Home Blog Page 245

Deonna Purrazzo Talks ‘Thriving’ AEW’s Women’s Divison & Potential of Teaming With Britt Baker

Scott Fishman
-
0

Deonna Purrazzo spent the better part of the last four years with a chip on her shoulder. The WWE release was the spark that lit a fire under “The Virtuosa,,” She knew her worth and what she was capable of. It was just about finding the right place that would give her the opportunity to show it. Enter TNA. The company provided the technical marvel to shine in the biggest of spotlights within their environment, even headlining shows.

After achieving all the milestones in TNA, Purrazzo felt the time was right to spread her wings further. The free agent was a hot commodity given the body of work she amassed and the reputation she earned. All Elite Wrestling became the landing spot at the start of 2024.

“Walking into any locker room new to you or in a new environment is scary because you’re not comfortable,” she said. “I was in TNA Impact Wrestling for three-and-a-half years, so that was my home. My husband was there. Some of my best friends were there. I got to know everyone on such a personal and intimate level working with them for that long.”

Making the leap was not easy for Purrazzo given the bonds she formed in TNA. However, in the last six months, she has been happy to establish a new relationship with the ladies of the AEW roster, many of whom she has never met or wrestled before.

“I think it has been super positive,” Purrazzo said. “I’ve put my best foot forward with this new company and working with brand new people and telling new stories. I was scared but equally excited.”

The new digs mean adjusting to a new schedule, which isn’t easy when your husband Steve Maclin works for a different company. For Purrazz, the couple has been finding their footing slowly but surely.

“It has been about adjusting when we get to see each other and making those moments special, allowing time for date night or his birthday is this weekend, so celebrating his birthday,” Purrazzo added. “Making those moments special because right now they are far and few between.”

The young veteran finds similarities between the TNA and AEW locker room. One thing that has helped the transition is having the support of real-life best friends like Madison Rayne. Someone who has been in Purrazzo’s shoes. One backstage reunion she looks forward to is Britt Baker.

“It has been interesting because I think in our mind we always envisioned us being there at the same time and doing it together,” she said. “That has not been the case for the last six months, so I’m very excited for whenever Brit comes back and I get to work with her on this kind of level because we never have before. Also, I want to see how she can reinvent herself and what she can do because she is one of the OG girls and has been there since Day 1 as the first woman signed.

“To hear her thoughts and take on the way the division has grown and the potential she sees for the future is interesting. It’s some of the same things I want for our division. It will be fun to work together and achieve that.”

Purrazzo looks back to meeting Baker and another good friend Chelsea Green for the first time at age 19 or 20. To see their journeys and how far they’ve come brings a smile to her face.

“I think at the end of the day we were so fortunate because we got what we wanted out of this. There is still so much we want and left to achieve,” Purrazzo said. “We were 20-year-old girls with these big dreams to take over this industry and change this industry and be world champions and we’ve done that. And somehow through the BS of this industry stayed best friends and positive. If there is anything I want for Chelsea Green and Britt Baker is to be equally or more successful for me. Or Karen Q or Tasha Steelz.

“I’ve been able to cultivate this really tight-knit group of girls who have been there at the beginning of my career and that I consider my family. I don’t have a sister, but if I did it would be Chelsea Green. That is what our relationship is like. To watch her on Monday nights or Friday nights and thrive and do what Chelsea does best is more fulfilling than anything I can do for myself. I know the work she has put into this and what it means to her. I thrive when my friends thrive. To see them do that the last five or six years has been really fulfilling for me.”

For Purrazzo, the AEW women’s division is thriving and finding newfound attention. This could be attributed to herself and the major signing of Mercedes Mone. At the time of the interview, Purrazzo was excited to be part of her first Double or Nothing weekend with Mone battling Willow Nightingale for the AEW TBS championship, as well as “Timeless” Toni Storm defending against Serena Deeb. The fact that there are two big matches on the card is not lost on her. Between those matches and other stories being told including what she is doing with Thunder Rosa, Purrazzo can see the momentum building. Rosa and Purrazzo were just announced to face off at the Double or Nothing Zero Hour. 

“I think for myself when a woman comes in and says, ‘This is what I want. These are my terms.’ And then gets it, and then does great business for other women to come thereafter. To watch her thrive in the way she is,” Purrazzo said of Mone. “She is about to get in the ring and I know so many people have been looking forward to watching her wrestle again, I’m one of those people.”

Purrazzo has high hopes for Forbidden Door to come thereafter. She is even dreaming of booking a rematch against Stardom’s Mayu Iwatani. At the same time, the star can see a wealth of possibilities for opponents and the future of the women’s division. With that in mind, Purrazzo would love to see a tag division if rolled out the proper way. When those stars align, there is even a partner in mind.

“I think the most logical answer is Britt. I don’t know if we can have a different rendition of VXT in AEW or what that looks like,” she said. “Coming from a division that has or still has a world tag team championship, it is interesting because I think more opportunities for women is amazing. I don’t think it is something you can introduce and say, “Here is the women’s tag team championship because you wanted it and gave it to you. I think there is a long process of developing real teams and having people have partnerships that are meaningful and long-lasting, especially for women. I think it’s easy to throw girls in there and say you’re a tag team. That hinders women’s tag team division a whole bunch.

“It takes time to build chemistry. A relationship that then you can feel through the screen. I think if there was going to be AEW women’s tag team championship, I would like to see it far out and see our tag division really cultivated and the relationship truly formed. Then maybe there is a tournament to solidify who would wrestle for the titles or who would become champion. Something more with long-term storytelling and a large format instead of just, ‘You asked for it, here it is.'”

If you’re a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, you could argue Purrazzo as the example. Losing her job at WWE was eye-opening not just the pro wrestling side but life in general.

“It was a scary realization of not having anything else and no backup plan. That’s why I chose to go to school. One, if I’m not going to wrestle anymore I need a college degree to get a job. Two, if I do continue to wrestle I need an outlet that isn’t related to wrestling at all. When I was doing my school work I got a bachelor’s in history. My capstone was 25 pages. I don’t have time to pick up the phone to scroll through Twitter and look at what is happening in the wrestling world right now.

“I had to dive into it one hundred percent if I wanted to accomplish it. It was just another roulette for me not to have my heart and soul into wrestling because I felt that destroyed m
e at one point. And if I was going to learn from my mistakes and be better this time around like at Impact when I was able to let wrestling go a little bit and have it not control me 24/7. For me, that outlet was school.”

Check out AEW Double or Nothing on May 26 at 8 p.m. on TrillerTV. 

Matt Hardy Says Experience In Saudi Arabia Made Him Appreciate Freedoms of Life In US

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

Matt Hardy has opened up about his experience in Saudi Arabia.

The former WWE star visited the country with the rest of the roster for two early PLEs in the Kingdom. He teamed with Bray Wyatt to win the vacated Raw Tag Team Championships at the Greatest Royal Rumble in 2018 and competed in a battle royal at the 2019 Super ShowDown event.

During the latest episode of his Extreme Life with Matt Hardy podcast, the Broken One reflected on his experience in the country. He compared the environment there to Los Angeles where the accommodations were luxuries but they had to deal with hot weather. The former Champion also claimed that everyone he met there was super nice to him:

“All those people that came to the show or that we met, they were all super kind. They’re all super nice. I did like a VIP party at one point and everybody there was just as friendly and as kind as it could have been. That’s one of the things that I think sometimes people forget about. Most of the people that live in Saudi Arabia are just normal human beings like you and I that have red blood whenever their skin gets cut open, that have a heart and lungs and whatever else in there, just trying to make it through every day and trying to live the best life they possibly can.

So my impressions of it were that it was nice, and you could see there was wealth in the country. Some of the spreads we had to eat were like outrageously great and good. We were taken very good care of while we were there. The hotel was very nice. The food was very nice. So no complaints on any of that front. And even the people that we met that we worked with that were like more government-type officials they were all very nice. There was nobody that was weird. There was no one that was off-putting.”

It Made Me Appreciate United States Even More: Matt Hardy

Matt Hardy teamed with Bray Wyatt at the Greatest Royal Rumble (Photo: WWE)

Though despite all the luxuries, all the roster members were still on their toes not wanting to break any laws of Saudi Arabia. Matt Hardy also recalled an incident that made him appreciate the freedoms of US more:

“Probably the strangest thing and this is me being an American, right and growing up in the South. I just grew up [with] my dad, I would get my ass beat if it wasn’t ‘Yes, sir. Yes, ma’am.’ and whatnot. Just the way the women had to wear their outfits in the job whatever you see in majority of the women’s eyes.

Not everyone had to dress fully like that but the majority of the people did. There was one point where I was out on the beach hanging out with a couple guys. A couple guys came in front of us that were wearing shorts and short sleeve shirts, whatever. They say ‘Oh our kids are big fans. they would love to meet you.’ They said ‘If you can wait a second our wives are taking care of them’ Their wives were over there and they’re fully dressed in the outfits the wives have to wear during the day when they’re out on public.

And it was just, that was strange, you know, and I guess everybody that was there was just very much on their toes. They just wanted to act proper because you didn’t want to do anything that would break laws in Saudi Arabia obviously, just because it’s a very different culture from us. It is what it is. We knew what we were going into. It was a very different culture. They live very differently than we do here in America. I feel like even the experience of going over there made me appreciate America and the United States even more just because of all the freedoms we have.”

The latest WWE PPV from Saudi Arabia dubbed King and Queen of The Ring will be airing live from the Jeddah Super Dome on May 25.

Drew McIntyre Comments On Being A “Quieter” Locker Room Leader

Bishal Roy
-
0

Drew McIntyre feels that there are few more than one locker room leader in WWE. 

‘The Scottish Warrior’ is one of the most popular and accomplished stars in the company. He has certainly earned the right to be called a locker-room leader as he has gone through his rookie phase and has remained on top of the card for several years. 

Over the years, WWE has seen several locker-room leaders who have led by example and McIntyre recently told Mike Johnson of PWInsider that there is more than one specific leader at present. He recalled when he shared the locker room with WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker and noted how Roman Reigns carried himself similar to ‘The Phenom.’ He said:  

“I think there’s a few now more than one specific person. When the guys have been around for a long time, when people go alright, that’s the you know the leader there but I was there when Taker was there, it was very clear and didn’t have to say a word. Like that’s the man right there.

Just the way he carried himself and Roman when he was full-time, he had that very similar, you know, just cool, very in control and had wrestled, you know, at the top level for so long, even though I’d been around longer, like that’s the guy right there. Now he had that same kind of Taker vibe and now there’s a bunch of us.”

The former WWE Champion then talked about his leadership style. The Scotsman stated that he is a “quieter leader.”  However, he never backs off from sharing his valuable advice if any wrestler approaches him since he has experienced so much in his decorated career. He said:

“I’d say I’m a quieter leader. Like I don’t force my opinion. There’s a few guys I’ll go directly and say ‘Hey, you need to do this, this, this’ unless it’s genuinely terrible and hurting our show I’ll 100% say something, but a lot of time they’ll come to me and I’m there for anybody that wants my opinion.

Somebody that you know, came up through the system, had to get fired to find themselves, has been part of the independent scene, has been part of the growth of social media, being part of the old ways and being part of the new ways. You know, I have some advice to give and you can take it or leave it because in the end, it’s going to be what works for you. I take advice all day long from everybody. And the thing I’ve learned is take what works for me and discard what doesn’t.”

McIntyre is sidelined with an elbow injury. However, he is featured regularly on Monday Night Raw. He is currently involved in a heated feud with CM Punk. Recently, it came to light that McIntyre’s first feature film is set to hit the theatres soon. Read more below:

Will Ospreay Wants Rematch With Ricochet in AEW: ‘People Here Appreciate His Work’

Thomas Lowson
-
0

AEW’s Will Ospreay hopes that Ricochet will soon be ‘All Elite’ as he’s itching for a rematch with the inaugural WWE Speed Champion. 

In the 2010s the pair had an acclaimed series of matches that elevated both men in the wrestling world. The duo’s most recent match came for What Culture Pro Wrestling in August 2017 in a match won by the Aerial Assassin. From there the pair would part ways with Ricochet joining WWE in January 2018 while Ospreay would go on to become one of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s top stars. 

Sitting down with ComicBook.com, Ospreay discussed his legendary series of matches with Ospreay. The Aerial Assassin admitted that he does worry that Ricochet isn’t being treated right in WWE. 

“I keep up with him all the time and sometimes I get a little bit sad about it. I hope he’s not sad and I hope he’s real happy. I keep up with him as much as I can, but I feel like people are forgetting who Ricochet was once upon a time.”

It’s not hard to see why Ospreay may be concerned for Ricochet regarding his booking in WWE. On a recent Raw, Ricochet spoke about how he is always losing in a very self-deprecating promo. 

This comment made little sense given that Ricochet recently won the WWE Speed Championship and was victorious throughout an entire tournament to win the gold. In the interview, Ospreay added that WWE valuing Ricochet’s work for minutes at a time, referring to WWE Speed rules, was “appalling.”

Will Ospreay wants another showdown with Ricochet. 

Ricochet in All Elite Wrestling? 

While Ricochet has been the victim of stop-start pushes since joining WWE’s main roster in 2019, Ospreay has been a staple of AEW TV since he officially signed in November 2023. Ospreay isn’t sure when Ricochet could be a free agent, but certainly hopes that AEW will make an offer if the One and Only becomes available. 

“I don’t know how much longer he has got in his contract, but I think it might be up soon, man, I don’t know. I want him to know that there are people here that genuinely appreciate his work and I want to wrestle him again. I want him back here.”

As for Ospreay’s more immediate future, the Essex-born wrestler will be a part of this weekend’s AEW Double or Nothing pay-per-view. Ospreay is hoping to clinch his first taste of AEW gold when he challenges the International Champion Roderick Strong. 

Chad Gable: ‘Current WWE Character Is Very Close To The Real Me’

Thomas Lowson
-
0

Chad Gable may not be as evil as his WWE on-screen persona is, but the WWE Raw Superstar is aware that his on-screen work isn’t entirely different from the real him.

Since turning heel in April 2024, Gable has debuted a profound mean streak on WWE TV with his allies in Alpha Academy often bearing the brunt of his outbursts. The former Olympian has berated Akira Tozawa, Maxxine Dupri, and Otis multiple times and has made them pledge their support for his pursuit of the WWE Intercontinental Championship. 

Chad Gable On His Heel Turn

This heel turn for Gable has shown a vicious side to the Olympian that fans didn’t see even in the past when Chad has worked as a villain. Sitting down with TNT Sports, Gable reflected on his change of demeanor and how fun it is to be a heel. 

“It’s certainly easier, I’ll tell you that much. Most people identify with the fact that it’s easier to get people to hate you than it is to like you.” 

Gable then explained how this character has a lot more in common with the real him than fans may first expect. 

“This version of it, believe it or not, is probably the closest to my real personality than anything else I’ve done. Not to say that I’m a jerk but I am a very hard-nosed disciplined human being in real life.

“Ask anyone close to me and they will tell you the same. Now I don’t necessarily talk to them the way I talk to Alpha Academy right now but they do know that when it comes down to the things that I take seriously, training fitness, anything I apply that discipline to, they don’t interfere in that part of my life.”

Gable hopes that this dedication will score him the WWE Intercontinental Championship. The former Olympian will challenge Sami Zayn for the gold at WWE King And Queen Of The Ring in a triple threat match that will include ‘Big’ Bronson Reed. 

Actor/Comedian Ibrahim Al Hajjaj To Appear At WWE King And Queen Of The Ring

Thomas Lowson
-
0

Actor Ibrahim Al Hajjaj will make his return to the world of pro wrestling with an appearance at the upcoming WWE King And Queen Of The Ring event. 

During the May 24, episode of WWE SmackDown, it was announced that Al Hajjaj will be a part of the Premium Live Event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The show will kick off later today from the Jeddah Superdome and will be the eleventh PLE to be held in the country. 

An appearance by Al Hajjaj was promoted on WWE SmackDown. 

WWE King And Queen of the Ring won’t be Ibrahim Al Hajjaj’s first time appearing for the Sports Entertainment juggernaut. At WWE Crown Jewel in November 2023, the popular actor was a guest on Miz TV. After he and WWE’s resident A-Lister were interrupted by Grayson Waller, Al Hajjaj would hit a People’s Elbow on the Aussie Icon. 

Celebrities In Saudi Arabia

Ibrahim Al Hajjaj’s involvement with WWE King And Queen Of The Ring is just the latest example of celebrity influence on the promotion’s endeavors in Saudi Arabia. At WWE Crown Jewel 2019, Boxing star Tyson Fury earned a count-out victory over Braun Strowman. That same night, UFC legend Cain Velasquez unsuccessfully challenged his old rival and then-WWE Champion Brock Lesnar. 

In 2022, social media star Jake Paul appeared in support of his brother Logan when the Maverick challenged then-Undisputed WWE Champion Roman Reigns. It’s hardly a surprise that WWE brings huge celebrities in for these events given how much the Saudi Sports Authority pays as part of this deal. Saudi Arabia also benefits from celebrity appearances at WWE events as these shows are part of ‘Saudi Vision 2030’ a government program with the goal of diversification economically, socially, and culturally. The program was launched by Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman. 

Matt Hardy Recalls Backstage Reaction To Titus O’Neil’s Viral Saudi Arabia Moment

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

WWE’s visits to Saudi Arabia always make headlines and their shows in the country are filled with memorable moments. Not all of these moments however are planned in advance.

Former WWE star Matt Hardy talked about his experiences of being part of some of the early WWE shows in the Kingdom on the latest episode of his podcast.

During the episode, he was asked about one such moment that Hardy got to witness firsthand, which was Titus O’Neil’s hilarious fall during his entrance in the Greatest Royal Rumble in 2018. Hardy branded it as the ‘craziest most insane thing ever’:

“It was just the craziest most insane thing ever. I remember everyone saw him slide underneath the ring and everybody was like ‘he’s dead.’ I mean everybody felt like he slid into a portal and he’s now somewhere in the 15th dimension. It was just so crazy that he ran and slid.”

It Was So Crazy: Matt Hardy

Matt Hardy mentioned that Titus could have hit the steel posts beneath the ring and got seriously injured. The former Prime Time Player however, somehow managed to come out unscathed:

“In the middle of the frame, of the ring there’s like an iron or steel post that’s big and thick that goes to the floor. Everyone’s like ‘Oh my god, if he slid in and hit his neck on that thing, he broke his neck.’ He made it in and he got out unscathed, which was crazy.

It was so crazy. It was just like such a viral moment because if you would have planned that you couldn’t have done it in 1000 takes. It just happened on that one take and he was able to get in and get out unscathed and uninjured. It was crazy.”

Hardy was part of two WWE events in Saudi Arabia. He teamed with Bray Wyatt to win the Raw Tag Team Titles at the Greatest Royal Rumble in 2018 and competed in the 51 Men Battle Royal won by Mansoor at Super ShowDown in 2019.

WWE will be running their 11th PPV event from the country called King and Queen of The Ring from the Jeddah Super Dome today on May 25. You can check out the streaming details and full match card for the show here

Latest On Giulia in WWE NXT: Championship Plans, Comparison to Asuka

Thomas Lowson
-
0

Giulia’s immediate future in the ring remains uncertain at this time, but WWE has huge plans for the Japanese sensation once she joins NXT. 

The former NJPW Strong Women’s Champion is currently nursing a wrist injury she suffered during the inaugural event for Rossy Ogawa’s Marigold wrestling promotion ‘Fields Forever‘. This injury will see Giulia miss an upcoming tribute event for Hana Kimura and has put plans for her on pause. 

Giulia in WWE NXT

It’s been believed for some time now that Giulia will join WWE NXT, an attitude galvanized when she appeared at WWE NXT Stand & Deliver in April. WWE is comfortable with Giulia healing while remaining in Japan, Fightful Select reports, and the promotion does not intend to interfere with any plans that were put in place for Giulia in Marigold pre-injury. 

WWE remains hopeful that Giulia will still be able to compete at the WWE NXT Heatwave event on July 7. The Japanese star will be thrown in at the deep end with her debut match expected to be for the NXT Women’s Championship that is currently held by Roxanne Perez. The Prodigy has had issues with WWE NXT General Manager Ava in recent weeks and it may be the fourth-generation star who officially brings Giulia in as an opponent for Perez. 

Giulia is expected to be a huge deal in WWE NXT. 

Giulia and Asuka

Giulia will be presented as “the female face of the brand” once she joins NXT, which may be a sign that Perez’s title reign will be ended by the Japanese star. One source even went as far as to say that Giulia’s role in NXT will surpass what Asuka achieved during her tenure. The Empress of Tomorrow went entirely undefeated in WWE NXT and her 510-day reign as NXT Women’s Champion remains a record to this day. 

QR Code Mystery References Brothers, Masks & More On 5/24 WWE SmackDown

Thomas Lowson
-
0

WWE’s QR code mystery continued on the May 24, edition of SmackDown with fans being taken to a bizarre website full of unique clues. 

During the entrance of WWE Tag Team Champions A-Town Down Under (Austin Theory and Grayson Waller) a QR code flashed on the screen. This code takes fans to an archive website full of letters and poems. One poem reads: 

I know it’s you.

On your way back home.

The hair shall light your path.

I will be waiting on the other side. 

This hare could be about the ‘White Rabbit’ mystery of 2022. Similar to the ongoing QR code mystery, the White Rabbit would leave clues on WWE TV with fans left to decipher what it means. The White Rabbit mystery culminated with the return of Bray Wyatt at WWE Extreme Rules 2022. Another poem reads: 

Do NOT lie to me.

Do NOT lie to yourself.

We’ve worn our maks long enough, brother.

Revel in what you are.

The phrase ‘Revel in what you are’ again suggests a link to Bray Wyatt, who used this phrase upon his 2022 return. The reference to masks and ‘brother’ will lead many to continue believing that this is all building towards the return of Uncle Howdy, as played by Wyatt’s brother Bo Dallas. 

Bo Dallas is expected to return as Uncle Howdy.

The very retro-looking website has the title ‘Kintsugi.’ This is the traditional Japanese art form of repairing a broken bowl with gold. The idea behind Kintsugi is that something can become more beautiful because it has been broken rather than if nothing had changed. 

Where Is This Going? 

Howdy/Dallas is not expected to return alone to WWE TV. It is reported that a faction consisting of Dexter Lumis, Joe Gacy, the recently rehired Erick Rowan, and Nikki Cross will also be in the faction. There’s no confirmed date as for when this faction will appear though with these clues growing more frequent over the past week, some feel it won’t be much longer until answers are revealed on WWE TV. 

Backstage Response to The Idea Of The Rock Winning The WWE Title at WrestleMania 40

Thomas Lowson
-
0

Some of the very top names in WWE were adamantly against the notion that The Rock would win the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania, it has been claimed. 

On the post-Royal Rumble edition of SmackDown, Cody Rhodes teased that he would not be facing Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40. This was in spite of the 2024 Men’s Royal Rumble winner making clear just days earlier that he intended to challenge the Tribal Chief. Rhodes’ segment on SmackDown also saw The Rock return and strongly suggested that he’d be facing his cousin in Philadelphia. 

Against The Rock’s Title Win

For a handful of days after this segment, it appeared that The Rock would face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania while Cody Rhodes would challenge then-World Heavyweight Champion Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins. Even if Rock-Reigns had taken place, it’s unlikely that the Final Boss would’ve been the one to end Reigns’ historic title reign. 

Some of the top names in WWE rejected the idea of The Rock being the one to end the four-year title reign of the Head of the Table, Dave Meltzer reports. WWE’s Chief Content Officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque and Roman Reigns himself were said to be against the idea of The Rock winning. It’s not stated why they were against the idea but it’s possible that they believed having a part-timer ended Reigns’ run as champion would have been poorly received by fans. 

Some of WWE’s top names didn’t want to see The Rock on top. 

What’s Next? 

With the might of the ‘We Want Cody’ movement, Rhodes was reinserted into the title picture and captured the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 40. On the post-WrestleMania Raw, The Rock vowed to return to WWE and confront Rhodes once he is done shooting his latest movie The Smashing Machine. 

WWE Completes King & Queen of the Ring Card, Start Time, & How To Watch

Aaron Varble
-
0

WWE SmackDown took place in Saudi Arabia this week, setting the stage for the 2024 King & Queen of the Ring event. The premium live event will take place on Saturday, starting at 1:00 PM EST, with an hour-long kickoff show prior to the event.

The 2024 King & Queen of the Ring event is available for streaming on Peacock, but requires a premium or premium-plus subscription. International viewers can watch the event on WWE Network.

SE Scoops also provided spoilers for WWE SmackDown this week. You may find those here to catch up on what happened in Saudi Arabia.

Triple H announced that the winners of this year’s tournaments will earn title matches at SummerSlam, raising the stakes significantly and adding more intensity to the competition.

SmackDown in Saudi Arabia opened with Nia Jax defeating Bianca Belair to secure her spot in the Queen of the Ring finals. Jax will now face Lyra Valkyria for the crown. 

After her win, Nia cut a fierce promo, where she promised to roll through Lyra on Saturday.

Despite her loss to Jax, Bianca Belair will still compete at King & Queen of the Ring, teaming with Jade Cargill to defend their titles against Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell. This match was set up quickly after LeRae and Hartwell taunted Belair, prompting Cargill to arrange the title match. Interestingly, Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark had just won a #1 contenders match for these titles on RAW.

In the main event, Randy Orton faced Tama Tonga for the final spot in the King of the Ring finals. Orton emerged victorious, and following the match, he had a tense stare-down with GUNTHER, setting up their clash in Jeddah.

You can find a breakdown of the King and Queen of the Ring tournament below.

Queen of the Ring Quarterfinals:

  • Iyo Sky defeated Shayna Baszler
  • Lyra Valkyria defeated Zoey Stark
  • Jade Cargill lost to Nia Jax via DQ
  • Bianca Belair defeated Tiffany Stratton

Queen of the Ring Semifinals:

Nia Jax defeated Bianca Belair

Lyra Valkyria beat IYO Sky

Queen of the Ring Finals:

Lyra Valkyria vs Nia Jax

King of the Ring Quarterfinals:

  • Gunther defeated Kofi Kingston
  • Jey Uso defeated Ilja Dragunov
  • Tama Tonga defeated LA Knight
  • Randy Orton defeated Carmelo Hayes

King of the Ring Semifinals:

Randy Orton defeated Tama Tonga

Gunther defeated Jey Uso

King of the Ring Finals:

Gunther vs Randy Orton

WWE King & Queen of the Ring Card:

  • King of the Ring Tournament Final
    • GUNTHER vs. Randy Orton
  • Queen of the Ring Tournament Final
    • Lyra Valkyria vs. Nia Jax
  • Women’s World Championship Match
    • Becky Lynch (c) vs. Liv Morgan (Singles match)
  • WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
    • Sami Zayn (c) vs. Chad Gable vs. Bronson Reed (Triple threat match)
  • Undisputed WWE Championship Match
  • WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match
    • Jade Cargill & Bianca Belair (c) vs Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell

Owen Hart Cup 2024 Details Revealed

Rayan Saayed
-
0

New details about AEW’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament have emerged.

According to the daily newspaper The Calgary Herald, the finals of the Owen Hart Foundation tournament are set to take place on July 10 in Calgary. In attendance will be Martha Hart, the widow of Owen Hart.

Martha talked to The Calgary Herald about the tragic incident that took place during WWF’s Over the Edge event on May 23, 1999.

She talked about not wanting to work with WWE, whose negligence she believes is the reason behind her late husband’s death. Which is also one of the reasons was why she wasn’t able to celebrate Owen’s career until recently: “For years there was no way to celebrate Owen’s career because WWE monopolized the business, and I would never work with them under any circumstances.”

RELATED: Bret Hart Shares Touching Tribute To Owen Hart On His Birthday

On the contrary, AEW is a company that Martha trusts to “highlight, promote, and honour Owen’s wrestling legacy.” She added that they are working together “to ensure that legacy continues.”

Jericho, who is a massive fan of Owen Hart, took it upon himself to make sure that his wrestling legacy stays alive. “We’re able to give Owen the spotlight he deserves,” Jericho told the outlet. “Enough about his death. Let’s focus on his life, not just as a wrestler, but also as a person, a father, and an amazing human being.”

The Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, also known as the Owen Hart Cup, is done in partnership with AEW and The Owen Hart Foundation. The first tournament began in September 2021 and ended at Double or Nothing in May 2022. Two single-elimination tournaments are part of it, each for male and female competitors. Adam Cole and Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. won the 2022 men’s and women’s tournaments, respectively. Ricky Starks and Willow Nightingale won the 2023 edition of the tournaments, respectively.

RELATED: The Undertaker On Wrestling After Owen Hart’s Passing: I Don’t Know That Was The Right Thing To Do

Mercedes Mone Doesn’t Feel There Should Be Competition Between Wrestling Companies

Dominic DeAngelo
-
0

Mercedes Mone thinks the word “competition” should be applied somewhere else other than between AEW and WWE.

Mone is set for her big return match at AEW Double or Nothing this Sunday in Las Vegas as she’ll be battling Willow Nightingale for her TBS Title. It’ll be the CEO’s first fight back in over a year after injury and her debut match in AEW. She was last seen in WWE losing to Bianca Belair before she walked out of the company in May 2022. However, the former Sasha Banks doesn’t want there to be such a division between her current promotion and her past one.

Speaking with US Weekly, Mone made clear that competition should strictly be between wrestlers and not the wrestling promotions themselves.

“I feel like there should be no competition when it’s between companies. It just needs to be competition between the wrestlers, seeing who wants to be the main event of the show, to make the most money. I’m competing with everybody here in AEW to let them know I’m the face of the company. I’m not competing with any other company.”

Mone blames a good deal of that tribalism in pro wrestling due to a lot of the minor vocal contingency of wrestling fans online.

“People are just so in their phones. Going on the Internet and bragging and complaining and they’re not actually living in the real world. When they come out into the real world and they actually go to wrestling shows and enjoy things with wrestling fans, they know that this is all just so much fun.”

Despite not wanting competition between companies WWE and AEW will be competiting for eyes on their product this weekend as both are set for their respective PLE and PPV.

WWE SmackDown Results (5/24): Spoilers From Saudi Arabia

Aaron Varble
-
0

WWE SmackDown is broadcasting from Saudi Arabia this week, leading up to the highly anticipated King & Queen of the Ring event in Jeddah. There is a lot to unpack as we head into this special edition of SmackDown.

Due to the show being aired from Saudi Arabia, there will be a time delay. With that in mind, we have some spoilers for this week’s episode of the blue brand.

This week’s SmackDown card features two semifinal matches in the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments. Additionally, there are several other segments lined up to finalize the preparations for the big event.

Below, you can find a spoiler-free SmackDown card for this week’s show.

  • King of the Ring – SmackDown Bracket Semifinals: Tama Tonga vs. Randy Orton
  • Queen of the Ring – SmackDown Bracket Semifinals: Bianca Belair vs. Nia Jax
  • The Street Profits vs. Tonga Loa & Solo Sikoa
  • Bayley vs. Chelsea Green
  • AJ Styles Confronts SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis

  • WWE SmackDown (5/24) Spoilers:
    • Randy Orton, The House of Bloodline, Nia Jax, and Bianca Belair are shown arriving at the show.
    • Triple H announces King & Queen of the Ring winners will earn title opportunities at SummerSlam.
  • Queen of the Ring Semi-Finals: Bianca Belair vs. Nia Jax
    • Winner: Nia Jax
    • Post-Match: Nia boasts about defeating top competitors and aims to become Queen and Champion.
  • Grayson Waller Effect:
    • Carmelo Hayes interrupts, mocks veterans like Bobby Lashley and LA Knight. Then Knight interrupts him, leading to a brawl. Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford intervene.
  • Match: LA Knight, Montez Ford, and Angelo Dawkins vs. Carmelo Hayes, Grayson Waller, and Austin Theory
    • Winners: LA Knight, Angelo Dawkins, and Montez Ford
  • Cody Rhodes and Logan Paul Confrontation:
    • Cody Rhodes enters the ring but is interrupted by Logan Paul. The Maverick taunts Cody, claiming superiority and intentions to win both titles. Then Cody suggests Logan’s bravado hides insecurities, he said he suffers from Imposter Syndrome, and then he said he believed that he had brass knuckles on him. So, he challenged him to a security check. The brass knuckles were found on Logan as WWE official Ryan Tran checked him out. Logan then said that he was wearing his brother’s pants, because they are Prada. Cody then vowed to beat Logan, as the crowd was 100% behind him.
  • Match: Bayley vs. Chelsea Green (Non-Title)
    • Winner: Bayley with the Rose Plant.
    • Post-match, Piper Niven attacks Bayley with multiple sentons.
  • Bloodline Segment:
    • Paul Heyman informs Solo that Tanga Loa couldn’t cross the border. Solo asserts his authority in Roman’s absence; Tama Tonga declares his return to the Bloodline.
  • Match: Randy Orton vs. Tama Tonga (with Paul Heyman and Solo Sikoa) in a King of the Ring Tournament Semifinal Match
    • Winner: Randy Orton
    • After the match, GUNTHER came out to have an intense stare-down with The Viper.

Health Update On Jim Ross: What’s His Status For AEW Double Or Nothing?

Dominic DeAngelo
-
0

Jim Ross was admitted to a hospital after having shortness of breath, and thankfully the commentary legend appears that he’s going to be okay.

In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that Ross was hospitalized on 5/23 and was diagnosed with a Class A flu along with raised heart enzymes that coincided with his shortness of breath. He’s being well taken care of and is expected to be okay in a few days time. However, that does mean JR won’t be behind the booth for AEW Double or Nothing.

Ross did hop online to provide an update on his health, sharing a photo of himself with his two daughters. He also made a post on X noting that he was going to quit smoking.

According to Meltzer, Ross is only on tap to do the monthly AEW PPVs and he was on call for the main event AEW World Title match between Samoa Joe and Swerve Strickland at AEW Dynasty.

Just last year, Ross was diagnosed with skin cancer and had to miss an extensive period of time due to that, but the voice of a generation happened to sign an extension with AEW for an added year and JR’s new deal with the company was reported to be very lucrative. All that considered, he has realized his time behind the commentary desk as

Ross may not be on the call for AEW Double Or Nothing, but many fans can read about some of his all time greatest calls and stories in his new memoir, “Business Is About To Pick Up.” 

We at SEScoops want to wish Jim Ross a speedy and healthy recovery.

MLW Battle Riot VI Sells Out In Atlanta

Tyriece Simon
-
0

Major League Wrestling is enjoying an excellent run of sold-out shows this year. They’ve celebrated selling out their MLW Azteca Lucha event in Cicero Stadium in Chicago, Illinois, on May 11. The show did so well that the company will host another pay-per-view event, Lucha Apocolypto, at the same venue in November. While it seems Chicago could be a hot market for MLW fans, the company may have found another. 

On X, MLW has announced that tickets for Battle Riot VI have sold out. The event will occur at the Center Stage Theater in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 1. Although the show is sold out, fans can watch the event for free on the MLW YouTube channel. 

More On MLW Battle Riot VI 

 MLW Battle Riot VI will have several exciting matches on the card, including MLW World Heavyweight Champion defending his title against Tom Lawlor. However, the match that many fans may look forward to the most is the 40-Man Battle Riot VI Match. Like in past years, the battle royal winner will get an MLW World Heavyweight Championship opportunity in the future. 

MLW has slowly started to reveal the participants that will compete in the battle royal on X. The company has announced only 20 competitors so far that will be involved. It’s very possible they will not reveal all the talent in the match until the day of the show. 

As of now, MLW has announced several prominent names like Matt Riddle, Sami Callihan, and Místico, who will try to win the 40-Man Battle Royal. Another surprising name added was Golden Globe Award Winner Paul Walter Hauser. It’s unclear when the winner will get an opportunity to challenge for the world title, but all superstars will do their best to be a future contender. 

Current Card For MLW Battle Riot VI

(Match Card & Order Is Subject To Change)

  • Alex Kane with Mr. Thomas vs. AJ Francis- Ritual Combat Match
  • (C) Janai Kai vs. Delmi Exo with Cesar Duran-MLW Women’s World Featherweight Championship Match
  • (C) Satoshi Kojima vs. Tom Lawlor with Saint Laurent-MLW World Heavyweight Championship Match
  • Matt Riddle vs. Jimmy Yang vs. Sami Callihan vs. Ernest Miller vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Bobby Fish vs. Jake Crist  vs. Timothy Thatcher vs. Mistico vs. Okumura vs. Jesus Rodriguez vs. Matthew Justice vs. Mr. Thomas vs. Bad Dude Tito vs. Mads Krule Krügger vs. Brett Ryan Gosselin vs. 1 Called Manders vs. AKIRA vs. Josh Bishop vs. Paul Walter Hauser vs. TBA-40 Man Battle Riot VI Match

‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey: ‘TNA Wrestling Allows Us To Be Ourselves In The Best Possible Way’

Thomas Lowson
-
0

‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey is pleased to be a part of the TNA Wrestling roster as the promotion encourages talent to be themselves in the best possible way. 

Since arriving in TNA, Bailey has quickly asserted himself as one to watch with two X-Division championship reigns to his name. Not only that, Bailey’s Bound for Glory 2023 epic with Will Ospreay would for a time be the highest-rated match from TNA Wrestling, earning 5.25 stars from Dave Meltzer. 

Bailey has evidently done well in TNA and is pleased to be a part of a company that seeks to help others find themselves. Speaking to SE Scoops as part of the TNA Press Pass, the Canadian addressed how TNA helps amplify the real-life personalities of its roster. 

“The art of professional wrestling is a great tool for self-betterment. I have a lot of students that I have seen really discover themselves as people, not just as pro wrestlers, but through amplifying their own personalities in the ring and gaining confidence. [They have become] better versions of themselves through professional wrestling. Ultimately, that’s the goal. To inspire people.

“And I think where that ties into TNA is that it’s been a platform where pro wrestlers come in and are allowed to be themselves. They’re allowed to be who they are and TNA amplifies that. And I think that, philosophically, is a beautiful thing.”

Bailey has big plans for his future in TNA Wrestling. During the Press Pass, Bailey added he plans to regain the X-Division Championship alongside winning the World Tag Team and TNA World Championship. Bailey will certainly be one to watch especially with TNA Slammiversary coming to his native Canada in Montreal this July. 

Matt Hardy Gets TNA World Title Shot At Against All Odds

Rayan Saayed
-
0

On Thursday’s episode of TNA Impact, Matt Hardy was gifted a title match against Moose for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. The match will take place at Against All Odds on June 14.

The announcement came after Matt Hardy won a tag team match, teaming up with Ryan Nemeth against the duo of Eddie Edwards and Brian Myers.

Backstage after the match, Director of Authority Santino Marella was going to give a tag team championship shot to Hardy and Ryan, however, Hardy wanted to take on Moose instead. He said that he had set his sights to win the world title from Moose, which Santino offered him.

In place of Hardy, Nic volunteered to be Nic’s partner, and Santino gave the duo a tag team title match against Edwards and Myers.

The card for Against All Odds 2024 is starting to shape up, and these are the confirmed matches as of now:

  • Moose (c) vs. Matt Hardy for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship
  • The System (c) vs. Nemeth Boyz (Ryan and Nic Nemeth) for TNA World Tag Team Championship
  • Mustafa Ali (c) vs. Trent Seven for the X-Division Championship

Matt Hardy on how the TNA return happened

Recently, Matt Hardy talked about how he returned to the TNA at the Rebellion PPV. Talking on Busted Open Radio, the Attitude Era star revealed that the deal happened last minute:

“So last night was me showing that pro wrestling can still be unpredictable. I popped up. This was done in a couple days notice. we kind of started talking about this on Wednesday. Then this kind of materialised over a couple days doing some shots for TNA and a little story arc. Pro Wrestling is at its best when it’s unpredictable.”

Even his brother Jeff Hardy wasn’t privy to Matt making his way to TNA, and he only found out after the show ended.

At Rebellion, Hardy confronted Moose and hit him with a Twist of Fate. This was the set-up to a match between the two, which has been now made official.

Cora Jade Pleads With Fans to Stop Sending Her Parents Fan Mail

Rayan Saayed
-
0

Cora Jade has sent out a notice to fans to set some boundaries.

Jade took to her Twitter account, requesting fans not to send fan mail to her personal address, and worse, at her parents’. She wrote:

“I love and appreciate all fan mail but if you are going to send it please refrain from sending it to my personal address or more importantly my parents’. All fan mail can be sent to the PC addressed to me :)”

The fact that the 23-year-old female wrestler even had to issue such a request to fans is a shameful thing. Everybody deserves privacy, and no one should have to deal with their private information being available to the public.

Many wrestlers have previously spoken about fans crossing boundaries in the past. Wrestlers getting harassed by “fans” at airports and hotels is unfortunately a common theme.

Rhea Ripley in particular voiced her frustration after having a bad experience with people coming up to her to get things signed. She wrote on Twitter:

“Today has put me off completely! I will not sign ANYTHING that isn’t a personal photo of us anymore. Hate me, I don’t care. Disagree with me, try putting yourselves in our shoes for one bloody day.”

Others such as Kris Statlander have also voiced their opinions on people waiting in lines at airports and hotels to get things signed. Statlander said that she’s not a fan of people who do this.

“…I’m not a fan of when fans wait at airports and hotels,” said Statlander. “We are not technically at work at that time, you know, and it’s just like most travel has been so hectic lately that a lot of us just cannot be bothered to put on a happy face sometimes. Some of us we have a lot of real-life things to deal with, and it’s like sometimes we’re not always our best selves, especially when traveling. We don’t feel our best.”

However, Seth Rollins did mention an important point in an interview that such “pseudo-collectors” at the airports are outliers, and the majority of the fans he encounters in public are respectful.  

Soft Ground Wrestling (SGW) Crowns First Champion

Rayan Saayed
-
0

Uganda’s Soft Ground Wrestling sees the coronation of its first champion.

The match to crown the first champion of the SGW took place between Tate Mayfairs and Anoa. The finish of the match saw Anoa hit Mayfairs with a Cross Rhodes to pick up the win.

You can check out the full match below, which also features a celebration by the audience post-match as well as a look at the SGW Championship belt:

Earlier this month, Mayfairs went to Uganda for his SGW debut, and reached the finals in the tournament to crown the inaugural SGW Champion. He aligned the Lord White, a popular heel figure in the promotion.

On May 14, SGW Uganda announced plans for a championship belt for the promotion.

Soft Ground Wrestling is a backyard wrestling promotion based in Uganda that went viral online in the recent months. The promotion got attention for using a soil ring with string ropes similar to those found in professional wrestling rings, along with bamboos serving as ring posts at the four corners.

A GoFundMe fundraiser was set up to help SGW get a wrestling ring as well as for its upkeep. The fundraiser saw donations from AEW’s Will Ospreay and TNA Wrestling’s Jordynne Grace also donating to it.

A charity stream was also done which raised over $28,000 for SGW. Names such as AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland, TNA X-Division Champion Mustafa Ali, and Tough Enough-winner and popular wrestling YouTuber Maven Huffman were involved in the stream. 

Report: Kenny Omega Underwent Surgery for Diverticulitis

Rayan Saayed
-
0

Kenny Omega reportedly underwent surgery last week to recover from diverticulitis.

The report comes from Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful. The surgery took place in New York on May 16, 2024. There were also some pictures shared online of the star in the city from that time.

Omega had confirmed earlier this month that he would be going under the knife. He said the following at the time:

“I will actually be getting surgery very very very soon… this guy is top in his field and I feel even though it’s a major surgery, I feel most comfortable with this individual. So even though there’s always worries going into a major surgery, if there’s one person the most confident with, I think it’s this dude.”

According to Mayo Clinic, “diverticulitis is inflammation of irregular bulging pouches in the wall of the large intestine.” The website states that severe diverticulitis needs antibiotic treatment in the hospital or surgery.

Regarding his plans for AEW, currently, there are no plans for the wrestler creatively in the company. His most recent in-ring plans, according to which he was set to partner up with Chris Jericho to face World Tag Team Champions Big Bill and Ricky Starks at Worlds End 2023, were thwarted due to Omega suffering from diverticulitis.

RELATED: Kenny Omega Respects Triple H For Being A Body Guy

He did appear recently on Dynamite, where he declared his intentions to face AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada, so we can see him in the ring competing against the Rainmaker when he recovers. 

WWE Smackdown Preview (5/24): King & Queen Of The Ring Semifinals, Bayley vs. Chelsea Green

Tyriece Simon
-
0

Tonight’s episode of WWE Friday Night Smackdown will set the stage for the King and Queen Of The Ring premium live event. The episode will occur at the Jeddah Super Dome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Ahead of tomorrow’s PLE, Smackdown will host two matches to determine who will move on to the finals of the King and Queen Of The Ring. 

One of the featured matches of tonight’s episode will have Randy Orton take on Tama Tonga in the semifinals of the King of The Ring tournament. While the match order can change, it’s expected that the match will be the show’s main event. 

Orton earned his spot in the semifinals by defeating Carmelo Hayes on the May 17 episode of Smackdown. The former WWE NXT Champion pushed Orton to his limit and was close to stealing the upset victory. However, ‘The Viper’ showed his experience and landed an RKO to move to the next round. After the win, Orton called out Tonga and the rest of the Bloodline(Solo Sikoa and Tanga Loa) to declare that he’d destroy the faction. 

Although the former WWE Champion feels confident, he will have his hands full taking on Tonga. The newly signed superstar has shown to be a threat to the roster and has his family at his side to aid in his victory. Despite the odds, Orton will aim to connect with his RKO to eliminate Tonga from the tournament. 

The Rest Of the Card For Tonight’s Episode Of Friday Night Smackdown

The other tournament match on the show will have Bianca Belair face off against Nia Jax. Both earned their spot in the semifinals in last week’s episode. However, Belair comes into the match battling a knee injury(in storyline) after defeating rival Tiffany Stratton in the quarterfinals. 

Jax will try to take advantage of injury to move on to the finals. Belair has shown she can defy the odds, but Jax may be too much tonight. That said, Belair’s tag team partner, Jade Cargill, has unfinished business with Jax and could come out to support the ‘EST of WWE.’ 

Tonight’s episode will also have WWE Women’s Champion Bayley taking on Chelsea Green in a non-title match. The champion hopes to silence Green and stay busy as she awaits her next challenger. 

As the go-home show to tomorrow’s PLE event, tonight’s episode of Smackdown will be essential to see who will be eligible to be the next King and Queen Of The Ring. 

Jordynne Grace Shows Off Gnarly Injury

Rayan Saayed
-
0

TNA wrestler Jordynne Grace has suffered a pretty gnarly-looking injury on her ear. The injury took place on the May 23 edition of TNA Impact when Grace was in action in the ring with Marti Belle.

The match was for the TNA Knockouts World Title at the MegaCorp Pavilion in Newport, Kentucky, and Grace was able to successfully defend it against Belle. However, Belle’s fishnets ripped out a small chunk of her ear.

“There’s a reason why I am one of the most dominant champions in TNA,” Grace said in a post-match promo. “I went out there and I got a piece of my ear ripped out! And I still came out with the Knockouts World Championship! There’s a piece of my ear, with the earrings on that woman’s tights. But she still took the pin. Now I gotta go see a doctor.”

What’s worse is that TNA actually showed the bit of Grace’s ear stuck to Belle’s fishnets, and used it for a promo. Allysin Kay of The Hex pointed out the chunk of meat stuck on the fishnets.

“Marti might not have won the match, but she’s taking home a souvenir with her,” Kay said. “You just don’t listen, so I had to make sure I took a piece of your ear,” Belle stated. “Just know, that as long as you have that Knockouts Championship, you’re gonna have a Hex on your back.”

It remains to be seen how serious is Grace’s injury, and if she would take some time off from wrestling to recover. SEScoops will keep you updated of any further developments.

RELATED: “Please Don’t Eat That!” – Jordynne Grace’s Inventive Snack Suggestion Causes Unrest With Fans

Mercedes Mone On Leaving WWE: “I Don’t Like Being Handcuffed”

Bishal Roy
-
0

Mercedes Mone has explained her decision to depart WWE abruptly. 

After having some creative differences with WWE management regarding her and Naomi’s Women’s tag-team title reign, the former Sasha Banks decided to walk out during an edition of Raw. She went on to join NJPW last year where she held the IWGP Women’s Championship. ‘The CEO’ eventually headed to AEW and she is all set to make her in-ring debut at the promotion.

Mercedes Mone told Cameron Hawkins of The Ringer why she decided to part ways with WWE. ‘The CEO’ explained that she doesn’t like to be ‘handcuffed’ and noted that she required that ‘change’ to grow in her career. 

“I don’t like being handcuffed. The only place to grow is with change, and I needed that change.” 

Mercedes Mone has been on the sidelines after she sustained an ankle injury during her match against Willow Nightingale at NJPW STRONG Resurgence last year. However, she is returning to the ring this weekend at AEW Double Or Nothing.

It seems that Mone is brimming with confidence despite being on the shelf for a year. She claims to be the greatest women’s wrestler of all time and vowed to show the fans who ‘The CEO’ is. She said:

“They haven’t really got to see the CEO. They know who Sasha Banks is, but the CEO, Mercedes Moné, [is] something they’ve never seen before, and I’m ready to show them. I’m the greatest women’s wrestler of all time, 100 percent.”

Mercedes Mone’s AEW in-ring debut

Mone will be making her in-ring debut for AEW and it also marks her return to the squared circle after the injury. She will be challenging Willow Nightingale for the AEW TBS Championship at this Sunday’s AEW Double Or Nothing pay-per-view. While speaking about the match, Mone said that she is excited for the match. However, she is quite nervous. She said: 

“I don’t want to put pressure on myself, because I’ve been doing this for 14 years. I have more excitement than pressure, but I am really nervous as well, just because it’s been a year since I performed, but being in the ring with someone like Willow Nightingale, I know it’s going to be absolutely everything I’ve ever dreamed of. We’re going to go out there and steal the show.”

Mercedes Mone is going the extra mile for her in-ring debut for AEW as she is training with a former WWE wrestler. Read more below:

Kelly Kelly Still Has Iconic Wrestling Boots Given To Her By Ashley Massaro

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

Kelly Kelly’s run with WWE is iconic in many ways. Not only did the high-flying star break the stereotypes of female competitors with the moves in the ring but she also set new fashion standards for stars to come with many iconic looks in her career.

However while the former Divas champion put a lot of thought into many of her ring gears, there were some that came together accidentally but she kept them going for many reasons.

The wrestling veteran recently sat down with McKenzie Mitchell to talk about some of her most memorable looks. During the interview, Kelly was asked if she ever had to borrow a part of her ring gear from someone else and she recalled the late Ashley Massaro lending her wrestling boots one time:

“I know I talked about Ashley a lot and I just I love her and I miss her. I had a match and I didn’t have wrestling boots. She gave me her black Puma wrestling boots. She let me keep them and I wrestled in those every week, forever. I still have those to this day. But it was just so cool. She was like, ‘Hey, yeah girl here I got these.'”

According to Kelly Kelly, the Puma boots were so comfortable that she continued wrestling in them for a long time and she has kept them even now:

“They weren’t like regular wrestling boots. I love that because they were like they’re just lace up boots but so great to wrestle in because I didn’t want those big chunky wrestling boots. I never thought they were cute. I needed to be able to move, you know? So those boots and I still have them to this day.”

Kelly Kelly joined WWE back in 2006 and continued competing till her departure in 2012. During her run, Kelly won the Diva’s title once and feuded with names such as Maryse, Nikki Bella and Beth Phoenix.

The former champion has made occasional appearances for the company in recent years including her participation in the inaugural Women’s Royal Rumble and the Evolution PPV in 2018.

Ashley Massaro joined WWE in 2005 and was featured regularly until she asked for her release in 2008 to care for her sick daughter. She unfortunately passed away in May 2019.

1...244245246...3,318Page 245 of 3,318