Sheamus took building his upcoming bout with GUNTHER a little too far, and thankfully ‘The Celtic Warrior’ came to his senses.
GUNTHER will take on Sheamus in the opening round of the King Of The Ring tournament on this Monday’s WWE RAW as both men will vy for the crown in Saudi Arabia later this month.
In build to the match, Sheamus decided to make some controversial implications regarding GUNTHER, noting of his appearance and recent decision-making.
“Hmmm.. an Austrian with a funny haircut, has a thing for military style coats, proclaims superiority over others, hangs out with Germans and betrays his Italian ally..”
Sheamus added a “raised eyebrow” emoji for aemphasis, but the implications were pretty clear that he was insinuating that the former Intercontinental Champion had Nazi-like tendencies. Sheamus since has deleted his post, but users made a point to screenshot the comments.
— The Wrestling Blog (@WrestlingBlog_) May 5, 2024
Sheamus has a clear track record of being playful online with his feuds, with his latest barbs being directed towards Drew McIntyre. The two former friends have a burgeoning beef in the ring and over social media as Sheamus stated on RAW several weeks back that McIntyre screwed himself at WrestleMania to which McIntyre teased his Irish amigo about his recent weight gain.
When GUNTHER first got his name change in WWE after originally going by WALTER, there was plenty of ire online. Hans F. K. Günther was a notorious physician of Hitler’s Third Reich. However, that could just be coincidental as there are several Nazis with the Walter name too. Considering GUNTHER is Austrian, any name choice WWE would have made could present such ties.
The presentation of Imperium certainly comes with a “superiority-like” presentation that conveys the classic foreign heel faction and wrestling promotions in the past have not shied away from having Nazi wrestlers in previous eras.
WWE Backlash had a wild crowd courtesy of Lyon, France, but it also marked the end of an unbelievable streak with the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship.
Cody Rhodes put that very championship on the line against AJ Styles on Saturday and the battle became memorable in more ways than one. Not only did ‘The American Nightmare’ get a tremendous pop from the French crowd, but Rhodes actually retained his title by defeating ‘The Phenomenal One.’
However, Punk from the Burial Squad was able to dig up an insane statistic about Rhodes’ successful title defense. Backlash happened to mark the first time that specific championship was successfully defended on television without any outside interference in almost two years. The last time the title was defended without any interference had Roman Reigns beating Matt Riddle on the June 17, 2022 episode of WWE SmackDown.
Reigns’ reign became notorious for having constant interference in his title fights. While the tactic was certainly frustrating for fans (and his opponents), it did create for some memorable moments. Solo Sikoa made his main roster debut by interfering in his cousin Roman’s defense against Drew McIntyre at Clash At The Castle. Jimmy Uso also happened to stab his brother Jey in the back at WWE SummerSlam, allowing Roman to retain his gold.
Rhodes vs. Styles at Backlash also marked a new moment in WWE history. Their main event fight also happened to be the first WWE Undisputed Title match on PLE that was officiated by a female. Jessika Carr donned the zebra stripes for the battle between Cody and AJ.
WWE Backlash: France Premium Live Event on Saturday was a successful event and it sent the fans back home happy. However, the same can’t be said about CM Punk, who had a bizarre experience at the WWE Headquarters. The former WWE Champion was a panel member for the WWE Backlash Pre-show. Taking to Instagram, Punk dropped a string of amusing stories and revealed the adventures he had at WWE HQ.
CM Punk had an interesting weekend at WWE’s main office in Stamford, CT
‘The Second City Savior’ was seen recording the clip inside the WWE gym. Following the pre-show, Punk went to the bathroom to change his suit. However, he got locked in. He revealed that when he came out, everybody was gone. The 45-year-old wrestler further revealed that he got locked in for a long time and had to miss his flight back home.
— Public Enemies Podcast (@TheEnemiesPE3) May 4, 2024
He posted another story in which Punk showed a door reading: ‘Executive Wellness’ and stated, “that’s sounds really fancy.”
Leaving the gym, CM Punk said that he had to do “some Phantom of the Opera type s**t” and be “Dante from Clerks” before heading to the hall. He could be seen slapping the crotch of WWE legend Andre The Giant and this marked the end of the Instagram stories.
Yo CM Punk is trapped inside WWE Headquarters and just nut tapped the Andre the Giant Statue ? pic.twitter.com/ZYeISwsGKw
On Sunday, Punk provided another update. He’s still stuck at WWE headquarters and is thinking about sticking around for Monday’s WWE Raw from East Hartford, CT.
‘The Scottish Warrior’ and ‘The Second City Savior’ have had verbal exchanges which have been boiling their feud. While Punk gets ready for an in-ring return, McIntyre has continued to take personal shots at his rival on social media.
The latest European tour of WWE saw events held in three different countries as the promotion continues to embraces its appeal outside of the U.S.
The tour, which came mere weeks after a recent tour of the United Kingdom, was part of the promotion’s buzz surrounding WWE Backlash: France, the first Premium Live Event in the country’s history.
WWE in Bologna, Italy
The first night of the tour saw the Superstars travel to Italy. The show saw several highlights, including Solo Sikoa break a 41-match losing streak. The former NXT North American Champion teamed with Tama Tonga to defeat Randy Orton & Kevin Owens in what was also Tonga’s WWE in-ring debut. After the show’s main event, Undisputed WWE Cody Rhodes said he hopes to bring a WWE TV taping to the country.
The results for the show were as follows:
Sami Zayn (c) def. Ludwig Kaiser (Intercontinental Championship)
Solo Sikoa & Tama Tonga def. LA Knight & Randy Orton
Damian Priest (c) def. Chad Gable and Gunther and Jey Uso (World Heavyweight Championship)
Awesome Truth (R-Truth & The Miz) (c) def. Judgment Day (Finn Balor & JD McDonagh) (World Tag Team Championships)
Becky Lynch (c) def. Nia Jax (WWE Women’s World Championship)
Cody Rhodes (c) def. Shinsuke Nakamura (Undisputed WWE Championship)
WWE in Vienna, Austria
WWE’s next stop on the tour saw the promotion come to Vienna, Austria. This was WWE’s first event in the nation since 2019 and unsurprisingly, GUNTHER received a hero’s welcome in his homeland.
The results for the show were as follows:
Sami Zayn (c) def. Ludwig Kaiser (Intercontinental Championship)
Solo Sikoa & Tama Tonga def. LA Knight & Randy Orton
GUNTHER def. Chad Gable
Jey Uso & Awesome Truth (R-Truth & The Miz) def. Judgment Day (Damian Priest, Finn Balor & JD McDonagh)
Becky Lynch (c) def. Nia Jax (WWE Women’s World Championship)
Cody Rhodes (c) def. Shinsuke Nakamura (Undisputed WWE Championship)
WWE SmackDown in France
The penultimate stop on the tour saw WWE finally arrive in Lyon, France for the May 3, episode of WWE SmackDown. This was WWE’s first TV taping in the nation’s history and saw the Superstars seek to build momentum towards WWE Backlash.
The results for the show were as follows:
Bayley, Naomi, Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill def. Tiffany Stratton and Damage CTRL
AOP (with Karrion Kross and Scarlett) def. New Catch Republic
LA Knight def. Angel
Austin Theory and Grayson Waller (c) def. The Street Profits (WWE Tag Team Championship)
WWE Backlash France
WWE’s tour culminated with Backlash France, the first PLE of its kind in the country. Given the raucous ovation the night prior, expectations were high for the show and once again the WWE Universe inside the LDLC Arena delivered. The show saw surprises and title matches with the WWE Women’s Tag Titles changing hands.
The results of the show were as follows:
The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga) (with Paul Heyman) def. Kevin Owens and Randy Orton
Bayley (c) defeated Naomi and Tiffany Stratton (WWE Women’s Championship)
Damian Priest (c) defeated Jey Uso (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill defeated The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane) (c) (WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship)
Cody Rhodes (c) defeated AJ Styles (Undisputed WWE Championship)
WWE’s recent tour has proven to be a hit with audiences as the promotion continues to lean into the ‘World’ aspect of its name. With Triple H teasing a broadcast event in Italy during the post-Backlash press conference and with PLEs in Europe already announced, expect much more from WWE outside North America.
WWE Backlash France and the preceding SmackDown proved to be huge successes for the promotion and also marked the return of a former Superstar.
The promotion’s latest PLE saw several top stars including Undisputed WWE Cody Rhodes, World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest, Kevin Owens, Randy Orton, and Jade Cargill. The crowd in the LDLC Arena was electric throughout the show in addition to being worryingly loud during the May 3, edition of WWE SmackDown.
During the opening match of Backlash France, Tanga Loa aided the Bloodline in their Street Fight but he wasn’t the only former Superstar to get involved. Earlier in the show, security tried to keep the Bloodline and the team of Randy Orton & Kevin Owens apart, albeit to no avail. It has since come out that former WWE NXT Superstar Sylvester Lefort was part of that team of security.
This wasn’t Lefort’s only time getting physical during WWE’s time in France. The 40-year-old wrestler was also part of the security during the previous night’s edition of SmackDown and was slammed onto the commentary table by Randy Orton.
Lefort was on the NXT roster from 2013 to 2015. During this period of time, he was involved in storylines with Enzo Amore, Dax Harwood (then Scott Dawson), and Miro (then Alexander Rusev). After his WWE NXT tenure ended, Lefort joined TNA Wrestling and worked as Basile Baraka.
Getting to appear for WWE one more time (albeit not as a Superstar) likely felt good for Lefort, despite the beating he took at the hands of Orton. Not only did he appear at Backlash, by Lefort (under his real name Tom LaRuffa) competed at an event for BZW in Lyon, where he was on the losing end of an eight-man tag-team match.
More From WWE Backlash France
Here are some recent articles about WWE Backlash France as the promotion’s first PLE in the country continues to prove to be quite the talking point:
New WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Jade Cargill was obviously pleased with her victory at WWE Backlash France, but wishes her mom could’ve been there.
At WWE’s first French PLE, Cargill and Bianca Belair captured the Women’s Tag Team Championships; the first title for Cargill since her groundbreaking WWE signing last September. The win also marks the first tag title reign for Belair, who is a former Raw and SmackDown Women’s Champion.
Taking to her Instagram Stories, Jade paid tribute to her mom and said she wishes she could have seen her win in Lyon.
”I really wish I could have had my mom there last night. But I know God has a reason for it all. I know she’s proud of me.”
Cargill’s tribute to her late mother.
Cargill’s quick ascent through the WWE ranks demonstrate the promotion’s lofty faith in her to be a top woman in the company. It’s hard to ignore the similarities to AEW where Jade quickly became the first AEW TBS Champion, a title she held for over 500 days. If the past is any indicator, expect a lengthy title run for the Storm and more gold in her future.
More From Jade Cargill
Here are some recent articles regarding Jade Cargill as the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion continues to take WWE by ‘Storm’
A new Wyatt Family may be on the horizon, but when and who will exactly show up representing the renewed faction?
A lot of actual signs in the form of QR codes and trailers greatly indicate that Bo Dallas will be returning to WWE television, perhaps in the form of himself or the mysterious Uncle Howdy. However, a new report from PWInsider has a list of names rumored to join the late Bray Wyatt’s younger brother.
As of now, currently on tap to be in the new faction (whatever they may be called) are four other names. Nikki Cross, Dexter Lumis, Joe Gacy and Erick Rowan are all slated to be in the new Wyatt Family fold. All of those mentioned names have previous experience as faction members with Cross being apart of Sanity, Gacy leading The Schism, Dexter Lumis as a member of The Way and Rowan of course as an original member of The Wyatt Family.
The Codes And Rumors Surrounding Bo Dallas’ Return
WWE started a cryptic campaign in the weeks up to WrestleMania 40 with the first teaser of a Bo Dallas return being at the end of the Bray Wyatt documentary trailer. Ever since, QR codes have popped up for fans to scan and an ominous tune titled “Nightbird” has began playing before and during WWE live events.
The most recent reference was quite direct for Bo Dallas as a QR code appeared on the 5/3 episode of WWE SmackDown. The code directed fans to a Backlash trailer before turning into something creepy that had the quote ‘He opened his arms. Our pain became his. We were reborn. Because we BOlieved.’
If you don’t think pro wrestling is everywhere, you best think again as Kendrick Lamar decided to reference Shawn Michaels in his latest diss track against Drake. The talk of the hip-hop world has been the back and forth diss track dropping between famed rappers Kendrick Lamar and Drake who have decided to air their grievances through their lyrics.
It was Lamar who happened to pull pro wrestling out of the hostler to take a shot in his latest song by referencing Shawn Michaels’ iconic finishing move. The track titled “Not Like Us” has Lamar metaphorically “tuning up the band” to lay down a Sweet Chin Music. The specific diss starts at 2:23.
“Put the whole label on me, I’mma get ’em dropped.
Sweet Chin Music and I won’t pass the aux.”
Ironically enough, Drake once happened to don the tee shirt of one of HBK’s greatest rivals (and Kayfabe Kliq best friend) Razor Ramon. However unlike “The Bad Guy” Scott Hall, the feeling amongst fans is that Drake isn’t going to win this feud.
For decades pro wrestling and music have gone together like PB&J, but it’s been the hip-hop genre to greatly tip the cap to the “one true sport.” Several top names from the world of rap have made several references to the legends in pro wrestling. Wu-Tang Clan referenced Ken Patera in “Shadowboxin'” and OutKast spoke of “droppin’ bows like Dusty Rhodes” in their song “Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik.” One of rap’s greatest proponents is Westside Gunn, who has a bundle of lyrics, song titles and albums in honor of some of wrestling’s biggest stars.
Cue the Squidward “window meme” from Spongebob Squarepants as Minnesota will watch from afar as WWE WrestleMania 41 will now be hosted by Las Vegas next April.
The announcement was made following WWE Backlash at the Kentucky Derby that Sin City would be the “belle of the ball” to present “the grand daddy of them all” despite heavy speculation that Minneapolis would be the host of WWE’s premium PLE.
A new article from the Star Tribune happens to give reason as to why the Twin Cities won’t play host at the US Bank Stadium, a massive dome which is the home of the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota Sports and Events president and chief executive Wendy Blackshaw said that WWE pivoted due to the entire company pivoting over a year ago. However, Blackshaw stayed positive for future PLE potentail for her city down the line.
“We were informed by WWE that Minnesota would not host WrestleMania in 2025 due to a change in direction by new ownership. Although disappointed, we are in discussions with WWE about future events in Minnesota. We are optimistic that Minnesota will host WWE events here in the future.”
WrestleMania heading to Sin City makes plenty of sense considering Endeavor, who scooped up WWE during WrestleMania season last year homebase is out of Las Vegas.
This won’t be the first time WrestleMania popped up in Las Vegas. WrestleMania IX actually took place at Caesar’s Palace down on the Las Vegas strip, not too far from where 41 will take place at Allegiant Stadium.
It meant a lot for Xavier Woods to become King of the Ring in 2021, but sadly the New Day member will not be defending his crown in the tournament this year.
Although it wasn’t technically a qualifying match, Woods lost to another man vying for the crown in GUNTHER on WWE RAW. Woods was forced to submit after GUNTER cinched in a STF during their fight as Kofi Kingston watched on. It was a big loss for Woods but it put GUNTHER in a great position to be put in the tournament.
Sure enough, GUNTHER will get his shot in the first round of the tournament this Monday on this upcoming WWE RAW as he’ll take on another former King Of The Ring in Sheamus.
That’s not the only first round match set to go down as the aformentioned Kingston will battle new RAW draftee in WWE Hall of Famer, Rey Mysterio Jr.
Woods took to social media to express his disappointment not being in the tournament, but also took a moment to show his love for his fellow New Day dude in Kingston (and also tease the WWE graphics department who made the error of mispelling Kofi’s name). Kofi was the first to comment on his match, making sure to dedicate his match to Xavier.
“You all know how important King of the Ring has always been to me. I’m not in the tournament this year but my brother Kofi has the chance to gain the crown. BRING IT HOME FOR NEW DAY! Also please spell his name correctly on the next graphic.”
You all know how important King of the Ring has always been to me. I'm not in the tournament this year but my brother Kofi has the chance to gain the crown. BRING IT HOME FOR NEW DAY!
Gulak Not Gone Yet: While Drew Gulak was rumored to have been released, it is now reported that he remains with WWE, although his contract will not be renewed after it expires next month. Gulak has gained a reputation for targeting the actual injuries of NXT talents during their recovery, which has led others to view him as a bully. This behavior included pressuring talents to remain silent about his actions. Multiple sources from the backstage staff, including producers and the creative team, mentioned that Drew Gulak’s approach in WWE was counterproductive. He was described to me as a poor politician by multiple sources, Gulak tried to maneuver his way to the top but ended up undermining his own position. He was difficult for producers and writers to work with because he believed he was outsmarting everyone. However, once the team started sharing their experiences, Gulak became a subject of mockery among them.
Jessika Carr Made History: During WWE Backlash in France, WWE referee Jessika Carr became the first woman to ever officiate a World Title match as Cody Rhodes defended his gold against AJ Styles. Cody Rhodes also sent out a post to give Carr a spotlight.
Wanted to mention this after the contract signing, (and forgive me if I’m wrong but I don’t think I am…)
Seth Rollins’ New Look:The Messiah showed up at the 2024 Kentucky Derby, and he looked very different. Although he was wearing a classy hat, it appeared that Rollins had his hair trimmed down considerably.
AEW:
Tony Schiavone’s New Ink: The AEW announcer recently mourned the loss of his dog, Bug. This week, he paid tribute to his old friend by getting a tattoo to remember him. The new piece looks great, and you can check it out below. RIP Bug.
JR Loves TK’s Neck Brace: During his Grilling JR podcast, the WWE Hall of Famer announcer gave Tony Khan flowers for rocking a neck brace like he did. Ross considered it “old school,” which was very much appreciated.
“I was waiting to see if Tony was gonna follow through and complete the cycle by wearing a neckbrace and he did. I was proud of him for doing that because it was old school. Now whether you like the angle or you didn’t like the angle, that’s another issue but him following through and wearing the neckbrace…good for Tony Khan on that deal. That was old school like thinking and I’m really glad that he wore the neckbrace.”
Now, more has come to light about Gulak’s behavior leading up to his WWE release. Gulak would often target the genuine injuries that NXT talent were trying to recover from, Fightful Select reports. This earned him a reputation as a bully, which was only galvanized when he pressured talent to keep quiet about what he was doing.
At least one WWE NXT talent spoke up which led to Gulak being verbially reprimanded by NXT head Shawn Michaels and other coaches with the gold brand. This was after Gulak intentially ‘spiked’ an opponent during a match. It is not stated who this oopponent was or when the match took place.
Gulak had a repuation as a bully in WWE NXT.
One WWE NXT talent who spoke to Fightful said that Gulak was “odd” and often tested wrestlers to see if his bullying got a reaction. Another talent said that Gulak deliberately re-dislocated a finger that that had previously been dislocated but had been healing.
Drew Gulak Still With WWE
While it has been reported that Gulak was released, Fightful now notes that Drew is still with the company, but has been told that his deal will not be renewed when it expires. Gulak will also not receive a new offer once his existing deal expires next month.
On the WWE Backlash France post-show press conference, WWE CCO Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque responded to questions about Gulak’s WWE status. Levesque stated that Gulak was not fired over the Rousey allegations but rather that his contract was not renewed.
It will be a battle of the musicians this July when TNA Wrestling’s Joe Hendry takes on former WWE Superstar Elijah for the UK’s North Wrestling promotion.
On Twitter, the promotion confirmed that the two will face off at the THUNDERSTRUCK 2 event on July 13. The event will kick-off at 6pm GMT with fans of all ages welcome. The announcement also included a video from Elijah who had some choice words for his upcoming opponent.
Both men have incorporated music into their wrestling personas. During his WWE tenure as Elias, Elijah often performed before matches and encouraged the fans to recognize that WWE stood for Walk With Elias. The former 24/7 Champion’s music proved so popular that he released two EPs during this run: WWE: Walk with Elias in 2018 and WWE: Universal Truth two years later. A performance of the latter during the October 19, 2020 Raw, also scored Elias a Slammy Award.
Over in TNA Wrestling, Joe Hendry’s musical performances have quickly made him one of the most popular stars with the promotion. The Scottish Wrestler has used his musical skills to mock Matt Cardona and Curt Hawkins in the past and more recently has taken aim at AJ Francis (formerly Top Dolla in WWE.)
When not mocking his opponents through the power of song, Hendry’s theme song I Believe in Joe Hendry has also proven to be a hit. The track recently hit #1 on the iTunes charts in several countires, an achievement that saw Hendry dethrone 14-time Grammy Award-winning artist Taylor Swift.
We’ll take the first steps towards crowning a new King and Queen of the Ring tonight on the May 5 edition of WWE RAW.
WWE King and Queen of the Ring will take place this May and see the Superstars return to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The show had originally been set for 2023 before being changed to WWE Night of Champions. The change was linked to Roman Reigns reaching 1,000 days as WWE Universal Champion and saw the introduction of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Tonight, we will see EIGHT first-round matches for the men’s and women’s tournaments.
WWE RAW fans are in for a PPV-caliber lineup
Men’s Matches on Raw
Four men’s division matches will take place on Raw with royal stakes on the line:
New WWE Speed Champion Ricochet will face the recently-called up Ilja Dragunov.
In a rematch from WWE Clash At The Castle 2022, Sheamus (2010’s King of the Ring) will face his long-time rival Ricochet in what will no-doubt be a ‘banger.’
The overseas action will continue as Drew McIntyre hopes to take a step closer to the crown when he faces 2021 King of the Ring runner-up Finn Balor.
Kofi Kingston will hope to follow Xavier Woods as the next King of the Ring, but to do so, he’ll need to defeat fellow former WWE World Champion Rey Mysterio.
Women’s Matches on Raw
After last week’s call-up, Lyra Valkyria hopes to advance in the Queen of the Ring tournament, but that’ll be easier said than done when she faces the ‘Empress’ Asuka.
Shayna Baszler calls herself the Queen of Spades but to become WWE’s official Queen, she’ll need to advance with a win over 2021 Queen Zelina Vega.
Zoey Stark will face Ivy Nile in a Queen of the Ring battle in what will be arguably the most physical match of the Women’s tournament’s first round.
IYO SKY looks to bounce back from her loss at WrestleMania when she faces the self-professed Queen of Harts Natalya in her first round match.
Reaching the throne has proven to be a launching point for careers in WWE with Bret Hart, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, Triple H, Kurt Angle, and Edge all being crowned over the years. Keep checking in with SE Scoops for full coverage of the King & Queen of the Ring tournaments.
Who will seize their destiny and becoming the 2024 KING and QUEEN of the RING in WWE?
Jessika Carr made history at Saturday’s WWE Backlash France premium live event by becoming the first female referee to work a World title main event.
Cody Rhodes acknowledged the milestone on social media. WWE’s first full-time female referee says she’s honored and grateful to make history once again.
Carr officiated the match between Rhodes and AJ Styles which headlined the night inside the LDLC Arena. The show saw Rhodes get the win in his first Undisputed WWE Championship defense to play out on TV. Rhodes dispatched of the Phenomenal One with a series of signature moves before hitting his Cross Rhodes finisher.
This is hardly the first time Carr has made history for the women of WWE who don the black and white stripes. In 2021, Carr became the first woman to referee a WWE event in Saudi Arabia at that year’s Crown Jewel event. Carr officiated that year’s King of the Ring finals won by Xavier Woods as well as a Hell in a Cell match (another first for her!) between Edge and Seth Rollins. This milestone came two years after Carr became the first female referee to be called-up to the main roster.
Carr’s success in the striped shirt continues to show WWE’s change from how things have been done in the past. Not too long ago, WWE would shy away from a female referee, with the only exception being Rita Chatterton. These days, however, fans can expect Carr and other women to hold the Superstars to account, whether it be at live events, WWE TV, or at PLEs.
Cities all over the world put in bids to host WrestleMania, and the company took their time announcing 2025’s event. Fans who plan to attend next year’s event are heading to Sin City. During the Kentucky Derby after WWE Backlash, the company used another worldwide platform to announce that WrestleMania 41 will take place April 19 & 20, 2025 from Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium.
WWE Money in the Bank 2022 was initially announced for Allegiant Stadium during SummerSlam of the prior year It was scheduled for Saturday, July 2, 2022, marking what would have been the first MITB held in a National Football League stadium. However, on May 26, 2022, the venue was changed to the nearby MGM Grand Garden Arena. The date remained the same, making it the first Money in the Bank PLE to be held on a Saturday. Tickets that had been purchased for the Allegiant Stadium were refunded, and those ticket holders were given the first opportunity to purchase tickets for the new venue.
Previous WrestleMania 41 Location Reports
Minneapolis was once considered a likely candidate to host WrestleMania 41. Confidence in this possibility was so high that it was even hinted at during a government house floor session while discussing a bill, albeit without directly mentioning the WWE event. It was noted that an event of significant scale, second only to the Super Bowl, was expected to be announced imminently.
U.S. Bank Stadium had submitted a bid to host what is often called the showcase of the immortals. This outcome is particularly disappointing for Tiffany Stratton, who hails from Minnesota. During a recent conversation with SEScoops, Stratton shared her hope to headline WrestleMania 41 in her home state, ideally against Charlotte Flair:
WWE Superstars Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins walked the red carpet at Saturday’s 150th Kentucky Derby. The race was won by Mystik Dan in a 3-way photo finish.
Seth Rollins has been out of the public eye since WrestleMania 40, where he lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Drew McIntyre. He played a pivotal role in the Bloodline Rules main event between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes, ultimately sacrificing himself to help Cody conquer the Tribal Chief. Since then, Rollins underwent knee surgery and signed a new multi-year WWE contract.
On Saturday, Rollins showed up looking dapper as usual and was sporting a different look than we last saw him. It’s hard to see everything going on under that hat, but he’s sporting a very different haircut and has trimmed his beard down to short stubble. Below, you can see photos, along with clips of them talking about the inspiration behind their outfits, the Kentucky Derby and a big announcement – WrestleMania 41 is headed to Las Vegas in 2025.
Look who popped up on the red carpet. ?@WWE’s Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch teased a special Wrestlemania announcement coming later today. pic.twitter.com/1uuroF6RJQ
History was made at Saturday’s WWE Backlash premium live event from a sold-out LDLC Arena in Lyon, France. Not only was it the largest gate for an arena event in company history, but we also saw new Women’s Tag Team Champions crowned. Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair captured the titles by defeating Asuka and Kairi Sane and ending their 99-day reign.
Backstage after their win, Cargill and Belair took a photo with Triple H. He congratulated them and hyped them as quite possibly the ‘biggEST storm’ to hit the women’s tag team division since it launched.
Quite possibly the biggEST storm to ever hit this division.
This marks Bianca Belair’s first time holding tag team in WWE and represents a new challenge for the 3-time Women’s Champion and (2021) Royal Rumble winner. It’s the first WWE championship for Jade Cargill, who previously had a long run with the AEW TBS Champion. Cargill has already made noticeable progress in the ring since joining WWE and will learn a great deal by teaming with a world-class worker like Belair.
After The Event
Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair kicked off the WWE Backlash press conference. When asked about being role models, Cargill expressed that it means a great deal to her, especially as an example for her daughter. Belair highlighted the significance of representation for women and praised the NXT Women’s Division.
The pair were also asked about their experience winning in France. They both shared their happiness, with Cargill describing the victory as electrifying and unexpected, noting that their formation as a tag team was a surprise to many. They expressed ambitions to dominate the Women’s Division and discussed potential opponents from both the main roster and NXT.
When questioned about her switch from AEW to WWE, Cargill mentioned that the support from everyone has been overwhelming. She described the transition as unprecedented and expressed gratitude for the opportunities she has received in WWE.
????. I want to say this with my chest….and this is me being the most vulnerable…as a person who has a target on her back all the time. The ones who are happy for me. Thank you. This is such an amazing moment in my career…in 3 years. What I have accomplished. God is great.
Perhaps the biggest name from the most recent wave of WWE releases was Jinder Mahal. After all, The Modern Day Maharaja is a former WWE Champion who earlier this year has a confrontation on Raw with The Rock.
This isn’t the first time Mahal has been released by WWE and, if history has taught us anything, it may well not be the last. Indeed, for as polarizing as Mahal has been, particularly in his second WWE tenure, the one point fans must have consensus on is that he’s had one of the bizarre WWE career trajectories of all-time.
Mid-Card Act
The early stages of Jinder Mahal’s WWE career saw him work as a quintessential mid-card heel. Sure, he had moments, like debuting in high profile fashion opposite The Great Khali and enjoying an NXT winning streak. For the most part, though, Mahal was lost in the shuffle, not a jobber, but never making much progress on the roster either.
There are those perennial mid-card acts whom fans know are capable of much more. Indeed, the 2019 KofiMania run was predicated on Kofi Kingston being such a talented and well-respected performer that fans were itching to cheer him all the way to winning a world title at WrestleMania when his chance arrived. Mahal, however, seemed to find his spot in the WWE Universe as a reasonable talent who got some air time, but hardly anyone exactly clamored for more of.
3MB and First Release
While Jinder Mahal didn’t exactly seem main event bound in the early stages of his WWE career, it seemed as though WWE abandoned all hope in him when he was assigned to the 3MB faction.
As a One-Man Band, Heath Slater charismatically thrived—losing more than he won, but nonetheless earning a warm response from the WWE audience as a comedic heel. Drew McIntyre felt out of the place with the group for having too much talent and too much of a serious edge to belong in this kind of role.
Playing a supporting role to a mid-card act was a fair fit for Mahal’s limited skills, but he nonetheless never seemed all that at home in this faction either, and it wasn’t exactly a shock when WWE released him.
Return and WWE Title Reign
Jinder Mahal (Photo credit: WWE.com)
After two years away, Jinder Mahal returned to WWE. While his in-ring abilities and mic game hadn’t shown much progress, it is a credit to The Modern Day Maharaja that he’d amassed an impressive physique—jacked and ripped in ways he’d never appeared in his first WWE run.
Mahal returned to a mid-card role player spot, but in spring 2017, the most unlikely turn of all occurred. Mahal took the WWE Championship off Randy Orton. He’d go on to reign for the half the year, including beating back challenges from Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura before even surviving a Money in the Bank cash-in by Baron Corbin. Along the way, there’s a case to be made Mahal even came along on the mic a bit, though the poor quality of his matches remained the defining characteristic of the title reign.
Then, just as suddenly as the title reign had begun, it came to an end on an episode of SmackDown, pretaped from Manchester. AJ Styles immediately reinstated a degree of credibility to the title, then he soundly defeated Mahal when he got his rematch.
Vanishing Act and Second Release
Jinder Mahal’s release, return, and mercurial rise were followed by a steep fall from grace. Though he won the United States Championship at WrestleMania 34, that would end up being about his last moment in the sun. He’d drop the title to Jeff Hardy in short order then be on and off TV for extended stretches. A program with his former stablemate Drew McIntyre marked another peak, though by 2021, it was difficult to take The Maharaja that seriously against a main eventer.
Mahal transitioned, in part, to a managerial role, backing Veer and Sanga. This may have been the best role for Mahal, where he could cash in on his heat and improved promo skills without having to get in the ring. This team struggled to stay relevant, though.
Mahal showed up to some fanfare on the first Raw of 2024, first seeming to be the returning former world champion Triple H had touted making an appearance on that episode. The Rock arrived moments later, and a confrontation between the two was easily The Maharaja’s biggest moment in the last five years of his WWE career. Unfortunately for him, it would also be his last big moment in WWE.
Jinder Mahal’s WWE Legacy
(via WWE)
Jinder Mahal left WWE with one of the most unusual legacies of all time. He was a world champion and had a pocket of supporters. He also spent extended stretches of his career in the lower card or off TV altogether. Moreover, he had a lot of heat on him. Some of that owed to his talents as a heel. There was also a great deal resentment from fans, though, for the main event push he garnered while so many talents like Cesaro, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Rusev never got that kind of opportunity, despite, by most metrics, having considerably more upside.
Mahal’s colleagues speak highly of him, though, which may be the best testament to why he got the big breaks he did. Moreover, it’s hard not to feel poorly for a star who reached his heights and then saw his career fall off so severely.
WWE let Jinder Mahal go in April 2024. As a former world champion and memorable character, there’s every possibility fans will see him go into the WWE Hall of Fame someday. Heck, if history is any indicator, no one should count him out, either, for another big run in the WWE ring in the next few years.
Tanga Loa debuted as the newest member of Roman Reigns’ stable during WWE’s Backlash event in France. The Guerrillas of Destiny are now a part of the Bloodline.
Kevin Owens and Randy Orton took on Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga in the opening match of Backlash. They started the tag team match with chaos, which led SmackDown GM Nick Aldis to declare the contest a No DQ match. During the closing moments, Tanga Loa showed up to make his mark.
Loa’s unexpected debut helped the Bloodline secure a victory. Paul Heyman stood alongside the celebrating stable, but he didn’t have the most confident look on his face.
His appearance was a surprise since there were no prior reports of him signing a deal with WWE. Jacob Fatu has also signed a new deal, and it remains to be seen how he will be integrated into the storyline.
Real name Tevita Tu’amoeloa Fetaiakimoeata Fifita, Tanga Loa comes from a prominent wrestling family. He is the son of Haku and the brother of Tama Tonga and Hikuleo.
Guerrillas of dDestiny
Before his WWE debut, Tanga achieved significant success in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. He won the IWGP Tag Team Championship seven times alongside Tama Tonga. So, the two have already done a ton prior to Loa’s Backlash debut.
Additionally, Loa captured the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship three times; twice with Bad Luck Fale and Tama Tonga, and once with Taiji Ishimori and Tama Tonga.
The Bloodline’s new incarnation added a seasoned tag team to the mix with Tanga and Tama. Jimmy Uso was ejected from the stable following WrestleMania XL, and it was later revealed that he suffered an injury that required surgery and a long wait until his return to the ring.
Roman Reigns still has a huge hand in the Bloodline’s creative direction, even though his absence. He is still setting the stage for the head of the table’s return, whenever that comes around.
Cody Rhodes isn’t just excited for himself as he defends his WWE Undisputed Title at WWE Backlash, but another person standing in the ring.
Rhodes will be taking on AJ Styles in the main event of the PLE taking place in France on Saturday. It will be Cody’s first world title defense on PLE, but ‘The American Nightmare’ noted someone else has a reason to celebrate too: WWE referee Jessika Carr.
“Wanted to mention this after the contract signing, (and forgive me if I’m wrong but I don’t think I am…) It’ll also be the VERY FIRST PLE Main Event for The Undisputed WWE Title officiated by a woman [Jessika Carr].”
Wanted to mention this after the contract signing, (and forgive me if I’m wrong but I don’t think I am…)
Two Georgia Boys: Cody Rhodes vs. AJ Styles At WWE Backlash
The Rhodes vs. Styles rivarly is a surprisingly fresh one as Cody and AJ have never faced one another, but now the two Georgia boys do it on the big stage. Styles earned his shot at the gold when he defeated LA Knight in a number one contendership match.
The two exchanged words of respect for one another during their contract signing but matters got tense when Styles went for a “from behind” attack on Rhodes after Cody defeated Carmelo Hayes.
The go-home episode of SmackDown that tension was even amped up further when Styles slapped Rhodes after the two talked their history outside of the WWE.
Rhodes and Styles happened to both share time as members of The Bullet Club, so although the two never competed in the ring, their paths are indeed quite similar.
Austin Theory is already chalking out massive plans for WrestleMania 41. He has not only put The Rock on notice for ‘The Show of Shows’ but also wants to dethrone the Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes.
Theory told Lucas Charpiot of Ten Count Media that he believes The Rock interrupted him to be important and famous again. He said that he got better of The Rock but the wrestling legend attacked him as he felt “insecure.”
“Dwayne showed up, but not to save Pat McAfee. Dwayne showed up because he wanted to be famous again, he wanted to be important in WWE. So who did he interrupt? Austin Theory. Then what happened? I put him in his place. Then I did something that nobody has ever done. I stole his catchphrase, and I hit him with it, and I hit him with it before he could hit me with it. So then what? He got insecure, he started freaking out. He started doing the weird Rock stuff. Then he hit me with an elbow. That’s what happened.”
He eventually stated if ‘The Final Boss’ wants to fight him, he is all set to lock horns with him at WrestleMania 41. He said:
“So what now? ‘The Final Boss’ wants Austin Theory, and Austin Theory will fight ‘The Final Boss’ at WrestleMania 41. Is that what they want?”
Theory takes a jab at Cody Rhodes
He furthermore took a shot at Cody Rhodes and labeled him “goof.” One half of the WWE Tag Team Champions said that he wants to dethrone ‘The American Nightmare.’ He said:
“I just gotta take this title from this goof [points to picture of Cody Rhodes]? Is that it? I just gotta make a story up? That’s it? Alright, then that’s what I’ll do.”
On this week’s SmackDown, Austin Theory and Grayson Waller successfully defended their tag team titles against The Street Profits in their first televised title defense.
WWE is set to make a major announcement regarding next year’s WrestleMania and many believe the location of the event will be revealed.
Matt Cardona is keeping himself busy in a non-wrestling capacity while recovering from a recent injury. He has announced himself as the new General Manager of Game Changer Wrestling (GCW).
The Indy God recently sustained a torn pec injury while competing for Reality of Wrestling last month. He has also undergone surgery and is not expected to return to in-ring action anytime soon.
Cardona kept his word and made a major announcement at GCW Rather You Than Me. He delivered a promo at the show and said that he might not wrestle at the promotion ever again. He said that fans don’t need to call him the Internet Champion or Deathmatch King, but they will have to call him the ‘General Manager of GCW.’
Cardona made his GCW debut in 2021. He soon became the GCW World Champion (first in any promotion) after defeating Nick Gage in a Deathmatch. His last match for the promotion before injury took place in April at GCW Joey Janela’s Spring Break 8 where he defeated Blue Pain.
While Cardona remains away from in-ring action, he has announced that he will still be available to make appearances and autograph signings. He is expected to be on the sidelines for at least six months and that depends on rehab.
A WWE return looming after recovery?
Matt’s wife Chelsea Green made her return to WWE during the 2023 Women’s Royal Rumble match and has been a part of the roster ever since. She has also enjoyed a tag team title reign. There have been speculation that Green’s comeback could play a role in Cardona’s return to WWE. Even the former WWE wrestler has told his fans to never say never regarding his return.
Welcome to the Daily Drop for Saturday, May 4. WWE Backlash is this afternoon, and fans are waiting for that historic event. We have a lot of other things we must mention as well.
WWE released several NXT Superstars from their contracts on Friday. Aside from Drew Gulak, the biggest name that the company cut was Olympic Gold Medalist Gable Steveson. Things just never panned out for him in the company, despite years of trying to get him ready for a massive spot that they wanted to carve out for him.
We have updated our 2024 WWE release and departure tracker, which you can check out here.
Let’s get into today’s Daily Drop!
WWE:
WWE Backlash is upon us, and the show will start much sooner for fans in the United States. The France-based event will start at 1:00 PM EST. You can find the card below.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships: The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka & Kairi Sane) (c) vs. Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill
Randy Orton & Kevin Owens vs. The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa & Tama Tonga)
WWE Women’s Championship: Bayley (c) vs. Naomi vs. Tiffany Stratton
World Heavyweight Championship: Damian Priest (c) vs. Jey Uso
Undisputed WWE Championship: Cody Rhodes (c). vs. AJ Styles
WWE’s Noise Warning: The SmackDown fans received a noise warning in France. We can only imagine how loud it will be for Backlash.
WWE Speed: The company has a new champion after the first WWE Speed tournament is over. In the end, Ricochet pulled down the championship, which earned him a classic point pose photo with Triple H.
No Collision: AEW Collision will not air this week due to the playoffs. They will resume their weekly Saturday night schedule next week on May 11.
Christian’s HOF Stance: Christian Cage appeared at the Steel City Comic Con, where he was his trademark self. When asked about whether he wants to get into the WWE Hall of Fame, he replied: “I could give two sh*ts bout the Hall of Fame … when there is a Hall of Fame, let me know.”
Christian Cage at Steel City Con was asked about not being inducted in the WWE HOF yet:
“I could give two shits out about the Hall of Fame. When there's actually is a Hall of Fame, let me know.” pic.twitter.com/aw0DoMTVTX
Former WWE NXT Superstar Debut: During the recent ROH Honorclub show, Amari Miller debuted under the new ring name Camron Branae. She faced Nyla Rose in her first match for the brand. Although Branae lost the bout, she made a strong impression on the fans.
Julia Hart Return Timeline: We have an injury update on Julia Hart. She has already gone through a surgery and will be out of action for a few months from now. The earliest one can expect for her to return to the ring would be late Summer or early Fall.
WWE has parted ways with Olympian Gable Steveson, three years after the Gold Medalist signed with the promotion.
Steveson, who captured gold at the 2021 Tokyo Summer Games, signed with WWE that same year and was drafted to Raw near the end of the year. His release was first reported by F4WOnline and is said to be part of the recent cuts to the WWE NXT roster.
Steveson’s career in WWE had a shaky start after initial reports stated that he had not shown the level of improvement at the Performance Center that higher-ups hoped to see. His debut match came at NXT Great American Bash 2023 and saw the Olympian have a count-out draw with Baron Corbin. Following this, he completed at WWE NXT live events as well as in dark matches before SmackDown.
With Steveson’s WWE career over, questions remain as to his future in the Olympics. Steveson recently qualified for Team USA but it was reported that he wouldn’t be competing due to his WWE commitments. It remains to be seen if Steveson will pursue the upcoming games in Paris, France now he has been released.
SE Scoops will provide more information on Steveson’s release as it becomes available.
