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Dominik Mysterio Fact Check: “No Surgery For This Guy”

Aaron Varble
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Dominik Mysterio says his elbow injury will not require surgery, despite reports to the contrary. 

The third generation star injured his elbow on 4/15 in a match against Andrade on WWE Raw. This past week, he was slated to join JD McDonagh in a match against Andrade & Ricochet. However, he appeared with his arm in a sling and was unable to compete. Andrade & Ricochet faced McDonagh & Santos Escobar instead.

The latest Wrestling Observer stated that Dominik’s injury requires the ‘Tommy John’ procedure named after the MLB pitcher, but Dirty Dom is here to pour cold water on this report:

The current plan is to maintain Dominik’s presence on television as a character during his recovery period. 

This is another unfortunate setback for the Judgment Day. Fresh off an incredible performance at WrestleMania against Becky Lynch, The Nightmare was forced to vacate her Women’s World Title after injuring her AC joint, and she will be out of action for a few months.

Dominik Mysterio Denies Surgery

Dominik has responded to the surgery reports on social media, denying them outright. He posted, “No Surgery for this guy,” and accompanied it with a well-known gif from Martin Scorsese’s “Wolf of Wall Street.” The gif features Leonardo DiCaprio’s character announcing to his office, “Not F***ing Leaving!”

What is Tommy John Surgery

Tommy John surgery is something that fans hear about in professional baseball more than anywhere else. That procedure is becoming even more common as MLB shortened the pitch clock, which gave pitchers even less time to rest between throws.

Formerly known as ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction, Tommy John is a surgical procedure that repairs a torn ulnar collateral ligament inside the elbow. The procedure was first performed in 1974 by Dr. Frank Jobe, and it famously saved the career of Major League Baseball pitcher Tommy John, for whom the surgery is named.

The surgery involves replacing the damaged ligament with a tendon from elsewhere in the body, typically from the forearm or hamstring. Following Tommy John surgery, patients are required to wear an elbow brace for approximately one month. Athletes generally undergo a longer recovery and rehabilitation period than non-athletes due to the significant stress that throwing imposes on the elbow.

Typically, the timeline for returning to baseball or similar activities extends to about 12 months, allowing for gradual healing and strength restoration in the ligament.

Since Dr. Frank Jobe first performed ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction on Tommy John on September 25, 1974, more than 1,000 professional pitchers have undergone this surgery on their pitching elbows. There are a lot of pitchers who are expected to miss, at least, a majority of the 2024 MLB season due to Tommy John surgery. Now, we can add a WWE Superstar to the list. 

Daily Drop (4/26): 2024 WWE Draft Coverage Begins, Tony Khan Wears Neck Brace For NFL Draft

Aaron Varble
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Welcome to the Daily Drop for Friday, April 26, 2024. There is a lot going on in the pro wrestling world, and tonight will be a big night as well.

Before we get going, there are some additions coming to the WWE Family. Luke Gallows celebrated the birth of his new con. Also, Erik and Valhalla are now expecting their second child. That should explain why Valhalla, and her antlers, have disappeared from WWE television recently.

The 2024 WWE Draft starts tonight on SmackDown. This will give fans a chance to see the company shake up their rosters. We already covered the complete draft pool and rules for this year, which you may check out below.

Now, let’s get into the Daily Drop!

WWE:

WWE SmackDown Card (4/26):

  • Cody Rhodes and A.J. Styles to sign contract for Undisputed WWE Title Match
  • 2024 WWE Draft begins

The Undertaker Wants More Titles: The Phenom has officially come forward to say that WWE should introduce a secondary title situation for their women’s division, something akin to the United States or Intercontinental Titles.

Sharpshooter Origin: In a recently resurfaced interview that is now making the rounds online, Bret Hart is featured admitting that Konnan is the one responsible for teaching him the Sharpshooter as a finisher.

Vince McMahon’s New PR Firm: McMahon has hired Sitrick And Company to represent him. Sitrick And Company has represented several high-profile clients, including Pepsi and Make-A-Wish. Their roster also featured the late Kobe Bryant and the late Roy Disney, who was Walt Disney’s brother and a longstanding executive at the Disney corporation.

AEW:

Grizzled Young Veterans Are AEW: Zack Gibson and James Drake, known as Grizzled Young Veterans, are prepared for their AEW in-ring debut. They will wrestle The Acclaimed on Collision this Saturday.

Tony Khan’s Neck Brace: In case you’re wondering, Khan did appear during th NFL Draft in a neck brace. They also brought attention to how he took a piledriver the night before during the broadcast.

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)

Becky Lynch Was The Right Choice To Carry The Women’s World Championship Forward

Mike Chin
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WWE fans had just come out of the glow of WrestleMania season when reality hit hard. Rhea Ripley revealed she was injured and had to vacate her Women’s World Championship. A battle royal followed and there were a number of intriguing possibilities for who would capture what’s quite arguably the top prize in women’s wrestling. Lynch wound up winning the title in a move that drew a polarizing response from the audience. Some argued that The Man as champion was played out or that, at the least, there were more appealing choices like Liv Morgan or perhaps even Chelsea Green. However, at the end of the day, Lynch was the right choice for the time being.

Becky Lynch Is A Credible Champion

Becky Lynch

When a champion drops a title without losing a match, there’s an immediate credibility gap for the new champ to fill. As Ric Flair famously said, “To be the man, you have to beat the man.” Without the credibility of beating the champion, there’s a risk of the champ to follow actually devaluing the title and by extension the whole division.

Particularly given her fun performance in the battle royal to crown a new Women’s World Champion, it would have been enjoyable to see Chelsea Green walk out with the belt. Regardless of her experience, talent, and charisma, though, Green simply hasn’t been established as a credible world champion in WWE thus far. She has a lot of the tools to get there one day, with the right push. Hot shotting the title onto her, though, would have the potential of feeling like a setback for the championship itself.

Becky Lynch was a viable WrestleMania challenger for Rhea Ripley earlier this month. More than that, she carries with her a resume that includes eight previous title reigns in WWE, a Royal Rumble victory, and being the first woman to ever win a WrestleMania main event. There’s no doubting Lynch is a worthy champion, and though she did lose to The Eradicator, she at worst represents a small step backward for the title’s prestige.

Becky Lynch Hasn’t Been A World Champion In Over Two Years

(via WWE)

One of the complaints that quickly arose on social media about Becky Lynch’s new title reign was that fans are tired of her as champ and it was time to feature other talents. There is some validity there, that The Man has spent the last five years in a high profile role with WWE.

However, the argument Lynch has spent too much time as champion falls flat given the last time she won a world title was at SummerSlam 2021 and she lost that belt going into WrestleMania 38. Moreover, since that point—when she dropped her title clean to Bianca Belair—she went on to put over The EST again, not to mention losing matches to Nia Jax, Rhea Ripley, and Lyra Valkyria to name a few.

In short, while Lynch reigning as champion isn’t new, it also isn’t played out in the sense that we’ve seen a lot of it the last couple years, nor is it fair to suggest she isn’t willing put over other talents strongly.

It Will Mean More For The Next Champion To Beat Becky Lynch Than To Have Won A Battle Royal

There’s a long tradition of battle royals crowning new champions, but the uncomfortable truth around these scenarios is that it’s actually one of the least decisive ways of winning a title. After all, a traditional championship win involves pinning the title holder or making her submit. Otherwise, a tournament win at least includes beating a multiple opponents one-on-one, while a Ladder Match is inherently grueling.

Battle royals are typically contested under over-the-top-rope rules which largely amount to hanging around the match until its late stages, then happening knock someone out of the ring. While there’s certainly a case that a performer like Liv Morgan would’ve done just fine winning the Women’s World Championship from the battle royal, it’s hard to deny she’d be better off launching a new reign by beating Becky Lynch at Money in the Bank, SummerSlam, or another major PLE.

That’s true of Morgan, who already has a substantial following and world title under belt, and would be all the more true for up-and-coming challengers whom The Man has all the potential in the world to elevate in the months ahead. 

WWE NXT’s Roxanne Perez Can’t Retire Until She Has Her Dream Match with AJ Lee

Thomas Lowson
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WWE NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez is focused on getting her dream match with AJ Lee before the gold-brand Superstar hangs up her boots. 

Sitting down with Ring The Belle, Perez discussed her immense respect for Lee, a three-time WWE Divas Champion. The NXT star made clear that she’ll keep wrestling as long as she can in order to get a match with Mrs. CM Punk.

“Hopefully, one day, she’ll come back and maybe we can all do something together. That would be, that would be like my dream. I can’t retire until I have a match against AJ Lee.”

AJ Lee hasn’t wrestled since 2015 but the former Superstar hasn’t left the world of professional wrestling entirely. Lee joined WOW – Women of Wrestling in 2021 as an executive producer and commentator. In August 2023, Lee said she would be parting ways with WOW at the end of her contract.

Perez is hardly the only woman in wrestling to hold AJ Lee in high regard. Fellow NXT Superstar Cora Jade has called Lee an inspiration, especially her feud with Paige (now AEW’s Saraya.) Julia Hart told the Busted Open Radio podcast earlier this year that she looked up to Lee and Alexa Bliss before stepping into the ring herself. 

Unsurprisingly, CM Punk has a high estimation of his wife and has said that he’d love to see Lee back in the world of wrestling and has brought her up on WWE TV since returning in November 2023. Lee is said to be well-liked and respected by those in WWE today, but a return was not something actively being discussed as of March 2024. 

More on AJ Lee

Here are some recent articles on AJ Lee as fans await a possible return from the former Divas Champion:

Rossy Ogawa Was Set to Quit STARDOM Over ‘Health Issues’ Before Launching Marigold

Thomas Lowson
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Rossy Ogawa’s termination from STARDOM was an unfortunate but necessary call after he allegedly deceived the promotion with health concerns. 

Ogawa was fired from the promotion he founded in February 2024 in a shocking move that led to speculation talent would quit in protest. Ogawa was accused of poaching STARDOM talent for a new promotion he’d been working on, a claim Ogawa denied at the time. 

With Ogawa out of the picture, Taro Okada was quickly promoted to being the promotion’s president. In a recent interview with Encount, Okada explained the circumstances surrounding Ogawa’s exit. 

“Considering sales, I felt that the organization was unstable. It was like a venture company that was aiming for sales of 100-200 million yen, but was somehow managing to do everything by handouts.” 

Okada added that Ogawa claimed he was ready to leave STARDOM for health reasons. After Okada and others learned of plans Ogawa’s plans to launch a promotion, they didn’t take his deception well. 

“Ogawa told me when we first met that he was quitting. At the time, he said it was a matter of physical strength. Then, in January of this year, I heard that Mr. Ogawa was going independent and that he was talking to a number of wrestlers. If we were to split up, it would be an unstable business.”

While Ogawa has claimed he was not poaching talent for a new promotion, he has since gone on to launch Marigold who are set to host their first event this June. The show will feature a number of ex-STARDOM talent, including Giulia. The ex-NJPW Strong Women’s Champion is also set to join WWE very soon.

More on Rossy Ogawa

Here are some recent articles relating to Rossy Ogawa and his situation now that his time with STARDOM is a thing of the past:

PR Firm Behind Make-A-Wish, Pepsi & Kobe Bryant Now Representing Vince McMahon

Thomas Lowson
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A public relations firm with a history of high-profile clients is now representing Vince McMahon as the ex-WWE Chair continues to face serious allegations. 

McMahon has obtained the services of Sitrick And Company, POST Wrestling reports, a firm with a lengthy history in the PR industry. Notable clients include Pepsi, Make-A-Wish, the late Kobe Bryant, and the late Roy Disney, the brother of Walt who was a long-term executive within the Disney corporation. 

Sitrick And Company is led by Michael S. Sitrick, who like his client has garnered quite a reputation in his field, Fortune magazine once described Sitrick as “one of the most accomplished practitioners of the dark arts of public relations.” The L.A. Times had a similar take to Sitrick, calling him “a public relations puppet master who has pulled the strings behind some of the biggest stories in media.”

Team McMahon

Sitrick And Company are just the latest recruits in McMahon’s efforts to overcome the lawsuit filed by Janel Grant. McMahon’s legal team comes from Kasowitz Benson Torres and is headed by attorneys Marc Kasowitz and Jessica T. Rosenberg.

Whether Sitrick can improve McMahon’s public image remains to be seen. Even before the allegations filed in Grant’s lawsuit, McMahon had a very negative reputation among wrestling fans, both for his creative decisions and his choices made outside the industry. McMahon has continued to deny the allegations of sexual abuse and trafficking laid against him. He recently filed a motion to compel the case into arbitration, a move Grant’s legal team plans on fighting. 

More on Vince McMahon

Here are some recent articles regarding WWE’s former Chairman and how things have been for him since his exit from the company:

Luke Gallows Announces Birth of Son, Erik & Valhalla Expecting Second Child

Thomas Lowson
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Baby fever is in the air in WWE with several Superstars set to have their families grow thanks to new additions. 

On social media, The O.C.’s Luke Gallows shared the news of the birth of his son Thomas. Gallows appreciated that Thomas arrived into the world “on a day Dad was home” and added that it’s “going to be so much fun raising you T-Bone!” Thomas Hankinson is the former Raw Tag Team Champion’s fifth child, the same number as his tag-team partner Karl Anderson.

https://www.instagram.com/p/p:C6Mc0B-LUvr

Valhalla and Erik Expecting Second Child

Gallows isn’t the only Superstar who’s family is growing. On Instagram, Valhalla and Viking Raider Erik shared that a new baby is coming to their family this November. In February 2021, Valhalla gave birth to a son after a 44-hour labor and the announcement of baby #2 featured their first child wearing a shirt bearing the message ‘big brother.’ 

https://www.instagram.com/p/p:C6M305XL7rM

In the comments, several WWE Superstars including Nikki Cross, Natalya, Ivar, Indi Hartwell, and Piper Niven shared their congratulations. This news of course means that Valhalla won’t be competing anytime soon which explains why she is not eligible in the upcoming WWE draft. Erik has been out of action since late 2023 and underwent neck fusion surgery in November. There’s no word yet on when fans can expect him back in the ring. WWE has opted to keep his tag-team partner Ivar on-screen and the remaining Viking has done quite well for himself as a singles Superstar.

Baby News

Here are some recent articles about wrestlers who have welcomed are set to welcome babies into the world. 

Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling Announces First Live Tour Dates

Thomas Lowson
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Wrestling fans won’t have to wait long to see the return of Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling, as the relaunched promotion’s next event is mere weeks away. 

On Twitter, the promotion’s tour dates were announced and revealed that the first event will take place at the Jefferson AG Center in Jefferson, Georgia on June 1. Over the next five months, TCW will host ten events in the Georgia area. 

Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling’s return was announced in January of this year. The promotion was first launched by Dusty Rhodes in 1999. The following year, WCW’s Glacier won a tournament at the first TCW event to become the first TCW World Heavyweight Champion. 

While Dusty is no longer with us, TCW remains integral to the Rhodes family. In late 2023, Cody Rhodes filed a trademark for Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling alongside longtime ally QT Marshall, Teil Rhodes, the sister of the Undisputed WWE Champion also has a management role with Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling. 

The original TCW saw several notable names compete, including Scott Hall, ‘Hacksaw’ Jim Duggan, New Jack, Leilani Kai, Daffney, and Steve Corino. Years before he’d make it big as part of TNA Wrestling, James Storm would compete during the latter stages of the company.

The relaunch of Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling is good news for wrestlers based in Georgia. The promotion clearly has resources behind it and will provide more opportunities for talent in the area. The Rhodes name being attached could also mean that WWE has got an eye on TCW which would certainly bode well for those on the TCW roster hoping to one day make it big in the world of pro wrestling. 

Grizzled Young Veterans Set For AEW In-Ring Debut

Aaron Varble
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AEW will soon see the debut of two more former WWE NXT Superstars. The Grizzled Young Veterans are very prepared for their first match in Tony Khan’s company.

The Grizzled Young Veterans’ AEW debut will take place on this week’s Collision (4/27). The company made this announcement via a video on social media.

The former NXT Superstars are in the land of All Elite to make a statement. They also said The Acclaimed have been on their radar for “a few years now,” and they will collide this Saturday. Gibson and Drake promised to teach Max Caster and Anthony Bowens a lesson.

Grizzled Young Veterans’ WWE Exit & Return To Indies

There was a time when Grizzled Young Veterans had some steam in WWE. They made their mark by winning the NXT UK Tag Team Championship Tournament in 2019 and went on to become the inaugural NXT UK Tag Team Champions. The two were then brought to Orlando’s version of NXT, but things didn’t pan out for them.

After a run in NXT UK as Grizzled Young Veterans, the two entered NXT, but were written off television. James Drake and Zack Gibson were eventually unveiled with Joe Gacy’s in his Schism faction, adopting the ring names Jagger Reid and Rip Fowler as The Dyad.

They were unhappy with the creative direction that WWE was taking them toward. After their departure, they have made this very clear in an interview with Metro.

“In a nutshell, this is one of the big driving forces as to why we wanted to leave and get out because without going into too much, we just weren’t particularly happy with how things were going,” said Gibson. “It all felt a bit boring. And ultimately, you know, this is our job, but it’s also it’s our hobby, and it’s our life. So we want to be enjoying what we’re doing.”

“Our decision to move on wasn’t necessarily like, ‘We don’t like that company anymore!’ It’s not a big middle finger to the company, the company is doing great business, it’s just we felt that as a product, we weren’t doing the best business,” Gibson explained.

The Grizzled Young Veterans have been making the rounds since exiting WWE. They re-appeared in DPW, spreading their message that they are not a cookie cutter tag team enhanced by sports entertainment’s creative influence. During the event, they answered an open challenge set by DPW’s tag team champions, The Workhorsemen.

They have also launched ‘Burning Heart Pro Wrestling‘ which has been “created by wrestlers, for wrestlers and fans.” The promotion’s first event will take place on June 21, at the Liverpool Olympia in Liverpool, England.

James Drake and Zack Gibson could do big things in AEW. SEScoops will keep an eye on this story to see if Tony Khan locks them down with contracts.

Jack Perry’s Draft Stock Rose Following Tony Khan’s Attack

Dominic DeAngelo
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Chicken salad. That’s what Tony Khan and AEW did on this week’s Dynamite by maximizing whatever you can after airing the ALL IN footage. And depending on how they continue to handle it, there could be more to come in the form of Jack Perry..

The greater contingency of fans (especially on social media) will be quick to make WCW 2000 comparisons once more or say TK is riding down the Russo electric rail of irrelevancy, but that final segment of Khan being beat down was more Paul Heyman than Russo. Instead of focusing on the weakness that was the footage, the spotlight was shined on a strength from an unexpected source, usurping product’s perceived misfire weeks back.

Was Khan’s selling questionable? Yes. Was wearing low-rise socks on a night where you were getting piledriven a bad choice? Absolutely, but what AEW did is address “the other guy” in the room at Wembley in Tony Khan.

Good or bad (leaning more towards bad), the decision to air the footage has already been made and AEW had to wear that albatross like a necklace, but Tony remained adament that he didn’t feel that way. When asked about the criticism of airing the footage, Khan stated on the pre-Dynasty media call that ratings would be the true fan reaction to what we got weeks ago courtesy of a security camera. 

The ratings did pop that week with Khan saying TBS was pleased, but numbers crashed back down to earth the week after. Khan’s company was still left wading in the standing water of it’s “nowhere near a fight” footage. Then Dynasty had the Scapegoat Tarzan swing in after spending months away from AEW. Even if Perry was previously a Jungle Boy, his reemergence into the product alone would not drain the swamp from stagnancy.

I previously wrote that Khan can be the leader AEW needs by getting out of his own way. On Wednesday, he ripped the Band-Aid off, with the Neosporin being three big letters that he and the whole country are quite familiar with.

Even more than CM Punk and Perry, Khan was the most talked about person after airing that footage. He’s addressed it several times in interviews since then, but on Wednesday Khan took another risk by bringing that Charlie Brown storm cloud right out to Daily’s Place and making himself part of the storyline. 

Like Lucy, The Young Bucks and Perry held the football, and unlike Charlie Brown, TK (albeit awkwardly) kicked it through the uprights by leaning to his strengths: his NFL ties. Roger Goodell and gang were the unexpected deux ex machina in this situation as Khan not only had his father saunter out to close the show, but got the NFL buzzing about the angle too, right before the NFL Draft kicks off this weekend. It will be even better if TK sells the attack to the gills with a neck brace and a bottle of Pepto by his side while he sits by the phone.

Perception be damned, Khan coming out doesn’t seem to be a Vince McMahon or Dixie Carter move in getting himself over. Unlike the other two, Khan didn’t utter a word during the segment, but just displayed his eagerness and excitement to reinstate Perry. He was the focus of the segment, but moving forward, I’m willing to bet that the whole story will not be. He was just a way to get to where they’re headed.

Will ripping the Band-Aid off bring AEW back into a 2019 rhythm that fans got so enamored with? Of course not. That’s something that will require consistency and focus, something that AEW has never excelled at on a weekly basis, but they arguably got themselves back in the game with some outside help.

Now Tony Khan and his product is on the clock. Happy Draft Day.

Swerve Strickland Advertised For AEW Collision

Dominic DeAngelo
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Fans got to see Swerve Strickland in action on AEW Dynamite, but we didn’t happen to hear any words from the new World Heavyweight Champion. That will change this Saturday on Collision.

Following Wednesday’s episode, AEW announced that Strickland will be interviewed on Saturday, getting his first thoughts after becoming the champion.

“The NEW #AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland kicks off #AEW Collision with his FIRST Live Interview since #AEWDynasty, THIS Saturday, IMMEDIATELY following NBA coverage on TNT!”

While we didn’t hear Strickland talk on Dynamite, we did hear from a different World Champion utter some words. IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley delivered a promo before his main event fight against Powerhouse Hobbs. Moxley ended up defeating Hobbs via technical submission. Hobbs passed out in a rear-naked choke hold and the finish ended up being a segue-way for the polarizing closing segment between Tony Khan and Jack Perry.

A big reason for Swerve not speaking is because Saturday AEW will have it’s biggest lead-in with the NBA Playoffs as there will be no Inside The NBA post-game show.

As far as Swerve is concerned, his match led off the show. While his newly won World Title wasn’t on the line, he did compete in an Eliminator Match with the challenger being Kyle Fletcher. Strickland and Fletcher went back and forth, but Swerve ended up getting the emphatic win with a running flip kick to the back of the head. 

While Swerve will react to his Dynasty win on Saturday, next week it’s being advertised that his opponent for AEW Double Or Nothing will be revealed. We’ve already got two title matches for the PPV. Willow Nightingale will defend her TBS Championship against Mercedes Mone and Will Ospreay will face Roderick Strong for the International Championship.

Cameron Grimes Says ‘To The Moon’ Gimmick Made Him Realize His WWE Future Was Bleak

Thomas Lowson
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Cameron Grimes has said that diving nose-first into his popular ‘To the Moon’ character made him recognize that his chances in WWE weren’t promising.

Grimes was amongst those released from WWE as part of the first wave of cuts under the promotion’s new era. The former NXT North American Champion shared news of his release in an emotional video on social media. 

The 30-year-old wrestler’s arguable peak in WWE came during his ‘To the Moon’ phase which saw Grimes become incredibly wealthy thanks to GameStop stock. On Busted Open Radio, however, Grimes revealed how learning more about business only made him realize his future wasn’t looking good. 

“Starting the stock market gimmick, it made me see businesses in a different light. Following these companies and playing with stocks. I would see things in a different light. So I knew [after being called up] that I hadn’t worked in over a year and I’m making a decent salary. So I knew that if somebody was to look at the books, I’m going to be the first person who’s going to be cut.”

It’s currently unclear as to why Grimes was released, but it may indeed be a case of somebody looked at the books. Now, Grimes will continue to work as Trevor Lee but will have to wait until July before he can work elsewhere. The talented wrestler has a history with TNA, where he is a former X-Division champion, but it’s possible AEW could give him a call when the time is right. Whatever the future holds, Grimes will be able to appreciate the business machinations of what’s to come.

More on Cameron Grimes

Here are some recent articles about Cameron Grimes and how news of his release from WWE came as a shock to those still with the promotion: 

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

Chris Jericho to Star in Action-Horror Film ‘Dark Match’ Set in 1980s Pro Wrestling

Thomas Lowson
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AEW’s Chris Jericho is preparing to lead a new action horror film set in the colorful and chaotic world of professional wrestling in the 1980s. 

‘Dark Match‘ will tell the story of a small-time wrestling company that accepts a well-paying gig in a remote town only to learn the town falls under a cult leader, Variety reports. Soon enough, the wrestlers and crew are in a very real fight for their lives. In addition to Jericho, the film will star Steven Ogg (The Walking Dead) and Ayisha Issa (Transplant.)

 Lowell Dean (Wolfcop) is attached as writer and director. Dark Match will launch later this year with a festival premiere set to be announced, Blue Finch Films, the project’s distribution outfit, will begin sales at the upcoming Cannes Film Market. 

Dark Match will mark the latest big-screen role for Jericho. Jericho’s first foray into horror came in 2009’s Albino Farm and he would also be a part of 2022’s horror-comedy KillRoy Was Here. That same year, Jericho played ‘Burke’ in Terrifier 2 and will reprise the role in the sequel set to premiere later this year. 

Wrestlers On the Big Screen

Here are some recent articles regarding some of wrestling’s top stars and the silver-screen plans in the works: 

Burning Heart Pro Wrestling: Promotion Launched By Grizzled Young Veterans to Host First Show in June

Thomas Lowson
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A new promotion from the Grizzled Young Veterans will host its inaugural event this June with tickets set to go on sale for the show very soon. 

Taking to Twitter, the team of James Drake & Zack Gibson announced the launch of ‘Burning Heart Pro Wrestling‘ which has been “created by wrestlers, for wrestlers and fans.” The promotion’s first event will take place on June 21, at the Liverpool Olympia in Liverpool, England. Tickets for Burning Heart Pro Wrestling’s first show go on sale at 10 am GMT on Monday, April 29.

So far, no wrestlers have been announced for the show though Drake and Gibson will likely be competing. It was said that the promotion will be led by a “committee of international wrestlers.”

As Gibson made clear in the video, the Liverpool Olympia is no stranger to wrestling and violence. TNA Wrestling has often used the event for shows in the UK. In 2006, the Olympia saw the unification of the Ring of Honor World & PURE Championships as Bryan Danielson defeated the UK’s own Nigel McGuinness. 

The Grizzled Young Veterans aren’t the first wrestlers to try their hand at launching a promotion. Hopefully, the pair will have better luck than AOP who attempted to launch Wrestling Entertainment Series: UK in 2022. 

WES:UK promoted an impressive debut event featuring ex-WWE Superstars including CJ Perry, Lina ‘Nia Jax’ Fanene, and Adam ‘Braun Strowman’ Scherr. The promotion’s inaugural event was canceled following reports of low ticket sales and all plans for the promotion quickly fizzled out. 

The Undertaker: WWE’s Deep Women’s Division Would Benefit From Intercontinental & U.S. Titles

Thomas Lowson
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Could WWE’s main roster become home to mid-card championships for the women of the company? The Undertaker certainly hopes so. 

While the Intercontinental and United States Championships have been staples in WWE for decades, mid-card gold has been absent throughout the promotion’s history. On a recent edition of his Six Feet Under podcast, the WWE Hall of Famer gave his support to mid-card gold for the female roster. 

“The division [is] deep. I would like to see a Women’s Intercontinental Champion, and possibly, because there are two brands, a Women’s US Champion.”

The Undertaker isn’t the first WWE name to speak in favor of a women’s mid-card championship. In 2022, Dana Brooke (now TNA’s Ash By Elegance) said that during her tenure with the 24/7 Championship, she hoped to transition the gold into a women’s Intercontinental Championship. While Brooke believed the change would motivate women outside the main title picture to strive for something, the idea never got off the ground. 

WWE will launch its first women’s mid-card title later this year with the NXT North American Women’s Championship. The historic new title was first introduced during NXT Stand & Deliver in April 2024 by NXT General Manager Ava. There’s currently no word on how and when the inaugural champion will be crowned. 

Though WWE hasn’t (currently) got a women’s mid-card championship, the same can’t be said for their main rival. AEW introduced its TBS Championship in January 2022 with Jade Cargill beating Ruby Soho to become the first champion. Ironically, Cargill currently works for WWE, so could become a Women’s mid-card champion again if the promotion follows the words of The Undertaker. 

Daily Drop (4/25): Tony Khan Gets KO’ed, Another Top WWE Star Injured

Aaron Varble
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Welcome to the Daily Drop for Wednesday, April 24, 2024. AEW Dynamite went down last night, complete with tons of Dynasty fallout.

Before we get started, there’s another big injury to address. While his injury is undisclosed, Jimmy Uso is out of action. We’re hoping for his quick return, but he was not included in the 2024 WWE Draft pool for a reason.

Now, let’s get into today’s edition!

WWE:

Janel Grant Responds: On Wednesday, Grant’s attorneys filed a motion to strike against what they described as “inflammatory lies” in Vince McMahon’s memorandum. According to Grant’s motion, the statements were used “as a platform to launch vicious falsehoods attacking Janel’s moral character in an attempt to harass and intimidate her into submission.”

2024 WWE Draft: The company dropped their complete list of Superstars in each night’s Draft Pool. They also released the rules for this year’s draft. Needless to say, the WWE rosters will look very different in about a week.

WrestleMania London: The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, expressed interest in bringing WrestleMania to his city. Khan mentioned his hope to host WWE’s premier event in a press release during his campaign for the upcoming mayoral election on May 2.

AEW:

Tony Khan KO’ed: On Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite, The Elite attacked Tony Khan during Jack Perry’s return, and the incident also marked Shad Khan’s first appearance on-screen. As The Elite moved back to the stage, referees, wrestlers, and medical staff rushed to assist Tony Khan. During this moment, Tony’s father, Shad Khan, entered the ring. This served as Shad Khan’s debut on AEW television for an angle.

After The Attack: Jack Perry was featured in a video after he attacked Tony Khan on AEW Dynamite. He said that TK got what was coming to him. It certainly looks like AEW is turning The Elite into a new nWo type faction. We will have to see how they proceed with this story.

NFL Playing Kayfabe: After Tony Khan’s attack on AEW Dynamite this week, the NFL listed his participation in the 2024 NFL Draft as “questionable.”

Unified Trios Titles: During Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite, it was announced that Bullet Club Gold members Jay White, Austin Gunn, and Colten Gunn will defend their Unified Trios titles this Saturday against Top Flight & Action Andretti. Bullet Club Gold previously combined the AEW World Trios and ROH World Six-Man Tag Team titles into a single championship at Sunday’s Dynasty pay-per-view, securing a win over The Acclaimed & Billy Gunn.

AEW Audio Issues: During Wednesday’s show at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida, there were persistent audio issues affecting both commentary and live segments. Before the show’s final segment with The Elite, Tony Khan addressed these issues on X.

“Thank you all watching #AEWDynamite now! We’re having an exciting show, live worldwide now! Our partner TBS is having some audio issues on tonight’s show, thankfully we understand our other worldwide partners aren’t affected, but TBS is working to fix the issue immediately!”

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)

Vince McMahon Attempting To Push Janel Grant Lawsuit Into Arbitration

Aaron Varble
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Vince McMahon has submitted a motion to compel arbitration in the lawsuit brought against him, WWE, and John Laurinaitis by Janel Grant. This is his latest move in the ongoing legal situation brought on by Grant’s earth-shattering allegations.

On January 25, Janel Grant initiated a lawsuit against Vince McMahon, WWE, and former executive John Laurinaitis, claiming sex trafficking, emotional abuse, and sexual assault. The lawsuit details Janel’s experiences of sexual, physical, mental, and emotional abuse.

McMahon is now pushing to move the case to arbitration, per Wrestlenomics. He is aiming to handle the dispute over the nondisclosure agreement privately, rather than in a public courtroom.

The NDA that was the focal point of this situation, agreed upon by McMahon and Grant, includes an arbitration clause. Although Grant’s complaint argues that the NDA is not enforceable.

Vince McMahon resigned from WWE in response to those terrible allegations, although he had denied that they are true. Grant’s legal team has also stated that they are overwhelmed by the response from others who want to come forward about McMahon.

Vince McMahon’s Defense

In his defense, McMahon claims that Grant’s allegations of sexual abuse and coercion are fictional and aimed at attracting publicity, contradicting her own previous statements.

McMahon asserts that he and Grant had a consensual relationship, denying any coercion or mistreatment. Grant’s January-filed complaint accuses McMahon and Laurinaitis of sex trafficking and details sexual assault. She claims that several of WWE’s top executives were aware of her relationship with McMahon.

In his motion, McMahon also refutes Grant’s assertion that she was grieving her parents when they met in 2019, noting that her father died in 2017 and her mother earlier. He references a 2017 lawsuit about the foreclosure on Grant’s parents’ home. McMahon mentions that Grant was living with her fiancé in the same condo complex during their relationship.

Vince McMahon’s argument describes it as “nonsensical” that Grant would return to her fiancé, located four floors below, without any issues after the alleged acts. McMahon also notes that neither Grant’s fiancé, Brian Gonvalves—a lawyer and executive at TelevisaUnivision—nor anyone from the building, police, or Grant’s friends contacted him about the alleged abuse.

McMahon’s legal team insists the lawsuit should be paused while the matter proceeds to arbitration, pointing out that the NDA was signed by McMahon personally and on behalf of WWE, and argues that Laurinaitis and WWE should also be compelled to arbitration with Grant.

Latest on Laurinaitis’ Side of Things

John Laurinaitis has been implicated in the significant lawsuit against WWE and Vince McMahon. He is accused of facilitating the sexual abuse that Janel Grant experienced, although he presents a different version of events.

Laurinaitis has also released a statement concerning these allegations. While not denying any acts in Grant’s lawsuit, he did claim that he was a victim in the situation.

The former WWE executive waved his right to be served Grant’s lawsuit. Ronda Rousey has since spoken out about Johnny Ace, calling him a “dirt bag.”

London Mayor Sadiq Khan Says City Is Ready to Host WrestleMania, Triple H Responds

Thomas Lowson
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Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, has thrown his name among the mix of people hoping to see WrestleMania come to the UK capital city. 

Khan, no relation to WWE’s Nick or AEW’s Tony, made his bold claim while on the campaign trail ahead of the mayoral election on May 2. The 54-year-old Labour Party member brought up WWE’s flagship show in a press release when speaking about London’s potential as a sporting juggernaut. 

“I’m determined to go even further and fully cement London’s reputation as the undisputed sports capital of the world. I believe that London has the potential to host the first international WrestleMania.”

Khan’s comment earned a response from WWE Chief Content Officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque who was seemingly interested in discussing the matter further. 

Khan is hardly alone in his belief that the UK is deserving of a WrestleMania. At WWE Money in the Bank 2023, John Cena made a surprise appearance in London and shared his mission to bring WrestleMania to the city. 

Following Cena’s comment, Labour MP Alex Davies-Jones shared her support for a London-based WrestleMania and touted the economic benefits of the event.  Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes is also on the UK bandwagon. At a recent WWE live event in London, the American Nightmare advocated for WrestleMania to take place in the UK. 

While many fans in the UK and Europe hope to see a WrestleMania closer to home, that is proving to be easier said than done. WWE President Nick Khan recently noted that ‘Big 4’ events will remain in North America for the time being. WWE’s next PLE outside the continent will be Clash at the Castle in Glasgow, Scotland this June followed by WWE Bash In Berlin this August in Germany. 

Plans for WrestleMania

Here are some recent articles about upcoming WrestleMania plans and where fans can expect the shows to take place:

The Rock Pays Tribute To His Late Father with Act of Generosity to Fan’s Cleaning Business

Thomas Lowson
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The Rock was able to reflect on his relationship with his late father Rocky Johnson with an incredible act of generosity to a long-time fan of the Final Boss. 

On Twitter, the TKO board member shared a video of himself meeting a fan named Ricardo and his son Isaiah. The Rock spoke about how Ricardo does everything to try and help his family, much like the late Johnson did for his own kin. 

In an incredible moment of generosity, The Rock gifted Ricardo a truck to help with his cleaning business, an industry Johnson was also once a part of. The gifts didn’t stop there as The Rock also gifted Ricardo and Isaiah $100,000 to help with the business. 

Rocky Johnson and his son had a sometimes strained relationship, as documented in NBC’s Young Rock as well as his 1999 New York Times bestseller ‘The Rock Says.’ Despite this, The Rock inducted his father into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2008 in an induction that saw ‘High Chief’ Peter Maivia be posthumously inducted. 

This is hardly the first time The Rock has been incredibly generous. In June of last year, The Rock bought a home for WWE’s Tamina Snuka and has previously bought a car and other purchases for his mother. More recently, The Rock shared that he is giving away another truck to mark the launch of ZOA Energy’s new Mango Splash flavor. 

More from The Rock

Here are some recent articles from The Rock as the Final Boss and Hollywood A-Lister continues to dominate the world of entertainment:

Mark Briscoe Announces Birth of Son Matthew Jamin Pugh Named After Late Brother Jay

Thomas Lowson
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Ring of Honor World Champion Mark Briscoe is celebrating the birth of his son who has been named in tribute to Mark’s late brother Jay. 

Taking to Twitter, Mark shared some photos of Matthew Jamin Pugh and declared that ‘God is Good.’ The Jamin name comes from Jay Briscoe, whose real name was Jamin Pugh. 

Jay Briscoe passed away in January 2023 after being involved in a car accident mere minutes from his home in Laurel, Delaware. Jay’s two daughters were seriously injured in the collision but have been making strides in their recovery. The driver of the other vehicle was also killed in the crash.

Tributes to Jay Briscoe

Matthew’s name isn’t the only tribute to Jay who was deeply respected in the world of professional wrestling. Stars from WWE, AEW, and elsewhere paid tribute to Jay after his death and AEW would release a touching tribute to him as well. 

Tributes to Jay would extend past the world of professional wrestling. Laurel Middle School, where Jay would regular get involved as part of his daughters’ education, named a locker room in memory of the wrestler. 

It is a tragedy that young Matthew Jamin Pugh will never meet the uncle who he is named after. Despite this, Jay Briscoe’s legacy continues to live on, both in the wrestling world and in the Pugh household. 

More on Mark Briscoe:

Here are some articles about Mark Briscoe and what he has accomplished as of late in the world of professional wrestling:

Kenny Omega’s AEW Return Confirmed

Dominic DeAngelo
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Kenny Omega will be back in AEW and it’s going to happen in seven days time.

This week’s episode of AEW Dynamite hailed from All Elite Wrestling’s backyard of Jacksonville, FL. However, next week the show will take place in Kenny Omega’s backyard of Winnipeg, Manitoba. During the Swerve Strickland eliminator match against Kyle Fletcher, AEW revealed that Omega will be in attendance next week. 

Fans haven’t seen Omega since late 2023 as the former AEW World Champion has been out of action due to diverticulitis, something that Omega has cited as that was life-threatening.

Lingering Storylines For Kenny Omega

Omega has a lot to address since he made his AEW exit. When we last saw Kenny he was tag partners with Chris Jericho who is now currently a heel and the FTW Champion. Additionally, Omega will always have a long-standing rivalry with Will Ospreay who is now right in the thick of being a full-time member of the AEW roster. Not only that, but Ospreay just became the number one contender for the International Championship. He’ll be facing Roderick Strong at Double or Nothing in Las Vegas.

However, the big matter of note will be Omega’s status with The Elite. After losing to Sting and Darby Allin at AEW Revolution, The Young Bucks suspended Hangman Page and effectively fired Kenny Omega from his position as EVP. Omega reacted in-time to the news by “meme”-ing himself, but now we’ll likely receive his reaction in person next week. 

We may also get an actual update regarding Omega’s health and perhaps a timetable for when we could see him return to in-ring action.

NFL Lists Tony Khan Status For The Draft As ‘Questionable’ Following AEW Dynamite Attack

Dominic DeAngelo
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Tony Khan’s status for the NFL Draft this weekend could be in doubt following the beatdown he took courtesy of Jack Perry and The Young Bucks and the National Football League took note.

Khan was the victim of an ambush on AEW Dynamite as the AEW President seemed to be all about reinstating Jack Perry back into the company, but the former Jungle Boy had other plans. He punched his boss in the gut and then The Young Bucks and Kazuchika Okada came down to further put Khan down. 

The Bucks delivered a Meltzer Driver to Khan and left him laying in the middle of the ring, causing not just  the locker room to come out, but Shad Khan to make an appearance as well.

Grant Gordon of NFL.com caught wind of the angle and happened to write about the occurence on the NFL website, throwing Khan’s NFL Draft status into question.

Tony Khan’s status for the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 2024 NFL Draft obligations could be questionable.

Khan, the Jags’ chief football strategy officer and the founder, owner and booker of All Elite Wrestling, took a punch to the gut and a “Meltzerdriver” piledriver Wednesday night live on AEW Dynamite from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida.

Shad Khan, Tony’s father and the owner of the Jaguars, took to the ring to check on his son in the aftermath of the drama.

During the build for AEW Dynasty, Khan did make clear that he was going to be involved with the Jaguars’ draft process this week so it will be interesting to see if Khan sells the attack, albeit by not being present or wearing a neckbrace for the weekend.

Chris Jericho Thanks Terry Funk, Renames The FTW Title

Dominic DeAngelo
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Get ready for a whole new learning experience courtesy of Chris Jericho.

The pro wrestling legend defeated HOOK for the FTW Championship at AEW Dynasty on Sunday and had some words of wisdom for the live crowd in Jacksonville, FL on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite.

All with a somewhat patronizing tongue, Jericho took to the ring to thank the fans for the love and support following his victory and spoke about the controversial meaning behind the letters “FTW.” Instead of the title standing for “F*** The World” he wants FTW to mean “For The World” because the championship now for all the fans.

Jericho then brought up the name of the late legendary Terry Funk and recounted when Funk told him it was time for him to start teaching the next generation of how to carry on the legacy of the pro wrestling business. He then thanked Terry Funk and thanked everyone in attendance.

Suddenly, out came former AEW World Tag Team Champion in Big Bill. What first felt like it was going to be a tense confrontation, Bill actually said that he’d love to learn under the learning tree of Chris Jericho. Chris noted that he respected the talent of Big Bill and told him that he’d very much consider that, but would like to see Bill prove it. Bill assured Jericho that he would do just that.

It’s serendipitous that Jericho did conjure up the name of Terry Funk. Back in 2019, Jericho was asked about being the modern-day version of Funk, who was notorious for always re-inventing himself later on in his career which helped to put ECW on the map.

“My mission has always been to reinvent and evolve. It’s David Bowie. It’s been one of my inspirations since I was 25 years old, when you realize that you have this guy that’s a genius and who constantly changes what he’s doing, what he looks like to keep the fans guessing.”

Chris Jericho Will Have A Challenger Next Week

Jericho will have a tough contender to go up against next week in his hometown of Winnipeg. Later during Dynamite, Katsuyori Shibata ending up revealing that he’ll face Jericho next week for that “For The World” Championship gold.

Jack Perry & The Elite Attack Tony Khan in Shocking Conclusion to 4/24 AEW Dynamite

Thomas Lowson
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Jack Perry is once again on AEW programming, and bringing back the ‘Scapegoat’ may be a decision AEW President Tony Khan lives to regret. 

Perry made his return to the airwaves during AEW Dynasty. The former FTW Champion interfered in the AEW World Tag Team Championship ladder match and would cost FTR the match to the Young Bucks. This marked Perry’s first AEW on-screen appearance (in person) since AEW All In in August of 2023. 

On the April 24, edition of Dynamite, Perry was spotted arriving at the show with the Elite, furthering the idea that there was some sort of alliance between the two sides. Later on, it was revealed that Perry and Khan would come face-to-face in the ring. 

During this segment, Perry admitted that he and Khan hadn’t seen eye to eye, but they agreed that they wanted the best for AEW and the future. Having said that, Perry offered a truce to bury the hatchet with the AEW CEO and asked to reinstate him.

Khan agreed but the moment they shook hands, Perry attacked the AEW President. The Elite, consisting of the Bucks and Kazuchika Okada then came to the ring. While it appeared they wanted to stop Perry from inflicting further damage, they also joined in on the attack on Khan. 

AEW Dynamite went off the air with the Elite and Perry standing tall while officials and Khan’s father Shahid checked on the injured AEW President. This segment was quite the change for Khan, who unlike Vince McMahon and other higher-ups in WWE, had for the most part avoided being involved with AEW’s on-screen angles. 

It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out in the coming weeks, especially with Kenny Omega’s return to AEW TV set for next week’s Dynamite. No doubt the EVP will have plenty to say about the Bucks, Okada, and Perry after what transpired this week. 

WWE Roster Suprised By Recent Release of Cameron Grimes

Thomas Lowson
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The release of Cameron Grimes came as a surprise to those in WWE despite his infrequent use on the main roster’s programming. 

Grimes was released earlier this week as part of the first wave of roster cuts under the ‘new era.’ Grimes was visibly emotional in a video in which he shared news of his release and addressed always wanting to make it in WWE. 

Grimes’ release was unexpected by many in WWE for a variety of reasons, Fightful Select reports. One such reason is that Grimes’ skill set far exceeded others who were released from the promotion. During his five years with WWE, the consensus within WWE was that Grimes was always improving in the ring, which was part of the reason why he was ‘over’ in WWE NXT. 

Another reason his release came as a surprise is that Grimes was a regular at WWE events, despite not being used. The former NXT North American Champion was even around last week’s SmackDown, which is when the releases of Jinder Mahal, Veer Mahaan, Sanga, Xia Lia, and Xyon Quinn was revealed. 

Despite his skills and his presence backstage, Grimes was still released from WWE. Now, he will have to wait 90 days before trying to make a name for himself elsewhere. A return to TNA could perhaps be the plan, as Grimes is a former TNA X-Division Champion. With that said, AEW could also be interested in hiring the immensely talented former WWE Superstar. 

What’s Next for Those Released?

Here are some articles revealing what those cut from WWE can look forward to after being released by the promotion:

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