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QR Code Mystery References Brothers, Masks & More On 5/24 WWE SmackDown

Thomas Lowson
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WWE’s QR code mystery continued on the May 24, edition of SmackDown with fans being taken to a bizarre website full of unique clues. 

During the entrance of WWE Tag Team Champions A-Town Down Under (Austin Theory and Grayson Waller) a QR code flashed on the screen. This code takes fans to an archive website full of letters and poems. One poem reads: 

I know it’s you.

On your way back home.

The hair shall light your path.

I will be waiting on the other side. 

This hare could be about the ‘White Rabbit’ mystery of 2022. Similar to the ongoing QR code mystery, the White Rabbit would leave clues on WWE TV with fans left to decipher what it means. The White Rabbit mystery culminated with the return of Bray Wyatt at WWE Extreme Rules 2022. Another poem reads: 

Do NOT lie to me.

Do NOT lie to yourself.

We’ve worn our maks long enough, brother.

Revel in what you are.

The phrase ‘Revel in what you are’ again suggests a link to Bray Wyatt, who used this phrase upon his 2022 return. The reference to masks and ‘brother’ will lead many to continue believing that this is all building towards the return of Uncle Howdy, as played by Wyatt’s brother Bo Dallas. 

Bo Dallas is expected to return as Uncle Howdy.

The very retro-looking website has the title ‘Kintsugi.’ This is the traditional Japanese art form of repairing a broken bowl with gold. The idea behind Kintsugi is that something can become more beautiful because it has been broken rather than if nothing had changed. 

Where Is This Going? 

Howdy/Dallas is not expected to return alone to WWE TV. It is reported that a faction consisting of Dexter Lumis, Joe Gacy, the recently rehired Erick Rowan, and Nikki Cross will also be in the faction. There’s no confirmed date as for when this faction will appear though with these clues growing more frequent over the past week, some feel it won’t be much longer until answers are revealed on WWE TV. 

Backstage Response to The Idea Of The Rock Winning The WWE Title at WrestleMania 40

Thomas Lowson
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Some of the very top names in WWE were adamantly against the notion that The Rock would win the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania, it has been claimed. 

On the post-Royal Rumble edition of SmackDown, Cody Rhodes teased that he would not be facing Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40. This was in spite of the 2024 Men’s Royal Rumble winner making clear just days earlier that he intended to challenge the Tribal Chief. Rhodes’ segment on SmackDown also saw The Rock return and strongly suggested that he’d be facing his cousin in Philadelphia. 

Against The Rock’s Title Win

For a handful of days after this segment, it appeared that The Rock would face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania while Cody Rhodes would challenge then-World Heavyweight Champion Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins. Even if Rock-Reigns had taken place, it’s unlikely that the Final Boss would’ve been the one to end Reigns’ historic title reign. 

Some of the top names in WWE rejected the idea of The Rock being the one to end the four-year title reign of the Head of the Table, Dave Meltzer reports. WWE’s Chief Content Officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque and Roman Reigns himself were said to be against the idea of The Rock winning. It’s not stated why they were against the idea but it’s possible that they believed having a part-timer ended Reigns’ run as champion would have been poorly received by fans. 

Some of WWE’s top names didn’t want to see The Rock on top. 

What’s Next? 

With the might of the ‘We Want Cody’ movement, Rhodes was reinserted into the title picture and captured the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 40. On the post-WrestleMania Raw, The Rock vowed to return to WWE and confront Rhodes once he is done shooting his latest movie The Smashing Machine. 

WWE Completes King & Queen of the Ring Card, Start Time, & How To Watch

Aaron Varble
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WWE SmackDown took place in Saudi Arabia this week, setting the stage for the 2024 King & Queen of the Ring event. The premium live event will take place on Saturday, starting at 1:00 PM EST, with an hour-long kickoff show prior to the event.

The 2024 King & Queen of the Ring event is available for streaming on Peacock, but requires a premium or premium-plus subscription. International viewers can watch the event on WWE Network.

SE Scoops also provided spoilers for WWE SmackDown this week. You may find those here to catch up on what happened in Saudi Arabia.

Triple H announced that the winners of this year’s tournaments will earn title matches at SummerSlam, raising the stakes significantly and adding more intensity to the competition.

SmackDown in Saudi Arabia opened with Nia Jax defeating Bianca Belair to secure her spot in the Queen of the Ring finals. Jax will now face Lyra Valkyria for the crown. 

After her win, Nia cut a fierce promo, where she promised to roll through Lyra on Saturday.

Despite her loss to Jax, Bianca Belair will still compete at King & Queen of the Ring, teaming with Jade Cargill to defend their titles against Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell. This match was set up quickly after LeRae and Hartwell taunted Belair, prompting Cargill to arrange the title match. Interestingly, Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark had just won a #1 contenders match for these titles on RAW.

In the main event, Randy Orton faced Tama Tonga for the final spot in the King of the Ring finals. Orton emerged victorious, and following the match, he had a tense stare-down with GUNTHER, setting up their clash in Jeddah.

You can find a breakdown of the King and Queen of the Ring tournament below.

Queen of the Ring Quarterfinals:

  • Iyo Sky defeated Shayna Baszler
  • Lyra Valkyria defeated Zoey Stark
  • Jade Cargill lost to Nia Jax via DQ
  • Bianca Belair defeated Tiffany Stratton

Queen of the Ring Semifinals:

Nia Jax defeated Bianca Belair

Lyra Valkyria beat IYO Sky

Queen of the Ring Finals:

Lyra Valkyria vs Nia Jax

King of the Ring Quarterfinals:

  • Gunther defeated Kofi Kingston
  • Jey Uso defeated Ilja Dragunov
  • Tama Tonga defeated LA Knight
  • Randy Orton defeated Carmelo Hayes

King of the Ring Semifinals:

Randy Orton defeated Tama Tonga

Gunther defeated Jey Uso

King of the Ring Finals:

Gunther vs Randy Orton

WWE King & Queen of the Ring Card:

  • King of the Ring Tournament Final
    • GUNTHER vs. Randy Orton
  • Queen of the Ring Tournament Final
    • Lyra Valkyria vs. Nia Jax
  • Women’s World Championship Match
    • Becky Lynch (c) vs. Liv Morgan (Singles match)
  • WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
    • Sami Zayn (c) vs. Chad Gable vs. Bronson Reed (Triple threat match)
  • Undisputed WWE Championship Match
  • WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match
    • Jade Cargill & Bianca Belair (c) vs Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell

Owen Hart Cup 2024 Details Revealed

Rayan Saayed
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New details about AEW’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament have emerged.

According to the daily newspaper The Calgary Herald, the finals of the Owen Hart Foundation tournament are set to take place on July 10 in Calgary. In attendance will be Martha Hart, the widow of Owen Hart.

Martha talked to The Calgary Herald about the tragic incident that took place during WWF’s Over the Edge event on May 23, 1999.

She talked about not wanting to work with WWE, whose negligence she believes is the reason behind her late husband’s death. Which is also one of the reasons was why she wasn’t able to celebrate Owen’s career until recently: “For years there was no way to celebrate Owen’s career because WWE monopolized the business, and I would never work with them under any circumstances.”

RELATED: Bret Hart Shares Touching Tribute To Owen Hart On His Birthday

On the contrary, AEW is a company that Martha trusts to “highlight, promote, and honour Owen’s wrestling legacy.” She added that they are working together “to ensure that legacy continues.”

Jericho, who is a massive fan of Owen Hart, took it upon himself to make sure that his wrestling legacy stays alive. “We’re able to give Owen the spotlight he deserves,” Jericho told the outlet. “Enough about his death. Let’s focus on his life, not just as a wrestler, but also as a person, a father, and an amazing human being.”

The Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, also known as the Owen Hart Cup, is done in partnership with AEW and The Owen Hart Foundation. The first tournament began in September 2021 and ended at Double or Nothing in May 2022. Two single-elimination tournaments are part of it, each for male and female competitors. Adam Cole and Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. won the 2022 men’s and women’s tournaments, respectively. Ricky Starks and Willow Nightingale won the 2023 edition of the tournaments, respectively.

RELATED: The Undertaker On Wrestling After Owen Hart’s Passing: I Don’t Know That Was The Right Thing To Do

Mercedes Mone Doesn’t Feel There Should Be Competition Between Wrestling Companies

Dominic DeAngelo
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Mercedes Mone thinks the word “competition” should be applied somewhere else other than between AEW and WWE.

Mone is set for her big return match at AEW Double or Nothing this Sunday in Las Vegas as she’ll be battling Willow Nightingale for her TBS Title. It’ll be the CEO’s first fight back in over a year after injury and her debut match in AEW. She was last seen in WWE losing to Bianca Belair before she walked out of the company in May 2022. However, the former Sasha Banks doesn’t want there to be such a division between her current promotion and her past one.

Speaking with US Weekly, Mone made clear that competition should strictly be between wrestlers and not the wrestling promotions themselves.

“I feel like there should be no competition when it’s between companies. It just needs to be competition between the wrestlers, seeing who wants to be the main event of the show, to make the most money. I’m competing with everybody here in AEW to let them know I’m the face of the company. I’m not competing with any other company.”

Mone blames a good deal of that tribalism in pro wrestling due to a lot of the minor vocal contingency of wrestling fans online.

“People are just so in their phones. Going on the Internet and bragging and complaining and they’re not actually living in the real world. When they come out into the real world and they actually go to wrestling shows and enjoy things with wrestling fans, they know that this is all just so much fun.”

Despite not wanting competition between companies WWE and AEW will be competiting for eyes on their product this weekend as both are set for their respective PLE and PPV.

WWE SmackDown Results (5/24): Spoilers From Saudi Arabia

Aaron Varble
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WWE SmackDown is broadcasting from Saudi Arabia this week, leading up to the highly anticipated King & Queen of the Ring event in Jeddah. There is a lot to unpack as we head into this special edition of SmackDown.

Due to the show being aired from Saudi Arabia, there will be a time delay. With that in mind, we have some spoilers for this week’s episode of the blue brand.

This week’s SmackDown card features two semifinal matches in the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments. Additionally, there are several other segments lined up to finalize the preparations for the big event.

Below, you can find a spoiler-free SmackDown card for this week’s show.

  • King of the Ring – SmackDown Bracket Semifinals: Tama Tonga vs. Randy Orton
  • Queen of the Ring – SmackDown Bracket Semifinals: Bianca Belair vs. Nia Jax
  • The Street Profits vs. Tonga Loa & Solo Sikoa
  • Bayley vs. Chelsea Green
  • AJ Styles Confronts SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis

  • WWE SmackDown (5/24) Spoilers:
    • Randy Orton, The House of Bloodline, Nia Jax, and Bianca Belair are shown arriving at the show.
    • Triple H announces King & Queen of the Ring winners will earn title opportunities at SummerSlam.
  • Queen of the Ring Semi-Finals: Bianca Belair vs. Nia Jax
    • Winner: Nia Jax
    • Post-Match: Nia boasts about defeating top competitors and aims to become Queen and Champion.
  • Grayson Waller Effect:
    • Carmelo Hayes interrupts, mocks veterans like Bobby Lashley and LA Knight. Then Knight interrupts him, leading to a brawl. Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford intervene.
  • Match: LA Knight, Montez Ford, and Angelo Dawkins vs. Carmelo Hayes, Grayson Waller, and Austin Theory
    • Winners: LA Knight, Angelo Dawkins, and Montez Ford
  • Cody Rhodes and Logan Paul Confrontation:
    • Cody Rhodes enters the ring but is interrupted by Logan Paul. The Maverick taunts Cody, claiming superiority and intentions to win both titles. Then Cody suggests Logan’s bravado hides insecurities, he said he suffers from Imposter Syndrome, and then he said he believed that he had brass knuckles on him. So, he challenged him to a security check. The brass knuckles were found on Logan as WWE official Ryan Tran checked him out. Logan then said that he was wearing his brother’s pants, because they are Prada. Cody then vowed to beat Logan, as the crowd was 100% behind him.
  • Match: Bayley vs. Chelsea Green (Non-Title)
    • Winner: Bayley with the Rose Plant.
    • Post-match, Piper Niven attacks Bayley with multiple sentons.
  • Bloodline Segment:
    • Paul Heyman informs Solo that Tanga Loa couldn’t cross the border. Solo asserts his authority in Roman’s absence; Tama Tonga declares his return to the Bloodline.
  • Match: Randy Orton vs. Tama Tonga (with Paul Heyman and Solo Sikoa) in a King of the Ring Tournament Semifinal Match
    • Winner: Randy Orton
    • After the match, GUNTHER came out to have an intense stare-down with The Viper.

Health Update On Jim Ross: What’s His Status For AEW Double Or Nothing?

Dominic DeAngelo
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Jim Ross was admitted to a hospital after having shortness of breath, and thankfully the commentary legend appears that he’s going to be okay.

In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that Ross was hospitalized on 5/23 and was diagnosed with a Class A flu along with raised heart enzymes that coincided with his shortness of breath. He’s being well taken care of and is expected to be okay in a few days time. However, that does mean JR won’t be behind the booth for AEW Double or Nothing.

Ross did hop online to provide an update on his health, sharing a photo of himself with his two daughters. He also made a post on X noting that he was going to quit smoking.

According to Meltzer, Ross is only on tap to do the monthly AEW PPVs and he was on call for the main event AEW World Title match between Samoa Joe and Swerve Strickland at AEW Dynasty.

Just last year, Ross was diagnosed with skin cancer and had to miss an extensive period of time due to that, but the voice of a generation happened to sign an extension with AEW for an added year and JR’s new deal with the company was reported to be very lucrative. All that considered, he has realized his time behind the commentary desk as

Ross may not be on the call for AEW Double Or Nothing, but many fans can read about some of his all time greatest calls and stories in his new memoir, “Business Is About To Pick Up.” 

We at SEScoops want to wish Jim Ross a speedy and healthy recovery.

MLW Battle Riot VI Sells Out In Atlanta

Tyriece Simon
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Major League Wrestling is enjoying an excellent run of sold-out shows this year. They’ve celebrated selling out their MLW Azteca Lucha event in Cicero Stadium in Chicago, Illinois, on May 11. The show did so well that the company will host another pay-per-view event, Lucha Apocolypto, at the same venue in November. While it seems Chicago could be a hot market for MLW fans, the company may have found another. 

On X, MLW has announced that tickets for Battle Riot VI have sold out. The event will occur at the Center Stage Theater in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 1. Although the show is sold out, fans can watch the event for free on the MLW YouTube channel. 

More On MLW Battle Riot VI 

 MLW Battle Riot VI will have several exciting matches on the card, including MLW World Heavyweight Champion defending his title against Tom Lawlor. However, the match that many fans may look forward to the most is the 40-Man Battle Riot VI Match. Like in past years, the battle royal winner will get an MLW World Heavyweight Championship opportunity in the future. 

MLW has slowly started to reveal the participants that will compete in the battle royal on X. The company has announced only 20 competitors so far that will be involved. It’s very possible they will not reveal all the talent in the match until the day of the show. 

As of now, MLW has announced several prominent names like Matt Riddle, Sami Callihan, and Místico, who will try to win the 40-Man Battle Royal. Another surprising name added was Golden Globe Award Winner Paul Walter Hauser. It’s unclear when the winner will get an opportunity to challenge for the world title, but all superstars will do their best to be a future contender. 

Current Card For MLW Battle Riot VI

(Match Card & Order Is Subject To Change)

  • Alex Kane with Mr. Thomas vs. AJ Francis- Ritual Combat Match
  • (C) Janai Kai vs. Delmi Exo with Cesar Duran-MLW Women’s World Featherweight Championship Match
  • (C) Satoshi Kojima vs. Tom Lawlor with Saint Laurent-MLW World Heavyweight Championship Match
  • Matt Riddle vs. Jimmy Yang vs. Sami Callihan vs. Ernest Miller vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Bobby Fish vs. Jake Crist  vs. Timothy Thatcher vs. Mistico vs. Okumura vs. Jesus Rodriguez vs. Matthew Justice vs. Mr. Thomas vs. Bad Dude Tito vs. Mads Krule Krügger vs. Brett Ryan Gosselin vs. 1 Called Manders vs. AKIRA vs. Josh Bishop vs. Paul Walter Hauser vs. TBA-40 Man Battle Riot VI Match

‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey: ‘TNA Wrestling Allows Us To Be Ourselves In The Best Possible Way’

Thomas Lowson
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‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey is pleased to be a part of the TNA Wrestling roster as the promotion encourages talent to be themselves in the best possible way. 

Since arriving in TNA, Bailey has quickly asserted himself as one to watch with two X-Division championship reigns to his name. Not only that, Bailey’s Bound for Glory 2023 epic with Will Ospreay would for a time be the highest-rated match from TNA Wrestling, earning 5.25 stars from Dave Meltzer. 

Bailey has evidently done well in TNA and is pleased to be a part of a company that seeks to help others find themselves. Speaking to SE Scoops as part of the TNA Press Pass, the Canadian addressed how TNA helps amplify the real-life personalities of its roster. 

“The art of professional wrestling is a great tool for self-betterment. I have a lot of students that I have seen really discover themselves as people, not just as pro wrestlers, but through amplifying their own personalities in the ring and gaining confidence. [They have become] better versions of themselves through professional wrestling. Ultimately, that’s the goal. To inspire people.

“And I think where that ties into TNA is that it’s been a platform where pro wrestlers come in and are allowed to be themselves. They’re allowed to be who they are and TNA amplifies that. And I think that, philosophically, is a beautiful thing.”

Bailey has big plans for his future in TNA Wrestling. During the Press Pass, Bailey added he plans to regain the X-Division Championship alongside winning the World Tag Team and TNA World Championship. Bailey will certainly be one to watch especially with TNA Slammiversary coming to his native Canada in Montreal this July. 

Matt Hardy Gets TNA World Title Shot At Against All Odds

Rayan Saayed
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On Thursday’s episode of TNA Impact, Matt Hardy was gifted a title match against Moose for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. The match will take place at Against All Odds on June 14.

The announcement came after Matt Hardy won a tag team match, teaming up with Ryan Nemeth against the duo of Eddie Edwards and Brian Myers.

Backstage after the match, Director of Authority Santino Marella was going to give a tag team championship shot to Hardy and Ryan, however, Hardy wanted to take on Moose instead. He said that he had set his sights to win the world title from Moose, which Santino offered him.

In place of Hardy, Nic volunteered to be Nic’s partner, and Santino gave the duo a tag team title match against Edwards and Myers.

The card for Against All Odds 2024 is starting to shape up, and these are the confirmed matches as of now:

  • Moose (c) vs. Matt Hardy for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship
  • The System (c) vs. Nemeth Boyz (Ryan and Nic Nemeth) for TNA World Tag Team Championship
  • Mustafa Ali (c) vs. Trent Seven for the X-Division Championship

Matt Hardy on how the TNA return happened

Recently, Matt Hardy talked about how he returned to the TNA at the Rebellion PPV. Talking on Busted Open Radio, the Attitude Era star revealed that the deal happened last minute:

“So last night was me showing that pro wrestling can still be unpredictable. I popped up. This was done in a couple days notice. we kind of started talking about this on Wednesday. Then this kind of materialised over a couple days doing some shots for TNA and a little story arc. Pro Wrestling is at its best when it’s unpredictable.”

Even his brother Jeff Hardy wasn’t privy to Matt making his way to TNA, and he only found out after the show ended.

At Rebellion, Hardy confronted Moose and hit him with a Twist of Fate. This was the set-up to a match between the two, which has been now made official.

Cora Jade Pleads With Fans to Stop Sending Her Parents Fan Mail

Rayan Saayed
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Cora Jade has sent out a notice to fans to set some boundaries.

Jade took to her Twitter account, requesting fans not to send fan mail to her personal address, and worse, at her parents’. She wrote:

“I love and appreciate all fan mail but if you are going to send it please refrain from sending it to my personal address or more importantly my parents’. All fan mail can be sent to the PC addressed to me :)”

The fact that the 23-year-old female wrestler even had to issue such a request to fans is a shameful thing. Everybody deserves privacy, and no one should have to deal with their private information being available to the public.

Many wrestlers have previously spoken about fans crossing boundaries in the past. Wrestlers getting harassed by “fans” at airports and hotels is unfortunately a common theme.

Rhea Ripley in particular voiced her frustration after having a bad experience with people coming up to her to get things signed. She wrote on Twitter:

“Today has put me off completely! I will not sign ANYTHING that isn’t a personal photo of us anymore. Hate me, I don’t care. Disagree with me, try putting yourselves in our shoes for one bloody day.”

Others such as Kris Statlander have also voiced their opinions on people waiting in lines at airports and hotels to get things signed. Statlander said that she’s not a fan of people who do this.

“…I’m not a fan of when fans wait at airports and hotels,” said Statlander. “We are not technically at work at that time, you know, and it’s just like most travel has been so hectic lately that a lot of us just cannot be bothered to put on a happy face sometimes. Some of us we have a lot of real-life things to deal with, and it’s like sometimes we’re not always our best selves, especially when traveling. We don’t feel our best.”

However, Seth Rollins did mention an important point in an interview that such “pseudo-collectors” at the airports are outliers, and the majority of the fans he encounters in public are respectful.  

Soft Ground Wrestling (SGW) Crowns First Champion

Rayan Saayed
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Uganda’s Soft Ground Wrestling sees the coronation of its first champion.

The match to crown the first champion of the SGW took place between Tate Mayfairs and Anoa. The finish of the match saw Anoa hit Mayfairs with a Cross Rhodes to pick up the win.

You can check out the full match below, which also features a celebration by the audience post-match as well as a look at the SGW Championship belt:

Earlier this month, Mayfairs went to Uganda for his SGW debut, and reached the finals in the tournament to crown the inaugural SGW Champion. He aligned the Lord White, a popular heel figure in the promotion.

On May 14, SGW Uganda announced plans for a championship belt for the promotion.

Soft Ground Wrestling is a backyard wrestling promotion based in Uganda that went viral online in the recent months. The promotion got attention for using a soil ring with string ropes similar to those found in professional wrestling rings, along with bamboos serving as ring posts at the four corners.

A GoFundMe fundraiser was set up to help SGW get a wrestling ring as well as for its upkeep. The fundraiser saw donations from AEW’s Will Ospreay and TNA Wrestling’s Jordynne Grace also donating to it.

A charity stream was also done which raised over $28,000 for SGW. Names such as AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland, TNA X-Division Champion Mustafa Ali, and Tough Enough-winner and popular wrestling YouTuber Maven Huffman were involved in the stream. 

Report: Kenny Omega Underwent Surgery for Diverticulitis

Rayan Saayed
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Kenny Omega reportedly underwent surgery last week to recover from diverticulitis.

The report comes from Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful. The surgery took place in New York on May 16, 2024. There were also some pictures shared online of the star in the city from that time.

Omega had confirmed earlier this month that he would be going under the knife. He said the following at the time:

“I will actually be getting surgery very very very soon… this guy is top in his field and I feel even though it’s a major surgery, I feel most comfortable with this individual. So even though there’s always worries going into a major surgery, if there’s one person the most confident with, I think it’s this dude.”

According to Mayo Clinic, “diverticulitis is inflammation of irregular bulging pouches in the wall of the large intestine.” The website states that severe diverticulitis needs antibiotic treatment in the hospital or surgery.

Regarding his plans for AEW, currently, there are no plans for the wrestler creatively in the company. His most recent in-ring plans, according to which he was set to partner up with Chris Jericho to face World Tag Team Champions Big Bill and Ricky Starks at Worlds End 2023, were thwarted due to Omega suffering from diverticulitis.

RELATED: Kenny Omega Respects Triple H For Being A Body Guy

He did appear recently on Dynamite, where he declared his intentions to face AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada, so we can see him in the ring competing against the Rainmaker when he recovers. 

WWE Smackdown Preview (5/24): King & Queen Of The Ring Semifinals, Bayley vs. Chelsea Green

Tyriece Simon
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0

Tonight’s episode of WWE Friday Night Smackdown will set the stage for the King and Queen Of The Ring premium live event. The episode will occur at the Jeddah Super Dome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Ahead of tomorrow’s PLE, Smackdown will host two matches to determine who will move on to the finals of the King and Queen Of The Ring. 

One of the featured matches of tonight’s episode will have Randy Orton take on Tama Tonga in the semifinals of the King of The Ring tournament. While the match order can change, it’s expected that the match will be the show’s main event. 

Orton earned his spot in the semifinals by defeating Carmelo Hayes on the May 17 episode of Smackdown. The former WWE NXT Champion pushed Orton to his limit and was close to stealing the upset victory. However, ‘The Viper’ showed his experience and landed an RKO to move to the next round. After the win, Orton called out Tonga and the rest of the Bloodline(Solo Sikoa and Tanga Loa) to declare that he’d destroy the faction. 

Although the former WWE Champion feels confident, he will have his hands full taking on Tonga. The newly signed superstar has shown to be a threat to the roster and has his family at his side to aid in his victory. Despite the odds, Orton will aim to connect with his RKO to eliminate Tonga from the tournament. 

The Rest Of the Card For Tonight’s Episode Of Friday Night Smackdown

The other tournament match on the show will have Bianca Belair face off against Nia Jax. Both earned their spot in the semifinals in last week’s episode. However, Belair comes into the match battling a knee injury(in storyline) after defeating rival Tiffany Stratton in the quarterfinals. 

Jax will try to take advantage of injury to move on to the finals. Belair has shown she can defy the odds, but Jax may be too much tonight. That said, Belair’s tag team partner, Jade Cargill, has unfinished business with Jax and could come out to support the ‘EST of WWE.’ 

Tonight’s episode will also have WWE Women’s Champion Bayley taking on Chelsea Green in a non-title match. The champion hopes to silence Green and stay busy as she awaits her next challenger. 

As the go-home show to tomorrow’s PLE event, tonight’s episode of Smackdown will be essential to see who will be eligible to be the next King and Queen Of The Ring. 

Jordynne Grace Shows Off Gnarly Injury

Rayan Saayed
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TNA wrestler Jordynne Grace has suffered a pretty gnarly-looking injury on her ear. The injury took place on the May 23 edition of TNA Impact when Grace was in action in the ring with Marti Belle.

The match was for the TNA Knockouts World Title at the MegaCorp Pavilion in Newport, Kentucky, and Grace was able to successfully defend it against Belle. However, Belle’s fishnets ripped out a small chunk of her ear.

“There’s a reason why I am one of the most dominant champions in TNA,” Grace said in a post-match promo. “I went out there and I got a piece of my ear ripped out! And I still came out with the Knockouts World Championship! There’s a piece of my ear, with the earrings on that woman’s tights. But she still took the pin. Now I gotta go see a doctor.”

What’s worse is that TNA actually showed the bit of Grace’s ear stuck to Belle’s fishnets, and used it for a promo. Allysin Kay of The Hex pointed out the chunk of meat stuck on the fishnets.

“Marti might not have won the match, but she’s taking home a souvenir with her,” Kay said. “You just don’t listen, so I had to make sure I took a piece of your ear,” Belle stated. “Just know, that as long as you have that Knockouts Championship, you’re gonna have a Hex on your back.”

It remains to be seen how serious is Grace’s injury, and if she would take some time off from wrestling to recover. SEScoops will keep you updated of any further developments.

RELATED: “Please Don’t Eat That!” – Jordynne Grace’s Inventive Snack Suggestion Causes Unrest With Fans

Mercedes Mone On Leaving WWE: “I Don’t Like Being Handcuffed”

Bishal Roy
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Mercedes Mone has explained her decision to depart WWE abruptly. 

After having some creative differences with WWE management regarding her and Naomi’s Women’s tag-team title reign, the former Sasha Banks decided to walk out during an edition of Raw. She went on to join NJPW last year where she held the IWGP Women’s Championship. ‘The CEO’ eventually headed to AEW and she is all set to make her in-ring debut at the promotion.

Mercedes Mone told Cameron Hawkins of The Ringer why she decided to part ways with WWE. ‘The CEO’ explained that she doesn’t like to be ‘handcuffed’ and noted that she required that ‘change’ to grow in her career. 

“I don’t like being handcuffed. The only place to grow is with change, and I needed that change.” 

Mercedes Mone has been on the sidelines after she sustained an ankle injury during her match against Willow Nightingale at NJPW STRONG Resurgence last year. However, she is returning to the ring this weekend at AEW Double Or Nothing.

It seems that Mone is brimming with confidence despite being on the shelf for a year. She claims to be the greatest women’s wrestler of all time and vowed to show the fans who ‘The CEO’ is. She said:

“They haven’t really got to see the CEO. They know who Sasha Banks is, but the CEO, Mercedes Moné, [is] something they’ve never seen before, and I’m ready to show them. I’m the greatest women’s wrestler of all time, 100 percent.”

Mercedes Mone’s AEW in-ring debut

Mone will be making her in-ring debut for AEW and it also marks her return to the squared circle after the injury. She will be challenging Willow Nightingale for the AEW TBS Championship at this Sunday’s AEW Double Or Nothing pay-per-view. While speaking about the match, Mone said that she is excited for the match. However, she is quite nervous. She said: 

“I don’t want to put pressure on myself, because I’ve been doing this for 14 years. I have more excitement than pressure, but I am really nervous as well, just because it’s been a year since I performed, but being in the ring with someone like Willow Nightingale, I know it’s going to be absolutely everything I’ve ever dreamed of. We’re going to go out there and steal the show.”

Mercedes Mone is going the extra mile for her in-ring debut for AEW as she is training with a former WWE wrestler. Read more below:

Kelly Kelly Still Has Iconic Wrestling Boots Given To Her By Ashley Massaro

Anutosh Bajpai
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Kelly Kelly’s run with WWE is iconic in many ways. Not only did the high-flying star break the stereotypes of female competitors with the moves in the ring but she also set new fashion standards for stars to come with many iconic looks in her career.

However while the former Divas champion put a lot of thought into many of her ring gears, there were some that came together accidentally but she kept them going for many reasons.

The wrestling veteran recently sat down with McKenzie Mitchell to talk about some of her most memorable looks. During the interview, Kelly was asked if she ever had to borrow a part of her ring gear from someone else and she recalled the late Ashley Massaro lending her wrestling boots one time:

“I know I talked about Ashley a lot and I just I love her and I miss her. I had a match and I didn’t have wrestling boots. She gave me her black Puma wrestling boots. She let me keep them and I wrestled in those every week, forever. I still have those to this day. But it was just so cool. She was like, ‘Hey, yeah girl here I got these.'”

According to Kelly Kelly, the Puma boots were so comfortable that she continued wrestling in them for a long time and she has kept them even now:

“They weren’t like regular wrestling boots. I love that because they were like they’re just lace up boots but so great to wrestle in because I didn’t want those big chunky wrestling boots. I never thought they were cute. I needed to be able to move, you know? So those boots and I still have them to this day.”

Kelly Kelly joined WWE back in 2006 and continued competing till her departure in 2012. During her run, Kelly won the Diva’s title once and feuded with names such as Maryse, Nikki Bella and Beth Phoenix.

The former champion has made occasional appearances for the company in recent years including her participation in the inaugural Women’s Royal Rumble and the Evolution PPV in 2018.

Ashley Massaro joined WWE in 2005 and was featured regularly until she asked for her release in 2008 to care for her sick daughter. She unfortunately passed away in May 2019.

AEW Talent Growing Frustrated Over Lack Of Creative Opportunities

Aaron Varble
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AEW is preparing to celebrate its five-year anniversary, and there are numerous discussions within the company. The extensive roster has resulted in some talent not receiving the opportunities they believe they deserve.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted that “AEW creative certainly has questions.” Significant financial investments have been made in certain talent who “has contributed very little.” This shift has led AEW from being “the fun place to work with the great backstage camaraderie when WWE talent for the most part were walking on eggshells.”

Now, the company has devolved into “a place with a lot of frustration from wrestlers making a nice and even great living but not getting anywhere near the ring time nor upward mobility hoped for.” This change reflects growing discontent among the talent.

AEW’s roster was already large, but the company has recently added even more wrestlers. This increase has only intensified the competition for television time. The limited hours of weekly programming cannot accommodate everyone, leading to dissatisfaction among those who are not featured as prominently.

Tony Khan has brought in some notable names over the past year, including Will Ospreay, Jay White, Mercedes Mone, and Kazuchika Okada. They only have so many hours of television every week, and this competition for screen time hasn’t gone over well.

AEW Double or Nothing will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26. SEScoops will have complete coverage of the event.

Ivar Shares His Thoughts On Working Singles & If Viking Raiders Will Ever Break Up

Tyriece Simon
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WWE superstar Ivar has enjoyed a successful run as a singles competitor this past year. His Viking Raiders tag partner, Erik, is currently sidelined with a neck injury, and it’s unclear when he’ll return. Although WWE has presented Ivar as a tag team wrestler, he was allowed to compete by himself and flourished on the main roster. 

In an interview with Chris Van Vliet during WrestleMania weekend, Ivar reflected on having to work singles. He noted that he had experience in Ring Of Honor when Erik was dealing with another injury. 

“… When we were in Ring Of Honor, we got put as a team. We’re catching fire, and then he gets in a motorcycle accident and tries to ruin my wrestling career. So, here now, I got to do singles stuff in Ring of Honor. So then I get a big push in Ring Of Honor. I’m wrestling the main event of the pay-per-view for the title, and he returns and tries to ruin my wrestling career again,” said Ivar jokingly. 

Ivar On If The Viking Raiders Will Split Up When Erik Returns

Despite the success of his singles run in WWE, Ivar doesn’t plan on breaking up his tag team with Erik. 

“…We’re a package deal and just like the New Day(Big E, Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) is a package deal. I feel like we’re a package deal,” said Ivar. 

Vliet pointed out in response that the Usos had the same mentality for a long time and split up last year. However, Ivar downplayed the idea and explained why the Viking Raiders won’t ever break up. 

 “…I feel in my heart that we are a team, and we’re in this together. We wouldn’t be where we are today without each other, and I feel just like the new day, we’re not going to split up for anything,” said Ivar. He added, “Maybe each of us has singles stuff on the side, but we’re a team forever.”

Ivar’s singles career has recently been put on hold as he is dealing with an undisclosed injury. It’s unclear when he’ll return, but he’ll aim to keep the Viking Raiders spirit alive until Erik reunites with him. 

Report: Eddie Kingston Will Be Out For A Year With Injury

Aaron Varble
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Eddie Kingston lost the NJPW Strong Openweight Title at Resurgence, the final of the triple crown. He also suffered an injury during that match, and the Mad King will be out for about a year.

AEW’s Eddie Kingston met with surgeons today and, due to the nature of his injuries, will likely not go under the knife to repair his ACL and meniscus tears until this July at the earliest.

Kingston relayed to PWInsider.com that he’s been advised that he’ll initially have to wait for his tibia fracture to heal and do some physical therapy before surgeons can then focus on his knee. After the surgery is completed, he’s been advised it will likely be ten months before he’ll be able to return to the ring. That would place his comeback, if there are no changes to the expected timeline, at May 2025.

Kingston told the outlet, “Not mad. I don’t give a f***. It’s what happens when you wrestle. Just gotta get f**king better.”

Kingston was scheduled to participate in the Anarchy In The Arena match at Double or Nothing this weekend in Las Vegas. He was set to join Bryan Danielson and FTR to face The Young Bucks, Okada, and Perry. Then plans changed, as Darby Allin was put in Eddie’s spot.

Allin has also been dealing with his own series of injuries. Following AEW Revolution, he broke his foot in a match against Jay White. Just a few weeks ago, he was hit by a bus in New York City.

We are hoping that Kingston can get back to 100% very soon. He is a huge force for AEW, and the company could certainly use him.

Disturbing Video For New Uncle Howdy Stable Interrupts WWE’s Twitch Stream

Aaron Varble
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Something is stirring in the WWE Universe, and the cryptic clues keep coming. The company’s Twitch stream, already a target for mysterious messages, saw another ominous interruption today.

A new hint has emerged about the rumored Bo Dallas-led faction in WWE. This only adds to the growing intrigue surrounding their anticipated arrival.

During a live Twitch stream on WWE’s official channel, viewers saw a series of mysterious visuals and messages. This concluded the stream for the day, and the clip immediately went viral.

The strange portion of the broadcast started with two notes shown on screen. One said, “I can’t wait to meet you,” as the other read, “I will see you all soon.” Then, hands wearing fingerless gloves appeared, holding a note with the message “REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE” along with displayed coordinates. They left this note on a doorstep before running away.

The Upcoming Stable

Four other names are expected to be part of this new faction. Nikki Cross, Dexter Lumis, Joe Gacy, and Erick Rowan are all slated to join the new Wyatt Family fold.

Each of these Superstars has experience as faction members. Cross was part of Sanity, Gacy leads The Schism, Lumis was a member of The Way, and Rowan was an original member of The Wyatt Family.

Uncle Howdy hasn’t been seen on WWE television since he was involved in Bray Wyatt’s story with Bobby Lashley during the build toward their WrestleMania 39 match that never happened. WWE is obviously planning something, and fans will seemingly have an answer to all their questions soon.

MJF’s AEW Return Could Happen Sooner Than Expected

Aaron Varble
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Maxwell Jacob Friedman could be nearing a return. This comes during a time when the roster could certainly use his star power. Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful discussions have taken place about MJF making an on-screen return to All Elite Wrestling. Even if he’s not yet medically cleared to wrestle, Friedman’s command of the microphone make him a must-see attraction anytime he’s on television. 

You can never have too much star power on television and MJF would be a welcome addition as AEW heads into the summer season. Some changes to MJF’s presentation were reportedly discussed  AEW sources expect him back by Forbidden Door from Long Island. 

MJF

MJF has been out of action since December 30, when his record-breaking AEW World Title reign ended at World’s End. MJF’s last match saw him lose the AEW World Title to Samoa Joe at the December 30, 2023 event. 

Prior to his hiatus, he had been working with many injuries but was determined to finish his reign. Changes were already made to his creative due to Adam Cole’s injury.

MJF is still under AEW contract, and he will be for quite some time. It’s unclear if Maxwell’s last contract extension replaced his former deal, which would have expired on December 31, 2023. Either way, MJF is among the highest earners in AEW.

WWE Employees Cut After TKO Merges WWE & UFC Live Event Teams

Tyriece Simon
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WWE has let go of more of its staff following the recent TKO Group Holding announcement. It was revealed this morning that TKO has decided to merge WWE and UFC live event teams to create more corporate synergy. WWE and UFC have begun collaborating more and are looking to host events in the same city. 

While TKO is focused on combining the strengths of both companies, it has led to WWE firing longtime staff members. A few hours after TKO’s announcement, Fightful Select reported that WWE had fired several employees. At this time, talent is not involved in these cuts. 

The report shared that one of the employees let go from WWE was Senior Vice President Of Entertainment Relations Kristen Prouty. She worked for the company for over two decades, and Fightful noted that she played an essential role in getting WWE United States Champion Logan Paul signed. 

WWE or TKO has yet to release a statement on the recent firings. While it’s possible the cuts could be unrelated to the TKO announcement today, the timing is very interesting. 

More On WWE Shakeups After Merging With UFC

After WWE and UFC merged last year, wrestling fans have been curious about how it would affect WWE moving forward. Fans have seen both WWE and, notably, UFC star Michael Chandler appear on opposite programming during live shows. 

TKO is slowly trying to utilize WWE and UFC to generate profitable live event results. 

A recent example is WWE NXT’s next premium live event, Battleground, taking place at the UFC Apex Facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, on June 9. Tickets have gone on pre-sale on AXS, and the venue looks to add a different experience that could make it appealing to WWE fans.

Another example of WWE and UFC showing their strength is the UFC advertising bundle packages for an upcoming UFC Fight Night event and a Friday Night Smackdown show at the KFC Yum! Center Arena in Louisville, Kentucky, next month. 

TKO will likely try to find more ways to unify the assets of WWE and UFC. However, the hope is that more longtime WWE employees aren’t fired due to these changes. 

Bryan Danielson Hailed As “One Of Tony Khan’s Best Hires”

Tyriece Simon
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Bryan Danielson’s full-time wrestling career is slowly ending this year. He shared in 2023 that he plans to take a step back from wrestling more to spend time with his family. While he is still expected to continue his wrestling career, it’s unclear if he’ll make sporadically appear for AEW moving forward. 

Ahead of his upcoming match at AEW Double or Nothing on May 25, legendary commentator Tony Schiavone praised Danielson’s run with the company. On his podcast What Happened When, Schiavone spoke highly of Danielson and explained why he is one of AEW President Tony Khan’s best hires in the company’s history. 

“…Bryan Danielson was one of Tony Khan’s best hires as far as a talent is concerned for a number of reasons. Number one because of his performance and number two because he just has great ideas and he is a great leader and he also knows talent, said Schiavone.

He continued, “…He can pick out out talent. He can pick out guys that he thinks, ‘Hey, we need to use them a lot more, and so he is so valuable to this company for everything.”

What’s Next For Bryan Danielson?

‘The American Dragon’ will team with Darby Allin and FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) to take on The Elite (Jack Perry, Kazuchika Okada, Matthew Jackson & Nicholas Jackson) in an Anarchy In The Arena match. Danielson hopes to gain a victory for the ‘Babyface’ group as they try to humble The Elite. 

Although Danielson’s focus is on AEW Double Or Nothing, fans are monitoring the countdown to the end of his current run with the company. He has shared that his contract with AEW will expire before All In on August 25.

Danielson hopes to compete at the Wembley Stadium event and AEW WrestleDream on October 12. It’s possible Danielson can reach a new deal or an extension before shifting to being a part-time performer.  Regardless of what will come in August, all eyes will be on Danielson this weekend as he prepares to bring chaos against The Elite.

NFL Star Patrick Mahomes Expresses Interest In WWE, Triple H Opens The Door

Nick Lombardi
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At the age of 28-years-old, 3x SuperBowl MVP Patrick Mahomes has already secured his name in the NFL Hall of Fame. Now, the Quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs has expressed interest in possibly getting physical inside the squared circle; and WWE is happy to oblige. Mahomes expressed his interest to RAW Commentator, and part-time in-ring competitor Pat McAfee while on the former NFL punter’s program, The Pat McAfee Show. Mahomes and McAfee discussed the QB’s special appearance on the April 29th edition of Monday Night RAW. That night Mahomes was partially involved in an angle between United States Champion Logan Paul and Superstar Jey Uso. 

During a conversation with McAfee, Mahomes expressed his enjoyment of his brief appearance on WWE TV. He mentioned his interest in stepping into the ring to showcase his skills. Additionally, he explained the reason behind assisting Logan Paul by giving him one of his Super Bowl rings to use as a weapon against Jey Uso.

”The WWE thing was awesome, that thing was sweet, I should’ve got in the ring and show my skills a little bit!”

I’ve seen enough to know that Jey Uso is good at getting out of those situations. When he does the yeet, that was intense man, I loved that. At the same time though, that’s my man Logan, I know he’s not the biggest fan favorite there in WWE, but I had to make sure to help him out a bit.

I was definitely scared of the big dude (Braun Strowman), he was a lot bigger than I expected…”

While Pat McAfee invited Mahomes to get inside the ring half-jokingly, WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H was much more direct. Tweeting directly at Patrick Mahomes, and ensuring him that the door is always open for the Face of the NFL. 

Could we see Patrick Mahomes headlining a WWE PLE event in the near future? Only time will tell. In 2020, Mahomes signed a 10-year, $450 million extension with the Chiefs, a deal that may make it challenging for Mahomes to compete inside a WWE ring. However, it would not be the first time a pro athlete became a focal point of a WWE program.

If WWE and Mahomes ever did strike a deal, the future NFL Hall of Famer could easily turn to Pat McAfee for advice. McAfee is no stranger to in-ring competition, having wrestled names like Adam Cole, The Miz, Baron Corbin, and Austin Theory since joining WWE in 2018.

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