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Cryptic Music Continues To Play Off-Air On WWE SmackDown

Dominic DeAngelo
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The cryptic teases continue in build for what could potentially be a return for Bo Dallas and WWE had two different methods of such on SmackDown.

The one that was on air involved a sudden QR code appearing during Triple H’s entrance, but another tease happened in between commercial breaks. There was a point in the middle of the show where the lights dim and a Billie Holiday-like song began to play.

This prompted fans to light up their phones and it even prompted a Bo Dallas chant afterwards.

What Is The Song That’s Playing?

Although the singer sounds like Billie Holiday, it’s actually a late artist by the name of Marti Amado and the song is called “Nightbird.” The lyrics certainly hearken to Wyatt Family allusions as you can read them below.

The nightbird calls and shadows creep

Into my mind, into my sleep

I do not know if I shall rise

Or open up these weary eyes

The withered trees, how they creak and moan

Beneath the moon, how the demons groan

They come to me and pull me down

Down into the swamp without a sound

I sink again, just like a stone

My body’s cold and I’m all alone

I do not think that I shall rise

Or open up these weary eyes

[Verse 2]

I sink once more, just like a stone

The darkness chills me to the bone

Th? water’s deep, I shall not rise

No more to lift th?se weary eyes

No more to lift these weary eyes

A big tease for a Bo Dallas (and potentially Uncle Howdy return) first sparked at the end of the Bray Wyatt documentary trailer and that’s when speculation began flying as to what could come for the future of the angle.

Recent free agent Matt Hardy began making posts about his past with Bray Wyatt and former Wyatt Family member Erik Rowan actually removed himself from an independent booking due to scheduling conflicts. Additionally, Braun Strowman is still apart of WWE.

Bo Dallas was reportedly playing Uncle Howdy back during Bray Wyatt’s return, but fans hadn’t seen the younger Rotunda brother for years since he and Curtis Axel were members of the B-Team.

Someone who is an advocate for a Bo Dallas return under the “Wyatt Universe” is the brothers’ father, WWE Hall Of Famer Mike Rotunda. Speaking with Peter Rosenberg, Rotunda talked about the potential of his sons flourishing with those gimmicks.

“Bray Wyatt and the Wyatt Family was one of my favorite gimmicks of all time. Both boys, I think they could have gotten a lot more mileage out of Bray Wyatt and the Wyatts, and also with Bo. Bo was the youngest NXT Champion they ever had. He was probably 18 or 19 years old. He caught the business quickly,”

Keep tabs on SEScoops as this storyline develops.

H/t to Fightful for the transcription.

A-Town Down Under Defend New WWE Tag Titles Against Rey Mysterio After SmackDown, NFL Star Involved

Dominic DeAngelo
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Once SmackDown went off the air, there were not one, but two matches still on tap for the WWE fans in Pittsburgh, PA.

Grayson Waller and Austin Theory were presented with the new WWE Tag Team Championships on Friday night, which gave them the opportunity to not shake Triple H’s hand during the reveal. The champs did happen to stick around for the fatal four way tag match between New Catch Republic, The Street Profits, AOP, and Legado Del Fantasma to see Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins become the number one contenders.

Waller and Theory’s night was not done however as the new champs had to put their new hardware on the line against Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee. Popular Pittsburgh Steeler, Cam Heyward happened to be sitting behind commentary and Waller was quick to talk smack on the mic to the big defensive lineman. 

Mysterio then grabbed the stick and made it clear that he and Dragon Lee had a different agenda.

“Let me give you a little update, you don’t want to show [the titles to them] it’s all good. Once we take those titles, we’ll bring them over there to them.”

Waller and Theory continued the smack talk during their first title defense as both jaw-jacked with kids at ringside. Lee and Mysterio almost got the victory when Rey just about hit the 619 but the heel duo got the definitive three count on the WWE Hall of Famer to retain.

A “Steel City Street Fight” Also Takes Place

Even though Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee didn’t come out victorious, fans were still anticipating a “Steel City Street Fight” Between Bobby Lashley and Karrion Kross. Kross and Lashley slugged it out but it was “The All Mighty” getting the W when he speared Kross through a table and got the 1-2-3.

Sporting Stars Wayne Rooney & Anthony Joshua Attend WWE Live Event in London’s O2

Thomas Lowson
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The stars were out at a recent WWE live event in the UK as the promotion’s ‘new era’ continues to be a hit with audiences around the world. 

On Friday evening, WWE hosted an event in the O2 Arena in London, England, which served as the host of WWE Money in the Bank 2023. As seen in the photos below, some huge names from the world of sport were in attendance. Soccer legend Wayne Rooney was spotted in the crowd while boxer Anthony Joshua was able to meet Natalya and the Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. 

This event in the O2 isn’t Rooney’s first foray into the world of WWE. In 2015, Rooney attended an event in London and was confronted during the show by King Barrett. Undeterred by the former Nexus leader, the Manchester United alum delivered a swift slap to Barrett. 

As for Joshua, he hasn’t competed since his knockout victory over Francis Ngannou in March but has plans to fight again this September. While the Olympic Gold Medalist and two-time World Boxing Champion has yet to step into a WWE ring, Joshua said in 2021 that he wanted to try his hand at pro wrestling. 

The two celebs watched on as Natalya beat Shayna Baszler while Cody Rhodes defeated Shinsuke Nakamura in the main event to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship. If WWE’s recent wave of momentum is anything to go by, the pair had a great show at the O2, and it may not be the last time we see these names and other celebrities at a WWE event. 

Hammerstone Gunning To Be ‘The Face Of TNA’ (Exclusive)

Dominic DeAngelo
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Hammerstone was already the face of one wrestling promotion and the former MLW World Heavyweight Champion looks to continue that trend in TNA.

The recent TNA signee first made his TNA debut without any deal by facing Josh Alexander at Hard To Kill, the company’s first PPV since their jump back to the old TNA letters. Hammerstone came up short in that exchange but got his revenge as TNA Sacrifice as he defeated ‘The Walking Weapon’ and took Alexander’s signature headgear as a “scalp” to pin on his wall. Now the rubber match takes place Saturday at TNA Rebellion. This time, it’s a Last Man Standing match.

I spoke with Hammerstone this week about Rebellion, his goal to be the new face of TNA and so much more. 

Hammerstone says there was no better way to show up in TNA than being thrown right into the deep end. Even in a promo before joining the company, He made clear that he’s a shark that’s on the hunt and was ready to take on all comers as a free agent. The big man didn’t have to wait for long as TNA did end up signing him. When asked if he looks forward to the notion that he could potentially be the face of another wrestling company, Hammer was more than willing to oblige.

“Listen, there’s no time in wrestling where I’ve ever shown up and just wanted to get paid and have a match and go home. Every place I go I want to get to the top. I want to conquer. That’s my goal. That’s my mission statement from day one.”

Hammerstone notes that it will be a tough hill to climb on the TNA roster and that there are a lot of names who have been there longer than he has. However, that won’t deter him from keeping his eyes on the top of that hill.

“I’m not intimidated. You know, I have a feeling if we have this same conversation this time next year, we’ll be talking about myself being the face of TNA.”

Hammerstone had a bit of a warm-up match on the go-home episode of TNA Impact as he took on Little Guido who recently just unveiled a new version of the FBI. Unfortunately for Guido, Hammerstone manhandled the maybe mafiasio.”

TNA Sacrifice airs this Saturday at 8 PM ET on PPV.

Bars, Buses & Breweries Benefit From the Impact of WWE Royal Rumble 2024 PLE

Thomas Lowson
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Officials in St. Petersburg, FL will be hoping to see WWE return as more details have come out about the highly successful Royal Rumble 2024 event. 

The January 27, show saw Cody Rhodes win his second Royal Rumble match and become the fourth man ever to achieve this feat back-to-back. On the women’s side of things, Bayley won the Women’s Royal Rumble match with a record-breaking performance in the bout. 

The show generated $47,047,401 in overall economic impact with $28,337,038 of that coming from direct spending, a new economic impact study has revealed. There was also $2,923,664 million tax dollars generated by the popular Premium Live Event. 

Ferg’s Sports Bar, which is located near Tropicana Field, did seven times its usual business during the day of the Royal Rumble PLE. Fans were indeed ready to enjoy the show with a drink as Green Bench Brewing Company saw a 10-15% increase in custom over a typical Saturday in the city. 

Fans in Florida weren’t just there to drink and watch wrestling. For those able to survive the post-Royal Rumble hangover, the Imagine Museum had a 25 percent increase in attendance the day after the Royal Rumble. The Sun Runner bus had a 95 percent increase in ridership on the day of the Royal Rumble.

The Royal Rumble is always a popular event and that was no exception this year. The event gave fans what they wanted to see to kick off the WrestleMania season and these immense figures make the ongoing success of WWE on all metrics hard to ignore.

Kyle O’Reilly’s Injury Taught Him He’s Better At Being A Father Than A Pro-Wrestler

Thomas Lowson
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Kyle O’Reilly’s time away from the ring was tough on the AEW star but helped teach an important lesson about himself as a father. 

O’Reilly returned to AEW programming at the Revolution 2024 event in March. This return came close to two years after he underwent neck fusion surgery for an injury that’d kept him out of action since June 2022. 

Spending over a year away from the ring was understandably difficult for the veteran wrestler, but there has been a silver lining to his hiatus. As he explained to Fightful, his injury led to O’Reilly spending more time at home, which led to him learning more about himself. 

“My daughter, who was six months old when I got hurt, and now I’m going back and she’s over two. I got to spend all that quality time at home with her and playing that stay-at-home dad role. I found that I’m a better dad than I ever was a wrestler.”

In the interview, O’Reilly added that patience was key in his lengthy recovery process, as was staying positive in spite of what had happened to him. The Undisputed Era alum admitted that recovering took longer than first expected as complications prolonged his comeback period. 

It’s great that O’Reilly was able to spend quality time with his daughter as the wrestling business unfortunately often leads to parents being on the road for a long time without seeing their kids. Fatherly instincts aside, O’Reilly will be all business at AEW Dynasty when he challenges for the AEW International Championship. 

Kenny Omega: Rossy Ogawa Puts Underage Girls In Swimsuit Calendars, Talent Refuse to Work with Him

Thomas Lowson
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Kenny Omega has spoken against Marigold founder Rossy Ogawa who is set to embark on a working relationship with WWE. 

Ogawa was present at WWE NXT Stand & Deliver alongside Giulia who is set to officially join WWE later this year. Giulia will be a part of Marigold’s first event and is set to make occasional appearances for the promotion after becoming a fully-fledged WWE Superstar. 

During a recent Twitch stream, Kenny Omega didn’t hold back with his comments about Ogawa, who he dubbed an ‘e-drone.’ Omega went further and said that women in wrestling are wise to keep away from Ogawa and his business practices. 

“There are a lot of people who refuse to work for him for the very same reason. Some of those people are in WWE. Some are in AEW. They have a very good reason.”

Later in the stream, Omega said that Ogawa “puts underage girls in very revealing swimsuit calendars.” The AEW EVP insinuated that there were even worse actions being committed but didn’t want “lawyers barking at my door.”

Omega ended his comments by wishing Marigold performers look and that he’d be “very hesitant” if he was in their shoes. Omega also said that he’s ‘with’ Asuka and that the pair of them are ‘bros.’ The WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion has previously stated that Ogawa created STARDOM to defeat her. 

These are certainly some shocking claims against Ogawa, ones that WWE should take seriously when looking at their impending working relationship with Marigold. While fans are excited to see WWE partner with other promotions in their new era, the deal with Marigold could be under serious scrutiny given Omega’s claims. 

QR Code Teases Continue On 4/19 SmackDown: Decoding The Symbols Behind Latest Video

Thomas Lowson
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A new QR code that aired on the April 19, episode of SmackDown has once again left fans sifting through the symbols and clues to find out what’s to come. 

WWE CCO Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque was at this week’s SmackDown in his latest efforts to demonstrate the promotion’s new era. Mere days after new titles were introduced on Raw, The Game and Nick Aldis revealed new WWE Tag Team Championships to A-Town Down Under. 

During Triple H’s entrance, however, a QR code appeared for a brief moment, the latest in a bizarre string of instances ever since the post-WrestleMania 40 Raw. Users who scanned the QR code were taken to a website featuring a mysterious hooded figure dressed in black. 

Who is this mysterious figure?

This website also contains a hidden link. Clicking it takes you to an image and coordinates (45.7455 N, 13.4674 E.) Following these coordinates takes you to a cave in Slovenia. This cryptic site also has the following video. 

Decoding the Message

Following on from the coordinates, the video in question features cave imagery, which was pseudo-prevalent for the video fans found by deciphering the clues on this week’s Raw. That video featured imagery to the philosophical works of Plato, specifically his allegory of the cave. 

Plato argued in his work Republic that man spends his time looking at a cave and what we see are mere shadows of the real world cast by an outside light. The shadows that appear on the wall are man’s reality, they are not accurate representations of the real world and are merely a fraction of the actual reality. The text in the SmackDown video that alludes to ‘opening eyes’ adds more credence to the overall theme of perception of reality. 

The video also includes an image of a crow or raven, both of which are birds associated with darkness. Both birds are scavengers and are generally associated with dead bodies. A group of crows is called a ‘murder’ while a group of ravens is an ‘unkindness.’

A unique symbol also appears in the SmackDown video and also appeared in the Raw video. This symbol of a circle inside a bisected cup is the symbol of the dwarf planet Pluto, and has been since 1933. In astrology, Pluto is associated with secrets and monumental changes experienced over a lifetime. 

What’s to Come?

Many believe these teases are building to the return of Uncle Howdy, previously played by Bo Dallas who has been under contract since 2022. WWE teased the return of Uncle Howdy following their Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal documentary. WWE also used QR codes and unique marketing for the ‘White Rabbit’ angle that resulted in Wyatt’s return at Extreme Rules 2022. 

New WWE Tag Team Championships Introduced, SmackDown Tag Titles Retired

Thomas Lowson
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The WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship belts have officially been retired, with the new WWE Tag Team Titles being introduced on the 4/19 WWE SmackDown. 

WWE CCO Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque was on the show to introduce the new titles to A-Town Down Under, who won the SmackDown Tag Titles at WrestleMania 40: Saturday. This reveal wasn’t a massive surprise, however, as the Game had revealed the new World Tag Team Titles on Raw mere days earlier. 

The new championship designs are a throwback to the original WWE Tag Team Championship design that proved immensely popular with fans. No doubt this new championship design will only help solidify that this is a new era, one in which the fans feel they are being listened to. 

While A-Town Down Under were pleased to receive the new gold, they pushed their luck with Triple H. The pair continued to taunt the Game which resulted in SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis stepping in and threatening to deal with the pair personally. 

New Challengers

With new WWE Tag Team Championship titles, there was also a need for new challengers. Immediately after this presentation, a four-way tag-team match saw The Street Profits overcome New Catch Republic, Legado del Fantasma and The Authors of Pain to become the No. 1 Contenders to the WWE Tag Team Titles. The Profits are one of three teams to have held the Raw, SmackDown, and NXT Tag Team titles are are now eager to add another pair of belts to their collection. 

WWE Talent Releases April 2024: Jinder Mahal Among Names Leaving After Latest Shakeup

Anutosh Bajpai
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Jinder Mahal is among the names released by WWE today.

The former WWE Champion posted an ominous message on Twitter today. The Maharaja claimed that he had ‘quit’ implying that he was leaving the company.

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful then provided an update and noted that alongside Mahal, Xyon Quinn and Xia Li have also been let go by the company. You can check out the updated list of talents released in April 2024 below:

  • Jinder Mahal
  • Xyon Quinn
  • Xia Li
  • Veer Mahaan 
  • Sanga

This is the latest WWE shake-up to take place. In the past month, the company has parted ways with major behind-the-scenes names such as Executive Vice President of Talent Relations, Dan Ventrelle and Senior Vice President of Athlete ID & Development Trent Wilfinger.

The release of longtime WWE Director of Community Relations and Hall of Famer Sue Aitchison raised a lot of eyebrows and Artist Rob Schamberger also confirmed his departure from the promotion earlier this week.

Wrestling World Reacts To April 2024 WWE Releases

Veer Mahaan took on his Twitter to write a message in Hindi after the news of his release became public knowledge. His tweet translates to: “When it comes to the honor and respect of Indians, sacrifice comes first. Good Bye WWE”

Xia Li posted a statement on Twitter thanking Triple H and everyone else who helped her through this run. She said that it’s not the end but a new beginning. Kairi Sane who is a close friend of Xia was among the people who reacted to her post:

Latest WWE Releases

This is the second time Jinder Mahal has been released by WWE after his initial release in 2014. He returned to the company in 2016 leading to his WWE Championship reign in 2017. He returned to NXT for a run most recently as well.

Xia Li was signed by the company in 2017 after a tryout in China. She became the first Chinese woman to compete in a WWE ring when she entered the 2018 Mae Young Classic tournament. After an NXT stint she made her main roster debut in 2021.

Xyon Quinn had a somewhat similar WWE experience. He signed a development contract with NXT in 2018. Quinn made his on-screen debut for the company during a SmackDown episode in April 2020 losing to Sheamus in a singles match.

He continued his stint with NXT despite multiple main roster appearances. He was declared a free agent during the 2023 Drafts and made occasional appearances on both of WWE’s premiere shows.

Mahal noted on his Twitter bio that the standard 90 days non compete clause applies to his release and the same should be true for the other departures as well.

Considering the backstage shakeups preceding the latest set of WWE releases, more names leaving the roster can emerge in the next few hours. You can stay tuned to SEScoops for any updates.

Seth Rollins Recovering After Recent Knee Surgery

Thomas Lowson
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Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins will be out for the foreseeable future as he is recovering from knee surgery. 

Rollins hasn’t appeared for WWE since his loss to Drew McIntyre at WWE WrestleMania 40: Sunday. During an appearance on RTE One’s The Late, Late Show, Becky Lynch was asked about how she and Rollins handle wrestling and being parents and disclosed her husband’s recent surgery. 

“So he just got surgery on Tuesday, he had knee surgery. He tore his meniscus a little while before WrestleMania. His rehab, I suppose, is running after a little 3-year-old now. That’ll be great for his knee.”

News of Rollins’ surgery shouldn’t come as a massive surprise to fans. In the weeks leading up to WrestleMania, much had been said about the physical condition of the then-World Heavyweight Champion. Post-WrestleMania, it was reported that Rollins would be taking a break from programming. 

While an initial report said that Rollins wouldn’t miss much time at all, this surgery will have presumably extended the length of his hiatus from the ring. Rollins suffered a partial meniscus tear during a match on Raw in January and opted to rest so that he could still wok both nights of WrestleMania 40. 

After a 316-day reign on top that saw Rollins lead the way in the absence of Roman Reigns, Seth has certainly earned some time off and can hopefully make a full recovery. At this time, it’s unclear when fans can expect him back but we’re wishing him all the best.

Cody Rhodes Vs. AJ Styles Set for WWE Backlash: France in First-Ever Showdown

Thomas Lowson
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Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes will put the title on the line against AJ Stlyes at Backlash: France, in what’ll be a first-time showdown between the two. 

Styles became the number one contender for the title on the April 19, episode of WWE SmackDown with a victory over LA Knight. The previous week, Styles had qualified for the number one contenders match by winning a triple threat that included Kevin Owens and Rey Mysterio. 

Rhodes didn’t appear in person during WWE SmackDown as he has been in the UK as part of his first overseas tour as Undisputed WWE Champion. In a video promo from London’s O2 Arena, Rhodes spoke about Styles and dubbed him the modern-day ‘Excellence of Execution.’ Rhodes added that his fellow ‘Georgia Boy’ rarely misses, but he doesn’t miss either and he’s looking forward to the showdown in Lyon, France.

Despite the lengthy careers of both men, this’ll be the first time that Rhodes and Styles face off in singles action. It would only be a handful of months after Styles joined WWE in January 2016 that Rhodes left the company under the bbeleif that he could become something bigger outside WWE. 

Though AJ and Cody have yet to go one-on-one, Styles knows what it’s like to step into the ring with a Rhodes. In October 2003, Styles faced the American Dream Dusty Rhodes in TNA Wrestling for Styles’ NWA World Heavyweight Championship. The Phenomenal One left with the gold that night and hopes to do the same at Backlash: France when the Undisputed WWE Championship is on the line. 

Nic Nemeth On ‘Getting Serious’ With TNA After 19-Year WWE Relationship, Rebellion (Exclusive)

Dominic DeAngelo
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Nic Nemeth has shown to be quite the rebel so it’s only fitting that ‘The Most Wanted Man’ is challenging for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship at Rebellion. Nemeth with go mono-a-mono with Moose, allowing Nic to potentially achieve his first World Championship outside of WWE.

Nemeth has been a busy man since his WWE exit as he’s competed in high-profile independent matches, but also have already achieved big notoriety in New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

In a SEScoops exclusive, Nemeth gave some details as to how his TNA deal came to be. Nemeth noted what exactly allured him to the company were several components: the talent, the long-term booking plan, the rebrand back to TNA and the company plan all intrigued him. Nemeth felt like he’d just been through the ringer for nearly two decades with WWE and the former World Champ wanted some time to explore his newfound freedom.

“I go, ‘Man, I don’t want to be tied down.’ I want to be like a hired gun that bounced around because I just got out of a long term relationship. 19 years, most abusive relationship of my life. I just got out of it.’ So I said, ‘I don’t want to like, put down it like, for the next three years I’m stuck in this deal. Whether I hate you or you hate me or it all works out,’

“I go, ‘Let me just do the dates. I’m not going to screw you guys over. I’m rooting for you and I want to help. So I did a certain amount of dates and then re-up for double dates.’ I go, ‘I believe in this product. Let’s go.’”

Ready For Rebellion

Nic Nemeth may have a great deal of notoriety, but he knows he’s not the big man under the TNA umbrella. Both literally and figuratively, Moose is that man, but Nemeth knows he’s ready to square up against the former NFL star.

“He has that break speed like a linebacker and I’m trying to think I go, What the hell do I have that he doesn’t?’ I’m shorter and maybe I’m faster, but here’s the best part: this jaw right here – I can take a punch. So he’s not ready for someone like me to be able to take a punch or a headbutt or a kick or a driver onto the floor because I never stop coming back up.”

TNA Rebellion 2024 takes place this Saturday, April 20 from Las Vegas and will stream live on TrillerTV pay-per-view ($39.99).

Tiffany Stratton Shares What Made Her First WWE PLE Unforgettable (Exclusive)

Ella Jay
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Tiffany Stratton is one of WWE’s fastest  rising stars. Following an impressive showing in the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble, the former NXT Women’s champion joined the SmackDown brand and has earned victories over Liv Morgan, Naomi, and Zelina Vega. 

Stratton spoke with SEScoops earlier this month during the WWE Media Day in Philadelphia over WrestleMania 40 weekend about wanting to wrestle Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 41 and more. 

A Thunderous Pop In Perth

Ahead of the 2024 Elimination Chamber event, WWE held a special press event before the members of the WWE Universe, as well as the media, in Perth, Australia.

In an effort to hype the Women’s Elimination Chamber match, the likes of Bianca Belair, Becky Lynch, and Tiffany Stratton were brought out onto the stage. Naturally, Belair and Lynch were greeted by their usual round of cheers, but in a surprise turn of events, a heel Tiffany Stratton was as well. She tells SEScoops correspondent MuscleManMalcolm:

“I remember being backstage at the press conference, and I remember Triple H said my name and they popped like crazy. It was like the loudest pop, and then they were chanting ‘Tiffy Time’ before I even came out there. It was just so amazing! It was such a good experience for my first PLE.”

Chants for “Tiffy Time” later extended to the Elimination Chamber event itself, as the people of Perth proudly shouted Stratton’s catchphrase not only during the Women’s Elimination Chamber match, but also during the men’s.

High School Musical Hot Take

The former WWE NXT Women’s Champion has previously credited the character of Sharpay Evans of the “High School Musical” film series as one of the inspirations behind her wrestling persona. As such, Stratton was asked to identify which of the three “High School Musical” films was her favorite.

While she thoroughly enjoys the second iteration, Stratton admits to having a particular affinity for the series’ finale, “High School Musical 3.”

“I’m going to go with two and three, but kind of leaning more to three,” Stratton said. “I just feel like the characters were more grown up and I feel like the the cameras were better quality.”

The Rock Calls WrestleMania 40 ‘Chapter 1’ of His Story As WWE’s Final Boss

Thomas Lowson
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The Rock is ready to do much more as the ‘Final Boss’ of WWE following the historic WrestleMania 40 Premium Live Event. 

WrestleMania 40: Sunday went off the air with Cody Rhodes standing tall as Undisputed WWE Champion, despite the efforts of The Rock and The Bloodline. On the post-WrestleMania Raw, The Rock made clear that he’ll be back one day and that he’s coming for the American Nightmare. 

The Rock is expected back on WWE programming, and his return could happen before 2024 is up, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports. It’s said that there is a chance of The Rock doing a match later this year, with fans speculating that a Saudi Arabia show could be in his future. 

Whether The Rock wrestles again in 2024 or not, his focus remains on Cody Rhodes. The report adds that a match with Rhodes has been tentatively penciled in for WrestleMania, though whether Cody is the champion or not by then will play a factor in booking decisions. 

Whatever comes next, The Rock’s metamorphosis into the Final Boss has been a hit with fans and is seemingly here to stay. Taking to Instagram, The Rock deemed WrestleMania 40 merely the first chapter of what’s to come with this character. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/reel:C582jMOxCOz

With The Rock part of the TKO board of directors, his connection to WWE is arguably the strongest it’s been in decades. There are still some questions remaining, including where the long-rumored showdown with Roman Reigns will take place. The Tribal Chief is also off of WWE programming for the time being, but for The Rock, his return isn’t an if, but when. 

LWO Member Cruz Del Toro Undergoes Surgery

Aaron Varble
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WWE star Cruz Del Toro will be out of action after undergoing surgery for an unspecified arm injury in Birmingham, Alabama on Thursday, April 18.

Cruz’s last televised match took place during the go-home SmackDown before WrestleMania 40, where he participated in the WrestleMania Tag Team title qualifying tournament on SmackDown.

On Thursday he dropped an Instagram post from the Birmingham Surgery Center in Homewood, Alabama, where he underwent a procedure to repair an unspecified injury. In the image, Del Toro is shown with a cast on his left arm.

Cruz Del Toro shared the news of his injury on Instagram, where he thanked everyone for their motivation and kind words. Several WWE talents, including Natalya, Michin, Adam Pearce, and Byron Saxton, commented on Del Toro’s post with messages of support, but he must start a new journey back to the ring now.

A special thank you to Dr. McKeon and the team at Birmingham Surgery Center for their care, the surgery was a success. Thank you for your messages of support and good wishes. I will be back soon and better than ever. Like someone said… #todayisdayone

https://www.instagram.com/p/p:C56gn-LPXZg

The LWO member last competed in the ring during the April 5 SmackDown show in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. His partner, Joaquin Wilde participated in a singles match on NXT this week in a losing effort against Ridge Holland.

Prior to his injury, Del Toro and partner Joaquin Wilde have been active on both the SmackDown and NXT brands. They participated in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic on NXT and the WrestleMania Tag Team title qualifying tournament on SmackDown.

The LWO in WWE

The current members of the LWO are Rey Mysterio, Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro, Zelina Vega, Carlito, and Dragon Lee. The stable was revived in 2023 as Mysterio was being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

During Rey Mysterio’s US Title match against Logan Paul at WWE Crown Jewel, Escobar appeared at ringside to take brass knuckles from a member of Paul’s entourage, but he left them on the ring apron as he chased off Paul’s’ friends. This allowed Paul to use the brass knuckles on Rey to win the match.

Santos Escobar sealed the deal for his direction by turning on Mysterio during the November 10 episode of SmackDown.

After taking some time off due to injury, Rey Mysterio returned on the March 1 episode of SmackDown to help Carlito defeat Escobar in a street fight. Rey later challenged Escobar to a match on SmackDown, which he lost the following week due to interference from his son, Dominik.

In a surprise that reunited Andrade and Zelina Vega, he stepped in for Dragon Lee to help Mr. 6-1-9 defeat Escobar and Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania 40.

Working Agreement Between WWE & Marigold Will See Years of Promotional Crossover

Thomas Lowson
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WWE’s new era will see the company form a working relationship with Rossy Ogawa’s new Marigold wrestling promotion, it has been reported.

Ogawa, the recently-fired founder of STARDOM is hoping to bring stars including IYO SKY and Kairi Sane to a Marigold event expected to take place this summer. Whether that happens or not, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that a working agreement will be in place between the two companies. 

The main star who’ll benefit from this working agreement is Giulia, who is expected to sign with WWE in the near future. The former NJPW Strong Women’s Champion is expected to compete for both WWE and Marigold before an eventual move to the U.S. Giulia, who appeared at NXT Stand & Deliver alongside Ogawa, is expected to appear on a few big Marigold events per year in addition to her full-time WWE commitments. 

Giulia is set to appear at Marigold’s debut event in May 2024 alongside a talented roster of women including NXT alum Sareee. Her WWE in-ring debut is expected to be at July’s NXT Heatwave event, possibly with championship gold on the line. 

WWE forging a working agreement with Marigold, one that’ll seemingly last for multiple years, is a massive change from how the previous administration did business. In stark contrast to Vince McMahon’s ‘don’t play well with others’ approach, WWE is said to be exploring forging working relationships with other companies and Tony Khan has said that he’d be interested in a WWE-AEW partnership, under the right circumstances.

Jack Perry’s AEW Return ‘Imminent’ After 8 Months

Aaron Varble
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Jack Perry is gearing up for a return to AEW following the company’s controversial decision to air footage from his backstage altercation with CM Punk from last year’s All In London PPV from Wembley Stadium.

During the NJPW Windy City Riot pay-per-view event at the Wintrust Arena on April 12, 2024, Shota Umino defeated Perry in a match that lasted just over 15 minutes. This marks the Scapegoat’s final NJPW match for the foreseeable future. 

Jack Perry’s next appearance will be for AEW and it’s expected “imminently,” according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

All Elite Wrestling returns to pay-per-view this Sunday for AEW Dynasty.

Perry’s AEW Hiatus

Jack Perry and CM Punk were both suspended following their All In Brawl last year. Punk was later fired, and he has returned to WWE since then. Perry, whose suspension lapsed some time ago, never returned to AEW television.

Tony Khan was reportedly still irritated with Perry, as he saw him as the reason AEW lost CM Punk. With Perry’s return to AEW on the horizon, it will be interesting to see how Khan works this into the story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeJ6Z-qrWNQ

Jack Perry’s Last NJPW Match

Some notable moments for AEW took place during the 4/12 NJPW Windy City Riot show in Chicago, including Jon Moxely winning the IWGP World Heavyweight Title. That event also marked Jack Perry’s last NJPW match for a while.

The match between Jack Perry and Shota Umino received the strongest crowd reaction. Fans brought signs to the event, both supportive and critical of Perry, and there were many chants directed at him during the contest. Perry embraced the heel role, as the crowd was filled with chants of “scapegoat” and singing “Oh, cry me a river” toward Perry.

He also entered the ring surrounded by security in riot gear, displayed a flag with the Chicago symbol to further provoke the crowd. And he wore a jacket saying “Cry me a River,” for good measure.

Chad Gable and The Creed Brothers Will Soon Be A Dangerous Pairing

Aaron Varble
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WrestleMania and the WWE Draft give the company a chance to shuffle the deck in a number of ways. Fans can look forward to a new pairing that will present fresh matchups wherever they wind up. 

This week’s WWE RAW broadcast from Montreal concluded with Sami Zayn’s hometown hero victory. He retained the Intercontinental Title against Chad Gable, but the Underdog from the Underground’s celebration didn’t last long. Gable attacked him, turning heel in the process. 

WWE is believed have big plans for the Olympian: an alliance with pro wrestling’s most technically capable tag team. According to this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

“The belief going around is that the Creeds are going heel to form a unit with Gable.”

WWE had a handful of factions for this new trio to work against on both Raw and SmackDown, a scenario we are very excited to see play out.

Creed Brothers’ History Before WWE

Julius and Brutus Creed, real names Jacob and Drew Kasper, are brothers with an outstanding background in amateur wrestling.

The siblings from Lexington, Ohio took over amateur wrestling in high school. Julius Creed, 31, attended Duke University, where he graduated in sociology and excelled in wrestling, earning multiple NCAA honors and setting university records. He also competed in the 2016 Olympic Trials and later coached wrestling at Duke.

Brutus Creed, 27, went to Otterbein University, where he studied exercise science and had a notable wrestling career, achieving a 108–13 record and earning NCAA Division III All-American honors twice before his final season was cut short by the pandemic.

WWE obviously wanted the Creed Brothers, as Gerald Briscoe scouted them in 2018. In October 2020, WWE signed Julius Creed, and in February 2021, following a successful try-out, Brutus Creed inked a three-year contract with WWE.

The two stand out performers were aligned with the Diamond Mine stable in NXT for a while, where they had a run as NXT Tag Team Champions.

During the 2023 WWE Draft, the Creed Brothers and Ivy Nile were called up to the RAW brand, which is where we find ourselves today.

Aligning Chad Gable with the Creed Brothers could be a real recipe for success. They all have similar backgrounds, as Gable is a former state champion in high school. Gable was named as 2012 Greco-Roman Wrestler of the Year by USA Wrestling. He also won the 2012 the U.S. Olympic Trials, which secured him a spot to compete at the London Olympics in the 185-lbs division for Greco-Roman wrestling.

The Undertaker: Steve Austin Could Have Ended My WrestleMania ‘Streak’ A Decade Earlier

Bishal Roy
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The Undertaker never got the opportunity to lock horns with fellow WWE Hall of Famer ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin at WrestleMania. Could Austin break The Phenom’s legendary undefeated streak? Well, Taker thinks so. 

Each month, the ‘Dead Man’ does an exclusive Q&A Session for Patreon members of his Six Feet Under with Mark Calaway show. The fan questions often produce interesting quotes and this show was no exception. One question asked which wrestler could have ended the Streak earlier than 2014, when Brock Lesnar ‘conquered’ it at WrestleMania XXX. The 59-year-old Hall of Famer said it would have to be ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin. 

“It’d have to be Stone Cold. That’s really one of the only guys I didn’t get to work with at Mania. That would have been huge. The Streak may have gotten broken earlier, but still, it would have been nice to work with Steve at Mania.”

The idea of Undertaker vs. Steve Austin at WrestleMania prompted discussion about what the reaction would have been if Austin ended the streak instead of Lesnar. Wrestling fans were furious when WWE’s ‘Best Incarnate’ did the unthinkable, but would Austin get a similar response?

Taker feels that Austin’s popularity was unrivaled, and that would have helped offset some of the backlash, but some fans would have still taken issue with the Streak ending and he could still expect some mixed reactions.

“Steve was over at a level… That was just a whole ‘nother level that he was over at. It would probably be, just like anything else, half the people would love it, half the people would hate it. That’s how it is. Everybody has an opinion but that’s the guy that I would have liked to work with at Mania that I never got a chance to.”

The Streak

The Undertaker is synonymous with WrestleMania. His fabled undefeated “streak” remains to be one of the greatest chapters in WWE. While WrestleMania is a spectacle itself. Every year, the eagle-eyed fans also anticipated ‘The Deadman’ putting his streak on the line against some of the biggest superstars in the company. 

The Undertaker famously ‘claimed the souls’ of some of the all-time greats at Mania over a couple of decades until Brock Lesnar did something unimaginable – ending the streak at WrestleMania XXX. ‘The Phenom’ suffered another loss at ‘The Grandest Stage of Them All’ against Roman Reigns in a No Holds Barred Match at WrestleMania 33. 

WrestleMania 40

The Undertaker was involved at WrestleMania 40 when he hit a chokeslam on The Rock during the headlining match between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. 

Reports suggest that it was Steve Austin, who was originally in the plans to get involved instead of Taker but that didn’t materialize.  

Daily Drop (4/19): Bloodline Reunion, Cody Rhodes vs. The Rock Update, SmackDown

Aaron Varble
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Welcome to the Daily Drop for Friday, April 19, 2024. Tonight on TV we have WWE SmackDown and AEW Rampage, which will serve as one of the final stops on the road to Sunday’s AEW Dynasty pay-per-view.

There was a lot of news coming out of this week’s ‘World Congress of Sports’ convention from Los Angeles, including Paul Levesque and Nick Khan talking about WWE changing up its approach to WrestleMania locations and dates. We can also look forward to seeing more International premium live events, but not the ‘Big 5.’

Don’t miss SEScoops correspondent Scott Fishman’s write-up of his first visit to the ECW Arena in Philadelphia over WrestleMania 40 weekend. He survived and had a pretty great time visiting the home of ‘extreme’ Here we go:

AEW:

Tonight on Rampage:

  • Jamie Hayter & Dr. Britt Baker vs. Ruby Soho & Toni Storm
  • TNT Championship Match: Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Wardlow
  • Jay White vs. Komander
  • The Acclaimed & Billy Gunn vs. Matt Menard, Angelo Parker & Jake Hager
  • Plus, Chris Jericho confronts Adam Cole and we’ll hear from The Elite and FTR.

Schamberger All Elite? Former WWE ‘artist in residence’ Rob Schamberger appears to be collaborating with AEW. 

Parting Thoughts: Matt Hardy believes AEW’s backstage controversies have damaged the brand and driven away fans. He recently finished up with the company and had been there since 2020.

WWE:

Tonight on SmackDown:

  • AJ Styles vs. LA Knight to determine the #1 contender to Cody Rhodes’ WWE Championship
  • Naomi challenges Bayley for the Women’s Championshi
  • SmackDown Tag Team Title #1 Contender’s Match: The Street Profits vs. Pete Dunne & Tyler Bate vs. Angel & Humberto vs. The Authors of Pain

Cody Rhodes vs. The Rock: On WWE Raw the night after WrestleMania 40, The Rock congratulated Cody Rhodes on finishing his story and assured the new champ they will square off in the ring one day. The ‘American Nightmare’ appeared on Good Morning Britain on Thursday to promote this week’s UK live events tour. He fully expects ‘Final Boss’ to back up his words and has an interesting reason for why.

Fella Fires Back: Sheamus was a recent victim of ‘body shaming’ from online trolls, but responded to one of the trash talkers directly on social media. ** Not that he has to explain his physical appearance to random people on the Internet, but Sheamus said he was expecting to have several more weeks to get in shape before returning to television.

Bloodline Reunion? Jey Uso said on The Bump that he hopes he can one day reunite with Solo Sikoa, Roman Reigns and his brother.

“All in all though, I would like for us to come back together, but as a healed up family. We fighting right now. All families fight, but I want us to come back as the good guys one time and see how works. But if it wasn’t for The Bloodline, I really wouldn’t be Main Event or sitting here with YEET shirts. I had to go through that whole process to help me grow, and I feel like the people watched my story unfold.”

Upcoming PPV’s and PLE’s:

  • Saturday, April 21: AEW Dynasty (PPV)
  • Saturday, May 4: WWE Backlash France (PLE)
  • Sunday, May 26: NXT Battleground (PLE)

Cody Rhodes Believes WWE’s Success Will Lure The Rock Back Into The Ring

Thomas Lowson
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Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes believes that the success of WWE’s product will help lure The Rock back into the squared circle. 

Rhodes is currently in the UK as part of an ongoing tour by WWE, his first overseas tour as the Undisputed WWE Champion. Speaking on Good Morning Britain, Rhodes was asked about the possibility of a showdown with The Rock. 

“I think it’ll really come down to can I be a good champion or a great champion, Roman Reigns was a great champion, and will that be enough to entice The Rock?”

While Rhodes put a great deal of pressure on himself to be a champion worthy of The Rock’s return, he acknowledged that WWE’s success as a whole would play a factor. 

“This run, it’s a whole new generation, a whole new locker room. Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, myself, Rhea Ripley, all these people. I think the more we keep this, the better we do, the more chances it lures Rock back into the fray.”

The Rock and Rhodes were at odds during the build to WrestleMania 40 including an assault on the American Nightmare that left Cody battered and bloodied in Chicago. On the post-WrestleMania 40 edition of Raw, the Final Boss vowed to return to WWE programming one day and is coming for Cody Rhodes. 

If Cody believes that a successful WWE will bring The Rock back to the ring, then the Great One’s next match is all but guaranteed. WrestleMania 40 broke several records for the promotion and was critically well-received by fans. WWE, by its own admission, is in a ‘new era,’ one without Vince McMahon’s involvement. 

WWE is certainly doing big business right now and that won’t go unnoticed by The Rock who is also a member of TKO’s board of directors. With those in WWE of the opinion that WrestleMania 40: Saturday was not The Rock’s last match, it appears Cody Rhodes will get his wish. 

Cody Rhodes Agrees With John Cena: ‘The United Kingdom Deserves A WrestleMania’

Thomas Lowson
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Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes was left standing tall after WrestleMania 40 went off the air, and now hopes to bring the annual mega-show to the UK. 

Rhodes has been headlining WWE’s recent tour of the UK, which also features Becky Lynch despite rumors of time off. At an event in Birmingham, England, Rhodes marked his first title defense with a victory over Shinsuke Nakamura. 

After the match, Rhodes spoke about keeping his promise to the fans after stating at a previous WWE event that the next time he’s in the UK, he would be a champion. Amid chants of ‘You Deserve It’ from the crowd, Rhodes said that the fans deserve a WrestleMania in the UK. 

“If anybody deserves anything, I’m going to echo John Cena saying the United Kingdom deserves a WrestleMania.”

While Rhodes, John Cena, and countless fans hope to bring WrestleMania to the UK, this monumental feat is easier said than done. The time difference between the UK and the United States would be a huge factor as PLEs in the UK air much earlier in the day States-side. 

Despite WWE bringing more events overseas in recent years, it appears that WrestleMania won’t be making the move just yet. WWE President Nick Khan recently stated that the company’s big four events (WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Survivor Series, and Royal Rumble) will remain in North America for the foreseeable future. 

WrestleMania’s Future

The location of WrestleMania 41 has yet to be publicly confirmed, with Las Vegas and Minneapolis currently the front runners. While the Minnesotan city has been treated as a ‘lock’ for the 2025 event, some believe that WWE will head to Vegas following the chilly conditions of WrestleMania 40. 

Burke Nihill, the President/CEO of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans, has said that WWE has committed to bring WrestleMania 43 to Nashville in 2027. WWE has yet to confirm this. 

Lights Out: Something is Coming to TNA Wrestling At 4/20 Rebellion Event

Thomas Lowson
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Something big is coming to TNA Wrestling, and fans won’t have to wait long to know what this ‘Lights Out’ message is related to. 

During the press conference for the April 20, TNA Rebellion show, a video teaser aired featuring cryptic imagery. The words ‘Lights Out’ were repeatedly shown as was the name of TNA’s upcoming event. For a split second, the video features four silhouettes, possibly suggesting that the upcoming event will mark the launch of a new faction in TNA Wrestling. 

TNA Wrestling also shared the video on their Twitter page. The four silhouettes appear within the first couple of seconds of the video. 

TNA Rebellion 2024

TNA Rebellion 2024 hopes to capitalize on the promotion’s highly successful relaunch that kicked off with TNA Hard to Kill in January. That event marked the debut of Nic Nemeth who confronted Moose following the latter’s TNA World Championship win in the show’s main event. Moose and Nemeth will square off for the gold at TNA Rebellion. 

Ten matches have been confirmed for TNA Rebellion, with three set for the pre-show. The event will see six title matches with the X-Division, World Tag Team, and Knockouts World Championships among those on the line. 

The event will also mark the return of Full Metal Mayhem, which is TNA’s take on the classic Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match. The match will be the 18th Full Metal Mayhem match and will see TNA veterans Eric Young and Frankie Kazarian face off. 

TNA Rebellion will take place on April 20, from the Palms Casino Resort in Paradise, Nevada. Keep checking in with SE Scoops for results and more from the show. 

Matt Hardy Says AEW’s Backstage Issues Have Cost Company “Goodwill” With Fans

Thomas Lowson
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0

The backstage issues that have cast a dark shadow over AEW in recent years have caused the company to lose goodwill with fans, Matt Hardy believes. 

For its initial years, AEW was virtually untouchable in the eyes of countless fans who appreciated there finally being a major competitor to WWE’s headlock on the wrestling industry. The company’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw wrestlers be a part of the socially-distanced crowd, was praised by fans in contrast to the silent pre-Thunderdome WWE events at the time. 

AEW fans share their support for Tony Khan, AEW Grand Slam: Rampage 2021. 

AEW’s honeymoon period, however, is a thing of the past, with the 2022 ‘Brawl Out’ and AEW All In: London backstage confrontations being seen by many as huge factors in this. Speaking on his Extreme Life podcast, AEW alum Matt Hardy addressed how fan opinion on Tony Khan’s first promotion has changed. 

“I think through some of the stuff with Punk and The Bucks and the fights and the backstage stuff and Jungle Boy all this stuff, this hurt some of that goodwill. I feel like that probably deterred some people from their support of the company at the end of the day.”

When asked about how to fix this situation, Hardy said that AEW has to appeal to more ‘casual fans’ which he admitted went against the mentality the promotion was built upon to cater to the hardcore fanbase many felt WWE was ignoring. While Matt believes putting on great matches is still massively important, his mentality is that AEW needs to have stars that a casual viewer can quickly become invested in. 

Tony Khan will run AEW in the way he deems best, though some of his decisions have faced backlash from fans. Even the decision to air the All In fight has been criticized as petty and unnecessary and motivated by Khan wanting to ‘get back’ at CM Punk. Whether AEW adjusts its strategy remains to be seen, but given the massive success of WWE and their historic WrestleMania 40 event, there’s something to be said for trying to appeal to more than just the die-hard fanbase. 

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