Facing Bron Breakker left Ludwig Kaiser struggling to breathe in a testament to the raw power of the former NXT Champion. In an interview with Metro, Kaiser revealed that he was already dealing with rib issues before facing Kaiser on the June 24, 2024, edition of RAW. Kaiser “couldn’t breathe” after mere minutes in the ring with Breakker and the German has been out of action ever since.
“With everything in life, if you’ve been put in a bad situation, you make the best out of it. And that’s what we did. We managed it all well, it was all fine, but obviously I wanna be there, I want to wrestle and perform.”
Despite this injury, Kaiser remains optimistic that he will be back in time for Bash in Berlin on August 31. The Imperium member said that the injury has been “annoying” but that he’s “recovering great” thanks to his impressive genetics. German news source BILD has reported that Kaiser will be in a dark match at the SmackDown before Bash in Berlin. Kaiser will team with GUNTHER on the night against Ilja Dragunov and Sami Zayn though as always, the card is subject to change.
This injury has been an unfortunate setback for Kaiser, who had been in the midst of a singles push before stepping in the ring with Bron Breakker. It just goes to show that wrestling is a high-risk career and that injuries can happen anytime a Superstar steps in the ring.
TNA Slammiversary 2024 is one of the most anticipated PPV events of the year from the 20+ year old company, but how can you watch it live?
There are a couple of different options when it comes to PPV, with Triller TV offering the show on Saturday night, but the TNA+ service is another avenue worth considering.
Seven former Superstars are free agents 90 days after their WWE releases in April 2024. We’ll be following their next moves here at SEScoops, so you can follow their careers wherever they wind up next.
Here are the WWE Superstars that are now free to work anywhere:
Jinder Mahal
Now going by Rah Dhesi, the former WWE Champion is the most high-profile name among this crop of wrestlers to enter the free agency market. Dhesi will make his debut for Black Label Pro Wrestling at their upcoming event on July 26.
Fans waited long enough for Veer Mahaan to arrive on Monday Night Raw, but that didn’t stop the wrestler and former baseball player from being released. His final match saw was as part of the 2024 Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal in which he was eliminated by the Creed Brothers.
Sanga
The final member of Indus Sher, Sanga was part of Ring Ka King (An india-based brand of TNA Wrestling) before coming to WWE in 2018. His final match was also the 2024 Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal where he was also thrown out by the Creeds.
Cameron Grimes
The former NXT North American Champion has plenty of pre-WWE homes, including Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, OMEGA Wrestling, and TNA Wrestling. It’s in the latter promotion where Grimes held the X-Division Championship three times and is a former TNA World Tag Team Champion.
Xia Li
Despite a high-profile feud with Becky Lynch in 2023, Li was among those released in April. On August 3, Li will make her MMA for the Combat Night promotion. The ex-Superstar who is trained in wushu will face Xiomara Lee in Kissimmee, FL.
A former Rugby player who signed with WWE in 2018, Quinn had to wait until 2020 before he made his debut. Despite an impressive build, the Australian’s final match for WWE saw him squashed by Bron Breakker in mere seconds on an episode of SmackDown.
Despite being poised as one to watch when NXT 2.0 launched, Von Wagner’s tenure in WWE NXT ended this past April without any title gold to his name. Wagner is the son of WWE alum Beau Beverly and Von’s final match saw him lose to Lexis King.
Catch a new episode of WWE SmackDown tonight at 8pm ET on FOX, live from Omaha, Nebraska at the CHI Health Center.
Summerslam weekend is just two weeks away. As the excitement builds for pro wrestling’s Biggest Party of the Summer, the rivalries are heating up and the card is taking shape.
Tonight’s July 19, 2024 edition of WWE SmackDown will feature:
Singles Match: Carmelo Hayes vs. Andrade
Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes responds to The Bloodline’s attack last week
Logan Paul responds to LA Knight’s U.S title challenge
Stay tuned to SEScoops for our continued coverage of WWE SmackDown and check out our WWE News section for more.
What Happened Last Week on SmackDown?
Get caught up on last week’s happenings with this WWE video running down the Top 10 Moments from WWE SmackDown (July 12, 2024):
Braun Strowman has revealed that he has been dealing with knee issues and he will get checked out with a doctor.
Speaking with WWE Deutschland, Braun Strowman said that his knee is “banged-up” and he has a doctor’s appointment this week. The 6’8 powerhouse said that the knee has been “bugging” him for some time.
‘The Monster of All Monsters’ further revealed that he has been off-step for the last few weeks and there has been a little tweak in his knee. Strowman believes that he sustained the injury when he collided with the barricade during his match against WWE World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest on Raw. He said:
“Knee’s a little banged up. I got a doctor’s appointment this week to get it checked out. It’s been bugging me a little bit. If you’ve noticed, I’ve been a little off step these last couple of weeks. There’s been some little tweak going on in there. When I caught it up on the top of that barricade, I felt something move in my kneecap so I had a bruise on my knee at the end of the match and stuff like that so, not using it as an excuse or anything like that but, it sure as heck didn’t help me not get beat.”
The injury certainly impacted Strowman’s performance against Priest as he endured a loss on this week’s Raw.
Strowman has been battling injuries for quite some time now. Last year, he underwent neck fusion surgery and was on the shelf for several months. It was in April this year that the former WWE Universal Champion returned to WWE TV following the surgery. He returned during the opening night of the 2024 WWE Draft where he was drafted to the Raw. In recent months, he has been involved in a rivalry with The Judgment Day.
WWE wrestler Kevin Owens recently dropped an encouraging update on his mother’s health condition.
Ahead of WWE Money in the Bank PLE, Owens revealed on WWE SmackDown that his mother faced some health emergency and was rushed to the hospital in Quebec. He revealed that he and his family had to stay at the hospital with her.
Taking to his X account, Kevin Owens shared a positive update on his mother’s health. He dropped a photo of his mother sitting up in the hospital bed. She held his son’s ‘Just Keep Fighting’ shirt. Owens wrote an apt caption: “She kicked out.”
The former WWE Universal Champion had previously explained that he didn’t stay back the hospital as his mother would have a problem with that. His mother has been supporting his dream of becoming a pro wrestler from the very beginning of his career.
Fans had been worried about her mother’s health and it seems the prayers have been heard as she is doing better now.
Owens’ last appearance took place during the Money in the Bank premium live event on July 6. At the show, he joined forces with Cody Rhodes, and Randy Orton but they faced a loss against The Bloodline’s Jacob Fatu, Solo Sikoa, and Tama Tonga.
Kevin Owens had been teaming up with Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes to take on the Bloodline members. However, with KO currently away from the scene, The Bloodline has been wreaking havoc. They recently took out Randy Orton by putting him through the announce table with Cody Rhodes helplessly witnessing the disaster. Meanwhile, ‘The American Nightmare’ will put his title on the line against Solo Sikoa at next month’s WWE SummerSlam PLE on August 3.
AJ Styles has seemingly responded to former AEW International Champion Will Ospreay using his finisher, Styles Clash.
This week’s AEW Dynamite was the 250th edition of the show took place in Little Rock, Arkansas. The show featured the exciting AEW International title match between Will Ospreay and MJF. The match kicked off the show and it saw some spectacular spots which got the fans buzzing on social media. During the match that went on for 60 minutes, Ospreay performed a couple of Styles Clash on his opponent. However, many fans bashed Ospreay for hitting the move.
Taking to hisX account, ‘The Phenomenal One’ responded and shared his thoughts on the matter. He backed ‘The Aerial Assassin’ and he is not bothered by Ospreay hitting his move. He wrote:
“Why do you think it bothers me that someone else is doing my move? We all do it. It’s wrestling! I think if nothing else, it shows appreciation.”
Why do you think it bothers me that someone else is doing my move? We all do it. Its wrestling! I think if nothing else, it shows appreciation.
The final moments of the match saw Ospreay lifting MJF for the Tiger Driver 91. However, he hesitated to perform the move as he previously said he retired it. This helped MJF to bounce back and shoved Ospreay into the referee. With two seconds left on the clock, MJF hit Ospreay with his Dynamite Diamond Ring and pinned him for the victory. This ended Ospreay’s title reign of 52 days.
With AEW All In: London 2024 taking place next month, Ospreay will certainly attempt to reclaim the title in front of his home crowd at Wembley Stadium. The pay-per-view is scheduled to take place on August 25.
Braun Strowman is hoping to keep his distance from the Wyatt Sicks but won’t deny that there is something alluring about Bo Dallas’ macabre faction. Sitting down with WWE Deutschland, Strowman said that he hopes “they stay the hell away from me” and described the group as “pretty scary.” Strowman believes that Bo Dallas is “off his rockers” and doesn’t want to become one of the “bodies laying around everywhere.”
Despite his fears, Strowman feels a connection to the faction, and that he “can feel it pulling me towards them.” The former Universal Champion isn’t sure if this is a bad thing or a good thing, adding that “I put that part of me away a long time ago.”
“If The Wyatt Sicks is able to get that monster to come back out on me, I fear for myself and anything that’s walking around me.”
Braun’s Connection To The Wyatt Sicks
While not a member of the faction (yet!) Braun does have obvious ties to the Wyatt Sicks. The group is inspired by the late Bray Wyatt who was pivotal in bringing the Monster Among Men to the main roster in 2015. Braun and Bray later feuded and it was Wyatt (or rather, The Fiend) who ended Braun’s tenure as Universal Champion at SummerSlam 2020.
During his days in the Wyatt Family, Braun worked alongside Erick Rowan who is now part of the Wyatt Sicks as Ramblin’ Rabbit. On the latest RAW, Rowan poured his heart about losing Bray Wyatt and Brodie Lee/Luke Harper. Could Braun Strowman don his black sheep mask one more time as part of the Wyatt Sicks? Fans know to count nothing out with this popular, and mysterious faction.
Dominik Mysterio may have been the grand prize of a WWE match in 2005, but Liv Morgan plans on winning over ‘Dirty Dom’ without stepping in the ring.
Speaking to Rusic & Rose on The Big Show, Morgan was asked about whether Mysterio’s affections would be on the line in a match. The reigning WWE Women’s World Champion said she plans on winning over Dominik the “ol’ fashioned way” and plans on showing him what she can do.
“I don’t want to win him in a match. I want him to see what I bring to the table because I see so clearly what he brings to the table.”
Dominik, or rather the custody of him, was on the line at WWE SummerSlam 2005 in a ladder match between Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero. While Rey won the match, much to the delight of Dominik at the time, the Judgment Day has acknowledged Eddie as his father since turning heel in September 2022.
What’s to Come?
Morgan will defend her WWE Women’s World Championship against Rhea Ripley next month at WWE SummerSlam 2024. On this week’s RAW, Mysterio’s efforts to be forgiven by Ripley were rebuffed while Liv remained interested in the Judgment Day star. As SummerSlam draws closer, the WWE Universe will have to wait and see which side Mysterio takes when Mami and Morgan meet in Cleveland.
Nic Nemeth won’t let a partially torn labrum keep him from competing at Slammiversary, where he has a chance to capture the TNA World Championship.
On TNA iMPACT, Nemeth shared that the injury took place during last week’s match with Frankie Kazarian. Despite this setback, the ‘Wanted Man’ will be part of the the six-man elimination match against Moose, Joe Hendry, Steve Maclin, Josh Alexander, and Kazarian.
With five challengers, the odds are definitely against Moose who has held the TNA World Championship since the Hard to Kill relaunch show. Both Maclin and Josh Alexander are former TNA World Champions with Alexander boasting the longest reign of any champion at 335 days. Alexander also never lost the title as his reign was cut short due to an injury.
Kazarian is the most tenured TNA wrestler in the match, having debuted in the company back in 2003. In fact, the TNA World Championship is the only title to allude Kazarian in his journey to the TNA triple crown.
Joe Hendry is perhaps the biggest wild card in the upcoming match given his immense popularity in both TNA Wrestling and WWE NXT. The Scottish wrestler has claimed he’ll challenge John Cena should he win the gold at Slammiversary. This would certainly make for a unique match on Cena’s impending retirement tour that will come to an end in 2025.
TNA Slammiversary will take place on July 20, 2024, at Verdun Auditorium in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The event will stream live on TrillerTV pay-per-view.
WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan gave an impassioned speech supporting Donald Trump for President at Thursday’s Republican National Convention.
Hogan referenced Madison Square Garden, Macho Man Randy Savage, slamming Andre the Giant. At one point, he ripped off a his shirt to reveal a Trump-Vance shirt underneath, as the crowd chanted “USA, USA!”
He endorsed Trump as a “Trump, calling him ”hero” and “gladiator” who is the right choice in this election to get the America back on track.
NBC News: Hulk Hogan gave what I would say is probably the best speech at this convention so far pic.twitter.com/xAMPmhjIuA
Wrestling icon Hulk Hogan, former WWE President & CEO Linda McMahon, and UFC President Dana White are among the speakers at Thursday’s closing night of the 2024 Republican National Convention. Hulk Hogan spoke with Bret Baier of Fox News about his presence at the event. The 12-time World Champion of WWE/WCW and nWo founding member likened his convention speech to body-slamming Andre the Giant.
Hulk Hogan says his speech tonight will be like bodyslamming Andre The Giant at WrestleMania. pic.twitter.com/8D2R8gHgub
Hulk Hogan does not like what he’s seen in America since Trump left office in January 2021. He says the United States’ borders have “collapsed” while food and gas prices have skyrocketed.
”When they took at a shot at my hero Donald Trump, I realized that I couldn’t be silent anymore.
You know, I had to step up, I had to be a real American, just like all of these real Americans here and Donald Trump.”
AJ Francis knows a GOAT when he sees one and he got to see the ultimate “GOAT” in Tom Brady up close and personal.
Speaking with me in an exclusive conversation, I asked Francis how he thinks former NFL quarterback Tom Brady will do behind the broadcast booth. Brady, who will now be two seasons removed from professional football, will join Fox as a new analyst for NFL Sunday games.
Francis is no stranger to the NFL gridiron, but the current TNA Digital Champion and Canadian International Heavyweight Champion has been on his own steady path to greatness after finding a new lease on wrestling life following his WWE release.
Francis promised that he’d be everywhere since his WWE leave and the former Top Dolla has delivered. He’s now set to face PCO with both of his championships on the line at TNA Slammiversary this Saturday in one of the headline fights. However, while Tom Brady won’t be on commentary for that, Francis firmly believes Brady will be incredible calling NFL games.
“I used to play with Tom on the Patriots. Tom has a really good sense of humor that a lot of people don’t know about because he’s very professional aT what he does, and when it comes to football. his brain is computer-like, his brain breaks stuff down.”
RELATED: TNA Slammiversary 2024 Preview: Match Card, How To Watch
AJ Francis On How Tom Brady Gets Analytical
Francis shared a story that while he was on the Miami Dolphins another teammate of his, Michael Thomas, a defensive back was just signed on the practice squad for the Fins. When they were playing the Patriots, someone got hurt and Thomas was put in as an emergency nickel back during a final two minute drive. It’s the last play of game and Thomas is in the wrong spot, but in a happy circumstance Tom read the defense as he was supposed to. However, that happened to be where Thomas was standing and he ended up intercepting the pass, ending and winning the game for his new team.
“He only got that play because Brady is so good that he knew where the receiver was supposed to be open, and if Michael Thomas was where he was supposed to be, the receiver would have been wide open for a game-winning touchdown. So you know, that’s how good he is.”
Francis gives plenty more thoughts as he talks about feuding with Joe Hendry, his fandom of Bret Hart and his thoughts on the new NCAA College Football 25 video game.
WWE Superstar Big E recently shared some of his favorite moments working with John Cena. Here are some highlights of what Big E said about the 16-time World Champion during his recent appearance on Unlikely with Adrian Hernandez:
Debut on the Main Roster
Big E reminisces about his memorable debut on the main roster, which involved a significant moment with John Cena.
“You know, he’s done so much. Selfishly, I would say my one moment is my debut. My debut in Philly at the Slammys in 2012, December, was me leaving him laying, standing over him to close the show. And that moment means so much because debuting on the main roster is incredible for everyone. But debuting like that, debuting, getting to stand over, arguably the greatest of all time. Yeah, yeah, it’s just me. He’s, you know, red hot. He is clearly the guy. So that meant a lot to me.”
Backstage Segment and Match with CM Punk and John Cena
Big E shares a fond memory of a backstage segment that led to a match involving himself, CM Punk, and John Cena against The Shield.
“But yeah, man, there’s so many different things. You know, we had a, I remember, I think about a year later, there was a backstage segment that led to a match. I think we wrestled the Shield, but it was me, Punk, and Cena. And there’s a deal where we all, with Renee was the interviewer at the time. We all put our hands in, did a little Shield deal, a little, I think it was like a holiday feel-good show. But even that moment of like, man, I’m young in my career. I don’t, I can’t remember if I had the IC title at the time, I might have. But just being able to stand in the ring with a guy like CM Punk, with John Cena and me, like, man, there are so many incredible moments. And I think back to so many times, you know, when I first came on the road, it was always, oh, Cena’s match is about to be up.”
Cena’s Epic Crowd Reactions
Big E talks about the unique crowd reactions John Cena would receive and recalls witnessing Cena’s matches against Dolph Ziggler, highlighting the special atmosphere and Cena’s impact on fans and fellow wrestlers.
“And so many of us would just be peeking out in front of the crowd because that Cena pop is different. And another thing, when I first came on the main roster, it was Cena and Dolph wrestling every single night. I remember one of my first main roster shows was we were doing MSG. They had a cage match. And to be there in New York during Cena’s prime, wrestling Dolph, who was red hot as well in the main event, to have the best seat in the house. I’m standing there, and I’m getting to see greatness. I’m getting to see how he manipulates the crowd, how they’re with them, from little kids to old women. He made so many special moments for our fans, for people, for talent, for us to see what it’s like to be the guy, to have that kind of reaction. So salute to everything that Cena has done for our industry, and even all the make-a-wishes as well. Man, it is really inspiring. So, he’s done a lot, I mean, a lot is an understatement, but he’s done so much for our industry and our business. So, salute to him.”
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 update you on the Top 25 most-listened-to wrestling podcast episodes, focusing on the Top 5 (including embeds). This feature is based on data from Apple Podcasts compiled by Chartable.
Up Rank
Down Rank
Unchanged
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Top 5 Wrestling Podcasts – Apple (July 18th, 2024)
It’s becoming difficult to come up with ways to emphasize the sheer dominance that WWE Hall of Famer Mark Calaway has had over the Podcasting world, but we’ll keep trying!
Better known to the WWE Universe as The Undertaker, he’s not only the Lord of Darkness but the kingpin of wrestling podcasts. The former World Champion first jumped into the game in October 2023 and hasn’t looked back since; leaving a trail of laughs and great conversations along the way.
In his latest two-parter episode of Six Feet Under with Mark Calaway, he and co-host Matt discuss The Deadman’s iconic faction: The Ministry of Darkness.
2) 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 four-time Emmy-winning TV Host, YouTuber, and Inc. 500 entrepreneur who’s interviewed everyone from Anne Hathaway to Hornswoggle.
(If you’re saying to yourself: “Hey, that intro paragraph seems familiar,” it’s because this author is proud of himself for coming up with it the first time, and he’s not changing it anytime soon!)
In his latest episode of Insight with Chris Van Vliet, The Modern Day Maharaja comes to town! Former world champion Raj Dhesi, aka Jindar Mahal, joins the show to discuss his tenure in WWE, his release from the company, Brock Lesnar, and more!
In this week’s #3 position comes the Perched On The Top Rope podcast!
The program is hosted by Lee, a former writer, avid wrestling collector, and fan for over 30 years. He’s joined by Larry Peace, a former MLW referee, and Justin, the podcast’s correspondent.
In the show’s latest edition, the crew made predictions for WWE’s Money In The Bank PLE on July 6th. Check out the show and see how close the guys got in their predictions!
4) Jim Cornette Experience |~
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.
In the latest episode of the Jim Cornette Experience, Cornette reviews WWE’s latest PLE Money In The Bank. Take a listen to see if you can catch any hot takes!
5) Busted Open | ~
Join Sirius XM’s biggest professional wrestling show, as 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.
“Bully Ray breaks down his thoughts on MJF winning the AEW International Championship in a near hour long classic against Will Ospreay. He also covers whether the refereeing effected how great their match was on the 250th edition of AEW Dynamite.”
MJF was attacked by a fan at this week’s AEW Dynamite…granted, the “attacker” was only seven years old. As he and his opponent Will Ospreay brawled in the crowd, Ospreay prompted a young female fan to hit MJF, which prompted a middle finger in response.
The girl’s father proudly posted alternative angle of the ‘attack’ on social media:
MJF went on to win the match over Ospreay in the final seconds before the expiration of the 60-minute time limit. In doing so, MJF is the new AEW International Champion.
MJF Interacting w/Young Fans
This isn’t the first time that Maxwell has had a dust-up with young fans during his AEW matches. His now infamous ‘water throwing incident’ from AEW Revolution 2023 got him coverage on outlets such as TMZ. His decision to throw water in the face of a child at ringside led to AEW President Tony Khan having a “serious conversation” with MJF over conduct that he deemed unbecoming of the AEW World Champion.
“We had a serious conversation and I mean that. It’s not to be taken lightly. The young man, Titus, was a real pro about it. We’ll see Titus here again at AEW… I was just with him, and he was a real champ about it.
The champion [mjf] didn’t act like a champion there, but I think Titus was great.”
Catch a new episode of TNA Impact tonight, July 18, 2024, at 8 PM ET on AXS TV, marking the final stop before this weekend’s Slammiversary 2024 pay-per-view event.
Can Matt and Jeff Hardy capture the TNA tag titles for a third time?
TNA Impact Matches for tonight:
• TNA World Tag Team Championship Match: The System (c) vs. Matt & Jeff Hardy
• Special Tag Team Match: NXT’s No Quarter Catch Crew vs. KUSHIDA & The Rascalz
• Singles Showdown: JDC vs. Mike Santana
• Women’s Division Clash: Alisha Edwards vs. Xia Brookside
Plus: We’ll see a TNA Slammiversary 2024 Main Event Contract Signing involving every competitor in the big 6-Way Elimination match for the TNA World title.The challengers to Moose’s belt include Josh Alexander, Steve Maclin, Nic Nemeth, Frankie Kazarian and recent NXT regular Joe Hendry.
More on this year’s Slammiversary lineup here:
TNA Slammiversary 2024 Preview
TNA Slammiversary 2024 takes place this Saturday, July 20, 2024, at 8 PM ET. The event will stream live on TrillerTV ($39.99) from Verdun Auditorium in Montreal, QC.
This year’s Slammiversary card includes 5 big matches:
• TNA World Championship 6-Way Elimination Match: Moose vs. Josh Alexander vs. Steve Maclin vs. Nic Nemeth vs. Frankie Kazarian vs. Joe Hendry
• TNA Knockouts World Tag Team Title Match: The Malisha (Alisha Edwards & Masha Slamovich) (c) vs. Spitfire (Dani Luna & Jody Threat)
• TNA Digital Media Championship and the Canadian International Heavyweight Championship Match: A.J. Francis (c) w/ Rich Swann vs. PCO
• TNA X Division Championship Match: Mustafa Ali (c) w/ Campaign Singh vs. Mike Bailey w/ Trent Seven
• TNA Knockouts World Championship Match: Jordynne Grace (c) vs. Ash by Elegance w/ The Personal Concierge
Stay tuned to SEScoops for our continued coverage of TNA Impact and check out our TNA News section for more.
WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan is slated to make an appearance at the Republican National Convention on Thursday night, just before WWE Hall of Famer Donald Trump accepts the GOP nomination for President of the United States.
The wrestling legend will address the crowd ahead of Trump’s official acceptance speech on the final night of the convention, according to two senior campaign officials who spoke to NBC News. Trump’s nomination follows the recent announcement of Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance as his Vice Presidential running mate.
Linda McMahon & Kane Also at the 2024 RNC
WWE has had a presence at the 2024 RNC all week. Aside from the whole thing revolving around a Hall of Famer, former WWE President and and Trump’s former United States Administrator of the Small Business Administration Linda McMahon.
Hulk Hogan and Donald Trump are friends dating back to the 1980’s. In recent years, Hogan has been a proud supporter of Trump’s US Presidential campaigns.
In 2015, when Trump was running for president, Hogan publicly stated that he wanted to be Trump’s running mate [CBSNews]. During another interaction with TMZ, Hogan was asked which 2016 presidential candidate he would like to have in the ring with him. Believe it or not, the Hulkster went into self-promotion mode, brother.
“I don’t want to be in the ring with any candidates, I want to be Trump’s running mate.”
– Hulk Hogan (2015)
Stay tuned for our continued coverage of Hulk Hogan speaking at the 2024 Republican National Convention later this evening.
This week’s 250th AEW Dynamite was a massive milestone for the company, and a ton happened on this action-packed show. We got an hour-long ‘Match of the Year’ candidate between MJF and Will Ospreay, a disturbing in-ring promo from ‘Timeless Mariah’ May and the surprise return of Darby Allin, who descended from the rafters and is the final man on Team AEW for next week’s AEW Blood and Gutsspecial.
All Elite Wrestling has now uploaded all of the video highlights for the show to their official YouTube channel, which we have compiled in an easy to view format on one page below.
Minoru Suazuki Confronts Chris Jericho
The Learning Tree & Minoru Suzuki?! FTW Champ Jericho faces off w/ a LEGEND!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGj5PZ5ICnk
TBS Champ vs. Former Women’s World Champ
Could TBS Champion Mercedes Moné hold off The Native Beast Nyla Rose? | 7/17/24, AEW Dynamite
‘Timeless’ Mariah May
After her SHOCKING attack on AEW Women’s Champ Toni Storm, Mariah May SPEAKS!
Champion vs. Champion
It’s CHAMP vs. CHAMP! Swerve Strickland vs. Kazuchika Okada
More AEW Videos
Head over to our Wrestling Videos section for more AEW videos, and check out these AEW channels on Youtube:
Former WWE Superstar Jinder Mahal recently sat down with Chris Van Vliet to reflect on his journey in wrestling and his release earlier this year. Mahal held the WWE, United States, and 24/7 Championships before being cut.
Thoughts On WWE
This year marked the second time in a decade that Mahal, now working under the name Rah Dhesi, has been released from WWE. Despite this unfortunate statistic, the Canadian wrestler bears no ill will to his former employer.
Mahal: “There’s no hostility, there’s no negative feelings at all with WWE. I’m very grateful for them for all the years and the platform they provided me.”
On The Release
Mahal was let go from WWE along with the rest of Indus Sher after the group had worked on Monday Night RAW and in WWE NXT. Mahal recalled WWE keeping the group away from important personal events, only to be left on the sidelines.
Mahal: “A few months prior (to being released) Veer had a religious event that he holds, it was the one-year anniversary of his father’s death. He got told that no, we’re needed for RAW, you can’t go back home… Sure enough, that week we weren’t booked, we were sitting at home.
“They were quite frustrated. And also myself, started off the year with The Rock and had the WWE championship match. Then one week later, I’m not in the Royal Rumble. Which was I thought it was very weird. So we talked to TR, we just said, Hey, listen, like, if there’s nothing for us, we can go our separate ways. And sure enough, a few months later, we went our separate ways.”
When asked if he requested his release, Mahal made clear that he didn’t but that at the time was open to the two sides going their separate ways.
On Fan Support After He Was Released
While being released is rarely fun, Mahal was met with a whirlwind of fan support and interest from independent promotions shortly after his release. This wave of momentum didn’t go unnoticed by the former World Champion.
Mahal: “I generally get a lot of hate online. But it was one of those rare instances where I got to show my real personality, actually, this happens to me all the time. I meet people and they’re like, wow, like you’re not what we expect. [They say] you’re nice, maybe it’s the Canadian in me. Always respectful, polite, and the Jinder Mahal character was the complete opposite of me.”
On Drew McIntyre
Mahal isn’t the only 3MB alum to reach the pinnacle of WWE as Drew McIntyre is also a former WWE Champion after capturing the gold at WrestleMania 36. While Mahal is happy to remind fans that he was the first 3MB member to taste WWE World Championship gold, he’s pleased to see McIntyre be a main event talent on Monday Night RAW.
Mahal: “I became WWE Champion before Drew McIntyre, don’t you forget that [laughs]. Drew’s the man. What Drew is doing right now is incredible. This is the best version of Drew. Drew’s the man. He’s like a brother to me and to see him in this position.
“He just signed a new contract so he’ll be there for a few more years. Something about a man like he is incredible. He’s having fun. I just don’t think he cares anymore and that’s usually when the best comes out. Like CM Punk, he doesn’t care about anything and that’s why he’s the best.”
On Being in The Punjabi Prison Match
In 2017, during his reign as WWE Champion, Mahal faced Randy Orton in the third Punjabi Prison match. While Mahal would win the match (with a timely assist from the Great Khali,) it’s not a match that the Modern-Day Maharaja enjoyed.
Mahal: “The Punjabi prison match sucks. It’s terrible. [In what way?] It’s so hard. The inside cage is the blue old-school cage. You can hit it as hard as possible and it won’t even make a noise. It was terrible. And then just the crowd reaction they couldn’t really see the people in the arena, there’s two cages so when we’re on the inside, there’s two cages they couldn’t really see. And it was just painful. Kendo sticks, chair shots, everything.”
On Not Working With Brock Lesnar
Later on that year, Mahal (still the WWE Champion) was poised to face RAW’s Universal Champion Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series. Mere days before the show, Mahal lost his title to AJ Styles who’d lose to the Beast at the PLE. Despite rumors of Lesnar refusing to work with him, Mahal doubts that’s the case.
Mahal: “The headline came out, ‘Brock Lesnar refused to work with Jinder.’ I don’t think he refused. I just think it was he probably pitched for a match with AJ because stylistically, it is a much better match. Me and Brock are both heels. Who’s gonna put heat on who? It was gonna be a flat match. It would have just been him suplexing me a bunch of times, maybe Singh Bros get involved. But the match he had with AJ was phenomenal.”
“I had it [the WWE Championship] for six months and I didn’t know that I was losing the championship until the day of. We were in Manchester and we have the title match. We get to the building. Michael Hayes tells me and AJ go talk to Vince, and send us to Vince’s office, Vince tells me you’re dropping the championship.”
All Elite Wrestling made sure to get the blessing of Dr. Martha Hart for Darby Allin’s entrance during the 250th episode of Dynamite.
Allin arrived inside the Simmons Bank Arena in Little Rock by descending from the rafters during a brawl between the Elite and those they’ll face in Blood & Guts. Allin confirmed that he will join Swerve Strickland, Mark Briscoe, and The Acclaimed in next week’s match.
AEW was mindful to consult Dr. Hart about the entrance, Fightful Select report, given the tragedy that took her husband Owen’s life at WWF Over the Edge 1999. This isn’t the first time that AEW has sought Martha’s blessing, as she approved of Sting making his iconic entrance from the rafters on the go-home Dynamite before AEW Revolution 2024.
In September 2021, it was announced that the Owen Hart Foundation and AEW would be working together to honor the legacy of the late wrestler. This partnership has seen six Owen Hart tournaments (three for men and three for women,) and Owen be included in the AEW Fight Forever video game. This partnership has allowed for a whole new generation of fans to celebrate the life and career of The Rocket who remains a beloved name in professional wrestling.
The 250th episode of AEW Dynamite saw plenty of in-ring action and one more would surpass all the wrestling fans saw on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW.
This one match from Dynamite had more wrestling than the entirety of Monday Night Raw, according to stats from Cagematch as pointed out by Drainmaker on Twitter. From bell to bell, the July 16, edition of RAW saw 48 minutes and 52 seconds of wrestling, over eleven minutes less than the MJF-Ospreay showdown.
AEW is often considered to be a more wrestling-centric promotion when compared to WWE, and stats like these suggest that to be the case. In total, the 250th episode of AEW Dynamite had 80 minutes and 50 seconds of bell-to-bell action, over half an hour more than WWE’s flagship show.
Ric Flair may be a 16-time World Champion, but the Nature Boy is fuming that he hasn’t made the rankings of ESPN’s top 100 athletes of the 21st century.
The list in question features athletes across various sports and is compiled based on votes from experts. Despite his impressive wrestling career, Ric doesn’t appear on the list, and took to Twitter to address being snubbed.
How In The Hell On God’s Green Earth Is Ric Flair Not Considered To Be One Of The Top 100 Athletes In The World??? I Should Actually Be In The Top 10. 16 World Titles, Actually 22. 1,200 Hour Matches, 15 Years Without A Day Off; A Cultural Icon & Worldwide Sensation. Good Lord, So Many People Have Lost Sight Of What Greatness Truly Is! I Never Pulled Out With A Calf Muscle Strain. Oh How The Times Have Changed! What A Bunch Of Bitches! I Get Tom Brady And All That, But Come On Let’s Get Serious!
How In The Hell On God’s Green Earth Is Ric Flair Not Considered To Be One Of The Top 100 Athletes In The World??? I Should Actually Be In The Top 10. 16 World Titles, Actually 22. 1,200 Hour Matches, 15 Years Without A Day Off; A Cultural Icon & Worldwide Sensation. Good Lord,… pic.twitter.com/Ebx2bOZHA1
Ric isn’t the only name in professional wrestling that feels he should have made the list. On his show (which airs on ESPN), Raw commentator Pat McAfee shared that he feels the Nature Boy should have made the rankings. It’s important to remember though that ESPN’s rankings cover athletes in the 21st Century, and therefore the vast majority of Flair’s career should not be taken into consideration.
The 21st Century saw Flair capture his 16th World Champion after being awarded the gold by Kevin Nash in 2000. Once WCW went out of business, Flair returned to WWE in November 2001 and competed for years until losing to Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 24. He would later wrestle a handful of matches in TNA before his final match in 2022 saw himself and Andrade defeat Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal.
At 75 years old, it certainly appears that Flair’s days in the ring are officially behind him, despite showing interest in one final, final match. Until that day comes, Flair will continue to have an incredible legacy, albeit not one enough to get him in ESPN’s Top 100 list.
On this week’s 250th episode of AEW Dynamite Mariah May came out dressed as Toni Storm to address her attack last week.
May delivered a powerful promo, explaining her attack on Toni Storm from the previous week. May criticized Storm for being so desperate for the spotlight that she failed to realize she was losing it.
She declared that her greatest performance will be at AEW All In 2024, where she plans to defeat her mentor and capture the AEW Women’s World Championship.
Here are results from this week’s special 250th AEW Dynamite from Little Rock, AK at the Simmons Bank Arena:
[AEW International Championship] Will Ospreay (c) vs. MJF: MJF won the title with two seconds left on the clock in a 60-minute match, (allegedly) cheating by (allegedly) punching Ospreay in the face with his Diamond Ring while the referee was down.
Chris Jericho and The Learning Tree Promo: Interrupted by Minoru Suzuki, who has a contract for a match against Jericho for the FTW Championship with the rest of The Learning Tree banned from ringside. Suzuki sends a message by landing a headbutt on Jericho.
[TBS Women’s Championship] Mercedes Mone (c) vs. Nyla Rose: Winner: Mercedes Mone via submission.
Ringside Attacker: After the match, a fan wearing a Sting mask attacks Mone at ringside, revealed to be Britt Baker. Security quickly separates them.
Mariah May Promo: Dressed as “Timeless” Toni Storm, Mariah May explains her actions and announces her intent to make AEW all about her. She mocks Toni Storm and declares her best performance will be at All In.
Backstage with the Bang Bang Gang: They hand over their Undisputed Trios Championship belts to Christopher Daniels and promise to win the tournament to get them back.
Swerve Strickland vs. Kazuchika Okada: The match ends in a no contest when it’s interrupted by a run-in from The Elite, with Team AEW making the save ahead of Blood & Guts. Darby Allin joins Team AEW by dropping from the rafters! The show ends with both teams fighting while security struggles to intervene. A graphic airs showing Darby Allin as the final member of Team AEW.
