This week’s 250th AEW Dynamite was a massive milestone for the company, and a ton happened on this action-packed show. We got an hour-long ‘Match of the Year’ candidate between MJF and Will Ospreay, a disturbing in-ring promo from ‘Timeless Mariah’ May and the surprise return of Darby Allin, who descended from the rafters and is the final man on Team AEW for next week’s AEW Blood and Gutsspecial.
All Elite Wrestling has now uploaded all of the video highlights for the show to their official YouTube channel, which we have compiled in an easy to view format on one page below.
Minoru Suazuki Confronts Chris Jericho
The Learning Tree & Minoru Suzuki?! FTW Champ Jericho faces off w/ a LEGEND!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGj5PZ5ICnk
TBS Champ vs. Former Women’s World Champ
Could TBS Champion Mercedes Moné hold off The Native Beast Nyla Rose? | 7/17/24, AEW Dynamite
‘Timeless’ Mariah May
After her SHOCKING attack on AEW Women’s Champ Toni Storm, Mariah May SPEAKS!
Champion vs. Champion
It’s CHAMP vs. CHAMP! Swerve Strickland vs. Kazuchika Okada
More AEW Videos
Head over to our Wrestling Videos section for more AEW videos, and check out these AEW channels on Youtube:
Former WWE Superstar Jinder Mahal recently sat down with Chris Van Vliet to reflect on his journey in wrestling and his release earlier this year. Mahal held the WWE, United States, and 24/7 Championships before being cut.
Thoughts On WWE
This year marked the second time in a decade that Mahal, now working under the name Rah Dhesi, has been released from WWE. Despite this unfortunate statistic, the Canadian wrestler bears no ill will to his former employer.
Mahal: “There’s no hostility, there’s no negative feelings at all with WWE. I’m very grateful for them for all the years and the platform they provided me.”
On The Release
Mahal was let go from WWE along with the rest of Indus Sher after the group had worked on Monday Night RAW and in WWE NXT. Mahal recalled WWE keeping the group away from important personal events, only to be left on the sidelines.
Mahal: “A few months prior (to being released) Veer had a religious event that he holds, it was the one-year anniversary of his father’s death. He got told that no, we’re needed for RAW, you can’t go back home… Sure enough, that week we weren’t booked, we were sitting at home.
“They were quite frustrated. And also myself, started off the year with The Rock and had the WWE championship match. Then one week later, I’m not in the Royal Rumble. Which was I thought it was very weird. So we talked to TR, we just said, Hey, listen, like, if there’s nothing for us, we can go our separate ways. And sure enough, a few months later, we went our separate ways.”
When asked if he requested his release, Mahal made clear that he didn’t but that at the time was open to the two sides going their separate ways.
On Fan Support After He Was Released
While being released is rarely fun, Mahal was met with a whirlwind of fan support and interest from independent promotions shortly after his release. This wave of momentum didn’t go unnoticed by the former World Champion.
Mahal: “I generally get a lot of hate online. But it was one of those rare instances where I got to show my real personality, actually, this happens to me all the time. I meet people and they’re like, wow, like you’re not what we expect. [They say] you’re nice, maybe it’s the Canadian in me. Always respectful, polite, and the Jinder Mahal character was the complete opposite of me.”
On Drew McIntyre
Mahal isn’t the only 3MB alum to reach the pinnacle of WWE as Drew McIntyre is also a former WWE Champion after capturing the gold at WrestleMania 36. While Mahal is happy to remind fans that he was the first 3MB member to taste WWE World Championship gold, he’s pleased to see McIntyre be a main event talent on Monday Night RAW.
Mahal: “I became WWE Champion before Drew McIntyre, don’t you forget that [laughs]. Drew’s the man. What Drew is doing right now is incredible. This is the best version of Drew. Drew’s the man. He’s like a brother to me and to see him in this position.
“He just signed a new contract so he’ll be there for a few more years. Something about a man like he is incredible. He’s having fun. I just don’t think he cares anymore and that’s usually when the best comes out. Like CM Punk, he doesn’t care about anything and that’s why he’s the best.”
On Being in The Punjabi Prison Match
In 2017, during his reign as WWE Champion, Mahal faced Randy Orton in the third Punjabi Prison match. While Mahal would win the match (with a timely assist from the Great Khali,) it’s not a match that the Modern-Day Maharaja enjoyed.
Mahal: “The Punjabi prison match sucks. It’s terrible. [In what way?] It’s so hard. The inside cage is the blue old-school cage. You can hit it as hard as possible and it won’t even make a noise. It was terrible. And then just the crowd reaction they couldn’t really see the people in the arena, there’s two cages so when we’re on the inside, there’s two cages they couldn’t really see. And it was just painful. Kendo sticks, chair shots, everything.”
On Not Working With Brock Lesnar
Later on that year, Mahal (still the WWE Champion) was poised to face RAW’s Universal Champion Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series. Mere days before the show, Mahal lost his title to AJ Styles who’d lose to the Beast at the PLE. Despite rumors of Lesnar refusing to work with him, Mahal doubts that’s the case.
Mahal: “The headline came out, ‘Brock Lesnar refused to work with Jinder.’ I don’t think he refused. I just think it was he probably pitched for a match with AJ because stylistically, it is a much better match. Me and Brock are both heels. Who’s gonna put heat on who? It was gonna be a flat match. It would have just been him suplexing me a bunch of times, maybe Singh Bros get involved. But the match he had with AJ was phenomenal.”
“I had it [the WWE Championship] for six months and I didn’t know that I was losing the championship until the day of. We were in Manchester and we have the title match. We get to the building. Michael Hayes tells me and AJ go talk to Vince, and send us to Vince’s office, Vince tells me you’re dropping the championship.”
All Elite Wrestling made sure to get the blessing of Dr. Martha Hart for Darby Allin’s entrance during the 250th episode of Dynamite.
Allin arrived inside the Simmons Bank Arena in Little Rock by descending from the rafters during a brawl between the Elite and those they’ll face in Blood & Guts. Allin confirmed that he will join Swerve Strickland, Mark Briscoe, and The Acclaimed in next week’s match.
AEW was mindful to consult Dr. Hart about the entrance, Fightful Select report, given the tragedy that took her husband Owen’s life at WWF Over the Edge 1999. This isn’t the first time that AEW has sought Martha’s blessing, as she approved of Sting making his iconic entrance from the rafters on the go-home Dynamite before AEW Revolution 2024.
In September 2021, it was announced that the Owen Hart Foundation and AEW would be working together to honor the legacy of the late wrestler. This partnership has seen six Owen Hart tournaments (three for men and three for women,) and Owen be included in the AEW Fight Forever video game. This partnership has allowed for a whole new generation of fans to celebrate the life and career of The Rocket who remains a beloved name in professional wrestling.
The 250th episode of AEW Dynamite saw plenty of in-ring action and one more would surpass all the wrestling fans saw on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW.
This one match from Dynamite had more wrestling than the entirety of Monday Night Raw, according to stats from Cagematch as pointed out by Drainmaker on Twitter. From bell to bell, the July 16, edition of RAW saw 48 minutes and 52 seconds of wrestling, over eleven minutes less than the MJF-Ospreay showdown.
AEW is often considered to be a more wrestling-centric promotion when compared to WWE, and stats like these suggest that to be the case. In total, the 250th episode of AEW Dynamite had 80 minutes and 50 seconds of bell-to-bell action, over half an hour more than WWE’s flagship show.
Ric Flair may be a 16-time World Champion, but the Nature Boy is fuming that he hasn’t made the rankings of ESPN’s top 100 athletes of the 21st century.
The list in question features athletes across various sports and is compiled based on votes from experts. Despite his impressive wrestling career, Ric doesn’t appear on the list, and took to Twitter to address being snubbed.
How In The Hell On God’s Green Earth Is Ric Flair Not Considered To Be One Of The Top 100 Athletes In The World??? I Should Actually Be In The Top 10. 16 World Titles, Actually 22. 1,200 Hour Matches, 15 Years Without A Day Off; A Cultural Icon & Worldwide Sensation. Good Lord, So Many People Have Lost Sight Of What Greatness Truly Is! I Never Pulled Out With A Calf Muscle Strain. Oh How The Times Have Changed! What A Bunch Of Bitches! I Get Tom Brady And All That, But Come On Let’s Get Serious!
How In The Hell On God’s Green Earth Is Ric Flair Not Considered To Be One Of The Top 100 Athletes In The World??? I Should Actually Be In The Top 10. 16 World Titles, Actually 22. 1,200 Hour Matches, 15 Years Without A Day Off; A Cultural Icon & Worldwide Sensation. Good Lord,… pic.twitter.com/Ebx2bOZHA1
Ric isn’t the only name in professional wrestling that feels he should have made the list. On his show (which airs on ESPN), Raw commentator Pat McAfee shared that he feels the Nature Boy should have made the rankings. It’s important to remember though that ESPN’s rankings cover athletes in the 21st Century, and therefore the vast majority of Flair’s career should not be taken into consideration.
The 21st Century saw Flair capture his 16th World Champion after being awarded the gold by Kevin Nash in 2000. Once WCW went out of business, Flair returned to WWE in November 2001 and competed for years until losing to Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 24. He would later wrestle a handful of matches in TNA before his final match in 2022 saw himself and Andrade defeat Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal.
At 75 years old, it certainly appears that Flair’s days in the ring are officially behind him, despite showing interest in one final, final match. Until that day comes, Flair will continue to have an incredible legacy, albeit not one enough to get him in ESPN’s Top 100 list.
On this week’s 250th episode of AEW Dynamite Mariah May came out dressed as Toni Storm to address her attack last week.
May delivered a powerful promo, explaining her attack on Toni Storm from the previous week. May criticized Storm for being so desperate for the spotlight that she failed to realize she was losing it.
She declared that her greatest performance will be at AEW All In 2024, where she plans to defeat her mentor and capture the AEW Women’s World Championship.
Here are results from this week’s special 250th AEW Dynamite from Little Rock, AK at the Simmons Bank Arena:
[AEW International Championship] Will Ospreay (c) vs. MJF: MJF won the title with two seconds left on the clock in a 60-minute match, (allegedly) cheating by (allegedly) punching Ospreay in the face with his Diamond Ring while the referee was down.
Chris Jericho and The Learning Tree Promo: Interrupted by Minoru Suzuki, who has a contract for a match against Jericho for the FTW Championship with the rest of The Learning Tree banned from ringside. Suzuki sends a message by landing a headbutt on Jericho.
[TBS Women’s Championship] Mercedes Mone (c) vs. Nyla Rose: Winner: Mercedes Mone via submission.
Ringside Attacker: After the match, a fan wearing a Sting mask attacks Mone at ringside, revealed to be Britt Baker. Security quickly separates them.
Mariah May Promo: Dressed as “Timeless” Toni Storm, Mariah May explains her actions and announces her intent to make AEW all about her. She mocks Toni Storm and declares her best performance will be at All In.
Backstage with the Bang Bang Gang: They hand over their Undisputed Trios Championship belts to Christopher Daniels and promise to win the tournament to get them back.
Swerve Strickland vs. Kazuchika Okada: The match ends in a no contest when it’s interrupted by a run-in from The Elite, with Team AEW making the save ahead of Blood & Guts. Darby Allin joins Team AEW by dropping from the rafters! The show ends with both teams fighting while security struggles to intervene. A graphic airs showing Darby Allin as the final member of Team AEW.
WWE’s Executive Director says reports of last-minute script rewrites and backstage chaos are incorrect
Unforeseen circumstances like injuries or timing issues are a normal part of live weekly television and says he’s done far more rewrites than Vince
The production of WWE broadcasts is very different today than it was just a year ago. The departures of Vince McMahon and Kevin Dunn have led to a complete overhaul of the product’s on-screen presentation that is universally praised. Aside from what we see on WWE Raw and WWE Smackdown each week, wrestling fans have an insatiable interest in what’s going on behind the scenes.
During the final years of Vince McMahon’s role as the head of WWE creative, there were a never-ending string of reports about last-minute changes to television scripts. Even McMahon would be unable to attend in-person, he’d micromanage from afar and we’d also hear about a chaotic environment. One of the most influential figures in WWE, Bruce Prichard, recently shed light on this topic. On a recent episode of his Something to Wrestle podcast with Conrad Thompson at AdFreeShows, WWE Executive Director Bruce Prichard offered his unique insights into the day-to-day operations of WWE.
When Vince Wasn’t There
Prichard scoffed at the idea that things were chaotic when McMahon missed shows. The former Brother Love emphasizes that the backstage environment remained stable and well-organized, a credit to their very-capable team.
“Everybody knows their jobs, and can function and do it… You take away one piece and everybody fills in, does their job, and covers whoever is gone as well.”
– Bruce Prichard on the WWE backstage environment when Vince McMahon would be unable to attend shows
Setting The Record Straight on Last-Minute Rewrites
Prichard noted that there were fewer changes when McMahon was not physically present at the shows, though McMahon remained in contact via phone. Prichard remarked, “There was a need, maybe in his mind, to… make it better. Now, that’s all relative, and that’s all personal feeling.” This suggests that McMahon’s influence continued even from afar, but the operational integrity of the team allowed for smooth show executions.
Prichard also debunked the myth of constant show rewrites, clarifying that he, not McMahon, often managed last-minute changes due to unforeseen circumstances like injuries or timing issues.
“I probably have done it more in a year than Vince McMahon has in a lifetime.”
– Bruce Prichard on the perception that Vince McMahon would tear-up scripts he wasn’t happy with
The departure of Vince McMahon marked a monumental shift in WWE’s history. However, with seasoned executives like Bruce Prichard and Paul Levesque still in key positions following the TKO Group acquisition and UFC merger, the company continues to adapt and thrive under new leadership.
AdFreeShows has more from Something to Wrestle and make sure to check out our Wrestling Podcasts channel to discover other great shows.
The countdown is on for AEW All in on August 25. SEScoops has the prediction for the match card for the event!
All Elite Wrestling is officially on the road to All In. The event will mark the company’s return to Wembley Stadium in London, England, on August 25. Tickets for All In are currently on sale for standard pricing starting at £27.25 on Ticketmaster.
AEW All In Matches Confirmed
So far, AEW has announced two matches that will be featured on the card:
AEW World Championship: (C) Swerve Strickland vs. Bryan Danielson
All In: Swerve Strickland vs. Bryan Danielson
Bryan Danielson earned an opportunity to challenge for the world title after defeating ‘Hangman’ Adam Page in the Owen Hart Foundationation Tournament finals on the July 10 episode of Dynamite. Swerve Strickland aims to retain his AEW World Championship for the fifth time and get a statement win over ‘The American Dragon’ in the main event.
AEW Women’s World Championship: (C) Toni Storm vs. Mariah May
AEW All In: Toni Storm vs. Mariah May
Mariah May won the women’s Owen Hart tourney by defeating former TBS Champion Willow Nightingale on the July 10 episode. After the victory, May viciously attacked AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm to set up their bloody feud for All In. Both will try to settle their differences at the event, with the title up for grabs.
AEW All In Match Card Predictions
AEW TBS Champion: Mercedes Moné (c) vs. Britt Baker
One match the company has started to build towards is AEW TBS Champion Mercedes Moné defending her title against Britt Baker. The AEW veteran returned at the last AEW pay-per-view to confront Moné. The feud continued on the July 10 episode, when Moné threatened that if she did face Baker at All In, she would leave her for dead. The champion’s comment caused her rival to run to the ring to confront Moné, who ran away. Baker will likely get her chance to take on the champion at the upcoming PPV.
AEW International Championship: Will Ospreay (c) vs. PAC
PAC defeated Claudio Castagnoli, Kyle Fletcher, and Tomohiro Ishii in a Fatal Four Way match to become the number one contender for the AEW International Championship on July 10. He shared after the win that he would be on the All In card.
Although MJF has a title match with Ospreay, he is already involved in a feud with Daniel Garcia. ‘The Devil’ challenged Garcia to a match at All In on the June 26 episode of Dynamite. A week later, MJF attacked the Buffalo, New York native, leading to Garcia leaving the venue on a stretcher. Based on the storyline, it makes sense for Garcia to return to get revenge against MJF at All In, just as the former AEW World Champion wanted.
Willow Nightingale vs. Kris Statlander
Kris Statlander has been feuding with Nightingale after she turned on her at Double Or Nothing on May 26. They faced each other in the Owen Hart tournament on the July 3 episode of Dynamite, which resulted in Nightingale being victorious. Statlander would get revenge by interfering in her former ally’s matchup against May the following week. After losing the tournament due to Statlander’s involvement, it makes sense for a rematch between the two superstars to happen on AEW’s biggest event of the year.
FTW Championship: (C) Chris Jericho vs. Hook
Chris Jericho won the FTW Championship by defeating Hook at Dynasty on April 21. Since then, Hook has been trying to get the title back and has pinned Jericho in a six-man tag team match at AEW x New Japan Pro Wrestling Forbidden Door on June 30. On last week’s episode of Dynamite, Jericho defeated Hook’s new mentor, Samoa Joe, in a Stampede Street Fight Match to retain the championship
A rematch at All In would make sense, as the young AEW superstar aims to reclaim the title his father created.
AEW TNT Championship: (C) Jack Perry vs. Darby Allin
The last time Darby Allin was in the ring, he was beaten alongside FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) and Bryan Danielson by The Elite (Jack Perry, Kazuchika Okada, Matthew & Nicholas Jackson) in an Anarchy In The Arena Match at Double Or Nothing.
Perry and Allin tried to sideline each other permanently, including Allin using a flamethrower to set his rival on fire. The ‘Scapegoat’ would recover to win the violent matchup for his team and has moved on to become the AEW TNT Champion. Allin could return for the upcoming PPV to challenge Perry to avenge his defeat and win the title for the third time in his career.
AEW World Tag Team Championship: (C) The Young Bucks (Matthew & Nicholas Jackson) vs. The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster)
The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster) defeated the AEW World Tag Team Champions, The Young Bucks(Matthew & Nicholas), on the June 19 episode of Dynamite. The victory earned the fan-favorite tag team a title opportunity against the champions in the future. It’s possible Bowens and Caster will look to call their shot for a matchup at All In to become two-time tag champions.
We will check back when the All In card is finalized and will grade our own predictions.
More on AEW All In 2024
Check out our All In section to keep up to date with the upcoming PPV and here is a highlight of last year’s event in the meantime.
TNA World Champion Moose likes what he’s seeing from his company’s working relationship with NXT and WWE. The NFL alum recently chatted with Alistair McGeorge for Metro and praised the ongoing situation as, “the best relationship that TNA’s ever had.”
TNA has worked with AEW, AAA and others throughout the years, but Moose says the talent exchange with NXT has been second-to-none. Moose says both companies are acting professionally, which is not always a given in wrestling. “There’s not one company that is being selfish,” he said.
NXT & TNA
Wrestling fans have been treated to WWE’s own version of the ‘Forbidden Door’ over the past few months. TNA Wrestling stars Jordynne Grace, Frankie Kazarian, The Rascalz, and Joe Hendry have all graced the NXT, with a strong TNA presence on this week’s NXT TV. Both The Rascalz and Joe Hendry are expected to remain in the mix for the foreseeable future.
NXT stars who have shown up in TNA include Tatum Paxley and Izzi Dame, who challenged Grace for the Knockouts World Championship. The No Quarter Catch Crew made a home in TNA, with Charlie Dempsey defeating Zachary Wentz on the latest episode of Impact. Even Drew McIntyre has teased returning to TNA, which would be quite a scene considering he’s a former TNA World Champion..
Could Moose Join WWE?
Moose has yet to appear in WWE NXT as part of this working relationship, but there’s been talk for years about him one day joining the promotion. In the interview, Moose admitted that “WWE is a place I always wanted to work for.” Should he join, Moose would be met with some familiar faces from TNA’s past including reigning Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and former TNA World Champion Drew McIntyre.
Whether Moose one day competes for WWE or not, the reigning TNA World Champion will be in action this weekend at Slammiversary. The odds will be against Moose in the six-way eliminator for his title which will see him defend against Joe Hendry, Josh Alexander, Steve Maclin, Frankie Kazarian, and Nic Nemeth. The show marks the highest gate of any TNA event over the past decade, as things are certainly heading in the right direction for Moose and all those in TNA.
The worlds of WWE and Call of Duty will collide later this month when the world’s premiere pro wrestling company “brings its best” to Call of Duty: Season 5 kicking off July 24.
WWE Superstars Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley and Rey Mysterio Jr. will be available to play in various game modes, including a Slam Deathmatch mode.
The WWE Superstars will have all of their signature moves in the game. Check out the Undisputed WWE Champion busting out Cross Rhodes:
?THE CROSS RHODES IS IN CALL OF DUTY AS A FINISHER?
Slam Deathmatch is a unique twist on traditional Team Deathmatch, focusing on finishing moves. While weapons can down enemies, points are only earned by executing Finishing Moves, which will be randomized WWE Finishing Moves in upcoming matches. This particular mode will be available exclusively during the in-game WWE SummerSlam event, starting on July 31.
The Call of Duty website has blog post laying out all of the Season 5 content drop for Modern Warfare III, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile.
It's about to be a smackdown ?@WWE is bringing its best to the ring in Call of Duty Season 5 starting July 24 ???? pic.twitter.com/AXkfo7Xdcl
Several WWE Supertars Bianca Belair, Becky Lynch, John Cena, and The Rock have all appeared in Fortnite. Lynch and The Undertaker also had customized skins for characters in Rainbow Six Siege.
Want more video game news including the latest about WWE 2K24 and AEW Fight Forever? Head over to our Gaming channel.
WWE’s resident ‘Mami’ Rhea Ripley is bringing the firepower in the latest trailer for season five of the latest Call of Duty video game.
In the trailer, Rousey appears in her wrestling attire as an in-game playable character and uses an assortment of guns as well as a sledgehammer. The trailer also features a wrestling ring and a variety of wrestling moves.
Rhea Ripley in Call of Duty isn’t the only unique crossover that WWE is embarking on right now. It has been confirmed that characters from Street Fighter will be part of an upcoming event in WWE Supercard. A trailer also revealed that Rey Mysterio, Xavier Woods, and Zelina Vega will receive custom cards inspired by Street Fighter characters.
Rock legend Ozzy Osbourne will be a part of WWE Champions as part of the upcoming ‘Summer of Darkness’ event. Osbourne, who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021, will be a character in the game and players will have the chance to collect Ozzy-themed items to progress in the Madman Collection Contest.
WWE Superstars In Non-Wrestling Games
We don’t know if any other Superstars will appear in Call of Duty but there are some wrestlers who have appeared in non-wrestling games. Bianca Belair, Becky Lynch, John Cena, and The Rock have all appeared in Fortnite. Lynch and The Undertaker also had customized skins for characters in Rainbow Six Siege.
Wrestling fans are buzzing about the Tonga Twins, Kaoz and Kona, visiting the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, on Wednesday. The twin sisters, formerly known as The MK Twins, wrestled a few dates for AEW in 2021 and later for WOW, where they held the tag team championships. That relationship came to an abrupt end earlier this year, with each side airing their grievances online.
For now this should not be considered anything more than a visit to the Performance Center. We’ll look into whether or not they’re receiving a tryout and will provide an update if we hear anything.
WWE has strong women’s tag divisions on Raw, SmackDown and NXT you can never have too many talented teams to create fresh match-ups that showcase each duo’s skills.
The Tonga Twins, Kaoz and Kona, made their pro wrestling debut in 2021. They’re wrestled for All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and Women of Wrestling (WOW).
Will the Tonga Twins join WWE? It’s interesting to note they’ve been re-tweeting messages from WWE fans stating that Nia Jax should bring them in as her ‘backup.’ It’s not the worst idea we’ve heard today.
Netflix has announcedThe Queen of Villains, a new original series about Dump Matsumoto, the terrifying Japanese women’s wrestling heel who reigned supreme during the 1980’s. The Queen of Villains premieres September 19, 2024 on Netflix.
The Queen of Villains: Netflix / September 19, 2024
Who is Dump Matsumoto?
Dump Matsumoto, born Kaoru Matsumoto, is a semi-retired Japanese professional wrestler who became a leading figure in All Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling (AJW) during the 1980s. Renowned for her brutal and imposing in-ring style, Matsumoto quickly established herself as a formidable heel, captivating audiences with her larger-than-life villain persona.
Netflix is getting into the wrestling business in a very big way. In January 2025, WWE Raw “cuts the cord” after 32-years and moves to the world’s largest over-the-top streaming platform.
The estimated value of WWE’s deal with Netflix is approximately $5 billion over 10 years.
WWE Raw will premiere on Netflix in January 2025. As of this writing, only one person is confirmed to appear on this broadcast … “and his name is John Cena.” The WWE RAW Netflix premiere will be the first official stop on the 2025 John Cena retirement tour.
Ric Flair has a preference when it comes to who breaks his longstanding 16-time world champion streak, but would be more than honored if it was John Cena to eclipse him.
Cena made a surprise appearance at WWE Money In The Bank to announce that he’d be retiring in 2025, but not before he makes the most of the whole year. Cena aims to be at Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania before he hangs up the jorts and sneakers which could open the door for a lot of big matches for the future Hall Of Fame.
With Cena simply stating that he plans to enter the Royal Rumble match, his intentions are made clear that he has his eyes on gold. Cena is notoriously tied with Ric Flair in the amount of world championship reigns he’s had with 16, but if he were to capture one more he’d be atop of the mountain alone.
Since Cena’s announcement, it makes sense that Flair would be asked about that possibility being back on the table of John usurping him in the record books. In a recent interview with Busted Open Radio, Flair said he’d have no problem with John Cena breaking his record, but in a perfect world it would be his daughter, Charlotte Flair.
However, Flair provided further clarity on his comments, taking to social media on July 17 to make clear he’s very happy for John or for anyone that would break the record.
“There Has Been Way Too Much Attention Brought To This. Let’s Just Set The Record Straight For The Final Time. My First Choice Would Obviously Be The Queen Charlotte Flair. I Think The World Of My Friend John Cena, Who Is An Incredible Athlete & Genuine Person! I Will Be The First Person To Shake His Hand & Congratulate Him If He Breaks My Record As I Would For Anybody Who Would Break It. When That Day Comes, It Will Be An Honor! WOOOOO!”
There Has Been Way Too Much Attention Brought To This. Let’s Just Set The Record Straight For The Final Time. My First Choice Would Obviously Be The Queen @MsCharlotteWWE. I Think The World Of My Friend @JohnCena, Who Is An Incredible Athlete & Genuine Person! I Will Be The First… pic.twitter.com/C1EqPVZO5S
While Charlotte and Cena are both in contention to pass up ‘The Nature Boy’ another name nipping at the heels is Randy Orton with 14 World Championship reigns. Flair also took note of ‘The Viper’ while on Busted Open Radio. It’s been greatly implied that Orton has been eyeing up Cody Rhodes’ gold despite him being brutally attacked by The Bloodline this past Friday on SmackDown.
New Catch Republic member Tyler Bate is not expected to return anytime soon.
The former NXT UK Champion has been on the shelf after suffering an injury. His last appearance took place on the July 2 edition of NXT where he teamed up with Pete Dunne and faced the team of Hank Walker and Tank Ledger. In the final moments of the match, Bate seemingly hurt his right arm. Initially, it seemed that he was selling the move but that was not the case.
Fightful Select has now reported that Bate’s injury is serious and he is likely to make his in-ring return in 2025.
Taking to his social media, Tyler Bate revealed that he legitimately suffered an injury. He revealed that he had torn his left pectoral major & tendon off the bone. In an update, he informed the fans that he underwent successful surgery on July 8 and would be out for some time as he recuperates.
“Surgery yesterday was successful and all has been put back where it belongs. I’ll be gone for some time while I recover..”
While Bate is sidelined with injury, his New Catch Republic tag team partner has turned heel. He attacked his former Brawling Brutes teammate Sheamus on the latest edition of Monday Night Raw. Reports suggest that the decision to have Pete Dunne’s feud with Sheamus was made as Bate is likely to be gone for a year due to the injury.
Just over a week since Heatwave, this week’s NXT show was again headline-grabbing, with several big moments occurring on the programme.
WWE has now uploaded all of the video highlights for the show to their official YouTube channel, which we have compiled in an easy to view format on one page below.
WWE NXT Full Highlights This Week
If you didn’t get the chance to watch the show in full, you can see a Full Recap of WWE NXT this week via the video below:
WWE NXT Segments This Week
Wes Lee teams up with his old teammates Zach Wentz and Trey Miguel to defeat Gallus in a Six-Man Tag Team Match.
Take a look at the best moments from Joe Hendry on commentary during the Six-Man Tag Team Match between The Rascalz and Gallus.
NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez and Thea Hail engage in an all-out brawl after a tense encounter.
NXT Champion Ethan Page defends his title for the first time against fan favorite Dante Chen.
Oba Femi puts the North American Championship on the line against “Chase U’s MVP” Duke Hudson.
Michin, Luke Gallows, and Karl Anderson remind everyone that when it comes to the ring, they are just Too Sweet.
Lola Vice may be hurting, but she’s now got some backup against Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, and Jazmyn Nyx.
Professional Wrestling legend Dustin Rhodes has been a part of All Elite Wrestling since its first Pay-Per-View event in 2019, where he faced off against his brother Cody Rhodes in the main event of Double or Nothing in Las Vegas. Since then, while his bother’s journey took them outside the company, Dustin Rhodes has remained steadfast in his commitment to mentoring and positively influencing the AEW roster.
After Cody Rhodes left the company in 2022, fans of both WWE and AEW have been speculating about Dustin’s potential return to his former employer. In the Summer of 2023, reports began circulating that Rhodes’ contract with Tony Khan’s promotion would expire in 2024.
On Tuesday, a post on X’s account spread a rumor that the former WWF Intercontinental Champion would be leaving AEW in September to either join his brother in WWE or retire from professional wrestling. In response, Dustin Rhodes clarified the situation. In a passionate response, Rhodes clarified that although his current AEW contract ends in September, he is not done with wrestling. More so, he noted that he hopes “all negotiations go well,” as he feels he’s having some of the “best matches” of his career.
“Wrong! Jeeze guys, do better. Yes my contract is up in September, and No, I am absolutely NOT DONE. Having the best matches of my life and hopefully, God willing I will get to retire on my own terms, respected with a full heart. Hopefully Negotiations go well because I am damn worth the world. The only things that matter to me are: taking care of my family first and foremost, and finishing up when I am ready, and how I envision my retirement. So hold off guys, This biz is my life and I love doing it for you, while still having fun and able. #KeepSteppin and thank you all for your continued love and support!”
Wrong! Jeeze guys, do better. Yes my contract is up in September, and No, I am absolutely NOT DONE. Having the best matches of my life and hopefully, God willing I will get to retire on my own terms, respected with a full heart. Hopefully Negotiations go well because I am damn… https://t.co/vp1Yb56yIY
While Rhodes is clearly far from done regarding in-ring competition, his acknowledgment of his contract’s expiration date will inevitably lead to more questions than answers. The Natural is a highly respected member of the AEW roster and one of the promotion’s most vocal supporters. Losing someone like that would be a major loss to any promotion, but especially a young one.
One could assume that WWE will always have an open-door policy for Rhodes, especially with his brother being the Undisputed WWE Champion.
Former WWE Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair is certain that she will share the ring with the current NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez.
During the latest edition of NXT, Roxanne Perez name-dropped several popular female wrestlers including Charlotte Flair. Perez boasted that no one in the world is on her level. ‘The Queen’ took to her X account and responded to Perez. She told Perez to continue doing her thing and said that she was sure that they would cross paths in the future.
You almost had it right. It’s been 11. But thank you! I really do have the best fans. ??
Roxanne Perez has been on top of the women’s division on NXT. She recently retained her title over Lola Vice at NXT Heatwave. Her next title defense will take place against Chase U’s Thea Hail at NXT Great American Bash.
Charlotte Flair’s absence from WWE
On the other hand, Charlotte Flair will star in an upcoming indie horror/thriller movie, You Lose You Die. In the past, Flair has also worked outside WWE. Her movie debut took place when she starred as Heather Rockrear in Psych: The Movie in 2017. It is a spin-off of the popular show about fake psychic investigator. Flair has also starred as herself in the remake of Punky Brewster with fellow WWE wrestler Alexa Bliss.
Charlotte Flair has been on the shelf as she is recuperating. Last year, she suffered significant knee injury including tears to her ACL, MCL, and meniscus. The 14-time Women’s Champion has been working hard to make her comeback to the ring. While she is expected to be out for at least 9 months, there is a huge possibility that she might be back ahead of schedule.
Big E was pleased to feel the love in the ring at Money in the Bank 2024, even if he didn’t wrestle at the Premium Live Event in Toronto, Ontario.
Instead of competing, Big E was part of the show’s kick-off event and got in the ring during the program to help psych up the crowd in the Scotiabank Arena. Speaking to Chris Vannini on Getting Over, Big E reflected on being able to have that moment in the ring in front of the WWE Universe.
“It was cool. It was just a little hit for the countdown show. The cool part for me was, even though there weren’t a ton of fans in the arena, getting some love again was very very cool. It’s nice being back. It’s something that I’ve been doing for 15 years and it feels like a second home in many ways.”
The Money in the Bank is of obvious significance to Big E as he won the Men’s briefcase back at the 2021 event. The show was WWE’s first PLE in over a year with a full crowd after the COVID-19 pandemic forced WWE go go without a live audience. Big E cashed in his contract in September of that year to win the WWE Championship from Bobby Lashley.
Latest On Big E’s Health
Big E hasn’t competed since March of 2022 after suffering a broken neck during an episode of WWE SmackDown. Despite this injury, Big E was able to avoid surgery, and at the time many saw this as a sign he would be back in the ring sooner than later. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case and on the podcast, Big E gave this update on his health.
“The only issue is my C1 is healing fibrously, which is great for normal day-to-day life, but it’s not turning into new bone and ossifying yet. They’re not going to clear me until that happens… I did go to Cancun about a month ago for stem cells. We’ll see if that changes anything.”
While his WWE in-ring career has been put on pause, Big E has been used in multiple roles outside of the ring. In addition to his work at kick-off shows, Big E has helped with campus recruiting during his time away from the ring. Despite his obvious setback, Big E has remained in good spirits, a testament to the power of positivity.
Britt Baker may not have planned to be away from AEW TV for as long as she was, but her lengthy hiatus did allow her ‘stale’ character to freshen up.
Baker returned to AEW programming at last month’s Forbidden Door pay-per-view and confronted TBS/NJPW Strong Women’s Champion Mercedes Mone. Since then, Baker has made it clear she wants a shot at the CEO, though Mone isn’t interested in the match. On tonight’s AEW Dynamite, Mone will defend her TBS title against Nyla Rose who accepted an open challenge made to every woman in AEW except Baker.
Before her return at Forbidden Door, Britt Baker hadn’t appeared on AEW programming since September 2023 as she was dealing with herniated discs and had suffered a Transient Ischemic Attack. Speaking to Renee Paquette on Close Up, Baker reflected on needing the time off to recover and why it helped her in much more than her physical health.
“It was time to let everything heal and just mentally, emotionally, get in tune with myself again because you do kind of lose yourself at some point. It felt like I was I was stale. I was stagnant with who I am as a performer and I needed time away to be reinvigorated again and to find myself again.”
This invigorated Baker will continue her pursuit of the TBS Championship, in spite of Mercedes Mone ducking her attempts to have a match. Some fans expect that their showdown will take place at AEW All In: London 2024, though that has not been confirmed yet. The August 25, show will be AEW’s biggest event of the year and therefore a fitting home for a match fans have discussed long before Mone became All Elite in March 2024.
Ring of Honor will receive special interest from those working behind the scenes moving forward, it has been reported.
Tony Khan announced on the March 2, 2022, edition of AEW Dynamite that he had purchased Ring of Honor. Since then, several pay-per-views have aired and weekly ROH shows can be found on the Honor Club streaming service. Tony Khan had intended for ROH to have its own show on TV but that hasn’t been the case so far.
While Khan’s acquisition of ROH has kept the company in business, many feel that his handling of the 22-year-old promotion has been underwhelming. The consensus among some is that the show is often little more than an AEW feeder show and that without a national TV deal, ROH doesn’t receive anywhere close to the level of focus backstage than AEW’s three weekly episodes.
ROH is set to receive more attention and care moving forward, Fightful Select reports. The upcoming tapings in Arlington, Texas are being viewed internally as a potential turning point for the brand with plans for dedicated taping sessions. Instead of being taped around AEW shows (which galvanized the belief that ROH is simply an extension of AEW), ROH will see multiple shows recorded in a single day, separate from AEW tapings.
This is expected to see a more consisted creative output, another criticism fans have had of ROH in the Tony Khan era. When asked whether champions are expected to be more regular at these tapings, a source said it’s very likely to occur. The promotion is currently home to seven different championships though the ROH Six-Man-Tag Titles (which are part of AEW’s Unified Trios Championships) are current vacated.
MXM in Ring of Honor
Two names fans can expect to see in Ring Of Honor is Mason Madden and Mansoor who were teased during a recent episode. Sources indicated that the former WWE tag team has specifically signed with ROH, rather than signing with AEW and being assigned to ROH.
The WWE Universe can expect to see much more of TNA Wrestling’s Joe Hendry in NXT after his surprise appearance on the July 16, episode.
During the show, Hendry appeared after his name was said by Vic Joseph. The popular wrestler served as the special guest commentator for Gallus’ bout against The Rascalz (Wes Lee, Zachary Wentz, & Trey Miguel). The reunited Rascalz were victorious in an exciting six-man tag-team match.
In a backstage segment, a frustrated Gallus brought up Hendry and said his name. Just as his song suggests, Hendry appeared and said he’s become the most talked-about superstar in NXT. He went on to say that he will be sticking around because he likes it in NXT.
Hendry made his NXT debut as part of a battle royal to crown a number one contender for the NXT Championship that was won by Je’Von Evans. Despite being the first person eliminated from the match, Hendry proved to be a hit and WWE’s video of his entrance would become the most-watched video WWE has put out in this post-WrestleMania season.
Fans are expecting to see more of Hendry in WWE NXT and his next appearance could see him bring some gold to the gold brand. Hendry will be part of a six-way for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship at this weekend’s Slammiversary pay-per-view.
A special 250th episode of AEW Dynamite takes place tonight from Little Rock, AK at the Simmons Bank Arena. Here is the match card for tonight’s broadcast on TBS:
Champion vs. Champion: Swerve Strickland vs. Kazuchika Okada
AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland faces off against AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada in a high-stakes champion vs. champion match.
AEW International Championship Match: Will Ospreay (c) vs. MJF
Will Ospreay defends his AEW International Championship against MJF, kicking off the show.
TBS Championship Match: Mercedes Moné (c) vs. Nyla Rose
Mercedes Moné puts her TBS Championship on the line against the formidable Nyla Rose.
Plus, we will hear from Mariah May following her shocking attack on Toni Storm last week.
What Happened Last Week on AEW Dynamite?
Catch up on these highlights from the July 10, 2024 AEW Dynamite, featuring the finals of the men’s and women’s Owen Hart tournaments:
Here are WWE NXT results for Tuesday, July 17, 2024 from Orlando, FL:
Six-Man Tag Team Match: The Rascalz vs. Gallus: The Rascalz defeat Gallus by pinfall. Joe Hendry is on commentary during the match.
Backstage in Ava’s Office: Ethan Page and Oro Mensah almost came to blows. Mensah challenges Page for his title, but Ava says Mensah isn’t in the title picture. Page opts to face Dante Chen in a title match instead.
Roxanne PerezIn-Ring Promo: Roxanne talks about her victory over Lola Vice and criticizes upcoming talents like Giulia and Stephanie Vaquer. She calls out Thea Hail, leading to a brawl that is broken up by Ridge Holland.
Interview: Kelani Jordan w/Kelly Kincaid: Kelani Jordan praises Sol Ruca but is interrupted by Wendy Choo.
Interview: Lola Vice: Lola Vice is interrupted by Jacy Jayne, Jasmyn Nyx, and Fallon Henley, who insult her and challenge her to a fight. Vice accepts, targeting Jayne.
Je’Von Evans vs. Brooks Jensen: Je’Von Evans gets the win by pinfall. Post-match, Jensen attacks Evans until Josh Briggs steps in to stop him.
Backstage Segment: Charlie Dempsey and Tony D’Angelo: Charlie Dempsey and Tony D’Angelo discuss last week’s hit on Damon Kemp. Dempsey seeks advice about a witness, Wren Sinclair, but D’Angelo tells him to handle it himself.
Phone Call: Trick Williams and Ilja Dragunov: Trick Williams calls Ilja Dragunov for advice after losing the NXT Championship. Pete Dunne, who is present, tells Williams to “figure it out.”
Ethan Page (c) vs. Dante Chen: Page retains his NXT Championship by defeating Dante Chen by pinfall. Oro Mensah attacks Page after the match.
Backstage with Gallus and Joe Hendry: Gallus complains about Joe Hendry. Hendry declares himself the most talked-about star in NXT, while Gallus asserts their dominance in Scotland and dismisses Hendry as a “flash in the pan.”
Tatum Paxley vs. Izzi Dame: Tatum Paxley defeats Izzi Dame by pinfall. Wendy Choo is present, indicating a partnership with Paxley.
Lola Vice vs. Jacy Jayne: Lola Vice defeated Jacy Jayne by pinfall. Post-match, Sol Ruca and Karmen Petrovic made the save, helping Vice fight off Jayne, Jasmyn Nyx, and Fallon Henley, who attacked Vice after the pinfall.
Backstage Segment: Kelani Jordan and Tatum Paxley: Kelani Jordan bumps into Tatum Paxley backstage. Paxley asks if Jordan wants to play. Jordan replies that they’re too old to be playing with dolls but thanks her for the offer. Paxley angrily throws down Wendy Choo’s doll and picks up one resembling Jordan instead.
Six-Person Mixed Tag Team Match: The O.C. vs. OTM: The O.C. defeated OTM by pinfall.
Backstage Segment: Wren Sinclair and No Quarter Catch Crew: Wren Sinclair approaches No Quarter Catch Crew, expressing her desire to join the faction. The crew is unreceptive, so Sinclair threatens to reveal what she witnessed unless they let her wrestle her way into the group.
Match Announcement: It was revealed that last night, Lexis King disrupted Eddy Thorpe’s DJ set. They are set to face off next week.
NXT North American Championship Match: Oba Femi (c) vs. Duke Hudson: Oba Femi retained the NXT North American Championship by defeating Duke Hudson by pinfall.
