The New Orleans Saints come marching into NFL Sunday with Joe Hendry. The belief of Joe Hendry holds no boundaries as the pro wrestling sensation that has took fire in TNA and NXT now has caught wind in the NFL.
The Saints have a tall order ahead of them this football Sunday as they take on the Philadelphia Eaglesin one of the featured games, but one star for the team knows who he can hang his helmet on in getting the job done.
As the team headed into warm-ups this weekend, Saints running back Jamaal Williams was caught by the team’s social media crew singing Joe Hendry’s theme. Not just that, but Williams is clearly a fan as he’s captured doing the signature rythmic clap of the pro wrestling star.
If Williams has “believed” in Joe Hendry to start the NFL season, it’s paid off dividends for the team as the Saints are currently undefeated heading into Sunday and have had one of the hottest offenses in the league so far.
Williams has done his share at contributing to the scoreboard as the running back already has a touchdown on the season, which actually totals the same amount of TDs he had last season with the team.
When it comes to Hendry, he believes in Terry Taylor. Just this week, Hendry tipped his cap to Taylor, saying he learned a lot from the seasoned veteran while working at the WWE Performance Center. While working with NXT, Hendry found himself right at the top of the card working with names like Ethan Page and Trick Williams.
Thank you Terry Taylor.
It was a privilege to be your student. I walked out of the Performance Center a very different wrestler to the one that walked in.
The September 9 episode of WWE Raw ignited rumors of a potential in-ring return for Wade Barrett after an on-screen confrontation with Drew McIntyre. McIntyre, following his recent attack on CM Punk, addressed Barrett during a segment, prompting wrestling fans to wonder whether the former WWE Intercontinental Champion might be considering a return to the squared circle.
Barrett, who officially retired from in-ring competition in late 2015 after a series of injuries, was released from WWE in June 2016. He returned to the company in 2020, not as a competitor, but as part of the commentary team on NXT. Despite his current role behind the announce desk, the possibility of a comeback remains a topic of discussion within the wrestling community.
WWE Hall of Famer John “Bradshaw” Layfield (JBL) added fuel to the fire during a recent interview on Huge Pop. JBL expressed his belief that Barrett still has something to offer inside the ring if he’s willing to take the chance. “If Wade has that desire, I say go for it,” JBL stated. “Commentary will always be there for him, but the window for an in-ring career isn’t open forever. If it doesn’t work out, he can always come back to commentary.”
Barrett, a five-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, wrestled for WWE from 2006 to 2015. He was released the following year, before returning in 2020 and transitioning to his current role as a broadcaster. While there has been no official word from Barrett or WWE on a potential return, JBL’s comments suggest that the door is not entirely closed.
At the time of writing, Barrett has not indicated any plans to step back into the ring, leaving fans to speculate about what the future holds for the former leader of the Nexus.
Dustin Rhodes continues to be a force in All Elite Wrestling, showing no signs of slowing down. Having been with AEW since its inception, Rhodes’ passion for pro wrestling remains as strong as ever. His enduring love for the business has likely contributed to his impressive longevity in the ring. Earlier this month, he celebrated 36 years since his debut.
On the September 21 episode of AEW Collision, Rhodes and Sammy Guevara defended their ROH World Tag Team Titles in a Bunkhouse Brawl, a stipulation created by Dusty Rhodes in 1985. The duo took on Mike Bennett and Matt Taven of the Undisputed Kingdom in a brutal, hard-hitting contest.
The Natural Reflects on His AEW Journey
Following the victory, Rhodes shared his thoughts on social media, expressing his deep appreciation for AEW and the opportunity to continue performing at a high level. He remarked that his time in AEW has been “good for his soul,” and reflected on his five-year journey with the company, referring to it as his “One Last Ride.”
The Spanish God celebrated the victory issuing a challenge to none other than Kazuchika Okada for an AEW Continental Championship Eliminator Match for the September 28 Grand Slam episode of AEW Collision. If Guevara secures a victory, he plans to challenge Okada for the AEW Continental Championship on AEW Dynamite’s 5-Year Anniversary show on October 2.
You can’t get it all, unless you give it your all. Last night was crazy on another level
At WWE Bad Blood 2024, Cody Rhodes will team with Roman Reigns to take on The Bloodline, represented by Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu. If Rhodes teaming with the man he dethroned at WrestleMania 40 isn’t strange enough, the American Nightmare will have a special entrance for the October 5, show.
Rhodes’ entrance music will be performed by the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff’s Marching Band at Bad Blood 2024. The news was confirmed by the band on X, who are excited to expand their reach and gain national exposure with WWE.
This entrance will mark Rhodes’ first time being accompanied by live music in WWE and serves as a testament to the high standing of the reigning WWE Champion. WWE has typically reserved live music entrances for its very top talent including Triple H, The Undertaker, Rhea Ripley, John Cena, and the late Bray Wyatt.
Claim Your Kingdom
Rhodes’ theme song ‘Kingdom’ has proven to be a certified hit with wrestling fans with crowds across the globe singing the American Nightmare to the ring. Following Rhodes’ WrestleMania 40 victory over Roman Reigns, Kingdom reached #1 in the iTunes U.S. Rock charts.
After a particularly boisterous rendition of his theme in New York’s Barclays Center, Rhodes shared his delight that fans sing along to his theme song.
It genuinely shocked me, I had no idea people knew the full lyrics versus just the “something something” version…which is also awesome https://t.co/g29K0rKafb
Rhodes will have quite the entrance at WWE Bad Blood, but the question remains as to whether he and Roman Reigns will be able to co-exist given their history. Stay tuned to SEScoops for all the latest from WWE Bad Blood 2024, including breaking news and live results.
WWE NXT star Brooks Jensen has been steadily gaining attention on the gold brand, thanks in part to his envelope-pushing angle that has blended real life and his work in the ring. This week, Jensen shared another glimpse into his real life by revealing he has got married.
On Twitter, a fan shared their hope that Jensen is having a great day, which caught the attention of the NXT Superstar. Jensen shared that he certainly is having a great day as he’s now a married man.
In May, Jensen tweeted out his booking information for promoters, suggesting that he was no longer part of NXT. Jensen went as far as to appear at an independent event to further the angle, catching the attention of fans who were unsure whether this was a work.
Adding to the emotional weight of the angle, Jensen’s now-wife, Chloe, released a video responding to him no-showing an independent event, again blurring the lines and intriguing viewers. Despite this, Jensen was under contract with WWE throughout the angle, with this storyline designed to elevate his character on the gold brand. More recently, Jensen has been aligned with Shawn Spears as the ‘Chairman’ is proving to be a bad influence on the 23-year-old Superstar.
We would like to send our congratulations to Brooks Jensen and Chloe. Stay tuned to SEScoops for all the latest from Brooks Jensen in and out of the ring.
Ahead of TNA Victory Road 2024, Steph De Lander revealed that she will be undergoing neck fusion surgery, nixing plans for a tag-team match on the pay-per-view. Appearing on the That’s Cooked podcast, De Lander gave details about her upcoming operation and how long she expects to be out of the ring.
“It’s going to be a fusion of a C5-C6. Is it career-ending? Absolutely not. How long am I going to be out? Probably six-plus months, maybe a little bit longer, and that’s just the way it is.”
De Lander has spoken with other wrestlers who’ve undergone neck fusion surgery, who have gushed about feeling “like a million bucks” after the operation. The TNA star admitted to being relieved to hear this, stating “People have really positive experiences, which is what I need to hear.”
C5-C6 Neck Fusion Surgery
The type of surgery De Lander is set to undergo aims to treat compression of the spinal cord and nerve roots and is typically used when non-invasive methods have failed. In 2022, Robert Roode underwent surgery on his C5 and C6 vertebrae and can be found these days working as a producer for WWE. While Roode hasn’t wrestled for WWE in years, he is greenlit to compete, proving that this surgery is not a career-ender.
De Lander’s career has risen quickly over the past few years, thanks in part to her partnership with ‘Indy God’ Matt Cardona. Now, the former WWE NXT Superstar is prioritizing her health and well-being, and we here at SEScoops would like to wish Steph De Lander the very best in her neck fusion surgery and her recovery.
During the April 24, 2024, edition of AEW Dynamite, Tony Khan found himself the victim of an attack by The Elite, culminating with a spike piledriver by The Young Bucks that wrote Khan off of TV for months. While Khan has since made a full recovery and resumed his regular appearances for AEW, fans shouldn’t expect him to engage in any more physical confrontations.
Speaking to amNY Metro, Khan was asked if he has any interest in showing his mettle in the ring. While Khan is fiercely passionate about pro wrestling, The Elite has made the AEW President wary of future physical altercations.
“I didn’t step into the ring voluntarily. I would hope to avoid such physical altercations in the future.”
Khan’s injury, and the aftermath, were highlighted in NFL Films’ A Day in the Life of Tony Khan, which aired this week on FS1. He appeared wearing the neckbrace during the 2024 NFL Draft, and later auctioned off the brace for charity, raising money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to support the fight against childhood diseases.
Khan’s restraint from wrestling sets the AEW President apart from other executives with Vince McMahon, Eric Bischoff, and Paul Heyman all stepping in the ring over their respective careers. Some have even gone on to hold championship gold with McMahon boasting reigns as WWE and ECW World Champion, and even won the 1999 Royal Rumble. The former WWE Chairman, soon to be the subject of a Netflix docuseries, holds victories over Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Bobby Lashley, and even God.
Khan may hope to avoid physical altercations, but wrestling fans have learned time and again to never say never. While the idea of the AEW President lacing up a pair of boots may seem far-fetched, so did the idea of Shane McMahon join AEW until his meeting with Khan earlier this year. Stay tuned to SEScoops for all the latest on Tony Khan and whether the billionaire steps foot in an AEW ring as a competitor.
Since his WWE release in September 2023, Matt Riddle has competed for New Japan Pro Wrestling, AAA, MLW, and other promotions. One major company where fans have yet to see the Original Bro is All Elite Wrestling, though that could change if legendary commentator Jim Ross has his way.
On his Grilling JR podcast, Ross shared that he believes Riddle should be given an opportunity in AEW, but understands why Tony Khan may be hesitant to bring him on board.
“I would suggest that he’d be given a shot. I understand Tony’s reluctance because Matt has a little baggage. How much that baggage weighs, I don’t know, but I know he’s a very talented kid.”
Riddle’s ‘baggage’ includes being accused of sexual assault by Candy Cartwright in 2020, though she dropped her lawsuit against him in July the following year. Riddle was also notorious throughout his WWE run for stirring up trouble with other wrestlers including Brock Lesnar and Bill Goldberg. Shortly before his release, Riddle was involved in an incident at JFK Airport where he was reportedly intoxicated.
While Riddle recently met with Tony Khan, the Original Bro isn’t sure he made a good impression, stating “I don’t know if he likes me” during an interview with SI Takedown. With that in mind, AEW has worked with ‘problematic’ names before, including Ric Flair, so fans know not to count out the possibility of a Riddle appearance.
With Jim Ross advocating for Riddle, fans know to never say never to the former U.S. Champion doing something with AEW down the line. Stay tuned to SEScoops for all the latest on Matt Riddle and whether he one day competes in an AEW ring.
WWE SmackDown Superstar Elton Prince and NXT interviewer Kelly Kincaid are celebrating after becoming parents for the first time. On Instagram, the couple shared news about the birth of their daughter Poppy Faye Howley, who was born on Friday, September 20. Several WWE names issued their congratulations including Nia Jax, Natalya, Nick Aldis, Indi Hartwell, Thea Hail, and Prince’s tag-team partner Kit Wilson.
Prince debuted for WWE in 2019 as part of NXT UK and is a two-time NXT Tag Team Champion as well as a one-time NXT UK Tag Team Champion. While Kincaid currently works as an interviewer, she has a background in in-ring competition and worked with Ring of Honor under the name Quinn McKay.
At WWE SummerSlam 2024, LA Knight defeated Logan Paul, ending the longest United States Championship reign of the past decade. While Knight has a long way to go before he has a longer reign than the Maverick, he has already surpassed Paul in one notable metric.
On the September 20, 2024, edition of WWE SmackDown, Knight retained the star-spangled strap with a hard-fought victory over Andrade. With this win, Knight has now surpassed Paul in terms of televised title defenses. The megastar’s 49-day reign has seen three successful title defenses on TV (equal to one every 16.3 days).
Paul only had two successful title defenses aired over his 273-day reign (one every 136.5 days) with his defense at the Royal Rumble against Kevin Owens ending in a disqualification. Throughout his reign, many fans debated whether WWE was right to put the gold on the part-time Superstar with Kevin Nash recently calling Paul out on his schedule.
LA Knight Addresses SmackDown Botches
While Knight was able to retain against Andrade, one spot in the corner didn’t go smoothly for the reigning U.S. Champion. Knight attempted to leap to the top rope multiple times to hit his signature top rope superplex on Andrade, only to repeatedly slip before hitting the move.
Speaking after the show, Paul acknowledged this error and chalked it up to things never being guaranteed to work when you compete on live TV.
“It’s a game of inches, you can say it’s a game of chances, you can damn sure say you’re playing roulette out there. Things almost didn’t go my way.”
While Andrade will resume his feud with Carmelo Hayes on next week’s SmackDown, the future remains bright for LA Knight. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on WWE’s megastar and his future as the reigning United States Champion.
In July 2018, Brian Christopher, known to WWE fans as Grandmaster Sexay, was taken off life support after attempting to take his own life in a Hardeman County Jail. One year after his passing, Christopher’s father Jerry Lawler filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Hardeman County, Hardeman County Sheriff John Doolen, and others who he alleged failed to protect his son.
PW Insider reports that the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee dismissed Lawler’s lawsuit on September 4. The court ruled that Hardeman County could not be held liable for the actions of its employees under the legal framework required for such cases. More specifically, the court found that there was insufficient evidence to prove that the officers were aware of the risk that Christopher would harm himself and therefore, could not be held responsible.
Jerry Lawler’s Lawsuit
Lawler’s lawsuit alleged that Doolen had personally promised to “keep an eye” on Christopher after he was incarcerated for driving under the influence and evading police. It also alleged that the sheriff’s office had “failed to provide Brian with any treatment for his drug and alcohol issues” despite being promised by Doolen that aid would be given.
The WWE Hall of Famer has long disputed the idea that Christopher’s death was self-inflicted. During an interview with WMC-TV in January 2019, Lawler explained that in photos, marks on the side of Brian’s neck are visible but not at the front of his throat (where they would be if he died via hanging himself.) Lawler also stated that Brian’s fellow inmates have told him they don’t think Christopher took his own life.
As the son of the legendary Umaga, Zilla Fatu has the eyes of the wrestling world on him with fans excited to see how far he goes in the ring. The 25-year-old already holds gold in House of Glory and Reality of Wrestling but fans shouldn’t expect to see him in GCW anymore.
On Twitter, GCW shared that Fatu had been pulled from their September 20, Aura event and won’t be appearing at any future GCW events for the foreseeable future. Fatu was set to face Matt Tremont at the show, who instead faced SLADE at the show.
Zilla Fatu will not be appearing on tonite's GCW event in Philadelphia, or any GCW shows for the forseeable future.
We tried our best to avoid this situation, but we have reached an impasse.
We wish him the best.
Matt Tremont will now face SLADE tonight at #GCWAura in Philly.
Fatu made his GCW debut in January 2024, teaming with his cousin Jacob Fatu, who has since joined WWE. His most recent match for the promotion came just last week and saw Zilla defeat Gringo Loco at Tha G-Code 2024.
A Potential WWE Move?
Zilla’s abrupt exit from Game Changer Wrestling has had fans speculating that the multi-generation wrestler will soon be appearing for WWE. Fatu was spotted last month at SummerSlam in Cleveland and it was reported at the time that WWE “naturally has their eyes on him.”
Jey Uso recently teased some surprises for the Bloodline story, including the possible inclusion of “other family members,” another potential nod to Fatu’s arrival. With Fatu himself saying in May that he’d prefer to join WWE over AEW, it could be just a matter of time before the 25-year-old talent makes waves as part of The Bloodline.
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.
