Jurassic Express. Together, they won the Tag Team Titles.
In 2023, he turned heel and joined Christian Cage’s Patriarchy faction. He was last in action when he worked AEW All In London 2024, competing in a Casino Gauntlet match, where he helped Cage earn a shot at the AEW World Title.
Cody Rhodes is confident in Darby Allin’s skill set, both inside the squared circle and on the microphone as a promo guy. With such a belief in the fan favorite, he does not doubt that Allin can be a top guy for AEW.
Rhodes has been able to see Allin progress in pro wrestling as the former AEW Executive Vice President wrestled the popular star various times in the promotion before he left in February 2022 and returned to WWE. Since then, Rhodes has become a top star for WWE and won the Undisputed WWE Championship. Allin recently headlined AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam against Jon Moxley, falling short and giving up his World Title shot at WrestleDream.
While speaking on Superstar Crossover, Rhodes responded to Allin, who asked in a separate interview whether Cody thought he could be the face of AEW.
“So the answer is a guaranteed Yes, but don’t let Darby fool you. He was never insecure, and he was never not confident. Darby is almost overconfident, and that’s that’s what we do. We talk smack. We wrestle each other. This is entertainment. I don’t mind it, but sometimes your overconfidence is actually arrogance, when, in his case, instead of it being arrogance, the experience that he’s had now with Sting, the experience he’s had seeing the different changes in the company, all of that, that is the experience that you need to lead you to, where you see the clarity, and you see the moment go, ‘Hey, I can be the guy.’ Absolutely, 100% could potentially be the person.”
Rhodes said that the spot was available to more people than everyone thought, and, being that guy, has a more demanding schedule.
AEW may be looking elsewhere for the developers of its future video games following the mixed response to its inaugural game, Fight Forever, which was released on all major consoles and PC in June 2023.
While the gameplay was fun and easy to pick up, fans voiced their frustration with the lack of depth in the game, game modes, and bugs that the game had. In April 2024, it was reported that the developers were pressured to “deliver something faster than what it should’ve been,” leading to the issues.
Mike Straw of Insider Gamingreports that sources have told him the decision makers at AEW are “strongly considering” finding a new development partner moving forward as the future of the AEW games hangs in the balance.
“They [AEW] knows that things didn’t go the way they expected,” one source said. “The game was over-budget and it under delivered when it came out. It has AEW strongly considering moving to a new developer for their games.”
The promotion wants to see where else they can go with their games. Their original deal with Yuke’s called for one year of post-launch content, which included four season passes that added wrestlers, moves, game modes, and venues. Yuke’s last released a DLC game pack in July, adding Will Ospreay, Kazuchika Okada, and Mercedes Mone.
Sources told the media outlet that the primary focus is on the gaming future as a whole, and everything is on the table regarding the future. The two sides reportedly butted heads before the game was released, including problems with AEW EVP Kenny Omega, who was at the point of “hating” working with Yuke’s.
Others felt that Yuke’s was trying to “take advantage” of Omega due to his inexperience in helping with game development.
Kota Ibushi has continued to tease fans regarding his return with fellow AEW star Kenny Omega. The Japanese star dropped hints in a social media post that he and Omega will return soon. Posting a picture in boxing gloves, Ibushi revealed that their last practice session is done and said that they are now pushing hard for their return.
Kota Ibushi stated that he has a long time to fulfill his promises. He also highlighted that the scenario in AEW has changed a lot since their absence. The 42-year-old thanked for the flexibility in his contract as well. A translated caption reads:
”Last practice is over!!! We haven’t seen each other quite a bit, but this time we’ve got a hard push. Tuned up for AEW which will be soon.
I still have a long time to fulfill my promises! The scenery sure has changed, All that’s left is to do. We’re both on fire!!
Thank you for your flexible contract even though you belong. Well, there are some things I’ve done, but basically when I’m in Japan, it’s good.”
Kota Ibushi and Kenny Omega are one of the most popular tag teams and they are known as The Golden Lovers. They have been KO-D Tag Team Champions, the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions, and the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions.
Kota Ibushi’s last appearance in AEW took place November 15th edition of AEW Dynamite last year. He joined forces with Kenny Omega, Chris Jericho, and Paul Wight to defeat Brian Cage and The Don Callis Family in an eight-person Street Fight. Ibushi, who called AEW his home, is set to make his return to GLEAT for their show in Osaka on October 6th.
At All In 2024, Bryan Danielson defeat Swerve Strickland to, for the first time, capture the AEW World Championship. The victory was sensible enough both from the perspective of being one of the best all-around professional wrestlers in the world and, as many pundits framed it, as a lifetime achievement award.
Indeed, Danielson has lost many more high profile matches than he has won since signing with the company, but this victory and the subsequent announcement that he plans to retire from full-time performance when he loses the title have compelled fans to think more about his career and legacy.
One prime question about Danielson comes down to how one should compare his efforts in WWE with his time elsewhere. He was active in WWE from 2010 to 2021 as Daniel Bryan, though nearly four years of that time was lost due to what appeared to be career-ending injuries. Despite sporadically appearing in WWE, mostly as an enhancement talent, from 2000 to 2003, he spent most of his first decade of his career on the indies, though, arriving at a reputation as one of the best technical wrestlers in the world. He’s added onto that legacy with these past three years in AEW.
So which version of Danielson left the bigger mark? There’s a lot to consider.
Bryan Danielson Achieved Fame And Respect Independent OF WWE
When Daniel Bryan arrived on WWE television in 2010 as a “rookie” to be mentored by The Miz in early NXT, he garnered an unusual reaction. He was a rare star—particularly for that era—who had built a real name for himself without WWE exposure, considered by many at the time to be the best wrestler in the world not to have ever been signed with WWE. The fact that The Miz—a hated performer whose aesthetic was very “sports entertainment,” and as such the antithesis of Bryan’s ethos, only piled on the heat.
This reception was all a testament to what Bryan Danielson accomplished on the indies and, in particular, in ROH as an in-ring virtuoso with a deceptive charisma that had allowed him to connect with fans at a high level.
Danielson has only added to this legacy in AEW, including instant classic matches with Kenny Omega, MJF, Swerve Strickland, and plenty of others. Few and far between are the wrestlers who’ve gotten over at the highest level in absolutely every environment they’ve set foot in. Danielson is that guy.
Daniel Bryan Was A WrestleMania Main Eventer
Via WWE
There are a lot milestones that define the most successful wrestlers in the world. Winning a world title anywhere—but particularly where the lights are on brightest in WWE—is an accomplishment. Winning a world title in the final match of a WrestleMania is on the next level, though—a very specific feat only eighteen performers have ever accomplished. Indeed, there’s a real case that this feat is what separates the defining characters of WWE lore from more experimental world champs like Jinder Mahal or Jack Swagger.
Bryan is on that list with a showing that arguably belongs on the Mount Rushmore of greatest WrestleMania main event performances. That’s not to mention that he also main evented in a losing effort seven years later, and worked two other ‘Mania world title matches across his tenure.
While, as Bryan Danielson, he also worked and won a historic All In main event in front of over 80,000 people, it remains difficult to put that kind of accomplishment on part with headlining WrestleMania given how iconic that show’s brand has grown over the last four decades.
Bryan Danielson And Daniel Bryan Have Both Had Great Matches
(via AEW)
One consistent factor for Bryan Danielson and Daniel Bryan is that, across the board, he has produced great matches. In WWE he more than held his own in some of the best matches stars ranging from John Cena to Triple H to Randy Orton to Roman Reigns ever had.
Before signing with WWE, though, Danielson built a reputation on classics with the likes of Nigel McGuinness, KENTA, and Takeshi Morishima. In AEW, his best bouts include outings with Zack Sabre Jr., Will Ospreay, and Adam Page.
There’s a case to be made Danielson’s greatest ring work, from a purist’s perspective, came outside WWE, but his ability to bring a more technical and stiff style to the masses in WWE—including opposite some opponents less known for work rate–represents an accomplishment all its own.
Daniel Bryan Reached A Larger Audience
At the end of the day, evaluating whether Daniel Bryan or Bryan Danielson has the greater legacy comes down to personal opinion given both were great and, of course, it was ultimately the same performer responsible for both, and it’s impossible to completely disentangle one from the other.
Nonetheless, at the end of the day it does matter that Daniel Bryan performed in front of a larger sustained audience. That’s important for his reach and accessibility. It also matters for just how impressive it was for an undersized “work rate guy” with an non-traditional personality for wrestling to get over at the highest level in WWE, and particularly when it was still under Vince McMahon’s creative leadership with his more specific vision for what a superstar should look like.
Call him Daniel Bryan. Call him Bryan Danielson. At the end of the day, the man belongs in the conversation among the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, and it’s fitting that fans of different aesthetics, who follow different promotions, all have large bodies of work to appreciate from him.
WWE has announced ticket information for next year’s Royal Rumble event, scheduled for Saturday, February 1, 2025 from Indianapolis, IN at Lucas Oil Stadium. Additionally, WWE has confirmed the Rumble is scheduled to begin at 6pm ET/3 pm PT.
Here’s the official press release sent in to SEScoops:
TICKETS FOR ROYAL RUMBLE®2025 IN INDIANAPOLIS ON SALE FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15 Royal Rumble Ticket Presale Begins Wednesday, November 13 at 10am ET/7am PT
September 30, 2024 – WWE®, part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO), today announced tickets for Royal Rumble® 2025, which takes place Saturday, February 1, 2025, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, will go on sale Friday, November 15 at 10am ET/7am PT via ticketmaster.com.
Presale for Royal Rumble tickets will begin Wednesday, November 13 at 10am ET/7am PT. Fans can register now to receive an exclusive presale offer by visiting wwe.com/royalrumble-2025-presale.
Additionally, Royal Rumble Priority Pass ticket packages will soon be available from On Location, offering fans the chance to be ringside for every exhilarating moment including premium seating, pre-show hospitality with WWE Superstar appearances, ringside photo opportunities and more. To place a deposit or sign up for exclusive presale access, please visit onlocationexp.com/royalrumble.
Kicking off with Royal Rumble on February 1, 2025, Indianapolis will host WWE’s three largest stadium events at Lucas Oil Stadium, includingWrestleMania and a two-night SummerSlam, in future years as part of a first-of-its-kind partnership struck between WWE and Indiana Sports Corp earlier this year.
Additionally, Raw, SmackDown, NXT and WWE live events will emanate from arenas across Indiana, including Indianapolis, Fort Wayne and Evansville throughout the partnership.
The 2025 WWERoyal Rumble streams live in the U.S. exclusively on Peacock beginning at 6pm ET/3 pm PT.
WWE Hall of Famer Lilian Garcia recently revealed why she decided to part ways with WWE in 2016. Speaking with Ten Count Media, Garcia revealed an emotional story of her father’s illness which led to her departure. In March 2015, he was diagnosed with bladder cancer, which forced her to move him in with her for treatment. The hospital near his home in South Carolina had run out of options and she brought him to California for treatments.
“My father got really sick, and I took care of him. We found out at the end of 2015 that he’s got bladder cancer, and I moved him in with me because the hospital in South Carolina where he lived had run out of options. I moved him in with me [in] March of 2016, and he was going to City of Hope, and they were trying all sorts of different experiments on him.”
In 2016, she and her family were informed that her father had limited time left. The former ring announcer had to put an end to her WWE career to be with her father. Her father passed away on Christmas Day in 2016. Lilian Garcia reflected on her decision to step away and said that she would have continued working with WWE if the situation was in her favor. However, she doesn’t regret her choice and she knows she made the right decision.
“And then it was in August of 2016 that they said to us, they didn’t tell him we wanted to keep it away from him. But they told my sister and I that he had two weeks to three months to live, and I just knew I couldn’t get back on a plane.
I knew that was it my sister and I went full on caretaking for him, and he ended up lasting five months. But he passed on Christmas Day in 2016, and I still look back, and I know I made the right decision.”
Garcia is one of the legendary WWE ring announcers and she joined the company back in 1999. She was also involved in a handful of storylines during her time with the company. She first departed the company in 2009 but returned a couple of years later. She then had a run for five more years with the company. She is currently announcing for the Professional Fighters League (PFL), an MMA league launched in 2018. Garcia also runs a podcast, Chasing Glory.
Tonight’s WWE Raw broadcasts live on the USA Network from Evansville, Indiana. It’s the final stop before WWE Bad Blood and the show will feature the final hype for Saturday’s premium live event.
This will be the final 3-hour Raw for the remainder of the year. Next week begins a new era Starting next week, Monday Night Raw reverts to a 2-hour format until the move to Netflix on January 6.
The September 30, 2024 edition of Raw will feature a Last Monster Standing match between two of WWE’s largest competitors, Xavier Woods and Rey Mysterio wrestling for the first-time ever, and more.
Confirmed Matches and Segments
Last Monster Standing: Braun Strowman vs. Bronson Reed
Xavier Woods vs. Rey Mysterio
Kofi Kingston vs. Chad Gable
Six-Man Tag Match: The Judgment Day vs. LWO
Lyra Vakkyria vs. Zoey Stark
Plus, CM Punk and Drew McIntyre will be on-hand just five days before they step foot inside Hell in a Cell to end their 9-month feud.
Finally, what’s next for Jey Uso after winning the Intercontinental Championship last week?
Matt Cardona is not only considering a return to WWE but also aims to win the top prize of the promotion.
Cardona posted a new video on his YouTube channel, and he reflected on his 2024 so far. He feels that he is yet to hit the prime of his career. While he made appearances for AEW, Cardona is considering a return to WWE.
‘The Indy God,’ who previously wanted to face John Cena, discussed his goals and said that he dreamed of being the top guy. He has always wanted to win the WWE World Championship. The former WWE star said that was his goal. While he might not achieve it, he would die trying. Here is what he said:
“I didn’t dream as a little kid to just be a pro wrestler. I dreamed of being a top guy, the top guy. You have to have that goal to be successful in this business. I’m very fortunate in my career, 20 years, highs and lows. But I never got the big one. I never won the WWE World Title. That has to be the goal. Because if that’s not the goal, what are we doing? What am I doing here? What am I working towards? I might never achieve that goal, but I’m gonna die trying.”
Matt Cardona, formerly known as Zack Ryder, had a decent run with WWE, as he spent well over a decade with the company. However, he was let go from the company as part of the budget cuts in 2020. Since then, Cardona has been thriving in the indie promotions. He has also held titles in NWA, TNA, and GCW. He even wrestled for AEW.
This year, he returned to TNA. He has missed some in-ring action due to torn pec injury but he has since made his comeback to the squared circle.
Outside of the world of wrestling, John Cena has made a name for himself in Hollywood with his various movie projects taking the WWE icon around the world. This week, Cena, or rather an animated version of him, landed in Good Ol’ Springfield, USA, as part of the Season 36 premiere of The Simpsons.
The episode in question ‘Bart’s Birthday‘ tells a meta-story of The Simpsons writers using ChatGPT to craft the perfect series finale for the show. This leads to multiple characters receiving grand send-offs including Comic Book Guy and his wife Kumiko saying goodbye to the comic store after welcoming their child into the world.
As Kumiko goes into labor inside the store, Cena, who notes that he is “the only licensed midwife to win 16 WWE Championships” is on hand to help the couple welcome their baby into the world. When asked what he’s doing in Springfield, John shares that he’s around for the launch party of Otto’s new brand of energy drinks, an off-screen send-off to the school bus driver.
John Cena aparece en Los Simpsons!
Y no solo eso, sino que en el episodio, Cena atiende una emergencia y ayuda a traer a un bebé al mundo solo para decirle "You Can't See Me" pic.twitter.com/CMZq1DtR2Z
Cena is the second WWE Superstar to appear on the iconic animated show and follows in the footsteps of Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart who was in season eight’s The Old Man and the Lisa. The Hitman buys the mansion of Mr. Burns in the episode, after the crotchety billionaire falls on hard times and borrowing a line from Freddy Blassie, refers to Burns as a “pitiful, pencil neck geek.”
John Cena’s time in Springfield comes ahead of his WWE retirement tour which will kick-off next January when WWE Raw moves to Netflix. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on the WWE icon and his work in and out of the ring.
Since signing with WWE in December 2020, Lash Legend has been cooking up problems for the other women in NXT as part of Noam Dar’s Meta-Four. Now, Legend will be cooking in the kitchen as part of a brand-new show that’ll see plenty of NXT involvement.
A Dash of Lash will premiere on October 17, and will see new episodes drop every Thursday. As the trailer for the new show demonstrates, Lash will be joined by several NXT names including NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez, NXT GM Ava, Tony D’Angelo and his family, and Legend’s real-life partner Trick Williams.
Dash of Lash???? premiering 10/17 ?
Episodes dropping every week. (On Thursdays @6:00pm) So get your notes ready and let’s get to cooking.
Lash Legend is hardly the first WWE Superstar to show her skills in the kitchen. In 2021, The Miz, Maryse, Drew McIntyre, and Naomi took over Top Chef: Family Style. The four not only motivated their respective teams, but added their exquisite palates to the judging table alongside head judge Marcus Samuelsson.
Baron Corbin is also quite the chef and has dreams in the kitchen for after his in-ring career is over. In July 2022, the former NXT Tag Team Champion shared his desire to work on the Food Network once he retires from competition within five to ten years. Stay tuned to SEScoops for all the latest from Lash Legend and her work in the ring and in the kitchen.
For the rest of the NFL season, I’ll be doing a pro football round-up and how the pro wrestling world collides with the stars and teams of the National Football league.
Unlike Week 4, Seth Rollins is very happy with his Chicago Bears after being “eliminated” from Lucas Oil Field courtesy of TY Hilton and Sheamus actually remembered to bring his “Luck of The Irish” for the football team he tried to hype (albiet collegiate football). Let’s get to it!
Seth Rollins’ Bears Get The Win, Set To Appear On NBC Sunday Night Football
More often than not, Seth Rollins has found himself on the losing end as a Bears fan, but this week his favorite team recorded a solid W against the Los Angeles Rams. Seth was quick to celebrate on social media and reveal that he’d be a special guest on tonight’s NBC Sunday Night Football to celebrate.
I love football!!
And I’m gonna talk about it tonight on @SNFonNBC!!!
Sheamus has been making his way all across the football hash marks and although this particular moment isn’t tied to the NFL, it’s tough to not feel the “Luck of the Irish” for “The Celtic Warrior.” Sheamus was in South Bend, IN to motivate Notre Dame as they clashed with the Louisville Cardinals. His hyping the Tennessee Titans fans last week didn’t get anything going, but Notre Dame sure was feeling a “fight night” as they handled Louisville 31-24.
“Bayley’s Biggest Fan” decided to follow in her hero’s footsteps by actually getting into the wrestling ring, and Izzy Moreno did just that on Sunday. Before the Houston Texans took on Tony Khan’s Jacksonville Jaguars, Izzy had her own kind of competition outside Houston Stadium. Moreno successfully defined her Mission Pro Championship Title in a singles match before kickoff.
You guys!!!!!!
I WRESTLED AND DEFENDED THE @MissionProWres TITLE AT NRG STADIUM!!!
Thunder Rosa Officiated A Match Between Simon Miller & Texan’s Mascot Toro
Moreno was not alone in Houston. One of her mentors. Thunder Rosa also happened to be in attendance for the big game as CJ Stroud and his Texans got the W against The Jaguars. However, Rosa made sure “Toro The Bull,” the Texans mascot, also got the W against Simon Miller in a match before the game.
Drew McIntyre didn’t endear himself anymore to Seth Rollins as he and Liv Morgan tagged up to hang with the Indianapolis Colts before they battled the Pittsburgh Steelers. McIntyre and Morgan joined Pat McAfee to hype the Royal Rumble coming to the city in 2025.
Someone on the Washington Commanders social media team is a wrestling fan, but MJF would like some residuals. In hype for their Monday Night Football game against the Bengals for week three, a video was posted on TikTok of MJF referring to the Midwest as “Mid”, but the team logo was superimposed over Max’s face. In classic heel fashion MJF took exception to the Commanders using his likeness.
New York Jets owner Woody Johnson has garnered a polarizing reputation among Jets fans, but one decision that was certainly good for wrestling fans is that WWE SummerSlam will be coming to MetLife Stadium early August of 2025. Johnson took to his X account to express his excitement for the two-night rendezvous with WWE as the Jets prepped to take on the Denver Broncos this Sunday. However, the Jets didn’t ride that moment and lost to Denver 10-9.
Quite the rebound for pro wrestling related NFL stories as the teams tied to stars came out of week mostly unscathed except those darn Jets! With Seth both representing the Bears and the Ravens the pro wrestling NFL connection stands at 5-1 for week three
After two weeks, wrestling related NFL stories stand at 6-5.
Logan Paul has gone by many titles in his career, from YouTuber, to Boxer, to the longest-reigning WWE United States Champion of the past decade. Now, the controversial Maverick can be known as a father after he and his fiancée Nina Agdal have welcomed their baby daughter into the world this week.
On Instagram, the happy couple shared the exciting news that “Esmé Agdal Paul has entered the chat.” Several internet personalities wished the couple well in the comments, as did WWE’s very own Natalya Neidhart.
Powerhouse Hobbs might be on his way back to AEW programming very soon after spending the last 5 months on the shelf due to injury.
The former TNT Champion has been spotted backstage at AEW shows recently, starting rumors about a potential return for him.
Now Fightful Select is reporting that Hobbs has actually been cleared for action in the last few weeks. Hobbs went through extensive in-ring testing before being cleared and now he’s just awaiting creative plans for his return.
The heavyweight star last wrestled during the April 24, 2024 episode of Dynamite. He unsuccessfully challenged Jon Moxley for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship on the show and sustained a knee injury in the same bout.
Powerhouse Hobbs had primarily been involved in a storyline with Don Callis before being put on the shelf. He was recruited into Callis’ faction in October 2023.
Prior to that, the 33-year-old had a short run with the TNT Championship between March and April 2023. He also briefly joined the short-lived QTV faction but that didn’t lead to anything significant.
There is no word on what the company is planning for Hobbs upon his return but the recent debut of MVP opens up a very intriguing possibility for him.
The appearance from the former WWE star teased the arrival of The Hurt Syndicate on AEW programming. Though the faction is expected to be one member short compared to their WWE days as Cedric Alexander recently signed a new deal with the Endeavor-owned promotion.
If the group feels the need for a new member to strengthen their position, then someone like Powerhouse Hobbs would be the perfect addition. It will make the faction more dominant and allow the former champion to learn from the veterans.
Since arriving on Monday Night Raw in June, the Wyatt Sicks have been an enigmatic force on TV, captivating fans with their presentation and work in the ring. Now, the Uncle Howdy-led faction has taken their message off of TV after emerging victorious in their first match at a WWE live event.
The group was part of WWE’s event in Columbus, Georgia, with Joe Gacy promoting their presence in Columbus ahead of the show via Instagram. The Wyatt Sicks earned a victory over American Made’s Chad Gable, and Brutus & Julius Creed with Erick Rowan getting the win for his team with a pin on Julius.
‘Main Event’ Jey Uso also made the trip to Columbus, Georgia, for his first title defense after capturing the Intercontinental Championship on Raw from Bron Breakker. In Columbus, the new champion proved his win was no fluke with another win over Breakker.
WWE Superstars join the promotion from all walks of life, with some coming from an athletic background in an entirely different sport. Delicious Orie has already established himself in the world of professional boxing, and the Olympian is interested in taking the WWE by storm.
Speaking to the Daily Star, Orie, who competed in this year’s Summer Olympics in Paris, shared his love for pro wrestling after attending the September 24, edition of WWE NXT.
“I started watching it when I moved to the UK. I used to watch the likes of John Cena, The Undertaker while there was the odd appearance from the older legends like Stone Cold Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels. Me and my friends would do the moves.”
Orie added that it was “crazy” to get the chance to meet Michaels at WWE NXT’s final show on the USA Network, and was also pleased to meet Booker T. When asked about a potential future in WWE, Orie shared that it is something
“It’s something we could think about. I want to be an inspiration for people. I know wrestling would increase my profile so much and I want to be a global star. That’s the aim, to be known all over the world.“
Orie represented Great Britain in this year’s Summer Olympics and while he didn’t take home a medal, he’s seen plenty of success. In the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Orie took home gold in Birmingham when representing England and again won gold in last year’s European Games in Kraków and Ma?opolska, Poland.
WWE’s Olympians
WWE’s first Olympic Gold Medalist was Kurt Angle who had an incredible career from 1999 to 2006 which included five reigns as a WWE World Champion. It wouldn’t be until 2021 that WWE signed its second gold medalist, Gable Steveson, though his underwhelming WWE run ended this year. Currently, Tyra Mae Steele, aka Tamyra Mensah Stock, has been honing her skills at WWE NXT live events as well as on NXT Level Up.
Chad Gable competed at the 2012 Summer Games in London, England, before turning his attention to the world of pro wrestling and debuting in WWE NXT three years later. Clearly, WWE has become a hotbed for Olympians looking to forge a new chapter, and could Delicious Orie be next? Time will tell…
