Rock legend and WWE Hall of Famer Ozzy Osbourne will make his presence known in the WWE Champions mobile game for the upcoming ‘Summer of Darkness’ event.
The 75-year-old English music legend will feature prominently in the event which will feature a brand-new character of Osbourne. Players will also have the chance to chase four new Superstars throughout the month. Players can collect Ozzy-themed items to progress in the Madman Collection Contest, including a poster of the rock star. Players who obtain his Poster can use him in his weekly 24-hour Tour and Showdown to earn additional rewards and progress toward unlocking the new Superstars.
The Prince of Rock’s tenure with WWE dates back to 1986 when he appeared in the corner of The British Bulldogs. The duo of Davey Boy Smith and Davey Boy Smith defeated The Dream Team (Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake) to capture the WWF World Tag Team Championships. Osbourne appeared several times for WWE in the 2000s, including as a guest host of Monday Night Raw in 2009 alongside his wife Sharon.
Osbourne’s tracks have also been used for WWE events, including War Pigs which has been used for events featuring the iconic WarGames match. For his efforts in entertainment and WWE, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2021 as that year’s celebrity inductee.
Will Ospreay has an ecletic taste in music, but his wrestling fandom runs as deep as his affection for his favorite songs.
Speaking with Kerrang, ‘The Billy Goat’ listed 10 different songs that have changed his life and you better believe that one of them was a classic pro wrestling entrance song.
In addition to ABBA, Oasis, Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers, Will Ospreay listed Jim Johnston’s “I Won’t Do What You Tell Me” as the song that reminded him of his “first love” and that love so happened to be the one true sport. If you’re not familiar with the song titles “I Won’t Do What You Tell Me” is Stone Cold Steve Austin’s theme. Ospreay gives his reasoning as to why he chose Austin’s infamous song that begins with breaking glass.
“From the first time I heard that glass breaking as a kid, and saw the audience go crazy as this guy just ran to the ring and beat everybody up, I was like, ‘Oh, wow, wrestling is cool!’ I don’t actually remember when the first time was that I heard that track specifically, but it was during the Austin vs. McMahon era. I’ll always remember the time in 2001 when [the old] WWF bought WCW [with the ensuing Invasion storyline] and Austin being a big part of that.”
Austin’s theme was previously noted to be inspired by Rage Against The Machine’s “Bulls On Parade” and it’s arguably one of the greatest wrestling entrance songs of all time. In credit to Ospreay, he has himself a pretty catchy tune in AEW that cultivates that soccer chant mentality.
In the interview, Ospreay said that Oasis’ “Live Forever” is a tune that gets him pumped up for the wrestling ring. Funny enough, he got inspired by watching Oasis perform at Wembley, something he did in 2023 and something he’s planning to do in 2024.
WWE is boosting up it’s commentary bullpen in a big way with famed ESPN announcer Joe Tessitore. In a press release sent in to SEScoops, the company touted him as, “one of the most versatile and veteran voices in sports television.
He join the company as a play-by-play broadcaster beginning this summer working alongside analysts Wade Barrett and Corey Graves. Michael Cole and Pat McAfee will remain teamed up.
Tessitore has been a lifelong wrestling fan. He’s been gearing up for this opportunity and expresses the utmost respect for the WWE Superstars and broadcasters he’ll be working alongside.
“It’s an honor to be a part of WWE. The recent success and trajectory are undeniable,” said Tessitore. “Being there at WrestleMania XL, one could feel it – from Cody, Seth, Roman and The Rock, to creative and production, these are some of the very best storytellers in TV. Corey and Wade are absolute stars and it is my privilege to join their team. Pat and Cole are just magical together and Cole is the greatest to ever sit in that chair. As a lifelong viewer, I’m humbled to join this team and to serve our fans.”
Triple H on Joe Tessitore Joining WWE
WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque had this to say in the press release:
“Whether it’s a world title fight that’s got the globe buzzing or a college football rivalry that’s grabbed the nation’s attention, Joe’s voice provides that big event feel each time he is behind the microphone.
We’re excited for Joe to join legendary WWE broadcaster Michael Cole and our esteemed announce team, bringing his signature energy and meticulous preparation to our WWE telecasts each week.”
Over the past few months, Graves has steered the SmackDown ship as the lead play-by-play man with Barrett being on color commentary. Graves didn’t miss a beat in the new role as his usual broadcast partner Michael Cole joined up with Pat McAfee on WWE RAW.
Tessitore has a notorious commentary past in the fight game. He’s been the go-to voice for boxing on ESPN, led their Monday Night Football coverage and called College Football Playoff games.
If you peel back the relationship layers, Tessitore signing with WWE makes plenty of sense has he has a long history with WWE CEO Nick Khan. Khan actually used to be the super agent for Tessitore and now the two will be under the WWE banner together.
Experienced sports commentary names outside of WWE haven’t always been successful when they sit behind the pro wrestling commentary table. Mike Adamle and Adnan Virk both assumed play-by-play roles on WWE RAW and unfortunately, both didn’t last long.
After a recent report suggested that Stephanie Vaquer is set to leave CMLL with interest from WWE and AEW, a new report claims the female wrestler actually has significant time left on her current CMLL deal.
According to Luchablog, the length of the current CMLL World Women’s Champion’s contract is “not expected to matter much,” as the promotion has granted permission to other wrestlers in the past if they receive a big offer from an American promotion.
The blog also noted that Vaquer has a “lot of loyalty” towards CMLL, but the promotion won’t be able to match what AEW and WWE could offer.
The interest from WWE and AEW stems from Vaquer’s performance at the AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door event. While she lost the NJPW Strong Women’s title to Mercedes Mone, her performance has sparked significant interest from these companies.
Vaquer has been part of CMLL since 2019, has held the CMLL World Women’s Tag Team Championship, and is currently in her first reign as CMLL World Women’s Champion.
Record reported that WWE and AEW executives approached Stephanie Vaquer after her performance at Forbidden Door. Vaquer is expected to decide which company to join in the coming days. The deal is anticipated to be a multi-year agreement.
As of now, Vaquer is set to defend her CMLL World Women’s Championship against Lluvia at FantasticaMania USA 2024 on Saturday, July 31.
Hogan has not commented publicly on the accusation against him. Similarly, WWE has not made a public statement on the accusation. A spokesperson for Real American Beer said the following:
“We are deeply troubled by the false rumor circulating on social media that a brand ambassador hired by a third-party marketing agency was terminated by Hulk Hogan for racial reasons. Real American Beer simply terminated its short-term relationship with the third-party marketing agency. Hulk Hogan was not involved in that decision, and race was not a factor. We are in communication with the agency in an attempt to clear the misunderstanding and incorrect information, and believe that this false statement will be withdrawn.”
In 2015, Hogan was fired from WWE after racist remarks made in 2007 were shared online. In that video, Hogan disapproved of the idea of his daughter Brooke dating a black man and used the N-word during his rant. Hogan added that he is “a racist, to a point.” In addition to being fired from WWE, Hogan was removed from the promotion’s Hall of Fame and gave an apology to People Magazine. He was re-added to the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018 and has made sporadic appearances for the company ever since.
Trish Stratus is one of the most iconic professional wrestlers in the history of the business and people remember many moments from her career to this day. Though it’s surprising to know that her full-time run in wrestling lasted only 6 years and Stratus had chosen to retire from active competition when she was only 30.
The WWE Hall of Famer recently had an interview with Inside The Ropes. She talked about things such as her storyline with Vince McMahon, her rivalry with Lita, and more.
On the topic of her decision to leave WWE in 2006, the former Women’s Champion was asked if she was satisfied with her decision at the time. Trish explained that she got a lot of time to think about it before making the call:
“Yeah, at the time I was definitely very confident in my decision. I felt very fulfilled in my career at that point, and had a good look at it. It wasn’t like I was yanked out of it, and was like, ‘Oh, I wait. I didn’t have that moment,’
I had the chance, luckily, to decide, ‘Am I going to sign or not sign?’ Listen, my mom was diagnosed with cancer, and that was one of the deciding factors that I was like, the universe is telling me it’s time to go.”
I Was Ready To Move On: Trish Stratus
Trish Stratus explained that she was already contemplating the idea of retirement and her mom’s illness made the decision clearer. The former champion also mentioned how she had worked with all the top women in the roster so she didn’t leave with the idea of any unfinished business:
“I mean, I was already playing with the idea of like re-signing or not, but my mom getting cancer, knowing that if I was on the road in that schedule, I could not be with her for her treatment and that journey. And for me, yeah, I looked at the roster, looked at the women we have that can work.
I’ve worked luckily, been blessed to have worked these great storylines and long storylines and really juicy storylines with Jazz and Victoria and Molly. Have these things that people remember to this day. This rivalry that people remember. So I was like, ‘I feel good.’ Like, I feel like I’m good. I was 30 years old, and I was ready. I was ready to move on.”
The wrestling veteran had the final match of her original WWE run at the 2006 Unforgiven PPV in September. She defeated Lita in the PPV held in her hometown of Toronto to win her record seventh women’s title and retired as a champion.
Trish Stratus has continued her association with WWE and continued making sporadic appearances. She most recently hosted the Money In The Bank PPV where the company teased a match between her and Tiffany Stratton.
Fightful’s very own Sean Ross Sapp will be stepping in the ring later this month to take on Effy as part of Game Changer Wrestling’s Believe Me event.
The match was made official on Twitter and will take place on July 18, from Louisville, Kentucky. The show will begin at 7:30 PM local time and will be available to watch live on FITE TV+. Tickets for the show can be found here.
Sean Ross Sapp In The Ring
Though best known for being a leading voice in professional wrestling journalism, Sapp already has a number of matches under his belt. Sapp competed in the Clusterf**k Battle Royal at GCW Joey Janela’s Spring Break in April 2022 but came up short. His first singles match saw him lose to Shazza McKenzie in December 2023 for Black Label Pro and Sapp’s return to the promotion in March 2024 saw him lose a battle royal.
The Card
Sapp Vs. Effy is just one match announced for GCW Believe Me. The current card is as follows:
Sean Ross Sapp Vs. Effy
Mance Warner (c) Vs. Myron Reed (GCW World Heavyweight Championship)
Billie Starkz Vs. Rachel Armstrong
Nick Gage & 2 Tuff Tony Vs. The Rejects (John Wayne Murdoch & Reed Bentley)
Brosky Jimmy Vs. Hoodfoot
Masha Slamovich had been scheduled to face Jordan Oliver at the event. However, Oliver recently shared that he has suffered a torn ACL that could keep him out of action for up to a year. An update regarding Slamovich’s match at the event has not been made public yet.
The post-Money in the Bank WWE RAW show fallout was certainly busy, with several big moments occurring on the programme.
WWE has now uploaded all of the video highlights for the show to their official YouTube channel, which we have compiled in an easy to view format on one page below.
WWE RAW Full Highlights This Week
If you didn’t get the chance to watch the show in full, you can see a Full Recap of WWE RAW this week via the video below:
WWE RAW Segments This Week
Here are all of the individual Video Highlights that WWE has released this week after RAW:
As CM Punk rubs salt in the wounds of Drew McIntyre, Seth “Freakin” Rollins emerges to warn The Voice of the Voiceless to stay out of his way.
As Jey Uso and Chad Gable square off, The Wyatt Sicks make matters difficult for the former Olympian.
After defeating Pete Dunne, “Big” Bronson Reed mercilessly attacks his fallen opponent until Sheamus comes to the rescue.
Bron Breakker dismantles Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn until Ilja Dragunov steps to the former NXT Champion.
The Wyatt Sicks’ latest unnerving VHS tape reveals how Uncle Howdy’s family will be released.
Liv Morgan once again puts “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio in a compromising position.
Bron Breakker dismantles Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn until Ilja Dragunov steps to the former NXT Champion.
Karrion Kross tells Xavier Woods that The New Day is dead.
Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn enacts payback on Bron Breakker as Breakker battles Ilja Dragunov.
After Lyra Valkyria, Kayden Carter and Katana Chance’s match with Damage CTRL, Shayna Baszler, Zoey Stark and Sonya Deville beat down Valkyria and Damage CTRL.
The Ring General gives a history lesson on his dominance.
Mami made her stunning return, shocking “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan.
“Dirty” Dominik Mysterio has to team with Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan to take on Rey Mysterio and Zelina Vega.
Jordan Oliver, a promising talent in Game Changer Wrestling, could be out of action for as much as 12 months after suffering a serious injury.
At the GCW Worst Behavior event on July 5, Oliver defeated Charles Mason in the seventh match of the show, but things weren’t over just yet. After the match, Mason attacked the already-weakened knee of Oliver and attacked the joint with a steel chair. As Oliver was tended to by officials, Mason bragged about hearing Jordan’s knee ‘pop’ and suggested he’s ended Jordan’s career.
On Twitter, Oliver, in his sixth attempt to record his message, shared the unfortunate news of his injury. The 25-year-old shared that in June he suffered a knee injury and doctors told him the injury was serious. An MRI revealed that Oliver had a torn ACL though that didn’t stop him from wrestling.
“Over the past weekend in Toronto, Charles Mason took it upon himself to turn my 6-9 [month out recovery window] into a 9-12. And I will definitely be on the shelf for some time. I’ve been wrestling for a long time and wrestling is all that I know so this is going to be very tough for me. If there’s anyone that can get through this and overcome it, I think it’s me.”
Though acknowledging its cheesy, Oliver delivered the cliche ‘It’s not goodbye, it’s see you down the road’ line and vowed to be back. In the meantime, Mason will continue to be a force to be reckoned with in GCW, and talent on the roster will have to be careful or fall victim to a similar attack.
AEW/ROH’s Maria Kanellis-Bennett is urging fans to listen to their bodies after discovering a recent cancer scare on her adrenal gland.
In a tweet, Maria shared that she got her adrenal glands checked earlier this year after experiencing some symptoms that had her concerned. Maria added that insurance would not cover the tests, but she got them anyway to be safe. This week, the scans showed that she is dealing with a mass that has been found on her adrenal gland.
Kanellis-Bennett noted that she is set to meet with an endocrinologist surgeon and at this time, it is too early to tell if this is cancer or not. Maria did treat herself to some French fries and a concrete mixer milkshake and told fans “Moral of the story… listen to your body.”
So fun story… 6 months ago I asked to get my adrenal glands checked and blood work done to check hormone levels because of symptoms I had been having. Insurance would not approve the tests. Fast forward today, I had a CT with contrast to check a mass that was found accidentally…
— MariaKanellisBennett (@MariaLKanellis) July 8, 2024
So here is the update. Yes it is a mass on my adrenal gland. Next step is meeting with an endocrinologist surgeon. It’s inconclusive at this point, if it is cancer. In other news, I ate French fries and a concrete mixer and I feel a little better.
— MariaKanellisBennett (@MariaLKanellis) July 8, 2024
This is a concerning situation for Maria and shows the importance of people making sure they’re okay if they sense something is wrong. In February of this year, WWE alum Maryse shared that she had been diagnosed with pre-cancer of the ovaries. Thankfully, the issue was spotted early on and the two-time Divas Champion underwent surgery. In March, Maryse shared that she was tumor-free and encouraged women to advocate for their own health and trust their instincts.
In May, Brandi Rhodes discovered that she was battling Endometriosis after years of living in pain. Rhodes was inspired by Maryse’s openness about her own health issues which gave her the courage to deal with the matter head-on. Rhodes has since undergone surgery and is said to be feeling much better. On her Instagram Stories, Maryse said she was touched that her story had inspired Brandi to seek out help.
We here at SE Scoops would like to send our absolute best wishes to Maria, her husband Mike, and their family at this unfortunate time.
Former WWE star Shelton Benjamin has confirmed that WWE scrapped plans for a Hurt Business reunion last year.
The Bobby Lashley-led faction was one of the highlights of the WWE programming during the pandemic era. With Lashley being presented as a dominant heel, the storyline quickly became a fan favorite. The decision to disband the group in early 2022 left fans puzzled and many people to this day believe that the whole thing had a lot of untapped potential.
During a recent interview with Metro, Benjamin said that he considers the faction to be one of his ‘defining contributions’ to the business and claimed that it was cut too short. He then revealed that there was talk of reviving the group last year but it never came to fruition:
“There was definitely conversation and planning for the Hurt Business to make a return. And then things just changed. They set dates, the dates changed and things changed. And then suddenly it was like, ‘Nope, we’re just not doing it.’ And that was… that was a kick in the balls. [laughs]”
Shelton Benjamin admitted that the decision was not in their hands and whatever the call maybe they have to live with it and move on. Though he still mentioned how the faction had the potential to elevate all its members:
“I love being a part of helping people succeed. But in the case of the Hurt Business, I felt like there was so much more for every individual in that to really elevate themselves within the company. And I think the fact that there was no Hurt Business versus Bloodline war is one of the biggest mishaps in pro wrestling”
WWE had teased a Hurt Business reunion in early 2023 when Benjamin reunited with Cedric Alexander with MVP taking credit for it. MVP even accompanied the duo at the ringside for a match but the angle was then quietly dropped. Shelton Benjamin was later released from the company in September 2023.
Liv Morgan may be more pleased to see Rhea Ripley return to WWE TV than she let on during the July 8, 2024, edition of WWE Monday Night Raw.
In the show’s main event, Morgan and Dominik Mysterio teamed to defeat the LWO’s Rey Mysterio and Zelina Vega. After the match, it appeared Dominik was going to give in to Morgan’s advances until Ripley made her return after months off of TV. Her comeback saw Morgan scurry to the back while Raw went off the air with a tense face-off between Ripley and Dirty Dom.
Liv Morgan Reacts to Rhea Ripley’s Return
The WWE Women’s World Champion was able to avoid a run-in with Ripley and seemed somewhat pleased to see her nemesis back on TV after Raw went off the air. In a backstage clip, Morgan was seen smiling as she watched Ripley verbally lay into ‘Dirty Dom.’
Could Morgan be grinning at the tensions between Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley that fans saw at the end of the show? Morgan has hardly been subtle in her efforts to woo Dominik and these tensions could see Mysterio fall closer in line with the Champ. The question, however, remains as to whether Liv genuinely cares for Mysterio, or if her affections are merely a plot to take even more from Rhea Ripley.
Ripley’s return comes after suffering a shoulder injury in April during a backstage attack by Liv that also ended Ripley’s tenure as WWE Women’s World Champion. Ironically, Morgan herself missed months of action due to an attack by Ripley and has therefore shown no remorse for causing the Australian’s injury. All we know for certain now is that this unlikely love triangle will be a focal point going forward on WWE Raw.
Rey Mysterio has another historic accolade to his legendary career after competing during the July 8, edition of WWE Monday Night Raw.
The show from Ottawa, Canada saw Mysterio team with LWO ally Zelina Vega to face his son ‘Dirty’ Dominik Mysterio and WWE Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan. Despite Dominik being hesitant to team with Liv, the pair would work well together. The finish saw Morgan knock Rey from the top rope, giving Dom the chance to hit the frog splash and get his first-ever win over his father.
The match may not have gone Rey’s way, but Mysterio did make history in the process. This bout marked Rey’s 33rd match on WWE TV since being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2023. Mysterio now holds the record for the most WWE TV matches of any Hall of Famer after being inducted.
The previous was held by Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler who competed 32 times on WWE TV following his induction on the eve of WrestleMania 23 in March 2007. Lawler’s 32nd match would come on the September 10, 2012, Raw, mere hours before Lawler would suffer a heart attack while sat at the commentary table.
H/T to @WWEStats for uncovering this stat. Stay tuned to SEScoops for more interesting wrestling facts and statistics.
Rey Mysterio: Hall of Famer
Mysterio’s induction into the WWE Hall of Fame is just one of the many elite clubs that the Master of the 619 is a part of. In 2007, Rey was the inaugural inductee into the AAA Hall of Fame alongside the posthumous induction of AAA founder Antonio Peña. In 2010, wrestling fans voted for Rey to be inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame. That year’s class included Rey, Chris Jericho, and the posthumously inducted Wladek Zbyszko.
The Future Of Rey Mysterio
The WWE Hall of Famer may have another record to his name, but time is running out for Rey to add highlights to his legendary career. Mysterio has spoken openly in recent years that his time in the ring is coming to an end. In 2023, Mysterio, who is 49, said that he does not intend to wrestle past 50, suggesting that his career will end very soon.
Though Rey’s career in the ring will be ending in the relatively near future, his time in WWE won’t be over after he hangs up his boots. Rey signed a five-year deal with WWE in 2023 that should keep him around until he is 54 years old. It is possible that Mysterio could wrestle past 50 and if not, WWE would no doubt benefit from keeping Mysterio around in some kind of backstage role, possibly as a trainer in WWE NXT.
AJ Lee has confirmed several upcoming projects under her Scrappy Hearts production company amid rumors about her potential WWE return.
The former Divas Champion was interviewed by Screen Rant during the Tribeca Film Festival. She was there promoting her new movie Sacramento starring Michael Angarano, Michael Cera, and Kristen Stewart in lead roles.
During the interview, Lee real name April Mendez, was asked if she has any projects in the works under her Scrappy Heart Productions banner. The former WWE star revealed that they have several projects ready to be launched with the goal of telling stories of underrepresented communities:
“We have an original comic book coming out very soon, and we have a short film that is about to hit the festival circuit and a horror movie that is next in list and ready to go.
So we are really excited to show you what we have at Scrappy Heart Productions. We’re trying to represent underrepresented communities, like my, like the Latino community. We want us to be the stars of our own stories and we’re really fighting for that.”
Scrappy Hearts Production is a company AJ Lee started with Aimee Garcia. Garcia is known for her roles in shows such as Lucifer and How To Train Your Dragon.
A potential WWE return for the former champion has been a topic of discussion among fans since her husband, CM Punk returned to the company last year at Survivor Series.
The repeated mention of Lee in Punk’s ongoing feud with Drew McIntyre has only added fuel to the fire and there were even rumors that AJ could make an appearance at last Saturday’s Money In The Bank PPV.
Though when asked about it in the post-show media scrum, Punk had alluded to all the projects his wife was working on. The latest comments from the former WWE star only further confirm that she is not very likely to make time from her busy schedule for a wrestling comeback.
Chelsea Green may not have left Money in the Bank 2024 with a briefcase, but the WWE Superstar certainly made an impression on those working backstage.
Green was one of six women in this year’s Money in the Bank Ladder match. The former Women’s Tag Team Champion was joined by Tiffany Stratton, Lyra Valkyria, Naomi, IYO SKY, and Zoey Stark. Despite having the home-field advantage, the Canadian Green came up short in Toronto as Tiffany Stratton instead became the eighth woman to capture the coveted briefcase and earn herself a title shot.
While Stratton left with the briefcase, the spot many are remembering from the match involves Chelsea Green. During the bout, Green was sent sailing out of the ring on a ladder and crashed through a series of tables at ringside.
Also still not over Chelsea Green having the most perfect table bump from like 25 feet in the air lol pic.twitter.com/pIMeBANPW3
This violent spot was quite the change from what fans normally see from Green on WWE TV as she has fallen into a comedic heel role ever since her January 2023 return to the company. Those in WWE were “very happy” with Green’s performance in the match, Fightful Select reports, and that Green herself treated the all-important bump as if it was “no big deal.”
WWE was also very happy about Green’s work before she stepped in the ring at WWE Money in the Bank 2024. Praise was given for Green promoting the show on local media and traveling to Toronto mid-week to do so. Green also heavily promoted the event and the Women’s Ladder match on social media, which WWE also took notice of. Even TNA Wrestling’s Jordynne Grace couldn’t help but be impressed by Green’s work in the match.
Green is impressing all the right people backstage which certainly bodes well for her future with WWE. While Green may not have won the coveted contract in Toronto, the future remains bright for the Canadian even after this massive bump through the tables.
Jordynne Grace has proven herself for years as one of the top names in TNA Wrestling, but her time with the 22-year-old promotion could be coming to an end.
The reigning TNA Knockouts World has had the attention of the wrestling world this year, thanks in part to her appearances for WWE. Grace was part of this year’s Women’s Royal Rumble match in only the second time a contracted TNA talent has been in the contest (following Mickie James in 2022.) More recently, Grace has been appearing in WWE NXT and unsuccessfully challenged Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez at Battleground.
Given Grace’s appearances in WWE NXT, there has been plenty of speculation about whether Grace could one day join the promotion full-time. Speaking to TNA alum Matt Morgan on his Gigantic Pop podcast, Grace spoke about her current contract situation in TNA Wrestling.
“I am under [TNA] contract until January of this upcoming year. It’s coming up.”
Grace has been with TNA Wrestling since 2018 and is one of the promotion’s most successful Knockouts. The Juggernaut is a three-time (and current) Knockouts World Champion, a former Knockouts Tag Team Champion, and a former TNA Digital Media Champion. Grace is also recognized as the first TNA Knockouts Triple Crown Champion, having held the three titles obtainable by women in the promotion.
Jordynne Grace: WWE Superstar?
Grace has spoken highly of her WWE experience so far, and has also been well-received by those in the company. A move to WWE would also allow Grace a new roster to face, in addition to some familiar faces. Grace competed against both Naomi and Chelsea Green in TNA, both of whom have since returned to WWE.
With that said, Grace has also spoken highly of her time with TNA Wrestling where she has already established herself as one of the company’s top talents. Ultimately, the Juggernaut has a difficult decision to make in the coming months and fans of both promotions are interested to see in which direction she goes.
Dempsey will cross the line to take on Wentz on the upcoming TNA iMPACT episode.
Wrestling fans will be in for a treat on the July 11 episode of TNA Wrestling iMPACT. The episode features WWE superstar Charlie Dempsey taking on Zachary Wentz. Dempsey surprised fans when he made his TNA debut last week by attacking Wentz, Trey Miguel, and Leon Slater. Wentz comes into the match motivated to prove that NXT talent can’t do whatever they want in TNA.
Dempsey’s debut had the wrestling community buzzing as WWE continues to embrace a working relationship with TNA. The partnership has resulted in fan interest and talent from both rosters looking to work together. That said, Wentz felt in storyline that Dempsey’s actions were inexcusable and is ready to make an example out of him this Thursday.
In the aftermath of the WWE superstar’s assault, Wentz did a passionate promo about how he plans to get revenge. The former Impact World Tag Team Champion also acknowledged his past competing in NXT and shared that the company doesn’t allow Dempsey to attack people to make a name for himself, so he shouldn’t do it in TNA.
“…Charlie Dempsey, I don’t know what you are trying to accomplish, but you are not going to do it here. You are not going to make a name here. You are not going to make a name off of Zachary Wentz. You are not going to make a name off of Trey Miguel, and you are certainly not going to make a name off of our home, TNA,” said Wentz.
The fiery promo led to the match being official and marked the first storyline of a WWE superstar invading TNA. It’s worth noting that although the match will occur this week, the episode is a taped show, and the results are out. Regardless, the crossover matchup could get fans interested in tuning in to see what will happen.
TNA Superstar Joe Hendry Teased For An NXT Return
WWE fans noticed on July 7 that as Heatwave was going off the air, TNA fan-favorite Joe Hendry was quickly teased for a return to NXT. In addition, WWE has begun to advertise the July 9 episode of NXT and is continuing to show Hendry briefly.
This has led fans to believe that the TNA superstar could return to the developmental brand as soon as this week’s episode. The last time he appeared, Hendry was eliminated early from a Battle Royal Match to determine the number one contender for the WWE NXT Championship on the June 18 NXT show. Despite the anti-climatic exit from the match, he had a confrontation with Shawn Michaels backstage that set up the impression that he wasn’t done with the brand.
The ongoing relationship between WWE and TNA is providing fans with unpredictably no idea who will show up for either company. Dempsey’s storyline of invading TNA and Hendry’s potential return to NXT is seemingly a great way to get eyes on both NXT and TNA iMPACT this week. Hopefully, the partnership will continue to thrive so fans can see dream matches that were thought to be impossible.
In a dramatic conclusion to Monday’s WWE RAW, Rhea Ripley made her long-awaited return, bringing the simmering tension between herself, Dominik Mysterio, and Liv Morgan to a boiling point. The climax of the evening saw Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio team up against Rey Mysterio and Zelina Vega, which ended in their victory. As the duo celebrated their win with a passionate embrace in the ring, Rhea Ripley’s music hit and the arena erupted.
Mami made her way to the ring and business picked up in a big way. Morgan, seemingly aware of the impending confrontation, quickly fled the scene, leaving Dominik alone in the ring. The tension was palpable as Ripley approached Mysterio.
Her demeanor was far from welcoming, a stark contrast to the celebratory mood moments earlier. When Dominik attempted to greet her with a hug, Ripley’s cold response spoke volumes. As RAW went off the air, fans were left with the image of a clearly displeased Ripley.
What Happened After Raw
The USA Network feed cut off early, but we can see here just how displeased Ripley was.
Expect to see Rhea Ripley vs. Liv Morgan at SummerSlam, one of our five WWE SummerSlam 2024 card predictions. This dramatic return sets the stage for what promises to be an explosive summer ahead as the next chapters in this ongoing saga are written. We’re now wondering:
How will Ripley address Dominik’s closeness with Morgan?
NXT star Damon Kemp (Bobby Steveson) is no longer with WWE.
As of today I am no longer under contract with WWE. Forever grateful for the people I met and the experiences I’ve had. For business inquiries – [email protected]
Bobby Steveson, the older brother of Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson, signed with WWE in August 2021 as part of a new recruit class at the Performance Center. While his brother Gable exited in May 2024 after a disappointing run, Bobby has been featured prominently in NXT, where his tenure has seen several notable storyline developments.
In May 2022, Bobby joined the Diamond Mine stable. However, he later betrayed his teammates, the Creed Brothers, at the Worlds Collide event, executing a heel turn. This led to a high-stakes Ambulance match against Julius Creed at NXT Halloween Havoc. Bobby’s loss in this match ensured that Brutus Creed would retain his NXT career.
Kemp subsequently aligned himself with the No Quarter Catch Crew (NQCC) stable, signaling a new direction for his character. This progression exemplified WWE’s ongoing efforts to develop new talent and create engaging narratives within its NXT brand.
His final match with the company was on the June 25 episode of NXT, where he suffered a loss to Tavion Heights. Interestingly, Heights has been in the process of being initiated into the NQCC, the same stable Kemp was part of. With this loss, Steveson’s tenure with WWE came to an end, leaving him on the outside of the organization he once called home.
A recent tweet from WWE superstar Cora Jade has fans wondering if her return to NXT could be soon. The developmental brand had their Heatwave premium live event on July 7 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. One of the featured matches had WWE NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez successfully defending her title against Lola Vice. While ‘The Prodigy’ celebrated a victory, Jade teased fans on X that she is on track to return to the ring after her ACL injury.
After Perez defeated Vice, WWE posted a graphic on X celebrating her retaining her title and captioned it by asking who could stop her.
The tweet caught Jade’s attention, and she reposted it to warn Perez that her return was coming soon.
I was told an ACL injury heals in 6-9 months. That was in January. :) https://t.co/FU7sLHGY3c
It’s unclear exactly when she will be cleared to compete. However, her tweet shows her interest in taking on Perez when she returns.
Cora Jade Rehab Progress & Possible Match With Roxanne Perez
Jade suffered her ACL injury during a match against Lyra Valkyria at an NXT House Show in January. Since then, Jade has been working hard to make a return and has posted her rehab progress on Instagram. On July 5, she shared a video of her doing barbell squats with 155 lbs without a knee brace.
The tweet after Perez’s victory is interesting as the champion continues to dominate the women’s division. She has retained her title five times with notable wins over Jordynne Grace, Natalya, and recently Vice. NXT General Manager Ava is also trying to find opponents that can give Perez a challenge, as ‘The Prodigy’ continues to boast that she is better than everyone else. Given their history as former friends turned rivals, Jade would be an interesting surprise challenger for Perez.
The possibility of Jade challenging Perez for her title depends on whether WWE feels she is ready to return. However, the tweet and her rehab progress show her motivation to get back in the ring.
As WWE SummerSlam 2024 approaches, fans are gearing up for a night filled with unforgettable matches and epic showdowns. WWE pulls out all the stops for the ‘Big Five’ events and the ‘Biggest Party of the Summer’ will be no exception.
WWE SummerSlam 2024 takes place Saturday, August 3 from Cleveland, OH at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The event will stream live on Peacock and the WWE Network.
Based on the storyline developments we’re tracking for Raw and SmackDown, along with own our own insights, we’re predicting five matches to round out the card.
WWE SummerSlam Confirmed Matches
As of this writing, two championship matches are official:
WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Damian Priest (c) vs. Gunther
Damian Priest will put his WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the line against Gunther after the Austrian star won the King of the Ring tournament.
WWE Women’s Championship: Bayley (c) vs. Nia Jax
Bayley, the reigning WWE Women’s Champion, will be defending her title against the Nia Jax at SummerSlam after Jax won the Queen of the Ring tournament.
WWE SummerSlam Match Card Predictions
1. WWE Tag Team Championships: DIY (c) vs. Street Profits
Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa, collectively known as DIY, will probably defend their newly won WWE Tag Team Championships against the Street Profits.
SummerSlam is taking place in Cleveland Browns Stadium, and Gargano is a big Browns fan, so the company will probably want him on the card to get a big pop.
2. WWE United States Championship: Logan Paul (c) vs. LA Knight
Logan Paul will probably defend his WWE United States Championship against LA Knight, a match that has been building for months.
This title match has been building for the past few months and Paul himself is also from Cleveland…although it will probably be Knight getting a major win here for his first main roster title in WWE.
3. WWE Women’s World Championship: Liv Morgan (c) vs. Rhea Ripley
Liv Morgan is hopefully going to face Rhea Ripley, who will be on a quest for revenge after being sidelined by Morgan and the current Champion trying to ‘steal’ her man Dominik.
It all depends on whether or not Ripley has recovered from injury, but this will be a big-time match on the card if it does happen.
4. CM Punk vs Drew McIntyre vs Seth Rollins
If you were to ask me what CM Punk’s match at SummerSlam would be just a week ago I’d say that Punk vs Drew McIntyre was a shoe-in.
However, with Punk costing Seth Rollins the chance to challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship whilst Damian Priest is Champion, it makes sense to turn this into a three way.
5. Undisputed WWE Championship: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Solo Sikoa
Cody Rhodes will most likely defend his Undisputed WWE Championship against Solo Sikoa, who has emerged as a top contender since his rise to the defacto ‘Tribal Chief’ in the Bloodline.
We will check back when the WWE SummerSlam 2024 match card is finalized and will grade our own predictions.
More SummerSlam
Head over to our WWE SummerSlam section for more and check out this video WWE put together last year ranking the 20 Greatest SummerSlam Moments:
John Cena has shared his reasons for why he’s chosen to don jean shorts (aka Jorts) for much of his career as a WWE Superstar.
Cena infamously debuted on a June 2002 edition of WWE SmackDown by answering Kurt Angle’s open challenge wearing plain-looking trunks. It wouldn’t be until his ‘white rapper’ gimmick that Cena would begin wearing jorts, a look he continues to wear for matches to this day.
With Cena’s career in WWE winding down, the 16-time WWE World Champion has been in a reflective mood. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Cena shared his reasoning for sticking with his jorts for over two decades.
“The reason I wear jorts is because I’ve tried everything. Denim is really durable—it doesn’t rip a lot as long as you can find a good fit. I don’t need any families attending a WWE event looking at my ugly bits All you need to do is find something that fits around the butt and the thigh, because I always wear a drawstring belt. A belt buckle, you can really get messed up on. I’ve learned this through failure. It can stab you, it can scratch you, it can scrape you and it can also cause damage to opponents and referees. This is not a good piece of equipment.”
While Cena can be seen wearing suits in public appearances outside WWE, odds are he’ll be rocking the jorts for what will be his final year as an in-ring talent. At WWE Money in the Bank 2024, Cena shared that he will retire from wrestling next year and is set to embark on a retirement tour. At this time, several details about this tour are unknown though fans can expect John to receive a fitting send-off by WWE.
Former TNA wrestling referee Brian Hebner has blamed AEW for not being fair with their partner during the pandemic years.
The wrestling veteran recently appeared on the Rewind Relive Recap podcast alongside current TNA head referee Daniel Spencer.
While talking about TNA’s partnership with different promotions, Spencer compared their collaboration with AEW back in the day with the ongoing crossover with WWE. He said that the WWE partnership makes sense today:
“I feel like the relationship with WWE and TNA just makes more sense. I know Brian was there, and we both were there when we had the other brand partnership, or whatever, with the other company. That crossover with the other company, and it was okay.
But I just feel like this one, is the right one. Not to say the other one wasn’t. Maybe it was right at that time, but it’s not right, right now, what’s right now is what we’re doing. I’m excited. I can’t wait to see where it takes us.”
It Was Really Not That Good: Brian Hebner
Brian Hebner then shared his opinion on the matter as well. He said that a rub from a company like WWE is always good for a smaller promotion like TNA. Hebner went on to criticize the way AEW handled their partnership:
“That old partnership you’re talking about, I’ll say it, with AEW was really not that good. It was a give and take. It was all give and we take nothing. That’s what it really did amount to. I don’t know if it was, I don’t know all that aspect. I just know that I was a little bit back in the back scenes because I was traveling and doing all the stuff that we were doing mixed with AEW.
I just felt like matches were, they weren’t fair. It was just all about their talent getting over. Where I feel like WWE is not in it like that. I don’t feel like, Jordynee Grace is going to win their title while she has TNA’s, but I do feel like they’re going to give her a fair shake and make her look really, really good. That’s all I’m sure TNA is asking.”
The partnership between TNA and AEW was spearheaded by the then AEW World Champion Kenny Omega. It started when Kenny turned heel and defeated Jon Moxley to win the AEW title with help from Don Callis at the end of 2020. Callis was an executive vice president of the promotion known as Impact Wrestling at the time.
The partnership saw many talents from both rosters crossing over to the other show. During the course of it, Kenny Omega had multiple matches in Impact Wrestling and even held the Impact World title for almost 5 months.
He dropped the title to Christian Cage at the premiere episode of Rampage. The partnership between the two promotions ended after Cage in turn lost the title to Josh Alexander at Bound For Glory 2021.
Tonight’s WWE Raw takes place from Ottawa, ON from the Canadian Tire Center.
The show will feature fallout from Saturday’s WWE Money in the Bank event, including Damian Priest retaining the World Heavyweight championship and the indefinite suspension of Money in the Bank winner Drew McIntyre. McIntyre snapped at MITB after CM Punk spoiled his cash-in, and put his hands on Raw General Manager Adam Pearce.
Plus, Adam Pearce will address his decision to indefinitely drew McIntyre for his actions at MITB. Keep it locked to SEScoops for our coverage of tonight’s WWE Raw.
Get hyped for Raw with this video recapping last week’s episode:
Mark Henry has revealed a unique ritual Rey Mysterio performs before his matches.
The trio of Henry, Bully Ray and Tommy Dreamer talked extensively about how they prepared before their matches during the latest episode of Busted Open‘s Masterclass.
During the episode, they talked about people who partied the night before their matches and weren’t their 100% when the time for the performance came. Bully Ray expressed a strong opinion against such talents, saying that he had zero respect for the wrestlers who did that:
“I had zero respect for the guys who went out and got banged up and then couldn’t perform the day after. No way. Listen, you want to go, and I was a part of this, you want to go out and party all night long. You want to drink all night long. You want to do drugs all night long. You want to go out and hook up, I don’t give a shit what you do.
Just make sure you’re in the gym the next morning and make sure you are 100% to go out there and tear the fucking house down the next night. Otherwise, you got no business putting my life in your hands because you’re too fucking hung over.
That’s the biggest picture. We put each other’s lives in each other’s hands. I don’t need to know that you’re still hungover or you haven’t come down off your high from the night before. Although I’d rather have Rob Van Dam high than not high in a wrestling ring, because he’d function better.”
Mark Henry Details Rey Mysterio’s Ritual
The trio also discussed their pre match rituals during the episode. Talking about unique pre match rituals, Mark Henry revealed that he always found the way Rey Mysterio prepared for his matches to be unlike any other:
“Do ever see Rey? Before every match, he would put his mask on the floor, he put his T-shirt that he was gonna wear on the floor. He would put his pants. He would put the underwear that he would wear on top of the pants. He put the socks on the bottom of the pants. He put the shoes, and he would sit there and look at it.
I used to go, ‘You alright, brother?’ [laughs] But he had to see everything, the wrist wrap, everything. He had to see it all before he put it on and look at it. Make sure ‘Alright, that’s the look.’ I’m the Joker tonight [or] I’m louis Vuitton man tonight. Like whatever his gear, he had to lay it out. It was a ritual, I watched it a bunch of times.”
