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WWE Hall of Fame Rejection: Why Paul Heyman Turned Down Past Induction Opportunities

Aaron Varble
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WrestleMania is in Philadelphia this year, and that city means a lot to Paul Heyman. He will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, which is a perfect location for him to receive that honor. It turns out that this was not the first time WWE tried to enshrine him into their Hall of Fame.

This year will mark the first year that Triple H gets to pick his Hall of Fame. Paul Heyman just so happens to be the first name that was announced under this new era. Although it’s not clear when WWE tried to induct him before, Heyman turned down that spot in the past.

Paul Heyman’s WWE Hall of Fame Induction

Paul Heyman’s induction into the WWE Hall of Fame this year wasn’t unexpected, given his longstanding contribution to WWE programming. As we stated above, the Philly location made everything perfect.

During a segment on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer revealed insights into Paul Heyman’s induction. He highlighted that this year’s class was selected by Paul Levesque rather than Vince McMahon, signifying a shift in decision-making authority.

Meltzer mentioned that Heyman had previously declined the offer to join the Hall of Fame but accepted this time, likely influenced by being the inaugural Paul Levesque inductee and the connection to Philadelphia, the birthplace of ECW, a pivotal chapter in Heyman’s career. Additionally, Meltzer speculated that Heyman’s inclusion might fulfill the requirement for a main eventer in the class.

“Yeah, so trivia note, this will be the first Hall of Fame class chosen by Triple H, and not Vince McMahon. So, Paul Heyman is the first Triple H Hall of Famer. He’s been offered the Hall of Fame before, but he turned it down with the idea that, you know, he’s still active. He didn’t want to be in the Hall of Fame until his career was over. I think the idea of being the first Triple H inductee, and it’s in Philly where ECW is from, and one of his main career claims to fame is ECW, maybe his biggest in a lot of ways, so there’s that.”

It was noted that “he has been offered this before,” but this year was a year he took the honor. It’s unknown exactly why Heyman didn’t turn it down this year, but fans in Philly will certainly show up to give Paul E his flowers.

2024 WWE Hall of Fame

As of this writing, we do now know who will induct Paul Heyman into the WWE Hall of Fame. We will have to see who else receives an honor this year to round out the class.

The 2024 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony will go down after the final SmackDown before WrestleMania 40. Although no other inductees have been announced, Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer mentioned that they heard a rumor that Haku is receiving an induction this year as well.

SEScoops will have continued coverage of this story as more information is made available. 

John Cena Says He Will Always Be “WWE Family First” Over Hollywood Success

Thomas Lowson
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John Cena is becoming a leading name in Hollywood, but the 16-time World Champion will always choose his WWE family above anything else. 

One plastered across WWE programming, Cena has become a rarer sight in the ring in recent years as his acting career continues to grow. Cena’s most recent match took place at WWE Crown Jewel and saw him lose (another rarity) to Solo Sikoa.

John Cena and WWE’s Family First

On a recent edition of the Insight podcast, Cena was asked about transitioning from WWE to acting and in what role he feels that transition was made official. WWE’s Greatest of All Time stated that he’ll never stop seeing as a member of WWE’s ‘family’ before anything else. 

“I don’t think I’ll ever not be a member of the WWE family first… from my perspective, the switch has never happened. You know me, I always speak fondly of WWE, my time and experience there.”

Cena also made sure to credit the fans, both those who supported him and those who reviled him, for making him the performer he is today.

“I can’t tell you how much the audience has made me the man I am today. Having to deal with all the polarizing audiences. We’ve seen a lot of performers not be able to do that and to have to do that for so, so long, it teaches you about you and you really go through a journey of self-worth, so I don’t think I’ll ever not be WWE family first.”

What’s Next? 

John Cena is eager to do something at WrestleMania 40, though it is unclear if a match for the former World Champion is in the cards. There are also concerns that Cena’s Peacemaker schedule could keep him from the show of shows. WWE WrestleMania 40 will take place from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA on April 6, and April 7. 

Watch: Drew McIntyre Taunts CM Punk Fans With “Victory Lap” After WWE Raw

Thomas Lowson
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WWE Superstar Drew McIntyre had some fun after this week’s episode of Raw, at the expense of fans who have rallied behind CM Punk. 

McIntyre has taken credit for CM Punk’s torn triceps injury which will prevent the ex-AEW star from competing at WrestleMania. McIntyre has even gone as far as to say he’s ‘saved’ WrestleMania by ridding the show of Punk, ensuring that Cody Rhodes would win the Men’s Royal Rumble and challenge Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40. 

Drew McIntyre Taunts CM Punk Fans

On this week’s episode of WWE Monday Night Raw, McIntyre defeated Jey Uso in the show’s main event. McIntyre would send a message after the match by leveling WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins with a Claymore Kick.

After Raw, McIntyre shared a video as he prepared to leave the area. The Scottish Warrior noticed a gaggle of fans who heavily booed McIntyre. After a CM Punk chant broke out, McIntyre played Punk’s theme to antagonize the crowd. McIntyre found it hilarious as he embarked on his “victory lap” in front of the fans.

What’s Next?

After winning the Men’s Elimination Chamber match in Perth, Australia, McIntyre’s Road to WrestleMania is crystal clear. The Scottish Warrior will challenge World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins at the two-night event this April. On this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw, it was stated that this match will take place on WrestleMania 40: Sunday. 

CM Punk won’t be competing at WrestleMania 40, but they still could still see an appearance from the Best in the World. CM Punk has been advertised for the April 1, go-home episode of WWE Monday Night Raw.

Rikishi Teases Getting Involved in Jimmy Vs. Jey Uso Feud, Says There’s “A Piece Missing”

Thomas Lowson
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0

Jimmy and Jey Uso appear to be on course to a match at WrestleMania 40, and their father Rikishi is open to being a part of their story. 

At WWE SummerSlam 2023, Jimmy betrayed his brother during the Tribal Combat match, costing his brother the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. While Jimmy said he did what he did to protect his brother, Jimmy has since done all he can to interfere with his brother’s plans.

Last week on Raw, Jimmy distracted Jey, costing his brother in his Intercontinental Championship match with GUNTHER. During this week’s show, Jimmy again got involved, costing Jey in the main event match against Drew McIntyre. 

Rikishi Getting Involved?

It’s been reported for some time that a match at WrestleMania 40 pitting Jimmy against Jey is in the works. Many fans have argued that their father WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi should have a role in the feud, potentially as the special guest referee. Speaking at Monopoly Events’ For The Love of Wrestling convention in Manchester, UK, Rikishi teased getting involved when asked about the rumored match. 

“I think it’s going to be a good match for WrestleMania. But there’s just a piece missing in that match. What do you guys think? There’s a piece missing. We’ve got Jey Vs. Jimmy. But there’s just that [piece missing.] Is it #WeWantRikishi?” 

WWE WrestleMania 40

WWE WrestleMania 40 will be the promotion’s fifth two-night event, a tradition established during the COVID-19 pandemic. The card for the show as it currently stands is as follows:

  • Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes (Undisputed WWE Universal Championship)
  • Iyo Sky (c) vs. Bayley (WWE Women’s Championship)
  • Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Becky Lynch (WWE Women’s World Championship)
  • Seth “Freakin” Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
  • GUNTHER (c) vs. Winner of Next week’s WWE Raw Gauntlet Match (WWE Intercontinental Championship)
  • Jimmy Uso Vs. Jey Uso (EXPECTED)

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

WWE Alum Blasts ‘Unnecessary’ Darby Allin AEW Revolution 2024 Spot: “Tell A Story & Make Fans Care”

Thomas Lowson
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Darby Allin once again shocked the world with his performance at AEW Revolution 2024, but one ex-WWE name found one spot to be entirely unnecessary. 

At AEW Revolution 2024, Allin and Sting retained the AEW World Tag Team Championships in the main event of the show. Allin, as expected, held nothing back in the match and displayed the caution-to-the-wind attitude that has made him a hit with fans. One particular dangerous spot saw Allin sent off a ladder through panes of glass. 

The Coach On AEW’s “Unnecessary” Spot

This is hardly Allin’s first death-defying stunt in an AEW ring, but it may have been his most dangerous spot of all time (to date!) Taking to Twitter, former WWE personality Jonathan  Coachman blasted the spot as unnecessary. Coachman acknowledged that his opinion will hardly go down well with AEW’s “army” of fans.

“Ok AEW army come after me. This is bananas and SO unnecessary. Can someone please teach the writers and Tony Khan that if you tell a good story you don’t have to do that crap and damn near kill yourself. Other than Mick Foley find any videos of a top star from WWE doing anything this reckless. I am all about getting talked about after a show but my god. If he hits one of those chairs he could have paralyzed himself and broken his back. Tell a story and make the fans care. Then this won’t have to happen or even be talked about doing.”

What’s Next? 

Sting is not interested in being a manager on AEW programming, but is open to talks with Tony Khan about a backstage role. As for the AEW World Tag Team Championships, they have been vacated and a tournament will determine the next set of champions. 

John Cena Says His Next WWE World Championship Win Will Be His Favorite

Thomas Lowson
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0

Which of John Cena’s WWE World Championships does the Hollywood star cherish the most? According to the man himself, it’ll be the next time he holds WWE gold. 

Due to his blossoming career in Hollywood, Cena hasn’t been a full-time competitor for WWE in years. Cena competed in four televised matches in 2023, the most in one year for ‘Big Match John’ since 2018. His most recent match saw him lose to The Bloodline’s Solo Sikoa at WWE Crown Jewel in November of last year. 

John Cena Teases 17th World Championship

At 16 WWE World Championships, Cena ties the record with Ric Flair for the most recognized title wins. Fans have often discussed the possibility of Cena surpassing the Nature Boy though that seems increasingly unlikely given his acting schedule. Speaking to Chris Van Vliet of Insight though, Cena was asked for his favorite World Championship win and teased one more run. 

“My next one [is my favorite.] I have often said that the time is coming for me to hang them up and I’m not lying when I say, but it’s not tomorrow. It’s probably soon but not tomorrow, so you never know.”

John Cena’s World Championship Wins

Cena’s first WWE World Championship would come at WrestleMania 21 when he ended the reign of JBL, who had been the longest-reigning WWE Champion for the prior decade before his defeat. Five of Cena’s World Championship reigns came by defeating WWE Hall of Famers, with Edge falling victim to the Chaingang leader on three separate occasions. His most recent World Championship win came at the 2017 Royal Rumble PLE and saw John dethrone AJ Styles. 

GUNTHER’s WrestleMania 40 Opponent To Be Set On RAW Next Week In Gauntlet Match

Aaron Varble
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0

WWE’s biggest show of the year, WrestleMania 40, will go down on April 6 and 7, 2024, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. GUNTHER will wrestle at the show of shows, and we are so much closer to figuring out his next opponent. 

Brock Lesnar was originally set to face GUNTHER at WrestleMania 40. Now, WWE has set up a gauntlet match for next week’s episode of RAW to determine who will face the Ring General.

GUNTHER’s Next Opponent

WWE is gearing up for WrestleMania 40, with numerous superstars vying for a significant spot at what is slated to be the grandest WrestleMania ever.

A major talking point revolves around GUNTHER and his WWE Intercontinental Championship reign, which surpasses all others in the company’s history.

Dominik Mysterio, Shinsuke Nakamura, Ricochet, JD McDonagh, and Sami Zayn are among the top stars eager to challenge The Ring General at the marquee event.

RAW General Manager Adam Pearce has been considering everyone’s arguments for weeks and has finally made his decision. On tonight’s episode, he announced a monumental 6-man gauntlet match featuring former WWE Intercontinental champions Sami Zayn, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Ricochet, along with rising talents Bronson Reed, Chad Gable, and JD McDonagh. The victor will earn the opportunity to face GUNTHER for the prestigious title at WrestleMania 40.

What’s Next on Road to WrestleMania 40

We will have to see what WWE does to continue building toward WrestleMania 40. In the meantime, you can check out the card so far below. Obviously, the card is always subject to change, so keep checking back with SEScoops for more updates!

  • Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes: Singles match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship
  • Seth “Freakin” Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre: Singles match for the World Heavyweight Championship
  • Iyo Sky (c) vs. Bayley: Singles match for the WWE Women’s Championship
  • Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Becky Lynch: Singles match for the Women’s World Championship
  • Gunther (c) vs. TBD: Singles match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship

WWE Shows Sting Love For Retirement Match During RAW This Week

Aaron Varble
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0

Sting wrestled his final match during AEW Revolution on pay-per-view. He and Darby Allin won the match, and Sting will retire a champion. Now, WWE is speaking out on the matter.

Although WWE remained radio silent about Sting’s retirement, even not allowing AEW to use footage of The Icon that they owned, Michael Cole gave Sting his flowers during the first match on RAW this week.

Sting Gets Love On WWE RAW

During RAW this week, as GUNTHER was gearing up for his match, Michael Cole was able to give Sting some love. He mentioned Sting’s retirement and congratulated him in the process.

“GUNTHER has been a great champion, and I want to send out our congratulations to another great champion, after 40 years, the great Sting has retired from professional wrestling. Thanks for the memories, congratulations to Sting.”

Pat McAfee them chimed in to say, “Absolutely epic match last night.” They did not mention AEW, or AEW Revolution. That being said, everyone know what happened last night on pay-per-view.

WWE referencing not only Sting, but his ‘epic match’ from an AEW pay-per-view, shows just how much respect the icon has earned across all walks of the industry.

Cody Rhodes Also Acknowledges Sting

Cody Rhodes also threw in a little name-drop for Sting during his first promo of the night. This was not lost on fans, either.

WWE got some grief from fans for not giving Sting any love during his retirement match. They certainly took care of that on RAW this wee.

SEScoops will have more on this story if additional updates are available. And, of course, thank you, Sting!

Seth Rollins Drops Bombshell Injury News While Responding To The Rock During Fiery RAW Promo with Cody Rhodes

Aaron Varble
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WWE RAW kicked off this week by addressing The Rock’s challenge that he laid down on SmackDown. Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins targeted The People’s Champion, and that came with a big announcement, too.

Seth Rollins is now 100% medically cleared. He confirmed that he will be on SmackDown this week to confront the Bloodline, and he’s ready to go.

Cody to the ring first this week, and after some words for fans, he invited Seth Rollins to join him, and that is what happened. Fans sang Rollins’ song for him, and then Cody had a chance to speak.

Seth Rollins Joins the Situation

The American Nightmare thanked Seth Rollins for having his back before. Then he made things very interesting. He said that if he wants to get out of this match against the Bloodline and focus on his match with Drew McIntyre, then he could do that.

Rollins appreciated Cody giving him an out, but he didn’t take it. He then said that taking down the Bloodline is the biggest thing they can do. Because it’s not just Cody’s story that needs to be finished, it’s Seth’s too.

Rollins and Roman Reigns have a long history with each other. From The Shield, they formed quite a bond, but then their paths split up. They are now on different sides of the equation, and “they are so close to Roman Reigns having absolute power” with The Rock in the Bloodline.

The decision was then made that Seth is not backing down, as “Rocky Sucks” chants rang out from the crowd. Rollins then invented a new nickname for The Rock: Diarrhea Dwayne. This is in reference to The Rock’s long promos, and then a “Diarrhea” chant rang out from the fans.

WWE SmackDown This Week

Rollins said he will be on SmackDown this week. He is medically cleared, and he’s ready to answer the Great One. Cody Rhodes has quite a message to deliver as well.

SEScoops will have continued coverage of this story, and so many more, on the road to WrestleMania 40.

Vince McMahon Cash-Out: Former Chairman Sells Over $400 Million Worth of TKO Shares

Aaron Varble
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Vince McMahon’s story with WWE may be over after he resigned from his position. That being said, the company still made him a very rich man, with the ability to cash out his massive stockpile of assets, and he decided to cash in on some of those options today.

McMahon recently sold 5,350,000 shares of TKO, worth around $412 million. It’s unclear why he needs the money, but he’s certainly getting a nice windfall of cash from this exchange.

Vince McMahon Unloading Stock

In a recent filing, it has been disclosed that Vince McMahon has sold a significantly large portion of his shares in the company. The filing reveals that McMahon has divested 5,350,000 shares of TKO, amounting to a total value of approximately $412 million.

Following this transaction, McMahon’s remaining stake in TKO stands at around 15 million shares, which corresponds to approximately 9% of the total outstanding TKO stock. This move indicates a substantial reduction in McMahon’s ownership interest in the company, although he still retains a significant portion of TKO shares.

Vince McMahon still has a ton of stock, but it’s not enough where he can re-insert himself into the WWE fold as he did before. The fact that he is selling even more stock would also give an idea that he has no intention to come back in the same way.

Mr. McMahon’s WWE Exit

McMahon resigned from his position with the company after Janel Grant’s lawsuit included damning allegations of sex trafficking and so much more. Now, we will have to see if anything happens with that lawsuit, or if they decide to settle out of court.

Vince McMahon helped build WWE into what it became today, but he no longer has an active hand in the company’s product. It remains to be seen if he will hold onto every bit of TKO stock he has left, but he’s certainly not opposed to selling some of it.

SEScoops will have more updates on this story as they are available. 

Sting Maintains That His Partnership With Darby Allin Was Mutually Beneficial

Ella Jay
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In late 2020, Sting made a surprise return to wrestling television, as he officially came aboard All Elite Wrestling and firmly aligned himself with Darby Allin. 

While Sting has claimed numerous singles championships over the years, the bookends of his historied career are marked with tag-team gold. On the closing end, Sting boasted an AEW Tag Team Championship reign with the ever-fearless Darby Allin. Looking back on their three-year partnership, Sting believes Allin elevated him just as much as he elevated Allin. 

“I hope, for Darby, that he’ll be remembered for being in a tag team with Sting, one of the veterans who pretty much did everything under the sun in wrestling for so many different wrestling organizations. And that was the goal, to try to elevate him, but I’m telling you, he elevated me. It went both ways,” Sting told Pro Wrestling Illustrated. “And I want to be remembered for this time as Darby’s tag team partner, for sure.”

Commonalities

Despite being at different points in their careers, Sting feels he and Allin shared similar backgrounds, especially with the circumstances surrounding their respective starts in professional wrestling. Through these commonalities, Sting and Allin were then able to establish a deep connection both in and outside of the ring.

“I don’t know if we’re kindred spirits, per se, but we have a lot in common in the wrestling world, with how our careers started,” Sting said. “We didn’t have a way to get into wrestling. We didn’t have an uncle or a father or a friend; we both slept in our cars, and that was our address. We both know what it’s like to get the tiny little payoffs and pretty much starve out there while making a name for yourself.”

“And then there’s what we have in common, like the painted face and the willingness to take risks. Darby blows me out of the water, but I was one of the first guys my size to take running dives over the top rope and to the floor.”

Sting and Allin’s journey together culminated at AEW Revolution, as they successfully defended the AEW Tag Team Championships against The Young Bucks in a tornado tag team match. This match also served as Sting’s official retirement match.

With Sting hanging up his wrestling boots, AEW President Tony Khan recently announced that new tag team champions will be crowned in an upcoming tournament. 

AEW Exit: Mike Santana Parts Ways with Company Following Roster Removal

Aaron Varble
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Santana has been around since the early days of AEW, as he and Ortiz’s debut was an early surprise for the company when they joined the Inner Circle. Santana was the adamant one behind a Proud n Powerful breakup, and now he is no longer in AEW. 

There have been issues between Santana and AEW for a while. Now, it has been confirmed that his removal from the company’s roster page on their site meant an official departure. 

Santana Is No Longer All Elite

Fightful Select has confirmed that Mike Santana is no longer with AEW after his removal from their roster page. The separation between Santana and AEW reportedly occurred last week.

Mike Santana has not been present backstage at AEW events for several months, and sources close to him have indicated his departure from the company following his removal from the AEW roster page. He made his return to AEW on the August 23, 2023, edition of AEW Dynamite after being sidelined for over a year due to a torn ACL sustained during the Blood & Guts match in June 2022. 

His last appearance for AEW was in the Stadium Stampede match at AEW All In, after which he began a feud with his former tag team partner, Ortiz. Santana emerged victorious against Ortiz on the October 27 episode of AEW Rampage but has not competed for the company since.

What’s Next For Santana

Despite his departure from AEW, Santana has remained active on the independent circuit, participating in events such as House of Glory’s Reckoning on March 2, where he successfully defended the HOG Heavyweight Championship against Penta El Zero Miedo. Additionally, he has appeared for promotions like C4 and Beyond Wrestling.

Santana and Ortiz joined AEW in 2019 amid significant anticipation, given their status as four-time IMPACT World Tag Team Champions and other achievements. They were known as LAX in Impact Wrestling and worked well with Konnan.

During Santana’s time with AEW, he was prominently featured as a member of the Inner Circle alongside Chris Jericho, Ortiz, Sammy Guevara, and Jake Hager. Although the group disbanded during Santana’s injury hiatus, he briefly reunited with Ortiz, despite personal differences, for the Stadium Stampede match.

Nic Nemeth Wants To Face Bryan Danielson Without The Constaints Of WWE

Ella Jay
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0

As the new IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship, Nic Nemeth is looking to make a significant mark in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Once he fulfills that quest, though, Nemeth is keen on rekindling a rivalry with one of his former WWE colleagues, who is now a prominent player in AEW.

In a recent interview with Monopoly Events, the former “The Most Wanted Man” expressed his desire to wrestle “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson for the first time outside of the WWE setting. Nemeth and Danielson — who were previously known as Dolph Ziggler and Daniel Bryan, respectively — shared the ring on over six-dozen occasions while under the WWE umbrella. 

Wanted Man Wants The American Dragon

Due to the creative constraints placed on them at the time, though, Nemeth isn’t sure if their matches ever lived up to their true potential. 

“I’d like to be back in [the ring] with Daniel Bryan too, without WWE saying he has to win and protecting him,” Nemeth said. “I want to go one-on-one with a guy that everybody treats as one of the best of all time and in the world and I go ‘You’re not better than me, not by a long shot.’ So I want to fight him one-on-one while everybody watches and goes ‘Oh right, I guess Nic’s pretty good too.’ No, I’m freaking great at this.”

“I would absolutely love that. I have a long list of some Japanese legends that I want to get into because I want to test myself, but man, when I come out on the other side of that, I’m looking for Daniel Bryan. I’m going headbutt him right in the head, knock him down, choke him out, tap him out. You name it, I can’t wait.”

Since departing from WWE in September 2023, Nemeth is now one of wrestling’s hottest free agents. Aside from his work in NJPW, Nemeth has also landed opportunities in TNA Wrestling, Game Changer Wrestling, and the World Wrestling Council. 

Given that NJPW and AEW have a well-established partnership, it is possible that Nemeth could also find himself in the territory of AEW and compete in his first non-WWE match against Danielson. 

Bryan Danielson Had A Pivotal Realization After AEW Revolution

Ella Jay
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0

Sunday’s match between Eddie Kingston and Bryan Danielson may have been contested for a trio of championships on paper, but in reality, it meant much more.

Danielson challenged Kingston for the Continental Crown Championship (ROH World, NJPW STRONG Openweight, and AEW Continental Championships) at Revolution 2024. The contest stipulated that if Danielson lost, he’d have to shake Kingston’s hand out of respect. In the weeks leading up to this face-off, ‘The American Dragon’ demonstrated repeated signs of disrespect toward Kingston, such as spitting in his face and flipping him off.

Danielson later revealed that his disregard stemmed from his belief that Kingston had fallen into several bad habits, and never lived up to his true potential. After Kingston defeated him at Revolution, though, Danielson came to a pivotal realization.

“I thought it would hurt me more than anything to shake Eddie’s hand and say that I respect him.” Danielson said in a post-match promo. “But there was a moment in that match where I knew I f***ed up his wrist. I’m good at that. I’m good at f***ing people up. And I know exactly how hurt he was, and he fought through it. There was this just this internal moment, this internal click that me not respecting Eddie, it wasn’t Eddie.”

Danielson Says The Underachiever Has Finally Realized His Potential

Though it may have taken longer than expected for Kingston to push past some of his struggles, Danielson is proud that he eventually did. In that same vein, Danielson is also proud of himself for seeing through his own “bull****” so he could give Kingston the nod that he well-deserved and earned.

 “All the things that we said about Eddie 20 years ago, about how much potential he had, about how he needed to work harder, about he needed to do this, and how he needed to do that, and how he needed to change his bad habits, and all of that. It took him a while, but he f***ing did it.

Here I was holding on to this petty bull****, and I realized it might have taken him longer, but the things that he’s battled through and the things that he’s struggled through, I should have given him my respect a long time ago.”

Eddie Kingston Is Grateful

For Eddie Kingston, the element of respect is all he ever wanted from his peers. 

While championships are great resume boosters, Kingston believes that one’s legacy is truly based on the amount of respect one garners from their cohorts. In his case, he was specifically aiming to impress the Blackpool Combat Club members — Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley, and Claudio Castagonli.

“I don’t care about promoters. No offense to the Twitter fans or fans that came out there. I appreciate y’all, but what I care about is the respect from the boys, because at the end of the day, you guys are the ones that are going to be talking about me,” Kingston told Danielson.

“Whether I was good, whether I was bad, whether I was a waste or not. I don’t want to get too emotional, so I’m gonna get out of here. I just want to say thank you, Bryan. Dude, thank you for everything.”

Wrestling World Reacts to Paul Heyman’s WWE Hall of Fame Induction Announcement

Thomas Lowson
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The wrestling world has shared their respect for Paul Heyman following the news that Heyman will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame later this year. 

The industry veteran who today serves as the special counsel to The Bloodline is the first name confirmed for this year’s class of inductees. It’s fitting that Heyman is being inducted in Philadelphia, as ECW is synonymous with the City of Brotherly Love. 

Reactions to Paul Heyman in the WWE Hall of Fame

With such a significant career in wrestling, many stars have paid tribute to Heyman ahead of his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame. Reigning Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns made it clear he acknowledges the Wise Man. 

Heyman’s fellow ECW alum Bully Ray was happy to welcome Paul E. into the club of WWE Hall of Famers. The Dudley Boyz took their spot in 2018. 

WWE Raw General Manager Adam Pearce may have had issues with the Bloodline, but he was able to recognize that Heyman’s induction is well deserved. 

Tommy Dreamer, another man who worked closely with Heyman in ECW, was appreciative of all that Paul had done for the industry. 

Sam Roberts, who has worked with WWE and Heyman several times, is excited to hear what Heyman has to say in his induction. 

Triple H was pleased to share the news of the induction of the legendary wrestling personality. 

Rafael Morffi, who until recently was a VP for All Elite Wrestling, also shared his congratulations to Heyman.

WWE Hall of Fame 2024

Heyman is so far the only name confirmed for this year’s Hall of Fame. The ceremony will take place on Friday, April 5, following that night’s edition of SmackDown on FOX. Heyman will become the first active manager to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. 

WWE RAW Preview (3/4): Becky Lynch vs. Nia Jax, Jey Uso vs. Drew McIntyre

Ella Jay
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0

The Road to WrestleMania continues as WWE makes a stop at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas for tonight’s episode of WWE Raw.

Here are the 2 matches announced for Raw, followed by our detailed preview into each one:

  • Becky Lynch vs. Nia Jax 
  • Jey Uso vs. Drew McIntyre

Raw Preview (3/4/24)

Here’s what you need to know heading into this week’s WWE Raw:

Becky Lynch vs. Nia Jax

Following her win in the grueling Women’s Elimination Chamber match, Becky Lynch confronted the woman she will now be challenging at WrestleMania 40 — WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley. Unfortunately for Lynch, their February 26th meeting was interrupted by “The Irresistible Force” Nia Jax, who blindsided Lynch with a pair of leg drops and an Annihilator. 

Fueled by her “Irish rage,” Lynch later retaliated, unleashing a counterattack on Jax during her singles bout against Liv Morgan. While Jax was eventually able to flee from her flurry of strikes last week, Lynch convinced Raw General Manager Adam Pearce to let them settle their differences in a one-on-one match tonight. This contest, of course, will serve as a rematch of their encounter at the Day 1 episode of Raw, where Jax emerged victorious.

Despite losing in their previous entanglement, Lynch is confident that she can permanently take Jax out of her path, so she can then properly focus on her WrestleMania title match against Rhea Ripley.

Jey Uso vs. Drew McIntyre

Old foes will meet once again following a backstage brawl on last week’s episode of WWE Raw. 

A week after his brother, Jimmy Uso, cost him the Intercontinental Championship, Jey Uso reflected on the pattern of his recent losses in a backstage interview with Jackie Redmond, pointing out that they seem to occur when the stakes are raised. Despite these losses, though, Jey Uso has vowed to keep showing up to Raw as the “Main Event” superstar he knows he is.

Before Uso could complete his thoughts, he was approached by “The Scottish Warrior” Drew McIntyre. Initially appearing to be extending Uso some empathy, McIntyre’s expression then turned cold as he proclaimed that Uso “deserve[s]” the misfortune that has come his way. Naturally, this led the two men to a backstage brawl.

Interestingly, former Intercontinental Champion Ricochet is also advertised — via WWE.com and the Frost Bank Center website — to appear on Raw. Should he compete, it will mark his first televised match since the 2024 Men’s Royal Rumble.

AEW Loading Up ‘Big Business’ Dynamite With Darby Allin vs Jay White

Dominic DeAngelo
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Darby Allin walked into the AEW Revolution press conference not knowing that he already had a match lined up at Big Business in Boston on March 13.

Before Allin and Sting made an unexpected appearance at the Revolution media scrum, Tony Khan revealed that he already had plans in place for the daredevil Darby. 

First, Khan made it known that the AEW World Tag Team Championships would now be vacated after Sting and Darby defeated The Young Bucks to retain the gold and that a tournament would be held to determine the new champions.

Secondly, Tony Khan then made it known that Darby Allin would be a big match at Big Business as he’ll take on Switchblade Jay White in singles action.

Much to Tony Khan’s surprise, it was almost immediately after when Sting and Darby Allin showed up at the scrum. Tony told Darby that he just revealed his upcoming match, but Darby Allin had no clue who his opponent was. Sting and Allin addressed the media for about 15 minutes until Khan dropped the news to Allin that he’d be facing White. Despite having a stitched-up bloody back due to the insane ladder and glass spot, Allin was still eager to go one-on-one with Jay White.

Allin mentioned how he purposefully showed up to the scrum to show everyone that he was okay and doing fine after the insane bump he took. Sting jokingly noted that took his fair share of table crashes in his last match too, but showed appreciation to The Young Bucks and Darby Allin for the effort everyone gave.

Paul Heyman To Be Inducted Into The WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2024

Thomas Lowson
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Paul Heyman, the legendary manager of some of WWE’s biggest stars, will take his place in the WWE Hall of Fame later this year. 

The Associated Press broke the news of Heyman’s induction, which will fittingly take place in Philadelphia, PA. Heyman is no stranger to the City of Brotherly Love, where ECW held some of its biggest shows with the industry veteran at the helm. In a statement to the AP, Heyman recalled the efforts made in the original ECW. 

“The extreme in ECW stood for the work ethic involved… The legacy of ECW is firmly rooted in the very simple concepts of paying attention to the cultural curve and obsessively trying to stay a few steps ahead of it.”

Paul Heyman Isn’t Finished Yet

While Heyman will soon be a WWE Hall of Famer, this won’t mark the end of his current work on TV as part of The Bloodline. Speaking to the Associated Press, Heyman made clear that there is still work to be done.

“I consistently feel like I’m just getting started, and I’m just figuring this out. To me, what is an incomplete body of work, because there’s still things I want to accomplish, I never felt comfortable accepting that is a reflection upon an entire career.” 

Triple H Reacts

On WWE programming, Paul Heyman and Triple H have often been rivals, with Heyman being in Brock Lesnar’s corner when the Beast feuded with the Game in 2012 and 2013. On Twitter though, the WWE COO was pleased to share his take on Heyman’s impending induction. 

WWE Hall of Fame 2024

Heyman is so far the only name confirmed for this year’s Hall of Fame. The ceremony will take place on Friday, April 5, following that night’s edition of SmackDown on FOX. Heyman will become the first active manager to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. 

Rhea Ripley’s Instagram Account Targeted in Hacking Attempt

Aaron Varble
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WWE Superstars need to be aware of hacking attempts at all times, because nefarious actors are waiting in the wings around every corner to steal their platforms. Those hackers can use Superstar profiles to bilk fans out of tons of cash, and that is why an extra step of authentication is always needed. Rhea Ripley knows this all too well.

The Nightmare woke up this morning, and her Instagram had been apparently tampered it. She said it was gone, which means hackers tried to do their thing again. Thankfully, they were not successful this time.

Hackers Target Rhea Ripley

The Eradicator shared on Twitter/X today that she went to bed with her Instagram account, but woke up to find it missing, suspecting a hacking attempt.

“Went to sleep with IG, woke up to no IG… ??? Guess someone tried to hack me.”

It’s unfortunate that someone attempted to hack Rhea Ripley’s Instagram account. We hope such incidents don’t occur again, but pro wrestlers have often been targeted with hacks.

Past Pro Wrestling Hacks

Matt Hardy’s social media has been hacked before, but he’s not alone. Ricky Starks also claimed that his account was hacked after sending out some nice words for CM Punk.

Of course, everyone remembers when Seth Rollins was hacked by crypto fiends, as his account briefly promoted an NFT collection with his “buddy” The Undertaker. That NFT scam was not legit, and the posts were removed when Rollins regained access to his account.

Mercedes Mone Drops Bold Tease For AEW Big Business Debut

Aaron Varble
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All Elite Wrestling is coming back to TD Garden in Boston, MA on Wednesday, March 13 with AEW Big Business. That very special episode of Dynamite is also expected to include a huge debut for the company, as the former Sasha Banks is set to make her big first appearance on an AEW stage.

Mercedes Mone is thought to have inked a deal with AEW some time ago. The trick was waiting for the right moment. With Big Business’ date in place, Mercedes is now putting out some pretty blatant teases about her future.

Mone Teases AEW Debut

Mercedes Mone is very good at keeping things close to the vest, especially when it comes to her business. She left WWE fans guessing for months about her return time and time again. Now, it’s AEW’s turn, but fans should know where to expect her.

While taking to her Instagram stories, Mercedes Mone dropped a pretty clear tease that she will be at Big Business. She also made it clear that she isn’t done in Japan, either.

Handled all my Big Business in Japan. See you again this Summer.

Mercedes Mone will be permitted to work in Japan while under AEW contract. This is the case with other stars on the roster, as they can take special appearances and matches for other companies.

Mercedes Mone’s Road To AEW

The terms of Mercedes’ deal with AEW are not clear yet, but she was asking a lot from WWE. That being said, she wasn’t asking for more than the top female on the roster receives, but they still couldn’t come to an agreement. Tony Khan was apparently willing to offer that paycheck to her, and now we find ourselves waiting on Mercedes’ big moment in the Land of All Elite.

Mercedes Mone appeared at AEW All In, but she couldn’t even be shown on camera standing. She was injured at the time, but the thought was that AEW was going to secure her services. After months of back-and-forth, and WWE entering the picture as well, Big Business looks to be the night when AEW fans finally see what Tony Khan has in mind for her.

Drew McIntyre Fires Shot at CM Punk: “I’m Keeping Him Relevant”

Aaron Varble
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CM Punk’s return to WWE sparked a wave of excitement from fans, but they only got to see him wrestle at the Royal Rumble before an injury took him out of action. Drew McIntyre believes that he has a lot to do with the reason fans are still talking about the Second City Savior.

Since Punk’s injury, Drew McIntyre has continued to throw shade at him. He even put out a t-shirt, where he was photoshopped posing over Punk’s grave. If you ask The Scottish Warrior, that relevancy CM Punk is seeing is all thanks to him.

Drew Makes Bold Claim

In recent weeks, McIntyre has taunted CM Punk through his WWE Raw promos and social media posts. All of this led fans to speculate that he will actually re-sign with the company, even though his contract is set to expire prior to Punk’s return.

During his appearance on WWE The Bump, McIntyre discussed his jabs at CM Punk. When questioned about whether he was being too harsh, the former WWE Champion responded that Punk should express gratitude for the attention, stating, “I think Punk and everyone should be thanking me. All his fans should be thanking me because I’m the one keeping him relevant right now by constantly talking about him.”

McIntyre also provided an update on his ear after mentioning a blown eardrum at WWE Elimination Chamber. Reiterating his comments from the February 26 episode of WWE Raw, he assured that the injury wouldn’t sideline him for WrestleMania, adding, “I might be hurt, but who do you think I am, CM Punk? It’s not gonna take me out the game.” 

He acknowledged the frustration of compromised hearing but humorously noted that it seemed to enhance his other senses. It seems that McIntyre’s quick wit is not injured one bit.

What’s Next For Drew McIntyre

We will have to see what is going to happen with CM Punk and Drew McIntyre. The two seem destined to throw down in some fashion. Hopefully, WWE and Drew can figure out their contract issues and get something official very soon.

Drew will take on Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 40 for the World Heavyweight Championship. That will be a fantastic opportunity for him at the showcase of the immortals, and only time will tell what is after that. A lot of things with McIntyre seem to be pending on his contract situation at this point. 

WWE Called Out For Snubbing Sting After AEW Revolution Retirement Match

Aaron Varble
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Sting wrestled his final match at AEW Revolution, and the pro wrestling world reacted in a big way. Despite his time in WWE, it seems that the company forgot to give The Stinger his flowers.

Pro wrestlers, fans, and companies from all over the world sent out tributes to Sting. WWE was not one of the companies that sent out a message, and this was noticed in a big way.

WWE No-Sells Sting’s Retirement

Sting and Darby Allin took on The Young Bucks in the final match of Revolution. That was a brutal glass-filled match, and tons of action went down. In the end, Sting and Darby Allin walked out of the building as champions.

NJPW, NOAH, TNA, and AEW sent out tributes to Sting. Plenty of other pro wrestling fans also sent out their favorite memories from The Icon. WWE was radio silent, as they did not give him any sort of tribute on any platform.

The fact is that WWE owns a majority of Sting’s career. They have the video libraries from practically every company Sting ever traveled through in their database. WWE could have put out a fantastic tribute video, but they decided not to.

https://twitter.com/AIRGold_/status/1764649664081531363

What’s Next for Sting

Sting said he’s done with in-ring competition, and he doesn’t really have any interest in becoming a coach. We will have to see what he does next, but the 64-year-old legend will get some time to enjoy his retirement now.

We will have to see if Sting gets any flowers at all during WWE RAW this week. Then again, the company is well on the road to WrestleMania 40 at this point, so odds are they are preoccupied and won’t be sending out any tribute for Sting.

SEScoops will have continued coverage of this story, just in case there are more updates. Sting will be missed, but he certainly left it all in the ring as he inspired generations to come.

Thank you, Sting.

AEW PPV Schedule 2024: 9 Events, Dates & Locations

Aaron Varble
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All Elite Wrestling is gearing up for it’s biggest year yet. When AEW launched in 2019, the company’s initial PPV schedule featured 4 quarterly events: Revolution, Double or Nothing, All Out and Full Gear. 

With the addition of AEW Dynasty, a new pay-per-view event on Sunday, April 21, here is the updated AEW PPV Schedule for 2024. This list includes all available information for all 9 events:

  1. AEW Revolution: March 3, 2024 – Greensboro, NC
  2. AEW Dynasty: April 21, 2024 – St. Louis, MI
  3. AEW Double or Nothing: May 26, 2024 – Las Vegas, NV
  4. AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door: June 30, 2024, Long Island, NY
  5. All In: London: August 25th – London, England
  6. AEW All Out: Labor day – September 1, Chicago, IL
  7. AEW WrestleDream: October 12, Tacoma, WA
  8. AEW Full Gear: November, 23, Newark, NJ
  9. AEW Worlds End: December 28, Orlando, FL

SEScoops will update this list when the remaining dates and locations are announced.

History of AEW PPV Events

AEW Double or Nothing

All Elite Wrestling launched in May 2019 at AEW Double or Nothing, the promotion’s inaugural pay-per-view event. Over the course of the next calendar year, they’d introduce All Out, Full Gear and Revolution.

The quarterly PPV schedule was kept until 2022, when the expansion period began. It began with AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door, a groundbreaking event that featured the top stars from both AEW and New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Last year, we saw the additions of All In: London from the historic Wembley Stadium, WrestleDream honoring the late Japanese wrestling legend Antonio Inoki and Worlds End, right before the end of the year.

AEW Dynasty now bridges the gap in the spring season between Revolution in February/March and Double or Nothing in late May over Memorial Day weekend. 

9 PPV’s appears to be a sweet spot for AEW, in addition to the three special events presented by Ring of Honor. If that’s not enough, AEW also runs special themed-editions of AEW Dynamite throughout the year, such as Big Business, Grand Slam, Fyter Fest, Holiday Bash & New Year’s Smash, and others.

Tony Khan Reveals Future Plans For AEW Tag Team Titles Following Sting & Darby Allin’s Victory

Dominic DeAngelo
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Sting indeed had a great send-off at AEW Revolution and his final match came off with a victory. This means he and Darby Allin are still the AEW World Tag Team Champions. Now Tony Khan has revealed what the future holds for those titles after Sting’s retirement.

Speaking with the media during the AEW Revolution press conference, Khan noted that after Allin and Sting retained, the Tag Team Titles will be vacated. 

Not only that, but Khan noted that a tournament will be held to determine the new champions. The AEW President said that it would all unfold in the month of March, coinciding with NCAA March Madness.

“We are going to vacate the AEW World Tag Team championship. So going forward, there will be a tournament — I’ll talk more about that, there will be more to reveal, a lot of exciting tournaments, there will be more than one bracket to fill out in March”

Sting & Darby Allin vs. The Young Bucks rightfully closed out the evening in the main event spot in Greensboro, NC, but the fans were also treated with another tag bout earlier on that had a lot of ties to the location. 

FTR, two talents from North Carolina, took on Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli, who happened to pay homage to the legendary Road Warriors by coming out in spiked shoulder pads. Moxley and Castagnoli will likely receive a top seed in the tournament considering they got the victory over Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler.

As for Sting and Allin, their tornado tag battle with The Young Bucks created a lot of buzz, not just because of the significance of the match but because of how brutal the fight itself was. 

All men in the bout took some significant bumps. The most notable of it came from Allin who leapt from a massive ladder only to come crashing down on a pane of glass. The spot brutally cut up his back, requiring him to receive several stitches. Though despite this spot, Darby has confirmed that he will be taking a break from AEW for a significant undertaking later this month. 

You can check out the full media scrum below:

Daily Drop (3/4): WWE Hall of Fame Update, Sting Bids Farewell

Aaron Varble
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Welcome to SEScoops: the Daily Drop, your go-to for the latest news and rumors in wrestling for Monday, March 4th. Last night was AEW Revolution, which was a big event. Now, we have seen how Sting wraps up his in-ring career. There is a lot of news to get to, so let’s get to it.

There is a ton of Sting news, and you can click here for a run-down of everything that went into his big retirement match.

Days until WrestleMania XL: 33

WWE

– I was told that WWE Hall of Fame announcements for this year’s ceremony are coming ASAP.

– Dragon Lee is also expected to end his hiatus very soon.

– It turns out that Virgil kept a huge secret about his age for decades. It wasn’t until after his passing when fans finally found out how old he really is.

– Trish Stratus has teased retiring at WWE Money in the Bank in Toronto this Summer.

– New evidence in Ashley Massaro’s rape case has been unearthed after a FOIA request brought the entire redacted file is now public.

– Kamille confirmed in a recent interview that she has spoken to Shawn Michaels about joining WWE’s NXT brand. “Never say never is great in professional wrestling. I mean, look at CM Punk going back to WWE. Literally never say never. Once again I just appreciated so much that, that he’s even taking the time out to look at my work, to enjoy my matches, watch my promos, stuff like that. I mean, you know, I had conversations with Shawn Michaels and I had no clue that Shawn Michaels had any idea who in the world Kamille was and found out he was a big fan. Stuff like that blew my mind. And it was super humbling and amazing. And yeah, to hear Tony have such nice feedback when you asked him the question the other day, was really refreshing.”

WWE RAW Card for March 4, 2024 Episode:

  • Drew McIntyre vs. Jey Uso
  • Becky Lynch vs. Nia Jax
  • Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins will address The Rock’s WrestleMania 40 challenge
  • Match to determine Gunther’s WrestleMania 40 opponent will go down

AEW

– Darby Allin commented on his insane AEW Revolution stunt with the glass. He’s still alive, but he was very cut up.

– Pro wrestling legends showed up for Sting’s last match. Along with Ric Flair, Magnum TA, Nikita Koloff, and Scotty Riggs were there.

– A lot of planning went into Sting’s retirement match, and you can check out more information here.

– Hangman Page may have a long break from AEW in store for him after Revolution.

– The pro wrestling world reacted in a big way to thank Sting after his retirement match.

Upcoming Major Pro Wrestling Events

  • AEW Dynamite: Big Business will be hosted at Boston’s TD Garden on March 13th.
  • WWE NXT Stand & Deliver is slated for the afternoon of April 6th, just before the start of WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia.
  • WrestleMania XL is set to take place on April 6th and 7th at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as a two-part event.
  • AEW is coming to St. Louis, MO with AEW: Dynasty LIVE on PPV on Sunday, April 21st at Chaifetz Arena
  • Backlash France is scheduled for May 4th at LDLC Arena in Décines-Charpieu, France.
  • WWE NXT Battleground is booked for May 26th at Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia, exclusively available on the WWE Network and Peacock.
  • WWE Money in the Bank will be held on July 6th at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, followed by WWE NXT Heatwave on July 7th at the same venue.
  • WWE Bash In Berlin is marked for August 31st at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany.
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