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Nic Nemeth Wins Vacant AAA Mega Championship At TripleMani XXXII Monterrey

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The ‘Wanted Man’ of wrestling Nic Nemeth is once again a World Champion after capturing the AAA Mega Championship at TripleMania XXXII Monterrey. 

Nemeth won the title in a hard-fought match with Alberto El Patron, another WWE alum. Nemeth won the title with the Danger Zone and the win marks the first AAA Championship in Nemeth’s career. 

The AAA Mega Championship had previously been held by El Hijo Del Vikingo who had held the title for a record-breaking 833 days. Vikingo surrendered the gold after suffering an injury that has kept him out of action since. 

Hopefully, Nemeth can avoid the trend of the AAA Mega Championship being vacated. Kenny Omega, the champion before Vikingo, also had to vacate the title in November 2021 due to injuries. The AEW EVP had held the gold for an impressive 765 days. 

Nemeth Vs. El Patron

This was hardly the pair’s first time competing against each other for a World Championship. Nemeth (then Dolph Ziggler) won his first WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the Raw after WrestleMania 29 by cashing in his Money on the Bank contract on Patron (then Alberto Del Rio.)

Nemeth’s role as AAA Mega Champion continues an impressive run the Wanted Man has been on ever since his lengthy career with WWE ended in 2023. Nemeth is also in his first reign as IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion with NJPW and won the gold at The New Beginning in Sapporo: Night 1. Nemeth is also appearing for TNA and recently unsuccessfully challenged for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. 

More on Nic Nemeth

Here are some recent articles on Nic Nemeth as the former WWE Superstar continues to take the wrestling world by storm. 

Darby Allin Hit By A Bus in New York City, Still Makes It To Broadway Show

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Darby Allin was able to enjoy a Broadway show with artist Raymond Pettibon, but only after the AEW pillar was hit by a bus in New York City first.

On Instagram, Allin shared news of his unfortunate vehicular collision and said he was trying to cross the street in the Big Apple when he was struck. Allin also showed some photos of himself at the play with Pattibon as well as a bloodied selfie from after the bus hit him. 

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This is hardly the only health issue that Allin is dealing with at the moment. During a match with Jay White on the ‘Big Business’ edition of AEW Dynamite, Darby Allin suffered a broken foot that has kept the former TNT & World Tag Team Champion on the shelf ever since. This injury has led to Allin postponing his attempt to climb Mount Everest. 

In case a broken foot wasn’t bad enough, Allin is also dealing with a broken nose. The AEW star recently shared a photo on his Instagram Stories of his nose heavily bandaged up. 

Darby Allin didn’t let a little traffic mishap ruin his night

With these injuries, there’s no word on when Darby Allin will be able to wrestle for AEW again. Hopefully, the risk-taking wrestler will spend this time wisely and give himself ample opportunity to heal before taking on his next death-defying stunt either in or out of the ring. 

More on Darby Allin:

Here are some recent articles featuring Darby Allin and what the pillar of All Elite Wrestling has been up to amid his ongoing hiatus from the Squared Circle:

Rey Fenix Is Better Than Ever After Return on 4/27 Episode of AEW Collision

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Rey Fenix has made his long-awaited return to in-ring competition, after spending more than six months of his wrestling career on the shelf. 

Fenix made his return on the April 27, episode of AEW Collision with a victory over The Beast Mortos (previously known as Black Taurus.) Commentators observed that Fenix’s win was more about survival than outright domination.

This match was Fenix’s first match since the October 10, 2023, episode of AEW Dynamite where he lost the AEW International Championship to Orange Cassidy. Fenix’s injury happened at the inaugural AEW WrestleDream event days earlier and he was pulled from that match early into the contest. 

Rey Fenix Speaks

Fenix’s return is huge for fans of the masked wrestler who plans to prove that he’s not just back is better than he’s ever been. In a post-match promo backstage, Fenix reflected on his victory over The Beast Mortos

“I am so happy to feel so excited for any opponent. Tonight, I faced a real opponent. Stronger, but no better than me. No better than the Mexican. I come back better than ever because I am the man of 1,000 lives! Rey Fenix.”

Fenix has been with AEW since the start and in addition to being a former International Champion is a former World Tag Team and Trios Champion. Hopefully, Fenx will have a long, prosperous run free from injuries now that he’s back in the ring. 

More on Rey Fenix

Here are some recent articles about Rey Fenix now that the former AEW International Champion is back on TV. 

MJF Underwent Shoulder Surgery, Delaying AEW In-Ring Return (Update)

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Maxwell Jacob Friedman will not be returning to the ring for AEW any time soon. Longtime SEScoops correspondent Jason Solomon of the Solomonster Sounds Off broke the news that MJF’s physical rehabilitation was not getting him back to 100% and as a result, he underwent surgery to repair his left shoulder. 

On Sunday, Friedman appeared at the C2E2 comic expo in Chicago sporting a brace on his elbow and looking nowhere close to lacing up his boots again. 

MJF Speaks about his injuries

MJF was wrestling through a lot of physical problems toward the end of his World Title run. He was very banged up and needed time off television. In his absence, AEW removed him from their roster page, but he remains under contract.

Back in December MJF spoke with The Solomonster at the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame on Long Island, New York. This was right before his AEW World Title defense against Samoa Joe at AEW World’s End. He detailed the various injuries he was powering through, but this shoulder injury is going to keep him out of the ring longer than originally hoped for.

MJF & Adam Cole

Injuries greatly affected MJF and Adam Cole’s main event 2023 storyline. Friedman lost the On December 30, 2023, MJF defended his AEW World Title against Samoa Joe at the AEW World’s End pay-per-view event at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. MJF dropped his title during that match, and he hasn’t wrestled since. He suffered multiple injuries, including a torn labrum in his left shoulder.

MJF and Adam Cole at AEW All In: London, August 27, 2023

Adam Cole, who was revealed as The Devil, had to stop touring with the company. His ankle injury from AEW Grand Slam was not healing as he wanted it to, because the travel was getting in the way of his recovery. The Devil storyline, and the Undisputed Kingdom faction, had to pump the brakes big time after that.

Drew McIntyre Signs New WWE Contract, The Rock Gives Him A Special Gift

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Drew McIntyre has signed a new contract with WWE, putting an end to months of speculation about the possibility of him testing the waters of free agency. 

The Rock was the man who broke this news as he publicly congratulated Drew McIntyre for signing his new WWE contract. He did so by presenting him with a claymore sword while the former WWE Champion was out at dinner.

As we talked about after your #WrestleMania match, I know this Scottish Claymore represents everything that you, your family and your country embody.

The TKO board member went on to say that he wanted to hand-deliver this gift, but he “had warm cheat meals and chilled tequila waiting.”

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The Rock has admired McIntyre’s work for years. In a company with no shortage of talented wrestlers vying for the spotlight, the Final Boss named McIntyre as the ‘Next Big Thing’ back in 2019.

Drew McIntyre’s Contract Situation With TKO

Drew McIntyre just got off a wild road to WrestleMania, one that saw him beat Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, where he held the title for only five minutes before Damian Priest cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase.

He did all that with a contract that was expiring in a matter of weeks. While McIntyre’s WWE contract situation had a big question mark above it for a while, now we can put that to rest.

How TKO handled Drew McIntyre’s contract situation is a very interesting situation. It may set a precedent for how all future contracts will be handled, as they waited until very late in the game to nail down a deal.

Becky Lynch’s WWE contract is also running out in a matter of months. She spoke openly about this fact, but she is not worried about it. 

Kenny Omega Admits He’s ‘Pretty Jealous’ Of Roman Reigns

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Kenny Omega isn’t afraid to acknowledge Roman Reigns. 

‘The Cleaner’ is a man who happily gives his thoughts on pro wrestling during his livestreams on Twitch and this week one fan in the chat was hating on what Roman Reigns does in WWE. Omega pushed back at that notion, appreciating what ‘The Head Of The Table’ brings to the one true sport.

“I really think he’s incredible. I don’t think he’s boring either. I actually would say I’m pretty jealous because Roman Reigns is presented the exact same way that I would love to be presented. He’s presented as the man who’s the champion to have big matches on PPV where you’re really cheering for him or you’re cheering for someone else. That’s professional wrestling. He’s getting to do what I did in New Japan so I can’t be a hater on that. I’m a fan.”

WWE fans haven’t seen Roman Reigns since he dropped the WWE Championship to Cody Rhodes night two at WrestleMania 40 and Omega has been on his own extended hiatus due to a diverticulitis diagnosis. 

However, wrestling fans will at least get to see Kenny Omega return to television next Wednesday on AEW Dynamite as the show will hail from his hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

It will be interesting to see how Omega is utilized as he was “fired” from his EVP position by The Young Bucks and a ripple was added into the storyline with them also attacked AEW President Tony Khan.

WWE Draft 2024: Reason Why Night One Saw A Lack Of Significant Brand Switches

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Night One of the 2024 WWE Draft didn’t feature a ton of Superstars changing brands, but there’s a reason behind this booking decision. 

The 2024 WWE Draft kicked off on the April 26, edition of WWE SmackDown but the show was not the massive shake-up fans were hoping to see. Out of the total 16 on-air picks, more than half saw Superstars be selected by the brand they’d previously been signed to. The Supplemental Draft picks saw just two of the seven picks be moved to a different brand. 

Despite the draft, WWE intends to maintain a level of familiarity with its Raw and SmackDown rosters, Fightful Select reports. WWE wants to retain well-known talent on their existing brands to ensure a smoother viewing experience for audiences. This is why the likes of Randy Orton and Seth Rollins were chosen by SmackDown and Raw respectively. 

Part of the reason for these somewhat underwhelming draft picks is that WWE wishes to avoid significant disruptions in current storylines. For example, it would have made no sense for Jey Uso to move to SmackDown given that he is the number one contender for Raw’s World Heavyweight Championship. ‘Main Event Jey’ was a first-round pick for Raw and will challenge Damian Priest at WWE Backlash. 

What’s to Come? 

The second night of the WWE Draft will take place on the April 29, Raw and will also feature a Supplemental Draft after the show. Fightful was told that fans should expect more swaps on Raw. It’s also noted that fans can expect more talent from WWE NXT to be called up for this second portion of the draft. The new rosters will come into effect on May 6 following the WWE Backlash: France event two days earlier. 

WWE Draft 2024

Here are some recent articles about the 2024 WWE Draft. Keep checking in with SE Scoops for all your draft news.

Nikki Garcia Responds To Toni Storm’s Non-PG Candle Comment After AEW Dynasty

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Toni Storm keeps her Timeless character going, even during press conferences. This led to her bringing up Nikki Garcia in a very unflattering manner, but now the WWE Hall of Famer is answering back.

During the AEW Dynasty press conference, Toni Storm fired off a line about the former Nikki Bella as she said, “Nicole Garcia thought about joining AEW when she saw Mercedes did. You know why she didn’t? Because then she saw me and realized, she can’t hold a p*ssy scented candle to what I do.”

“P*ssy scented candle, what does that even means?” Nikki Garcia asked during the Nikki and Brie Show. Brie then said that she received phone calls asking if it was a pro wrestling term — it is not. Niki went on to explain her confusion about Storm’s comment.

“Listen, I love Toni Storm, and she’s doing this character now and i’ts great. I loved her in NXT. No I wasn’t bothered by it. I laughed. I was like, ‘p*ssy scented candle?!’ Then I’m trying to figure it out. Like, was it a diss? Maybe we should bring her on the podcast and ask her.”

Tony Khan Almost Got A Call From Nikki Bella

Nikki Garcia previously stated that she thought about calling Tony Khan after seeing Mercedes Mone debut with the company. She explained that her son, Matteo, needs her at home more than she wants to be on the road with AEW.

“When I saw Mercedes [Mone] debut and cut her promo, that line stuck with me, ‘Here, we’re going to make the evolution worldwide.’ I was like, ‘They do.’ It goes into many leagues, is what she means, it doesn’t have to be at one place. It can be at all these places where all these women are wrestling at. I go, ‘Brie, I think I can do it for a year. I can do it here to here and go every week.'”

“Then, I thought of Matteo. I had a good week of like, ‘This is it. I’m going to call Tony Khan. I’m your girl. I will commit.’ Then, I was like, ‘I can’t do that to my son right now. He needs me,'”

Nikki Bella retired from the ring in 2018 due to neck and spine issues, but she returned to compete in the Royal Rumble in 2022. The Bella Twins officially exited WWE in 2023 when their contracts ended. 

Choosing to explore independent ventures, they still have a weekly podcast and Nikki is co-host of the USA Network’s Barmageddon.

WWE or AEW? Analyzing The Pros & Cons For Wrestling’s Top Free Agents

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The pro wrestling landscape continues to undergo significant changes. Following WrestleMania, WWE is embarking on the Paul Levesque Era (“PLE” for short), while AEW is navigating towards a potentially transformative period, one they hope will include a new television deal.

Wrestling isn’t as explosively popular as it was in 1998, but The Rock is right that it’s ‘cool again’ and has strutted back into mainstream pop culture. That obviously means good news for fans, but with more than one prominent company now in the mix, that means leverage for the pro wrestling talent.

Wrestlers now have options as to where they can hone their squared circle trade for a good paycheck, meaning a much higher rise in competition for those coveted spots. 2024 also is a big free agent year for stars with major names’ contracts due to expire. However, depending on where a talent is at in their careers one promotion could provide a greater benefit than the other.

A Big Boom For Becky Lynch In 2024

Mercedes Mone inked a “CEO” like type deal with AEW, almost two years after walking out on WWE. That meant a new horizon and big money for the former Sasha Banks. A former colleague of hers Becky Lynch could be in a similar position in 2024, but ‘The Man’ has made clear that she aims to be a WWE lifer. Lynch would likely not increase her star power by jumping ship to AEW, but she could find herself affected in other manners. 

Money is a major aspect, but Becky’s also a mom with a resume. Will Ospreay made clear that a big incentive for him signing with AEW was the lighter schedule and Becks life outside the ring could benefit from that. Additionally, there’s something to be said for new scenery. Even if AEW didn’t make the most of Lynch, her being shown under a new light could create even greater intrigue when she does ultimately make her way back to WWE: ask Cody Rhodes. You can potentially even ask someone like Wardlow, too, who is still starting his career.

Drew McIntyre Is Exactly Where He’s Supposed To Be In WWE

Drew McIntyre is a name with plenty of cache following WrestleMania considering this run of his has creatively been his greatest to date. One would have to assume Triple H and he at the very least have a handshake agreement at re-signing. Aside from a very large paycheck, there’s almost zero incentive for him to make the leap to AEW. Considering what his character has done to fan the flames of CM Punk’s past with the company, it’s pretty evident Drew is well aware of that too.

Veteran Names With Star Power

What about big name veterans like Matt Hardy or Rob Van Dam? The former just recently announced his free agency and then signed with TNA while the latter for years has been fully embracing his independent contractor status. Van Dam just appeared 4/20 edition of AEW Collision, but on the latest episode of “1 Of A Kind” made note that he’s up for a WWE return. That however, would likely only happen if they’d call him, not the other way around. RVD is comfortable where he’s at in life that he’s the one to make the choice he wants: and that’s the “when,” “where” and “why.”

Matt however, has a different mindset after being with AEW full time for four years. The eldest Hardy has whipped himself up in terrific shape and clearly wants to make the most of his remaining time in the squared circle. Matt had the option to sign a new deal with AEW but chose not to and instead signed with TNA. Fom a creative perspective that makes sense. Unfortunately, fans didn’t see a good deal of Hardy on AEW TV in 2024 and it seems Matt is looking for that opportunity. 

WWE would benefit on several levels in getting Hardy back under their umbrella as he could be an active talent, but in turn be a great help behind the scenes. TNA and Hardy hooking back up ultimately makes sense considering the transcendent run he last had with the company.

A Young Talent On The Rise Looking For Opportunity

What if you’re a younger talent looking for that big break with an AEW or WWE? Anthony Catena is one of those names on the rise as he’s been active with the NWA, AAW Pro and the UK. He just recently found himself on the WrestleMania stage in Philadelphia during the Drew McIntyre entrance. 

“Once that’s achieved everything that subsequently follows – money, recognition, etc – will naturally come with it. WWE has a very long track record of, not only creating stars, but providing them an opportunity to explore other areas of entertainment to potentially excel in that realm as well. AEW, albeit only a few years in, has managed to build a global juggernaut in the pro wrestling industry, which is impressive as well.

“Where it all comes together for me is where I feel I have the best chance at achieving the goals I’ve set for myself/”

To Catena’s point, opportunity can lead to presence and if AEW were to scoop him up, they could still build him as another “homegrown” talent, something that a Darby Allin or MJF has benefited from

https://www.instagram.com/p/reel:C5yqfYmODTE

If a young wrestler is looking for potential instant on-television experience, AEW may be the easier to get into, but you run the risk of being lost in the shuffle (see Action Andretti). WWE would be a company where you’d have to work from the ground up and it’s there where you would learn that style which has created big stars. NXT currently gets better ratings than Collision, so being a part of their developmental system gives one even a bigger platform for starters. However, in this landscape, signing with either company would be a win-win, just for different reasons.

The good thing about it all? Options, opportunities and the wallet are open. Jim Ross says “cash” and “creative” are always two primary factors in wrestling, and that hasn’t changed in 2024.

5 WWE Draft Picks That Totally Changed The Landscape

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Coming out of the first night of the 2024 WWE Draft, the biggest point of criticism from fans was the paucity of changes. From main event acts to the mid-card, the roster remained mostly stable from a handful of lower key changes.

WWE has used drafts to make major changes in the past, though, including main event talents totally shaking up the landscape both for arriving on a new show and departing from the other. Looking back, there were specific picks that truly changed the game for WWE.

Triple H (2008)

In 2004, WWE teased Triple H switching brands when he was drafted from Raw to SmackDown, but by the time Draft proceedings were over, he was back where he’d started. However, in 2008, they really did pull the trigger on moving one of the stars most synonymous with Raw to the blue brand.

By 2008, The Game was a de facto main eventer wherever he went. The move set up him up for fresh feuds with talents including Edge, The Great Khali and Kozlov. Most importantly of all, it set a course for a series of matches between Triple H, as an established main eventer to work big time matches with Jeff Hardy and ultimately put over The Charismatic Enigma as World Heavyweight Champion by year’s end.

John Cena (2005)

John Cena and Batista established themselves as the top babyfaces of their generations when they each won their first world titles at WrestleMania 21. A few months later, though, WWE moved Cena to Raw and in so doing, firmly established him as the new face of the company.

While Cena had been popular and had risen to the top on SmackDown, it was a new era for him on Raw. On Monday nights, Cena faced his first substantive backlash as some fans rejected him opposite Chris Jericho and all the more so Kurt Angle, before the heat grew overwhelming against him opposite Triple H and then RVD. In weathering this storm—remaining at the top of the card, proving himself as a capable big match performer, and becoming an institution, the former Dr. of Thuganomics shored up his spot in history as one of wrestling’s biggest stars.

Finn Balor (2016)

There’s a very uneven history of what happens when WWE calls up a major star from NXT. Finn Balor arrived via the 2016 Draft at the dawn of a new era of split brands, and in the lead up to crowning the inaugural Universal Champion. The company got behind Balor and made him feel like a very big deal right out of the gate.

While it’s not clear if WWE meant to truly make Balor the face of Monday nights in the long term, it is telling that his first main roster PLE match saw him beat no lesser competition than Seth Rollins and walk out world champion. Unfortunately, fans will never know the full scope of what the company had planned given Balor got injured in that same match and has never really managed to get back that much momentum again.

Batista (2005)

John Cena moving to Raw in the 2005 may have been the biggest move in WWE Draft history. The counterpart to the new top babyface and WWE Champion arriving on Monday nights, though, was Batista becoming the new top babyface of SmackDown as World Heavyweight Champion.

After trouncing Triple H in their headline feud, The Animal was due for a fresh slate of opponents and found them on the blue brand, defending the title against Eddie Guerrero, JBL, The Great Khali, and Edge. 

Perhaps most importantly, the move to SmackDown set up Batista to feud with The Undertaker. While The Animal was never known for five-star matches, he had undeniable chemistry with The Dead Man, and the two collaborated for some of the best matches of Batista’s career in particular. Moreover, Batista was right at home as the top star of the brand warfare angle surrounding Survivor Series 2005.

Roman Reigns (2019)

Photo: WWE.com

The 2019 WWE Draft moved Roman Reigns to SmackDown. To some fans at the time, this felt like a demotion, though five years later, it feels absolutely silly to think about the move in that light.

Yes, The Big Dog found himself locked in an interminably long feud with Baron Corbin. After that program and a hiatus at the onset of COVID, though, it was time for The Tribal Chief to rise. Reigns redefined his career with a heel turn that immediately paid dividends in the form of a world title reign stretching well over three-and-a-half years. Reigns finally realized his potential as the definitive face of WWE and did so while the blue brand aired on FOX.

It always takes some time to understand the full ramifications of a WWE roster change. When marquee talents are involved, though, it’s worth paying attention. Indeed, some Draft picks went a long way toward redefining WWE, and there will surely be more in the years ahead.

Daily Drop (4/27): Vince McMahon Exiting WWE Business, Tony Khan’s Harvey Weinstein Dig, Full WWE Draft Night One Results

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Welcome to the Daily Drop on April 27, 2024. We have a lot to cover, because there’s always a lot going on in the pro wrestling world.

Before we get going, WWE’s new era is continuing in a big way, and Vince McMahon is not going to be a part of it. McMahon listed his remaining TKO stock for sale.

In another interesting twist to that story, WWE President Nick Khan also listed all of his stock for sale. We will keep a very close eye on that story for further developments, but Khan is slated to keep his position with the company, unlike McMahon.

Now, let’s get into the Daily Drop!

WWE:

2024 WWE Draft: WWE presented night one of the 2024 WWE Draft during SmackDown. We had two NXT call-ups in Carmelo Hayes and Kiana James. The Bloodline also didn’t get picked until the third round, because Roman Reigns removed himself from Draft eligibility.

WrestleMania Ticket Sales: Official numbers are out for WrestleMania 40’s gate in Lincoln Financial Field. This two-night event also established a new WWE record for a gate, generating $38.5 million in ticket sales, which represents a 78% increase from the previous year and a 147% increase from 2022.

PG Era Over: It is now being reported that the internal mindset within WWE is that the PG Era is now over. This is thanks to Paul Heyman’s WWE Hall of Fame speech and everything The Rock was allowed to do on the road to WrestleMania 40.

It’s Tiffy Time: Tiffany Stratton made herself a menace this week on SmackDown. She took on Naomi in a #1 contenders match, that ended via DQ thanks to Nia Jax. After the match, Stratton continued her beat-down on Naomi and Bayley. She is very happy with herself, as you can see by her latest TikTok.

Dominik Mysterio Injury: It was reported that Dominik Mysterio will need Tommy John surgery. He has since tweeted out to debunk that story, as he claims that no surgery will be needed. Either way, he is expected to stay on television through his recovery. 

AEW:

AEW Collision Card for 4/27:

  • AEW Unified Trios Championship: Bullet Club Gold (c) vs. Top Flight and Action Andretti
  • AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm vs. Anna Jay
  • Grizzled Young Veterans vs. The Acclaimed
  • We’ll hear from AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland for the first time

WWE Is Harvey Weinstein: Tony Khan brought a ton of attention to himself when he appeared on the NFL Network with a neck brace. He also took the opportunity to throw a big shot at WWE in the process.

AEW Dynamite Viewership Drop: The April 24th edition of AEW Dynamite attracted 683,000 viewers and earned a 0.23 rating in the key 18-49 demographic, marking a decline from the previous week’s performance of 762,000 viewers and a 0.26 demo rating.

Adam Copeland’s Acting Tips: Copeland revealed some of his acting tips that he had to adopt when making a transition from pro wrestling. He had to tone it down a bit for the close-up shots.

Kenny Omega Uncertain About Return: While speaking on his Twitch steam, Omega opened up about his AEW return in Winnipeg next Wednesday. He wasn’t 100% sure about it at first. 

”I remember thinking about maybe, maybe showing up to Winnipeg. It was a maybe. And then I saw that my sister, my parents, my aunty who lives in Calgary who said ‘Oh my goodness we heard the big news.’ I was like ‘What big news?’ They were like ‘Yeah, the arena was advertising your return.’ And I thought ‘Come on, man I’m like 80% on board maybe, but I don’t know man.’ And I thought ‘Well, they advertised me. I guess that 80 becomes a 100.’ So, I called the boss and was like ‘Hey man, you wanna run a graphic or something, I guess I’ll show up.”

Upcoming PPV’s and PLE’s:

Here are the upcoming major wrestling events

  • Saturday, May 4: WWE Backlash France (PLE)
  • Sunday, May 26: NXT Battleground (PLE)
  • Sunday, May 26: AEW Double or Nothing (PPV)

Watch: What Happened With CM Punk After (4/26) SmackDown Went Off Air

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CM Punk had a run-in with Chad Gable after this week’s episode of SmackDown.

The Blue Branded Show came live from Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati, Ohio featuring night 1 of WWE Drafts 2024.

The Straight Edge Star was advertised locally for the episode. While he didn’t appear on the broadcast, the former world champion came out after SmackDown went off air.

He first provided an update on his health confirming that his triceps is not 100% yet but he is on track. The WWE star then endorsed hometown hero Pete Rose for MLB Hall of Fame.

Before he could finish his promo, however, CM Punk was interrupted by Chad Gable and the rest of the Alpha Academy. Gable challenged Punk for a fight but the former AEW star refused on account of his injury.

He offered to introduce a friend of his who had recently returned from the injury for the proposed fight and it turned out to be Sheamus.

What Happened On SmackDown

The Celtic Warrior then had a singles match with the former Olympian. This wasn’t the only dark match of the night as The Miz and R Truth also defended their tag titles against Judgment Day’s Finn Balor and JD McDonagh after the show.

Elsewhere in the night, we saw a contract signing segment between the Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and his Backlash challenger AJ Styles. Rhodes also competed in the main event of SmackDown against Carmelo Hayes.

WWE had brought in a number of Hall of Famers to announce the Draft results. You can check our Draft Tracker to find out which stars were picked up during Night 1.

WWE Draft 2024: Supplemental Picks Take Place After 4/26 Episode of SmackDown

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The 2024 WWE draft continued after the April 26, episode of SmackDown with supplemental picks affecting Raw, SmackDown, and WWE NXT. 

SmackDown marked Night One of the annual draft and saw 16 picks made overall across four rounds. Bianca Belair holds the honor of being the #1 pick across the entire draft as the EST of WWE was chosen by SmackDown. 

WWE Draft Night One Supplemental Results

On social media, WWE shared news from their supplemental draft picks after SmackDown went off the air. The picks are as follows: 

It’s interesting to see Corbin moved to SmackDown given that Bron Breakker was drafted to Raw. The Wolf Dogs had been an impressive unit in WWE NXT. It had even been suggested that the pair would be brought to the same roster to continue teaming, though that will obviously not be the case. 

What’s to Come? 

The second night of the 2024 WWE Draft will commence on the April 29, episode of Monday Night Raw and supplemental picks will happen after the show. 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. 

WWE Alum & Ex-GOP Candidate Daniel Rodimer Indicted In Murder of Wrongly Convicted Man

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A former WWE Tough Enough participant and developmental talent has officially been indicted for a murder stemming from an incident in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

Daniel Rodimer was indicted on April 26 and is expected to appear before a Nevada judge on May 8. This is all connected to the death of Christopher Tapp who died in October of last year. Tapp was an exonerated man who had served 20 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of killing his friend Angie Doge in 1996. 

Shortly after his death at a Resorts World Suite, Tapp’s death was ruled as accidental. the coroner’s office later determined it a homicide after discovering blunt force trauma to his head. Investigators have learned that Tapp and Rodimer had a fight before the former was fatally injured in a fall. Rodimer “maintains his complete innocence and looks forward to his day in court” his attorneys said after his indictment. 

This incident isn’t Rodimer’s first run-in with the law. Rodimer has been accused of assault three times but has no convictions. He was arrested on charges of battery in 2010 and admitted to committing the offense. After a six-week anger management course, the charge was dropped.

Daniel Rodimer

Rodimer was part of 2004’s Tough Enough that also featured The Miz, Ryback, and Marty ‘The Boogeyman’ Writ. He was signed a to a developmental contract in 2006 and would compete in Deep South Wrestling. After a handful of appearances on WWE Heat, Rodimer was released in 2007. 

Rodimer ran for Nevada State Senate on the Republican ballot in 2018 but despite outspending his rival nearly two-to-one, lost to Valerie Weber. He lost the following year in Nevada’s 3rd congressional district. 

In May 2021, Rodimer announced he would be standing in Texas’s 6th congressional district special election. His campaign caught media attention as he dramatically changed his accent and person to appear more Texan. He claimed to have been endorsed by Donald Trump, a claim denied by the former President’s team. He came in eleventh in the primary with 2.6% of the voting share. 

2024 WWE Draft Results Tracker For 4/26 SmackDown

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WWE is shaking up their rosters once again with another Draft. Fans have come to expect the unexpected, and this year will be no different.

The 2024 WWE Draft is scheduled for Friday, April 26 during SmackDown and Monday, April 29 during RAW. To streamline the process, the rosters were divided into two Draft Pools.

Through all the excitement, there is also some worry within NXT. A concern exists that WWE may pick their developmental brand clean after this year’s draft. Ilja Dragunov is the only name that has been announced for the draft, but each nigh is likely to include new NXT call-ups.

To start things off, Paul Heyman revealed that Roman Reigns pulled himself from draft eligibility. He said that Roman is not returning in the immediate future, so he will not be anyone’s first draft pick this year.

Round One

*Announced by Triple H & Cody Rhodes

RAW

Jey Uso

Seth “Freakin'” Rollins

SmackDown

Bianca Belair

Carmelo Hayes

Round Two:

*Announced by Torrie Wilson & Michelle McCool

RAW:

Bron Breakker

Liv Morgan

SmackDown:

Randy Orton

Nia Jax

Round Three:

*Announced by Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley

RAW:

Ricochet

Sheamus

SmackDown:

LA Knight

The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa, Tama, & Paul Heyman)

Round Four:

*Announced by Teddy Long & JBL

RAW:

Alpha Academy (Chad Gable, Otis, Maxxine Dupri, Akira Tozawa)

Kiana James

SmackDown:

AJ Styles

Andrade

Supplemental Draft Picks

RAW:

Alba Fye & Isla Dawn

Ivar

Shayna Baszler

Zoey Stark

SmackDown:

Baron Corbin

Cedric Alexander & Ashante ‘Thee’ Adonis

The OC (Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, Michin)

NXT Call-Ups

WWE usually calls up a few NXT Superstar with their draft. This year was no exception. Carmelo Hayes and Kiana James were called up to the main roster. Hayes was in the building for SmackDown, where he got right to business by challenging Cody Rhodes.

2024 WWE Draft Rules

The 2024 WWE Draft will allocate 16 picks over four rounds to SmackDown and 24 picks over six rounds to RAW, reflecting RAW’s longer runtime. Champions are exempt from the draft, except for Women’s Tag Team Champions, who are excluded from the Draft Pool.

SmackDown will pick first on Friday, and RAW will get its first choice the following Monday, with final rosters set by May 6th.

Following new TV deals, SmackDown is moving to the USA Network and RAW to Netflix. The full effects of RAW’s switch to Netflix will be seen from October 2025. Unless WWE plans a roster shake-up, these rosters will initiate the new media rights agreements.

WWE President Nick Khan Has Listed Entire Portfolio of TKO Stock For Sale

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WWE operates on many layers, because there is a complicated business world behind the sports entertainment lights. Nick Khan has been responsible for ushering WWE into a new era, but he is now selling out his remaining shares.

It was revealed on Friday that McMahon is selling up to 8.02 million shares he owns, per Sportico. The shares Vince McMahon has listed for sale are valued at over $776 million, based on TKO’s closing price of $96.76 on Friday. He is not the only person who is unloading a ton of stock, because Nick Khan is also listing all of his remaining TKO shares.

WWE president Nick Khan is also listed as a seller in the prospectus. He plans to sell his entire stake of 234,424 shares, including restricted stock units he has accumulated over time.

Despite these sales, Khan will continue in his current role at the company, as confirmed by a source familiar with the transaction who wished to remain anonymous and was not authorized to speak publicly on his behalf.

It’s important to understand that the filing only makes these shares eligible for sale; it doesn’t necessarily mean they will be sold. However, in the corporate world, such filings typically precede the actual sale of the shares soon after. Generally, in the business sector, when shares are listed like this, they tend to be sold.

Nick Khan’s Life Prior To WWE

Before joining WWE, Khan served as Co-Head of Television at CAA, where he represented top figures and organizations in sports media, negotiating media rights deals worth billions of dollars. Khan came on board at WWE in 2020 and played a pivotal role in driving the company to achieve record revenue and profitability.

He started his career as a practicing attorney, so he understands the intricacies of contract talks. Nick Khan and The Rock have also been friends since childhood, giving another strong connection to the pro wrestling business.

It will be interesting to see what his next move is, especially if he sells all of his stock, but remains with the company.

SEScoops will have more on this still-developing story as additional information is made known.

Vince McMahon Totally Severing WWE Business Ties By Listing Remaining TKO Shares For Sale

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Vince McMahon is selling his remaining shares in TKO Group Holdings, marking the end of his over 50-year association with the pro wrestling business.

It was revealed in a prospectus on Friday that McMahon might sell up to 8.02 million shares he owns, per Sportico. These shares are valued at more than $776 million, based on TKO’s closing price of $96.76 on Friday.

It’s important to note that the filing simply makes the shares eligible for sale and does not guarantee that they will be sold. However, in the corporate world, such filings generally lead to the actual sale of the listed shares shortly thereafter. That being said, in the business world, shares put up like this usually sell.

McMahon has been inching toward a full departure from WWE for quite some time. Before the announcement on Friday that he might sell all his TKO stock, McMahon had sold $1.365 billion of TKO stock since November. If he sells his remaining shares at market value, he will have made over $2 billion from TKO stock in six months.

If you’re wondering if Vince will start a new pro wrestling company, that doesn’t seem to be in the cards. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports, while Vince is interested in pursuing new business opportunities in the future, starting a new wrestling promotion is not on his agenda. The general consensus in the wrestling community is that it would be impractical for him to start from scratch and compete against an established giant like WWE.

McMahon isn’t the only person selling all of their TKO stock, because WWE President Nick Khan is doing the same.

Vince McMahon’s WWE Exit

McMahon has been with WWE for decades, first entering the company in the 1960s. After taking ownership from his father, Vince led the company into a global superpower. Bill Simmons’ upcoming Netflix docuseries will undoubtably tell that story in full.

In 2022, McMahon resigned from WWE after it was revealed that the company had made payments to settle sexual misconduct claims against him. However, as the main shareholder, he reappointed himself as chairman at the end of the year to help sell the company. In September, Endeavor Group Holdings, the company that owns UFC, bought WWE and formed a new publicly traded company called TKO.

McMahon resigned from his position as executive chairman of TKO in January following a sex trafficking lawsuit that accused him and other executives of sexual coercion and other serious acts. Slim Jim pulled their sponsorship just prior to the 2024 Royal Rumble premium live event, causing TKO CEO Ari Emanuel and TKO President and COO Mark Shapiro to urge McMahon’s resignation. 

TKO Group Holdings was created after Endeavor Group Holdings acquired WWE the previous year.

TNA TV PPV Buys Down Significantly Following Rebellion

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TNA is making some big moves when it comes to free agency but unfortunately it isn’t transferring over into PPV buys via television.

Just this past Saturday, the company had it’s Rebellion PPV and it featured the main event of TNA World Champion Moose defending his title against Nic Nemeth. The card also featured Josh Alexander taking on Hammerstone in their rubber match which was a Last Man Standing fight.

According to Dave Meltzer, Rebellion saw a massive drop in PPV purchases in comparsion to TNA’s return PPV earlier in January, Hard To Kill. Hard To Kill had over 66,000 buys on TV and streaming, which happened to be a record for the promotion. Unfortunately, Rebellion had only 500 TV buys at air-time, that’s an 89% drop in comparison to Hard To Kill which had 22,400. However, the streaming buys have yet to be released so TNA should see at least a little boost with the combination.

Although the buys of down, the perception of TNA is very positive with acquisitions such as Nemeth, Hammerstone, AJ Francis and Mustafa Ali. Rebellion also saw the major returns of Matt Hardy and Mike Santana into the company fold.

Nemeth said in an exclusive interview with SEScoops, noting how much he believes in TNA as a company and the promotion’s long-term booking plans. Nemeth isn’t signed to any contract with TNA, but noted his primary goal is getting the company over and its roster of rising stars.

You can check out the full interview with Nemeth below:

Tony Khan Says “WWE Is The Harvey Weinstein Of Pro Wrestling” — “AEW Is The Pepsi”

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AEW has not been shy about taking shots at WWE whenever they can. During a recent appearance to promote the NFL Draft, Tony Khan took another chance to shade the competition.

Tony Khan appeared on the NFL Network to discuss the Jacksonville Jaguars’ next move in the NFL Draft. While on the show, the fact that he was wearing a neck brace took center stage.

While explaining how the Young Bucks assaulted him, Khan was sure to plug AEW’s shows on TBS and TNT as much as he could. Then the conversation steered toward his company’s biggest competition as Khan made a controversial comparison.

“There has not been a challenger brand that has gained market share like this in many, many, many years. We’re like the Pepsi of pro wrestling, and we’re against a really evil Juggernaut. WWE is our competitor, that’s who we’re facing. AEW is like the Pepsi of pro wrestling and WWE is like the Harvey Weinstein of pro wrestling, and I’m very proud of what we do down here.”

When Khan dropped his Weinstein line, the hosts of the show laughed and stopped him from going further. He said that fans will have to tune into AEW’s television shows if they want an update on his neck injury.

The fact that he called AEW the “Pepsi of professional wrestling” was an obvious dig at CM Punk. His Pepsi tattoo is a huge part of his image, which even brought Danhausen to refer to him as “Pepsi Man.”

Tony Khan’s Previous Controversies 

Tony Khan has taken many shots at WWE over the years, from the company’s production to their booking. Digs at Vince McMahon’s company eventually became a trademark for All Elite Wrestling.

The allegations against Vince McMahon have also not been ruled out of play when it comes to Tony Khan. He has used McMahon’s current lawsuit situation as fodder to fire at WWE in the past.

Being The Elite was full of jokes about WWE as well, and Tony Khan has taken many opportunities to defend his company from critics like Eric Bischoff. Khan also rubbed it in when Bischoff cancelled his “Strictly Business” podcast to add more fuel to the fire.

Wrestling’s 10 Best Podcast Episodes

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My radio career began on The Wrestling Guys, the No. 1 show in Dayton, with an audience around the country. I was a stuttering kid when I first appeared as a guest and later as a co-host. 

A year later I added Chairshots Radio and after a stint on FM radio in Rhode Island, we moved it all online, recording through a speaker phone to a cassette before recording that into a microphone into a computer and uploading the file after a few hours. 

Things have changed in some ways – its much easier to do a podcast now – and some things haven’t. Put reporters, hosts, personalities and reporters on air in 2000 or 2024, and they make news. 

The Wrestling Guys and Chairshots had so many big interviews and made so much news, I would submit show reports to every wrestling website on the net. Jake Roberts blasting the director of the Beyond the Mat documentary, Bill Goldberg threatening to beat up Hulk Hogan for calling him soft on Larry King (Goldberg had wrestled for months on a torn ACL as WCW champion, finally had surgery. I’d say he wasn’t soft). 

Years later and former wrestlers and personalities dominate, with some major website and news podcasts around. All have their ups (Steve Austin, Chris Jericho, Bryan and Dave, Garrett Gonzalez) and their downs (the hate AEW side gig, the content creators and wannabe influencers). But the best episodes are remarkable for different reasons. 

I made this list based on my own opinion and with an imperfect amount of knowledge of the total wrestling podcast universe, but here’s my shot. 

10. Wrestling Observer Radio – Chris Benoit

WOR’s first show after the Chris Benoit double-murder and suicide is a summation of the horrors of the pro wrestling in the 2000s – that any given morning you are going to get a phone call, and it could be someone you’re friends with has died. 

When Benoit killed his wife and son, the details were thin for the first few hours. WWE aired its mistaken tribute show and people were coming to grips with what happened. Just as wrestling reporters, many of whom knew Benoit or had talked to him, were coming to grips with a story that was too terrible to imagine. 

Alvarez, a friend of Benoit, is dealing with this bomb dropped on him, the shock an the horror of the crime while Meltzer walks through it as a journalist whose heavily emotionally invested in what was the biggest story of its time. It’s not an easy listen, but the way Alvarez and Meltzer handle themselves on air wasn’t just a master class in professionalism during a horrific event, but two friends trying to deal with the reality and horror what happened. I’m not sure how they made it through it. 

9. Talk is Jericho – Remembering Terry Funk

Chris Jericho’s wrestling podcast is no longer a wrestling podcast, and hasn’t been one for years. He has celebrities on regularly. The episode where he and his band, Fozzy, break down Van Halen albums 1984 and 5150 is a must listen for any rock music fan. From any weak he could be interviewing an AEW up and coming talent, horror movie director Eli Roth, one of the Trumps or a Ghostbuster. 

Jericho has worn the influences of his career on his sleeve, and his episode following the death of Terry Funk is an all-timer. With Dave Meltzer as a guest, Funk played a major part in both of their careers. To Meltzer, Funks was more than a mentor and to Jericho he was more than an inspiration. It’s a magical episode when the wrestling podcast world took a second to remember one of its foundations. 

Whether it was rock star frontmen, or childhood heroes like Nick Bockwinkel, Jericho has always been up front about who is influences are at different points of his career and when he re-emerged in a shock in New Japan as a crazed gaijin, reminiscent of Terry Funk and Stan Hansen, Jericho reveled in it. Of all of Jericho’s re-inventions the last 10 years, this was his best. Beating up Red Shoes and putting then Young Lion Shota Umino in the Lion Tamer. Running rampant through fans in the crowd, attacking journalists he remembered from his days in Japan in the 1990s – it was a blast to watch. 

Listening to Dave and Jericho discuss Funk with wonder and relevance was joyful, sad and a reminder of what we had and what we lost. 

8. The Jim Cornette Experience – Vince Russo buries TNA to its own network

Jim Cornette is one of the greatest managers in the history of pro wrestling. He took that gift of gab to podcasting and his Experience podcast with Brian Last continues to be one of the popular on the internet. 

Cornette is at his best when he has a deserving target, and boy, is Russo deserving. Cornette’s emotional speech during an episode of Dark Side of the Ring, getting into why he can’t forgive Russo for his lack of respect for the business and how, when wrestling isn’t taken seriously, people get hurt or even killed – it’s the high mark of the series. It puts into perspective all of the tragedies and controversies the show has aired. He’s shared this point of view a few times during episodes on Owen Hart and the Brawl for All fiasco.

Nothing was more on target than Russo, still pushing his anti-wrestling ideas of pro wrestling on his own podcast, let out that he called the Discovery network and said if they didn’t hire him to take over TNA when it moved to one of its networks, it would go out of business. 

Give Cornette true righteous fury and a deserving target and it’s a joyful dismemberment. Russo can’t be ripped enough. Especially after he put the employees of an entire company at risk. Outside the murderers and rapists, it’s one of the most irresponsible acts by any pro wrestling personality ever. 

Cornette begins by going into the history of Russo in WWE, WCW, TNA and his start, throwing more fire with each line and each well deserved. Cornette has spent thousands of hours talking about Russo, but this episode is different. As he recalls different parts of Russo’s career and the ultimate sin of throwing his ego around at the risk of people’s jobs, Cornette is almost shocked at the own memories of what has led to this. You can hear the disbelief in his voice as he ramps up the curse words and the emotion, and recalls what Russo has done, it’s pure righteous anger and well deserved. 

7. The Stone Cold Podcast – Dean Ambrose

Steve Austin was a much different person when he began his podcast than he was during his day as WWE’s biggest star. Austin carried the company for years, only to get unceremoniously duped in booking, then criticized for “taking his ball and going home” because he knew bad booking when he saw it. 

Austin was more or less laid back, until an episode with Dean Ambrose/Jon Moxley (who shall be referred to now as Mox). Austin had scene a lot of potential in Ambrose, who at this point hadn’t won a world title and seemed stuck in WWE’s mid-card while his former Shield stablemates were trading titles in the main event. 

Mox described working the indies and using the internet, using YouTube and other formats to cut promos on upcoming matches. In one example, he cut a promo on Austin as an example, which got Austin’s eyes to turn from curious to burning. It’s a magic moment, and it shows how good Mox is at pulling the competitor out of the people in the room. 

Austin was asking question after question about why Mox  wasn’t reaching his potential, and Mox did his best to be politically correct while explaining WWE’s 50/50 style of booking for all those not named McMahon. 

In the end, Moxley proved
himself right, even over serial carnie Paul Heyman, who ripped Moxley for his unhappiness with how his WrestleMania match with Brock Lesnar went during a live appearance. While everyone in WWE couldn’t stop making excuses, Moxley left and became the first wrestler to hold the three biggest world titles in wrestling. 

6. The Art of Wrestling: CM Punk

The most famous wrestling podcast ever, it’s sad looking back. This episode ruined a long friendship between Punk and Colt Cabana, one that had consequences later when the two were working in AEW. 

Punk had never told his story after leaving WWE in 2014. Wrestlers had told of the rough life and politics in WWE – Tom Zenk was among the first in 2000 – and the stories were always rough listens for WWE fans. Punk let it loose and was later sued by a WWE doctor as a result. Despite WWE’s long-play “spend you to death” legal stragegy, Punk and Cabana one, but it didn’t patch up their relationship. 

Punk’s story is like Punk – a must listen, funny at times, but he leaves no stone unturned. He doesn’t like Triple H, and he may have killed a couple careers while he was at it. Most horrific was Punk describing his health in the company while working a full schedule and dealing with the neglect of his health by the company. 

Cabana and Punk were both innovative and important wrestlers in the still unfolding history of the contemporary era of the sport. Cabana was one of the first with a regular podcast and found ways to make cash and a full living as an independent wrestler. Punk was the first and only indie rebel to reach the top of WWE. 

5. Wrestling Observer: The Piper Bounty 

During an episode of Wrestling Observer Live, Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez talked about Roddy Piper. Piper is from the Pacific Northwest, like Alvarez – an accomplished radio and podcast host, pro wrestler and martial artist who has somehow mastered the art of defying aging. 

While WOL and WOR are the pinnacle in wrestling news podcasts, the personalities of Alvarez and Meltzer make it a must listen every week. The two have very different personalities, and their chemistry can revert up and against each other at any moment. Such was the case when Meltzer revealed that Piper had once put a bounty on Alvarez, which was to be collected by John “The Barbarian” Nord.

A Mt. Rushmore level pro wrestling legend putting a bounty on a star pro wrestling media member and radio host – that’s an insane revelation in and of itself. But what made this a legendary episode – Alvarez was not aware of the bounty until Meltzer told the story live on the show.

Alvarez: “What? Piper put a bounty out on me!”

Dave: “(Laughing) What was so great about this was …” 

Meltzer begins sharing the details of the story while Alvarez is in shock. At one point, Alvarez shares that Piper had pulled him into a room, turned out the lights, put a lighter to his face and told Alvarez to inform Dave that he was going to burn down his house.

Alvarez goes through a series of questions that anyone would have – why didn’t Dave tell him when this happened? Listen and find out.

4. Wrestlenomics – Ashley Massaro

The wave of news that came forward after Janel Grant sued Vince McMahon in federal court brought back the story of Ashley Massaro, who died by suicide in 2019. She claimed she had been sexually assaulted at a military medical center while WWE was doing one of its For The Troops shows overseas. The company told Massaro to not report the incident, in fear it would hurt the company’s contract with the military.

Reporting from Vice News revealed three different military investigative agenies looked into Massaro’s claims in 2020 after they became public. 

Brandon Thurston and John Pollock are in new territory reading into a Navy NCIS report, digging through military terms, multiple witnesses and an investigation looking into a crime that allegedly occurred years earlier. They do so with detail, a fine tooth and touch of seriousness that matches their work in their other reporting. Their talent and eye for detail comes through in an episode every wrestling fan should listen to if they want to know the darker workings of the pro wrestling industry. 

3. The Lapsed Fan: The Lamentable Tragedy of World Class

Twenty-three episodes, spread across two to three hours an episode, Jack Encarnacio and JP Sarro’s seminal work was studied by Holt McCallany, who told Garrett Gonzalez he listened to the series while studying to play Fritz Von Erich in The Iron Claw movie. 

The series is a seminal work of pro wrestling journalism. It’s one of the finest series I’ve listened to in any medium of radio or podcasting. As someone who worked as a researched on a PBS Frontline documentary, this is a remarkable work of journalism even as Enccarnacio and Sarro keep it light and keep the fans in themselves at the mic alongside the heavy research. 

Taken after the name of a magazine article, the first episode begins with a reading of the opening of Moby Dick, with Fritz substituted as the ship’s obsessed Captain and Chris Von Erich as his Starbuck. It’s literary, it’s funny, it’s beyond deep, it’s a must listen and it’s an amazing example of the form put to its full potential. 

2. Talk Is Jericho: Triple H

If there was one episode of Talk Is Jericho fans wanted to hear, it was his interview of Triple H.

In a special two-parter, the two went over their history in WWE together, which was more often than not pretty rocky. At this point the two respected each other and had a friendly business relationship (which has probably died since Jericho went to New Japan then AEW), and they recalled Jericho’s early and controversial days in WWE during the Attitude Era, most of which had nothing to do with Jericho. 

Hearing them joke about Jericho’s “nuclear” heat with DX is funny 14 years after it happened (the interview took place in 2014), but it was serious business in the early 2000 and despite the laughter the edge is there. It’s a remarkable interview because of the subject matter and the two rivals talking about it. It’s something rarely seen in any form of interviewing or podcasting and it’s an enjoyable and entertaining listen. 

1. Celebrating Jay – aka The Great Fowler

Only one podcast has had both WWE and AEW talent in the contemporary era, and that’s when stars from both companies got together to raise funds for The Great Fowler. Jay is now four years into the six-months he was told he had to live following a massive cardiac event. 

Jay was popular on the Figure Four/Wrestling Observer network. Wrestlers, company owners referred to him as the man who kept kicking out on The Grim Reaper. 

What makes Jay remarkable can’t be just summed up in his will to live and his positive view of social media and life (which is amazingly remarkable in itself), but also the “pay it forward” approach he’s taken to hot spots like Twitter. It hasn’t always been pretty, many of the worst have attacked Fowler, who often lives on donations to make ends meet and to stay off the street. But his positive attitude is infectious and his all-real personality has ingratiated himself to thousands of fans and some of the biggest talent in the world, including Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega and Edge. 

He could have walked off and did nothing else, but he’s used his own c
onnections to become his own one-man Make-A-Wish, connecting wrestlers with fans who are suffering terminal illness and other issues. Jay’s paid it forward for years and God bless him, we’ll have him paying it forward for decades more. 

Jacksonville Jaguars’ Top Draft Pick Wishes Tony Khan A ‘Speedy Recovery’ Following AEW Attack

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It appears the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted themselves a babyface in the NFL Draft as he hopes his new boss Tony Khan can power through his “neck injury.”

Khan was the recepient of a Meltzer Driver courtesy of The Young Bucks on Wednesday night’s Dynamite as the AEW President became apart of the storyline regarding the company return of Jack Perry.

Wrestling fans were wondering if Tony Khan was planning to sell the injury during the NFL Draft, something he’s annually involved with and TK pulled a page out of Bobby Heenan’s book by wearing a neck brace in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ war room.

With the 23rd pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected wide receiver Brian Thomas from Louisiana State University and when he did get picked, the focus was on the Jags’ war room, one that had Tony Khan, Shad Khan and Jaguars’ head coach Doug Pederson.

Pundits from Rich Eisen and Pat McAfee happened to comment on Khan being “injured” as they playfully joked about the angle that took place on Wednesday night and sure enough, the new draft pick was not free from getting involved in the storyline.

CBS Sports filled Thomas in on what happened to Khan on Wednesday and the freshly drafted football player made sure to send his new boss some well wishes.

“Hope you’re good. Hope you shake back from your injury. Speedy recovery.”

The angle involving Khan has gotten its fair share of criticism and positive reaction. One panelist parodying Mel Kiper Jr. on The Pat McAfee Show noted that Khan need to stick to his guns with the injury as TK was still moving his neck back and forth in the war room.

WrestleMania 40 Ticket Sales Topped $38.5 Million, Up 78% From 2023

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WWE’s 40th WrestleMania event packed Lincoln Financial Field on April 6 and 7. The star-studded spectacle attracted a ton of attention and also raked in a ton of cash.

The Rock’s return to a WWE ring was expected to draw a big box office. They already achieved impressive growth in virtually every metric there is at this point. 

  • WrestleMania 40 attendance reached 145,298 over two nights, surpassing the previous gate record by 78%.
  • Viewership for WrestleMania 40 increased by 41% over both nights compared to WrestleMania 39.
  • Social media views for the event exceeded 660 million, setting a record as the most socially viewed WrestleMania ever.
  • Merchandise sales rose by more than 20% from the record set at WrestleMania 39.
  • WWE’s YouTube channel experienced its most viewed day in history with over 67 million views on WrestleMania 40 Sunday.

WrestleMania XL became WWE’s most watched event in history, surpassing the viewership record set at WrestleMania XXXIX last year by 41%, per John Wall Street.

This two-night event also established a new WWE record for a gate, generating $38.5 million in ticket sales, which represents a 78% increase from the previous year and a 147% increase from 2022.

Future WrestleMania Events

WrestleMania brings a ton of outside money to their host city every year. This is why hotspots all over the world are vying to host the show of shows.

Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, has expressed interest in bringing WrestleMania to the UK’s capital city.
While campaigning for the upcoming mayoral election on May 2, Khan, who is not related to WWE’s Nick or AEW’s Tony, mentioned WWE’s flagship show in a press release, discussing London’s potential as a major sports hub. The 54-year-old Labour Party member is among those hoping to host the event in London.

At the moment, Las Vegas is a front-runner to host WrestleMania 41. Although Minneapolis may have thought hosting the Mania was a lock, and they put in a bid for it, nothing has been confirmed by WWE yet.

WWE President Nick Khan stated that the company intends on keeping WrestleMania and the other big five premium live events within the confines of the United States until further notice, but they are very open to bring all other events overseas. 

WWE Draft 2024: Fears NXT Will Be Depleted, Talent Worried About Directionless Call-Up

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The 2024 WWE Draft will certainly shake up the rosters, but there are some serious concerns regarding the NXT brand. 

WWE has revealed which Superstars from Raw & SmackDown will be eligible for each night of the draft, but talent from NXT will also be available to be called up. Fightful Select reports that there is a concern that the gold brand will be “depleted” due to the draft and will lose its top stars. 

Former WWE NXT Champions Carmelo Hayes and Ilja Dragunov are said to be a ‘lock’ to be called up in the draft. WWE has a history of NXT being hit hard by the draft. In 2023, the gold brand lost both its NXT Women’s Champion Indi Hartwell, and its Women’s Tag Team Champions Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn to the main roster. 

NXT talent are said to be concerned about being drafted to the main roster without a clear direction for their character. While call-ups like Finn Balor (a first-round pick for Raw in 2016) have thrived on the main roster, the same can’t be said for everyone. Cameron Grimes was called up in the 2023 draft and was recently released from WWE following an underwhelming time on the main roster. 

Though the draft is expected to go one way, WWE Raw & SmackDown talent are eligible for a move to NXT. The prospect has been met with a mixed response by those currently on the main roster. While some would see it as a demotion, others believe it could benefit them. 

WWE Draft 2024

Here are some recent articles about the 2024 WWE Draft. Keep checking in with SE Scoops for all your draft news. 

WWE’s PG Era Officially Over: The Rock & Paul Heyman Promos Mark End Of The Old Ways

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The ‘PG Era’ of WWE is officially a thing of the past though the promotion will continue to adhere to its viewing guidelines for now. 

WWE transitioned into a PG rating in 2008 in a move that saw the promotion tone back on its more suggestive storylines, ban chairshots and greatly reduce the amount of blading allowed on-screen. The ‘PG Era’ has often been criticized by fans as a time when WWE became ‘too kid-friendly’ compared to how it once was. 

This era of WWE is officially dead, Dave Meltzer reports, as the promotion is all-in on its current period dubbed by some as the ‘Renaissance Era.’ The Rock’s scathing promos in the run-up to WrestleMania 40 played a factor in the “official end” of the PG Era. The Final Boss certainly didn’t hold back with his promos which at the time seemed entirely opposed to WWE’s rules about what was allowed to be said. 

Paul Heyman’s Hall of Fame acceptance speech was also part of the end of the PG Era. The Bloodline’s special counsel responded to a ‘You deserve it’ chant with “You’re damn f***ing right I do!’ and told haters of ECW to “suck my f***ing d**k!”

While this era is a thing of the past, WWE programming remains PG for the time being. It’s entirely possible that ratings could change once Raw moves to Netflix in January 2025 or when WWE NXT heads to The CW later this year. Any potential change will hinge on what those broadcasters want and also what sponsors will be comfortable with.

5 Compelling Challengers For Cody Rhodes In 2024

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Cody Rhodes won the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 40 in one of the most satisfying triumphs in company history. While The American Nightmare and his fans can bask in the glow of that victory for a little longer, the question looms as to whom he’ll defend his title against.

WWE started to answer that question with a number one contender’s tournament that started on the April 12 edition of SmackDown. One has to assume that the first challenger won’t take the title off Rhodes, though. In fact, if Triple H’s booking has taught us anything, it’s that very long title reigns are not just possible, but likely. So who should try to take the belt off Rhodes in the months ahead? The good news for WWE and its fans is that there are quite a few compelling options.

Sheamus

Sheamus-Monday Night Raw April 18

There are a small handful of veterans on the WWE roster who may not be probable world champions in the immediate future, but who nonetheless will always be with a few weeks’ push of feeling credible in a main event spot. Fresh off a return to action, Sheamus is very much a part of that list.

After some time away, there’s a good opportunity to press the reset button Sheamus. Though early hints have him factoring into the Intercontinental Championship picture, he could quickly enough win a number one contender’s battle royal, tournament, or gauntlet to be repositioned for a good, heated feud with good matches against Cody Rhodes.

Gunther

While Gunther lost a major match at WrestleMania 40, he had one of those rare title reigns that was so remarkable it totally overshadows the way in which the reign ended. Gunther reigned as Intercontinental Champion for over 600 days, turning in more than his share of excellent matches along the way. There’s no question he’s credible now as a main event talent.

Gunther vs. Cody Rhodes is a natural rivalry if only for the patriotic underpinnings of Rhodes’s persona opposite Gunther’s ties to Austria. The safe money is on Gunther in one world title picture or another come Bash in Berlin this summer. While it would be a safer choice for him win the World Heavyweight Championship, there’s little question that Gunther vs. Cody Rhodes is about as big a match as WWE can book for that particular event.

Randy Orton

There’s a long history between Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes that includes The Viper mentoring a younger Rhodes, as well as the two clashing on no lesser stage than that of WrestleMania 26.

Orton and Rhodes have been positioned as allies since the former Superstar returned this past November, but there’s no shortage of history around him turning on his friends in storylines. Moreover, Orton has always been a natural heel and he’d pose one of the most credible challengers The American Nightmare could possibly have.

Bron Breakker

Bron Breakker had a long, celebrated run in NXT, most of which he spent at or around the top of the card. During that time, he established himself as a powerhouse wrestler who can work face or heel, has a reasonable charisma, and can carry his end of a very good match.

While there’s no shortage of fresh veteran opponents for Cody Rhodes in WWE, there is something to be said for taking on a young stud as well. Breakker has been mowing his way through squash matches on SmackDown and there’s a good case for keeping him strong for a brief run going up against The American Nightmare while both acts are hot.

Bobby Lashley

It surprised quite a few fans when WWE finally pulled the trigger on Bobby Lashley as a world champion in 2021. He’s had his ups and downs since then, but coming off a WrestleMania triumph and heading up his own faction once again, it’s not much stretch at all to envision him returning to the main event spotlight this year.

Bobby Lashley vs. Cody Rhodes is as an especially compelling matchup for the ways in which these two have just missed each other a couple times over between the timing of when each man arrived, left, or returned to WWE. Particularly as a heel, Lashley can always pose a credible threat. For Rhodes, efforts like his feud with Brock Lesnar demonstrated just how good he can be when he’s playing the underdog against a monster heel.