At WWE Bad Blood on October 5, Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes will team up to take on The Bloodline, represented by Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu. With so much history between Reigns and Rhodes, including three WrestleMania main events as opponents, fans have naturally been skeptical as to whether the two will co-exist in Atlanta, Georgia.
On the latest episode of SmackDown, the two met in a cinematic video package filmed at Georgia Tech’s football field. Reigns opened by reflecting on his past as a football player at Georgia Tech, declaring Atlanta his territory. He then challenged Rhodes’ connection to the city, prompting Cody to cite his family’s deep roots in Atlanta, particularly their legacy at the State Farm Arena, the venue for Bad Blood.
Looking To The Future
Reigns then broached the topic of their tag match at Bad Blood and taunted his would-be tag-team partner by bringing up the Bloodline’s dominance. Reigns vowed that while they will be allies on October 5, once Bad Blood is finished, he will be coming after the Undisputed WWE Championship.
The segment ended with both men blocking each other’s attempts to leave. Reigns warned Rhodes, “You’re in my way in life,” before finally walking off ending his meeting with the American Nightmare on a tense note.
WWE Bad Blood 2024 will take place on October 5, from the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Stay tuned to SEScoops for all the latest on Bad Blood including breaking news and live results.
Drew McIntyre was in action after this week’s episode of SmackDown and he got fans worried for a second after faking a knee injury.
The Scottish Warrior went up against Jey Uso in the second dark match of the night after the show from Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California went off air.
During one point in the bout, both men were down and McIntyre tried to do his signature kip-up. The former World Champion, however, failed to perform the move and he started favoring his knee afterward.
The referee checked on him and even Uso slowed down his offense. The images of the spot were seen on social media claiming that McIntyre got injured. Though a fan-made video shows that when Jey went close to his opponent, Drew poked him in the eye and then stood tall once again.
The Scottish Psychopath then delivered a GTS to Jey Uso in response to the CM Punk chants from the crowd. As he went for the Claymore, Uso managed to counter. The Yeet Man actually ended up winning the match after delivering a spear.
This wasn’t the only dark match that took place at the show. Before the Drew McIntyre bout, Liv Morgan successfully defended the Women’s World Championship against Lyra Valkyria.
The third dark match of the night saw Cody Rhodes defeat Carmelo Hayes. The WWE Champion brought a young fan to celebrate with him in the ring after the bell.
Prior to all this, Kevin Owens and the Street Profits took on the Bloodline in the main event of SmackDown. The match ended in a disqualification and the heel faction continued dominating until Rhodes made the save.
WWE once again teased Owens turning on the American Nightmare right at the end of the broadcast but the two ended up shaking hands and celebrating together.
Multiple top WWE stars including Liv Morgan, Cody Rhodes, and Drew McIntyre were in action in dark matches after this week’s episode of SmackDown from Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California went off air.
The first dark match saw Liv Morgan defending the Women’s World Championship against Lyra Valkyria. The Judgment Day member was able to retain her title at the end.
Drew McIntyre took on Jey Uso in a singles match after this. During one point in the bout, Drew faked a leg injury to sneak attack Uso and get the upper hand.
The Yeet man however came back. He actually managed to beat the former world champion with a spear. McIntyre was unhappy with the outcome and he threw a tantrum before heading to the back.
The final dark match saw Cody Rhodes defeating Carmelo Hayes in a singles match. The Undisputed WWE Champion brought a young fan into the ring after the bout to celebrate with him, showing once again why he is the face of the company.
The main event of the show saw Kevin Owens teaming up with the Street Profits to take on The Bloodline. This came after DIY, who were originally supposed to team up with KO, were brutally attacked by the Samoan faction backstage before the bout.
The main event match ended in a disqualification when the referee couldn’t control the chaos anymore. The trio of Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa and Jacob Fatu continued wreaking havoc even after the bell rang.
DIY were also taken out when they tried to help Owens. It wasn’t until Cody Rhodes came out with a chair that things evened out. The American Nightmare sent the heels retreating.
WWE once again teased Kevin Owens turning on his friend after he grabbed the chair right before the show went off air. In the end, the Prizefighter shook hands with Rhodes and the broadcast ended with both the stars standing tall.
Few things excite wrestling fans more than when a WWE Superstar debuts a new theme song, often due to a dramatic change to their on-screen character. In 1998, Sean ‘X-Pac’ Waltman returned to WWE with a brand new theme that has held a secret for many fans of the two-time Hall of Famer until now.
The track, which borrows heavily from the D-Generation X theme, starts with some aggressive vocals that fans for years believed was the vocalist shouting ‘X-PAC!’ Thanks to Wrestling Bios though, fans are now learning, 26 years later, that the track instead starts with the phrase “Make Some Noise.”
I legit thought the start of X-Pac's theme was Chris Warren shouting "X-PAAAAAAAAC" It's actually "Make Some Noise" and I feel fucking dumb. pic.twitter.com/YuyjH3Rx0C
Make Some Noise isn’t the only notable theme that Waltman used during his time in WWE. After forming X-Factor, a group consisting of Waltman, Justin Credible, and Albert, the trio used What ‘Chu Lookin’ At? by Matthew ‘Uncle Kracker’ Shafer. The story goes that Shane McMahon approached Waltman and shared that the Red Hot Chilli Peppers would provide the X-Factor theme only for Waltman to refuse and request Uncle Kracker instead.
Whatever song he uses, Waltman continues to get an ovation anytime he appears for WWE. Stay tuned to SEScoops for all the latest on the DX/New World Order legend.
Xavier Woods has expressed his frustrations with Kofi Kingston and could the former Consequences Creed have consequences for his best buddy?
Tension between New Day came to a head on Monday’s episode of WWE Raw as New Day lost their WWE World Tag Team Titles shot against The Judgment Day, but not without its share of complications.
It was Finn Balor and JD McDonagh defending the gold against Kofi and Woods, but it was almost arithmetic that the rest of The Judgment Day would meddle in the business. Woods made clear to Judgment Day rival Damian Priest that he wanted no help from anyone in the match, and Priest agreed. However, the LWO came out to fend off the Judgment Day insurgents and it caused Kingston to get involved. Woods ended up getting a visual three count on McDonagh, but the referee was too busy trying to restore order and it ultimately cost New Day the match.
Woods was irate with LWO after the fact and while Kingston tried to cool him down, only escalated the situation by revealing LWO standing guard was his idea. Woods was not pleased and made clear he wasn’t happy with Kingston. On Friday, Woods made a cryptic post on X stating he may have a reunion of sorts with some “old friends.”
“The streets saying that I may see some old friends soon. Just so yall know, I’m not a kid anymore.”
The streets saying that I may see some old friends soon. Just so yall know, I'm not a kid anymore.
Who could these “old friends” be? Woods has his history in TNA and a team likely on the cusp of making their WWE debut is The Motor City Machine Guns. Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin could be two names to align with Woods.
Paul Heyman may be a “Paul Levesque Guy” but will never forget his history with ECW and arguably the company’s biggest star in Rob Van Dam.
Heyman is currently off WWE television after he was memorably attacked by Solo Sikoa’s newly led Bloodline, but ‘The Wiseman’ remains a strong figure backstage.
Someone who he happened to cross paths with on the premiere episode of SmackDown on USA was Rob Van Dam. RVD received an invite to the program and sat at ringside for the tag team match involving Randy Orton, Kevin Owens and A-Town Down Under. Van Dam noted that he ran into Heyman backstage and had “high” praise for his former boss.
Heyman previously reciprocated his appreciation for RVD during his noteworthy WWE Hall of Fame speech back in Philadelphia. However, not even after a week of running into ‘Mr. Monday Night’, Heyman saw something that caught his eye on Thursday night to spark a social media conversation with fans of Rob Van Dam.
“This would be the perfect block for a dispensary. #JustSaying”
On the latest episode of “1 Of A Kind With RVD”, Van Dam was asked by a fan as to what ECW benefited greater from: Paul Heyman’s genius or the wrestlers being allowed to be themselves? RVD undoubtedly said Heyman’s genius is what made ECW succeed because there were plenty of times where Paul E. knew to not let certain wrestlers be themselves. It sounds like Triple H is following suit with Heyman’s philosphy as RVD expressed his optimism for the “refreshing” new vibe backstage at WWE.
Despite rumors that NXT Level Up would be finishing, Fightful Select has since reported that WWE will continue broadcasting episodes of NXT Level Up for the foreseeable future. One source emphasized the importance of NXT Level Up in providing TV experience for debuting talent and claimed that discontinuing the show would be a serious mistake on the company’s behalf.
WWE NXT Level Up launched in February 2022, replacing 205 Live and has aired on Friday nights ever since. The show has allowed for up-and-coming talent to perform in front of a television audience for the first time before transitioning to the main NXT roster. Notable alumni include current North American Champion Oba Femi, Trick Williams, and Thea Hail.
While NXT Level Up is here to stay, WWE NXT will soon end its five-year run on the USA Network and debut on The CW. WWE has already loaded the first two weeks of NXT on The CW with title matches confirmed as well as appearances by CM Punk and Randy Orton. Stay tuned to SEScoops for all the latest on NXT as the gold brand prepares for a future on a different network.
One of the wildest stories from the WWE over the last three years has been the rise of Logan Paul. Wrestling fans were quick to dismiss him as a B-list celebrity WWE was wasting its time with early on. However, his in-ring performances escalated, from a startlingly good tag team debut at WrestleMania 38, to an even better singles performance opposite The Miz at SummerSlam 2022, to holding his own challenging Roman Reigns for a world title in Saudi Arabia.
Paul has gone on thrive on athleticism in the ring and playing the heel brilliantly on the mic. However, his real life persona has raised eyebrows, up to and including some fans suggesting that, even if he is quite good at wrestling, he’s not worth keeping under WWE contract. There are real questions regarding how much of his persona may be a work versus a shoot.
He’s Uniquely Polarizing
Even before he got involved in wrestling, a significant part of Logan Paul’s public persona has been about being outspoken, a little arrogant, and willing to poke at sensitive topics. Recent months have seen a major uptick in Paul grabbing headlines via comments on his podcast, social media and elsewhere.
In June, Paul hosted former president and current candidate Donald Trump on his podcast Impaulsive. The choice to have this guest at all drew strong responses (positive and negative), and things only escalated when Paul advertised the interview on social media with theatrics of him and Trump having a face off, as well as smiling together. From there, the interview itself took a pretty strong partisan stance in favor of Trump.
Paul’s summer was just heating up at that point, though. One of the bigger stories coming out of the 2024 Summer Olympics was that of Algeria’s Imane Khelif competing in women’s boxing after a controversial previous test had ruled her ineligible to fight women. Paul espoused hateful rhetoric that misidentified Khelif as a man. While he walked it back a little after learning more context, critics still pointed out that even his apology arguably had transphobic undertones.
These two high profile instances, amidst a controversial career in the public eye seemed to rattle the good faith Paul had built up among wrestling fans, as public sentiment started to veer away from him.
He’s a Firebrand
Logan Paul hosted Hulk Hogan on his podcast in September. The two got along famously during the interview, which itself raised some eyebrows for a sect of wrestling fans who have grown increasingly-disenchanted with The Hulkster. One of the headlines coming out of the interview, though, was Paul bashing Bret Hart, as he accused The Hitman of “talking sh*t on everyone that he used to work with and work for because,” and saying Hart’s commentary left a bitter taste in his mouth. Rather than slow down, Paul embraced a war of words with Kevin Nash afterword.
Big Daddy Cool knocked Paul on his own podcast, which sent Paul to social media to cut a full-on promo against the former WWE and WCW Champion. Therein, The Maverick identified himself as a top five WWE talent and went on to claim he was better at pro wrestling as a part timer than Nash ever was, before finishing off by directing an expletive his way.
Can’t Look Away
While there’s a substantial body of fans who’ve soured on Logan Paul, a very real question arises. Is is it possible that, just as Paul has demonstrated unexpectedly strong instinct and aptitude for the in-ring elements of wrestling, might he also have an unconventionally old school and effective approach to getting heat.
Paul plays a heel in WWE and there’s a case to be made that the way he has alienated a significant portion of wrestling fans has been strategic. Heck, maybe he’s even transcending wrestling and willingly playing the heel in larger pop culture, embracing not only controversy but down right venom toward him if it courts attention.
Paul targeting Bret Hart and Kevin Nash in recent comments may denote his actual opinions, but it may also mark an unconventional take on the old “legend killer” gimmick, most famously used by Randy Orton, with variations on it used by others including Rob Conway and Heath Slater at different points. The playbook is simple—for a young talent to get heat by disrespecting legends who are well past their prime and can’t shut him up in the ring. A gimmick like this would be a near perfect fit for a brash, not-quite-30-year-old heel around his physical prime.
Time will tell how much heat Logan Paul is drawing intentionally, or more organically based on his real personality. Regardless, he remains a lightning rod for attention and it will be especially interesting to see what happens if he does commit to his stated goal of starting up wrestling full time in the near future.
AEW veteran commentator Tony Schiavone has made it clear that he still feels excited when the former AEW World Champion Chris Jericho gets inside the ring.
Jericho and Schiavone both have been in the pro wrestling business for decades. They were once a part of WCW back in the 90s. They then reunited in AEW following its inception in 2019. Over the years, ‘The Learning Tree’ has been criticized for being out of shape but Tony said that he enjoys watching Jericho perform in the ring.
Speaking on his podcast What Happened When, Tony responded to the critics. He spoke highly of the 53-year-old wrestler for his efforts in his performances and explained that being out of shape is understandable given his age. Tony Schiavone explained:
“I’m always pumped when Chris Jericho is in the event or is wrestling for us or is doing an angle because he’s so cool and I know he gets a lot of heat because a lot of fans say ‘Well, he’s not [in] the shape he used to be.’ Of course, he’s not. None of us are at that age, but I really enjoy everything he does and all the effort he puts into it.”
Chris Jericho recently locked horns with The Conglomeration’s Orange Cassidy on this week’s AEW Dynamite. The duo has reignited their feud and it doesn’t seem to end anytime soon. In the final moments of the match, Cassidy hit an Orange Punch on Jericho with a stack of quarters to get the pinfall. The former AEW World Champion was furious with the outcome and sent out a stern message to Cassidy.
AEW President Tony Khan sat down with Going Ringside With The Local Station this week to discuss a variety of topics related to AEW. When asked about reports of the promotion reaching a new deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, Khan confirmed with absolute certainty that AEW will remain on TBS and TNT for the foreseeable future.
“It’s an exciting time for AEW, we’re coming into the future. But I can tell you that 100% AEW is moving forward with TBS and TNT. They’ve been great partners and you can count on us.”
On The Support of His Father
While Khan works alongside his father Shad with the Jacksonville Jaguars, it wasn’t until this year that the elder Khan appeared for AEW. While Tony wishes his father’s debut had come under better circumstances than his ambush by The Elite, the younger Khan said his father has always supported the promotion and it “means the world [to me] that he’s so bought into AEW.”
On Mercedes Mone
After appearing in the crowd at AEW All In: London 2023, Mercedes Mone officially joined AEW in March of this year at the Big Business: Dynamite. As TBS Champion and NJPW Strong Women’s Champion, Mone has proven to be a force to be reckoned with, one that Khan is pleased to be working with.
“I think she’s one of the greatest pro wrestlers in the entire world. She’s a huge, huge star, a huge signing for AEW… She’s just at the top of her profession right now.”
On The Retirement of Sting
At AEW Revolution 2024, Sting competed in his final wrestling match; teaming with Darby Allin to defeat The Young Bucks in an emotional send-off. Khan was unsurprisingly thrilled with how Sting’s last match went and called it one of the greatest moments of AEW’s entire five-year history.
Tommaso Ciampa is more excited for Motor City Machine Guns to join WWE than the fans.
The wrestling veteran recently had an interview with the Battleground podcast. He talked about things such as moving up to the main roster from NXT, how Triple H books the shows, improving the tag division, and more.
During the discussion, Ciampa was also asked about the reports of the legendary tag team having signed with WWE and the potential of facing them. The DIY member mentioned how people always compare their team with the duo of Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley. It would be really cool for him to finally get in the ring with them:
“We took some…I mean, they’ve influenced tag team wrestling for two decades now. We’ve taken stuff from them, concepts from them and ideas from them. I’ve actually never wrestled either one of them, in singles or tag, my entire career. So it would be really cool to have that happen on the WWE stage for the first time.
Tommaso Ciampa revealed that Johnny Gargano has a pretty good relationship with Shelley. He explained that having a number of hot tag teams can really elevate the WWE tag division and help them take things to the next level:
“We see the same rumors that y’all see and shoot man, if we can get the tag division to a point where we got four, five, six different top acts going at once, that’s when you’re in it. The more competition, the merrier. I welcome that.”
The former NXT Champion also said that having more competition forces everyone to elevate their game. He noted how the crowds would love their style and claimed that he probably wants the rumors to come true more than some of the fans.
Motor City Machine Guns became free agents in April this year after their TNA deal expired. It was initially believed that the duo would join AEW but things have changed since then. In the last few months the legendary tag team has teased signing with a promotion which will stop them from taking indie bookings.
Former AEW World Champion Samoa Joe is set to appear in the upcoming video game Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, the latest entry in the long-running Yakuza franchise. This was revealed during the September 2024 RGG Summit, hosted by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and Sega.
The game, which focuses on series favorite Goro Majima battling pirates, has already generated excitement among fans. Some sharp-eyed viewers noticed Samoa Joe in the game’s trailer, where he appears as one of the villains. His involvement in the game adds to the anticipation surrounding its release.
The trailer showcases fast-paced action and pirate-themed battles, with the protagonist Goro Majima washing up on Rich Island in Hawaii. After engaging in combat with pirates, Majima eventually becomes captain of his own ship.
Samoa Joe in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawai
The plot will revolve around key characters Madlantis and Queen Michelle, introducing a new setting and storyline within the Yakuza universe.
Samoa Joe is in good company as a pro wrestler appearing in this gaming franchise. The Great Muta, Kazuchika Okada and Tetsuya Naito have appeared in prior installments. Joe has a history of voice acting in video games, most notably portraying King Shark in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.
His most recent AEW match took place in July 2024, when he faced Chris Jericho in a Stampede Street Fight on AEW Dynamite. Outside of wrestling, Joe has been part of the production for the upcoming season of Twisted Metal, where he’ll reprise his role as Sweet Tooth.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is scheduled for release on February 28, 2025, and will be available on all major gaming consoles and PC.
Miro’s time with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) appears to be nearing an end, capping off a largely underwhelming run. The Bulgarian powerhouse joined AEW in September 2020, amid significant fanfare. Tony Khan’s upstart company had earned its reputation as chance for disgruntled WWE talent to reboot their careers with and enjoy greater creative freedom.
Four years later, and with much of that tenure spent off television, Fightful Select reports that Miro has officially requested his release from AEW. Creative differences were a significant issue in recent years.
A Promising Start That Fizzled Out
Miro went ‘All Elite’ in during the first year of AEW Dynamite, where he was introduced as Kip Sabian’s “Best Man.” He eventually dropped his ‘gamer bro’ image for a more serious persona, and was reborn as The Redeemer. He was a dominant TNT Champion for 140 days, until he was dethroned by Sammy Guevara. Unfortunately, the loss had a devastating affect on Miro’s career trajectory.
Contract Extension Amid Absence
While Miro’s original AEW deal was set to expire in the spring of 2022, he signed a four-year extension around that time, which could have kept him on board for two more years. Per Fightful, Miro is on a lucritive seven-figure contract, despite only competing in 11 matches since since December 2021 (and none this year).
Though Miro was sidelined by an injury, reports suggest he has been healthy for quite some time. Miro spoke with AEW officials earlier this year about getting a match with Jon Moxley, but that never materialized. Some saw the Casino Gauntlet match at All In: London 2024 as a chance to get Miro back in the mix on a big stage, but instead fellow WWE alum Ricochet was the big surprise there.
A Disappointing AEW Tenure
Miro’s time in AEW was a bust, despite wrestling fans’ excitement to see how far he’d go in a fresh environment. Miro did have some good matches and fun moments over the past few years (see below), but we’re optimistic the best is yet to come.
In January 2025, John Cena will be a part of WWE Raw’s move to Netflix and kick off his in-ring retirement tour. The WWE icon will make appearances at the Royal Rumble, WrestleMania 41, and SummerSlam, and is expected to face some of the very top names currently on the promotion’s roster.
One name fans could see sharing the ring with Big Match John is Logan Paul. Wrestle Votes Radio reports that there has been discussions about a match within WWE between the two. WWE’s creative team, led by Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque, is said to be high on the potential big-money match and both Cena and Paul have shown interest in working with each other.
This isn’t the first time that the idea of John Cena Vs. Logan Paul has come up. In November 2022, Paul told listeners of his ImPaulsive podcast that he wanted a match with the WWE icon at the following year’s WrestleMania 39.
“I think me vs. John Cena would break the internet. I texted Triple H right away, ‘do you want to break the internet again?’ That’s a dream matchup.”
Instead, Cena faced then-U.S. Champion Austin Theory during the opener of Night One. Paul’s match would fall on his birthday and see The Maverick lost to Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins.
John Cena’s Retirement Tour
As one of the biggest names in wrestling history, it’s hardly a surprise that several wrestlers have put themselves forward for Cena’s farewell tour. CM Punk hopes to team with John before the latter calls it a career while The Miz is hoping to get one last match with Cena after previously headlining WrestleMania 27 in 2011.
Whatever WWE has planned, fans can expect quite the sendoff for one of the most significant wrestlers to ever step foot in the ring. Stay tuned to SEScoops for all the latest on John Cena and his final year in the ring.
The September 17, edition of WWE NXT saw a special appearance by CM Punk who was part of a segment with Giulia and Roxanne Perez. Later on, it was confirmed that Punk will be the guest referee of the NXT Championship match between Ethan Page and Trick Williams when WWE NXT premieres on The CW on October 1.
The arrival of the Best in the World was welcomed by the crowd in Orlando and judging by the ratings, also by those watching at home. This week’s show saw an average viewership of 677,000, up eight percent from the previous week’s 628,000, Wrestlenomics and Programming Insider reports. This week also marked the highest-viewed NXT of the past ten weeks, with the show only being bested by the June 18, show.
While this is a success for WWE NXT in 2024, the show has seen a decline year-on-year. In 2023, this week’s NXT drew 824,000, while two years ago this week the show was at 688,000.
CM Punk at WWE NXT
Punk made quite the impact at WWE NXT and his time at the show didn’t stop once the cameras stopped rolling. On social media, it was shared that Punk stayed behind after the taping to ensure fans got a chance to meet him and get an autograph.
What’s to Come?
CM Punk’s return to WWE NXT will come on the October 1, premiere on The CW, fittingly in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois. The next week, WWE NXT will travel to Missouri where Randy Orton will take on the Young OG Je’Von Evans. Stay tuned to SEScoops for all the latest on WWE NXT ahead of the gold brand’s move to The CW.
Tony Khan has compared the difference between 2024 All In and All Out to a classic movie franchise.
The two AEW PPVs were held only two weeks apart but there was a stark difference in the feeling coming out of the two shows. Bryan Danielson was one of the featured stars for both these events but things changed completely for him in the few days between the shows.
The AEW President recently appeared on Busted Open Radio to talk about the upcoming Grand Slam special on September 25 as well as the company’s most recent PPVs. He mentioned how Bryan made his first appearance for the promotion three years ago at All Out and claimed that Danielson has completely changed his company.
Discussing the difference between this year’s All In and All Out, Tony Khan mentioned how Bryan Danielson went from living one of the greatest moments of his life to one of the worst:
“To talk about Bryan Danielson for a moment and the three-year anniversary—and like I said—to go from All In, which was one of the greatest moments of my life, to go to All Out, which was, I think, the juxtaposition…to say that for Bryan, I think All In was one of the great moments of his life, and then All Out probably one of the worst.”
Khan compared the difference between the endings of the two shows to first two Star Wars movies, while also claiming that they go well together:
“I mean, you know, [for] Star Wars people, it’s New Hope and Empire Strikes Back. Um, but they were very different things, but they were both amazing, and they go so well together.
All In and All Out stand as two of our greatest pay-per-views, and I’m very excited going into WrestleDream about what’s happening in AEW. The future of the AEW World Championship is yet to be determined, but at Grand Slam, the future of AEW is at stake, and so much is on the line.”
The American Dragon picked up one of the biggest victories of his career at All In from Wembley Stadium. He won the AEW title for the first time and celebrated with his family and friends to end the show.
On the other hand, Bryan got betrayed by Jon Moxley and the other BCC teammates at All Out and he had to be carried out of the arena after a brutal beatdown.
The AEW World Champion has not been seen on TV ever since. Though Nigel McGuinness has challenged him to a match at next Wednesday’s Dynamite.
On WWE programming, Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis lay down the law as the General Managers of WWE Raw and SmackDown respectively. Before either man became an authority figure, they enjoyed successful careers in the ring, and could a match between the pair take place inside a WWE ring?
On Twitter, Pearce spoke about a possible match with Aldis, calling it “a question I always get.” After much build-up, Pearce was about to give the ‘short answer’ to the question about a match with Aldis, only for the video to end before he could give a yes or a no.
In response, Aldis gave a more definitive answer than his Monday night counterpart and spoke about their respective careers outside WWE. While the Brit didn’t confirm that a match with Pearce would happen, Aldis did give the always-ominous “time will tell.
After much deliberation I have decided to respond to this post by my Raw counterpart.
We both enjoyed a decorated tenure in our careers before WWE; there is no doubt you & I respect the legacy and tradition of our industry. So you're asking if I would step in the ring with… https://t.co/n0AOEehSB6pic.twitter.com/tq9t89059N
Should a match take place, between the two GMs, WWE would need an impartial body to officiate the contest. On Twitter, Chelsea Green, who has had issues with ‘Sir Nicholas the Nasty’ and ‘Peahead Pearce,’ put her name forward as a guest referee.
On Chris Van Vliet’s Insight podcast last month, Pearce said that he doubts either himself or Nick Aldis intends to take the spotlight from a full-time talent to have a match. This December will mark ten years since Pearce’s last professional match and the five-time NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion appears content with leaving his boots behind.
Aldis debuted in WWE in October 2023 and hasn’t wrestled for the promotion so far. Earlier this year, the former NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion who held the title for over 1,000 days said that “anything is possible” when it comes to a match in WWE. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on the two GMs and a potential match down the line.
WWE Hall of Famer JBL has been in headlines recently after making wrestling appearances at the most unexpected places.
The wrestling veteran originally signed with the company previously owned by Vince McMahon back in 1995 and he has been a part of WWE roster ever since. Prior to this year, he hadn’t made an outside wrestling appearance for almost 29 years.
So his latest adventures got people curious about the status of the former WWE champion. Mike Johnson of PWInsider recently provided an update on the situation and noted that Bradshaw remains under a Legends deal:
“He is under a WWE Legends deal and can work any independents he wants, but can’t use the Bradshaw name as that’s WWE’s intellectual property.”
JBL broke his streak with WWE last month when he accompanied Nic Nemeth for his match at the Triplemanía XXXII: Mexico City event on August 17.
The 57-year-old has made appearances for companies such as TNA, GCW, and even MLW since then, despite the latter having a rough history with WWE. He has been introduced as John Layfield, as both the JBL and Bradshaw names belong to the Endeavor-owned promotion.
The former US Champion seems to be targeting specific indie names during his appearances, suggesting that his actions would lead to the formation of a faction or some sort of group in the coming times.
Though since he is still under a WWE deal, the scope of it will be limited to indie promotions and there doesn’t seem to be a chance of the wrestling legend making an AEW appearance anytime soon.
Fans of All Elite Wrestling can look forward to a very bright future for the promotion, according to AEW President Tony Khan. Sitting down with Dave LaGreca of Busted Open Radio this week, Khan shared an analogy of just how bright the future is for his first wrestling company.
“I didn’t bring my sunglasses to the Sirius studio today, but the future is so bright, I need them.”
“I have not done any of the leaking. With all due respect to the fine people at the Puck establishment and the Puck people, I didn’t talk to them. I know they have been reporting things that are very interesting.”
As the largest wrestling promotion in the world, WWE is home to some of the most talented competitors from across the globe. In 2014, Kevin Owens joined WWE’s ranks after a highly successful run on the independents, and now more has come to light about his current status with the promotion.
Owens has been approached by WWE regarding a new contract, Fightful Select reports, but he has not signed a new deal as of yet. His contract with WWE will reportedly expire at the end of this year.
Should Owens opt to leave WWE, he likely would not be out of work for long. AEW is said to have “major interest” in the former Universal Champion and WrestleMania headliner and has been interested in him for a long time. Unsurprisingly, AEW is expected to make Owens an offer if he reaches free agency.
WWE’s Re-Signings
Although Owens has yet to ink a new deal with WWE, the company has locked down several major names in 2024 so far. In April, Drew McIntyre re-signed with WWE after months of rumor and speculation that he could be leaving for another promotion. For his troubles, the Scottish Warrior was gifted a sword by TKO’s Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.
More recently, Randy Orton confirmed reports that he has re-signed with WWE with a deal that should keep him around until 2029. While Orton could have seen his previous deal frozen due to his time away due to his back injury, WWE reportedly felt it was fairer to let Orton negotiate a new deal given how much the handling of contracts has changed.
Since leaving WWE in 2010, Dave Bautista has become a leading name in Hollywood with work in blockbuster franchises like James Bond and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This month, Bautista’s newest project, The Killer’s Game hit cinemas and fans have now caught their first glimpse at the former WWE Champion’s next big role.
Bautista will be part of In The Lost Lands, Deadline reports, a film that will be based on a short story by George R.R. Martin (Game of Thrones). Sorceress Gray Alys (Milla Jovovich, Resident Evil, Monster Hunter) is sent to the Lost Lands in search of a magical power. Alys and her guide Boyce (Bautista) must outwit and overcome both man and demons along the way.
The film will be directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, who has previously worked with Jovovich on the popular Resident Evil film series. The film will exclusively release in theaters next year. In addition to being an actor in the film, Bautista is also listed as one of the film’s producers in a new step in the career of the Animal. Bautista has previously spoken of wanting to direct and being a producer on In The Lost Lands is certainly a step in the right direction towards that goal.
The Animal is among the most successful names in pro wrestling to turn to the world of acting. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on the acting pursuits of the future WWE Hall of Famer.
Gable will be following in the footsteps of fellow top heel on RAW in Drew McIntyre who happened to be a global ambassador for the 2023 Special Olympics. Drew also was an ambassador during the 2021 Special Olympics while WWE was in Las Vegas for SummerSlam. Another person Gable is mirroring in more ways than one is Kurt Angle who just recently appeared at the Special Olympics softball games which took place in Pittsburgh.
Chad Gable has had a banner year for his career in 2024. Gable started off as a big time babyface when he was feuding with GUNTHER before he ultimately turned on Sami Zayn and began demeaning Otis, Maxxine Dupri and Tozawa of the Alpha Academy.
He later received some comeuppance for his transgressions courtesy of the Wyatt Sicks who left him a bloody mess backstage. This caused Gable to feud with the mysterious faction and it prompted him to form American Made, aligning himself with The Creed Brothers and Ivy Nile. The new group definitively lost that feud, but just this past Monday on Raw expressed an intent to move on from a battle with Bo Dallas’ new group.
Pentagon Jr. and Rey Fénix, the Lucha Bros, have signed multi-year WWE contracts, as first reported by Cory Hays. They’re expected to join the main roster soon.
Penta and Fénix are AEW originals, having been with the company since its inception in 2019. Over the years, they participated in some of the greatest matches in AEW history, both as a tag team and in singles competition. Together, they held the AEW World Tag Team Championships, the AEW World Trios Championships (alongside PAC as Death Triangle), and Fénix held the AEW International Championship.
Recent reports suggested that Pentagon and Fenix’s AEW contracts were nearing expiration. The wrestlers subsequently filed applications to trademark their ring names, a sign they were exploring opportunities beyond AEW.
This latest departure from All Elite Wrestling will undoubtedly shake up the tag division and creates a slew of fresh match-ups. The jump is a significant shift in their careers, as WWE’s global reach will bring their talents to the industry’s largest platform.
Stay tuned to SEScoops for further updates on the Lucha Bros’ transition to WWE, as well as information on other AEW contracts set to expire by the end of the year.
The Lucha Bros’ Best AEW Matches
Rey Fénix and Penta El Zero Miedo delivered numerous memorable matches during their time in AEW, showcasing their exceptional in-ring skills. Here are four of our favorites:
The Young Bucks vs. The Lucha Brothers (Double or Nothing 2019)
The Young Bucks vs. The Lucha Brothers (All Out 2021)
The Lucha Brothers vs. FTR (Full Gear 2021)
Death Triangle vs. The Elite (Escalera De La Muerte, January 11, 2023)
Janel Grant attorney Ann Callis and Kendra Barkof Lamy, managing director of SMDK representation, held a press conference on Thursday, a day after Grant’s team announced the group would be joining her team during her lawsuit against WWE.
Callis and Grant answered questions about the upcoming Netflix documentary, Mr. McMahon, which is scheduled to debut on the streamer on Sept. 25.
Grant’s team, in a statement to SEScoops, said Netflix approached Grant for an interview but said she wouldn’t be taking part.
“Janel Grant is a human being, a victim and a survivor,” Callis said. “She’s not a WWE storyline.”
Grant’s civil case is currently paused in federal court at the request of federal investigators. McMahon is also under investigation by a federal grand jury for rape, sex assault and other crimes, according a reporter earlier this year from the Wall Street Journal.
Callis addressed the upcoming McMahon documentary several times, saying she hoped the producers would shine a light on McMahon’s behavior over the years. She noted McMahon had settled with four women for around $12 million over the past few years.
The Daily Beast shared a report in 2018 from an incident involving McMahon at a Boca Raton tanning salon in 2006, where he was accused of groping and sexually assaulting a young female employee at the business before she ran to a Papa John’s pizza store in the same shopping center and asked workers to call police. Police said there was probable cause to charge McMahon, but the case was dropped by prosecutors based on their not being “proof beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Callis and Lamy said they wanted Grant’s case expedited, but didn’t get into details how. When asked if they wanted the federal investigation to move quicker, Callis said they wanted the civil case to be on track and they wanted federal investigators to “be right” and take their time.
Callis said no one with Grant’s team, or Grant, have seen the McMahon documentary.
I am on the press conference call for Janel Grant’s team.
Last week, SmackDown returned to the USA Network after five years on FOX with a star-studded show featuring top names of today as well as Hall of Famers. With Raw set to depart USA for Netflix in a matter of months and NXT’s imminent move to The CW, SmackDown will soon be the only WWE show on the network and could see a major change.
SmackDown will become a three-hour show when Raw moves to Netflix in January 2025, with the first three-hour show coming on January 3, Wrestle Votes reports. This will ensure that the USA Network has a three-hour weekly wrestling show, a role Monday Night Raw has filled since the brand’s 1,000th episode in July 2012.
This news comes one week after Dave Meltzer reported that WWE would have “an easier path to move Smackdown to three hours if they wanted to” now that the brand was back on the USA Network. Last week’s show saw its own share of changes, including a new logo and theme song provided by Megan Thee Stallion and RM of BTS.
