Tony Khan was pleased that his father Shad recently appeared on AEW Dynamite, though he wishes his dad’s debut came under better circumstances.
Shad Khan appeared in the closing moments of the April 24, episode of AEW Dynamite, after Jack Perry & The Elite attacked his son. Tony Khan was laid out with a piledriver by the Young Bucks and has been in a neck brace ever since. Khan intends to put the neck brace to good use when he no longer needs it.
Sitting down with SE Scoops correspondent Scott Fishman for TV Insider, Khan spoke about his father’s All-Elite debut and had plenty of praise for his dear old dad.
“It was nice of him to be on the show on one hand, but the reason for it is another. It meant a lot for him to come out to check on me. He is an incredible father and a loving parent and a great man.
“I’ve learned so much from him. I know he cares a lot. Nobody wants to see their son out cold and recovering from a deadly piledriver move. You saw he was concerned. You saw it on his face. He was angry and concerned. Mostly very angry.”
When asked if his father has a favorite wrestler on AEW’s roster, the younger Khan said that Shad has quite a few stars he’s keeping an eye on.
“A few weeks ago I got a text from him during Will Ospreay and Claudio [Castagnoli]. He knew them both. He hadn’t seen much of Will Ospreay. He said Ospreay was amazing. I introduced him to Will, and he is now a huge fan of him.
“He is a huge fan of Kenny Omega, MJF, Jon Moxley, Orange Cassidy, Dr. Britt Baker, and recently “Timeless” Toni Storm And Mariah May. Also, he had some nice interactions with Swerve.”
It’s unclear when, if ever, we’ll see Shad Khan on AEW programming again, though Tony Khan will be operating shows remotely as he recovers from the attack. With The Elite a force to be reckoned with and Kenny Omega’s imminent return to AEW TV, it’ll be interesting to see how the power struggle goes with Khan out of the picture.
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Lucha Underground was indeed a cult hit when it was on television and the Lucha Brothers want to charge up that nostaglia for fans of the defunct series.
Rey Fenix along with Penta El Zero M are going to but hosting Republic of Lucha 7: Hit The Lights and it will take place at the old Lucha Underground Temple.
Fenix and Penta will join quite the list of names set for the event including Konosuke Takeshita, Brian Cage, John Morrison, Nic Nemeth, Thunder Rosa, Lio Rush, Nick Wayne, Speedball Mike Bailey, Alex Windsor, Dante Martin and more. The event currently doesn’t have an air date but it will take place on Triller TV.
It will be this upcoming October when the show will celebrate its ten-year anniversary since it first aired on El Rey Network and ran four seasons with a total of 127 episodes. The Temple was located in Boyle Heights, CA.
While the series may be over, the legacy of Lucha Underground happens to live on through Major League Wrestling. It was years ago when MLW introduced Cesar Duran to the company as they made an indication that Duran was Dario Cueto (the owner of Lucha Underground) going under a new alias.
MLW has also reintroduced other players from the program including Mil Muertes and Jeff Cobb, but they also have put their own spin on the show. In less than two weeks, MLW will host AZTECA Lucha, their own solitary event featuring many lucha libre talent competing against one another. AZTECA Lucha is actually MLW highest-selling gate event in league history as they sold out Cicero Stadium in Chicago.
Former North American Champion Wes Lee made his long-awaited return to programming during the April 30, edition of WWE NXT.
During Night Two of WWE NXT Spring Breakin’, Oba Femi defended the North American Championship against Ivar. After the match, Lee appeared to a thunderous ovation from the audience at the Performance Center. Lee emerged from the crowd and to prove he is healed, leapt from the crowd to the ringsteps. Lee then came face-to-face with Femi who held up the NXT North American Championship.
Lee had been out of action since December after suffering a severe back injury. His return to TV has come far earlier than thought, as it was originally believed that he’d be out of commission for anywhere from eight months to a year. The injury nixed plans for Lee to challenge for the North American title, held by ‘Dirty’ Dominik Mysterio at the time.
Lee is officially cleared to wrestle, Fightful Select has confirmed and it won’t be long before fans see him wrestle again. At WWE NXT Spring Breakin’ it was announced that Lee will face Josh Briggs on the May 7 episode. This will be his first match since November 2023.
Having Lee back is a huge win for NXT head Shawn Michaels who has been a loud advocate for the former North American Champion. With WWE NXT losing top talent like Lyra Valkyria and Ilja Dragunov in the recent draft, Lee is in a prime position to be elevated up the card now he’s cleared to wrestle once more.
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If you have any apprehension to watch the forthcoming Who Killed WCW? series, Kevin Nash wants you to fear not.
VICE TV revealed that Jason Eisener and Evan Husney of Dark Side Of The Ring will once again collaborate with The Rock’s Seven Bucks Productions on an upcoming four-part series detailing the rise and fall of World Championship Wrestling.
In a statement announcing the series, which will premiere on June 4, The Rock talked about how WCW as a promotion to rival WWE became a huge inspiration for him personally.
“The rise of WCW, not the fall, inspired me greatly early in my career where I would eventually become, ‘The Final Boss.’”
The trailer featured all sorts of major names set to tell the story of WCW including Eric Bischoff, Diamond Dallas Page, Bret Hart, Goldberg, Vince Russo and Kevin Nash.
Nash Says We’re Getting the Untold True Story
Despite all of the big names being involved in “Who Killed WCW,” the project garnered skepticism from some fans. The main critique has been Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson helming the project, since he’s one of the most powerful people in WWE. One fan wrote on social media, “It’s gonna have a huge WWE tilt to it and we already have a docu-series with that, The Monday Night War. So it’s a bit redundant.”
Kevin Nash, one of the key players who helped bring WCW to the top of the wrestling world in the late 1990’s, says fans should buckle up for their uncensored account of what happened, not a version written by the ‘victor’ of the WWE vs. WCW war.
“No we told our story. Not the WWE Victor’s version. This will be the first real take.”
Luckily, there’s only a month to wait before we find out who actually killed World Championship Wrestling.
Tony Khan happened to share quite a Swerve Strickland story with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
Speaking with Scott Fishman of TV Insider, the AEW President talked about introducing his AEW World Heavyweight Champion to Goodell and talked about that gruesome moment he fought Hangman Page and took a staple to the face.
“I was telling Goodell about Swerve versus Hangman Page. I mentioned to him how Swerve got stapled in the face. Roger looked at him and said, ‘Really? He got stapled in the face for real?’ Swerve was smiling and said, ‘Yeah it’s true.'”
After Goodell left, Khan noted to Swerve that he happened to omit the fact that Strickland drank Page’s blood. According to Tony, Swerve got a kick out of that.
Tony Khan Happy With AEW & NFL Draft Buzz
Albeit polarizing, Tony Khan was very pleased with the connection and promotion he got from wearing a neckbrace during the NFL Draft, following the Meltzer Driver he took from last week’s AEW Dynamite. Khan made a point to credit NFL personality Rich Eisen for all the publicity for AEW during the weekend.
“Making lemonade out of lemons, I brought my recovery to the NFL Draft this year. I was blessed that Rich Eisen gave it so much coverage on the broadcast several times. He is doing great things with St. Jude through Run Rich Run. It’s such an awesome cause.”
In an effort to get AEW over as the underdog, Khan made a controversial analogy with his company in comparison to WWE, noting that WWE was Harvey Weinstein while AEW was Pepsi.
Drew McIntyre may not be happy with his WWE Draft spot, but he is happy with the work of Triple H.
McIntyre is arguably doing the best character work of his pro wrestling career in 2024 and it was just revealed by The Rock that the former World Heavyweight Champion re-signed a brand new deal with WWE. With him being in a top bout at WrestleMania, many speculated that it was just a matter of time until McIntyre put paper to pen on a new contract with the company as the Chief Content Officer Triple H was putting Drew in a prominent light.
Following last night’s episode of WWE RAW, McIntyre took to social media to share a photo of himself in Gorilla with Triple H, giving ‘The Game’ a big vote of confidence as WWE rolls into a big future.
“I trusted Triple H when he brought me back in 2017. And I trust him now to lead the evolution of our industry. Here’s to the future.”
I trusted @TripleH when he brought me back in 2017. And I trust him now to lead the evolution of our industry
Drew was drafted very late on RAW, well past his recent “obsession” in CM Punk who was the first pick of round two while McIntyre was the third pick of round three. Punk ended up cutting a promo in the middle of the ring at McIntyre who watched from afar. McIntyre stewed as Punk made an effort to keep his conversation shorter than McIntyre’s very brief title reign. Punk said that he wasn’t out for revenge, but McIntyre has given him purpose.
Dax Harwood and Eric Bischoff has gone back and forth with one another on social media before, but Monday night the two took it to a whole new level.
Bischoff has always been vocal when it comes his constructive criticism on AEW. Eric’s opinion was even more resounding following the recent buzz Tony Khan has been getting after the polarizing angle from last week’s Dynamite and the former WCW President had some more words regarding the current AEW President.
Harwood, who in 2023 re-signed with AEW, decided to express his thoughts regarding Eric’s “obsession” with Khan on his “83 Weeks” podcast, calling him “stalkerish.”
“I know it’s your gimmick and the other guys pay you well to bury AEW, but checking out your timeline & all the Tony tweets and RT’s, it looks very stalkerish. Netflix “Baby Reindeer” would do you a bit of good, my brother in Christ.”
Bischoff wasn’t having any of that, stating that Dax is the pot calling the kettle black.
“Says the chunky little monkey that studies my timeline. That’s weird.”
Says the chunky little monkey that studies my timeline. That's weird. https://t.co/COe3TUEZAG
Eric then decided to unload on Harwood following fan input who labeled Dax a hypocrite. Bischoff went on to call Harwood “mid as mid can get” and that his supposed “loyalty” to Khan is just a means as holding onto the bag as long as he can. He also threw another jab, calling Dax a future greeter at Walmart.
Don't be so hard on him. He's as mid as mid can get. He knows it. He's flailing away trying to prove his “loyalty” so he can hold on to that bag as long as possible. He knows that being a Walmart greeter is his next stop. https://t.co/UE2KnmaU1h
Earlier this year, Harwood said Bischoff was a “miserable podcaster” as he and FTR Wheeler said Eric was just upset that Tony Khan had never hired him. On several occassions, Bischoff has made clear he really took issue with Khan after he took a dig at Ted Turner.
Bischoff isn’t the only top WCW talent to dole out constructive criticism to Khan. Kevin Nash has expressed his thoughts on the current AEW product. Both he and Bischoff had made it quite clear that they want to see AEW succeed.
Cody Rhodes has reached new heights after defeating Roman Reigns to become the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion at WrestleMania 40. The year-long story finally ended after Rhodes overcame the odds to end the title reign of ‘The Tribal Chief.’ In the aftermath of his career achievement, Rhodes shared great advice that JBL had given him about being a champion.
“He said, try not at this point to focus on any numbers, because you’ve already broken every record that matters. And I thought, oh, that’s exactly what I wanted to hear at the time. It was just from a guy who’s not a soft man, not an easy guy to get to get that type of love. So much love for the Cowboy, former WWE champion himself, John Bradshaw Layfield,” said Rhodes.
Preview Of Cody Rhodes vs. AJ Styles At WWE Backlash
Rhodes will have his first title defense against Styles at WWE Backlash. The event will occur at the LDLC Arena in Lyon-Décines, France. At this time, Rhodes and Styles are expected to be the main event of the PLE.
Styles earned his title opportunity after defeating LA Knight on the April 19 episode of WWE Friday Night Smackdown. The matchup will also be the first time Rhodes and Styles have competed against each other.
‘The American Nightmare’ is coming into his first title defense with confidence after dethroning Reigns at WrestleMania 40. However, he can’t take Styles lightly as the challenger will try to push Rhodes to his limit to win the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
MLW is making waves in the Windy City following a five-year hiatus from the great wrestling city of Chicago.
Major League Wrestling announced yesterday that tickets for its upcoming AZTECA Lucha event on May 11 is sold out and it did so in historic fashion. The event has smashed the company’s all-time box office gate record. The league’s website did tell its fanbase to keep tabs in case the production set-up offers more space, but as of now there are no tickets available.
MLW CEO Court Bauer expressed his excitement for the news, noting that 2024 has been a good start for the promotion.
“Thank you, Chicago. To sell out the biggest arena we run is a huge triumph. This is a big milestone as MLW’s best year of business to date in the history of the league. From our Boss Fight Studios action figures selling out to arenas selling out, this is an unprecedented era for MLW. None of this happens without the fans’ support, the wrestlers’ work in and away from the ring, and the grind of our production team and front office. We’re all pumped to now bring it on May 11. Chicago and fans watching on TrillerTV+ are in for a very special night.”
If the name of the event didn’t give you the hint, the card for AZTECA Lucha is extremely lucha libre focused as Cesar Duran (formerly Dario Cueto of Lucha Underground) is in the middle of a power struggle with Salina de la Renta. The two promoters are waging war with lucha talent and up for grabs is a mysterious key that Duran currently holds possession of.
The headline match for the show is Mistico defending the MLW World Middleweight Championship against Barbaro Cavernario. Matt Riddle will also be taking on Joshua Bishop and Rickey Shane Page will put his National Openweight Championship on the line against Bad Dude Tito.
On The Daily Migs Show, Allin was asked about his recovery and whether he’ll be appearing on the May 15, episode of AEW Dynamite in Everett, Washington.
“My foot is not scheduled to heal until, I’d say June. So if I did roll up [to Dynamite in two weeks], it would just be with a broken face and a broken foot waving to the crowd, which may not be the worst thing. I’ll see.”
Given Allin’s history with Everett, the former AEW TNT Champion wasn’t ready to rule out an appearance on the show.
“I trained in Everett, Washington, so it would be like an ultimate homecoming of sorts. That’d be really cool. May 15, I gotta see. I think might be able to make it. As long as there’s no buses, I’m good.”
Allin’s injury comes at an interesting time in his career. For years, Allin’s career has seen him by the side of Sting who retired from in-ring competition at Revolution 2024. With his mentor out of the picture, it’ll be up to Allin to re-establish himself in singles competition, once he’s healed up.
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Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes’s year is off to a great start after defeating Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40. He finally earned a victory over ‘The Tribal Chief’ to win the title that eluded his family successfully. What made the win more remarkable was that he overcame many odds, including Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s interference in the match.
Despite being disadvantaged, ‘The American Nightmare’ landed his signature Cross Rhodes finisher to best reigns to win the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
Cody Rhodes On His Relationship With Dwayne Johnson
Rhodes spoke about his victory in a recent interview on the Cheap Heat Podcast with Peter Rosenberg and Stat Guy Greg. When Rosenberg asked Rhodes about his relationship with ‘The Rock’ before WrestleMania 40, the champion revealed that he didn’t have much of a relationship with Johnson prior to their feud.
“…We did some dark match stuff back in the day, but Wrestlemania in Miami, I gone into his locker room to thank him for the house, and that was something that I think he remembered, whereas for me, it was just the right thing to do. We had that previous moment, but other than that, I don’t think Rock respectfully was very familiar with me, said Rhodes.
The champion shared that he didn’t blame Johnson if he didn’t because the Hollywood megastar has too many important things to focus on. However, Rhodes shared that he enjoyed ‘The Final Boss’ getting to know him during the build toward WrestleMania 40.
“…I enjoyed him figuring out who I was in real time as moments were happening. For example, coming down the steps with Seth Rollins, with him and Roman in the ring, I think it’s the first time he had ever heard the crowd do the whoa. I think he really took to what was going on,” said Rhodes.
What’s Next For Cody Rhodes & Dwayne Johnson?
The night after WrestleMania 40, Rhodes and Johnson had an in-ring segment on Monday Night Raw to tease a future matchup. ‘The Final Boss’ warned the champion that he was coming for his title in the future. Rhodes accepted the challenge and claimed he would hold the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship when he returned.
Rhodes is currently focused on defending his title against AJ Styles at WWE Backlash on May 4. The champion faces a tough matchup, and it will be the first time they will cross paths in the ring. WWE fans will unfortunately be forced to wait a little longer before they can get a dream match between Rhodes and ‘The Great One.’
A new four-part docuseries about legendary wrestling promotion WCW is coming to Vice TV on June 4. The former rival to WWE has seen many involved share their stories and experiences from working or competing against the promotion. However, WWE and Hollywood megastar Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson plans to share new stories about the company’s fall with Who Killed WCW this June.
Johnson and longtime business partner Dany Garcia are the executive producers for the docuseries. The creators of Dark Side Of The Ring are also involved in the project.
Here is the official trailer for Who Killed WCW from Vice TV’s X/Twitter account.
"Who Killed WCW?" from our @SevenBucksProd & the Co-Creators of @Darksideofring comes a 4-part series about the meteoric rise and spectacular fall of the cultural phenomenon that was World Championship Wrestling.
In a press release about the making of Who Killed WCW, Johnson shared why he wanted to create the docuseries and what fans can expect.
SEScoops’ Michael Shalik transcribed the following quotes.
“The iconic rise and fall of WCW is one of professional wrestling’s most captivating stories – full of big dreams, massive successes, painful failures, and the harsh realities of the pro wrestling business. With wrestling viewership and fan engagement at an ultimate high, there has never been a more perfect time to tell top-quality wrestling stories, and there’s no better one to start with than a one-of-a-kind, behind-the-scenes look at this epic saga, known as The Rise and Fall of WCW and personally, the rise of WCW, not the fall, inspired me greatly early in my career where I would eventually become, the Final Boss,” said Johnson.
More On Who Killed WCW 4 Part Docuseries
How many former WCW superstars or em ployees will be involved in the project is unclear. However, the trailer shows former WCW Senior Vice President Eric Bischoff, Goldberg, and Booker T, who will share their experiences of the company’s decline.
Although the premiere date is June 8, Vice TV will likely release a new weekly episode. The series may stream on Hulu the next day after it airs on ViceTV.
The new project seems like it may shed new light on WCW’s fall. However, it will be interesting to see how much new information will come from stories shared for over two decades.
WWE superstar Chad Gabe has begun to embrace his new role as a ‘Heel,’ as he aims to be a champion. He turned his back on fans after attacking WWE Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn following a defeat on the April 15 episode of Monday Night Raw. Although he’s still earlier in his new persona, WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angles sees himself in Gable’s new ‘Heel’ role.
On a recent episode of The Kurt Angle Show, the former WWE Champion praised Gable’s new character change. When answering a fan’s question about his thoughts on the WWE superstar’s in-ring promo on the April 22 episode of Raw, Angle believes that Gable is doing things he used to do in his career.
“Well, listen, the Kurt Angle formula worked the first time. The Kurt Angle formula will work today. I’ve noticed. I’ve been watching Chad, and he’s doing a lot of actions that Kurt Angle used to do,” said the WWE Hall of Famer.
Angle noted that Gable’s characteristics, facial expressions, and even finisher(Ankle Lock) seem inspired by him.
“…I feel like this is a rebirth of Kurt Angle, but I’ll tell you this: he’s doing a great job at it, too. He’s really stepped up and I don’t know if I can do it any better than him. He’s doing really good right now,” said Angle.
While Gable may be taking inspiration from Angle, the WWE Hall of Famer has shared that he would be open to being his manager.
Kurt Angle On Possibly Being A Manager For Chad Gable
Angle believes the WWE Universe would love to see a new version of his classic faction, Team Angle. The popular group was led by the former WWE Champion and featured a tag team of Shelton Benjamin and Charlier Haas. WWE fans have also recently considered the possibility of the Creed Brothers(Brutus & Julius Creed) working with Gable to form a new faction.
Currently, Gable is focused on his Alpha Academy and winning the WWE Intercontinental Championship. However, Angle thinks he can greatly advocate for Gable under the right circumstances. He didn’t share the terms, but his co-host Paul Bromwell suggested money is a factor.
It’s unclear if WWE would consider bringing Angle back to be a manager for Gable. For now, Gable has set his sights on Zayn and finally aims to finally put singles gold around his waist.
Tony Khan says The Elite has ignited a “power struggle” in AEW and the company plans to have a new “highest-ranking official” onsite for Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite. The Elite shocked the pro wrestling world last Wednesday by attacking Tony Khan one night before his participation in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Jacksonville Jaguars owner generated a ton of media attention for the neck brace he wore at the Draft to sell the effects of the unconscionable attack he sustained.
During an interview with SEScoops correspondent Scott Fishman for TV Insider, Khan said how lucky he is to work with the NFL and appreciates all the concern about his condition. He said he won’t be present for Wednesday’s Dynamite from Winnipeg, but he’s worked remotely in the past throughout the pandemic. The big question is, who will be on top of the totem pole in his absense?
“We all have experience working outside the office. During the lockdown, we got used to meetings on Teams and Zoom. I’ll still be overseeing AEW and managing the show remotely.
As for who will be the highest-ranking official onsite, stay tuned Wednesday. It will certainly be addressed this week on TBS. This power struggle that is happening in AEW.”
As Kevin Nash spoke about on his podcast this week, Tony Khan fired CM Punk when he felt physically threatened. The Elite have taken things much farther than Punk did. What repercussions will they face, if any?
TK Welcomes Kenny Omega’s Return
Kenny Omega is advertised to make his AEW television return when they go to Winnipeg. As another EVP of the company, this could throw a wrench in the Young Bucks’ plans. After all, they did fire him from The Elite a few weeks ago. This will be a big moment for AEW, and Tony Khan is also very excited about that, as he continued plugging the upcoming episode of Dynamite on TBS.
Omega has been out of action due to a diverticulitis attack, one that reportedly required surgery. Although The Cleaner is far from his in-ring clearance, he won’t miss Dynamite in his home city. Khan says, “I can’t wait to have Kenny Omega back in AEW. It’s the perfect time for Kenny to return. I know Kenny Omega has been recovering at home since he was fired from The Elite by The Young Bucks last month. It’s the perfect time for Kenny Omega to return on May 1.”
AEW Dynamite Preview (5/1)
You can find the current lineup for the May 1 episode of AEW Dynamite below.
Chris Jericho vs. Shibata
Adam Copeland vs. TBA
Mariah May vs. Serena Deeb
Kenny Omega’s TV return
Due to a scheduling conflict with the NHL Playoffs, AEW Rampage will air at a different time this week. A three-hour event will air this week on Wednesday, May 1, with a live Rampage following Dynamite. Also, AEW Collision will not broadcast on May 4, due to this conflict with the NHL. AEW’s Saturday night show is set to return to its regular time slot on Saturday, May 11.
Roman Reigns is among a select class of talent to have transcended the world of wrestling, at least in WWE, according to his longtime rival Cody Rhodes. The American Nightmare dethroned Reigns at WrestleMania to win the Undisputed WWE Championship, ending the 1,316-day reign of the Tribal Chief in the process. Reigns has not been seen on WWE programming since then leaving fans to speculate on what kind of future Reigns has in store in the promotion’s new era.
Despite their differences, he holds a lot of respect to the man he vanquished in Philadelphia, PA. Cody Rhodes appeared on the Cheap Heat podcast this week and spoke highly of Roman Reigns with hosts Peter Rosenberg and Stat Guy Greg.
“If we’re looking at a snapshot of how unbelievable he is, just look at how he showed up to Wrestlemania. Just the end of his run, he was at his absolute peak and absolute best. And I mean that physically. I mean that mentally.
“Just truly very few people get to transcend what we do. Very few people. You can be at the top of it. You can be near the top. But very few people transcend what we do. I think he transcends what we do.”
“I think you’ll see him pop up in areas that aren’t sports entertainment and aren’t wrestling and with much success because of how hard he works.”
There’s no official word on when Reigns will be back, but the former Champion is being advertised for SummerSlam 2024 in Cleveland this August. Whatever’s next for Reigns, the Tribal Chief will continue to have the respect of Cody Rhodes.
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AEW TNT Champion Adam Copeland is welcoming new challenges by trying to add new maneuvers to his arsenal in the latter stage of his career.
‘The Rated R Superstar’ undoubtedly has an impressive array of moves up his sleeve, but even veterans of the ring haven’t executed every conceivable maneuver. Copeland has showcased some spectacular moves in his recent matches and he says this is no accident.
While speaking with Swerve Strickland and Monteasy on AEW Champion Swerve Strickland’s Swerve City Podcast, Cope has made it clear he will try a new move in every match from now on. He feels extremely fortunate to still be wrestling, is excited to work with so many new opponents in AEW and relishes the challenge of pushing himself and executing unfamiliar strikes, holds and dives.
“What I’ve done with this AEW run, I told myself, ‘I’m going to try a move that I’ve never tried before. One move, every match. That I’ve never done before.’ [AEW Collision before AEW Dynasty], I did the Davey Boy powerslam. Never done one before. I’ve done the rotation powerslam, but never the Davey. Last week against Brody King, I’ve never done a blockbuster, ‘I’ll try a blockbuster.’ Just for myself, really. Just to have fun and the challenge of it. I get off on challenges. The challenges are very big for me in life. I work best when I have a challenge that I have to try and conquer.”
On March 20 edition of Dynamite, Adam Copeland captured the AEW TNT Championship for the second time when he defeated his former best friend Christian Cage in front of his hometown crowd. Ever since, Copeland has been defending his title in Cope Open challenge and has already retained against the likes of Penta El Zero Miedo and Matt Cardona.
Adam Copeland set to defend his title on Dynamite
On this week’s Dynamite, Copeland will put his title on the line against one of the members of The House of Black.
The Canadian wrestler has been vocal about challenging himself post-WWE career, which is one of the reasons he joined AEW. Signing with the promotion has certainly opened the door for him to explore new trails and he is just enjoying his time before the sun sets on his career.
Welcome to the Daily Drop for Tuesday, April 30. This is the last day of the month before we spring into May, and there are a few big stories to cover this morning.
Before we get going, WWE finished up the 2024 Draft on RAW. There is a lot to unpack. Now only do we have new rosters, but there are also zero free agents this year.
This was Triple H’s first year calling all those shots as the final decision maker, and we saw a few notable NXT call-ups in the process including Carmelo Hayes, Blair Davenport, Ilja Dragunov, Dijak, and Kiana James. Nobody knew about their draft destinations, just like as in previous years, as they tried to capture organic reactions on camera.
Let’s get into the Daily Drop today!
WWE:
WWE NXT Card for 4/30:
Oba Femi (c) vs. Ivar – NXT North American Championship Match
Axiom & Nathan Frazer (c) vs. Authors of Pain (Akam & Rezar) – NXT Tag Team Championship Match
Natalya vs. Lola Vice – NXT Underground Match
Tyson Dupont & Tyriek Igwe vs. The O.C. (Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson) – Tag Team Match
Thea Hail vs. Jacy Jayne – Singles Match
Patrick Mahomes on WWE RAW: Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes showed up in Kansas City for RAW this week. He aligned himself with Logan Paul as a heel, and many thought this was a confusing decision for him in the city that he’s brought three Super Bowl rings. Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that this appearance was not through WWE, but Logan Paul’s Prime company, so they needed to work together for the segment. In the end, Kansas City still loves their GOAT QB.
QR Codes: WWE fans got even more QR Code clues this week on RAW. Something is coming, and all signs point toward Uncle Howdy and a possible stable may follow. Stay tuned on this one, because that story could break out in the blink of an eye.
Uncle Howdy's message from tonight's QR Code. Seems like we're getting closer and closer to his return. ? #WWERAWpic.twitter.com/YNQYH15TzG
The Monster Returns:Braun Strowman was drafted to RAW as part of the 2024 WWE Draft. This marks his return after a year-long absence due to a neck surgery. He made his return later that night as he helped Jey Uso when he was about to take a shot with a fist full of Super Bowl rings. Strowman also had words with Patrick Mahomes, which was a fun and tense moment on the show.
Giulia Visa Issues: Although she signed with WWE, Giulia does not have her visa in place just yet. The former top STARDOM talent needs to get that in line before a WWE debut can properly go down. Giulia was around for WrestleMania 40 weekend, and she made an appearance in the crowd during Stand & Deliver on April 6. She could perform in Toronto for NXT Heatwave at the Scotiabank Arena on July 7, but she will need to get her visa issues sorted out before working in the U.S.A.
AEW:
Tony Khan On Weinstein Comment: Nobody will soon forget how Tony Khan said that WWE is the “Harvey Weinstein of pro wrestling” while on the NFL Network. He doubled down on that comment by emphasizing how AEW is the better of the two companies.
Reason Behind Attack: Tony Khan’s beat-down at the hands of The Elite is still getting attention, especially thanks to the neck brace that TK was sporting all over afterward. During Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer stated that “for sure” one of the big reasons behind that attack was to give Khan a reason to sport a neck brace on television during the 2024 NFL Draft so he could gain attention for AEW.
Adam Copeland on Metalingus: While speaking on AEW Unrestricted, the WWE Hall of Famer noted how his entrance music took on a life of its own in AEW, which he really thought was cool, especially that fans knew the lyrics to his song.
“It’s taken on a life of its own which is so cool. It’s so fun to have it be that interactive, I guess, and for me to connect with something and it feels like people over the years have really kind of actually paid attention to the lyrics and went, ‘Oh! Oh wow!’”
Kamille Is All Elite: After expressing interest in WWE, Kamille signed with AEW. She made a comment on social media that a deal has been signed since February, and that led to a report that she inked a deal with Tony Khan and is expected to debut soon. Kamille, who helped Billy Corgan’s NWA as their Women’s Champion for the longest time, could be a big addition for the women’s roster.
Max Caster Has No Regrets: Caster was suspended from AEW in 2021 when he took a dig at Simone Biles’ decision to step out of competition due to her mental health. Looking back as he spoke to Isiah Kassidy’s YouTube channel.
“I don’t know if I regret it. That kind of helped my career, more than anything, believe it or not. Again, right or wrong, helped The Acclaimed, and it helped me a lot, and it gave me a reputation, and one that I like to live up [laughs].”
Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes has finished his story, but now the American Nightmare has a new mission in his sights.
Rhodes’ emotional WrestleMania 40 victory over Roman Reigns marked the end of a two-year odyssey for Rhodes to capture a World Championship in WWE. The match also marked the end of Roman Reigns’ 1,316-day reign as champion and the Tribal Chief hasn’t appeared for WWE since then. He’s reached the peak of WWE, but now he has a new story to tell.
Cody Rhodes appeared on the Cheap Heat podcast this week and told hosts Peter Rosenberg and Stat Guy Greg that he hopes to shatter the records of Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, John Cena and Roman Reigns to be the company’s undisputed box office king.
“I would like to be the most profitable talent that WWE has ever had. And I know who hangs in that group. You know, your Austin 316s, your Hustle Loyalty, Respect, your John Cena’s. I know what I have been doing, and I know the link that I have to keep doing this for this goal to become a reality.
So that one, it’s a little inside baseball, and it’s not all that glamorous, but I really, even today, feel a sense of I would like to give WWE everything I possibly have.”
Given WWE’s track-record of producing highly-popular Superstars, this goal is a tall order for the American Nightmare. Despite this, Rhodes remains determined for his name to be considered alongside these all-time greats.
“I think sometimes you get into the GOAT conversations, like basketball is the greatest GOAT conversation ever when people go back on LeBron and Michael, whatever it may be. I think one of the things that’s most important in any sport, in any form of entertainment, is today we’ve got all these, we’re fans, right?”
Apr 7, 2024; Philadelphia, PA, USA; WWE Universal Championship match between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes during Wrestlemania XL Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.
Ultimately, Rhodes’ quest to be the most profitable WWE Superstar in history will also mean a rematch of a different kind with Roman Reigns, one Rhodes is excited for.
“If Roman Reigns was the greatest thing WWE had seen up to this point, I want to completely eclipse him. And I mean that with the utmost respect.”
Nobody can accuse Cody Rhodes of dreaming too small and with his popularity worldwide, the American Nightmare is certainly making ground in this lofty task. Whether Rhodes indeed becomes the most profitable Superstar ever remains to be seen, but the Undisputed WWE Champion is off to a strong start.
As WWE continues to do record business, Cody Rhodes is leading the charge as one of the company’s top merchandise movers.
The wrestling world is mourning the loss of independent wrestler Billy Reil who has passed away at the young age of 44.
News of Reil’s passing was shared by PW Insider, who was informed of his death on April 29, by his family. Reil was dealing with a lot of health issues in the year leading up to his death.
Born and raised in South Philadelphia, Reil’s wrestling inspiration came from watching WWF events at The Spectrum in the 1980s. Once ECW came to prominence in Philly, Reil began hanging out at the ECW arena and made contact with several in the industry. He would make his in-ring debut in 1995 and would compete for Jersey All-Pro Wrestling as well as several independent territories.
Outside the ring, Reil was a classically trained actor and starred in low-budget films including Purgatory and The Pit. In 2002, Reil was highlighted in the South Philly Review after he spotted a man on rollerblades attempting to mug Reil’s 61-year-old neighbor. Reil led his house and tackled the man and was able to recover the woman’s purse.
Tributes to Billy Reil
On social media, many names in wrestling paid tribute to Reil. GCW’s Brett Lauderdale spoke about Reil but said that his was a “cautionary tale.”
Sorry to hear about the passing of Billy Reil. Unfortunately, I can't say Im surprised.
He was a funny guy and as "South Philly" as it gets. He was a childhood friend of Trent Acid & they broke into the biz together. Billy had potential at one time.
R Truth feels very happy seeing the rise of black talent in wrestling and it makes him emotional to know that all of them have huge respect and admiration for the wrestling veteran.
One half of the current world tag team champions recently had an interview with the Battleground podcast. He discussed things such as winning the World Tag Team Championship with The Miz at WrestleMania 40 and more.
During the interview, they played a clip of the new AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland discussing Truth’s status as a legend of the industry. The WWE star returned the favor saying that what we have seen is only the beginning for Swerve:
“Man, I get emotional. It’s such a prestige [and] honor to have. Let me say this, I want to congratulate Swerve. Definitely gotta congratulate him man on his achievement, his accomplishment. I meant to call you. I’m sorry I haven’t called you yet. I’mma text you. He’s been killing it for a while. He’s so talented, man, so humble, so well-deserving of what he’s doing now. You’re just seeing the beginning of him.”
It’s A Surreal Moment For Me: R Truth
Just like Swerve in AEW, a number of young black talents have made their mark on WWE TV in recent times. Carmelo Hayes has only recently concluded his successful NXT run after being called up during the 2024 Drafts. Current NXT Champion Trick Williams and NXT North American Champion Oba Femi are some other names that are gaining new followers every day.
Speaking about all these talents breaking through the barriers to earn their rightful place in the industry, R Truth said that it’s a surreal moment for him:
“Trick, Obie, Carmelo, these guys are just like — it’s such a good time to be a part of this. It’s such a good time to see these guys give me my flowers. Strickland have always talked good about me, man. Again, it’s a surreal moment for me to be in the position I’m in.”
Of course, Truth himself has been a pioneer in the industry for almost 3 decades now. Apart from having a Hall of Fame worthy career in WWE, Truth has made history by becoming the first-ever African American NWA World Heavyweight Champion back in 2002.
His successful music career speaks for the diversity of talents possessed by the current champion. It’s only a testament to his skills that even at 52 years of age, Truth continues to perform at the highest level in the industry and can go toe to with any current or upcoming talents.
Tony Khan sought to remind fans that AEW is where the best wrestle with his controversial remarks during the recent NFL Draft.
While representing the Jacksonville Jaguars, Khan spoke about AEW being an alternative to WWE and said his promotion is the Pepsi of professional wrestling. Rather than compare WWE to Coca-Cola as many expected, Khan said that WWE was evil and equivalent to Harvey Weinstein.
This comment has divided fans. Some believe it was fair given the allegations of misconduct leveled at former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon who resigned back in January. Others felt the comment was unnecessary and offensive to victims of Weinstein and that Khan was using their experiences to further his grudge with WWE.
Speaking to Dean ‘Mojo’ Muhtadi of TMZ Sports, Khan was asked about the response to his comments:
“I think it is important to say that I think AEW is the best wrestling company in the world in many ways. I think that we have the best wrestlers, the best matches, we’ve been putting on the best shows.”
WWE & AEW Reacts
Those in WWE have, rather unsurprisingly, not taken kindly to Khan’s comparison to Harvey Weinstein, Bryan Alvarez reports. Those in AEW feel the same way and have taken exception to Khan’s suggestion that WWE is an ‘evil’ company. Many names on AEW’s roster have previously worked in WWE and have friends and/or partners who currently work for the competition.
While Khan is fiercely passionate about WWE, his comments in the past have often not been well-received. Khan infamous alleged that an army of WWE-endorsed bots were attacking AEW on social media and had his issue with Jinder Mahal earlier this year. With the response to his Weinstein comments, the AEW President may want to take a pause the next time he has something big to say.
More from Tony Khan
Here are some recent articles regarding Tony Khan as the AEW President continues to heal from the attack by The Elite on AEW Dynamite:
The April 29, episode of WWE Monday Night Raw continued the trend of glitches and QR codes fans have seen in recent weeks as something big is coming to TV.
Since the post-WrestleMania Raw, glitches and QR codes have been appearing on WWE’s main roster programming, giving clues as to something big that’s in the works. These QR codes have led to videos with fans deciphering hidden messages and clues to figure out what’s really going on.
The mystery continued on the April 29, episode of Raw as a glitch appeared during GUNTHER’s match with Xavier Woods. The glitch featured an image of a deserted highway from the perspective of somebody driving late at night. As seen in previous glitches, this glitch included the symbol for the dwarf planet Pluto, which in Astrology is synonymous with great transformation.
The video didn’t give too many clues, but did speak of ‘Him’ suggesting that a male wrestler is behind these videos. The allusions to a swamp as heard in the song could be a nod to Windham Rotunda whose formative years as Bray Wyatt saw him portray a cult-like leader in swampland.
Many believe this is leading to the return of Uncle Howdy, the character previously portrayed by Bo Dallas who was introduced following Wyatt’s return in 2022. It’s been rumored that a faction could be in the works, especially with Erick Rowan, a Wyatt Family alum, recently re-signing with WWE.
WWE’s QR Code Mystery
Here are some recent articles about WWE’s previous QR codes and the symbolism behind the eerie videos behind them:
Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan may seem like they have nothing in common, but the pair may be closer than you’d think judging from a recent episode of Raw.
In recent weeks, Morgan has been pleased with the fact that she injured Rhea Ripley which resulted in the Australian Superstar vacating the WWE Women’s World Championship. On last week’s Raw, Morgan was the runner-up in the battle royal for the vacated title that was won by Becky Lynch.
Dominik Mysterio confronted Morgan before last week’s title match, and the two also interacted during this week’s Raw. In the middle of a backstage interview with Jey Uso, Morgan was spotted leaving a room. Mere seconds later, the former NXT North American Champion was seen leaving the same room.
This rendezvous has had fans speculating that there could be something going on between the two, despite their on-screen differences. In a recent interview with The Border Patrol, Morgan claimed she was no friend of ‘Dirty Dom.’
“I don’t like the man. I definitely don’t like his woman. I just wanted him to know, ‘Yes, I did that, and I’m still here.’ The revenge tour doesn’t stop until I win the women’s championship.”
Could Morgan’s revenge tour see her try and snatch Ripley’s man away from her, adding insult to her literal injury? As The Judgment Day continues to show signs of imploding, fans will have to wait and see whether sparks begin to fly between the ex-con and the former SmackDown Women’s Champion on WWE TV.
More on Liv Morgan
Here are some recent articles regarding Liv Morgan as the Superstar’s revenge tour continues on as part of WWE programming:
The excitement of the 2024 WWE Draft continued after Raw went off the air as the Supplemental Draft saw more moves happen.
The April 29, episode of Monday Night Raw marked Night Two of the Draft and saw 20 on-screen picks made in total. Imperium (sans Giovanni Vinci) was the first name selected during Night Two of the televised draft, while NXT’s Blair Davenport was selected by SmackDown in the final televised selection.
WWE Draft Night Two Supplemental Results
On social media, WWE shared news from their supplemental draft picks after Monday Night Raw went off the air. The picks are as follows:
It’s certainly a big deal to see Dijak called up to the main roster after re-establishing himself in WWE NXT. Hopefully the former Retribution member fares better on the main-roster than his previous run as T-Bar.
What’s to Come?
The new rosters will come into effect on the May 6, episode of Raw, the first show following next weekend’s WWE Backlash: France Premium Live Event. Anybody that has not been selected so far is now a free agent and will be eligible to be chosen by Raw or SmackDown in the future.
Braun Strowman has returned to WWE after a year on the shelf and he is already getting involved in high-profile angles.
The US Champion Logan Paul was in attendance for this week’s episode of Raw. He brought in some high-profile guests with him, including Superbowl MVP Patrick Mahomes.
The Maverick confronted Jey Uso in a segment after the former Bloodline member called out the current champion in an interview earlier in the night. Finn Balor and JD McDonagh walked out to confront Uso as well.
Logan Paul then borrowed three Superbowl rings from Mahomes to attack Jey as McDonagh held him up. Uso managed to duck at the right time, however, and McDonagh ended up catching the punch.
Balor and Paul joined forces to attack Jey Uso afterward but Braun Strowman’s music hit. The Monster Among Men made his return after almost a year of inaction and he choke slammed Balor.
Logan knew better than to confront the former Universal Champion. He retreated through the crowd leaving Mahomes and his teammates from Kansas City Chiefs to confront the returning star. Jey Uso then calmed Strowman and they returned to the back.
What’s Next For Braun Strowman?
The Monster Sized Athlete had been recovering after a neck fusion surgery for the past year. He last wrestled during the May 1st, 2023 episode of Raw, where he teamed up with Ricochet for a win over the Alpha Academy.
Strowman was drafted to Raw earlier in the night so we can expect to see him regularly on Monday Nights once again after his return.
There is a possibility that we may see Braun going after The US Champion following their confrontation tonight. Considering Paul remains on SmackDown roster, however, a long-term feud between the two is not very likely. You can check out our draft tracker to see the other picks made during Raw.
