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Liv Morgan: ‘Valhalla Farted In The Ring All The Time During Our Riott Squad Days’

Thomas Lowson
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WWE Superstars were wary of keeping their distance from Valhalla as the Riott Squad alum has been known to pass wind in the ring. 

Before she was Valhalla, the Viking competed as Sarah Logan and was part of the Riott Squad alongside Liv Morgan and Ruby Riott (now Soho.) The group made its main roster debut in November 2017 and all three members would have the date of their call-up tattooed on their bodies. 

In a recent interview with Open Thoughts, Morgan was asked if she’s ever passed wind in the ring. While Liv has been flatulence-free during matches, she revealed that the same can’t be said for Sarah ‘Valhalla’ Logan.

“No, but oh my gosh! Sarah, sorry I love you. I had this tag team partner Sarah, right? I was in a tag team called The Riott Squad and she would fart in the ring all the time and, you know, it like stinks but you have to kind of just like not react to it. But it’s like disgusting, you know, but you just keep it moving. I’ve not farted in the ring but I’ve been, like, farted on.”

What’s Next? 

Valhalla won’t be competing (or farting) in the ring for some time, as she and Erik are currently expecting their second child. The couple welcomed their first child, a baby boy named Raymond Cash Rowe into the world. Erik has been out of action for some time after undergoing neck fusion surgery. 

As for Morgan, she is in the midst of a heel turn and is a regularly featured name on the Raw roster. Liv hopes to be free of any passing wind when she competes for the WWE Women’s World Championship at King And Queen Of The Ring on May 25. 

Saraya Returning To In-Ring Action For The First Time In 3 Months

Bishal Roy
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Saraya is set to return to the ring on next week’s AEW Dynamite.

Next week’s edition of AEW Dynamite will emanate from the Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield, California. It will be the final build before the promotion’s, Double Or Nothing pay-per-view that takes place on Sunday, May 26. It has been announced that Saraya will be teaming with Harley Cameron and face the duo of ‘Timeless’ Toni Storm and Mariah May.

This will mark Saraya’s first match in over three months. In her last match before in-ring hiatus, she teamed with Ruby Soho to take on Kris Statlander and Willow Nightingale on the February 7 edition of AEW Rampage. The 31-year-old star endured not only a defeat but a betrayal from Ruby Soho in that match. Soho left the Brit wrestler in the ring during the match and it put an end to the former’s association with The Outcasts.

Saraya, who is set to co-host MTV Catfish, had formed The Outcasts by recruiting Toni Storm and Ruby Soho in January last year. However, Storm turned her back on the stable at All Out last year. She then recruited Harley Cameron, the only member currently on the former AEW Women’s World Champion’s side.

Other matches announced

More matches are lined up for the show. Konosuke Takeshita will lock horns with Matt Sydal. Meanwhile, Hook, Katsuyori Shibata, and Bryan Keith will battle in a three-way match to determine the number one contender for the FTW Championship match against Chris Jericho at Double Or Nothing.

AEW International Champion Roderick Strong will join forces with Trent Beretta and face the pair of Orange Cassidy and Will Ospreay.

Kyle O’Reilly is also set to go head-to-head with The House of Black leader, Malakai Black.

The Blackpool Combat Club member Bryan Danielson has a huge task at his hands as he will face Satnam Singh.

Ahead of his title defense at Double or Nothing, the AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland will take on Nick Wayne.

Cora Jade Returns During NXT Live Event, Calls Out Roxanne Perez

Bishal Roy
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NXT star Cora Jade recently made an appearance during an NXT Live Event and set her sights on the Women’s title.  

Last night’s NXT Live Event emanated from the Havert L. Fenn Center in Fort Pierce, FL. Cora Jade, who is recuperating from a torn ACL injury, made her return and delivered a promo. The 23-year-old rising wrestler revealed that she will be back in a matter of few months and called out the NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez. 

The reigning NXT Women’s Champion noticed Jade’s message and took to her X account to respond. Perez said that she would be keeping the title “nice and warm” for Jade. 

Cora Jade has had the top prize of the NXT Women’s division in her sights for a long time but the title has eluded her. After a 4-months hiatus, Jade made her comeback to WWE last year at NXT Deadline in December. She immediately revealed her intentions to capture the title. However, she had a terrible start to the new year as she suffered an injury during an untelevised show.

On the other hand, since winning the NXT Women’s Championship at Stand & Deliver, Roxanne Perez has already defended her title against the likes of Natalya, former champ Lyra Valkyria, Tatum Paxley, and Chelsea Green.

A trilogy match? 

Roxanne Perez and Cora Jade could lock horns soon

Cora Jade and Roxanne Perez have been NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions in the past. However, Jade betrayed Perez when she beat her down with her skateboard.

 They went on to have matches at NXT Heatwave 2022 which Cora Jade won, while ‘The Prodigy’ emerged victorious at NXT Halloween Havoc 2022. It seems that the fans could be witnessing a trilogy fight down the road. NXT Heatwave 2024 is set to take place in July and there is a huge possibility that the show could feature the bout. 

Damian Priest Recalls The Moment When He Almost Broke His Character During WWE Show

Bishal Roy
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Damian Priest recently shed light on the moment when he struggled to stay in character during last year’s WWE Backlash Premium Live Event. 

Last year’s Backlash PLE took place in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The PLE featured a highly-aniticipated clash between Damian Priest and the multi-time Grammy Award-winning singer Bad Bunny. ‘The Archer of Infamy’ has told Squared Circle Pit that he was overwhelmed with the electric atmosphere at the venue when Bad Bunny came out. 

He said that he had experience of floor shaking while being in the crowd but that night with Bunny’s entrance, he could “feel the tremble” while being inside the ring. The reigning WWE World Heavyweight Champion admitted that was one of the wildest things he’s ever witnessed and had to remind himself to stay in character. He said:

“Yeah, that’s exactly what happened (almost slipped out of character during Bad Bunny’s WWE Backlash entrance). I had to be like, hey, cut it out. Stay in it, stay in it… I’ve been in the crowd where you could feel the floor shaking a little bit and whatnot but being in the ring, you don’t really feel the tremble. You don’t really feel that. But I felt it that night. That was wild, in his entrance and I got goosebumps while I was in the ring waiting for him and then but I had to keep a straight face, you know? Angry or whatever but, that was one of the wildest things I had ever seen.”

At Backlash 2023, Bad Bunny came out to his song “Chambea.” As soon as he showed up, the crowd went insane and created one of the greatest entrances in WWE history. ‘Benito’ even hyped up the fans more when he pulled a tarp off a shopping cart which had weapons hidden in it.  

Bad Bunny and Damian Priest put on an epic match at the show. The match even featured the return of Carlito and Savio Vega. In the final moments of the match, Bad Bunny used a steel chair on Priest and went on to hit the Canadian Destroyer to secure the pinfall victory. 

Bad Bunny had a great experience but felt he was going to die following show. Read more below:

Peyton Royce Is Open To Making A Royal Rumble Return Now

Anutosh Bajpai
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Former WWE star Peyton Royce has said that she is ready to make a WWE Royal Rumble return if offered an opportunity after previously having turned down a similar role.

The former IIconics star recently spoke to Ring The Belle where she discussed things such as wrestling Kris Statlander before she was famous, planned dream matches in WWE that were cancelled and more.

Discussing the disappointing reign IIconics had with the Women’s Tag Team Titles in the company, Peyton Royce said that they made the best of the opportunities they were given:

“Obviously, if I could have written that title reign my way, it would have gone a bit differently to the way it actually went. But as I said everything happens for a reason. We can only control so much. We had fun and we made the best of every opportunity that we had.”

Peyton Royce Is Ready To Return

Peyton Royce is the current WSW Women’s Champion ( Photo: Instagram@CassieLee)

During the interview, Royce was asked if she would be open to making a surprise Royal Rumble return to WWE after having turned down the opportunity in 2022. The female star said that she would love the chance to catch up with old friends:

“Yeah, I’m open to it, for sure. I would love that. It’d be so good to catch up and I mean, it’s the Royal Rumble. We said no last time because we were still pretty hurt about it but, I feel healed now and I feel like I’d love to do that if the opportunity came.”

Peyton Royce was signed by WWE back in 2015 and is most widely known for her tag team with Billie Kay called The IIconics. The IIconics had a successful run with the company which includes winning the Women’s Tag Titles at WrestleMania 35 in 2019.

Their reign, however, didn’t last for long and they lost the title in August that year. The IIconics were disbanded following a loss to the Riott Squad in August 2021 and they were released from the promotion during the April 2021 budget cuts.

The duo was offered a spot in the 2022 Royal Rumble while they held the Impact Wrestling Knockouts Tag Team Titles. It was the same Rumble where the then Knockouts Champion Mickie James made an appearance.

While Impact Officials were willing to approve the gig, the former WWE stars turned down the offer, feeling that it wasn’t the right time for a comeback.

Reggie Opens Up About His Mental State Following WWE Departure

Anutosh Bajpai
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Former WWE star Reggie aka Sidney Akeem has opened up about his WWE departure and claimed that he is keeping a very positive attitude about his future.

The 31-year-old had his first post-WWE interview with Fightful where he discussed the journey from his signing with the company, the many highlights of his run and finally his departure from the promotion.

The former WWE star first spoke about his mindset following the company’s decision to not renew his contract. He explained how times have changed and said that he is in good head space:

“I’m very positive. The news came three or four weeks ago, I’ve been in really good spirits. It’s not how it was a couple of years ago when releases were happening and people were devastated. I know it’s still tough, but I’m in a good head space.”

Reggie noted that he had done circus for 16 years before joining the world of pro wrestling. According to him, he was ready to go to the indies had WWE not offered him a contract in 2020 and that’s what he is going to do now.

A Life That Many Would Kill For: Reggie

The star who was later repacked as Scrypts in NXT also detailed the call he received about his departure. He revealed that the official calling said that he was a joy to work with and the door was open for his return down the line.

Akeem mentioned that he is able to keep a positive attitude because he knows that many people would kill to have the life he has:

“My brother is heavy in drugs right now. My grandmother is sick. My other brother is in jail. My other brother is in a mental hospital from a car crash when he was 16.

I have people that are constantly dying back in St. Louis, and I’m living a life that many would kill to be in my shoes. I have nothing to be upset about. This is just another obstacle, another hurdle that I have to jump. It wasn’t a bad call at all.”

Sidney Akeem signed with WWE back in January 2020 and made his debut directly on the main roster as Reginald Thomas. He was initially paired with Carmella and also had multiple runs with the 24/7 Championship.

Reginald was moved to NXT in October 2022 where he was repackaged as Scrypts. The former champion was let go earlier this month when WWE chose not to renew his contract.

Bryan Danielson: ‘I’m Fighting The Elite Because I Love AEW’

Thomas Lowson
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Bryan Danielson’s love for AEW has led the American Dragon into a war with the company’s EVPs The Elite that will culminate with Anarchy in the Arena. 

Danielson will join FTR and the recently returned Darby Allin to face the Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks, Jack Perry and Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada. Speaking after this week’s AEW Collision, Danielson shared his reasoning for aligning with ‘Team AEW.’ 

“I’m watching Dynamite, and I see the Young Bucks and the Elite piledrive Tony Khan. A guy who started this company. The guy who if he wasn’t here, this company wouldn’t even exist. And I watched that and I was angry, mad as hell.

“And then I watch the next week, as they took out Kenny Omega and hospitalized him. When he’s already sick, when he’s already hurt! You were supposed to change the world together. And that’s how I know, you guys say you’re good Christian boys but you guys are evil. Because who turns their back on their best friend like that?

“And that’s when I realized, I can’t stay at home anymore. I can’t rehab anymore. I have to come back and I have to fight! I have to fight for AEW because I love this place! You guys say you want to change the world! You won’t even show up on a Saturday!”

Danielson has been a part of AEW since 2021 after a highly successful run in WWE as Daniel Bryan. The upcoming Anarchy in the Arena match will be Danielson’s second time competing in such a match after the BCC beat The Elite last year. 

For the use of quotes, please give an H/T to SE Scoops.

Buff Bagwell Returns To The Ring To Win Memphis Wrestling Championship

Thomas Lowson
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WCW alum Buff Bagwell proved he still has the ‘stuff’ by winning championship gold in his first match in close to two years. 

Bagwell was a part of the Memphis Wrestling event this week and teamed with ‘Big’ John Dalton to take on Memphis Tag Team Champions Sir Matthew & Lord Gaston. Bagwell and Dalton won the gold after a big splash from the 300 lb Dalton. 

Bagwell hit a series of elbows and clotheslines in the match as well as a ‘noggin-knocker’ to his opponents. The victory with Dalton was Bagwell’s first match in any promotion since 2022 (according to Profight.) It was his first tag team championship victory since Buff and Rikki Nelson won the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Champion in May 2009. 

Buff Bagwell

With his exuberant personality and various high-profile angles, Buff Bagwell is one of the most recognizable names to come from WCW. During his ten-year run with the promotion, Bagwell became a five-time WCW World Tag Team Champion across four different partners. He would be brought into the WWF in 2001 but was let go after an infamous match with Booker T. It’s also reported that Bagwell’s mother Judy (another former WCW Tag Champion) called up WWF offices to demand better work for her son.

In more recent years, Bagwell has struggled with a series of health issues, some of which have stemmed from his days abusing substances. Like many legends of the ring, Bagwell has been receiving help from WWE Hall of Famer ‘Diamond’ Dallas Page and celebrated eleven months of sobriety in July 2023. Bagwell’s life and struggle was documented during a recent episode of VICE’s Dark Side of the Ring.

Latest On Releases From WWE NXT, Date Of The Cuts Was “No Accident”

Thomas Lowson
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More has come to light about the recent wave of releases from the NXT roster and why exactly these cuts happened when they did. 

WWE cut several names from its NXT roster on May 3. This marked the first wave of cuts to WWE NXT as part of the promotion’s ‘new era.’ The Performance Center was closed on that Friday, Fightful Select reports, with talent being made before the Friday that cuts were coming. It was also noted that it was “no accident” that the releases took place during WWE SmackDown. 

Injuries

Valentina Feroz and Boa were two surprising names cut as they had both been receiving TV time. With that said, both had been struggling with injuries in recent months which had obviously impacted their careers. NXT talent told Fightful that they believe the two didn’t get consistent shots to show what they are capable of. 

Trey Bearhill

The release of Trey Bearhill was another that caught WWE NXT talent off guard as he had been regularly appearing at WWE NXT live events and had made a handful of TV appearances. Despite speculation by some online that Bearhill was released due to his similarities with fellow Native American Eddy Thorpe, NXT talent refuted the notion. 

Valentina Feroz and Boa were among those released from WWE NXT. 

WWE Next Gen

Some names cut had been appearing on the WWE Next Gen series on Roku which shines a spotlight onto the stars of tomorrow. Some fans were confused to see these young athletes cut as none had even revealed that they were under contract. It is reported that the recruits’ deals with WWE began following the taping of the show, but were not allowed to announce their signings till the show aired. 

Bushiroad’s Takaaki Kidani “Had No Choice” But to Let Kazuchika Okada’s NJPW Deal Expire

Thomas Lowson
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New Japan had no other alternative but to let go of Kazuchika Okada, according to parent company Busihiroad’s President Takaaki Kidani. 

Despite being one of New Japan’s top stars for years, it was in January 2024 that the company announced it would not be renewing the contract of the ‘Rainmaker.’ This ended the 18-year tenure of Okada under contract and was met with a backlash at the time. 

In an interview with Proresu-TODAY, Kidani was asked for his thoughts on Okada’s departure. 

“I can only say that I had no choice. As I have said many times, if I were in the same position, I would have done the same thing. So I can only say that it can’t be helped and that I wish them all the best, and I may sound like a customer, but all I can say is, please spread the word of Japan’s greatness to the world.”

Okada benefitted greatly from Bushiroad’s influence during his NJPW run as the company scored him media appearances and commercials that elevated his star power. With that said, Kidani made clear that Okada’s in-ring success was all his own doing. 

“He became what he is because he worked hard, but I think it was also due to the cooperation of those around him and good rivalry between them.”

NJPW felt they had no choice but to let Okada’s contract expire. 

Since leaving New Japan, Okada has signed with AEW and wasted no time in March by siding himself with The Elite. The Rainmaker is currently in his first reign as AEW Continental Champion. He will team with his Elite allies at AEW Double or Nothing 2024 to face FTR, Darby Allin, and Bryan Danielson in the Anarchy in the Arena match. 

Latest On Backstage Reaction To Gable Steveson’s Release From WWE

Thomas Lowson
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Gable Steveson’s release from WWE may have been a shock to some, but reportedly not to those working with him in WWE NXT.

Steveson’s exit came less than three years after his high-profile signing to WWE in 2021. That same year, Steveson won Olympic Gold in freestyle wrestling at the Tokyo Summer Games, making him the second-ever gold medalist to sign with WWE (after Kurt Angle over two decades earlier.) Shortly after his signing, Steveson was selected by Raw in that year’s Draft, becoming the first draft pick chosen without a single match to his name.

Reaction to Steveson’s Release

Despite his high-profile standing outside of WWE, Steveson’s departure wasn’t a surprise to those in the company. One NXT talent who spoke to Fightful Select noted the difference in development between Steveson and his brother Damon Kemp. The two brothers joined WWE around the same time and in stark contrast to his Olympian sibling, Kemp has quickly found a place for himself on TV. 

Steveson’s progression in WWE was slow with reports coming out in 2022 that he was nowhere close to showing the skill set WWE had hoped to see by that point in time. NXT talent believe it was his lack of progression and not his previous trouble with the law that factored into his WWE release. 

Steveson and a university teammate were arrested on suspicion of criminal sexual misconduct in 2019 but they did not face criminal charges due to a lack of adequate evidence. At the time though, the county attorney pointed to a lack of a law in Minnesota (where the alleged incident happened) that would’ve given them a broader discretion in charging sexual assaults against intoxicated victims. 

Steveson competed just one time on WWE TV. 

What’s Next for Gable Steveson? 

Steveson’s days in WWE are over but his days competing are far from finished. The ex-Superstar recently had a tryout for the Buffalo Bills and is expected to meet several NFL teams. There had been speculation that Steveson would go to the NFL after his victory in Tokyo before he signed with WWE. 

AEW’s Ruby Soho And Angelo Parker Married

Thomas Lowson
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AEW’s Ruby Soho and Angelo Parker have gotten married in a ceremony ahead of becoming parents. The two tied the knot over the weekend, with Dark Order member John Silver posting a photo from the wedding on social media. They’re been romantically linked other since 2023. 

The photo above shows that Soho’s ‘baby bump’ is starting to show. The Outcasts alum revealed after the April 17 edition of AEW Dynamite that she is pregnant with her and Parker’s first child. 

Wrestling Moms

Ruby Soho will soon join an elite club of wrestlers who prove themselves in the ring while also being moms. In December 2020, Becky Lynch gave birth to her and Seth Rollins’ first child Roux, and returned to TV at SummerSlam 2021 as a heel. The same year that Lynch returned, her former rival Ronda Rousey had a daughter with Travis Browne. Wanting to be a mom was part of Rousey’s decision to step away from WWE in 2019.

After previously suffering a miscarriage, Carmella gave birth to her and Corey Graves’ son in November 2023 after a 60-hour labor. Alexa Bliss would welcome her and Ryan Cabrera’s daughter Hendrix into the world that same month. In February 2022, Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae welcomed the birth of their son Quill, named after Peter Quill from the world of Marvel Comics.  

Bayley Hopes Queen of the Ring Tournament Leads to WWE Evolution 2 Event

Thomas Lowson
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WWE Women’s Champion Bayley hopes the success of the ongoing Queen of the Ring tournament will lead to the second-ever Evolution PLE. 

It’s been over five years since WWE hosted its first (and to date, only) all-female Premium Live Event. Since that October 2018 night, WWE has continued to highlight women’s wrestling with WrestleMania 35 in 2019 seeing the first (but not the last) time that a women’s match headlined a night of the Showcase of the Immortals. 

Right now, the women of WWE are embarking in a tournament to crown the next Queen of the Ring. Taking to Twitter, Bayley suggested that the tournament proves that Evolution 2 would be viable.

Evolution 2: Is It Possible? 

The reigning WWE Women’s Champion is hardly the first Superstar to share their hopes to a sequel to WWE Evolution. A year after the all-female event, Triple H shared that a possible second event was on the table but was unsure when it would fit into WWE’s calendar. More recently, Macey Estrella, who competed for years as Lacey Evans, said Evolution 2 was a must. 

While there may be a calling for Evolution 2, getting the event green-lit is proving easier said than done. After the initial event, it was reported that WWE Evolution had fallen below expectations in terms of ticket sales despite the considerable push it had received compared to other events of its size that year. 

WWE Queen Of The Ring

The ongoing tournament is down to its final four Superstars. On the upcoming episode of WWE Monday Night Raw, Lyra Valkyria will face IYO SKY for a place in the finals. On SmackDown, Nia Jax will face Bianca Belair. The winners of these two matches will face off for the crown at WWE King And Queen Of The Ring on May 25, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 

Jake Paul Fires Back About His Upcoming Fight With Mike Tyson Being Scripted

Dominic DeAngelo
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Jake Paul really wants to knock out Mike Tyson. Paul and ‘The Baddest Man On The Planet’ had a press conference in Arlington, TX on Thursday. Paul shared some interesting quotes regarding his upcoming battle with Tyson and Jake was asked if any of their fight could be scripted. Paul dismisses that notion.

“I hope y’all keep that same energy when I knock this old man the f*ck out. Clearly, they don’t have a high IQ in here, but that’s a federal crime.”

Mike Tyson Channels Scott Steiner

Tyson had his own set of words on his opponent Paul and pulled a classic page out of the book of Scott Steiner during the TNA days. Paul, who is noticably taller than Tyson, came in much bulked up. Tyson decided to make note of Jake’s weight gain.

“I don’t know if he’s in his prime. He’s fat. He should be lean and mean and he’s fat and funky. I saw him with his shirt off though and he’s fat.”

Paul responded to Tyson’s shot, and he didn’t shy away from his new bulkier frame.

“Hey, Buster Douglas was fat. Am I right? I know, but you know Buster Douglas, I’m better. I’m going to end you quicker than he did and you’ll remember that forever.”

The fight is set to take place on July 20 in the AT&T Stadium down in Dallas, TX, the home of WrestleMania 38 where Jake’s brother, Logan Paul, made his WrestleMania debut.

Netflix will host the fight, and whether that may be scripted or not, their new property WWE RAW will be at the start of 2025.

H/t to PWInsider for the quotes.

Watch Jon Moxley’s Surprise Return To Wrestling Revolver

Bishal Roy
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The IWGP World Heavyweight Jon Moxley recently surprised the fans with his appearance at Wrestling Revolver Another Friday on May 17. 

The Unit (JT Dunn, Jake Something & Havok) attempted to attack Masha Slamovich following their match. However, Jon Moxley showed up and assaulted Dunn by hitting his finisher, Paradigm Shift. Mox then went on to cut a promo and asked what should be done about JT Dunn. The AEW star suggested that he would fire Dunn if he was in charge of the promotion. Iowa-based promotion Wrestling Revolver was established in 2016 and is currently led by Sami Callihan, who came out and agreed to Moxley’s idea and fired Dunn. 

https://twitter.com/GIFSkullX/status/1791659011802042754

Over the years, Moxley has made sporadic appearances and competed for the promotion. His last match at Wrestling Revolver took place at Lucha Death pay-per-view earlier this year in January. At the show, he emerged victorious against Gringo Loco in an epic match.

Jon Moxley has huge matches lined-up

Moxley recently dethroned Tetsuya Naito to capture the IWGP World Heavyweight title at NJPW Windy City Riot. He has successfully defended his title against the likes of Ren Narita, Powerhouse Hobbs and Shota Umino. He is set to defend his title against Evil at the Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall on June 9. 

However, ahead of the title defense, he will collide with Konosuke Takeshita in an IWGP World Heavyweight title Eliminator match at the upcoming Double Or Nothing pay-per-view on Sunday, May 26. If the Japanese star defeats the champ, he will receive a shot at the title. 

Mox recently made his return to AEW Dynamite and joined forces with Bryan Danielson to defeat Kyle Fletcher and Jeff Cobb. Following their victory, ‘The Alpha’ assaulted Mox which set up the title eliminator fight. 

Tony Khan Challenged For ‘Presidential Showdown’ At Forbidden Door III

Anutosh Bajpai
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A challenge has been made for AEW President Tony Khan to step inside the ring at the upcoming Forbidden Door PPV next month.

The AEW owner announced on Twitter earlier this week that Konosuke Takeshita will be facing Jon Moxley in an IWGP World Title Eliminator match at the Double or Nothing PPV on May 26. If Takeshita wins this match, he will earn the right to challenge for the title currently held by Mox.

NJPW star EVIL who is set to challenge Moxley for the belt at the Dominion event on June 9 has taken an exception to this announcement. While speaking to Tokyo Sports, he questioned Tony Khan’s authority to make the bout concerning the NJPW title.

Tony Khan Challenged For Forbidden Door Showdown

The Japanese star claimed that he is the ‘highest authority’ of New Japan and suggested a ‘presidential showdown’ between the two at the upcoming PPV:

“You’re doing whatever you want, and I’m not going to stand by and watch. Don’t act like you’re an equal to me, the president of an organization that’s not that big. My company and your company are not of the same caliber. You don’t seem to know your place, so I’ll give you a lesson. You can stand in front of me (at Forbidden Door). Next time you won’t be wearing a corset. You and I are on different levels,”

EVIL is not the first NJPW star to speak against the treatment of the IWGP Title by AEW Authorities in recent times. Yota Tsuji had previously questioned NJPW management’s decision to put the belt on Moxley in the first place.

The Third Annual Forbidden Door jointly hosted by AEW and NJPW will be held on June 30 from the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York.

Considering the recent remarks from NJPW talent, it appears that there will be some bitter competition between the two rosters this time around instead of the friendly warfare we have seen in the past.

The quotes in the article have been translated through Google Translate

When Eddie Kingston Aims To Return To AEW

Bishal Roy
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Eddie Kingston is hopeful of making a comeback to the ring in a matter of few months.

Reports of Kingston’s injury emerged after his match at NJPW Resurgence last week. PWInsider has confirmed that Eddie Kingston has sustained a leg injury (tibular fracture). ‘The Mad King’ underwent a string of X-rays in California after the event and it detected the injury. 

The former AEW Continental Champion is waiting to be informed on how his injury will be medically dealt with. The outlet has reported that Kingston is hopeful of returning by AEW All In: London which is scheduled to take place in August. However, his return will depend on whether he will have to undergo surgery.

Eddie Kingston’s injury 

Kingston unsuccessfully defended his NJPW Strong Openweight Championship against Gabe Kidd in a No-rope Last Man Standing match. In the final moments of the match, Kidd hit a suplex to Kingston through a table which was bridged across the ring to the guardrail. During the move, Kingston’s leg hit the guardrail which might have caused the injury. Reports suggested that the former champion was “limping bad backstage” which raised concerns.

Following the defeat, Jack Perry had a stardown with ‘The Mad King’ followed by a blindsided assault by Nicholas and Matthew Jackson. The EVPs then delivered a promo and attacked him with an EVP trigger. 

It was recently announced that The Young Bucks will join forces with Jack Perry and Kazuchika Okada and face the team of FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler), Eddie Kingston, and Bryan Danielson in an ‘Anarchy In The Arena’ Match at the upcoming AEW Double or Nothing on Sunday, May 26. Given Kingston’s injury, his replacement was announced earlier this week on Dynamite.

Ivar Confirms Serious Injury In New Statement After Conflicting Reports

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE star Ivar has addressed his current status amid all the conflicting rumors going around about his health and wrestling future.

Chatter about the wrestling star’s status began after WWE pulled him from an announced match. At first it was reported that Ivar was just taking some time off from the company and he wasn’t really injured.

Fresh reports since then, however, have contradicted the early statements. A photo posted by Andrews Sports Medicine team on Twitter further confirmed that the heavyweight star was dealing with a legitimate issue.

One-half of the Viking Raiders tag team then took on his Twitter to set the record straight. Ivar confirmed that he is indeed dealing with a legitimate serious injury:

The WWE star said that he will do everything he can to get back in the ring as soon as possible and thanked the fans for their support through this ordeal:

“No matter what happens, I owe it to everyone who ever believed in me to do everything I can to get back in that ring, under those lights, and infront of the most amazing fans on the planet, see you as soon as I can! That being said, I Want to thank everyone for the out pouring of love and support, not only after finding out I was injured but thru out the last several months, I have heard you all!”

Ivar’s Injury

Ivar was originally scheduled to compete in a triple threat #1 contender’s match for Oba Femi’s NXT North American Championship at next week’s episode of NXT.

However he, alongside the other two competitors of the match Wes Lee and Josh Briggs were taken out by Gallus on this week’s episode of the Tuesday night show.

The company then taped next week’s episode of the development show in advance and excluded the heavyweight star from the lineup. Ivar was also replaced in the ongoing tournament to determine the #1 contender for Ricochet’s WWE Speed championship.

Fightful Select later provided some more updates on the 40-year-old’s health. They claimed that Ivar has ‘long wrestled as if he’s on borrowed time after his double fusion surgery.’

The nature or the severity of Ivar’s current injury is not known. So it’s hard to say how long he will stay out of action or when can we expect him back on WWE programming.

SEScoops will continue monitoring the situation and you can follow us on social media to stay up-to-date with the wrestling star’s status.

Jey Uso Believes Aspiring Wrestlers Chasing Fame Are Bound To Fail

Anutosh Bajpai
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Jey Uso believes any young person trying to break into the wrestling business should focus on learning the art of it properly instead of chasing the clout.

The former Bloodline member recently had an interview with the Battleground podcast. He discussed things such as JoJo Offerman’s reaction to his viral Firefly entrance during Backlash France and more.

Being the son of the legendary Rikishi and part of the renowned Anoa?i family, Jey has practically grown up in the business and knows everything there is to know about it.

The Raw star was asked what advice would he give to a young talent trying to make a name for himself in the industry. Jey Uso explained that anyone who is focused on chasing the fame is going to fail:

“If you’re trying to do this for like, some likes and views and fame this ain’t it bro. Because a lot of homies are lined up for that and they’re all gonna fail.”

Protect What We Love: Jey Uso

(WWE)

The former tag team champion then claimed that aspiring wrestlers should first focus on getting the basics down and try to protect the business they all love:

“I feel like just learn this craft. If you really love it, just start in the ring first. Learn the art of wrestling, right? Like it’s cool with characters, but I always take pride in [that]. Not a lot of people can do the entertainment part, the acting part, let alone do the athleticism in the ring – the moves, the bumps.

The movement with someone else in there is different with two people, let alone four or five. Protect the art, protect the business. If you really want to, get down and learn. Just don’t do what you see on Instagram. You know what I’m saying, Uce? Just protect what we love. It’s not a sprint. It’s a marathon.”

Jey Uso has become a singles star since leaving The Bloodline in mid-2023. He most recently unsuccessfully challenged for Damian Priest’s World Heavyweight Championship at Backlash France earlier this month.

The WWE star is currently competing in the King of The Ring tournament. He has defeated Finn Balor and Ilja Dragunov in the tournament and is set to face Gunther in the semi-finals during the May 20th episode of Raw.

Athena Potentially Injured During Match At Latest ROH TV Taping

Thomas Lowson
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Ring of Honor Women’s World Champion seemingly suffered an injury during a match that could have dire implications for her historic title reign. 

The incident in question took place during Athena’s match with Viva Van which took place as part of the recent AEW Collision taping. Athena charged at Van who ducked the attack and pulled down the middle rope with Athena taking a bump between the ropes and landing on the outside. 

When Athena returned to the ring, she was limping but had enough in her to drill Van with a forearm smash and pin her opponent. Van kicked out the first time but stayed down the second time so it appears that Athena relayed to the referee that she had been hurt. 

There’s questions over what the future holds for the ROH Women’s World Champion. 

This situation share some similarities with what transpired in late 2023 between Jon Moxley and Rey Fenix. During their AEW International Title match, Moxley suffered an injury and called for the match to be ended early. Unfortunately, the referee Rick Knox did not quite understand and stopped a pinfall attempt by Fenix even when Moxley had not kicked out. Knox later counted the pinfall and reportedly earned heat backstage for not ending the match early. 

What Does This Mean for Athena? 

This situation will of course raise questions about Athena’s immediate future and the future of the Ring of Honor Women’s World Champion. The War Goddess has held the title for over 525 days after capturing the title at ROH Final Battle in December 2022. She holds the record for the most days as champions and has held the title for more days than all other champions put together. 

Jey Uso Reveals JoJo Offerman Got Emotional Watching His Backlash: France Entrance

Anutosh Bajpai
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Jey Uso has revealed that JoJo Offerman sent him a text after watching his viral Backlash: France entrance featuring the Fireflies.

The ‘Yeeter of Worlds’ recently appeared on the Battleground podcast. He talked about things such as his match with brother Jimmy Uso at WrestleMania 40 and more.

During the interview, Jey was asked if the crowd participation in his entrance made him feel validated as a singles star. The former Bloodline member claimed that the most validated he felt was when Bray Wyatt’s widow JoJo Offerman sent him a message after the show:

“I think the most I was validated was (when) JoJo, Bray Wyatt’s wife, had texted me and said how emotional she was watching. She saw clips of it on YouTube and that let me know right there, ‘Alright, I’m gonna keep it.’ I hope it sticks with me, man. I never asked for it, I never…They did it and I just want to keep it with me now.”

The Fireflies were originally made famous by Bray Wyatt with his Cult Leader gimmick. He used to come out with a lantern during his entrance and the fans started to join in with the flashlights on their phones.

‘Main Event’ Jey Uso

Jey Uso also proclaimed that Backlash was probably his favorite moment in wrestling ever. To him, the arena looked like a wave of stars were falling in and that feeling would never be matched.

Reports suggest that WWE officials were happy with the reaction the former champion got during his entrance in Lyon, France.

The company plans to continue encouraging the fans to bring out the fireflies for him with dim lighting during Jey’s entrance. They also plan to highlight any main stream use of Uso’s theme song like we’ve seen.

What Happened With Damian Priest After (5/17) SmackDown Went Off Air

Anutosh Bajpai
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World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest made a surprise appearance after this week’s episode of SmackDown from Vystar Veterans Memorial in Jacksonville, FL went off air.

The Judgement Day star was there to compete in a dark match. He successfully defended his title in the bout against fellow Raw star Kofi Kingston.

These two weren’t the only Raw stars stopping by as the rest of the Judgement Day were also in the building and ready to compete.

Though unlike Priest, the duo of Finn Balor and JD McDonagh found themselves on the losing side when they challenged Awesome Truth for the tag team titles.

What Happened On SmackDown

Elsewhere on the show, the Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and the United States Champion Logan Paul made their match official for the upcoming King and Queen of The Ring PPV in Saudi Arabia.

The YouTube star, however, backed out of the originally agreed terms and decided that he didn’t want to defend his title against the American Nightmare after all.

Paul tore down the old contract and introduced a new draft made by his lawyer which was for Cody’s title only. After some back and forth, the former AEW star signed the new contract making the match between them official.

We also saw the King and Queen of The Ring tournament continuing on SmackDown. You can check out the results of the tournament matches contested on the show here.

Bo-Lieve Reference Revealed In QR Code Mystery From 5/17 WWE SmackDown

Thomas Lowson
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WWE’s ongoing QR code mystery made a subtle reference to the Bo-lieve gimmick as many await the return of the character Bo Dallas played: Uncle Howdy.

Since the Raw after WrestleMania 40, several QR codes have appeared on WWE programming and scanning them has led fans to cryptic videos with clues to decipher. More recently, WWE’s Twitch channel shared an hour-long video inundated with clues and hidden meanings. 

Latest QR Code Mystery

It is believed that these videos and clues are building to the return of Uncle Howdy, as portrayed in 2022 and 2023 by Bo Dallas. On the May 17, episode of WWE SmackDown, this continued as a QR code appeared during the match between DIY and Legado Del Fantasma’s Angel and Berto. 

When scanned, a video filled with ominous symbols played which includes a young boy with creepy Joker-esque facepaint. A voiceover states “He is nobody. He is all of us,” before concluding with, “Do you want to meet him?” before showing a sketch similar to what fans recently saw on Twitch. 

It’s unclear who the boy is in this video, perhaps a young Bo Dallas himself. At the end of the video, the number 4714 was briefly shown, leaving fans to wonder what this number means. As some have pointed out on social media, April 7, 2014, was the date of the initial Bo-lieve gimmick that led to Dallas being called up to the main roster. 

Dallas isn’t expected to return as Uncle Howdy alone. Nikki Cross, Joe Gacy, and the recently rehired Erick Rowan are set to be part of a faction, an idea that had at one time reportedly been the plan for Bray Wyatt. There’s no word on when fans should expect Uncle Howdy on TV but the current signs on TV seem to indicate that his return is not far away. 

WWE King & Queen of the Ring Tournament Semifinals Matches Locked In During 5/17 SmackDown

Aaron Varble
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WWE SmackDown took place this week at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, focusing heavily on building anticipation for the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments.

Tiffany Stratton and Bianca Belair threw down in the opening match of SmackDown. This match went around twenty minutes, and saw Belair win after a ton of near-falls. Fans were also especially invested after Stratton stirred the pot online with a controversial post, one that she got no internal heat with.

Tama Tonga and LA Knight were the second quarterfinal of the night. This match went down with Solo Sikoa, Tanga Loa, and Paul Heyman standing at ringside as a constant presence. In the end, Tama won the match after a little distraction from Solo Sikoa.

Bianca Belair already clinched her spot in the semifinals, which meant we were one step closer to seeing the EST of WWE face Jade Cargill. The former TBS Champion took on Nia Jax during the second hour of the show, and Cargill lost to the Irresistible Force via DQ. This resulted in a brawl after the match and the Jacksonville fans chanting “bullsh*t.” It looks like we won’t see Cargill vs Belair in the tournament.

Randy Orton and Carmelo Hayes had burner of a main event. In the end, Orton won the match, and he promised to introduce Tama Tonga to an RKO in Saudi Arabia.

The King and Queen of the Ring tournaments will culminate on May 25 at the Jeddah Super Dome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where the finals for both tournaments will take place.

King of the Ring Quarterfinals:

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

Queen of the Ring Quarterfinals:

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

Queen of the Ring Semifinals:

Bianca Belair vs Nia Jax

Winner of IYO Sky vs Shayna Baszler against winner of Lyra Valkyria vs Zoey Stark

King of the Ring Semifinals:

Tama Tonga vs Randy Orton

Winner of Gunther vs. Kofi Kingston and Jey Uso vs. Ilja Dragunov

WWE King & Queen of the Ring Card:

  • King of the Ring Tournament Final
    • Raw bracket winner vs. SmackDown bracket winner
  • Queen of the Ring Tournament Final
    • Raw bracket winner vs. SmackDown bracket winner
  • Women’s World Championship Match
    • Becky Lynch (c) vs. Liv Morgan (Singles match)
  • WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
    • Sami Zayn (c) vs. Chad Gable vs. Bronson Reed (Triple threat match)
  • Undisputed WWE Championship Match
    • Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Logan Paul (Singles match)

Brian Gewirtz Says The Rock & Cody Rhodes SmackDown Segment Was Supposed To Be More Uplifting

Dominic DeAngelo
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Brian Gewirtz was heavily involved in The Rock’s notorious 2024 return to WWE, and confirms matters were supposed to be a little different between ‘The People’s Champion’ and Cody Rhodes.

Speaking on “The Masked Man Show”, the former head WWE writer talked about the notorious segment on SmackDown where Cody Rhodes relinquished his WWE Undispusted Universal Championship title shot to The Rock. Rhodes stoicly shook hands and hugged The Rock, appearing to putting his story on pause. However, the fans feedback made it become the most disliked video in WWE YouTube video history and an audible was called.

Gewirtz said that all that was supposed to come across quite differently than originally planned.

“Cody, it was supposed to be, in some form, ‘Yeah, f***in’ A! Go get em Rock! You’re going to get your ass kicked, Roman! Let’s do this!’ and this uplifting promo. Instead, he looked like someone shot his dog in the face in the parking lot. Just look at his expression. By the way, someone else, even when the team wins, looks forlorn and upset and despondent. [New York Knicks] Julius Randle [laughs].”

Gewirtz didn’t think that demeanor helped matters, but made clear he understood where Rhodes was coming from regarding his feelings on the decision, stating that ‘The American Nightmare’ was one of the realest people he’s ever met. He feels that the fans felt that.

“They felt like ‘he doesn’t mean a word of this. This is being forced for him to say.’ He’s despondent.”

Please credit “The Masked Man” and h/t to Fightful for the transcription.

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