A significant production change we saw earlier this week on WWE Smackdown and WWE Raw will continue.
WWE utilized scaled-down productions setup for last week’s SmackDown, the night before WrestleMania Saturday, and Monday’s post-WrestleMania edition of Raw. Instead of a large stage, screen and ramp, the company opted to use a format that allowed the company to sell more tickets to the events. According to PWInsider, this approach will be “the norm moving forward.”
This slimmed-down production setup is expected to be used on the June 28, episode of WWE SmackDown from Madison Square Garden.
Changes to WWE Production
This is the latest change in a broader overhaul to WWE’s approach to production. Following the departure of longtime production head Kevin Dunn, WWE appointed Lee Fitting for that position. The changes have been remarkable and unanimously well-received.
WWE events will also look different in the ring moving forward. As fans saw at WrestleMania 40, the PRIME Energy logo was emblazoned on the ring mat in a historic first for WWE. This logo will feature on the mat for future Premium Live Events, a significant reversal of longstanding policy.
IShowSpeed may still be feeling worse for wear after WrestleMania 40, but the popular YouTuber will have no problem getting around with his new Cyber Truck.
On YouTube, Speed shared a video of himself being gifted the vehicle by the Maverick. Paul said the truck was a gift for Speed’s help at WrestleMania which saw him take an RKO from Randy Orton on the English-commentary announce table. Speed was overjoyed with the gift and took the truck for a test drive and accidentally ran over the bow.
IShowSpeed Gets an RKO at WrestleMania
Speed was dressed as the PRIME Energy mascot at WrestleMania 40 and aided Paul in his triple-threat match against Orton and Kevin Owens. The spot was similar to WrestleMania 39 which saw PRIME Energy co-founder KSI dress in the costume and try and help Paul out. Like IShowSpeed, that would backfire and he’d be sent through the announce table.
PRIME & WWE
WWE and Prime Hydration struck a record-setting global partnership deal in March 2024 to make PRIME the company’s Official Hydration Drink Partner. The agreement also extends to the UFC, WWE’s ‘partner’ company as part of TKO Group.
At WrestleMania 40, the synergy was on full display. Randy Ortton delivering an RKO to influencer IShowSpeed dressed in a PRIME Energy bottle costume went viral on social media.
Wrestling fan also couldn’t miss the PRIME Energy logo emblazoned on the WWE ring mat, a historic first that we’ll see plenty more of in the future. TKO executives have spoken about their plans to continue ramping up the sponsored branding the ringside area.
Prime Product Placement
Logan Paul
As for Logan Paul, his U.S. Championship reign remains intact with fans wondering what’s next for him. Paul was chosen to reveal that WWE SummerSlam 2024 will take place this August in his native Cleveland, Ohio.
Paul didn’t waste any time drumming up attention for the event by calling out one of the most recognizable athletes in the world, NBA kingpin LeBron James:
The wrestling world has made its views clear following the airing of backstage footage showing last year’s altercation between Jack Perry and CM Punk.
The April 10, 2024, episode of AEW Dynamite saw the Young Bucks air the much-anticipated footage from All In London 2023 that saw Perry and Punk get physical. The altercation led to both men being suspended from AEW and Punk being fired a week later.
The Wrestling World Reacts
Unsurprisingly, the airing of this footage has caused quite a stir among those in professional wrestling. On his Instagram Stories immediately after the segment, Punk shared an image of President George W. Bush with the message “Mission Accomplished.”
The Young Bucks took to Twitter to speak about being petty Executive Vice Presidents of All Elite Wrestling.
EVPetty
— Matthew & Nicholas Jackson (@youngbucks) April 11, 2024
Shawn Spears, an AEW alum who has since returned to WWE as part of NXT, suggested that releasing the footage had backfired for Tony Khan.
Eric Bischoff, who has been critical of AEW and Tony Khan, believes releasing the footage proved that Khan is a ‘clown,’ a term Punk used to describe him post-fight.
“This is not on the talent. This is not on the locker room. And most of the time, it never ever is across the board. It’s on creative. It’s on the booker. It’s on the matchmaker. This company needs help. At this point, I hope even you diehards realize that.”
Ultimately, Punk will continue to be a source of controversy within AEW even after his release from the company. As far as these reactions and those by fans go though, it appears airing the footage may not have done AEW or Tony Khan any favors.
Akebono Taro, a prolific sumo wrestler who also competed in the world of professional wrestling, has passed away at the age of 54 years old.
Japanese media outlets confirmed his death after he was rushed to a hospital in Tokyo, Japan. His cause of death has been listed as heart failure. On Twitter, Rahm Emanuel, the official U.S. Ambassador to Japan, paid tribute to Taro.
Statement by Ambassador Rahm Emanuel on the Passing of Former Sumo Grand Champion Akebono
I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Akebono, a giant in the world of sumo, a proud Hawaiian and a bridge between the United States and Japan.
Taro was born Chadwick Haheo Rowan in Hawaii and had a legendary career as a sumo wrestler. After moving to Tokyo in the 190s, he would go on to win 11 titles with over 560 victories. His multiple victories would earn him the status of yokozuna (not to be confused with the WWE star,) which is the highest title for a Sumo wrestler.
Akebono in Pro-Wrestling
Akebono Taro also had an accomplished career in professional wrestling and made his WWE debut in March 2005. At WrestleMania 21 the following month. Akebono defeated The Big Show in a sumo match via koshinage (throwing the opponent entirely out of the ring.)
With a taste for pro-wrestling, Akebono joined All Japan Pro Wrestling that same year and would win Tokyo Sports’ Newcomer Award for 2005 as well as the Best Tag Team Award (with Keiju ‘Great Muta’ Mutoh.) He debuted for New Japan in 2006 but would return to All Japan in 2008 where he would remain for the next seven years of his career.
Akebono also competed for DDT Pro-Wrestling, Dragon Gate, and Pro Wrestling Zero1, and would become the World Heavyweight Champion with the latter promotion.
We at SE Scoops would like to offer our condolences to his friends and family at this sad time.
CM Punk did indeed start the physicality between himself and Jack Perry at AEW All In, footage aired during the April 10, episode of AEW Dynamite has proved.
During the broadcast, the Young Bucks appeared and discussed their upcoming AEW Dynasty showdown with FTR. The AEW EVPs then showed the much-anticipated backstage footage from last August’s event in London’s Wembley Stadium.
The footage shows Punk speaking with Perry, presumably after the latter’s “Real glass” line during his pre-show match with Hook. Punk proceeds to shove Perry twice and get a choke on Jack before Samoa Joe and others intervene. The two are then kept in opposite corners of the room.
It’s unclear if the release of this footage will change anything in the grand scheme of things. After all, during Punk’s interview on the MMA Hour, he said that he didn’t punch anybody but “choked him a little bit” as the footage shown on AEW Dynamite proves.
The Fans Chant
In fact, some fans who attended Dynamite chanted for Punk after seeing him attack Jack Perry. There was also a thank you chant near the end of the footage as seen in the video clip from Dynamite below.
These chants did not go unnoticed by Bully Ray, who took to Twitter to respond:
Did I just hear CM PUNK chants during the beatdown? ?????
While a portion of the audience at Dynamite appeared to be on Punk’s side, this footage isn’t a favorable look for Punk. The Chicago-Made star is a veteran with decades of wrestling to his name who should have known better at the time.
Ultimately, Punk is gone from AEW and seems much happier in WWE, where his conduct has been exemplary so far. With that said, the Best in the World proves to be quite the talking point with his former employer.
Will Ospreay took Triple H’s comments about wrestlers who pick AEW over WWE personally. He returned fire on the 4/10 episode of AEW Dynamite.
While speaking to the Pat McAfee Show during WrestleMania weekend, Triple H said, “When I see people trying to make it, and they pick the job where they go, ‘Well I work less and the schedule’s lighter,’ okay I’m glad I didn’t get you. Because if you’re not in it for the grind in that point in your career, you have no business being here.”
Will Ospreay cut a promo on AEW Dynamite, where he answered Triple H’s comment about wrestlers who pick AEW over WWE.
“Normally I wouldn’t rise to this type of bait, right? But seeing how the guy who said it is only in the position because he was grinding the boss’ daughter, you have no business telling me what the grind is all about, my friend, because you have no idea what I fight for.
Will Ospreay takes aim at Triple H’s comments of running from the grind:
“The guy that said it is only in the position he’s in because he was grinding on the bosses daughter.”#AEWDynamite
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reports that it was all Will Ospreay’s idea to throw a dig at Triple H into the promo on Dynamite. He collaborated with the creative team on the promo. The media’s recent portrayal of him confused wrestlers from various organizations. A WWE member noted his efforts to honor the process and WWE, despite choosing AEW for his family’s benefit.
AEW’s Recent Signings
AEW signed three big names in a row with Will Ospreay, Kazuchika Okada, and Mercedes Mone. All of those stars were talking to WWE at one point, and they decided to take Tony Khan’s deal instead.
Mone and WWE came to a financial roadblock. She signed an incredibly lucrative deal with AEW, one that is reportedly the largest woman’s deal in pro wrestling history.
AEW locked down Kazuchika Okada with a three-year contract valued at approximately $13.5 million. Okada is earning about $4.5 million a year with his All Elite deal.
Will Ospreay has been open about why he turned down a WWE contract. Ospreay acknowledged the offer from WWE, but he emphasized the trust he has in Tony Khan, a significant factor influencing his decision to sign with AEW.
“I want to know what I’m doing within the ring, and the rest, for me, is easy. What more could you want from a boss?”
AEW is set to air footage from CM Punk and Jack Perry’s All In brawl and WWE star Grayson Waller couldn’t resist a little trolling on social media. Waller referenced tonight’s highly-publicized release of AEW All In footage by teasing a scandalous video of his own.
Waller claims he and SmackDown tag team champion partner Austin Theory recently beat ip the entire WWE locker room backstage and the whole thing was captured on video.
Later today, I’m going to share exclusive security camera footage of myself and @_Theory1 beating up the entire WWE locker room backstage.
It’s time the world knows how tough the Smackdown Tag Champs really are!
There are several pro wrestlers from WWE, AEW and beyond who have proven to be experts and hurtling insults online. Waller recently took aim at NXT star Lexis King and compared the second generation star to the infamous Tiger King.
SEScoops published an in-depth article about the footage that AEW will air on the 4/10 episode of Dynamite, including all the supporting information for this controversial chain of events.
It seemed highly unlikely that the AEW All In footage would ever see the light of day, Tony Khan has doubled-down on his pledge to deliver what fans are expecting.
Naturally, the pro wrestling world is giving this situation a lot of attention, and that includes those in WWE.
CM Punk and Jack Perry were involved in a physical altercation backstage at AEW All In: London 2023 from Wembley Stadium (August 27, 2023).
This was Punk’s final date with the company before a messy breakup.
Punk told his side of the story last week on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Hour. He and AEW have been taking digs at one another ever since, and now AEW is teasing:
“The Young Bucks Present Backstage Footage From ALL IN LONDON & Will Discuss For The First Time”
Tony Khan and the Young Bucks say they’ll deliver tonight on Dynamite
AEW delivered on their promise to air the footage of CM Punk and Jack Perry’s All In brawl.
WrestleMania XL is history, and wrestling fans are already getting another big topic to talk about: the release of the AEW All In Footage of CM Punk’s backstage brawl with Jack Perry that led to his abrupt departure from the company. Now, that footage has been released.
The Young Bucks introduced the footage on AEW Dynamite. They also took several underhanded digs at Punk, including saying that they don’t want to spread rumors. Nicholas and Matthew Jackson centered the entire promo around hyping their match against FTR at Dynasty on April 21, and how Punk is a friend of Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler.
Matthew & Nicholas Jackson breakdown their history with FTR.
Why AEW and the Young Bucks Are Releasing The “Backstage Footage”
Punk’s April 1 appearance on the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani got intense. He commented on his physical altercation with Jack Perry backstage right before his final AEW match against Samoa Joe inside a packed Wembley Stadium. Punk, now a top-paid WWE Superstar, buried AEW and its management.
A perceived tipping point was Perry’s intent to use glass in a spot on AEW Collision, but Punk stopped him. At All In, Punk didn’t have the same influence, and Jungle Boy Jack taunted the Chicago legend live on camera.
Shortly thereafter, Khan gave his side of the story to a live AEW audience. “I’ve been going to wrestling shows for over thirty year, I’ve been producing them on this network for nearly four years. Never in all that time have I ever felt, until Sunday, that my security, my safety, my life was in danger.”
CM Punk Discusses Tony Khan
Punk placed onto AEW’s President for not diffusing his volatile situation with Perry before it ignited. He watched backstage as Perry taunted him in front of the world during the Zero Hour kickoff show.
After urging his boss to handle the situation, Punk says that Khan replied, “What do you want me to do?” The Second City Savior warned he’d be pushed to take action the company wouldn’t approve of.
“Man, that’s a loaded question because I don’t want this to be…I don’t like the drama, but the truth is the truth, he is not a boss, he’s a nice guy and I think ultimately that is a detriment to the company, but it’s not my company.”
AEW TNT Champion Adam Copeland started off the first Dynamite after Punk’s interview by indirectly addressing the controversy. The ‘Rated R Superstar’ said, “There’s been a lot of negative BS that’s spewed this week, right? There has … SCREW THAT! I wanna talk about positives!”
AEW Delivered The Controversial Footage
CM Punk
Wrestling fans naturally wondered if this was legit or a bait and switch situation. Tony Khan made it clear that they will air the ‘real’ footage. Speaking to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, the AEW President clarified:
“This decision is based on putting on the best show for AEW, as well as driving interest for Dynamite and our Dynasty pay-per-view on April 21.”
Punk continues to prove that he is a lightening rod for controversy. He’s long gone from All Elite Wrestling, but he will probably help Dynamite draw viewers on Wednesday night. Love him or hate him, people just can’t stop talking about CM Punk.
Damian Priest’s stunning victory at WrestleMania 40 solidifies The Judgment Day as one of the all-time great factions according to the World Heavyweight Champion.
“Winning the World Title means a lot of us. I mean, it solidifies our group. We have Rhea, the Women’s World Champion [and] me, the Men’s World Champion. I think if you look at the history of factions, where does that put the Judgment Day now?
“We’ve had Undisputed [Tag Team] Titles. We’ve had North American Titles. Now we have World Titles. I don’t see how we’re not in the conversation for one of the best factions of all time.”
WrestleMania 40 was also a big night for Rhea Ripley who retained her Women’s World Championship. The ‘Mami’ of the faction successfully defended the gold against Becky Lynch in the opening match of the two-night event.
The Judgment Day
Priest’s comments ring true given how many championships The Judgment Day has accumulated in its two-year run. The faction had a shaky start when launched by Edge in 2022 as fans struggled to boo the Rated-R Superstar following years of his forced retirement.
The group began to hit its stride when it ejected the WWE Hall of Famer in a segment that saw Finn Balor added to its ranks. The faction reached new heights at Clash at the Castle 2022 when Dominik Mysterio betrayed his father and joined. In addition to championships, The Judgment Day has been represented in the main event of shows such as WWE Survivor Series 2023 and WWE Elimination Chamber 2024.
For the use of quotes, please give an H/T to SE Scoops.
All Elite Wrestling presents AEW Dynamite tonight on TBS live from the Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, West Virginia.
The show will see AEW continue on the road to AEW Dynasty on April 21. Here’s what’s on tap for tonight’s show:
AEW All In Footage to Be Aired
In one of the boldest moves AEW has made in its five years, Dynamite will see The Young Bucks present backstage footage from AEW All In. This footage will seemingly show what happened in Wembley Stadium between CM Punk and Jack Perry that resulted in Punk being fired from AEW in September 2023.
Adam Copeland (c) vs. Penta El Zero Miedo – AEW TNT Championship
AEW TNT Champion Adam Copeland will once again prove he’s a fighting champion when he puts the gold on the line against Penta El Zero Miedo. While a former AEW Trios & World Tag Team Champion, Penta hopes to win his first singles title tonight.
Mariah May vs. Anna Jay
The understudy of ‘Timeless’ Toni Storm has been on a roll as of late and hopes to keep that going when she faces Anna Jay. Storm will have her own special role on AEW Dynamite.
‘Timeless’ Toni Storm to Toast Thunder Rosa
It was announced on Rampage that Toni Storm would ‘toast’ Thunder Rosa with some Charleston Championship Champagne during Dynamite. The two will face off for Storm’s AEW Women’s World Championship at AW Dynasty.
Six-Man Tag-Team Action
Anthony Ogogo has officially joined Shane Taylor Promotions and the Olympic Bronze medalist hopes to prove his worth. That’ll come easier said than done as Ogogo, Taylor, and Lee Moriarty will face the formidable trio of Chris Jericho, HOOK, and Katsyori Shibata.
Samoa Joe (c) Vs. Dustin Rhodes – AEW World Championship Eliminator
Mere days after his brother Cody finished the story at WWE WrestleMania 40, Dustin Rhodes will face Samoa Joe with huge stakes. A win for Rhodes will earn the Natural a future AEW World Championship match though it’ll be far from easy when he faces the Samoan Submission Machine.
SEScoops is your destination for everything pro wrestling and will have plenty of news coverage later tonight from AEW Dynamite.
WWE has marked the launch of a new era with a new studio complex to help lead the company’s production side of things in the future.
The 30,000-square foot studio complex is called ‘The Studios at WWE’ and features several studios. The studio is based at WWE’s new headquarters in Stamford, CT.
The main studio is an impressive 5,000-square-foot center. There is also a 1,500-square-foot Cyclorama studio and a 1,500-square-foot volumetric LED studio set to open this spring. The complex also features a 1,000-square-foot photo studio and two insert stages that are approximately 600 square feet each.
The Studios at WWE is the first U.S. facility to install Crystal LED Verona, with 150 cabinets across its main wall. Joe Solari, WWE VP of Studio Operations shared his enthusiasm for the new complex when speaking to Sports Video.
“It gives us new tools and a new canvas to push the limits of what we do here at the WWE. We can take our productions to the next level and really increase our fan engagement. I don’t think that there is anything in Connecticut right now that even comes close to what we built here.”
Production Changes
The Complex at WWE comes at an interesting time for WWE with several changes being made to the company. With the departure of Kevin Dunn, WWE has appointed Lee Fitting as the promotion’s head of production. Changes to the on-screen product have been received well by fans so far.
Perhaps the biggest change to WWE’s on-screen presentation will come in January 2025 when Raw moves to Netflix. The five-billion-dollar deal will see the red brand hosted on Netflix for ten years, though the timeframe can change based on the show’s performance. Those outside the U.S. will also receive SmackDown, WWE NXT, and Premium Live Events.
The word ‘cinema’ has been thrown around a lot to describe WWE’s storytelling over the past year, particularly the gripping Bloodline saga involving Roman Reigns, The Usos, Solo Sikoa and Paul Heyman. As great as all that has been, the main event of Sunday’s WrestleMania XL spectacular delivered perhaps the greatest masterstroke of all.
Nearly a decade after the breakup of The Shield, Seth Rollins delivered on his promise to serve as Cody Rhodes’ ‘shield’ by sacrificing himself to bring down the Tribal Chief. Reigns was nearly unbeatable, but Rollins placed a winning bet on the belief that his former ‘brother’ would be unable to resist exacting revenge, one of the msot al seven deadly sins.
Apart from Cody Rhodes finishing his story, the tension between Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns was one of the talking points. There was no shortage of drama or layers of depth to dig into. The former Shield members have a long history together and WWE played out an angle beautifully that has been in the making for over ten years.
Seth Rollins is one of the key figures who helped in building what could be regarded as one of the greatest stories ever told in WWE. After all, he is ‘The Architect.’ He was among many superstars who came to the aid of Cody Rhodes, who dethroned Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
Let’s take an in-depth look into the angle between Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, thanks to Mith Gifs Wrestling.
Reopening old wounds
Roman Reigns’ decision to exact revenge upon Seth Rollins cost him everything
‘The Visionary’ is a master of playing mind games and he got into the head of ‘The Tribal Chief.’ Reigns had the chance to hit Cody Rhodes with a steel chair to win the match but he ended up deciding to hit Seth Rollins in the back, mirroring Rollins to dissolve The Shield back in the day.
Reigns certainly got flashbacks of the betrayal and couldn’t help but get his payback. However, at the cost of the title which he held for 1,316 days.
This right here was the definition of long term storytelling.
The fact that Roman Reigns could never get over the fact that Seth Rollins broke up The Shield and it cost him his title.
— Wrestling Pics & Clips (@WrestleClips) April 8, 2024
Seth Rollins, who was partly responsible for the creation of the ‘monster’ knew that Roman would be unable to contain himself long enough to exact revenge on his former Shield brethren. ‘The Architect’ did what was necessary to bring down the monster he helped create.
The Hero’s Shield
After what went down at WrestleMania 40, fans soon recalled what Rollins told Cody Rhodes back in February. During a fateful promo on WWE Raw, Rollins said:
“When it comes to fighting Roman Reigns, there is only one man on earth, who is uniquely suited to be your shield.”
Well, Rollins is a man of his word. He took the bullet for and protected Cody.
Mind Games
Last year, it was Sami Zayn who backstabbed ‘The Trible Chief’ in a similar fashion, which still haunts him to this day. Betrayal has been Roman Reigns’ worst fear and Rollins was well aware of that.
Rollins could get into Roman’s head like no one else and from time to time, he has messed with his former Shield teammate. This is something ‘The Tribal Chief’ couldn’t escape and thus Rollins managed to outwit his former friend despite getting attacked.
Well, this is not the first time Rollins reopened Reigns’ old wounds. At the Royal Rumble in 2022, Seth deliberately messed with Roman when he walked out to the Shield’s old music, wearing the Shield’s old gear ahead of the title match.
During their match, Seth mocked Roman and even offered the Shield fist bump which caused Roman to snap and got Rollins in a guillotine choke. It was comprehensible enough that Rollins controlled Roman’s emotions. With rage and trauma getting the better of him. Roman Reigns refused to relinquish the hold and that night Rollins won the contest via DQ.
Seth Rollins had dropped the World Heavyweight Championship to Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 40. Meanwhile, with Roman Reigns returning empty-handed as well, there is a huge possibility that we could witness another feud between the two down the road.
Will they ignite a new rivalry to settle the dispute once and for all? With Triple H at the helm of this new era, wrestling fans can rest assured that it’s safe to invest in these longterm stories.
Pro-wrestler-turned-actor John Cena feels there can be only ‘one alpha’ in the longstanding feud between his Fast & Furious co-stars Vin Diesel and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.
On the Armchair Expert podcast, host Dax Shepard noted to Cena that Johnson and Diesel made “a tough pairing” after WWE’s ‘Final Boss’ joined the Fast & Furious franchise with 2011’s Fast Five. Cena replied that both the stars are very alpha, driven people but there can be only one.
“There’s certainly rumors about that. I can’t deny that. You have two very alpha, driven people. You get two, there can only be one.”
Additionally, the 16-time World Champion feels that he was simply “a guest” in the Fast & Furious world and expressed gratitude for the chance to be involved.
“I’m not trying to get the sandbox. That’s not my thing,” he said. “I’m grateful for what you’ve given me, I just want to be the best firetruck I can.”
Cena had joined the franchise when he starred in F9: The Fast Saga as Jakob Toretto, Dom’s estranged brother.
Dwayne Johnson, who starred as Luke Hobbs, has worked in as many as five films in the Fast & Furious franchise from 2011 and 2019. His character was originally introduced in Fast Five as an antagonist for Diesel’s Dominic Toretto character. However, as the story rolled, the two characters eventually joined forces in the future films.
Dwayne Johnson-Vin Diesel feud
In 2016, rumors started floating that Johnson and Diesel don’t share a cordial relationship behind the scenes. In a now-deleted Instagram post from 2016, Dwayne Johnson had called out his “male costars” of the franchise without naming anyone.
Johnson, who is also popularly known as The Rock had claimed in 2021 that he would not make appearances for the franchise. However, he did a cameo in last year’s Fast X. Apparently, the duo squashed the beef after Johnson returned for a mid-credits scene in the latest installment which potentially leaves the chance of him being featured in upcoming films.
Welcome the Daily Drop, your daily roundup of wrestling news and rumors for Wednesday, April 10. Last night’s NXT carried on after Stand & Deliver, and we saw what was possibly Bron Breakker’s final farewell on the brand.
– The Final Boss Gets Stock: TKO awarded The Rock with $9.4 million in company stock after WrestleMania 40. In total, he was given 96,558 additional shares, adding to around 400,000 shares of TKO stock is already had currently valued at approximately $39 million.
– Cody Rhodes Made History: The American Nightmare made history at WrestleMania by racking up a triple crown title win. Rhodes became the fourth wrestler in history to hold the WWE World Championship and the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion.
– The Nightmare’s New Fur Baby: Rhea Ripley celebrated her big WrestleMania 40 win by getting a new dog. Via her Instagram stories, she introduced fans to Bella.
– Limited Edition Merch: AEW has a new “Swerve When I Drive” t-shirt featuring Prince NaNa. This will be a limited edition offering, and you can check it out below.
– AEW Collision Rating: The April 6th AEW Collision show had about 463,000 people watching on average overnight, and it scored 0.15 for viewers aged 18 to 49. This is a bit higher than the last show, which had 458,000 viewers and a 0.11 score in the same age group.
AEW Dynamite Card This Week (4/10):
TNT Championship: Adam Copeland (c) vs. Penta El Zero Miedo
AEW World Championship Eliminator Match: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Dustin Rhodes
Mariah May vs. Anna Jay
Chris Jericho, HOOK, & Katsuyori Shibata vs. Shane Taylor Promotions (Anthony Ogogo, Shane Taylor, & Lee Moriarty)
Matthew & Nicholas Jackson will reveal backstage footage from AEW All In at Wembley Stadium
Toni Storm to toast Thunder Rosa
Upcoming Major Pro Wrestling Pay-Per-View Events:
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.
Cody Rhodes’ Undisputed WWE Universal Championship win at WrestleMania 40 continues to make history as the new champion has joined a very exclusive club.
Rhodes ended the 1,316-day reign of Roman Reigns in an emotional main event to WrestleMania 40: Sunday on April 7. With this win, Rhodes becomes the fourth wrestler in history to have held the WWE World Championship and the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion. He joins an elite club of talent that includes the inaugural WWE Champion Buddy Rogers, 16-time World Champion Ric Flair, and the Phenomenal AJ Styles.
This fact was pointed out on social media by Brian R. Solomon, an author of several wrestling books. In 2022, his book ‘Blood and Fire: The Unbelievable Real-Life Story of Wrestling’s Original Sheik’ won the Wrestling Observer’s ‘Best Book’ award for the year. His next book, Irresistible Force: The Life and Times of Gorilla Monsoon, is scheduled to be released in 2024.
Triple Crown History
Rhodes didn’t just join the exclusive club of WWE/NWA World Champions, but he also made history by becoming the first person in his own unique club. With his win, Rhodes became the first man to have held the WWE, NWA, and Ring of Honor World Championships. Rhodes won the NWA title from Nick Aldis at 2018’s All In show. His Ring of Honor World Championship win would come the year prior with a victory over Christopher Daniels at Best in the World 2017.
The American Nightmare is certainly riding high with his victory at WrestleMania 40: Sunday. The fans are clearly behind Rhodes who also achieved a new personal record over WrestleMania week.
Bron Breakker has wrapped up his time as part of WWE NXT after he and Baron Corbin lost the brand’s Tag Team Championships to Nathan Frazer & Axiom.
In a WWE Digital Exclusive after the show, Corbin spoke about Breakker being an incredible competitor and “one hell of a friend.” Corbin was also confident that Bron is going to become a WWE World Champion on the main roster.
Amid chants of “Thank you Bron,” Breakker thanked the fans for their support and reflected on his time as part of WWE NXT.
“I got my start right here in this very building from day 1 back in NXT 2.0. Right here in the WWE Performance Center since day 1 all of you guys have been on this journey, on this ride with me the whole time, so I can not thank you enough.”
Breakker thanked Shawn Michaels, the staff at WWE NXT, the roster he’s worked with, and Corbin for being both a friend and rival. Breakker concluded by saying this isn’t goodbye (as fans will soon see him on the main roster) before taking photos with fans and making his way to the back.
Breakker was signed to SmackDown in February of 2024 but was allowed to remain with NXT during his run as a Tag Team Champion. With his farewell to WWE developmental, he’s a sure thing for an imminent main roster call-up.
Expectations are high for Breakker, a former two-time NXT Champion, as the second-generation Superstar is set to take WWE by storm in the coming years.
We’ll see if he goes back to SmackDown, or if he’s shifted to Raw, where he’d also have plenty of fresh competition.
Dwayne Johnson was awarded 96,558 shares of TKO Group Holdings Class A common stock on Sunday, April 7, the day after returning to the ring at WrestleMania 40. The shares are valued at approximately $9.4 million.
According to a new financial filing, the previously restricted stock units vested upon “completion of certain services described” in his Independent Contractor Services and Merchandising Agreement dated January 22, 2024. He joined TKO’s 13-person Board of Directors the following day.
That agreement allows WWE to use The Rock’s name, image and likeness for up to ten years in exchange for approximately 400,000 shares of TKO stock currently valued at approximately $39 million.
According to Sportico, the first 25% of shares were awarded in January when the deal was completed. The next 25% will be awarded at the end of the year. Another 25% distributed monthly throughout 2025 and the remaining 25% was the completion of the ‘certain services.’
New WWE World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest is looking to expand his brand outside of professional wrestling by signing with the Paradigm talent agency.
Paradigm will work to build Priest’s business across books, acting, marketing, unscripted appearances, and more, Variety reports. Paradigm will look to find Priest work outside of the squared circle in what is expected to be a huge shift for him and a sign that big things are coming in the future of the Puerto Rican Superstar. Perhaps a future in music is in the cards for Priest, who provides the vocals for his new theme song that debuted on the post-WrestleMania 40 edition of Raw.
Priest is hardly the first Superstar to sign with a talent agency. In August 2022, Bianca Belair signed with William Morris Endeavor to build her brand outside of wrestling. WME also represents Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and John Cena.
This signing comes at a pivotal time for Priest, who captured the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 40. The Judgment Day member cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on Drew McIntyre mere minutes after the Scottish Warrior dethroned Seth Rollins. Priest had held the Money in the Bank contract since capturing the briefcase in July 2023 and had failed to cash in multiple times.
What is the Paradigm Talent Agency?
Founded in Beverly Hills, CA, in 1992, Paradigm has more than 200 agents representing clients in various aspects of the media. The future looks bright for Priest as Paradigm is a four-time winner of Pollstar’s ‘Booking Agency of the Year’ award. Notable names represented by Pollstar include author Stephen King, actor Sydney Sweeney, director James Wan, and musician Billie Eilish.
Cody Rhodes finally finished his Story at WrestleMania 40 by defeating Roman Reigns to bring the WWE Championship home to his family. Cody’s win was celebrated around the world by his legion of fans who are proud to show their support for the American Nightmare.
WrestleMania 40 was monumentally successful in many ways and we’ve just learned a new one. Fightful Select reports that WWE sent an internal company memo touting that Cody Rhodes merchandise grossed over $1 million during WrestleMania weekend.
The amount of Cody Rhodes merchandise in the crowd at WWE events is a sure sign that they have the right Superstar on top.
WWE released a commemorative t-shirt immediately following Cody’s win with the phrase, “The Story Continues.”
Credit WWE Shop: Cody Rhodes WrestleMania 40 Champion The Story Continues T-Shirt
Cody Rhodes also out-performed The Rock in terms of Google searches on Monday, April 8, after he won the Undisputed Universal Title. Cody obviously has the WWE Universe’s attention right now, and for good reason.
WrestleMania 40 took place in Philadelphia on April 6 and 7 in Lincoln Financial Field. WWE SmackDown (4/5) and the RAW After WrestleMania (4/8) were both held in the Wells Fargo Center.
Cody Rhodes’ WWE Contract Situation
Rhodes previously stated that it was his goal to retire from in-ring competition before he turned 40. Cody Rhodes recently signed a new multi-year contract with WWE. The 38-year-old second-generation Superstar revealed this fact in a recent interview.
While speaking with Justin Walker, Cody confirmed that “40 is out of the question just because, not to give you scoop, it was widely reported, but I did sign a new contract with WWE. It extends beyond my 40th birthday.”
He does not have an immediate challenger for the Undisputed Universal Championship yet, but The Rock made it clear that he is coming back to WWE for a match against the American Nightmare.
WrestleMania XL is in the books and the show was a blockbuster success by every conceivable metric. WWE’s latest press release touts too many broken records to list here.
Business was booming last year, but 2023’s numbers seem tame compared to what Triple H and company delivered this past weekend. The live gate for WrestleMania XL was up a staggering 78% from last year’s record, while viewership surged 41%.
Looking at Google search volume, The Rock won the weekend. However, Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns received more Google searches than the Final Boss in the day following their legendary clash, an incredible feat when you see the chart below.
Google Trends for WrestleMania XL
Google Trends is a very useful tool that allows you to view the Google search volume for any phrase during a period of time across various regions and formats. The data we’re using here is for Worldwide searches.
Dwayne Johnson is one of the most famous people in the world, so it’s no surprise that his usual search volume resembles a megastar like Beyonce than anybody in WWE. (The Rock had higher search volume over the past 90 days, but Beyonce had the 3 highest spikes during that period – More)
Despite this built-in advantage, Rhodes still prevailed. Over the past 12 months, The Rock averaged 13x greater search volume than the new champion, which makes this feat even more impressive. The Rock says he returned to elevate WWE and this metric of fan interest shows he did just that:
Cody Rhodes finishing the Story at WWE WrestleMania 40 earned him an extremely rare ‘Google Trends’ victory over Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
The Rock and Cody Rhodes shared a ring for the third consecutive night on Monday’s WWE Raw. The 45-minute segment featured some memorable moments, including a “this is awkward” chant, The Rock delivering a comeback to the crowd that longtime fans may have recognized and a mysterious cliffhanger fans are trying to figure out.
The Rock told Cody Rhodes and the WWE Universe that he needs to leave again, but he’ll be back. When he returns, he plans to face the face of this new era, whether he’s still champion by then or not. Cody Rhodes vs. The Rock sure sounds like a WrestleMania main event.
John Cena stated on Monday at WWE World that his Hollywood schedule will keep him busy through the end of the year, so he’s taking time off as well. From there, Cena plans to go on one final run before calling it a career.
Hopefully we won’t have to wait until 2025 to see them again, but Cena and Rock are making it known they’re not retired.
However you feel about The Rock’s on-screen character, his latest WWE run was a resounding success. This is supported by WrestleMania breaking so many records, as well as the interest surrounding Cody Rhodes as the Rock rides off into the sunset.
Taking to social media, the Head of the Table made clear that he has mourned for his title loss and has embarked on ‘Day 1’ of the next chapter of his career.
Reigns is expected to take a break from WWE programming and is not expected to appear at WWE’s next Premium Live Event, Backlash: France. Reigns is similarly not being advertised for the upcoming WWE Clash At the Castle: Glasgow event that will see the roster return to the UK. He is expected to appear at WWE SummerSlam this August in Cleveland, Ohio.
While Reigns won’t be appearing on TV for some time, there are said to be big things in the works for the Tribal Chief. On the post-WrestleMania 40: Sunday press conference, WWE CCO Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque said that a “whole new story” for Reigns is coming that will take him “to a whole ‘nother level.”
Reigns has also earned praise from Cody Rhodes despite their on-screen issues. On the Pat McAfee Show, Rhodes called Reigns an “exceptional champion” and hopes he “can be half the champion Roman Reigns was.”
Airing backstage footage from All In 2023 is all in the interest of the fans who want to see the best show possible, AEW President Tony Khan has claimed.
Speaking to Sports Illustrated, Tony Khan said that this will not be a bait-and-switch and that AEW has a history of delivering on its promises. Khan also said the decision to air the footage is simply in AEW’s best interest.
“This decision is based on putting on the best show for AEW, as well as driving interest for Dynamite and our Dynasty pay-per-view on April 21.”
The Young Bucks will also discuss the footage that is to be aired on Dynamite. Khan added that the AEW EVPs should explain why this is relevant ahead of AEW Dynasty.
Why is the Footage Really Being Aired?
The decision to air this footage has been met with criticism, despite Khan’s insistence that this is all to give fans the best show. Many have argued that AEW is using the much-anticipated footage as a ratings ploy in the wake of the highly successful WWE WrestleMania 40 event.
There’s also an argument to be made that AEW should seek to move on from the backstage incidents that have often overshadowed their production. CM Punk was also part of the infamous All Out 2022 backstage fight that led to himself, The Elite, and others being suspended.
CM Punk’s recent interview with the MMA Hour has likely also played a role in Khan’s decision. The WWE Raw Superstar was critical of AEW on the show in which he stated that Khan isn’t a real boss and that AEW isn’t a real company focused on making money.
Punk also gave his take on the All In brawl. In his recollection of events, Punk said he didn’t punch anybody but “choked somebody a little bit.” Punk stopped when Samoa Joe told him to before telling Khan “You’re a clown. I quit.”
On Monday’s post-WrestleMania WWE Raw, Jey Uso won a #1 contender’s match to become Priest’d first challenger. Priest and Uso both cut promos about each other backstage after the show. While hyping up their upcoming match (date and location TBA), Priest revealed he’s signed a new contract with WWE.
“This has already been a great year for me,” he said. “New contract, new title, new theme song voiced by yours truly. Judgment Day is on fire.”
Priest spent several years wrestling for Ring of Honor (as Punishment Martinez) before signing with WWE in 2018. He was a dominant force in NXT and held the North American Championship before making a surprise appearance in the 2021 WWE Royal Rumble. He joined the Raw brand the following night.
The Judgment Day leader has had great success on the main roster, including runs with the United States Championship, the SmackDown tag titles (2x) and of course, Money in the Bank 2023. The MITB cash-in was planned out months in advance.
I can confirm that Priest’s cash-in was not a last minute booking. WWE planned Damian Priest’s MITB cash-in at Mania for six months.
Seth Rollins is expected to take a brief hiatus from WWE following this past weekend’s historic WrestleMania 40.
He competed at WrestleMania Saturday and Sunday and lost both nights. He and Cody Rhodes came up short against Roman Reigns and The Rock. He lost the World Heavyweight Championship that he worked so tirelessly to legitimize. Despite all this, he left Philadelphia a winner. Cody Rhodes conquered Reigns fair and square, but it was Rollins’ self-sacrifice that ultimately triggered the Tribal Chief’s downfall.
Rollins did not appear on Monday’s post-WrestleMania WWE Raw and is not expected to be back in action anytime soon. According to Dave Meltzer, Rollins is expected to take some time off, but “not that long.”
Seth Rollins’ Knee Injury
Seth Rollins suffered an MCL injury on the road to WrestleMania, but he did not need to miss the show of shows. He recovered enough to get cleared to compete, but now he is getting some much-needed time off.
Rollins has a history with knee injuries, so WWE obviously doesn’t want to risk any greater injury for one of their top stars. He’s been out of action for way longer in the past with a severe ACL injury that needed surgery, but this time reportedly won’t be that bad.
In a rare show of respect between heated rivals, Drew McIntyre addressed Rollins on Raw and thanked him for their match over the weekend. Triple H also gave Rollins his ‘flowers’ on Monday, praising his work putting the World Heavyweight championship on the match.
If anybody’s earned some time off to rest, it’s Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins. We wish him a speedy recovery.
How do you make steel and leather become a most sought after possession? How do you get men to give their blood, sweat and tears to attain it? How do you make it mean the absolute most? Seth “Freakin” Rollins. pic.twitter.com/OhA51jx7LH
