Brock Lesnar has not been seen for quite some time, and that is not going to change until his legal situation is resolved. SEScoops exclusively reported in March, “No one is going to get involved in that situation. This is a legal issue, and until the lawyers decide that Brock is to be brought back, there is no movement at all, or a movement on his behalf.” In the latest Wrestling Observer, Dave Meltzer corroborates our scoop with this note:
“Regarding any rumors of Lesnar returning, he has to be cleared by WWE legal (remember WWE is still a defendant in the Janel Grant lawsuit), and that hasn’t happened yet.”
Janel Grant’s court battle against WWE and Vince McMahon will be delayed, but that’s not necessarily good news for the company. Grant has agreed to postpone the lawsuit at the request of the U.S. Department of Justice, an ominous sign for McMahon that indicates additional legal pitfalls ahead.
This decision means it will take longer than initially planned before the two sides face off in court, as the case remains under a non-public investigation. As a result, the timeline for Lesnar wrestling again has effectively been delayed indefinitely.
Brock Lesnar Impacted by Janel Grant Lawsuit
Janel Grant’s lawsuit alleges that in July 2021, Vince McMahon directed her to create personalized sexual content for a WWE superstar he wanted to re-sign. The lawsuit did not name the wrestler but described them as both a UFC fighter and WWE talent. Although Brock Lesnar was not mentioned, the timeline suggests a limited number of possible wrestlers.
The lawsuit claims McMahon shared explicit photos with the WWE Superstar, who responded positively. In December, McMahon allegedly gave Grant’s personal cellphone number to the wrestler. The wrestler then requested a video of her urinating and used derogatory language toward her. A meetup was planned but did not happen due to travel issues.
Brock Lesnar was removed from the WWE intro package and has been absent from promotional materials and vignettes since the controversy. His WrestleMania 40 match against GUNTHER was also scrapped, along with his planned bout against Dominik Mysterio at Elimination Chamber.
In WWE 2K24, Lesnar was removed as a playable character but still exists in the game’s code. He was replaced by John Cena on the Forty Years of WrestleMania cover. He remains under WWE contract.
Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns may well go down as one of the greatest feuds of the modern era. Few, if any, rivalries in recent years have captured quite the same emotional investment as this program, rooted in strong in-ring and mic work alike from both principal players. Perhaps the most important ingredient to the program’s success was each man’s backstory.
Even going into the first WrestleMania main event between the two, The Tribal Chief was riding a historic wave of momentum as a long-reigning, dominant champion—a dynamic that had only intensified going into WrestleMania 40. Meanwhile, The American Nightmare embraced a story of redemption both for his own unconventional career path and for his family.
Indeed, the story set such a high bar that the title reign Rhodes has embarked on since has felt a bit anticlimactic for not living up to how it got started. The key challenger to get this run back on track is none other than Solo Sikoa.
There Hasn’t Been Drama To Any Cody Rhodes Title Defenses Thus Far
One can’t fault AJ Styles or Logan Paul as challengers to Cody Rhodes. Both men are skilled performers who more than carried their ends of excellent WWE Championship PLE matches against The American Nightmare. However, there’s also an undeniable truth: no one thought Styles or Paul had a legitimate chance of taking the title off Rhodes.
Indeed, WWE has found itself in a confounding situation of a great main event face coming off an incredibly dramatic story with no sense he’s in any jeopardy of losing his title right away. As credible as Styles is as an all-time great in-ring worker, it’s hard to imagine him winning a world title in WWE again unless a string of injuries to other top stars make the company “break glass in case of an emergency.” Meanwhile, Paul is well-established as an upper mid-card player, but it’s hard to imagine him carrying the top prize in the business anytime soon.
WWE may well have made the right call in feeding Rhodes challengers who aren’t believable but could give him very good matches while fans wouldn’t believe he’s dropping the title anyway. That will have to change soon, though, for this title reign not to feel flat.
The New Bloodline Has Heat
The new Bloodline, running under Solo Sikoa’s leadership, has been a provocative part of WWE programming since WrestleMania. The faction and its defining family are over with the WWE audience. Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa are fresh faces who’ve added intrigue to faction, and insiders make it seem like only a matter of time before Jacob Fatu joins the mix.
With Sikoa declaring himself the leader in the absence of Roman Reigns, there’s also intrigue around what will happen when The Tribal Chief does return, or what things will look like when The Rock is back on WWE television. All of that sets up buzz around the Bloodline again, without over-exposing them too dramatically (including going so far as to leave the group off the King and Queen of the Ring PLE altogether).
A time will come sooner than later when Sikoa will be ready to take his rightful place as a bona fide main eventer. Cody Rhodes will be waiting.
Solo Sikoa Is Well Protected
Yes, Cody Rhodes vs. Solo Sikoa has happened before. It occurred on numerous house shows and in dark matches, and even once on Raw as The American Nightmare got ready to challenge Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39. Nonetheless, their issue feels far from played out, as the two haven’t collided on a PLE before, and their one televised bout was long enough ago not to be fresh on fans’ minds.
Moreover, Sikoa feels ready to main event. His televised losses have been few, far between, and only at the hands of top-tier talents. He also has a decisive victory over John Cena to still hang his hat on. All of this means that it would only take a small push rather than rehabilitation to position him as a credible challenger for the WWE Championship.
Cody Rhodes Vs. Solo Sikoa Can Be A Gateway To Bigger Things
It’s possible for WWE to position Solo Sikoa as a legitimate challenger to Cody Rhodes. Moreover, even in the likely case Rhodes survives that challenge and walks away champion, there’s every potential for WWE to keep a compelling story going.
With The Rock and Roman Reigns each waiting in the wings, The American Nightmare’s continued war with The Bloodline could naturally segue to one of these much bigger matches. While some fans feel Rhodes vs. Reigns is played out, it’s still a bankable main event rematch for WWE to stage at some point. From there, Rhodes vs. The Rock feels like the masterplan—the dream bout that a general consensus of fans has prognosticated to headline WrestleMania 41 and a match that can naturally follow from Rock showing up to backup or perhaps avenge his kin, Sikoa.
Cody Rhodes has made every scenario thrown at him since his WWE return work for him, and the smart money is on his title reign turning out to be very good. The right challenger will really spark something, though, and Solo Sikoa is a prime candidate for that spot.
AEW TBS Champion Mercedes Mone has backed Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown after the latter faced criticism. On ESPN’s First Take, Stephen A. Smith claimed that his NBA sources texted him saying Brown is not “liked” due to his ego and that’s why he’s not marketable. Boston Celtics shooting guard responded to Smith on X and asked him to reveal his sources.
Mercedes Mone also entered the fray. She backed Jaylen Brown and said that she wanted to have a chat with Stephen A. Smith’s source. ‘The CEO’ further questioned the identity of the ‘source.’ She also flaunted her AEW TBS title win and said she’s “super excited” to see Brown win the NBA title.
“Hey
@stephenasmith, from one #GOAT to another, The CEO wants to sit down with your source.
@FCHWPO, from one superstar to another, I just won my championship & I’m super excited to see you win yours. Keep lifting the game and the community the way you’ve been doing. Go Celtics”
Hey @stephenasmith, from one #GOAT to another, The CEO wants to sit down with your source. @FCHWPO, from one superstar to another, I just won my championship & I'm super excited to see you win yours. Keep lifting the game and the community the way you've been doing. Go Celtics ?
— Mercedes Moné Varnado (@MercedesVarnado) May 30, 2024
Mercedes Mone has been an ardent Boston Celtics fan and she is often spotted in attendance for their NBA games. She was also spotted at a game following her AEW debut at ‘Big Business’ edition of AEW Dynamite in her hometown, Boston.
‘The CEO’ recently made an impactful in-ring debut for AEW. She dethroned Willow Nightingale at AEW Double Or Nothing pay-per-view at MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the final moments of the match, Mercedes hit her finisher, Mone Maker, and captured the title on her in-ring debut.
Huge match for Mercedes Mone teased
During the latest edition of AEW Dynamite, Skye Blue was revealed as Mone’s mystery attacker which set up a title match between the two. ‘The CEO’ successfully retained her title and this marked her first title defense.
Following the match, CMLL’s Stephanie Vaquer, who is the NJPW Strong Women’s Champion made an appearance. As AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door is approaching soon, it seems that Mone and Vaquer could have a match at the pay-per-view.
A lot of things have changed in wrestling since The Undertaker made his debut in 1987. The path to success in the business wasn’t defined as well and aspiring wrestlers had to do a lot of unexpected things to get the experience they needed back then. For the Last Outlaw, this meant wrestling in places such as a federal prison just to get good at his craft.
The Dead Man reviewed this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw in a new video on his Patreon page and answered some questions.
During the talk, Taker was asked if he ever wrestled in prison. The wrestling veteran recalled one of his early trainers booking him for one such show:
“Oh, yeah. It was a federal prison. Kind of like a pre-release prison. It was pretty interesting. You know, back then, anytime anybody had a ring going up somewhere and you can get on a card, you got on it. That was just how it was because there was nothing more valuable than ring experience. So I remember the guy that invited me to go. He actually trained me a little bit too. His name was Rick Davidson. Him and his brother were a tag team in the 70s.”
The Undertaker revealed that ironically, he was working the gimmick of a Russian grave digger at the time and detailed the environment they had to deal with for these events:
“I want to say my name was Boris Dragu – the Russian grave digger. How about that for irony? And you haven’t been heckled till you’ve been to a prison show. They don’t give any kind of dams about what they say or what they do. It was always that long walk in through the prison to get to where we had the wrestling event…But that’s funny. I haven’t thought about that in years, but yeah, I’ve worked there. I worked there several times.”
Rick & John Davidson were two brothers who were born in Texas in the early 50s. They wrestled for promotions such as NWA Hollywood and MSW Mid-South Wrestling.
All eyes are on TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace as she prepares to make history. On June 9, she will challenge NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez for the title at Battleground. The important matchup will be the first time an active TNA superstar and champion will challenge for a WWE title.
While Grace is focused on achieving a career milestone, she has announced her title defense at TNA Against All Odds on June 14.
‘The Juggernaut”‘ shared on Sirus XM Busted Open with Tommy Dreamer and Dave LaGreca that she will hold an open challenge for her championship at the TNA pay-per-view.
After Grace revealed that her title match was an open challenge, it immediately caught the attention of Dreamer and wrestling fans. TNA Against All Odds, taking place after NXT Battleground, has people wondering if a WWE talent will accept her challenge.
PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that the ongoing relationship between WWE and TNA could extend beyond NXT Battleground. Due to Grace hosting an open challenge, it’s plausible for anyone from the NXT women’s roster to make an appearance. That said, it’s still unclear if that is what’s being planned, and it’s possible TNA could have her face a talent from their roster.
Regardless, Grace’s announcement adds more anticipation for what will happen at NXT Battleground.
Jorydnne Grace On Potentially Becoming NXT Women’s Champion
Grace’s match against Perez will also mark the first time they will compete against each other. ‘The Juggernaut’ noted that they both grew up in Texas but never had the chance to interact. Although it will be her initial encounter with Perez, Grace feels prepared to win the NXT Women’s Championship. She has already decided that she would be willing to compete on any TNA and NXT events if needed as champion.
“…Honestly, I’m prepared to put my nose to the ground and grind it out again. I did it for years when I was on the Indies, so I’m not a stranger to it, and I’m ready to do it again,” said Grace.
The TNA Knockouts Champion will be in for the match of her life when she faces Perez next month. If she is successful, Grace holding both titles would be a historic moment for WWE and TNA.
Former All Elite Wrestling talent Marko Stunt will return to wrestling after a one-year hiatus. Stunt has been out of action since January 21, 2023, after a loss to Mike Jackson at GCW Take A Picture. He will compete at A Love Letter To Professional Wrestling, presented by Wrestle ACTION, on September 14.
The announcement was made by an independent wrestling superstar, Brayden Toon, on his X account. Alongside revealing that Stunt will compete on the show, Toon shared a highlight video of the former AEW in-ring work.
? The second talent announcement for “A Love Letter To Professional Wrestling” is Marko Stunt!!
— ?????????? ??????? ???? (@toon_brayden) May 29, 2024
As noted in the post, tickets for the event have yet to go on sale. The event will occur at Clements High School in Athens, Alabama.
Before Stunt was advertised for the show, the first talent Toon promoted was Derek Neal on May 20. It seems Toon will announce all participants involved in A Letter To Professional Wrestling on X and will likely reveal more names in the coming days.
Stunt has yet to comment on his upcoming return on social media. However, his comeback will have his fans interested in what’s next in his wrestling career.
Marko Stunt Working In The Independent Wrestling Scene
Longtime AEW fans may recall Stunt being featured in the company alongside Jack Perry(FKA Jungle Boy) and Killshot (FKA Luchasaurus) as a group. He mainly competed in tag team matches on AEW Dynamite, with them in losing efforts. His last match with AEW was a defeat against Serpentico at AEW Dark on October 5, 2021. The following year, he was quietly let go by the company
After being let go by AEW in 2022, Stunt has been solely competing on the independent wrestling scene. He would wrestle for several different indie promotions, including Game Changer Wrestling. Currently, It’s unclear if he has any interest in signing with a promotion.
Hopefully, Stunt’s in-ring return on September 14 will lead to more appearances from him moving forward.
Glenn Jacobs, aka Kane, wrote reacted to the news, after Clay Travis of Outkick.com posted the following on Twitter:
“Trump is guilty in business records case. In related news, congrats to Donald Trump on his election as the 47th President of the United States.”
Jacobs posted the following reply to the tweet:
“Yep. Tonight, the political class will be patting each other on the back and offering toasts at their cocktail parties. On November 5th, they’ll be shaking their heads wondering what happened.”
The Knox County mayor also wrote “And people say pro wrestling is fixed” to another post about the topic.
Jacobs is the Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee, and affiliated with the Republican Party, which Trump is also affiliated with. Trump is the presumptive nominee of the party for the 2024 presidential election.
Jacobs announced he was officially running for the mayoral seat of Knox County in March 2017. In May 2018, he won the Republican primary election for the seat by 23 votes, and was elected mayor in August 2018. He won a second term in the election in August 2022.
Trump’s indictment is the first of a former US president, and was convicted on May 30, 2024. His sentence hearing is scheduled for July 11 this year, and it is not known yet what sentence Trump would receive. The 77-year-old is expected to appeal the conviction.
Bryan Danielson celebrated his birthday in a unique style.
‘The American Dragon,’ who turned 43, marked the occasion on May 22 in a different fashion. It seems his birthday wish was to test himself ahead of the chaotic Anarchy In The Arena match at AEW Double Or Nothing PPV. He told Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated that he was fasting for a day before going for a five-mile hike. He revealed:
“I was fasting for over 24 hours. Meanwhile, I drove from Bakersfield [California] to Las Vegas, got in at midnight, and was up by 5:30 for a five-mile hike.”
Danielson’s birthday was last Wednesday and he competed against 7-foot giant Satnam Singh in the main event of AEW Dynamite. The veteran wrestler won via DQ after he was attacked by Jay Lethal and Sonjay Dutt. Eventually, The Elite also took him out until Darby Allin made the save.
The Elite (The Young Bucks, AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada, and Jack Perry) emerged victorious over the team of FTR, Darby Allin, and Bryan Danielson after a chaotic Anarchy In The Arena match at Double Or Nothing pay-per-view. Fans at MGM Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada were ecstatic throughout the gruesome battle. Bryan Danielson’s ROH theme song ‘The Final Countdown’ was also played in the background during the match which thrilled the fans even more.
There could not be a more appropriate song as Anarchy unfolds here at the @MGMGrand!
The final moments of the match saw The Elite taking out Bryan Danielson with their finishing moves. Jack Perry then secured the victory by pinning Danielson – one of the biggest moments in Perry’s career. AEW Double or Nothing went off the air as The Elite stood tall with Perry on their shoulders.
New AEW TBS Champion Mercedes Mone received a special case of Tequila from George Clooney following her victory at AEW Double or Nothing 2024.
In one of three advertised main events of the show, Mone captured the title from Willow Nightingale, a year on from their NJPW Resurgence encounter. This title win was also Mone’s first match since joining AEW at the Big Business: Dynamite in March 2024. Double or Nothing would go from bad to worse for Nightingale who was also betrayed by Kris Statlander following her title loss.
On social media, Mone shared that she had received a case of Clooney’s Casamigos Tequila from the Ocean’s Eleven and Batman And Robin star. Mone explained that since she already had plenty of celebratory Tequila after her victory at Double or Nothing, she wanted ‘the boys’ to enjoy some of Clooney’s brand Tequila. This was good news for Orange Cassidy who was able to enjoy a drink with the new AEW TBS Champion.
On the May 29, edition of AEW Dynamite, Mone made her first successful title defense when she retained against Skye Blue. The young wrestler had been revealed as the woman behind a recent attack on Mone that set up their title match.
After that match, Mone was confronted by CMLL’s Stephanie Vaquer. In addition to appearing for CMLL, Vaquer is the reigning NJPW Strong Women’s Champion. It appears that a match between the two is being set up between the two at AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door.
WWE’s newest signing Giulia has provided a positive update after successfully undergoing surgery.
The Japanese superstar recently went under the knife after she suffered a wrist injury. Taking to her X account, Giulia posted a photo of herself and revealed that she had been discharged from the hospital. She also thanked the fans who were concerned about her.
”Discharged from the hospital! Thank you to everyone who was worried about me! I’m fine!”
Giulia had suffered a fractured right wrist during a match on Monday, May 20 at the Marigold Fields Forever event. She had joined forces with Utami Hayashashita and faced former NXT star Sareee and Bozilla in a losing effort. She sustained the injury a few minutes into the match but finished the bout that went on for over 28 minutes.
Following the injury, the 30-year-old wrestler had to withdraw from her upcoming matches including the Hana Kimura tribute show. However, she’s still scheduled to battle Sareee at Marigold’s Summer Destinyevent on July 13. Despite the injury, there are some massive plans for her in the pipeline for her debut.
Giulia was involved with WWE during the WrestleMania 40 weekend. She made her first WWE appearance at NXT Stand & Deliver as she was in attendance. Recent reports suggest that WWE officials are hoping that the Japanese sensation will recover before NXT Heatwave which is scheduled for July 7.
Meanwhile, the officials within NXT believe that Giulia will enter the NXT Women’s title picture immediately. The Japanese star is expected to battle Roxanne Perez for the title at the show. However, these plans might be altered due to Giulia’s injury.
Several names took part in creating the blueprint for the Casino Gauntlet match that went down on the 5/29 episode of AEW Dynamite, but one significant name was a catalyst, as expected.
According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, Khan was instrumental in laying out the main event match for AEW Dynamite, which happened to be the fallout show for this past weekend’s Double Or Nothing.
Internally, Khan was listed as a coach on the match and had help from QT Marshall, Colt Cabana and Serpentico at laying out the match. AEW has been very happy with the reception as it will be Will Ospreay challenging Swerve Strickland for the AEW World Championship at Forbidden Door.
Some surprise names were implemented into the bout including Mistico, Shota Umino, Lio Rush and Hechicero. The other competitors were PAC, Claudio Castagnoli, Orange Cassidy and Jay White.
Many were speculating that Strickland and Ospreay would first go head-to-head later this year at ALL IN at Wembley Stadium, but fans will get at least an early sample of that fight next month when Forbidden Door takes place in Long Island.
This news of Tony Khan laying out the fight comes not long after the AEW President was accused of booking AEW television last minute by Bryan Alvarez.
Other matches that went down on the 5/29 AEW Dynamite was Jon Moxley in another IWGP World Title Eliminator Match against Rocky Romero, Mercedes Mone took on Skye Blue and Swerve Strickland faced Killswitch.
WWE Tag Team Champion Grayson Waller isn’t interested in a UK-based WrestleMania and believes such a show would be “very depressing” for fans.
The Aussie Icon was at WWE Money in the Bank 2023 when John Cena shared his intention to bring WWE’s flagship show to the UK. At London’s O2 Arena, Waller argued that WWE’s first international WrestleMania should be in his native Australia and ate an Attitude Adjustment for his troubles.
Given what transpired in London, Waller has taken a staunch anti-UK stance when it comes to the possibility of an international WrestleMania. Speaking to the UK’s Daily Star newspaper, Waller shared why he thinks a UK-based WrestleMania is a bad idea.
“I just don’t think it’s something that I want to do, that most of the wrestlers want to do. I’ve been to London. it’s a depressing place, and I think WrestleMania in London would be a very depressing WrestleMania. We don’t want that. So, its Sadiq, right? [referring to London Mayor Sadiq Khan being in favor of WrestleMania.] Well, I think you’re an idiot and WrestleMania in Australia is going to be much better!”
Waller isn’t a fan of the idea of WrestleMania in the UK.
UK WrestleMania: Is It Possible?
There are obvious logistics WWE will have to consider when deciding whether a WrestleMania in the UK will be viable. Perhaps the most obvious will be the timezone difference. If WrestleMania began at 8 pm local time, that would be a 4 pm ET start in the United States.
Triple H has said that anything is possible when it comes to WrestleMania taking place in the UK. With that said, WWE President Nick Khan has reportedly said that WWE’s ‘Big Four’ events will remain in North America for the foreseeable future. WWE will return to the UK very soon for its upcoming WWE Clash At The Castle: Scotland event and a well-performing show could make WWE seriously consider WrestleMania in the UK.
In professional wrestling, podcasts covering the industry are as common as clotheslines and headlocks. For those brave explorers seeking to venture into the pro wrestling podcast vortex, we here at SEScoops want to make your journey as easy as possible. Each week, we will update you on the Top 25 most-listened to wrestling podcast episodes, with a focus on the Top 5 (including embeds).
This feature uses data from Apple Podcasts compiled by Chartable.
Some within the WWE Universe are still wrapping their minds around the fact that The Undertaker – The Phenom and Lord of Darkness – has a podcast. However, it’s very true, and the WWE Hall of Famer is currently killing it. On the latest edition of The Deadman’s podcast, Calaway invited UFC Fighter Tim Kennedy to discuss training, fights inside and outside the cage, mental health, hunting, and more.
Love or hate him, Jim Cornette doesn’t care what you think. His presence in professional wrestling goes back decades, and he is one of the pioneers in producing weekly content on wrestling commentary. One can expect to find a plethora of “hot takes” and in-depth conversations on the latest happenings around the industry. In the show’s latest episode, Cornette is stuck with no power due to bad weather and trudges on anyway.
3) Jim Cornette’s Drive-Thru | ?
Jim Cornette’s Drive-Thru is very similar to Cornette’s other show, The Jim Cornette Experience. The difference is that Cornette opens up the show to the fans, as he and Brian Last answer questions on various topics.
4) Insight with Chris Van Vliet |
Chris Van Vliet isn’t just one of the most well-respected interviewers in professional wrestling; he’s an internationally recognized media personality. CVV is a 4-time Emmy Winning TV Host, YouTuber, and Inc. 500 entrepreneur who’s interviewed everyone from Anne Hathaway to Hornswoggle. In his latest episode, Vliet talked to WWE Superstar Sonya Deville about returning from injury, transitioning from MMA to WWE and more.
5) Busted Open |
Sirius XM biggest professional wrestling show is available on all your favorite streaming platforms! Host Dave LaGreca speaks with a rotating cast of co-hosts, including Bully Ray, Mark Henry, Tommy Dreamer, Thunder Rosa, and Nic Nemeth (fka Dolph Ziggler). The show covers the latest in professional wrestling news throughout the industry, with special emphasis on WWE, AEW, NJPW, and TNA.
Top 6-25 Wrestling Podcasts – Apple (May 30, 2024)
A lawsuit against WWE, John Laurinaitis, and Vince McMahon has been put on pause at the request of the United States Department of Justice.
Janel Grant is suing the three parties over allegations she was sexually abused and trafficked during her time working for WWE. Grant had been a part of the company’s legal department and worked closely with McMahon during her time under his employ.
While Grant’s allegations were enough to see Vince McMahon step down from WWE and TKO in January, it will be longer than planned before the two sides face off in court. Grant has agreed to delay the lawsuit at the request of the U.S. Department of Justice. A statement from Grant’s legal representative Ann Callis reads:
“Ms. Grant has consented to a request by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York to stay her case against Mr. McMahon, WWE and Mr. Laurinaitis, pursuant to a pending non-public investigation. We will cooperate with all appropriate next steps.”
Callis does not give the reason why the U.S. Department of Justice has made this request. In a sealed filing today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District Of New York presented material to the federal court of a probe they have opened into McMahon. The 78-year-old billionaire’s business operations will be under the microscope as part of this probe.
“We remain confident the evidence will prove Ms. Grant’s allegations are false and her complaint is nothing more than a fabricated, vindictive narrative from a disgruntled former girlfriend.”
McMahon has denied all allegations against him and has claimed that Grant’s lawsuit is “rife” with fabrication and inaccuracies. Rosenberg has stated that Grant was in love with McMahon and that her “false allegations are slowly unraveling.”
Chad Gable could become a free agent as soon as next weekend, according to Fightful Select. Sean Ross Sapp reports that Gable’s WWE contract is believed to expire at the end of next week. Now entering the final week of a multi-year deal, it’s increasingly likely that he will at least test the waters of free agency.
Known for his amateur wrestling credentials and in-ring technical proficiency, Gable signed with WWE in November 2013. The 38-year-old and his former partner Jason Jordan tore it up in NXT as American Alpha. They had some of the best tag team matches in the brand’s history, winning gold in developmental and on the main roster.
Interestingly, Gable has held WWE tag titles on the main roster with three separate partners: Jason Jordan, Shelton Benjamin and Bobby Roode. Today, he’s the leader of the Alpha Academy faction. which haS been dealing with some on-sreen infighting. Gable is urging Tozawa, Maxxine Durpi, and Otis to adopt his more villainous ways, but they are resisting.
Gable has been involved in countless storylines during his decade-plus in WWE, but he’s very satisfied with his current work. He told TNT Sports this week:
“This version of [my character], believe it or not, is probably the closest to my real personality than anything else I’ve done. Not to say that I’m a jerk but I am a very hard-nosed disciplined human being in real life.”
As we’ve seen, Gable can more than hold his own in the realm of ‘sports entertainment,’ which makes him even more valuable to companies with a never-ending need to churn out content. Gable is a rare talent who can shine in the ring, on the mic and as a coach, so he will have some serious options to consider in the weeks ahead.
We’ll be following this story closely in the days ahead and will provide an update when additional details are available. For more on Chad Gable’s potential WWE exit, keep an eye on our always-current WWE Releases & Departures Tracker.
On May 21st, Brandi Rhodes publicly shared her story following surgery for Endometriosis, a disease in which tissue similar to the tissue that lines the uterus grows outside the uterus and in places where it shouldn’t. Her experience was that of a cautionary tale, as this common disorder could have been identified quickly if any of the numerous doctors she appealed to had conducted a routine ultrasound and pelvic exam. Instead, it took 3 years.
The powerful social media posts gained tons of attention, adding to the larger conversation of how women often feel dismissed or taken seriously by doctors. Recently, the former Chief Brand Officer of All Elite Wrestling spoke with TODAY.com, where she detailed her frustration and further emphasized the need for women not to be afraid to speak up.
The Rhodes Family: Brandi, Cody and Liberty
During her interview, Brandi Rhodes detailed the many doctors’ appointments she arranged to try and uncover why she had been experiencing the “internal pain,” along with other troubling symptoms she had been struggling with since her pregnancy.
“The biggest shock was postpartum, when this was supposed to be going away, it definitely was not going away… That was the point at which I gave up. I just said, you know what, maybe this is in my head.”
Shortly after this, Rhodes was inspired by Maryse Mizanin, a fellow member of the WWE family. In February, the former WWE Divas Champion openly talked about her own health struggle. She revealed that she had been diagnosed with a rare pre-cancerous condition and needed laparoscopy surgery.
Brandi Rhodes detailed her immediate reaction following doctors finally identifying Endometriosis as the source of her pain.
“It’s been three years. What took so long?” [To husband, Cody Rhodes]: I’m so mad. I’m so worked up because I knew something was wrong. And the way that I felt so dismissed in so many different ways… This is so wrong.
The former in-ring competitor concluded her interview with an appeal to women everywhere to be their own best advocate, urging them not to hesitate to speak up if they sense something is amiss.
“Feel empowered by your own feelings…It can feel really discouraging, and you can start to second guess yourself and feel like maybe this is (your) fault. But it’s not. You just haven’t met the right professional yet.”
As expressed by TODAY.com, Rhodes is currently recovering from her surgery and is receiving support from her husband, mother, and the staff of her Naked Mind yoga studio.
The last time Brandi Rhodes was seen on WWE TV was at WrestleMania 40 when she joined her husband Cody Rhodes for his entrance ahead of his main event match for the WWE Undisputed Championship. She would later join him in the ring following his epic and historic victory.
On behalf of everyone at SEScoops, we wish Brandi Rhodes a speedy and full recovery and encourage our readers to take her advice: “listen to your body” if you think something is wrong, advocate for yourself and be persistent.
A couple in the UK recently named their newborn child after TNA Wrestling star Joe Hendry. The Daily Star reports that parents Micalah and Lucas Roberts named their male child Micah Gene Hendry Roberts. Funnily enough, Lucas had to make sure his wife knew who the Scottish wrestler was before giving the name to their baby.
“We initially decided to split naming duties, with my wife choosing his first name, and I pick the middle name,” Lucas told the UK newspaper. “I chose Gene in honour of my father.”
Lucas added that his wife Micalah asked him a few months ago if he knew who Joe Hendry was. “I have been following his career for years, so I was happy to fill her in on who Joe is and she has since become a big fan herself,” he revealed.
The couple said that the name Hendry eventually grew on them, and the fact that their child shared the same birthday as Joe made it all better. It also helped that the couple were both fans of the longest reigning TNA Digital Media Champion.
“I am completely humbled, honoured and privileged,” Hendry said about the baby being named after him. “It’s so special when you’ve made an impact on people to the point when they want to include something about you in their own family. Their support means the world to me. I am going to keep in touch and have Micah and the whole family come and join us at one of our TNA shows.”
Joe’s theme song, titled “I Believe in Joe Hendry,” went viral in April 2024 after it was released as a single. The song went on to peak at number 1 on the UK iTunes Chart and number 4 on the Official Big Top 40 Chart.
WWE Hall of Famer Afa Anoa’i, who was part of the Wild Samoans tag team, has been suffering from various health issues. Anoa’i will be undergoing a back surgery on Monday, to correct loosened screws in his back, as reported by PWInsider. This comes after he just came back from a rehabilitation hospital the past weekend after heart surgery.
The Hall of Famer was also battling pneumonia, experiencing heart attacks, besides getting fractures in his back. Anoa’i was suffering from pneumonia earlier this year, which got worse after he got a mild heart attack during hospitalization. He then suffered another, smaller heart attack during the hospital stay. He got discharged in January.
Update: My father fell and fractured his back in 2 places. He is currently being transferred into a different hospital. Continued prayers are requested as well as privacy during these stressful times. The family will post updates as they come
Afa Anoa’i is a Samoan-American wrestler who is best known for partnering with his brother Sika to form the a tag team known best as The Wild Samoans. He’s best known for his run in the WWF. The Wild Samoans were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Sika’s son Rosey in 2007.
We at SEScoops wish the great Afa Anoa’i a full and speedy recovery.
Tony Khan is clearly passionate about the “one true sport” of professional wrestling, but has his booking method been to AEW’s detriment?
F4WOnline‘s Bryan Alvarez was chatting with users on the website’s forum and stated that Tony Khan has been making last-minute decisions when it comes to finalizing shows, including AEW Double Or Nothing this past Memorial Day weekend.
“Tony switched the script on [AEW Double or Nothing] multiple times during the afternoon. Most people, not just the wrestlers, have no idea what they’re doing until the day of the show, and sometimes not until an hour or so before the show. People are flown to towns and given nothing to do, others are begged the day before the show to please get to the town so they can do something last-minute.”
There may have been an example of this on Wednesday as Saraya was set to go one-on-one with Mariah May, marking her first singles match since her absence, but that bout was removed and rescheduled for next week’s episode of Dynamite. In between those changes Saraya took to social media to briefly post “About to really start speaking my mind,” before deleting her comment.
On the recent AEW Double or Nothing media call Tony Khan was asked by Alvarez’s co-hort in Dave Meltzer if there’s anything he’d like to change over the course of AEW”s five years to which Khan credited himself as a wrestling historian and would like to learn from the mistakes of pro wrestling’s past. Khan potentially booking weekly television last minute is falling in line of the footsteps of Vince McMahon, also to his product’s detriment, would book WWE RAW and SmackDown at the very last minute.
However, Khan making last-minute changes appears to not be a recent occurance. For what it’s worth, during ALL OUT 2023 weekend, I overheard two AEW talents talking about how they were uncertain of their status for that night’s episode of AEW Collision (the one before CM Punk was terminated), with one prominent name making it known “That’s AEW.”
WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle has added one more feather on his cap.
Per PW Insider, Cauliflower Alley Club has announced that ‘The Olympic Gold Medalist’ is the latest recipient of the prestigious Lou Thesz/Art Abrams Lifetime Achievement Award.
Angle has certainly cemented his legacy as one of the all-time greats. His legendary career began with amateur wrestling. He went on to win the Olympic Gold Medal at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996 despite having a ‘Broken Frickin’ Neck.’ He eventually shifted to pro wrestling and competed across WWE and TNA Wrestling, tasting more success in the process. He is a former multi-time World Champion and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2017.
Wrestling Legend Kurt Angle to Receive Prestigious Lou Thesz/Art Abrams Lifetime Achievement Award! https://t.co/McL3xqEi4q
— Cauliflower Alley Club (@CACReunion) May 29, 2024
Lou Thesz/Art Abrams Lifetime Achievement Award
The esteemed award was named after legendary wrestler Lou Thesz and Cauliflower Club founder Art Abrams. It is noted that the award nominee must have a strong amateur wrestling background and a widely recognized pro wrestling career. It is needless to mention that Kurt Angle is a fitting choice for this award.
Kurt Angle will accept the award in a ceremony at the 58th Annual Cauliflower Club Reunion in Las Vegas, Nevada from August 19 to 21. ‘The Olympic Gold Medalist’ has now joined the prestigious list of fellow legendary wrestlers such as Ron Simmons, Rob Van Dam, Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley, and Ricky Steamboat who have received the award in the past. For more information and to buy tickets, fans can visit the CAC website.
Kurt Angle had an illustrious career in WWE but things might have been different for him had he signed with WCW. Fellow WWE legend Ric Flair had prevented Angle from joining WCW. Read more below:
Argenis is leaving Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide after 16 long years. The masked wrestler was part of the Mexican wrestling promotion since 2008.
The 37-year-old wrestler announced his departure from AAA on his social media (via Fightful), adding that he would be “look for his origins.”
Here is what he wrote in his message to fans:
“It is always difficult to start this kind of message, and I want to start by saying thank you. Thanks to AAA for these 16 years, where I met wonderful people along the way, with whom I shared more than just an adventure, many that I can call friends and some that I can call carnal. Thanks also to all the fans for allowing me to share with them. To Dorian Roldan, Maricela Peña, Licenciado Roldan, and Jorge Torres for helping Argenis reach many parts of the world. Thanks for everything but it is time to look for my origins.”
Argenis was last seen in the ring for AAA at AAA MerzaMania, which took place on April 20, 2024. He teamed up with Psicosis in a losing attempt to take on Los Psycho Circus – the team of Dave The Clown and Murder Clown in a tag team match.
Much like other luchadors, his real name was not publicly known much of his career, which started in 2006. But at Triplemanía XXXI: Monterrey in April 2023, he lost against Myzteziz Jr. in a Mask vs. Mask match. He was unmasked then, and his real name was revealed to be Mirzha Adán Uribe Nava.
Notably, Argenis is the brother of Mysteziz, who was known as Mistico and as the original Sin Cara during his run in the WWE. Argenis is the son of Dr. Karonte, and his other siblings include wrestlers Astro Boy, Argos, and Mini Murder Clown.
Becky Lynch’s WWE contract is set to expire on Saturday. Following her loss on this week’s WWE Raw, it will probably be quite some time before The Man comes back around. Dave Meltzer addressed Lynch’s situation on Thursday’s Wrestling Observer Radio. With just days remaining on her WWE contract, Lynch is reportedly taking an extended leave of absense.
Her husband Seth Rollins is injured and off the road, so it makes sense for her to at least time some time off. However, Lynch’s situation is more than a vacation.
Prior to WrestleMania XL, Lynch told Chris Van Vliet that she wasn’t worried about the fact that her WWE contract was running out. Ariel Helwani later asked Lynch if she’d consider working for other companies. She replied,“I’m with WWE,” but expressed uncertainty about her situation.
Endeavor is handling WWE contracts differently, as seen with Seth Rollins, who re-signed before his contract expired. Lynch’s future remains unclear, but she could become a major free agent in June if WWE doesn’t finalize a new deal.
Tony Khan commented on the possibility of making a play for Lynch, and he made it clear that he will not tamper with her contract. She finished her WWE commitments on Monday’s Raw by losing to Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan in a steel cage match.
Chris Jericho has also given his two cents on the situation, as he said that AEW is now an option for her.
“Five years ago, Becky would have no other options. [I’m] not saying that she’s coming but there is an option and who knows what could happen? No one thought that Jericho would come to AEW. No one thought that Moxley would come or Bryan Danielson or Adam Cole or any of these guys that have come over.
So it’s exciting for the fans. It’s exciting for the wrestlers, the talent, because now suddenly if there’s a bidding war that just benefits us. So I think it’s it’s very important.”
Check out our recent review of Becky Lynch’s book:
WWE Superstar Sonya Deville knew something was wrong after suffering an ACL injury in the ring after a midnight trip to the bathroom went awry.
The injury in question occurred during the July 28, 2023, edition of WWE SmackDown which saw Deville and Chelsea Green face Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair. Deville would undergo surgery in August and has not competed since.
On the Insight podcast, Deville discussed her injury with host Chris Van Vliet. The former MMA fighter and WWE authority figure admitted that at first, she did not know how bad the injury would be but suspected things were bad as she wrestled the remainder of the match.
“The whole time I’m like ‘Oh my God, I hope I don’t fall flat on my face.’ Sure enough, we made it to the end, I limped back and I got in my rental car, went to my hotel and tried to pretend it didn’t happen. Because in this business nobody wants to be injured and out of play.
Fearing the worst, Deville did not want those at the show to see how bad the injury was. It was only after a trip to the bathroom didn’t go as planned that the seriousness of the situation became clear.
“I told myself it’s fine, it’s a sprain, I’ll just wrap it. Long story short, [I] woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and I fell face-first into the wall. And I was like ‘Oh I think something’s wrong.'”
Deville hasn’t wrestled since suffering her ACL injury.
The injury ended Deville’s time as a WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion, her first title reign in close to a decade with the company. Understandably, Deville was frustrated with how her first serious injury in wrestling changed all plans for her.
“I was so devastated. I had been with the company for nine years and of course, part of being in the WWE is to one day grab that brass ring and get gold around your waist. And that’s what I had been striving for of course. So I finally got that first championship and I was so happy. I was so elated, I was ready to make those titles mean more than ever before and then the injury came.”
Deville recently returned to WWE programming in a backstage segment with Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark. It remains to be seen how Deville will factor into plans for the tag team which also have a guaranteed title opportunity at Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill.
Tiffany Stratton is undoubtedly the breakout star of WWE for 2024. The former NXT Women’s Champion has impressed everyone with her performances since her main roster debut in February. Tiffany has rightfully been dubbed as the future of the women’s division, though she already has an idea of what she wants to do after her WWE run as well.
The 25-year-old recently spoke to The Battleground podcast. She talked about things such as her performance in the Queen of The Ring tournament, Nia Jax’s win, and more.
During the interview, the current SmackDown star was asked if she has any Hollywood aspirations. Tiffany Stratton said that she would like to start breaking into Hollywood in around 5 years:
“I do, of course I do. I think by the age of 30 I kind of wanna be breaking into Hollywood and do something along those lines. At around the age of 30 I feel like [doing that]”
Tiffany Stratton Says Elimination Chamber Was Life Changing
Tiffany Stratton also talked about the overwhelming positive crowd reaction for her during the Elimination Chamber: Perth event earlier this year. She claimed that the whole experience was life changing for her:
“Australia was, it was life-changing I feel like for my career. I had no idea that Australia even knew who I was. Going into that match I was the rookie. It was kind of like ‘Are they gonna know who I am? If they’re not I am just gonna show out regardless.’ So the fact that I had the entire stadium chanting Tiffy time was so amazing for me.”
Apart from this Stratton discussed Jordynne Grace’s surprise NXT appearance this week. When asked which women from outside the WWE roster she would like to face if given a chance, Stratton took the name of Toni Storm and Deonna Purrazzo.
SEScoops had an exclusive interview with Tiffany Stratton earlier this year. You can check that out below:
The Nepal Women’s Wrestling will go down in the record books after hosting a wrestling match at the highest elevation in history.
On Wednesday, May 29, the promotion hosted a match between Dani Mo and Yunika at the Kala Pathar in the Khumbu Rural Municipality of Solukhumbu, Nepal. The match itself was held at an altitude of 5,644 meters (18,517 feet) above sea level at the base camp of Kala Patthar in the Nepali Himalayas. The area is in close proximity to Mount Everest.
The wrestlers are literally the highest of high-flyers.
Mo, from the United States, had been in Nepal for a week leading up to the match and has had a BBC team documenting her journey. While this match was her (literally) highest match, she has also worked for several high-profile promotions. From October 2021 to November 2022, she made a handful of appearances for AEW where she lost to Tay Melo, Thunder Rosa, Serena Deeb, and Athena. She has also competed for Ring of Honor and appeared in a six-woman tag-team squash match during an August 2022 edition of WWE Monday Night Raw.
Yunika (aka Bhagawati Khadka) is a local of Nepal and is described by Tribune Live in Pittsburgh as “a beloved national celebrity in her country.” This match isn’t Yunika’s first time in the spotlight as she has previously appeared in the Nepalese version of ‘Dancing With The Stars.’
