Bully Ray and D-Von Dudley ‘got the tables’ in an old ECW venue this weekend and Tommy Dreamer got hold of some gold to boot.
The pro wrestling legends took part in the IWC Super Showdown V event outside of Pittsburgh at the Rostraver Ice Garden on Saturday as an extreme reunion took place of sorts.
Tommy Dreamer initially squared off against Channing Decker in singles action, but their battle was thwarted when the IWC Tag Team Champions The Frontline invaded the fight. Thankfully, WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long was the matchmaker for the evening and forced Tito Oric and Christiano Argento to put their belts on the line against Decker and Dreamer. Decker found some synergy with Dreamer as the former was decked out in Gangstas gear in homage to New Jack and Mustafa. The two ended up becoming the new IWC World Tag Team Champions with a double DDT.
— Dominic DeAngelo | One True Sport (@DominicDeAngelo) April 28, 2024
The Dudley Boyz Walk With Elias
The main event actually had ties to a previous match on the card as Elias (now known as Elijah) took on the upstart Canaan Kristopher, but that match ended up seeing a disqualification due to outside interference.
Retribution later was served as The Dudleyz were set to take on Wes Barkley and Derek Dillinger in an Extreme Rules tag match. Bully Ray had other ideas as they enlisted Elias to team up for trios tables match against Barkley, Dillinger and Kristopher. Guitar shots were doled out and an adversary was ultimately put through a table courtesy of a three-person 3D.
— Dominic DeAngelo | One True Sport (@DominicDeAngelo) April 28, 2024
Post-match, Bully Ray got on the mic and gave away a broken piece of the table to a young fan while D-Von made mentioned that he just recovered from back surgery. This was D-Von’s second match back since the procedure as during WrestleMania weekend in Philadelphia he teamed up with Bully Ray to face Dreamer and Atsushi Onita.
The event happened to also feature another WWE Hall of Famer as Ron Simmons kicked off the show with an opening promo.
Drew McIntyre will remain with WWE for years to come after signing a new deal, but fans shouldn’t expect him on programming just yet.
The three-time former WWE World Champion’s new contract deal comes after close to a year of speculation about his future in the ring. News of McIntyre’s new contract was shared by TKO’s Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, who had a special gift in store for the Scottish Warrior.
McIntyre and WWE engaged in “a lot of back and forth” during the negotiation process, PW Insider reports. The deal has been described as a “multi-year, big money” contract that one source believed to be for three years. If so, it’ll keep McIntyre with the promotion until April 2027 unless he is released.
The video shared by The Rock on Instagram was actually shot well before the deal between McIntyre and WWE was signed. The actual discussions between the two sides wasn’t concluded until a few days ago but WWE wanted the video to be ready to publish as soon as a contract was signed.
Missing From the Ring
While McIntyre will remain with WWE for years to come, he won’t be wrestling just yet. The Scottish Warrior is still recovering from a badly hyperextended elbow he suffered at WrestleMania 40. The Scottish Superstar received “a lot of respect” from those in WWE for his efforts during the recent WWE tour of the UK.
Hopefully McIntyre will be healed and able to compete in time for WWE Clash At The Castle: Scotland. The June 15 show will be in Glasgow and fans in the country are eager to see the former World Champion on the card.
More from Drew McIntyre
Here are some recent articles featuring Drew McIntyre as the Scottish Warrior has plans to do big things in WWE in the years to come:
Rock & Roll wrestling musical The Last Match is set to go on tour next month with an all-star cast of actors and wrestlers attached to the show.
News of the tour was shared on Twitter by Simon Miller of WhatCulture fame. The tour will begin on May 7 in Burlington, Vermont, and conclude on May 18 in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Last Match wrestling musical rock and roll theatre experience opens TONIGHT!
We start in Rochester for a mini run and then:
5/7: Burlington, VT 5/8: Albany 5/10: NYC 5/11: Philadelphia 5/12: Baltimore 5/14: Norfolk 5/15: Winston-Salem 5/17: Columbia, SC 5/18: Atlanta
The Last Match tells the story of Ben Vengeance, a journeyman wrestler who prepares to step in the ring for what will be his titular last match. Vengeance’s final match sees the veteran face BTD Heavyweight Champion Alexander Swagger (as played by Miller.)
Wrestling productions out of the ring have grown increasingly more popular in recent years. NBC’s Young Rock told the story of Dwayne Johnson’s rise to superstardom and his life growing up in a wrestling dynasty. Starz’s Heels received rave reviews for its portrayal of a small-time wrestling promotion’s efforts to survive and included an impressive cast featuring Stephen Amell and CM Punk.
2008’s The Wrestler received critical acclaim for its telling of Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson (Mickey Rourke) and his journey as his wrestling career reached its end. The film scored Rourke a BAFTA award, a Golden Globe award, and a Best Actor nomination at the Oscars.
An All-Star Cast
Miller, who also competed for TNA Wrestling at their Turning Point 2023 event, isn’t the only notable name involved. Former WWE personality McKenzie Mitchell has been cast as BTD interviewer Scarlett Sublime. Matthew Rehwoldt (aka Aiden English in WWE) has been cast as ‘The Boss.’
Wrestling legend Mickie James brings her experience to the show as ‘The Mother.’ Bull James (WWE NXT’s Bull Dempsey) portrays Sam the Barbarian while Afa Anoa’i Jr. is ‘The Surgeon/Son of Stalin.’
For more information about The Last Match and how to purchase tickets, click here.
WWE U.S. Champion Logan Paul and his fiancée Nina Agdal have revealed the gender of their upcoming child in the art form that is pro wrestling.
Paul and Agdal revealed they were expecting a child in April of 2024. This is the first child for the couple who are set to become parents this fall. Agdal is a Danish supermodel who has appeared on TV and on magazine covers. The couple began dating in 2022 and got engaged in Italy in the summer of 2023.
Like many couples, Paul and Agdal spared no expense with their elaborate gender reveal party. With their family and friends as attendees, the couple hosted a wrestling match with one competitor in blue and the other in pink. The reigning WWE United States Champion didn’t compete in the match but watched on as the pink wrestler got the win, revealing that Paul and Agdal are expecting a baby girl.
Both Paul and Agdal wore Pink for the match, indicating that they were hoping for a girl. Now the couple are ready to take their next steps into becoming parents.
Baby Fever
The Maverick and his fiancee aren’t the only couple to have hosted a wrestling-themed gender reveal party. A recent gender reveal went viral as a pair of wrestling fans told the world that they too are expecting a baby girl.
Jinder Mahal won’t let his release from WWE prevent him from achieving his goals in the ring and will be competing under a new name.
Mahal was among those released by WWE earlier this month as part of the first wave of cuts under the promotion’s new era. The former WWE & United States Champion was previously released from the company in 2014 but returned two years later.
Mahal will have to wait for his non-compete clause to expire in July before he works elsewhere, but the Modern-Day Maharaja has already been making plans. Mahal recently trademarked the term ‘The Maharaja’ for its use on merchandise as well as the name ‘Raj Dhesi.’ It seems the Dhesi name will be what Mahal competes under going forward. These filings were made under Mahal’s real name Yuvraj Dhesi.
GCW could certainly do with Mahal being a top heel in their company to replace the injured Matt Cardona. Whether Mahal goes to GCW or somewhere else, expect to see plenty more of Raj Dhesi when his non-compete clause with WWE is a thing of the past.
More from Jinder Mahal
Here are some recent articles about Jinder Mahal as the former WWE Superstar prepares to be a free agent once again:
AEW President Tony Khan is still reeling from the attack by Jack Perry & The Elite but will put his situation to good use by raising money for charity.
Khan was attacked by Perry on the April 24, edition of AEW Dynamite, the first show of its kind for Perry since August of 2023. After ambushing Khan, Perry was approached by The Elite who also attacked their boss. After the attack, Khan was tended to by medical officials while AEW talent and his father Shad Khan showed their concern.
Khan Auctioning Neck Brace
During the NFL Draft, Khan, who works as part of the team behind the Jacksonville Jaguars, appeared in a neck brace, selling the impact of the attack on Dynamite. During an appearance on the NFL Network, Rich Eisen revealed that Khan is planning on auctioning the neck brace for a good cause.
“Tony Khan has texted. He heard me [say] ‘Hey, when you’re done with the brace, would you like to sign it and donate the proceeds to St. Jude’s Research Hospital?’ He said ‘When I’ve recovered from that spike piledriver when on AEW Dynamite’ is that a good ready for you Tony? ‘I will absolutely sign this neck brace and sell it and donate it to St. Jude’s to support Run Rich Run.'”
Run Rich Run is a charitable campaign hosted by Eisen to support St. Jude’s Research Hospital in the fight against childhood diseases. Over its 20 years, the campaign has raised over $7 million. Khan’s offer is an incredibly generous one and we’re sure wrestling fans will be willing to pay big for this one-of-a-kind piece of AEW memorabilia.
More on Tony Khan
Here are some recent articles featuring Tony Khan as the AEW President heals up from his attack on Dynamite:
The ratings slump for the April 24, episode of Dynamite was not a concern for AEW’s broadcast partners at Warner Bros. Discovery who were happy with the show.
The show saw 683,000 homes tune in for the post-Dynasty edition of Dynamite, a 10% decrease from the previous week. This is the lowest average audience an episode of AEW Dynamite has earned since the January 6, 2021 episode of the show, excluding episodes that were pre-empted.
Despite this concerning drop, WBD sources were “really happy” with the show’s performance, PW Insider reports. A source in WBD noted that AEW had significant competition on the night due to the NBA and NHL Playoffs. Despite this competition, AEW was still sixth for the evening on basic cable.
Three of the shows that hit AEW hard on April 24 were made up of NBA coverage on TNT which is considered in the “family” by WBD. When excluding those shows, only ESPN’s coverage of the NHL scored higher in the 18-49 demo for the evening. The source also acknowledged audio issues from TBS’ end of things that impacted the show.
AEW Dynamite may have seen a serious drop, but there were plenty of factors outside of the promotion’s control for this. The test now will be whether AEW can recover those fans in the coming weeks. Tony Khan’s inaugural promotion has seen a drop in viewers compared to previous years, and the AEW President, who’ll be working remotely following Jack Perry’s attack, will need to explore his options to win back fans.
Gibson and Drake joined WWE in 2018 and would become the inaugural NXT UK Tag Team Champions. They were later moved to WWE NXT and joined Joe Gacy’s Schism but chose to leave WWE when their contracts expired in September 2023.
The Grizzled Young Veterans weren’t the only NXT alum on the show. Martin Stone also made his AEW debut on Collision in a losing effort to RUSH. In addition to being Stone’s debut, this was RUSH’s first match back after not competing since AEW Worlds End in December 2023.
In WWE NXT, Stone competed as Danny Butch and held the NXT Tag Team Championships with Oney Lorcan. He was released from the gold brand in January 2022 as part of cuts that saw many names close to Triple H be let go.
The ‘Wanted Man’ of wrestling Nic Nemeth is once again a World Champion after capturing the AAA Mega Championship at TripleMania XXXII Monterrey.
Nemeth won the title in a hard-fought match with Alberto El Patron, another WWE alum. Nemeth won the title with the Danger Zone and the win marks the first AAA Championship in Nemeth’s career.
— Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (@luchalibreaaa) April 28, 2024
The AAA Mega Championship had previously been held by El Hijo Del Vikingo who had held the title for a record-breaking 833 days. Vikingo surrendered the gold after suffering an injury that has kept him out of action since.
Hopefully, Nemeth can avoid the trend of the AAA Mega Championship being vacated. Kenny Omega, the champion before Vikingo, also had to vacate the title in November 2021 due to injuries. The AEW EVP had held the gold for an impressive 765 days.
Nemeth Vs. El Patron
This was hardly the pair’s first time competing against each other for a World Championship. Nemeth (then Dolph Ziggler) won his first WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the Raw after WrestleMania 29 by cashing in his Money on the Bank contract on Patron (then Alberto Del Rio.)
Nemeth’s role as AAA Mega Champion continues an impressive run the Wanted Man has been on ever since his lengthy career with WWE ended in 2023. Nemeth is also in his first reign as IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion with NJPW and won the gold at The New Beginning in Sapporo: Night 1. Nemeth is also appearing for TNA and recently unsuccessfully challenged for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.
More on Nic Nemeth
Here are some recent articles on Nic Nemeth as the former WWE Superstar continues to take the wrestling world by storm.
Darby Allin was able to enjoy a Broadway show with artist Raymond Pettibon, but only after the AEW pillar was hit by a bus in New York City first.
On Instagram, Allin shared news of his unfortunate vehicular collision and said he was trying to cross the street in the Big Apple when he was struck. Allin also showed some photos of himself at the play with Pattibon as well as a bloodied selfie from after the bus hit him.
This is hardly the only health issue that Allin is dealing with at the moment. During a match with Jay White on the ‘Big Business’ edition of AEW Dynamite, Darby Allin suffered a broken foot that has kept the former TNT & World Tag Team Champion on the shelf ever since. This injury has led to Allin postponing his attempt to climb Mount Everest.
In case a broken foot wasn’t bad enough, Allin is also dealing with a broken nose. The AEW star recently shared a photo on his Instagram Stories of his nose heavily bandaged up.
Darby Allin didn’t let a little traffic mishap ruin his night
With these injuries, there’s no word on when Darby Allin will be able to wrestle for AEW again. Hopefully, the risk-taking wrestler will spend this time wisely and give himself ample opportunity to heal before taking on his next death-defying stunt either in or out of the ring.
More on Darby Allin:
Here are some recent articles featuring Darby Allin and what the pillar of All Elite Wrestling has been up to amid his ongoing hiatus from the Squared Circle:
Rey Fenix has made his long-awaited return to in-ring competition, after spending more than six months of his wrestling career on the shelf.
Fenix made his return on the April 27, episode of AEW Collision with a victory over The Beast Mortos (previously known as Black Taurus.) Commentators observed that Fenix’s win was more about survival than outright domination.
This match was Fenix’s first match since the October 10, 2023, episode of AEW Dynamite where he lost the AEW International Championship to Orange Cassidy. Fenix’s injury happened at the inaugural AEW WrestleDream event days earlier and he was pulled from that match early into the contest.
Rey Fenix Speaks
Fenix’s return is huge for fans of the masked wrestler who plans to prove that he’s not just back is better than he’s ever been. In a post-match promo backstage, Fenix reflected on his victory over The Beast Mortos
“I am so happy to feel so excited for any opponent. Tonight, I faced a real opponent. Stronger, but no better than me. No better than the Mexican. I come back better than ever because I am the man of 1,000 lives! Rey Fenix.”
Fenix has been with AEW since the start and in addition to being a former International Champion is a former World Tag Team and Trios Champion. Hopefully, Fenx will have a long, prosperous run free from injuries now that he’s back in the ring.
More on Rey Fenix
Here are some recent articles about Rey Fenix now that the former AEW International Champion is back on TV.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman will not be returning to the ring for AEW any time soon. Longtime SEScoops correspondent Jason Solomon of the Solomonster Sounds Off broke the news that MJF’s physical rehabilitation was not getting him back to 100% and as a result, he underwent surgery to repair his left shoulder.
So a bit of news. Hearing through the grapevine that it will be a while yet before we see MJF back in the ring. PT was not a success and he had to go under the knife. Not sure of any timetable, but that’s obviously a blow to AEW. His presence has been missed.
On Sunday, Friedman appeared at the C2E2 comic expo in Chicago sporting a brace on his elbow and looking nowhere close to lacing up his boots again.
MJF Speaks about his injuries
MJF was wrestling through a lot of physical problems toward the end of his World Title run. He was very banged up and needed time off television. In his absence, AEW removed him from their roster page, but he remains under contract.
Back in December MJF spoke with The Solomonster at the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame on Long Island, New York. This was right before his AEW World Title defense against Samoa Joe at AEW World’s End. He detailed the various injuries he was powering through, but this shoulder injury is going to keep him out of the ring longer than originally hoped for.
MJF & Adam Cole
Injuries greatly affected MJF and Adam Cole’s main event 2023 storyline. Friedman lost the On December 30, 2023, MJF defended his AEW World Title against Samoa Joe at the AEW World’s End pay-per-view event at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. MJF dropped his title during that match, and he hasn’t wrestled since. He suffered multiple injuries, including a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
MJF and Adam Cole at AEW All In: London, August 27, 2023
Adam Cole, who was revealed as The Devil, had to stop touring with the company. His ankle injury from AEW Grand Slam was not healing as he wanted it to, because the travel was getting in the way of his recovery. The Devil storyline, and the Undisputed Kingdom faction, had to pump the brakes big time after that.
Drew McIntyre has signed a new contract with WWE, putting an end to months of speculation about the possibility of him testing the waters of free agency.
The Rock was the man who broke this news as he publicly congratulated Drew McIntyre for signing his new WWE contract. He did so by presenting him with a claymore sword while the former WWE Champion was out at dinner.
As we talked about after your #WrestleMania match, I know this Scottish Claymore represents everything that you, your family and your country embody.
The TKO board member went on to say that he wanted to hand-deliver this gift, but he “had warm cheat meals and chilled tequila waiting.”
The Rock has admired McIntyre’s work for years. In a company with no shortage of talented wrestlers vying for the spotlight, the Final Boss named McIntyre as the ‘Next Big Thing’ back in 2019.
The Rock was asked in 2019 for who could be “The Next Big Thing” in WWE.
— Two HEADS, One TABLE???? (@TwoHeadsPodcast) April 28, 2024
Drew McIntyre’s Contract Situation With TKO
Drew McIntyre just got off a wild road to WrestleMania, one that saw him beat Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, where he held the title for only five minutes before Damian Priest cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase.
He did all that with a contract that was expiring in a matter of weeks. While McIntyre’s WWE contract situation had a big question mark above it for a while, now we can put that to rest.
How TKO handled Drew McIntyre’s contract situation is a very interesting situation. It may set a precedent for how all future contracts will be handled, as they waited until very late in the game to nail down a deal.
Becky Lynch’s WWE contract is also running out in a matter of months. She spoke openly about this fact, but she is not worried about it.
Kenny Omega isn’t afraid to acknowledge Roman Reigns.
‘The Cleaner’ is a man who happily gives his thoughts on pro wrestling during his livestreams on Twitch and this week one fan in the chat was hating on what Roman Reigns does in WWE. Omega pushed back at that notion, appreciating what ‘The Head Of The Table’ brings to the one true sport.
“I really think he’s incredible. I don’t think he’s boring either. I actually would say I’m pretty jealous because Roman Reigns is presented the exact same way that I would love to be presented. He’s presented as the man who’s the champion to have big matches on PPV where you’re really cheering for him or you’re cheering for someone else. That’s professional wrestling. He’s getting to do what I did in New Japan so I can’t be a hater on that. I’m a fan.”
WWE fans haven’t seen Roman Reigns since he dropped the WWE Championship to Cody Rhodes night two at WrestleMania 40 and Omega has been on his own extended hiatus due to a diverticulitis diagnosis.
However, wrestling fans will at least get to see Kenny Omega return to television next Wednesday on AEW Dynamite as the show will hail from his hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
It will be interesting to see how Omega is utilized as he was “fired” from his EVP position by The Young Bucks and a ripple was added into the storyline with them also attacked AEW President Tony Khan.
Night One of the 2024 WWE Draft didn’t feature a ton of Superstars changing brands, but there’s a reason behind this booking decision.
The 2024 WWE Draft kicked off on the April 26, edition of WWE SmackDown but the show was not the massive shake-up fans were hoping to see. Out of the total 16 on-air picks, more than half saw Superstars be selected by the brand they’d previously been signed to. The Supplemental Draft picks saw just two of the seven picks be moved to a different brand.
Despite the draft, WWE intends to maintain a level of familiarity with its Raw and SmackDown rosters, Fightful Select reports. WWE wants to retain well-known talent on their existing brands to ensure a smoother viewing experience for audiences. This is why the likes of Randy Orton and Seth Rollins were chosen by SmackDown and Raw respectively.
Part of the reason for these somewhat underwhelming draft picks is that WWE wishes to avoid significant disruptions in current storylines. For example, it would have made no sense for Jey Uso to move to SmackDown given that he is the number one contender for Raw’s World Heavyweight Championship. ‘Main Event Jey’ was a first-round pick for Raw and will challenge Damian Priest at WWE Backlash.
What’s to Come?
The second night of the WWE Draft will take place on the April 29, Raw and will also feature a Supplemental Draft after the show. Fightful was told that fans should expect more swaps on Raw. It’s also noted that fans can expect more talent from WWE NXT to be called up for this second portion of the draft. The new rosters will come into effect on May 6 following the WWE Backlash: France event two days earlier.
WWE Draft 2024
Here are some recent articles about the 2024 WWE Draft. Keep checking in with SE Scoops for all your draft news.
Toni Storm keeps her Timeless character going, even during press conferences. This led to her bringing up Nikki Garcia in a very unflattering manner, but now the WWE Hall of Famer is answering back.
During the AEW Dynasty press conference, Toni Storm fired off a line about the former Nikki Bella as she said, “Nicole Garcia thought about joining AEW when she saw Mercedes did. You know why she didn’t? Because then she saw me and realized, she can’t hold a p*ssy scented candle to what I do.”
“P*ssy scented candle, what does that even means?” Nikki Garcia asked during the Nikki and Brie Show. Brie then said that she received phone calls asking if it was a pro wrestling term — it is not. Niki went on to explain her confusion about Storm’s comment.
“Listen, I love Toni Storm, and she’s doing this character now and i’ts great. I loved her in NXT. No I wasn’t bothered by it. I laughed. I was like, ‘p*ssy scented candle?!’ Then I’m trying to figure it out. Like, was it a diss? Maybe we should bring her on the podcast and ask her.”
Tony Khan Almost Got A Call From Nikki Bella
Nikki Garcia previously stated that she thought about calling Tony Khan after seeing Mercedes Mone debut with the company. She explained that her son, Matteo, needs her at home more than she wants to be on the road with AEW.
“When I saw Mercedes [Mone] debut and cut her promo, that line stuck with me, ‘Here, we’re going to make the evolution worldwide.’ I was like, ‘They do.’ It goes into many leagues, is what she means, it doesn’t have to be at one place. It can be at all these places where all these women are wrestling at. I go, ‘Brie, I think I can do it for a year. I can do it here to here and go every week.'”
“Then, I thought of Matteo. I had a good week of like, ‘This is it. I’m going to call Tony Khan. I’m your girl. I will commit.’ Then, I was like, ‘I can’t do that to my son right now. He needs me,'”
Nikki Bella retired from the ring in 2018 due to neck and spine issues, but she returned to compete in the Royal Rumble in 2022. The Bella Twins officially exited WWE in 2023 when their contracts ended.
Choosing to explore independent ventures, they still have a weekly podcast and Nikki is co-host of the USA Network’s Barmageddon.
The pro wrestling landscape continues to undergo significant changes. Following WrestleMania, WWE is embarking on the Paul Levesque Era (“PLE” for short), while AEW is navigating towards a potentially transformative period, one they hope will include a new television deal.
Wrestling isn’t as explosively popular as it was in 1998, but The Rock is right that it’s ‘cool again’ and has strutted back into mainstream pop culture. That obviously means good news for fans, but with more than one prominent company now in the mix, that means leverage for the pro wrestling talent.
Wrestlers now have options as to where they can hone their squared circle trade for a good paycheck, meaning a much higher rise in competition for those coveted spots. 2024 also is a big free agent year for stars with major names’ contracts due to expire. However, depending on where a talent is at in their careers one promotion could provide a greater benefit than the other.
A Big Boom For Becky Lynch In 2024
Mercedes Mone inked a “CEO” like type deal with AEW, almost two years after walking out on WWE. That meant a new horizon and big money for the former Sasha Banks. A former colleague of hers Becky Lynch could be in a similar position in 2024, but ‘The Man’ has made clear that she aims to be a WWE lifer. Lynch would likely not increase her star power by jumping ship to AEW, but she could find herself affected in other manners.
Money is a major aspect, but Becky’s also a mom with a resume. Will Ospreay made clear that a big incentive for him signing with AEW was the lighter schedule and Becks life outside the ring could benefit from that. Additionally, there’s something to be said for new scenery. Even if AEW didn’t make the most of Lynch, her being shown under a new light could create even greater intrigue when she does ultimately make her way back to WWE: ask Cody Rhodes. You can potentially even ask someone like Wardlow, too, who is still starting his career.
Drew McIntyre Is Exactly Where He’s Supposed To Be In WWE
Drew McIntyre is a name with plenty of cache following WrestleMania considering this run of his has creatively been his greatest to date. One would have to assume Triple H and he at the very least have a handshake agreement at re-signing. Aside from a very large paycheck, there’s almost zero incentive for him to make the leap to AEW. Considering what his character has done to fan the flames of CM Punk’s past with the company, it’s pretty evident Drew is well aware of that too.
Veteran Names With Star Power
What about big name veterans like Matt Hardy or Rob Van Dam? The former just recently announced his free agency and then signed with TNA while the latter for years has been fully embracing his independent contractor status. Van Dam just appeared 4/20 edition of AEW Collision, but on the latest episode of “1 Of A Kind” made note that he’s up for a WWE return. That however, would likely only happen if they’d call him, not the other way around. RVD is comfortable where he’s at in life that he’s the one to make the choice he wants: and that’s the “when,” “where” and “why.”
Matt however, has a different mindset after being with AEW full time for four years. The eldest Hardy has whipped himself up in terrific shape and clearly wants to make the most of his remaining time in the squared circle. Matt had the option to sign a new deal with AEW but chose not to and instead signed with TNA. Fom a creative perspective that makes sense. Unfortunately, fans didn’t see a good deal of Hardy on AEW TV in 2024 and it seems Matt is looking for that opportunity.
WWE would benefit on several levels in getting Hardy back under their umbrella as he could be an active talent, but in turn be a great help behind the scenes. TNA and Hardy hooking back up ultimately makes sense considering the transcendent run he last had with the company.
A Young Talent On The Rise Looking For Opportunity
What if you’re a younger talent looking for that big break with an AEW or WWE? Anthony Catena is one of those names on the rise as he’s been active with the NWA, AAW Pro and the UK. He just recently found himself on the WrestleMania stage in Philadelphia during the Drew McIntyre entrance.
“Once that’s achieved everything that subsequently follows – money, recognition, etc – will naturally come with it. WWE has a very long track record of, not only creating stars, but providing them an opportunity to explore other areas of entertainment to potentially excel in that realm as well. AEW, albeit only a few years in, has managed to build a global juggernaut in the pro wrestling industry, which is impressive as well.
“Where it all comes together for me is where I feel I have the best chance at achieving the goals I’ve set for myself/”
To Catena’s point, opportunity can lead to presence and if AEW were to scoop him up, they could still build him as another “homegrown” talent, something that a Darby Allin or MJF has benefited from
If a young wrestler is looking for potential instant on-television experience, AEW may be the easier to get into, but you run the risk of being lost in the shuffle (see Action Andretti). WWE would be a company where you’d have to work from the ground up and it’s there where you would learn that style which has created big stars. NXT currently gets better ratings than Collision, so being a part of their developmental system gives one even a bigger platform for starters. However, in this landscape, signing with either company would be a win-win, just for different reasons.
The good thing about it all? Options, opportunities and the wallet are open. Jim Ross says “cash” and “creative” are always two primary factors in wrestling, and that hasn’t changed in 2024.
Coming out of the first night of the 2024 WWE Draft, the biggest point of criticism from fans was the paucity of changes. From main event acts to the mid-card, the roster remained mostly stable from a handful of lower key changes.
WWE has used drafts to make major changes in the past, though, including main event talents totally shaking up the landscape both for arriving on a new show and departing from the other. Looking back, there were specific picks that truly changed the game for WWE.
Triple H (2008)
In 2004, WWE teased Triple H switching brands when he was drafted from Raw to SmackDown, but by the time Draft proceedings were over, he was back where he’d started. However, in 2008, they really did pull the trigger on moving one of the stars most synonymous with Raw to the blue brand.
By 2008, The Game was a de facto main eventer wherever he went. The move set up him up for fresh feuds with talents including Edge, The Great Khali and Kozlov. Most importantly of all, it set a course for a series of matches between Triple H, as an established main eventer to work big time matches with Jeff Hardy and ultimately put over The Charismatic Enigma as World Heavyweight Champion by year’s end.
John Cena (2005)
John Cena and Batista established themselves as the top babyfaces of their generations when they each won their first world titles at WrestleMania 21. A few months later, though, WWE moved Cena to Raw and in so doing, firmly established him as the new face of the company.
While Cena had been popular and had risen to the top on SmackDown, it was a new era for him on Raw. On Monday nights, Cena faced his first substantive backlash as some fans rejected him opposite Chris Jericho and all the more so Kurt Angle, before the heat grew overwhelming against him opposite Triple H and then RVD. In weathering this storm—remaining at the top of the card, proving himself as a capable big match performer, and becoming an institution, the former Dr. of Thuganomics shored up his spot in history as one of wrestling’s biggest stars.
Finn Balor (2016)
There’s a very uneven history of what happens when WWE calls up a major star from NXT. Finn Balor arrived via the 2016 Draft at the dawn of a new era of split brands, and in the lead up to crowning the inaugural Universal Champion. The company got behind Balor and made him feel like a very big deal right out of the gate.
While it’s not clear if WWE meant to truly make Balor the face of Monday nights in the long term, it is telling that his first main roster PLE match saw him beat no lesser competition than Seth Rollins and walk out world champion. Unfortunately, fans will never know the full scope of what the company had planned given Balor got injured in that same match and has never really managed to get back that much momentum again.
Batista (2005)
John Cena moving to Raw in the 2005 may have been the biggest move in WWE Draft history. The counterpart to the new top babyface and WWE Champion arriving on Monday nights, though, was Batista becoming the new top babyface of SmackDown as World Heavyweight Champion.
After trouncing Triple H in their headline feud, The Animal was due for a fresh slate of opponents and found them on the blue brand, defending the title against Eddie Guerrero, JBL, The Great Khali, and Edge.
Perhaps most importantly, the move to SmackDown set up Batista to feud with The Undertaker. While The Animal was never known for five-star matches, he had undeniable chemistry with The Dead Man, and the two collaborated for some of the best matches of Batista’s career in particular. Moreover, Batista was right at home as the top star of the brand warfare angle surrounding Survivor Series 2005.
Roman Reigns (2019)
Photo: WWE.com
The 2019 WWE Draft moved Roman Reigns to SmackDown. To some fans at the time, this felt like a demotion, though five years later, it feels absolutely silly to think about the move in that light.
Yes, The Big Dog found himself locked in an interminably long feud with Baron Corbin. After that program and a hiatus at the onset of COVID, though, it was time for The Tribal Chief to rise. Reigns redefined his career with a heel turn that immediately paid dividends in the form of a world title reign stretching well over three-and-a-half years. Reigns finally realized his potential as the definitive face of WWE and did so while the blue brand aired on FOX.
It always takes some time to understand the full ramifications of a WWE roster change. When marquee talents are involved, though, it’s worth paying attention. Indeed, some Draft picks went a long way toward redefining WWE, and there will surely be more in the years ahead.
In another interesting twist to that story, WWE President Nick Khan also listed all of his stock for sale. We will keep a very close eye on that story for further developments, but Khan is slated to keep his position with the company, unlike McMahon.
Now, let’s get into the Daily Drop!
WWE:
2024 WWE Draft:WWE presented night one of the 2024 WWE Draft during SmackDown. We had two NXT call-ups in Carmelo Hayes and Kiana James. The Bloodline also didn’t get picked until the third round, because Roman Reigns removed himself from Draft eligibility.
WrestleMania Ticket Sales: Official numbers are out for WrestleMania 40’s gate in Lincoln Financial Field. This two-night event also established a new WWE record for a gate, generating $38.5 million in ticket sales, which represents a 78% increase from the previous year and a 147% increase from 2022.
PG Era Over:It is now being reported that the internal mindset within WWE is that the PG Era is now over. This is thanks to Paul Heyman’s WWE Hall of Fame speech and everything The Rock was allowed to do on the road to WrestleMania 40.
It’s Tiffy Time: Tiffany Stratton made herself a menace this week on SmackDown. She took on Naomi in a #1 contenders match, that ended via DQ thanks to Nia Jax. After the match, Stratton continued her beat-down on Naomi and Bayley. She is very happy with herself, as you can see by her latest TikTok.
Dominik Mysterio Injury: It was reported that Dominik Mysterio will need Tommy John surgery. He has since tweeted out to debunk that story, as he claims that no surgery will be needed. Either way, he is expected to stay on television through his recovery.
AEW:
AEW Collision Card for 4/27:
AEW Unified Trios Championship: Bullet Club Gold (c) vs. Top Flight and Action Andretti
AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm vs. Anna Jay
Grizzled Young Veterans vs. The Acclaimed
We’ll hear from AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland for the first time
WWE Is Harvey Weinstein: Tony Khan brought a ton of attention to himself when he appeared on the NFL Network with a neck brace. He also took the opportunity to throw a big shot at WWE in the process.
Tony Khan discusses taking the TK Driver from the Bucks and compares WWE to Harvey Weinstein pic.twitter.com/borodQ1GiF
AEW Dynamite Viewership Drop: The April 24th edition of AEW Dynamite attracted 683,000 viewers and earned a 0.23 rating in the key 18-49 demographic, marking a decline from the previous week’s performance of 762,000 viewers and a 0.26 demo rating.
Adam Copeland’s Acting Tips: Copeland revealed some of his acting tips that he had to adopt when making a transition from pro wrestling. He had to tone it down a bit for the close-up shots.
The many branches of the performing arts! In the mind of one of the greats.
New episode of the @Swervecitypod feat @aew TNT Champion @RatedRCope is out THIS MONDAY!!!
— The Realest Swerve Strickland (@swerveconfident) April 27, 2024
Kenny Omega Uncertain About Return: While speaking on his Twitch steam, Omega opened up about his AEW return in Winnipeg next Wednesday. He wasn’t 100% sure about it at first.
”I remember thinking about maybe, maybe showing up to Winnipeg. It was a maybe. And then I saw that my sister, my parents, my aunty who lives in Calgary who said ‘Oh my goodness we heard the big news.’ I was like ‘What big news?’ They were like ‘Yeah, the arena was advertising your return.’ And I thought ‘Come on, man I’m like 80% on board maybe, but I don’t know man.’ And I thought ‘Well, they advertised me. I guess that 80 becomes a 100.’ So, I called the boss and was like ‘Hey man, you wanna run a graphic or something, I guess I’ll show up.”
CM Punk had a run-in with Chad Gable after this week’s episode of SmackDown.
The Blue Branded Show came live from Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati, Ohio featuring night 1 of WWE Drafts 2024.
The Straight Edge Star was advertised locally for the episode. While he didn’t appear on the broadcast, the former world champion came out after SmackDown went off air.
He first provided an update on his health confirming that his triceps is not 100% yet but he is on track. The WWE star then endorsed hometown hero Pete Rose for MLB Hall of Fame.
Before he could finish his promo, however, CM Punk was interrupted by Chad Gable and the rest of the Alpha Academy. Gable challenged Punk for a fight but the former AEW star refused on account of his injury.
He offered to introduce a friend of his who had recently returned from the injury for the proposed fight and it turned out to be Sheamus.
What Happened On SmackDown
The Celtic Warrior then had a singles match with the former Olympian. This wasn’t the only dark match of the night as The Miz and R Truth also defended their tag titles against Judgment Day’s Finn Balor and JD McDonagh after the show.
Elsewhere in the night, we saw a contract signing segment between the Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and his Backlash challenger AJ Styles. Rhodes also competed in the main event of SmackDown against Carmelo Hayes.
WWE had brought in a number of Hall of Famers to announce the Draft results. You can check our Draft Tracker to find out which stars were picked up during Night 1.
The 2024 WWE draft continued after the April 26, episode of SmackDown with supplemental picks affecting Raw, SmackDown, and WWE NXT.
SmackDown marked Night One of the annual draft and saw 16 picks made overall across four rounds. Bianca Belair holds the honor of being the #1 pick across the entire draft as the EST of WWE was chosen by SmackDown.
WWE Draft Night One Supplemental Results
On social media, WWE shared news from their supplemental draft picks after SmackDown went off the air. The picks are as follows:
It’s interesting to see Corbin moved to SmackDown given that Bron Breakker was drafted to Raw. The Wolf Dogs had been an impressive unit in WWE NXT. It had even been suggested that the pair would be brought to the same roster to continue teaming, though that will obviously not be the case.
What’s to Come?
The second night of the 2024 WWE Draft will commence on the April 29, episode of Monday Night Raw and supplemental picks will happen after the show. The new rosters will come into effect on the May 6, episode of Raw, the first show following next weekend’s WWE Backlash: France Premium Live Event.
A former WWE Tough Enough participant and developmental talent has officially been indicted for a murder stemming from an incident in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Shortly after his death at a Resorts World Suite, Tapp’s death was ruled as accidental. the coroner’s office later determined it a homicide after discovering blunt force trauma to his head. Investigators have learned that Tapp and Rodimer had a fight before the former was fatally injured in a fall. Rodimer “maintains his complete innocence and looks forward to his day in court” his attorneys said after his indictment.
This incident isn’t Rodimer’s first run-in with the law. Rodimer has been accused of assault three times but has no convictions. He was arrested on charges of battery in 2010 and admitted to committing the offense. After a six-week anger management course, the charge was dropped.
Daniel Rodimer
Rodimer was part of 2004’s Tough Enough that also featured The Miz, Ryback, and Marty ‘The Boogeyman’ Writ. He was signed a to a developmental contract in 2006 and would compete in Deep South Wrestling. After a handful of appearances on WWE Heat, Rodimer was released in 2007.
Rodimer ran for Nevada State Senate on the Republican ballot in 2018 but despite outspending his rival nearly two-to-one, lost to Valerie Weber. He lost the following year in Nevada’s 3rd congressional district.
In May 2021, Rodimer announced he would be standing in Texas’s 6th congressional district special election. His campaign caught media attention as he dramatically changed his accent and person to appear more Texan. He claimed to have been endorsed by Donald Trump, a claim denied by the former President’s team. He came in eleventh in the primary with 2.6% of the voting share.
WWE is shaking up their rosters once again with another Draft. Fans have come to expect the unexpected, and this year will be no different.
The 2024 WWE Draft is scheduled for Friday, April 26 during SmackDown and Monday, April 29 during RAW. To streamline the process, the rosters were divided into two Draft Pools.
To start things off, Paul Heyman revealed that Roman Reigns pulled himself from draft eligibility. He said that Roman is not returning in the immediate future, so he will not be anyone’s first draft pick this year.
WWE usually calls up a few NXT Superstar with their draft. This year was no exception. Carmelo Hayes and Kiana James were called up to the main roster. Hayes was in the building for SmackDown, where he got right to business by challenging Cody Rhodes.
2024 WWE Draft Rules
The 2024 WWE Draft will allocate 16 picks over four rounds to SmackDown and 24 picks over six rounds to RAW, reflecting RAW’s longer runtime. Champions are exempt from the draft, except for Women’s Tag Team Champions, who are excluded from the Draft Pool.
SmackDown will pick first on Friday, and RAW will get its first choice the following Monday, with final rosters set by May 6th.
Following new TV deals, SmackDown is moving to the USA Network and RAW to Netflix. The full effects of RAW’s switch to Netflix will be seen from October 2025. Unless WWE plans a roster shake-up, these rosters will initiate the new media rights agreements.
WWE operates on many layers, because there is a complicated business world behind the sports entertainment lights. Nick Khan has been responsible for ushering WWE into a new era, but he is now selling out his remaining shares.
It was revealed on Friday that McMahon is selling up to 8.02 million shares he owns, per Sportico. The shares Vince McMahon has listed for sale are valued at over $776 million, based on TKO’s closing price of $96.76 on Friday. He is not the only person who is unloading a ton of stock, because Nick Khan is also listing all of his remaining TKO shares.
WWE president Nick Khan is also listed as a seller in the prospectus. He plans to sell his entire stake of 234,424 shares, including restricted stock units he has accumulated over time.
Despite these sales, Khan will continue in his current role at the company, as confirmed by a source familiar with the transaction who wished to remain anonymous and was not authorized to speak publicly on his behalf.
It’s important to understand that the filing only makes these shares eligible for sale; it doesn’t necessarily mean they will be sold. However, in the corporate world, such filings typically precede the actual sale of the shares soon after. Generally, in the business sector, when shares are listed like this, they tend to be sold.
Nick Khan’s Life Prior To WWE
Before joining WWE, Khan served as Co-Head of Television at CAA, where he represented top figures and organizations in sports media, negotiating media rights deals worth billions of dollars. Khan came on board at WWE in 2020 and played a pivotal role in driving the company to achieve record revenue and profitability.
He started his career as a practicing attorney, so he understands the intricacies of contract talks. Nick Khan and The Rock have also been friends since childhood, giving another strong connection to the pro wrestling business.
It will be interesting to see what his next move is, especially if he sells all of his stock, but remains with the company.
SEScoops will have more on this still-developing story as additional information is made known.
Vince McMahon is selling his remaining shares in TKO Group Holdings, marking the end of his over 50-year association with the pro wrestling business.
It was revealed in a prospectus on Friday that McMahon might sell up to 8.02 million shares he owns, per Sportico. These shares are valued at more than $776 million, based on TKO’s closing price of $96.76 on Friday.
It’s important to note that the filing simply makes the shares eligible for sale and does not guarantee that they will be sold. However, in the corporate world, such filings generally lead to the actual sale of the listed shares shortly thereafter. That being said, in the business world, shares put up like this usually sell.
McMahon has been inching toward a full departure from WWE for quite some time. Before the announcement on Friday that he might sell all his TKO stock, McMahon had sold $1.365 billion of TKO stock since November. If he sells his remaining shares at market value, he will have made over $2 billion from TKO stock in six months.
If you’re wondering if Vince will start a new pro wrestling company, that doesn’t seem to be in the cards. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports, while Vince is interested in pursuing new business opportunities in the future, starting a new wrestling promotion is not on his agenda. The general consensus in the wrestling community is that it would be impractical for him to start from scratch and compete against an established giant like WWE.
McMahon isn’t the only person selling all of their TKO stock, because WWE President Nick Khan is doing the same.
Vince McMahon’s WWE Exit
McMahon has been with WWE for decades, first entering the company in the 1960s. After taking ownership from his father, Vince led the company into a global superpower. Bill Simmons’ upcoming Netflix docuseries will undoubtably tell that story in full.
In 2022, McMahon resigned from WWE after it was revealed that the company had made payments to settle sexual misconduct claims against him. However, as the main shareholder, he reappointed himself as chairman at the end of the year to help sell the company. In September, Endeavor Group Holdings, the company that owns UFC, bought WWE and formed a new publicly traded company called TKO.
McMahon resigned from his position as executive chairman of TKO in January following a sex trafficking lawsuit that accused him and other executives of sexual coercion and other serious acts. Slim Jim pulled their sponsorship just prior to the 2024 Royal Rumble premium live event, causing TKO CEO Ari Emanuel and TKO President and COO Mark Shapiro to urge McMahon’s resignation.
TKO Group Holdings was created after Endeavor Group Holdings acquired WWE the previous year.
