Players of AEW Fight Forever can now bring the Big Swing, European Uppercuts, and more to the game with the inclusion of Claudio Castagnoli as DLC.
First announced in 2020, AEW Fight Forever is the promotion’s first console video game follows on from the company’s mobile games ‘AEW Elite: General Manager‘ and ‘AEW Casino: Double or Nothing.’ Fight Forever’s development would take longer than many fans expected, before hitting shelves and online stores in June of last year.
Giant Swing in the Ring
In a YouTube video, it was confirmed that the newest DLC will bring Claudio Castagnoli to the popular game. The Swiss wrestler narrates over footage of himself in the game to a remix of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture.
The Blackpool Combat Club member mentions that he is coming to the game with a bunch of new skins for characters as well as the rare ‘Gold Attire.’ This unique attire is available for all playable characters but can only be unlocked by winning the AEW World Championship 20 times in the game.
AEW Fight Forever’s Roster
Many fans weren’t happy when AEW Fight Forever was released that the playable character roster was noticeably smaller than expected (and far smaller than WWE’s 2K games.)
Kazuchika Okada’s arrival in All Elite Wrestling has had the wrestling world talking following this week’s edition of Dynamite.
On the most recent edition of AEW Dynamite, the Young Bucks were furious following their loss to Sting & Darby Allin at AEW Revolution 2024. The EVPs exercised their authority by suspending ‘Hangman’ Adam Page and firing Kenny Omega.
AEW President Tony Khan took great pleasure in response to a tweet alleging that Okada was set to debut for WWE in January of this year as part of the Men’s Royal Rumble match.
Khan would also confirm Okada’s status by sharing the All Elite graphic while adding that the Rainmaker is a ‘business partner’ of Matthew and Nicholas Jackson.
— Anutosh Bajpai || SEScoops || Wrestling News (@AuthorAnutosh) March 7, 2024
TNA Wrestling, who have often made use of Search Engine Optimization, shared a video of Okada taking on Generation Me (the future Young Bucks) during a TNA Xplosion match from 2010.
Check out Kazuchika Okada and Homicide vs. Generation Me from Xplosion in 2010.
Lex Luger was one of several wrestling legends who were able to attend Sting’s final match and had a blast at the event. On a recent edition of the Busted Open Radio podcast, Luger made it clear that WWE had no issue with him attending, as long as he opted to keep off of the show.
“WWE is classy. They said you can go and everything, just don’t be on camera or be a part of the match. It was an incredible evening. A wonderful sendoff.”
“I love him to death but damn, he’s a different animal bro.”
Luger was similarly amazed by the work of the former AEW TNT Champion and said that Allin’s attempt to climb Mt. Everest later this month is “unbelievable.”
Boom ‘Jackson’ Swallen, the grandson of Brian Pillman and nephew of WWE NXT’s Lexis King, will be a guest at a State of the Union speech following an immense show of bravery.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers said the teen was deep in the stages of planning an attack with help from an adult who was located out of state. On Twitter, Lexis King praised his nephew as a hero.
This is my nephew Jackson Swallen. As you can probably tell he’s got the genes of his late grandfather Flyin Brian Pillman! 15 years old and already a national hero, we are all so proud of him!!! ???? https://t.co/6OimLZfG08
Boom Swallen showed immense courage and will be a guest at President Joe Biden’s State of the Union Address. Swallen will be the guest of Congressman Greg Landsmen for the address that will take place later today. In a statement, Congressman Greg Landsman (D) praised Swallen’s quick thinking and bravery at the time.
“Boom serves as a testament to the principle of ‘if you see something say something.’ Students should never feel unsafe at school, and we must be the generation of parents to end the national gun violence nightmare.”
Speaking to FOX 19, Swallen shared why he informed his father despite the threat made against him.
“He said that he would kill me immediately if I told anybody. [But] I care about the kids at my school’s lives and I knew that it was the right thing to do.”
In February 2023, Landsman joined the House Gun Violence Task Force to advocate for gun violence prevention reform. Currently, firearms are the leading cause of death for children in the United States.
The hit YouTube channel Dead Meet paid tribute to Bray Wyatt during its most recent Horror movie awards.
Wyatt, real name Windham Rotunda, passed away in August of last year at the age of 36. The three-time former WWE World Champion had returned to WWE at Hell in a Cell 2022 the previous October. He was pulled from programming in early 2023 due to an illness.
Bray Wyatt Honored
This month, the popular Dead Meat YouTube channel hosted its annual Horror Awards, celebrating the best (and most gruesome) moments from the world of Horror media in 2023. During the Awards, the channel paid tribute to those who died in 2023, celebrating those who had made an impact to the genre both on and off-screen. Rotunda was among the many who were paid tribute to, as seen in the video below.
It’s fitting to see Rotunda be memorialized in Dead Meat’s annual Horror Awards. Rotunda’s Wyatt character and reinvention as The Fiend in 2019 was praised by fans as the most legitimately frightening character portrayed in WWE in years. Rotunda had worked with horror effects legend Tom Savini to create the Fiend character. Wyatt had also been working on a horror film in the final years of his life.
Who Are Dead Meat?
Dead Meat tallies up kills in horror films and other media in comedic, informative ‘Kill Count’ videos. The channel is hosted by James A. Janisse and Chelsea Rebecca, who also have their own Dead Meat Podcast. The pair’s YouTube channel boats over 2.6 billion views and over 6 million subscribers.
Janisse and Rebecca are wrestling fans and make no secret of their love for the industry. References to wrestling can be found in the Kill Count videos and the couple host a Horror Royal Rumble via a WWE 2K video game every January. Several WWE Superstars have made appearances on the channel as well.
Fans may (or may not) see John Cena at WrestleMania 40 after the former WWE Champion disclosed that he is free for the event.
This week, Cena appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to discuss his new film Ricky Stanicky. As a leading man in wrestling, the topic of WrestleMania 40 came up. In the interview, Cena delivered a master class in dodging a question when asked about possibly being at the two-night spectacle.
“It’s April 6, I know exactly where it is. I mean I’m free that day. I’m just saying to you guys out there… Maybe you won’t see me there [Does ‘You Can’t See Me’ gesture.]”
This year’s WrestleMania will be the fifth annual two-night WrestleMania, a tradition that began with the Covid-19 pandemic. The show will also be the first WrestleMania following the launch of TKO Group Holdings last September. The card for the show so far is as follows:
Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes (Undisputed WWE Universal Championship)
Iyo Sky (c) vs. Bayley (WWE Women’s Championship)
Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Becky Lynch (WWE Women’s World Championship)
Seth “Freakin” Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
GUNTHER (c) vs. Winner of Next week’s WWE Raw Gauntlet Match (WWE Intercontinental Championship)
A former WWE Tough Enough participant and developmental talent has turned himself in after being wanted in connection to a Las Vegas murder.
Daniel Rodimer has been accused of the murder of Christopher Tapp, who was killed in October of last year, KLAS reports. Tapp’s death at a Resorts World suite was initially ruled as an accident but the Clark County Coroner’s Office later determined it a homicide after discovering ‘blunt force trauma’ to his head.
Tapp was a recently exonerated man who had served 20 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of killing his friend Angie Doge in 1996. Carol Doge, Angie’s mother, had previously stated she did not believe he had killed her daughter.
Rodimer turned himself in to Clark County Detention Center on Wednesday evening. His legal team said he “vigorously contests” the allegations. PW Insider reports that he was released from prison on a $200,000 bond and is due for a court hearing on April 10.
#BREAKING: Former Republican Congressional Candidate Dan Rodimer has turned himself in to CCDC.
Rodimer was part of WWE’s 2004 season of Tough Enough which also featured The Miz, Ryback, and Marty’The Boogeyman’ Wright. Despite not winning, he was signed to a developmental contract in 2006. His debut match would be in Deep South Wrestling where he defeated Heath ‘Slater’ Miller. In 2007, he was moved to OVW and debuted on Heat that same year with a win over Eugene. After two more Heat appearances, he was released in August 2007.
Daniel Rodimer and the Law
Rodimer has been accused of assault three times, but has no convictions. He was arrested on charges of battery in 2010 and admitted to committing the offense. After a six-week anger management course, the charge was dropped.
Daniel Rodimer in Politics
Rodimer ran for Nevada State Senate on the Republican ballot in 2018 but despite outspending his rival nearly two-to-one, lost to Valerie Weber. The following year, he lost to the incumbent Susie Lee in a bid for Nevada’s 3rd congressional district.
In March 2021, Rodimer announced his candidacy for Texas’s 6th congressional district special election. His campaign caught attention as he dramatically changed his accent and persona in his campaign ad to appear more Texan. He also claimed that he had been personally endorsed by former President Donald Trump, which Trump’s team denied. He placed eleventh in the primary with 2.6% of the vote share.
Drew McIntyre continues to twist the knife in two of his most recent rivals in CM Punk and Seth Rollins
McIntyre continues to show the manipulative new side of himself with a recent social media post. The Scotsman pulled an old chestnut out of CM Punk’s pocket when stealing a quote from his notorious airing of grievances on Hangman Page during AEW All Out 2022.
During the now-famous press conference, Punk laid out his laments on Hangman for going into business for himself in a promo from AEW Dynamite earlier in the year, however, it is McIntyre who repurposed Punk’s words so he to disparage Rollins for not minding his own business on WWE Raw this Monday.
'What did I ever do in this world to deserve an empty-headed, ******* dumb **** like Seth Rollins to go out on national TV and go into business for himself' pic.twitter.com/4Tecdq4zNf
McIntyre headlined WWE Raw this past Monday against Jey Uso. McIntyre took advantage of a distraction by Jimmy Uso to defeat Jey and get another win to follow up his big WWE Elimination Chamber victory.
Post-match, The Bloodline beat down Jey when Seth Rollins ran past McIntyre to make the save.
Ever the opportunist, McIntyre made the most of Rollins’ run-in to save Jey Uso by catching the WWE World Heavyweight Champion with a Claymore Kick.
Drew is set to challenge Rollins at WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia, but the road still has over a month to go.
The Young Bucks are living it up as heels, and this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite was no different. Coming off their loss to Sting and Darby Allin at AEW Revolution, they took credit for retiring Sting. Then they took care of some business on live television.
Hangman Page beat up some referees after he failed to win the AEW World Title at Revolution. Kenny Omega has not been on AEW television for a while due to suffering from a bout with diverticulitis. It seems that the Young Bucks don’t care about their excuses, because they still laid down punishments for their former stablemates.
The Young Bucks Speak
During this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, The Young Bucks seized the spotlight in the ring, stepping up to address the audience in their roles as EVPs. Their purpose was clear: to convey their stance on Hangman Page’s recent altercation with AEW officials during Revolution, and this resulted in his suspension. However, their message extended beyond this initial incident to another one of their old friends: Kenny Omega.
The Young Bucks redirected their attention to Kenny Omega. They raised concerns about his absence from scheduled appearances, attributing it to purportedly baseless reasons. It’s worth noting that Omega is currently in the process of recuperating from diverticulitis. Nevertheless, in a bold move, they proceeded to announce Omega’s termination from his position within The Elite.
It should be noted that The Young Bucks said “The Elite” and not “AEW.” So, this wasn’t a termination from the actual company. Only time will tell how this plays out.
This is when Eddie Kingston came down to play the part of a babyface trying to take on the massive heel EVPs. That didn’t turn out too well for him, and he was jumped.
AEW has their eye on several people who could really do numbers for the company. It was reported last month that Tony Khan beat out WWE’s offer for Kazuchika Okada, and this week finally saw The Rainmaker’s debut, and he has a very Elite role.
Kazuchika Okada made his big return to AEW television, and this time he was not under NJPW contract. Now, Okada is All Elite, and this was a big surprise.
AEW’s Big Debut
During AEW Dynamite this week, The Young Bucks took the microphone in the ring, and they cut a promo as EVPs. They had something to say about Hangman Page assaulting AEW officials at Revolution, and he was suspended. That was only the beginning.
The Young Bucks then turned their focus to Kenny Omega. They said that he has missed all of his dates recently for no reason. Of course, Omega is still recovering from diverticulitis. Then they fired Omega.
Eddie Kingston then came out and he started something with The Bucks. This was followed by Nicholas and Matthew Jackson ganging up on Kingston. Suddenly, Kazuchika Okada’s music hit.
This was a massive shock as The Rainmaker made his way to the ring. Suddenly, it was very clear that he was not a babyface. Okada turned his aggression toward Kingston, and then The Young Bucks announced that he is the newest member of The Elite.
It turns out that Omega is out of The Elite, and Okada is in. The segment ended with a shocked crowd as the newest member of the AEW roster posed in the ring.
The Young Bucks and Okada got to be close friends while they were all being misused in TNA Wrestling years ago. Now, they have a chance to work with each other again.
WWE tried to get Okada, but AEW offered him a better deal. Now, he will get to do his thing in Tony Khan’s company. We will have to see what is next for him after linking up with The Young Bucks.
SEScoops will have more on this story as additional information is available.
AEW has lost a few people in recent memory, and others are reportedly on their way to the company. Now, we know that Jim Ross is not leaving the Land of All Elite.
Jim Ross is not leaving AEW. He signed a brand-new deal with the company. This was not a renewal, but a full new contract, and he seems very pleased with things.
Jim Ross’ New AEW Contract
During the latest episode of Grilling JR, Ross revealed that he has inked a new deal with AEW, as his previous contract was due to expire on February 14. He also commented on how smooth the whole process was.
“We wrote a new deal. We wrote a completely new deal. No extension. New contract. It was probably the quickest and easiest negotiation I have ever done in my career of 50 years. That’s all because of Tony Khan’s commitment to me as a broadcaster. He’s always been a fan of my work, which helps your cause when your boss is a fan of your work. We got a new deal.”
AEW may lose some people in the coming months, as Matt Hardy’s contract is up. We will have to see how everything pans out, but the landscape of Tony Khan’s company will not be losing JR.
What’s Next
Jim Ross is a WWE Hall of Famer who gave decades of his life to the pro wrestling business. He’s held positions all over the business as well, and now he will continue with AEW as an announcer for a long time to come.
Although Ross is not used as much as he once was with AEW, he seems to be content with what he is given. We know that JR isn’t ready to hang up his hat just yet, and this new deal with AEW will make sure of that.
SEScoops will have additional information on this story if it is made available.
AEW has lost a few people in recent memory, but they are also picking up a few stars as well. It seems that Matt Hardy’s time in AEW may be numbered at this point, as his deal is set to expire this month.
Matt Hardy recently made headlines when he showed his displeasure about how Sammy Guevara injured Jeff Hardy during their match on Rampage. Now, Matt’s contract is set to run out long before Jeff’s.
Matt Hardy’s Contract Situation
Sean Ross Sapp revealed on Fightful Select that Matt Hardy’s current contract with AEW is due to expire in March.
Initially signed in March 2020, Hardy’s deal was originally intended to align with his brother Jeff Hardy’s contract length. However, due to various factors such as injuries and inactivity, adjustments were made, resulting in an extension of Matt’s contract duration.
It was noted that there have been discussions between the two sides about a new deal. At this time, it is unclear how far along those talks are, and how likely it is that a deal will be arranged.
Matt Hardy’s Time in AEW
Despite his lengthy tenure in the wrestling industry, the 49-year-old Hardy has seen limited in-ring action in 2024, with only one match under his belt thus far. However, his involvement in 2023 was more consistent, with over 40 matches both in and out of AEW.
Hardy’s wrestling career spans three decades, dating back to his matches against notable opponents such as Undertaker, IRS, and Razor Ramon in 1994. We will have to see what he does next, but his days in the Land of All Elite may be numbered.
SEScoops will have continued coverage of this story, and so many more, as additional information is made available.
With this being Sting’s final match, there were plenty of talks during the planning process, Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated reports. It is noted that everyone involved, including Tony Khan, felt it was very important for Sting to win the match, though the Icon himself disagreed. During the post-show media scrum, Sting admitted that he had some resistance to winning his last match and ending his career as a champion.
Reasons For the Finish
Sting wanted to lose so that he could give the major moment to the Young Bucks, in a sign of selflessness from the notoriously giving Icon. However, Khan and the Bucks believed that Sting deserved to go out on top and everyone agreed that the show called for a happy ending that would be best for AEW.
The report adds that the commentary team was not told what to expect and only a small group knew of the finish to the match in advance.
Tony Khan has a lot of plans for AEW, and that includes bringing in even more talent. He could have plans to debut someone this week, and it might break the pro wrestling world wide open.
Kazuchika Okada is reportedly on his way to AEW, and that debut may happen tonight. A new report says that he is in the United States, and only time will tell if tonight’s AEW Dynamite is his landing pad.
Major Debut on the Horizon
A major name is expected to make their full-time debut with the company, although details remain undisclosed. Tony Khan has hinted at exciting plans for AEW fans in the coming weeks, suggesting significant developments on the horizon.
According to PW Insider, former IWGP Champion Kazuchika Okada recently traveled to Los Angeles and is currently in the United States. It is widely speculated that Okada will be present at tonight’s Dynamite episode in Atlanta, potentially signaling a significant moment for the promotion.
Additionally, there are expectations for the debut of Mercedes Mone, formerly known as Sasha Banks, in Boston next week for the company’s Big Business special. With these developments on the horizon, anticipation is high for tonight’s Dynamite episode and the future direction of AEW.
AEW Dynamite For 3/6
Tonight’s AEW Dynamite promises to be eventful, with several notable announcements and developments anticipated. Among the highlights are scheduled matches such as Riho vs. Kris Statlander and Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher. Moreover, The Young Bucks have teased a “Huge Announcement,” adding to the intrigue of the evening.
They also added Hook vs Brian Cage for the FTW Title to the show in the afternoon. More matches should be expected as we approach the two-hour program.
SEScoops will have more coverage of AEW Dynamite, and everything else in the pro wrestling world. Check back often for more updates!
The Rock and Cody Rhodes have taken their WrestleMania feud to a whole new level: WWE Shop, pro wrestling’s premiere merchandise store.
At last month’s WrestleMania XL Kickoff event from Las Vegas, the ‘American Nightmare’ announced his intention to challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Championship. The decision enraged The Rock, who envisioned himself battling Reigns in what he saw as the biggest match in WWE history.
Rhodes delivered a scathing message to the Bloodline, claiming their ancestors would be ashamed of them. The Rock responded by slapping the lips off Cody’s face in what Paul Heyman would later dub, The People’s Slap.
Battle of the Shirts
If you’ve been following WWE television as closely as most of our readers, you know things haven’t quieted down since then.
The Rock’ “Slap” T-Shirt
First, The Rock released a new t-shirt mocking Cody Rhodes, his ‘Cody Crybabies’ fanbase and the The People’s Slap. As seen below, the shirt invokes the popular ‘Batman slapping Robin’ meme.
Now, Rhodes has fired back with a shirt of his own. While this one still includes The Rock’s slap last month, the defiant Rhodes makes clear that the Brahma Bull should ‘get ready to learn the lyrics to Kingdom.’
Rhodes’ message is clear: No matter what, his theme will be playing after the main event of WrestleMania 40 with Cody standing tall as the new Undisputed WWE Champion
WWEShop: Cody Rhodes “Slap” T-Shirt
What’s Next?
Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins will be at this Friday’s episode of SmackDown, where they will confront The Rock and Roman Reigns. The show will be the first face-to-face between the four men since the WrestleMania 40 kick-off event. It is believed that Rhodes and Rollins will respond to the challenge laid out last week for a tag match at WrestleMania 40.
WrestleMania 40 is scheduled as a two-night event on April 6 and 7, 2024, to be held at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The show of shows usually brings out the biggest stars the company can get, and this year’s event is no different.
John Cena mentioned WrestleMania 40, and he said “fingers crossed” about appearing. He also made it clear that he will break out the classic jorts for that appearance if it can happen.
Will John Cena be at WrestleMania 40?
I exclusively reported on SEScoops that John Cena is trying to come back to do “something” at WrestleMania 40. Now, that report has been confirmed by the man himself.
I’ve been told that John Cena is “trying to make it in” for WrestleMania “to do something.”
While appearing on ESPN’s First Take, John Cena was asked about a potential WrestleMania 40 appearance. He did not squash the idea at all. In fact, he backed up the idea that he is going to try to make it to the show of shows.
When asked what attire he may go with, Cena said, “it depends, WrestleMania 40, and fingers crossed, it will be the jorts.”
Ryan Clark: 3 Piece or Jorts?
John Cena: It depends. If we’re talking #WrestleMania 40- Crossing my fingers I hope the jorts I don’t care. If we’re talking First Take I will do my best to put on a waistcoat.
— Public Enemies Podcast (@TheEnemiesPE3) March 6, 2024
We will have to see what John Cena is able to do on the grandest stage of them all. His current Hollywood obligations may prohibit him from doing a ton in the ring, but it will be nice to see him anyway.
John Cena’s Most Recent Match
At WWE Crown Jewel 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on April 11, 2023, John Cena faced Solo Sikoa in a match that lasted 16 minutes and 10 seconds. Cena lost that match, and then he needed surgery on both of his arms after that.
Now that Hollywood SAG-AFTRA Strike is over, John Cena returned to work. Only time will tell what he can do at WrestleMania 40, but he isn’t closing the door on that idea at all.
SEScoops will have continued coverage of this story as additional information is made available.
WWE’s Women’s Division consistently earns a spotlight due to the amount of talent on their roster. John Cena has witnessed that division transform over the last decade as well, and he has a top 5 of women who capture his interest in the ring.
John Cena listed his top five women’s wrestlers, stressing that the order didn’t matter. He named Becky Lynch, Bayley, Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley, and Charlotte Flair, praising each for their unique contributions and skills in the ring.
Cena’s Female Top 5
During an interview on ESPN’s First Take, John Cena shared his admiration for women’s wrestling by listing his top five female wrestlers. He emphasized that his list was not in any particular order.
First on Cena’s list was Becky Lynch. Next, he mentioned Bayley. Both Lynch and Bayley are challengers as they walk into their own title matches at WrestleMania against Rhea Ripley and IYO Sky respectively.
Cena also acknowledges Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley on his list. The final name he came up with was Charlotte Flair.
John Cena names his Top 5 Women’s Wrestlers (not in order):
WWE’s Women’s Revolution saw interest in women’s wrestling total revived thanks to the #GiveDivasAChance movement. They are also no longer “Divas,” as they are now Superstars, and that butterly title is also a thing of the past.
There is already a new generation of women’s wrestling from NXT that will help carry the women’s division for years to come. Tiffany Stratton was just the most recent call-up with a ton of potential, because the NXT brand still has names like Fallon Henley, Roxanne Perez, Cora Jade and Blair Davenport who all have amazing potential.
Any Top 5 list is totally subjective, and John Cena certainly has his opinion on things. Keep checking back with SEScoops for more updates on this story, and so many others in the pro wrestling world.
A new era of AEW Dynamite begins tonight on TBS. With Revolution 2024 in the history books, All Elite Wrestling rolls through Duluth, Georgia for two back-to-back nights of action at the Gas South Arena. After Dynamite goes off the air, they’ll take matches for Fridays Rampage. Thursday night, they’ll tape Saturday’s Collision.
The March 6, 2024 edition of Dynamite is being billed as a ‘Season Premiere’ and will feature a new logo, a new stage and new on-screen graphics.
New Logo and Graphics
AEW has been dropping hints about the new look for AEW Dynamite on television and on social media. First, it was the new logo:
At Revolution, they showed an on-screen graphic for tonight’s showdown between Will Ospreay and Kyle Fletcher, featuring the new Dynamite logo:
AEW Dynamite Preview (3/6):
Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher
Kris Statlander vs. Riho
Plus, fallout from Sunday’s AEW Revolution 2024 pay-per-view.
New Stage and Theme Music
AEW Dynamite has an all-new look for Spring 2024
Dynamite got a new stage as well, including the return of the “tunnels” that fans loved so much about the original Dynamite set. If AEW is looking to recapture the “feeling” of the company’s best times, this fresh coat of paint is a great start.
Furthermore, we’ve heard talk that AEW composer Mikey Rukus has crafted a rock-based song that could be used as new theme music for the flagship show.
Speaking at the Morgan Stanley conference, TKO’s COO Mark Shapiro addressed McMahon’s departure and his recent offloading of TKO stock. Shapiro made it clear that TKO did not participate in the sale. Shapiro added that McMahon does not work for TKO, does not go to the offices and is not coming back to the company.
Plans for Branding
Over the past year, WWE has seen an increase in branding usage on camera at WWE events. During the conference, Shapiro said that “not to criticize Vince McMahon” but he believes WWE didn’t utilize enough branding opportunities in arenas. UFC, the other half of TKO, uses arguably too many, according to Shapiro, who said that WWE will continue to use sponsors on WWE ring assets.
WWE RAW & Netflix
In January 2025, Monday Night Raw will move to Netflix in a blockbuster deal that will mark the end of WWE’s flagship show on broadcast television. Shapiro said that “not in my wildest dreams” did he expect Netflix for the Raw deal, and that the conversation was originally about WWE NXT. Shapiro credits WWE President Nick Khan and TKO CFO Andrew Schleimer for negotiating the deal.
What’s to Come?
Shapiro was pleasantly surprised by the buzz that this year’s Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber events made. Looking ahead, he said fans can expect celebrities from the William Morris-Endeavor (WME) agency at WrestleMania. Partnering with Fanatics for WWE World is going well, and can be considered a blueprint for future projects.
WWE NXT Superstar Dijak is immensely grateful for the opportunity he’s had in the gold brand after being sure he’d be cut as T-Bar.
Dijak, aka Dominik Dijakovic, was called up to the main roster in 2020 as T-BAR, part of the anarchistic Retribution stable. The group would struggle on WWE TV though with fans finding the gimmick hokey and their masks unintentionally hilarious.
Retribution Ends & Dijak Begins
With the faction’s prospects seemingly dead in the water, Retribution imploded in early 2021 by turning on their leader Mustafa Ali. By late 2021 and throughout 2022, he exclusively competed on WWE Main Event.
In late 2022, he returned to WWE NXT as Dijak, complete with a video promo showing his T-Bar mask being burned in a fire. Since then, Dijak has gone on to become one of the gold brand’s most prominently featured performers and has worked with the show’s top names.
Dijak is Grateful
On this week’s episode of WWE NXT, Dijak defeated Joe Gacy in the Asylum match which saw both men use a plethora of weapons. During the match, Dijak hit a moonsault off the top of the cage in a surprising display of high-flying from the big man.
Taking to Twitter, Dijak spoke about the spot in question and fans who may feel he shouldn’t be leaving his feet. Dijak said that he is making the most of the opportunity afforded him in WWE NXT after being sure he would be cut during his T-Bar run.
People who tell me I shouldn’t do a moonsault off the top of a cage have never been T-Bar barely treading water on Main Event & tearfully staring at my phone waiting to be fired.
This year’s edition of the WWE Hall of Fame is a special year. Triple H will pick his first class of inductees, and now we know the second name on his list.
Paul Heyman was announced this week as the first entrant in the 2024 Class of the WWE Hall of Fame. This was a huge addition to the Philly festivities. Now, Bull Nakano’s name is joining this year’s list of inductees.
An unbelievable talent with an unforgettable look, and a mean streak a mile long.
Bull Nakano isn’t just one of the best Women’s wrestlers of all time – she’s one of the best of all time, period. #WWEHOFpic.twitter.com/ft8JmnUfIw
The 56-year-old Japanese pro wrestling legend spoke about this big honor. She has raked up a lot of championships throughout her career, but she was always missing a Hall of Fame induction.
“During my active years, I was able to get championship belts in Japan, America and Mexico. But just one thing was missing — I didn’t get inducted into the Hall of Fame. I wanted this. Finally, in 2024 in WrestleMania week, I am able to get this.”
Who is Bull Nakano
Nakano entered Japan’s women’s wrestling circuit, known as “joshi,” in the early 1980s. At that time, women’s wrestling experienced significant popularity in Japan, often attracting larger crowds and higher TV ratings than men’s wrestling.
As a formidable heel with face paint, Nakano emerged as a prominent figure in All Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling, becoming one of its top attractions. She claimed victories in the AJW championship and WWWA title matches, engaging in historic encounters alongside and against renowned names like Dump Matsumoto, Kyoko Inoue, Akira Hokuto, and Aja Kong.
In the 1990s, Nakano ventured beyond Japan, taking her talents to Mexico where she secured the CMLL World women’s championship in 1992. Among U.S. audiences, Nakano gained recognition for her feud with Alundra Blayze in WWE. She also beat Blayze for the WWF women’s title at the Tokyo Dome in 1994, an event that was seen by over 42,000 fans in attendance. While it was uncommon for a WWE title to be defended in Japan, Nakano won it there, and she defended it once before relinquishing it back to Blayze in 1995.
WWE Hall of Fame Date
The 2024 WWE Hall of Fame is an upcoming professional wrestling event created by WWE, marking the induction of the 25th class into the WWE Hall of Fame. The ceremony is scheduled for April 5, 2024, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, occurring the evening prior to WrestleMania 40.
With WWE 2K24 recognizing the promotion’s past, there have been questions as to how WWE would handle McMahon’s presence in important moments. After all, some of WWE’s biggest feuds that led to matches at the Showcase of the Immortals have included the 78-year-old billionaire.
With the game’s Deluxe Edition already out, gamers have been able to get their hands on WWE 2K24. One match in the WrestleMania Showcase mode is the Women’s triple threat that headlined WrestleMania 35 in 2019.
Fans who have played the WrestleMania Showcase mode will have noticed that in archive footage for the WrestleMania 39 match, McMahon appears alongside Charlotte Flair. In the footage of the segment which saw Flair added to the match, McMahon’s face is blurred out. The narration also states WWE replaced Becky Lynch with Flair without mentioning McMahon by name.
Vince McMahon in WWE 2K24’s Showcase mode.
What’s Next?
The regular edition of WWE 2K24 will be released later this week. As for McMahon, the lawsuit against him will continue forward despite his resignation from the promotion. against the former WWE Chairman.
AEW has a packed roster full of talent, but Tony Khan has never announced a hiring freeze. It’s anyone’s guess who TK may bring back next to insert some extra energy into the situation. Lio Rush seems open to the idea of having another run in the Land of All Elite.
Lio Rush, although his AEW exit was sudden and a bit controversial, will not say “no” to the idea of returning to Tony Khan’s company. Things just didn’t pan out the last time around.
Lio Rush in AEW
Lio Rush’s time with the promotion was brief, as he became a free agent following the expiration of his contract with AEW in February 2022. This took place shortly after he voiced his opposition to Tony Khan’s controversial tweet regarding Big Swole.
Rush garnered attention amid AEW’s controversy involving Big Swole. The latter criticized the company’s treatment of Black talent at the forefront and expressed disappointment in the lack of representation of individuals who resemble her among top executives behind the scenes.
He later made it very clear on Twitter/X that his contract was up on February 14, 2022, and he was off to his next venture.
Lio Rush Speaks On Possible AEW Return
While speaking to WrestlingNews.co, Lio Rush clarified that his tenure in AEW ended prematurely because it simply didn’t pan out. Regardless of the specific reasons, he acknowledged that sometimes in life, circumstances don’t align for various individuals and situations.
“It was cut short because it was cut short. I mean, it just didn’t work out. I say this quite often every time that it is brought up. Yeah, it just didn’t work out and it, but regardless of what those reasons are, things just don’t work out. You know, it’s like that in life for many things and for many people. If it was a different time period, if it was a different situation, if it was, yeah, all of these what ifs, but they weren’t what ifs. It was what was going on in the present time and in that time, things just didn’t work out.”
Lio Rush went on to say, “So you know, not to say that you’ll never see me there again or not to say that the relationship is bad or anything like that. I think it was just a period in time that it just didn’t work out for both parties, and we had to split ways.”
What’s Next For Lio Rush
Lio is still working on music, and he’s not retired from the ring either. He continues to impress whenever he’s booked. Hopefully, he can get back on a major television company again someday, because at 29-years-old, he still has plenty of time.
We will have to see if AEW brings Lio Rush back to the company. Tony Khan has a loaded locker room already at this point, but you never know what can happen in pro wrestling.
SEScoops will have more on this story, and many more, as additional updates are available. We also invite you to check out our Daily Drop for all the biggest headlines, tidbits, and other exclusive notes throughout the pro wrestling world!
Vince McMahon’s aggressive control of WWE programming was infamous during his time as Chairman of the Board. Now that he’s gone, things are very different.
Triple H is now in control of WWE’s programming. As Chief Content Officer, he has also decided not to berate his announcers with constant directions. Corey Graves can attest to this fact, because he lived through the transition and is very much enjoying The Game’s time in charge.
Corey Graves Speaks On Triple H
Corey Graves is a prominent figure in WWE, particularly as part of Friday Night SmackDown’s commentary team. He remembers the days when Vince McMahon was in his ear all night, commanding him to hit certain lines on commentary. That is not the case anymore.
With experience both as a wrestler and announcer in NXT, WWE’s developmental brand overseen by Triple H, Graves expressed gratitude for the opportunities provided by Paul “Triple H” Levesque. He sees the King of Kings are one of the primary reasons he was so successful in the company.
While speaking to Short and to the Point podcast, Graves highlighted Triple H’s supportive approach and acknowledged the creative freedom afforded to announcers under his leadership.
“Triple H is another guy I owe a great deal, if not everything in my career, to. He was the one that took a chance on me as a wrestler in NXT. If I need something, I’ve never hesitated to go to him and ask. He’s cool and refreshing in the sense that he gives us [announcers] space.”
Differences Between Triple H & Vince McMahon
Graves continued to explained that Triple H recognizes the importance of allowing announcers to express themselves authentically as fans.
“Instead of being directed to adhere to specific instructions or language, Triple H understands that we’re all fans. As the industry progresses, you have to loosen the reins a bit. I still have boundaries, but they feel more flexible now.”
In contrast to Vince McMahon’s notorious habit of shouting at announcers through their headsets, Triple H doesn’t take that tactic at all. Instead, The Game has a much more cerebral approach to things.
“I’ve been on TV for seven years between RAW and SmackDown. In the last few months, communication through my headset has been exceptionally quiet and clear. I only receive feedback if I’m making a significant mistake or if a joke lands. If I say something that resonates, he’ll build on it or enhance the joke in my headset.”
Vince McMahon’s WWE Exit
Vince McMahon initially retired from WWE in 2022, amid allegations of sexual misconduct. At the time, WWE announced a special committee would investigate McMahon. However, his retirement didn’t last long, and he returned to the company to help usher in a sale/merger era for the company.
McMahon made creative adjustments remotely for a long time during that period. The whole time Triple H was still acting COO of the company.
That misconduct for Mr. McMahon was later detailed in gruesome ways with Janel Grant’s earth-shattering lawsuit. After Slim Jim pulled their sponsorship right before the Royal Rumble, Vince had no choice but to totally resign from the company.
In more recent memory, Vince announced his intention to sell over $400 million in TKO stock, leaving him with around 8% of the company in his control, which is not enough to secure his place back in the company once again if he ever tried another return.
WWE Superstars have lives outside the ring, and sadly, one member of the NXT family is dealing with a big personal loss. Andre Chase, who has been around the NXT brand consistently since the 2.0 days, revealed he lost his father.
Andre Chase shared that his father recently passed away over the weekend. He saved this announcement until after his big NXT Tag Team Title match at Roadblock.
Chase’s Sad Announcement
At NXT Roadblock, Chase and Duke Hudson teamed up to challenge Bron Breakker and Baron Corbin for the NXT Tag Team Championship. Despite their efforts, they were unable to secure the title, marking their second unsuccessful attempt. The whole time, the NXT Arena was very much behind Chase U.
After the event, Chase took to social media to announce the passing of his father over the weekend. In a heartfelt message, he reflected on his father’s strength and expressed how he honored his memory by standing up for himself, even in defeat.
As some of you may know, my father unexpectedly passed away over the weekend.My dad had the heart of a lion and never backed down from a fight. Tonight, even in defeat, I hope I honored him by pulling myself up off of the mat even when I thought I had nothing left. #WWENXT
Our thoughts are with Andre Chase as he deals with this great loss in his personal life. He has a ton of fans who are very much behind him, along with everyone at the Performance Center. So, we’re hoping that he has plenty of support during this time.
SEScoops will have more updates on the pro wrestling world, so please keep checking back for additional headlines.
