Rhea Ripley has reached a milestone in her WWE career by hitting one whole year as the WWE Women’s World Champion.
The ‘Mami’ of the Judgment Day captured the title on April 1, 2023, at WrestleMania 39. Ripley won the SmackDown Women’s Championship at the event with a victory over Charlotte Flair. Ripley earned the match by winning the 2023 Women’s Royal Rumble match, though her record-long performance was surpassed by Bayley this year.
Rhea Ripley as Women’s World Champion
Across WWE Premium Live Events, Television shows, and untelevised matches, Ripley has defended her title a total of 46 times since winning the gold. Her most recent title defense was in a dark match following the March 29, 2024, episode of WWE SmackDown. The ‘Mami’ retained against Shayna Baszler.
Rhea Ripley’s Gold
Ripley’s reign as SmackDown Women’s Champion/Women’s World Champion is just the latest taste of gold for the Australian Superstar. She is also a former Raw Women’s Champion, WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion, WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion, NXT Women’s Champion, and NXT UK Women’s Champion.
All of these accolades make Ripley the seventh WWE Women’s Triple Crown Champion and the fifth Women’s Grand Slam Champion. She is the only woman to have held all of the titles listed above.
What’s Next for Rhea Ripley?
Ripley has held the title for one year, but her reign could be over within a matter of days. At WWE WrestleMania 40, Ripley will defend the Women’s World Championship against Becky Lynch. The Man earned the title match by winning the 2024 Women’s Elimination Chamber match.
Rey Mysterio is known as the Greatest Mask of All Time, but he isn’t covering his face all the time. That was very true for a recent TikTok video on his daughter’s profile.
Rey Mysterio made a rare unmasked appearance in a TikTok video with his daughter, Aalyah Gutiérrez. This was a candid moment, where he showed off some of his family life behind the mask.
Mysterio Goes Unmasked
Rey Mysterio recently appeared without his mask in a TikTok video alongside his daughter, Aalyah Gutiérrez.
While Mysterio started off the video with his face covered, as Marciano by Flako Stik kept playing, he revealed his whole face for the camera. Then, as the beat dropped, both he and Aalyah put on sunglasses and started dancing.
Aalyah Gutiérrez has previously appeared on WWE television, notably during a feud involving Buddy Matthews and Seth Rollins against The Mysterio Family, where she was romantically linked to Murphy in the storyline. Ironically, the two were never an actual couple, but Matthews is in a real-life relationship with Rhea Ripley, who is linked up with Aalyah’s brother, Dominik Mysterio, in storyline now.
Rey Mysterio’s Road to WrestleMania 40
Mysterio’s return to WWE TV followed a period of absence due to knee surgery he underwent in late 2023. On a recent episode of SmackDown, he was involved in a match against Santos Escobar.
While Mysterio’s unmasked appearance may not be new to longtime fans who recall his time in WCW when he couldn’t wear his mask due to contract stipulations, he typically keeps his identity concealed and rarely appears publicly without his mask. However, in the TikTok video, he and his daughter engaged in some lip-syncing, revealing his unmasked face.
Mr. 6-1-9 likes to do up his masks for WrestleMania, so we’ll have to see what he rocks on his face at the show of shows this year. If anything, we know he’s not going maskless like this TikTok video.
SEScoops will have more on this story, and so many more from throughout the pro wrestling world. Please keep checking back on a regular basis for more updates!
Matt Cardona made waves on Saturday night when he was the one to answer the “Cope Open,: and ‘The Deathmatch King’ couldn’t have been happier.
AEW Collision kicked off with Adam Copeland opening the canvas to whomever wanted to step up against him and challenge for the TNT Championship. That man was Matt Cardona. Ever since being released by WWE, Cardona has made his hay without any long-term pro wrestling contract and has fully embraced the identity of ‘The Indy God.’ He’s competed everywhere and anywhere not named WWE and that included AEW back in 2020.
Cardona, who first got his big break in WWE as an ‘Edgehead,’ may have came up short in his singles match against Copeland but was extremely grateful for the opportunity to lock up with his former menter. He expressed his gratitude on X, thanking both Copeland and Tony Khan for the opportunity.
Adam Copeland vs. Matt Cardona…my dream match…finally happened last night at #AEWCollision.
When I was in high school, Edge was one of my favorite wrestlers. I’d have matches with him (an invisible version) in my bedroom or trampoline.
Him reinventing himself into the Rated R Superstar made me an even bigger fan of his.
A couple of years later, Brian Myers and I made it to WWE but were drowning as The Major Brothers. We were about be fired. We had an idea to be Adam’s entourage…his Edgeheads. He didn’t need us but we certainly needed him. He took a chance on us, saved our careers, and changed our lives.
We went from sitting in catering about to be fired to wrestling guys like Undertaker, Batista, Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, etc. We learned so much from working so close to Adam. Our first time at WrestleMania was being involved in the main event! I thought the next year at WrestleMania it’d be Edge vs. Hawkins vs. Ryder. That didn’t happen. LOL.
16 years (holy shit!) flew by so fast. Adam had to retire due to a neck injury in 2011. My dream match would never happen. Adam returns to WWE in 2020. I get fired from WWE in 2020. My dream match would never happen.
I’ve been busting my ass these past 4 years to reinvent myself. Adam is the Rated R Superstar and I’m the Self Made Superstar. I’ve been everywhere. I’ve wrestled everyone. When Adam joined AEW in 2023, I knew my dream match was back on the table.
Last night in Canada, Adam had the Cope Open…an open challenge for his TNT Championship. I accepted. The fans didn’t forget the history. There was a HOLY SHIT chant on my god damn entrance. I may have lost but I learned even more from Adam from that match. It was a night that I’ll never forget. I finally wrestled my dream match.
Thank you Adam. Thank you Tony Khan for the opportunity.
The ‘Self-Made Superstar’ Matt Cardona has reportedly not signed a deal with AEW and remains a free agent. From Cardona’s post on X, that looks even more evident. Cardona had to readjust his schedule when this match was booked as he was actually scheduled to wrestle at the Squared Circle Expo on Saturday night, but was replaced by Nic Nemeth who wrestled Ultimo Dragon.
It’s WrestleMania season, and many Superstars are freshening up their look. Even legends who aren’t booked for the show of shows are updating their appearance, and Michelle McCool proved that with a new photo drop.
As of this writing, we have not heard anything about Michelle McCool getting booked for a WrestleMania 40 appearance. In any case, she is certainly looking great, and ready for those bright lights if they call her.
Michelle McCool recently updated fans with a new photo that showed off a bit of an alteration for her trademark hair. She is going for a shorter cut now, and fans seem to be all about it.
McCool’s New Look
Michelle McCool recently made a change to her appearance, signaling a possible new chapter in her life post-retirement from professional wrestling.
Recently, McCool shared a photo on her Instagram story revealing a new hairstyle, indicating a fresh start as she continues to enjoy life beyond the wrestling ring.
Michelle McCool’s journey in WWE started in 2004 when she participated in the Diva Search competition. Although she didn’t win, her talent caught the attention of WWE management, leading to a developmental deal and training in Deep South Wrestling and OVW.
In 2006, McCool made her debut on the main roster as a villainous character with a teacher gimmick. Over the years, she underwent various character transformations and found success, notably forming the LayCool tag team with Layla in 2009 before retiring from wrestling in 2011.
Despite retiring from in-ring competition, McCool made a special appearance at the 30-Woman Royal Rumble in 2023, where she had a memorable entrance and participated in the match, lasting 13 minutes before being eliminated by Rhea Ripley, who was the eventual winner.
Michelle McCool and The Undertaker are enjoying married life at this point, as they are both retired. They are raising a daughter, and seem very happy with this stage of their life. Although Taker and McCool have retired from in-ring competition, you can never say never when it comes to seeing them again in WWE.
SEScoops will have more on this story, and so many more, as we get even closer to WrestleMania 40. Keep checking back throughout the day for more updates!
Welcome the Daily Drop, your daily roundup of wrestling news and rumors for Monday, April 1. We are officially less than one week away from WrestleMania 40. Let’s get right into today’s Daily Drop!
Okay, it’s April Fools’ Day, but you won’t find anything like that here at SEScoops. That being said, be careful what you see today on social media, because we live in a day and age where it’s getting easier to get fooled.
Days Until WrestleMania 40: 5
WWE
– WrestleMania 40 Change: WWE is discussing the idea that they may have to change one WrestleMania title match. A meeting is set up to talk about it later this week.
Eight-man tag match: DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) & The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) vs. The Judgment Day (Damian Priest, Finn Balor, Dominik Mysterio & JD McDonagh)
Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell vs. Ivy Nile & Maxxine Dupri
Sami Zayn vs. Bronson Reed
AEW
– Parker Boudreaux’s AEW Status: A new report came out yesterday that broke down Parker Boudreaux’s current AEW contract status. He’s apparently still with the company, even though he hasn’t appeared on television in over a year.
– Omega Fires Back: Kenny Omega had something to say to anyone who wants to drag his ability to tell stories.
Roman Reigns may be a cool customer on WWE TV but the Tribal Chief couldn’t help but feel emotional when hearing from his late brother Matt.
During the recent WWE and A&E Biography: Legends episode on Roman Reigns, the Tribal Chief was presented with a WWE.com interview with Matt Anoa’i. In the interview in question, Matt speaks about his brother’s dedication to excellence and predicts big things for Reigns.
“He had something special… That specialty was something to do with athletics. Just his focus in the gym, focus all through high-school and college, he knew. Joe was set for something great. He’s setting the bar for our family that much higher.”
Reigns was visibly overcome with emotion hearing the words from his brother as seen in the clip below.
they played an excerpt of Roman Reigns’ brother Matt doing an interview about Roman, and Roman got emotional. He is so proud of you Roman ?? pic.twitter.com/YbZWz3fGtq
Matt began his career in 1995 and after a brief stint in the original ECW and the Samoan-owned WXW, would join WWE in 2002. He debuted in July on Raw as Rosey, one-half of 3 Minute Warning alongside Eddie ‘Jamal’ Fatu (later known to WWE fans as Umaga. The duo served as ‘hired guns’ for Raw GM Eric Bischoff but split in June 2003 following Fatu’s release from WWE.
Rosey would later become the sidekick of The Hurricane who dubbed Rosey his ‘Super Hero In Training (S.H.I.T.) The pair won the World Tag Team Championships in May 2005 but lost the gold to Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch that September. Rosey was released from WWE in March 2006.
In January 2014, Matt Anoa?i was hospitalized due to congestive heart failure which was related to weight gain as he struggled to keep active due to a chronic knee injury. On April 17, 2017, Matt died due to complications related to CHF, mere days after his 47th birthday.
The Judgment Day member Finn Balor recently revealed that he suffered a forehead injury which looks pretty nasty.
As we get closer to WrestleMania 40 this weekend, fans and the WWE Superstars are preparing for an epic event. However, fans are worried after Balor posted an update on his recent injury.
Taking to his Twitter/X, one-half of the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions posted a short video clip in which his forehead can be seen swollen due to an injury but he didn’t look much concerned.
It is currently not known when and how Finn Balor suffered the injury but that looks concerning, especially ahead of their tag-team title defense at WrestleMania 40.
Finn Balor and Damian Priest to have a high-stakes match at WrestleMania 40
The Judgment Day have a huge task at their hands to keep the gold around their waist at the ‘Show of Shows’.
Balor and Priest will put their Undisputed WWE Tag-Team Championships on the line in a Six-pack Tag-Team Ladder Match against some of the most popular teams: #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa), The Awesome Truth (The Miz and R-Truth), The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods), New Catch Republic (Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate) and A-Town Down Under (Austin Theory & Grayson Waller).
Meanwhile, the other members are also gearing up for the event. Rhea Ripley will defend her WWE Women’s World title against 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble winner Becky Lynch.
On the other hand, Dominik Mysterio will team up with Santos Escobar to take on LWO (Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee).
WrestleMania 40 takes place on April 6 & 7 at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The end of the Shield may have helped propel Roman Reigns to singles superstardom, but the Tribal Chief was no fan of splitting up the popular faction.
A year-and-a-half after their debut on the main roster, the Shield imploded during the June 2, 2014, episode of Monday Night Raw. 24 hours removed from the Sheild’s victory over Evolution at WWE Battleground, Seth Rollins betrayed his brothers and aligned himself with Triple H, becoming a part of the Authority.
Roman Reigns Was Against The Shield’s Split
The end of the Shield was a shocking moment that marked a change for Rollins, Reigns, and Dean Ambrose, but Reigns was not on board at the time. During the A&E Biography: Legends episode about him, Reigns shared his reservations about the split.
“I didn’t wanna break up The Shield. And I definitely didn’t wanna be a good guy. That’s exactly what was happening. I was so young on the rise. It’s not like I had a nest egg built up. It’s not like I had a whole bunch of options that I can just say ‘No I’m not feeling this.’ This doesn’t feel good to me or I wouldn’t say this. It was so hard to do that.”
“When you don’t have that backup, when you don’t have that ‘f**k you’ money. And you can’t just stand on your art and your family is depending on you. Your livelihood is depending on you. You have to just be a good soldier and do what you’re told.”
What Came Next?
Following the split, Rollins and Ambrose would feud for months with both men receiving new attires and themes for this post-Shield chapter of their careers. Reigns on the other hand continued to use the same theme song and the same attire for years after the Shield broke up.
Rather than enter the fray with Ambrose and Rollins, Reigns was quickly thrust into feuds with established names. This high-profile move to the main event scene would play a part in the fans’ rejection of Reigns that would continue for years.
Shield Reunions
While The Shield’s proper run ended in 2014, the faction would reunite over the years. The group saw reunions in 2017, 2018, and 2019. The final reunion saw the group go out on top as Ambrose’s final match for WWE saw the Shield defeat Baron Corbin, Bobby Lashley, and Drew McIntyre. Ambrose would debut for AEW shortly after as Jon Moxley.
For the use of quotes, please give an H/T to SE Scoops.
Booker T had no issue with his angle with Triple H in early 2003, despite many believing that the angle leaned too heavily into racial insensitivity.
The angle in question saw Booker feud with the Game over the World Heavyweight Championship. Triple H’s verbiage in promos would raise eyebrows as he said that “people like you” don’t win world titles. Many took this as a nod at Booker being African-American, as there had not been a fully-black WWE World Champion at the time.
Amid backlash, WWE would try and play off the comment as Triple H making reference to Booker T’s criminal history. The two-time WWE Hall of Famer spent 19 months in prison after pleading guilty to armed robbery at Wendy’s restaurants in Houston. This did little to quiet critics of the angle, as similar comments had not been made about white WWE Superstars who had fallen afoul of the law.
Booker T on the Storyline
While many still take issue with the angle and the racial undertones, Booker does not have a problem with the storyline. In a recent interview with Adrian Hernandez, Booker discussed some of Triple H’s verbiage during the angle.
“The one line people remember the most is when Triple H said ‘People like you don’t deserve to be here.’ That’s motivation for all of us to get up off our asses and prove them wrong.”
Booker then discussed how the angle played on his real-life background and said he approved of what was said in the storyline.
“It was as real as it could possibly be for me from an emotional perspective and a lot of the stuff that went into the angle, I approved all of it.”
What Came Next?
While the angle was distasteful to many, it did build Booker as a sympathetic babyface. Many assumed that the vile heel Triple H would finally get his comeuppance at WrestleMania 19 by losing the World Heavyweight Championship.
Instead, The Game retained and the finish of the match also saw controversy. Triple H waited close to a minute after hitting the Pedigree on Booker before getting the decisive pinfall, which many felt was a ‘burial’ of the ex-WCW star. Booker would have to wait over three more years before he won the World Heavyweight Championship from Rey Mysterio in 2006.
For the use of quotes, please give an H/T to SE Scoops.
John Cena has praised the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns as a Superstar who is without comparison to anybody other than the Tribal Chief.
Reigns has been one of WWE’s very top Superstars for close to a decade now and has dominated as Universal Champion for over 1,300 days. This title reign has seen him defeat the likes of Bray Wyatt, Bill Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, Edge, Daniel Bryan, Cody Rhodes, and Cena himself.
John Cena on Roman Reigns
As part of A&E Biography: Legends episode on Roman Reigns, Cena spoke candidly about his respect for the Head of the Table. In a tweet featuring a clip from the show, Cena went even further, saying that Reigns is, in his opinion, the greatest of all time.
“It is on the job training, no matter what. We learn the most from failure and Roman had his share of knocks. And finally, he was like ‘F*** it, I’m doing it my own way.’ And it has been a wrap ever since. It has been like [mic] drop, conversation over. There’s nobody like him. He should be compared only to himself.”
Many have “held the title,” but none have elevated the position and have had as much success personally and for the entirety of the @WWE like @WWERomanReigns. A true one of a kind and, in my opinion, the greatest of all time.
Cena and Reigns have shared the ring 15 times in WWE (not including Royal Rumble bouts.) Their first match took place at WWE Elimination Chamber 2013 and saw The Shield defeat Cena, Sheamus, and Ryback. The pair would later headline WWE SummerSlam 2021 in a match Reigns would also win.
The duo’s most recent match came on the December 30, 2022, edition of WWE SmackDown. The match saw Cena and Kevin Owens defeat Reigns and Sami Zayn, who was with the Bloodline at the time. The match also kept Cena’s streak going as the 16-time WWE World Champion has had at least one match on WWE TV since his main-roster debut in 2002.
The WWE Superstars have weighed in on whether it’ll be The Rock & Roman Reigns or Seth Rollins & Cody Rhodes who will be left standing tall at WrestleMania: Saturday.
In a video shared on WWE’s YouTube channel, the Superstars were asked who they predict will win the much-anticipated tag team match on WrestleMania Saturday. The match will see Seth Rollins & Cody Rhodes face Roman Reigns & The Rock to decide the stipulation of the following night’s Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match
Who’s Backing the Bloodline?
CM Punk said it’s hard to bet against the Bloodline (but easy to bet against Seth Rollins) and he expects Rock and Reigns to win the tag-team match. Jimmy Uso, unsurprisingly, was backing is cousin and the Final Boss in the upcoming match.
The Miz said he wouldn’t be surprised if The Rock & Reigns won and beatdown Cody and Seth to the point that their matches would be called on for WrestleMania 40: Sunday. The A-Lister admitted that these comments will leave fans very angry with him.
‘Michin’ Mia Yim was also predicting a Bloodline victory, acknowledging the 1,300+ day reign of the Tribal Chief and the legendary status of The Rock. Santos Escobar was immensely confident that The Rock & Roman would win, calling it a “spoiler.”
Carmelo Hayes is also predicting a Rock-Roman win on WrestleMania: Saturday, as is Shayna Baszler. Otis, The O.C. and Byron Saxton also predicted a Bloodline victory. R-Truth, Zelina Vega, and Trick Williams also expect to see The Bloodline stand tall on WrestleMania 40: Saturday.
Finishing the Story
While the majority of WWE Superstars expect The Rock & Roman Reigns to win this Saturday, not everyone believes this will be the case. Despite her differences with both Cody & Seth, Rhea Ripley expects the dream team will be standing tall on WrestleMania 40: Saturday.
NXT Women’s Champion Lyra Valkyria is also expecting a win for Rhodes and Rollins and believes the American Nightmare will at last ‘finish the story’ the next night. Liv Morgan is also backing Rhodes and Rollins “just because.”
Despite being dressed like 90s Rock for the video, Kofi Kingston expects Rhodes and Rollins to come out on top. Bianca Belair is also expecting the faces to win on WrestleMania 40: Sunday.
Drew McIntyre Responds
The final response was from Drew McIntyre who made it clear he doesn’t care who wins on WrestleMania 40: Saturday. McIntyre is instead only hoping that Rollins makes it through the match so they can have their World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania 40: Sunday.
The WWE Universe could be in store for a Philadelphia Street Fight in a matter of days at WWE WrestleMania 40, it has been claimed.
WrestleMania 40 will be the promotion’s fifth two-night WrestleMania, a tradition that began in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The show will take place on April 6 and April 7 from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA.
WrestleMania Card Schedule
As of writing, 12 matches have been confirmed for WWE WrestleMania 40. Dave Melzer of F4W Online reports that 13 matches will take place at WrestleMania. This will be divided over the two nights with seven matches on WrestleMania 40: Saturday and six matches taking place on WrestleMania 40: Sunday.
A Philadelphia Street Fight
Meltzer adds that the Street Profits & Bobby Lashley vs. Karrion Kross & Authors of Pain was made “obvious” during the March 29, episode of WWE SmackDown but has yet to be announced. It’s also noted that as of last week, it was booked within WWE to be a ‘Philadelphia Street Fight.’
On SmackDown, the Profits faced Grayson Waller & Austin Theory in a tag-team ladder match qualifier. Karrion Kross and Scarlett attacked Lashley and B-Fab backstage with the distraction costing the Profits the match.
WWE WrestleMania 40
Here is the card as it stands for WWE WrestleMania 40:
WrestleMania 40: Saturday
The Bloodline (The Rock and Roman Reigns) vs. Cody Rhodes and Seth “Freakin” Rollins
WrestleMania 40: Sunday
Seth “Freakin” Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes (Undisputed WWE Universal Championship)
Night TBA
Iyo Sky (c) vs. Bayley (WWE Women’s Championship)
Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Becky Lynch (WWE Women’s World Championship)
Gunther (c) vs. Sami Zayn (WWE Intercontinental Championship)
The Judgment Day (Finn Bálor and Damian Priest) (c) vs. #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) vs. The Awesome Truth (The Miz and R-Truth) vs. The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) vs. A-Town Down Under (Austin Theory and Grayson Waller) vs. New Catch Republic (Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate) (Six-Pack Tag Team Ladder match, Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships)
LA Knight vs. AJ Styles
Jey Uso vs. Jimmy Uso
Logan Paul (c) vs. Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens (WWE United States Championship)
Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill, and Naomi vs. Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai, Asuka, and Kairi Sane)
Latino World Order (Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee) vs. Santos Escobar and “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio
WWE could have big plans for a lot of NXT Superstars, and it only seems natural that the company wants to make a big star out of Ilja Dragunov. The question is how soon they will get that going.
WWE NXT: Stand & Deliver will go down on April 6 during the afternoon before WrestleMania 40‘s first night. SEScoops will have coverage as the show starts at 11:30 AM EST.
Ilja Dragunov is preparing for his NXT Championship defense at NXT: Stand & Deliver against Tony D’Angelo. While there are no immediate plans for him to move to the main roster, but it’s anticipated that he will transition to RAW or SmackDown after dropping the NXT Championship.
Current Situation With Ilja Dragunov’s WWE Main Roster Call-Up
Ilja Dragunov is heading into his next title defense at NXT: Stand And Deliver on WrestleMania 40 weekend. He will defend the title against Tony D’Angelo in a program that has been built like a Sopranos storyline.
According to information from Corey Brennan of Fightful Select, there are currently no plans for Dragunov to move up to the main roster, but it’s expected that he will transition there after losing the NXT Championship. It was also noted that some within NXT believe he has outgrown the brand.
Some fans have questioned if Dragunov was willing to make the move to the main roster and cite his trips home as a reason why. At this time, Fightful has not been told of any such issue, with WWE being more than happy to accommodate Dragunov’s schedule.
Perspective on Ilja Dragunov
In terms of WWE’s broader plans, there is a perception among some in NXT that Dragunov is viewed similarly to GUNTHER. Those plans to push him similarly once he joins the main roster may be in place.
Dragunov’s performance in NXT has earned him praise, with producers noting his ability to excel with minimal direction compared to others on the roster.
Fellow NXT talent have also given Dragunov big props for his ability to elevate his opponents in the ring and how much he gets the pro wrestling business. Additionally, he is described as easy to work with and a positive presence backstage, further enhancing his reputation within the company.
We will have to see when Ilja Dragunov makes his way to the WWE main roster. At this time, it does not appear that there are any plans to rush the process.
SEScoops will have more on this story, and many more in the pro wrestling business. Keep checking back throughout the day for more headlines!
I’ve always had a special place in my heart for Major League Wrestling. Whenever I hear MLW, it brings back memories of attending the promotion’s early shows in Florida. There was the memory of Steve Corino and Terry Funk battling around Tabu nightclub while I was trying to take photos ringside as a young college student and not get caught in the crossfire.
There were times I’d find myself backstage at the War Memorial Auditorium before shows among a who’s who in the business. I’m always grateful to Court Bauer for allowing me opportunities to talk to the late Mike Awesome and CM Punk before War Games. Those were two of my first pro wrestling interviews. Forever grateful for those experiences.
Fast forward to 2017 and MLW returned, taking a One Shot show at Gilt Nightclub and running with the momentum it created ever since. These Orlando events allowed me to see the likes of MJF, Ricochet, Matt Riddle, Shane “Swerve” Strickland, and even a familiar Florida name in MVP. Early highlights for me were watching Darby Allin jump off the balcony to the ring and meeting Tony Schiavone.
More Sunshine State memories were created on March 29 when MLW returned with the War Chamber at the St. Petersburg Coliseum. The historic venue was built in 1924 and was converted from a former movie theater into an event space perfect for hosting pro wrestling events. For you movie buffs, scenes from the 1985 film Cocoon were even shot there. When you soak in the atmosphere and look around you see a very cool aesthetic.
The show was the first time MLW had run St. Pete in 20 years, and the people were ready for it. A great turnout with an invested crowd made for a fun experience. The main card kicked off with Janai Kai successfully defending the featherweight championship against Unagi Sayaka. I watched Sayaka wrestle alongside the legendary Masato Tanaka a few months later in Japan. Kai is building quite the reign with Salina de la Renta by her side. De la Renta was one of the breakthrough performers of MLW’s relaunch and continues to be an important fixture of the show. Later in the night, I got to watch Kai watching other matches, learning from her colleagues. At one point or two, she was asked for an autograph and picture. I’m sure these little moments will be something the fan and Kai won’t forget as she goes on in her career.
Next up was A.J. Francis, who defeated Alex Kane in controversial fashion. Whether you love or hate Francis, you have to respect his drive. The former football player turned wrestler has hit the ground running building a brand, putting in the work appearing for top promotions like MLW, conventions, and getting the name out there in every way. It was also my first time seeing Kane live, and he proved to be every bit the powerhouse you see on TV. Bad Dude Tito also impressed. Matt Riddle also had a big night with family in attendance, pulling double duty against Timothy Thatcher earlier in the evening and then successfully defending his NJPW television championship against Kosei Fujita. It has come full circle with Riddle returning “home” to MLW.
The same could be said about the MLW champion Satoshi Kojima. MLW does a good job bringing in emerging talent and veterans like manager Bill Alfonso. Through this show, I’ve decided there needs to be more doors used as weapons in matches. They are the new tables. Although tables can be effective two. Team MLW’s Matthew Justice was an MVP during the first of two War Chamber matches. Shoutout to the MLW crew, the unsung heroes, for setting everything up. The second War Chamber match saw the legendary Raven entering the two-ring cage match. After the Death Fighters were victorious against The Calling, Raven dubbed Akira the future of the business. Hearing the Offspirng and Raven end the night with “Quoth the Raven “Nevermore,” certainly struck a cord for older fans.
Out of all the stars in MLW, I’ve dubbed Akira’s traveling partner Kota as my favorite. His shiba was there during his meet-and-greet after the event. We need more Kota on MLW television. Given how successful the night was, it’s no surprise the promotion is returning to the venue on July 12 called Blood and Thunder. I’d recommend checking it out if you didn’t go this time around.
AEW has a lot of wrestlers on their roster, and there’s only so much time on Dynamite, Collision and Rampage for everyone. That being said, just because someone is absent doesn’t mean they are gone entirely.
Parker Boudreaux hasn’t been seen in AEW for a long time, and he recently debuted in AAA. He is still under contract with AEW, but there are no current creative plans for his return.
Boudreaux is still All Elite
Parker Boudreaux’s presence in All Elite Wrestling has dwindled significantly, with no recent appearances in the promotion.
Boudreaux made his most recent appearance in AEW on March 3, 2023, where he and Swerve Strickland lost to Naturally Limitless on AEW Rampage. The 26-year-old hasn’t been seen on Tony Khan’s television shows since.
Fightful Select reports that sources indicate that AEW approved his appearance in AAA, suggesting that he remains under contract with the company. However, Boudreaux’s time with AEW has extended for over a year without any on-screen appearances.
Although he has recovered from the injury that took him out of action last year, Boudreaux has yet to return to AEW television, and there are no reported creative plans for him. Despite his absence from AEW programming, Boudreaux was spotted backstage at a recent event.
Parker is still with AEW, but there are currently no creative plans to bring him back to television. We will have to see what he is able to do in AAA.
Who is Parker Boudreaux
Parker burst onto the scene through his college football background, where he was labeled a Brock Lesnar look-alike. He was rated in impressive fashion by ESPN and Rivals.com as a four-star recruit. He then received offers from over 75 schools before committing to play football for Notre Dame. Parker transferred to the University of Central Florida, where he played football from 2017 to 2020 after redshirting his freshman year.
He eventually signed with WWE, where he made appearances on the NXT brand as Harland until he was surprisingly released in April 2022.
It didn’t take long for Tony Khan to sign him to AEW, where he was allowed to use his real name.
Previously aligned with the Mogul Embassy faction, Boudreaux suffered an injury alongside fellow member Trench, resulting in their sideline from action. While Trench’s contract lapsed, Boudreaux’s association with the group was internally dissolved as Swerve Strickland founded a new stable.
Former WWE Superstar Dennis Knight is lucky to be alive after a recent health scare left him hospitalized and in the ICU for days.
On Instagram, Knight noted that he almost died this week after spending eight days in the hospital with two of those days in the ICU. Knight’s issues began with stomach pain that required surgery and things quickly got worse from there for the ex-wrestler.
“Hi my name Is Dennis Knight and this week I almost died! Spent 8 days in the hospital and 48 hours in ICU…with everything I’ve done in my life I would have thought. Car accident, OD, or some other result of my my lifestyle! But no my body tried to kill me!
“I don’t like to talk about my personal life but thx I don’t need anything I have the greatest family who takes cares of me ! It started with stomach pain that was supposed to [be] bowel obstruction, then went into surgery and found [a] shredded appendix a hernia and golf size blades stone that tore my entire stomach up which is weird because I had gallbalder removal years ago! My blood sugar should be 90 to 120 mine was over 700.
“The reason for this is to tell your family and God you love them because It might be the last! I love you all and want you to be happy so take care of yourself and after the worst week of my life I am great full to still be here and I love you all..thank you for your time ”
Knight is best known for his WWF run from that lasted from 1996 to 2001. Knight debuted in the promotion as Phineas I. Godwinn (aka PIG), and was one-half of the Godwinns alongside Henry O. Godwinn (HOG.)
In 1998, Knight was kidnapped by the evil Ministry of Darkness and was brainwashed to join The Undertaker’s cult. This storyline transformed him into Mideon and he would later ‘win’ the European Championship by finding the title in Shane McMahon’s bag.
Outside of the WWF, Knight worked for WCW from 1992 to 1994 as Tex Slazenger. He also worked for the USWA under the same name and became a two-time USWA Southern Champion.
WWE has fans from all over, and after Alabama won their big Elite Eight game over Clemson, Rylan Griffen celebrated like a champion.
Rylan Griffen was handed a custom WWE Alabama Championship Title during an interview after the Crimson Tide’s big win on March 30. He immediately let his fandom out in bold fashion, and he also reenacted Triple H’s iconic entrance.
Celebrating Like A WWE Champion
The Alabama men’s basketball team achieved a significant milestone on Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena, securing the program’s first-ever Final Four berth by defeating No. 6 seed Clemson. Alabama Crimson Tide Guard Rylan Griffen was obviously on-hand for the celebration, and he was blown away by something WWE sent his team.
Griffen commented that the belt was “deadly,” and then he proceeded to pick out the kind of WWE entrance he wants. He decided to go with Triple H, and we’re sure The Game appreciates that. This was certainly a viral moment, and WWE signal blasted the post as well, as they re-posted it on Twitter/X along with the classic eyeballs emoji.
Rylan Griffen got the Alabama WWE belt and he instantly became a kid again.
WWE has a new line of cross-promoted titles with a variety of sports. It is very possible to see WWE Title belts pop up at a variety of sporting events from MLB to the NFL with fans sporting their custom championships. You can find more about WWE’s custom title belts here.
The Alabama WWE Championship Title was obviously a big winner for Rylan Griffen. It might be tough for him to make WrestleMania 40, because his team is facing UConn in their Final Four game on April 6.
SEScoops will have more on this story if there are any necessary updates. Keep checking back on a regular basis for more headlines!
WWE has secured even more trademarks to make sure that nobody else uses their intellectual property. Those new trademarks span Superstars and on-air personalities from WWE and the NXT brand as well.
WWE filed trademark applications for several names on March 29. Now “Andrade,” “Chase U,” “Vic Joseph,” “Alicia Taylor,” “Blake Howard,” and “Erik” are one step closer to being WWE property.
WWE’s New Trademark Filings
On March 29, WWE took legal action by filing trademark applications for several names including “Andrade,” “Chase U,” “Vic Joseph,” “Alicia Taylor,” “Blake Howard,” and “Erik.”
These trademark filings cover a wide array of categories, primarily focusing on entertainment services related to wrestling exhibitions and performances by professional wrestlers. It is the usual language found in those type of trademark filings.
The trademark registration is intended to cover the categories of entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibitions and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer rendered and through broadcast media including television and radio, and via the internet or commercial online service; providing wrestling news and information via a global computer network; providing information in the fields of sports and entertainment via an online community portal; providing a website in the field of sports entertainment information; fan club services, namely, organizing sporting events in the field of wrestling for wrestling fan club members; organizing social entertainment events for entertainment purposes for wrestling fan club members; providing online newsletters in the fields of sports entertainment; online journals, namely blogs, in the field of sports entertainment.
WWE’s History Of Trademarking Names
WWE locking down Andrade’s name is interesting, because he used Andrade el Idolo in AEW. Now, he is back in WWE and they are locking down his name.
The company has a history of trademarking names, and that is why they have a proclivity to change someone’s real name once they enter WWE. They have also been known to alter ring names, just so they can make sure nobody has any claim to a moniker.
SEScoops will keep an eye for any updates, and check back throughout the day for more headlines!
IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion Nic Nemeth (formerly known as Dolph Ziggler in WWE) has made it clear that he is not looking for any long-term commitments.
Nemeth ended a 19-year run with WWE in September last year. Several promotions contacted him after his release and wanted to bring him on board.
Nemeth’s first post WWE appearance was for NJPW where he debuted his ‘Wanted Man gimmick.’ He also started making appearances for TNA Wrestling shortly after.
In recent times AEW has been the preferred destination for the free agents. Former World Champions like Adam Copeland and Mercedes Mone have decided to join AEW after departing WWE. Nic Nemeth however, chose a different path because he has other plans.
Nic Nemeth doesn’t want to be ‘locked in’
Speaking on Keepin It 100, Nemeth revealed that he had some discussions with AEW but he had some other plans chalked out in mind for his career outside WWE. He claimed that Scott D’Amore insisted him to sign with TNA Wrestling.
Moreover, one of the locker room members had also reached out to him and he eventually decided to sign a short-term deal with the promotion. However, he has the freedom to compete in other promotions as well. Nemeth said:
“In the past, some [talks] but I had a plan that I’ve been working on for probably the last year and a half. I didn’t want to go anywhere. I appreciate that several companies reached out immediately.
I [said] I have this one plan, I want to do this on my own and even so, Scott D’Amore was so insistent because the locker room was so strong and somebody in the locker room of TNA reached out and I go ‘man you guys are really making this hard.'”
The former WWE star made it clear that he wouldn’t sign a long-term deal because he didn’t want to be held down by any promotion. He added:
“[I said] let’s do some dates. I’m not gonna sign for 3 years but I said I just wanna bounce around and be a hired gun. I’ll go with anybody and do anything. [I said] I just got out of a long-term relationship, 19 years. I don’t want to sign a paper that says you can’t do this.
I can still represent companies, I am a great brand ambassador. I just don’t want to be locked in. I did it for too long. I stayed a couple extra years to get the good money.”
Nic Nemeth feels that he is in the best shape of his career and reiterated that he wants to ‘bounce around’ for some more time and eventually settle down at a promotion.
AEW star Kenny Omega has responded to the critics who believe he’s ‘bad’ at delivering promos and storytelling.
Without question, Kenny Omega is one of the most talented wrestlers. He has showcased impressive in-ring prowess and delivered many instant classics over the years. While the fans have commended his performances inside the squared circle, some critics believe he lacks storytelling abilities and doesn’t have the ‘promo game’
Kenny Omega responds
During a recent Twitch Live Stream, Omega took a shot back at the naysayers, saying:
“Everyone’s wondering, Kenny, ‘Why is Kenny so bad at promos? He doesn’t have promo game. He needs to cut a promo. That’s all I care about.’ Shut the f**k up!… Jesus Christ.”
In addition to this, ‘The Cleaner’ addressed the critics who compare him with The Rock. ‘The Great One’ has the ability to have arenas sold out but the former AEW World Champion believes he has his own way of storytelling and tries his best. He said:
“You’re trying to talk about a guy who sold 45,000-seaters with my storytelling? You’re trying to tell me I don’t know how to tell stories? Because I don’t have a yelling promo voice? Yeah?
You tell me and then you’re gonna say, oh well, The Rock sold more. Of course he f**king did. He’s The Goddamn Rock and you know what? I’m not f**king bad myself. I try my best.”
Kenny Omega further stressed the fact that he has a particular way of narrating a story and if the critics don’t approve of that, he doesn’t care. He said:
“Honestly though, guys, when I wanna tell a story and I have a way to tell it, I’ll tell it in my ways. That’s all there is to it and maybe if something that I’ve done isn’t exciting or my American-style promos just aren’t doing it for you, well, I got news for ya, because I don’t care.
I don’t care. It sucks. Hey, I got out there feeling like, man, what am I even doing out here? Why am I even wasting my Goddamn time?”
AEW fans were surprised to see Ian Riccaboni on Collision this week. It was a nice change of pace, but there was a deeper reason for this behind the scenes.
Tony Schiavone, who is usually on the AEW Collision commentary table every week, had a big loss in his personal list. His dog passed away, so AEW arranged for Riccaboni to be there as a fill-in for the veteran play-by-play specialist.
Why Riccaboni was on AEW Collision
Ian Riccaboni was on AEW Collision this week, but it doesn’t appear that is a long-time change for the show. Tony Schiavone dealt with a big personal loss as his dog died, so that called for a change of plans for AEW.
During Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer explained what happened. It turns out that Tony Schiavone was at Collision anyway, but Riccaboni was brought in just in case.
“So, Ian Riccaboni was there. It’s not a permanent move for him to be there. What happened was, Tony Schiavone’s dog died, and best wishes to Tony Schiavone, really, really hard day for him, but he came, he was there. They didn’t know, but he was there. Tony could have certainly taken the day off and, you know, there would have been no heat. Because of that, they brought Ian up there.”
Meltzer went on to say that, “if Tony didn’t want to work, then Ian would be there, and lead the show.”
Kevin Kelly was released from AEW, but Ian Riccaboni will not be his full-time replacement. He only worked Collision this week because of Tony Schiavone, who is dealing with a terrible personal loss.
Our thoughts are with Tony Schiavone as he deals with the terrible person loss of losing a pet. They call dogs man’s best friend for a reason, and we hope that he can find peace through this difficult time.
WrestleMania 40 will be here before we know it, but the card is always subject to change. It appears that the tag team match for the Undisputed Titles may see an alteration in the next week.
The grandest stage of them all is set to take over Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7, 2024. Some tickets still remain for the show.
Although Grayson Waller and Austin Theory won their match to secure the final two spots in the multi-team ladder match for the Undisputed Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania 40, they might get pulled from the match. WWE is reportedly having a meeting about that this week.
WrestleMania 40 Possible Change
The WWE WrestleMania 40 card is being finalized just a week ahead of the event. The six-pack ladder match for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship, is set to feature Finn Balor & Damian Priest, Team #DIY, Awesome Truth, The New Day, Grayson Waller & Austin Theory, and Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate.
During Friday’s SmackDown, the final two spots in the ladder match were secured. Waller and Theory emerged victorious against The Street Profits, earning their place in the match. Similarly, Dunne & Bate defeated Angel & Humberto in a qualifying tournament to secure their spot in the bout.
During his discussion on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer mentioned an upcoming meeting to determine if Waller and Theory will stay in the match at WrestleMania 40. The reasons for their potential removal and the possible replacements remain unclear, but this is apparently something they are discussing.
“By the way, even though Theory and Waller won. It is not necessarily that they’re going to be in that match. They might be. There is a meeting upcoming where they will make a decision on that.”
Additional WrestleMania Festivities
WWE is planning a packed WrestleMania kick off event at the Wells Fargo Center on April 5th. There are also plenty of activities to keep fans engaged throughout the whole weekend.
On April 5, both SmackDown and the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony will also be hosted at the Wells Fargo Center. WrestleMania 40 itself will unfold at the Lincoln Financial Field on April 6 and April 7.
Paul Heyman, Bull Nakano, The U.S. Express (Barry Windham and Mike Rotunda), Muhammad Ali, and Thunderbolt Patterson are among the inductees in this year’s Hall of Fame class.
Additionally, it was announced during SmackDown that Michael Cole, Pat McAfee, CM Punk, Big E, Jackie Redmond, and Wade Barrett will be leading WWE’s Countdown to WrestleMania pre-shows ahead of both nights of WrestleMania 40. These pre-shows will run from 5 to 7 p.m. Eastern time on April 6 and April 7, with the main events kicking off at 7 p.m. Eastern on each night.
WWE WrestleMania 40 Card (So Far):
The Bloodline (The Rock and Roman Reigns) vs. Cody Rhodes and Seth “Freakin” Rollins: Tag team match – Night 1
Seth “Freakin” Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre: Singles match for the World Heavyweight Championship – Night 2
Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes: TBD match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship – Night 2
Iyo Sky (c) vs. Bayley: Singles match for the WWE Women’s Championship
Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Becky Lynch: Singles match for the Women’s World Championship
Gunther (c) vs. Sami Zayn: Singles match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship
The Judgment Day (Finn Bálor and Damian Priest) (c) vs. #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) vs. The Awesome Truth (The Miz and R-Truth) vs. The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) vs. Grayson Waller & Austin Theory: Six-Pack Tag Team Ladder match for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship
LA Knight vs. AJ Styles
Jey Uso vs. Jimmy Uso
Logan Paul (c) vs. Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens: Triple threat match for the WWE United States Championship
SEScoops will have more on WrestleMania 40, and everything surrounding the big event. Keep checking back throughout the day for more headlines!
Welcome the Daily Drop, your daily roundup of wrestling news and rumors for Sunday, March 31. We are officially less than one week away from WrestleMania 40. Let’s get right into today’s Daily Drop!
First off, we’d like to wish everyone a Happy Easter. There are a lot of Easter eggs to find all over SEScoops, just full of pro wrestling information, all year long. So, let’s get right to it!
Days Until WrestleMania 40: 6
WWE:
– Cody’s Contract: Cody Rhodes confirmed that he just inked a new multi-year contract with WWE that will see him with the company past his 40th birthday.
– Bryan Danielson Dream Match: CMLL announced that Danielson will take on Blue Panther on April 5, 2024, in Arena México for their Wrestling Spectacular. This is a dream for Bryan Danielson that has been over 10 years in the making for the match, but he’s wanted to face Blue Panther for decades. It all started with this video, where Bryan received a signed Blue Panther mask and a video message while he was still in WWE.
Upcoming Major Pro Wrestling Events
Looking ahead, here are some of the major upcoming shows that we have in the pipeline:
April 6:NXT Stand & Deliver and WrestleMania XL Saturday from Philadelphia, PA.
April 7: WrestleMania XL Sunday from Philadelphia, PA.
April 21: All Elite Wrestling presents AEW Dynasty live on pay-per-view from St. Louis, Missouri at the Chaifetz Arena.
May 4: WWE Backlash France from Décines-Charpieu, France at the LDLC Arena.
Ricky Starks appeared to have legitimately gotten hurt on AEW Collision and it led to a change in the outcome of the AEW Tag Team Title tournament match.
According to Fightful Select, Ricky Starks and Big Bill were the planned team to advance in the tournament as they faced Top Flight in the opening round.
Towards the end of the match, Starks was supposed to kick out of a pinfall attempt but he missed. The referee stopped the count despite Starks’ shoulder being on the mat which led to booing from the crowd.
Ricky Starks then got up and took a DDT from Darius Martin before finally being pinned. Trainers were seen checking on the AEW star after the bell rang.
Even on the television broadcast, one could tell that Tony Schiavone was preparing to call for a kickout by Starks but sadly that didn’t happen. Big Bill and Starks were penciled in to face FTR in the next round of the tournament, but now it is Top Flight advancing.
Starks and Big Bill had a credible run as AEW World Tag Team Champions before they dropped the titles to Sting and Darby Allin not long before Sting retired at AEW Revolution.
So far the teams who have advanced in the tournament apart from Top Flight are The Young Bucks who defeated Private Party, The Best Friends who beat Undisputed Kingdom, and FTR who defeated The Infantry earlier in the evening.
Ricky Starks has since provided an update on his status and noted that he is doing fine. It’s possible that he may be kept away from ring for a while just to be sure.
The show also featured a surprise appearance from a former IC Champion who answered Adam Copeland’s open challenge. You can check out full details of the segment here.
Towards the end of the match, Starks appeared to suffer a legitimate injury. He stayed down on the mat after Top Flight hit a tandem DDT. There had been no indication that this DDT was part of a finishing sequence but Starks did not kick out after taking the move. The AEW commentary team was also noticeably surprised by the finish.
Ricky Starks Gives Health Update
Fans were left understandably concerned by what transpired on AEW Collision, but Starks has given a positive update. Via his Instagram Stories, the AEW star gave the following report:
“I’m all good, everything checked out fine. Was being precautious.”
What’s Next?
AEW Collision also saw FTR face The Infantry, who was in the midst of a Cinderella story after getting the upset win over the House of Black early in the tournament. Unfortunately, their luck ran out on Collision as FTR advanced to the next round.
FTR and Top Flight will face off in the semi-finals of the tournament. The winning team will advance to the finals of the AEW World Tag Team Championship tournament, which will take place at AEW Dynasty in April.
