WWE has started to announce inductees into this year’s Hall of Fame class just weeks before the ceremony takes place. On Friday’s SmackDown, WWE confirmed Rey Mysterio as the first person to be part of the class.
It’s been reported that Konnan will do the honors for Mysterio. The Great Muta is also expected to be announced soon for the class.
It looks like Stacy Keibler will be going into the WWE Hall of Fame as Pwinsider.com reports that the WWE is “very close” to finalizing a deal to announce Keibler. She would be the first female member of the class to be announced.
Stacy Keibler in the WWE Hall of Fame
The report added that Keibler and WWE have been in talks for a few weeks now, with an ope source stating the deal was “99% done.” Another source said they expect the induction to be likely, although it wasn’t a done deal as of last Friday.
Keibler broke into the wrestling business by working for WCW in 1999, and after the company was sold, she went to WWE in 2001, where she stayed with the company until mid-2006. She decided to depart from the company to focus on other opportunities.
The ceremony will take place on Friday, March 31, from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Coming out of the pandemic restrictions and reopening of the world came a reboot for Chris Adonis. The wrestler former known as “The Masterpiece” Chris Masters still had a passion for performing and a nice career under his belt starting at a young age. However, the veteran felt there was more he could show.
“I had to look at my past and realize I was never my best self,” the NWA star said, checking in from Mexico City where he would join others on the roster for the AAA vs. NWA The World is a Vampire show.
Without any of what he called past B.S. or baggage boggling him down, the 40-year-old believes he can now be the best pro wrestler he can be. There are fellow former colleagues of WWE who have taken advantage of the platform NWA has given them and found tremendous success. Names include Matt Cardona, JTG, Trevor Murdoch, and the man currently at the top of the mountain in Tyrus.
After WWE in particular signed a lot of us, we never really got the full chance to develop,” Adonis explained. “Back in the day, you had guys working territories and all these places. Then they go to WWF and halfway have it figured out.
“What you’re seeing from guys like myself and others coming into our own. We might have come into our own sooner if we had a longer run in WWE. But we have done it ourselves on the independent scene. That comes by virtue of first wanting to get better and still caring. Through the natural course of developing and evolving as a character. Trying to find your final form so to speak.”
The master of The Master Look took WWE by storm 20 years ago and it didn’t take long before he was working with the likes of Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, and John Cena. A second stint with the company never really reached the heights he would have liked.
“I came into WWE I was the body guy, the muscle guy,” Adonis said. “It’s not like I’m not completely that anymore. That was my ticket in, but I wasn’t the performer I wanted to be. I didn’t want to be the one-dimensional big guy.”
He aims for a more athletic presentation today in his matches. After landing in the NWA, he joined up with Strictly Business, the top faction made up of the likes of Thom Latimer and champ and recent opponent Nick Aldis. Sacrificing the National Championship for a crack at Murdoch and the heavyweight gold didn’t lead to a positive result. He hopes things end differently as Adonis gears up to challenge Tyrus for the “Ten Pounds of Gold” at the NWA 312 pay-per-view on April 7.
“He is a polarizing figure for a number of reasons,” Adonis said of his opponent. “First off, when you work at Fox News, that is going to be part of the deal anyway. One thing I will say about the IWC is one thing they don’t know is the true love Tyrus actually has for pro wrestling….The love he has for professional wrestling is not fake. He sits around and watches old Dusty Rhodes matches on his TV at home. He is legit about that. That doesn’t change the fact when it comes to Tyrus and myself, I’ve made it pretty clear he may be the NWA champion, but I am the better wrestler. That is what it all comes down to on 312 pay-per-view.”
Adonis will come into Chicago for the big show with a chip on his shoulder. For the driven competitor, it’s the biggest match of his career and the ultimate proving ground.
“I was slated for the Intercontinental title, the tag titles, potentially the youngest WWE champion of all time,” he said. “But to me, this shot at the world title is my shot at redemption. To me, what matters is what I leave behind in these last few years. If I can look back and say I put forward my best body of work and became the NWA champion world champion, the most prestigious championship in all of wrestling. At the very least, that is going to be a feel-good story for me. It matters to me. It’s important I close my career out right.”
NWA/Hiban Huerta
Beyond Tyrus, he believes 2023 is going to be a big year for him. And if this latest run might be his last, he still has goals to attain and opponents to cross off his list. They range from Moose, Harry Smith, and Aldis to Jon Moxley, Hangman Page, and Drew McIntyre. Yes, there are some that are forbidden door opponents and outside the NWA, but he is still putting it out there.
“There is no part of me that thinks he is going back to WWE full-time or am I campaigning for that,” Adonis added. “But what I have campaigned for the last two years is coming back for the Royal Rumble spot. It means a lot to me to get in front of that audience one more time to show them what I can do now and the worker I became…I know if I was put in the Royal Rumble, and even if I was in there for two minutes I would shine. It would be pretty cool.”
When looking at the WWE roster today, he is impressed with emerging talent like Austin Theory. There are some similarities between the young gun and “The Masterpiece,” who came onto the scene right out of his teens. Adonis likens “A-Town Down” to a little brother.
“Austin Theory, Killer Kross, and LA Knight are my guys on the roster. I root for those guys’ success and believe in them,” Adonis said. “I think when I watch Austin Theory, I don’t have to give him advice…As long as he keeps his head on straight, he’ll be able to do all the things I wasn’t able to do because, at his age, I made a lot of mistakes. I was impressionable.
“A lot of what I know about Austin Theory from hanging out with him and talking to him, this guy has no interest in getting involved in extracurricular activities. The business isn’t really like that anymore thank God…He is going to do great as long as he keeps his nose clean. He’ll be able to do what I wasn’t able to do on my first run.”
Watch NWA 312 on April 7 at 8 p.m. ET on FITE TV. Catch NWA Powerrr on Tuesdays at 6:05 p.m. and NWA USA on Saturdays at Noon on YouTube.
Many fans erupted in excitement when Johnny Gargano returned to WWE last summer. Upon his resurgence, Gargano also received a promotion to the main roster, assigned to the RAW brand.
Since his return, “Johnny Wrestling” has found himself generally floating between opponents, with his only substantial feud stemming from a storyline involving Dexter Lumis and The Miz. In February, Gargano punched his ticket to the Elimination Chamber, securing himself a shot at the United States Championship. Unfortunately, Gargano championship aspirations would be squandered as he was eliminated second from the six-man Chamber match.
Gargano soon bounced back with wins over Otis and Finn Balor, before making a surprise visit to WWE NXT to resolve some unfinished business with Grayson Waller. As Gargano now prepares for his match at NXT Stand & Deliver, he is poised to maintain his appearances on RAW as well.
The Future Of Johnny Wrestling
(via WWE)
During an interview on Busted Open Radio, Johnny Gargano spoke candidly about his time on the main roster so far. While some fans may have hoped for more out of his run, Gargano remains optimistic toward his future on RAW.
“You know how things go, man, you make the most out of the time you’re given. You make the most out of your opportunities. I feel like I had a huge opportunity in the Elimination Chamber match, and I feel like I showed out in that one. I feel like I was able to get there with a guy that I feel is probably the standard bearer on our industry right now. Seth Rollins, I think he is the tippy top of the mountain. He’s where I want to be, and I hung toe to toe with him. I showed the world that I can hang with him. So it’s one of those things where it’s all about time. It’s all about patience,” he said.
“I know a lot of people don’t want to be patient. They want it now. They want me to go out there and have 30-minute matches, 25-minute matches, do my ‘Takeover’ thing. It takes time, it takes equity. It takes getting this other audience that maybe doesn’t know about me — these random casual fans we talk about all the time in these buildings that quite frankly, I haven’t been in before.”
“A lot of these markets I’ve never wrestled in and they’re seeing me for the very first time. This whole past, I’d say six months, I’ve wrestled in so many markets I’ve never been in before because NXT did the main markets, they did the main hardcore wrestling towns and like tonight we’re in Providence, Rhode Island, which is Rhode Island’s a great town. We had a couple indies here as well, but I do feel like it’s just time. It’s equity, as you know. It’s putting your time in making the most out of the time you’re given, and that’s all you can do.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit with an h/t toSEScoops for the transcription.
The Undertaker is one of the most iconic figures in WWE history. He recently shared his thoughts on who he thinks should defeat Roman Reigns and capture his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship belt.
During a recent conversation with Ariel Helwani for BT Sport, the Dead Man said he believes the right person for this job is none other than Cody Rhodes.
The American Nightmare returned from his injury at the Royal Rumble in January, and came out as the winner of the 30-man battle royale. He challenged Reigns for his title on the January 30 episode of Raw, for a match at WrestleMania 39.
Is Cody Rhodes the man to dethrone Roman Reigns?
The Undertaker recommending Cody Rhodes just goes to show how important it is to find the right competitor to defeat Reigns. Reigns has been a force to be reckoned with in the WWE for quite some time now. He has become the top dog in the company and bringing him down is something that needs a lot of planning and proper execution. It will also take someone who has the skills and charisma to pull it off and look believable. The wrestler should also have the staying power to take Reigns’ spot.
It seems like Cody Rhodes fits the bill perfectly when it comes to all these things, according to The Undertaker. Rhodes has momentum in the company currently, has the fan support and is good in the ring as well as the mic. He could make for a believable Universal Champion. He has also proved his mettle during his tenure in AEW.
Apart from Cody Rhodes, The Undertaker also mentioned Sami Zayn as a potential “dark horse” candidate to defeat Reigns. Zayn has been with the WWE for many years, and has had many highs and lows in his career. Being a reliable performer in the ring who WWE could trust, it would make sense why the Deadman himself would think Zayn is another good pick to take down Reigns.
Ridge Holland is dealing with the toxicity of social media with negative fans on the one-year anniversary of Big E’s unfortunate injury.
On March 11, 2022, Big E suffered a broken neck when taking a belly-to-belly suplex from Holland during a tag team match on an episode of WWE SmackDown. Big E landed on his head, fracturing his C1 vertebrae and C6 vertebrae.
Big E didn’t suffer spinal cord damage or need surgery. He wanted to wait a year before getting another check-up to see how his recovery was going. Holland did check on Big E in the hospital after the event and gave him gifts.
The Tweet
Holland noted on Twitter that he has been getting death threats and labeled as racist by fans online:
“Death threats. Threats to my family. Lobbying for me to lose my job. Being labeled as racist. Great stuff keep ‘em coming.”
Xavier Woods saw the tweet and responded with, “Pro Wrestling is extremely dangerous. All of us involved understand that. Ridge & his family do not deserve to be treated this way. Please do not send any hate towards them. Instead use your energy to do something positive like sending love to E. Be kind. Please be kind.”
In the year 2003, WrestleMania XIX hosted only one women’s match on the card — a triple threat for the WWE Women’s Championship. Twenty years later, WrestleMania 39 will feature three, and possibly even more.
Over the course of two decades, women have made a multitude of strides in their television time, overall presentation, and fan perception, and now, they remain some of the most popular and prosperous figures in the company.
“It’s been wonderful to see how far the women’s division has come over the years from being put on the show in bikini matches to main-eventing WrestleMania. It’s just come so far,” former RAW Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley told Richard Deitsch on the Sports Media Podcast.
“The women before us, they persevered and they pushed through and they tried so hard to get the recognition that they deserve as athletes, as performers. It’s finally paying off,” she continued. “We’re selling most of the merch. A lot of people, they stick around for the women’s matches because they want to see us absolutely kill it. A lot of the times I feel like we go harder than the men as well.”
Growth & Goals
(via WWE)
Reflecting back on some of evident progressions, Ripley pinpointed the WrestleMania 37 contest between Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair — the second WrestleMania main event for women in WWE history. The match itself has been widely praised as one of the best bouts of the modern era, but for Rhea Ripley, the match holds a deeper significance.
“To watch Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks in the main event a couple of years ago — I remember watching it and I was just like first of all, that’s my friend out there. I was in NXT with Bianca and I’ve watched how much crap she’s gone through and how she’s just pushed through everything. Then riding with her, hearing her backstory and like everything that she’s gone through in life and overcome and to see her go out there and be the main event at WrestleMania with Sasha Banks, who I know has gone through everything as well, it’s just really cool to see. Women are finally getting the spotlight and the opportunities we deserve,” Ripley said.
Over the last year, Rhea Ripley herself has made enormous advancements in her career. Adopting the nickname of “The Eradicator,” Ripley aligned herself with one of WWE’s most dominant factions — The Judgement Day. Through her work with them, Ripley’s confidence has blossomed, as she remains unafraid to square up with just about anyone, including her male counterparts.
“I can only imagine how far we’re going to drive this women’s division in the future because to even just have me going out there and having a match with [Akira] Tozawa, picking up [Luke] Gallows, going out there, beating up the guys, beating up Rey Mysterio, beating up Edge. These are people that I watched as a kid and now me as a female, I get to go out there and punch them in the face. It’s so cool to see how far we’ve all come. I’m so excited to see what the future holds because it’s just going to go up and beyond from here.”
Despite the many advancements, though, the fight for true equality is far from over. As Ripley asserts, she and the entire women’s locker room want viewers to be “fully invested” in their characters, storylines, merchandise, and everything the division is doing. In the meantime, they will keep chipping away at the glass ceiling.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit with an h/t toSEScoops for the transcription.
The WWE Intercontinental Championship, while being a midcard belt, holds significant importance in the company. It has been a staple of the professional wrestling industry for decades now. Even today, it is still a valuable milestone to reach in a wrestler’s career.
The Intercontinental Championship is currently held by Gunther in WWE, and he is set to defend his title at WrestleMania 39 against the winner of a #1 contender’s match between Drew McIntyre and Sheamus.
According to a new report by Fightful Select, Gunther’s plans for WrestleMania 39 were set as early as December 2022.
The original rumors had suggested that Gunther would defend his title against former WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar. However, these plans did not come to fruition. Lesnar is instead now scheduled to face Omos at WrestleMania 39.
Instead, Gunther will defend his WWE Intercontinental Championship against the winner of the #1 contender’s match. This could be either McIntyre or Sheamus, and either competitor would make for an entertaining bout at the Grandest Stage of Them All.
The match came about when Sheamus and McIntyre both won in the Fatal 5-Way match to determine the number one contender.
Gunther’s Intercontinental Championship Reign
The leader of Impreium also recently reached a milestone as the Intercontinental champ.
Gunther won the title on June 10, 2022 edition of WWE SmackDown. He ended Ricochet’s 98-day reign that night. Gunther successfully defended his title against the likes of Braun Strowman, Rey Mysterio, and Shinsuke Nakamura since then.
At the time of this writing, Gunther has held the title for over 276 days. He broke the record of Shelton Benjamin’s reign of 244 days back from 2004.
This feat made Gunther the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion of the 21st century, which was even acknowledged by WWE. It remains to be seen if the champ can continue to hold on to the title and extend his record.
As WWE gears up for WrestleMania in Hollywood, one superstar is hellbent on getting his moment on the grand stage.
Last Friday on SmackDown, five men competed in a number one contender’s match. The winner would then guarantee themselves a shot against GUNTHER at WrestleMania for the Intercontinental Championship. Among the competitors were Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, Karrion Kross, Xavier Woods, and LA Knight. Each participant fought valiantly to secure their spot on the big show, but in a turn of events, it came down to a two-way draw.
At the same time Drew McIntyre pinned LA Knight, another referee counted the shoulders of Xavier Woods, who was in the midst of a pinfall from Sheamus. WWE official Adam Pearce later ruled that both men were co-winners of the five-way contest, but this week, they will square off one-on-one to determine GUNTHER’s sole challenger.
“You Can’t Have An LA WrestleMania Without L-A Knight”
(via WWE)
Despite his evident loss last week, LA Knight believes there can’t be a Los Angeles WrestleMania without him. With no clear path to WrestleMania now, Knight took to Twitter to demand his moment.
“EVERYBODY knows you can’t have an LA Wrestlemania without LA Knight,” he wrote. “But [WWE] is late to the game, DRAGGING THEIR FEET on giving Wrestlemania the opportunity for an LA Knight moment. It’s about damn time I get a heads up. I’m done waiting.”
EVERYBODY knows you can’t have an LA Wrestlemania without LA Knight. But @wwe is late to the game, DRAGGING THEIR FEET on giving Wrestlemania the opportunity for an LA Knight moment. It’s about damn time I get a heads up. I’m done waiting pic.twitter.com/uW4LmBdmdD
Following his loss to Bray Wyatt at the Royal Rumble, Knight has yet to garner another consistent storyline on television. In recent weeks, he had a one-off match with Kofi Kingston, before setting his sights on the Intercontinental Championship. Unfortunately for Knight, his championship aspirations slipped away from his grasp last week.
New Japan Pro Wrestling continued its second round of the New Japan Cup on March 13 at the Item Ehime in Ehime, Japan.
The main event had Will Ospreay take on his United Empire faction member Mark Davis in the second round of the New Japan Cup. In the co-main event, EVIL competed against Jeff Cobb. The winner of Ospreay vs. Davis and EVIL vs. Cobb will face each other in the next round of the New Japan Cup on March 17.
NJPW streamed their event live on NJPW World at 6:00 AM ET/3:00 AM PT. However, to watch the New Japan Cup, fans must subscribe to their service, which is $9.99 in the United States.
If you would like more results for this week’s events in wrestling, please check back on our results section.
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Japanese wrestling sensation Sareee has addressed her departure from WWE.
Sareee joined WWE in April 2021 and wrestled as Sarray for the company’s NXT brand. On Monday, she held a press conference at the from Tokyo, Japan at the Inoki Genki Factory to discuss her time with WWE and her future in wrestling.
According to Tokyo Sports, she said she has nothing but gratitude for her two years in America. She learned what she wanted to learn in America, but the time has come to take her career in a new direction.
“I made friends all over the world, I think that’s what I’ve gained,” she said (translated). “I think I need to make the most of what I have experienced in the No. 1 promotion in the world in my wrestling career”.
She is excited to be an independent wrestler once again. She feels that her purpose in life is to fight and she’s open to wrestling anywhere that fits her style. Her return match in Japan will be Tokyo Shinjuku Face Tournament “Sareee-ISM” on May 16th.
“I would like to make the most of it and go on a rampage in the Japanese professional wrestling world.”
Sareee
Sareee also tweeted the following, thanking WWE and the WWE Universe for the experience.
No matter what some people might say, I did my best. I am so glad that I had the chance to go to WWE??
Some fans may be wondering why WWE has Brock Lesnar wrestling Omos at WrestleMania, but Lesnar’s former rival Kurt Angle knows exactly why the match has been made.
Lesnar has been one of the top WWE performers for two decades. ‘The Beast Incarnate’ has been featured in several blockbuster matches in the recent years. Lesnar had won the WWE Championship again in 2022 and lost the title in a Winner Takes All Match against Universal Champion Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 38.
Following a rematch at SummerSlam, Brock Lesnar later entered a feud with Bobby Lashley, which continued till 2023. After a disqualification loss to Lashley at Elimination Chamber, Lesnar shifted towards a new challenge. He went on to accept up and coming WWE star Omos’ challenge to a match at WrestleMania 39 which is just a few weeks away.
Kurt Angle opens up on the idea of Brock Lesnar vs Omos
Speaking on The Kurt Angle Show, the Olympic Gold Medalist shared his thoughts on the match and. ‘The Olympic Gold Medalist’ has stated that it’s time for Lesnar to start helping the company build other talent. He wants ‘The Beast’ to put over Omos at ‘The Grandest Stage of Them All.’
“I think it’s a great idea,” Angle said. “You have to remember, Brock is near the end of his career, and Omos is near the beginning of his career. Brock’s always been these main event matches with all the top guys. I think now he’s at the point of his career where he has to start giving back and not being at the top level matches for world championships, but trying to build other talent. I think this is a great idea.”
Lesnar and Omos are set to face off on tonight’s edition of Monday Night RAW. Omos will certainly reach a massive milestone in his career if he’s able to defeat Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 39.
Former SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley plans to use Trish Stratus’ kindness against her at WrestleMania.
‘The Role Model’ recently recalled an emotional story about Stratus mentoring her at a difficult period in her career. Stratus opened up to her, which may turn out to be a big mistake.
Stratus has served as a mentor of sorts to several of today’s top female competitors including Bayley and Sasha Banks (now Mercedes Moné in NJPW). Bayley and Banks were the inaugural WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions after winning the titles in 2019. However, defending the titles belts at WrestleMania 35, they lost to the IIconics in a Fatal 4-Way match.
There were reports that the Boss-N-Hug Connection were extremely upset following their loss, but Stratus was there to inspire them and help turn the setback into a learning experience.
Bayley recalled the emotional incident
Over the weekend, Bayley tweeted about Trish consoling her and Sasha Banks after their WrestleMania 35 loss. During this discussion, Stratus opened up about her own ups and downs, as well as her insecurities and weaknesses. Little did she know that she’d be standing across the ring from Bayley four years later.
“We sat in the hallway of our hotel after losing the tag team titles at Wrestlemania. You talked to us til 4am sharing your secrets of the business, your personal life, your strengths and your weaknesses………….I remember #WrestleMania” Bayley tweeted.
The Hall of Famer responded to the tweet and stated that at least the Damage CTRL leader already knows how it feels to lose at WrestleMania and will be able to “CTRL” (control) her tears better this time.
“Yah I remember. Well, at least you already know what if feels to lose at #WrestleMania… maybe you can CTRL [control] your tears better this year,” Stratus wrote.
Yah I remember. Well, at least you already know what if feels to lose at #WrestleMania… maybe you can CTRL your tears better this year. https://t.co/Okuc9XtYlu
Veteran star CM Punk has been on the shelf with injury and he was allegedly suspended. He has not been featured in the AEW programming for the past several months. There is a possibility that we might see him back inside the squared circle soon.
Punk had captured the AEW World Championship against Jon Moxley at All Out last year. However, it was reported that he tore a muscle in his arm during the contest and was also suspended following the controversial media scrum rant.
During the post-AEW All Out media scrum, CM Punk bashed Colt Cabana, Hangman Page, and The Young Bucks, which received in a ton of backlash. The comments reportedly led to a backstage brawl which grabbed the headlines.
CM Punk rose to prominence at his first promotion which was Ring of Honor (ROH). With the promotion’s Supercard of Honor pay-per-view scheduled to take place on March 31, the ROH Hall of Famer could be making his return to the promotion at the event.
CM Punk: Honor Never Dies
The former AEW World Champion recently shared a photo on his Instagram story of him working out. While he was pumping iron, Hatebreed’s ‘Honor Never Dies’ was playing in the background, hinting at a return to Ring of Honor.
Check it out below:
CM Punk’s IG story with Hatebreed’s “Honor Never Dies”
It should also be noted that AEW President Tony Khan owns ROH alongside All Elite Wrestling (AEW), and Punk could return at either of the promotions. We will now have to wait and see what the future holds for CM Punk.
A new report has provided an update on former NXT talent Sarray’s exit from WWE.
Sarray signed with the company in 2020 to join the NXT roster. Unfortunately, her WWE career was put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She competed in Japan during that time and also won the SEAdLINNNG Beyond The Sea Tag Championship with her partner Yoshiko on Nov. 27, 2020, against Best Friends (Arisa Nakajima and Tsukasa Fujimoto). Sarray and Yoshiko dropped the titles to Nanae Takahashi & Arisa Nakajima on Jan. 22, 2021. After losing the SEAdLINNNG Beyond The Sea Tag Championship, Sarray would come to the United States and debut in NXT on April. 20, 2021.
While Sarray came to the company with chances for new opportunities, WWE had difficulty featuring her on the show. She competed in NXT when they shifted to NXT 2.0, which started five months after her debut. During that time, NXT 2.0 began to focus on featuring newer talent like Cora Jade, Elektra Lopez, and Lash Legend, with other established NXT talents like Mandy Rose, Raquel Gonzales, and Kay Lee Ray. Sarray got lost in the shuffle and spent less time on NXT TV. Her last match was against Mandy Rose at NXT 2.0 on Aug. 2, 2022.
After three years, Tokyo Sports reported that Sarray had left the WWE after her contract expired, and she would return to Japan to continue her professional wrestling career. She is expected to hold a press conference on March. 13 in Japan to announce her plans.
Sarray faced Lash Legend during the December 17 episode of 205 Live
Update on Sarray Leaving WWE
Since Tokyo Sports revealed that she had left WWE, fans were curious about what went wrong with her career in NXT. Fightful Select reported that they were told that “…the beginning of the end was actually early in 2022 when many of her biggest supporters were let go from NXT.”
The report continued, “…Sources within the brand said that she never factored into a consistent or major creative fashion after that. We’re told by the spring of 2022 that the writing was on the wall. William Regal’s departure was one that many pointed to as a turning point. Those who frequent the Performance Center said that she hadn’t been around in “ages” and weren’t given any answers when they’d ask about her.” The report shared that it’s acknowledged within WWE that she was given bad creative.
Despite her career in WWE, the report shared that she liked working with up-and-coming talent, including her brief feud with Tiffany Stratton. According to the report, people working in the Performance Center have positive things to say about Sarray.
She will have a match on May. 16 at the Sareee-ISM event at Shinjuku Face in Kabukicho, Tokyo, Japan.
Four wrestlers from the independent scene are lucky to be alive after being involved in a very serious car accident.
On Twitter, the Absolute Intense Wrestling account shared a photo of the wrecked vehicle, and said that Dominic Garrini, Joshua Bishop, Derek Dillinger, and Marino Tenaglia were involved.
Thankfully, the AIW account informed fans that it appears that everyone who was in the car at the time of the accident is going to be okay.
— Absolute Intense Wrestling (@aiwrestling) March 12, 2023
Garrini has competed in promotions including EVOLVE, MLW, and Chikara, and made an appearance for AEW in February of last year.
On the February 16, 2022, taping of AEW Dark: Elevation, Garrini was on the losing end of a ten-man tag team match.
Bishop is also a regular in multiple promotions, and in addition to being the reigning AIW Absolute Champion, holds the BLP Midwest Championship.
Dillinger has dominated AIW for months as the AIW Intense Champion, with his most recent title defense coming at AIW: This Aggression Will Not Stand Man last month.
Next month will mark six years since Tenaglia made his wrestling debut, and has been a regular in Absolute Intense Wrestling throughout his career.
We here at SEScoops would like to extend our best wishes to Dominic Garrini, Joshua Bishop, Derek Dillinger, and Marino Tenaglia at this unfortunate time.
Which match will close out WrestleMania 39: Night One on Saturday, April 1?
With the star power in the match between Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns Vs. Cody Rhodes, it has long been accepted that this match will headline Night Two.
WWE is yet to confirm the main event for either night, or whether any match will be on Saturday or Sunday.
Intercontinental Main Event
WWE SmackDown Superstar Sheamus has never closed out a WrestleMania, but he plans on changing that in a matter of weeks.
Sheamus will face friend and longtime rival Drew McIntyre this Friday, with the winner facing Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER at WrestleMania 39.
Taking to Twitter to promote the St. Patrick’s Day clash, Sheamus said that his victory would mean he headlines WrestleMania 39: Night One.
St. Patrick’s Day 2023. Kansas City. Drew McIntyre V Sheamus. Winner: IC Title Match Main Event at Wrestlemania 39 Day One.. Next Friday “Remember Murrayfield” #SCOvIRE#luckoftheirishpic.twitter.com/UDGCPhmi23
The Sheamus-McIntyre match was formed last week, after both men scored a pinfall during a five-way to determine GUNTHER’s opponent.
It has been reported that WWE’s plan is for a triple-threat match for the title at WrestleMania 39.
The Intercontinental Championship has headlined one WrestleMania, that being WrestleMania 6 when Champion the Ultimate Warrior faced WWF Champion Hulk Hogan in a title-for-title match.
Other Night One Contenders
Sheamus Vs. McIntyre Vs. GUNTHER would be a physical main event to WrestleMania 39: Night One, but it isn’t the only option.
It has been reported that WWE is considering SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair Vs. Rhea Ripley as the closer for the show.
Some have argued that given his popularity, Sami Zayn should headline Night One in the rumored tag match with Kevin Owens against Undisputed WWE Tag Champions The Usos.
Cody Rhodes knows firsthand what it’s like to depart from WWE, reinvent himself outside of the company bubble, and make a return to the promotion. Now, he wants to see Matt Cardona do just that.
Cardona was with WWE for several years until 2020 when he departed in 2020 before going to AEW that same year for a brief run. He went to Impact Wrestling in January 2022 where he found success. He also found a lot of success in GCW and NWA. He has held the GCW World Championship, the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship, the Impact Digital Media Championship, and several other titles.
While speaking on Good Karma Wrestling, Cardona came up in the interview. Rhodes called him the king of the indies and wants to see him return to WWE.
Praise
“I’m really proud of him,” Rhodes said. “He’s out there, he’s doing the Indy God thing with the Indiana Jones hats. Everything Matt’s doing, Matt has been the king of the indies now, this is going on year two. You only usually get one run in that role. He’s going on year two. What Matt does next is gonna be huge. If he goes to AEW, that’d be cool. But if he comes back to WWE, that’s what I want. It would be off the charts. I think he’s a huge get, a huge free agent, and he’s the best he’s ever been.
Rhodes returned to WWE at WrestleMania 38 where he has since been pushed as a top star. He will challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 39.
The decision to end The Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WWE WrestleMania is still questioned among fans as Vince McMahon is the one to have made the call for it to end in 2014 at WrestleMania 30 at the hands of Brock Lesnar.
For years, the undefeated streak wasn’t mentioned at all and in the later stages of Taker’s career, WWE started to use it to further sell WrestleMania.
While speaking with Ariel Helwani of BT Sport, The Undertaker was asked who were the others that were considered to break his undefeated streak. He named Edge and Vladmir Kozlov.
The Names
“By the time we got to WrestleMania, we pretty much knew what was going to go down, but there were a few people I guess that he wanted to break the streak. (Vladimir) Kozlov, he wanted him. It was early on, and I think he wanted Edge to go over and Edge refused. He said, ‘No. I can’t do it.’ That’s how much he respected the streak and me and what that streak meant to the business. I didn’t know that at that time. I didn’t know that until years after. That says a lot about the human being he is.”
Regarding whether he felt Brock should have said no to ending the streak, Taker said he didn’t think Lesnar needed it as he was already a major attraction and a made guy so in his eyes, it didn’t enhance Lesnar anymore. He thinks it would’ve been a great thing for Roman Reigns while he was on the rise.
“I think it could have helped somebody else. When I got there that day, I was still going over. It’s in the early afternoon. I remember sitting in the dressing room and came in, and as soon as he came in, I knew what it was. He changed the finish. I gave him my spiel and what I thought. It wasn’t no for the sake of not wanting to do the job. It was ‘no’ in the sense that I didn’t feel like Brock needed it. Vince’s counter was, ‘If not Brock, then who beats you?’ Vince can sell ice to an Eskimo. I brought up as many points as I thought, like, looking long term down the road. Vince, his deal too is, who down the road? At that point, I’m year to year. I don’t know when I’m going to pull the trigger and say enough’s enough, so I think he wanted to make sure he got that. I don’t think he ever envisioned that character riding off into the sunset with a perfect record.”
Taker continued by noting that he didn’t know when he was going to retire, but selfishly he would’ve stayed undefeated. However, that’s not how the business goes. He knows there was a lot of talent that let him beat them and it was the right thing to do to pay it back.
Taker said that the business itself is bigger than the one character and Lesnar was worthy of it. He added that “He was a huge draw at this point, but I don’t think that it helped him the way it would have helped, say Roman at the time.”
Don’t expect to see The Undertaker portray his deadman gimmick again because he is done wearing the trench coat and hat.
This explains why he didn’t portray the gimmick in January when he appeared on WWE Raw XXX where he did a segment with LA Knight and Bray Wyatt. Fans were shocked to hear Kid Rock’s American Bad Ass song play and see Taker drive out on a motorcycle reminiscent of his character that he portrayed in the early 2000s.
The Undertaker’s Take
While speaking with Ariel Helwani of BT Sport, The Undertaker noted that those involved with the segment expected him to come out with his iconic character, but those days are gone.
“They had a different vision. They didn’t even know that I wasn’t going to have the hat and coat. They totally thought I was coming [out as] old Undertaker. I was like, no. That’s part of me and the storytelling, right? When I lifted the curtain, and when I lifted it back and pulled it back, that’s gone. It’s gone now.”
Helwani followed up with asking whether he was done with that and he said, “I won’t bring the hat and coat back out, no.”
He added that because he is now in a public speaker role, he doesn’t think the character can be portrayed in that way anymore.
Former WWE/ECW star Francine has made it clear that she is not happy with WWE using her nickname for Liv Morgan and also referring to Lita with the moniker.
Francine spoke about it on her podcast where she noted that WWE using the “Queen of Extreme” moniker for Morgan is unacceptable in her eyes. During a recent edition of Raw, Corey Graves also mentioned Lita as the “Queen of Extreme,” a play on her connected to Team Extreme with The Hardy Boyz.
Francine owns the trademark rights to the nickname that she filed for months ago as she first used it when in ECW.
She explained that the process of getting a trademark takes time. She said that she’s not upset with Lita as she didn’t do anything wrong, but did note that she’s been building up the nickname for the last 30 years and doesn’t want to pass it up.
The Warning
Should WWE continue to use the nickname then she plans to file a cease and desist.
“Whether I’m in this business another day or another 30 years from now, if I do conventions, I’m going to sign the Queen of Extreme Francine and I’m going to get that trademark. And if they continue to use it, we’re going to file a cease and desist. And that’s it. because they would do it to me.”
Francine stated that she’s not bitter towards the two stars nor the company, but she is simply trying to protect her brand that she worked hard to build.
The Undertaker is someone who took the business and his character seriously. He took further than most will do, especially these days.
Keeping kayfabe has been an art that has been lost in the world of the pro wrestling business for the last few decades. It wasn’t until he was retired from the wrestling business that Taker started to do more out of character interviews and branch out on his own.
The Undertaker’s Advice
While speaking with Ariel Helwani of BT Sport, The Undertaker urged today’s WWE talent to protect their characters better.
“I do think a lot of our talent, not just our talent, in general they don’t understand any concept of protecting a character or even developing a character enough to protect it. They go and do something on TV and then you go to their social media and it’s completely different. I’m a dinosaur, I am, my mentality is still 20 years ago, but I guess there is a reason why I lasted as long as I did. I was like, ‘gosh live it a little bit. You don’t have to go to the extremes that I did, but man protect it.’ Kinda be like in real life just a little bit. If you’re going to post something, have it match kinda what you’re trying because that’s what you’re trying to convince people. You’re this or you’re that.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit BT Sports with an h/t to SEScoops for the transcription.
Former Tag Team Champion Cedric Alexander has teased going to WWE NXT to challenge for the brand’s North American Championship.
Wes Lee, who won the title in a Fatal 4-Way match at Halloween Havoc, issued an open challenge for anyone to face him for this belt.
Alexander expressed his interest in facing the champion by taking to Twitter and writing that he is free on Tuesday nights, and has never challenged for the NXT North American title. He asked Lee if he is feeling “froggy.”
Alexander was involved with The Hurt Business stable. While that did wonders for fellow stablemate Bobby Lashley as he went on to capture the WWE Championship, Alexander didn’t get much of a major push during that time.
The Hurt Business then broke up, and Alexander was not seen on WWE TV for quite some time. Being inactive and with nothing to do on the main roster, it seems like going to NXT might be a good idea for the 33-year-old wrestler.
Alexander has actually made a few appearances on the black and gold brand before. While Lee and Alexander have never faced each other in the ring, it will likely be a good match considering how Lee has had a solid run so far and Alexander is good with high-flying in the ring.
Alexander didn’t start with NXT in the WWE because he made his debut for the company in 2016 at the 205 Live roster. He even became the Cruiserweight Champion and had some entertaining matches with the likes of Mustafa Ali, Buddy Murphy, and Drew Gulak.
It remains to be seen if Alexander can actually get a chance to face Wes Lee for the NXT North American Championship. And even if he does, only time will tell if he will be successful in capturing the title for himself.
AAA wrestler El Cuatrero’s wrestling future looks uncertain after being arrested over attempted femicide.
It was reported earlier this month that CMLL star Stephanie Vaquer had accused the AAA Trios Champion of gender violence.
In an update, it is revealed that Cuatrero has been arrested for attempted femicide (the killing of a female based on their gender) and it is claimed he tried to strangle Vaquer.
The report adds that Cuatrero is currently in Reclusorio Oriente.
Mediante orden de aprehensión, @PDI_FGJCDMX detiene al luchador Cuatrero, como lo adelantamos, por tentativa de #feminicidio a la amazona del @CMLL_OFICIAL@Steph_Vaquer, a quien presuntamente intentó estrangular.
El Cuatrero, alongside Forastero and Sansón are currently in their first reign as AAA World Trios Champions, after winning the titles at Verano de Escándalo in August of last year.
There has been no confirmation yet as to what AAA will do with their reigning Trios Champions, who surpassed 200 days with the gold last month.
El Cuatrero
Cuatrero comes from a large wrestling family, as the son of lucha libre legend Cien Caras and the nephew of Máscara Año 2000 and Universo 2000.
Like many luchadors, his real name is not a matter of public record, but El Cuatrero translates from Spanish as ‘The Horsethief’ or ‘The Cattle Rustler.’
El Cuatrero remains undisputed in Luchas de Apuestas, winning the masks of Los Centellas, and later of Ángel de Oro in March 2018.
He is best known for his tenure in CMLL, where he is a former World Trios Champion (again with Forastero and Sansón.)
Cuatrero is also a former CMLL World Middleweight Champion, and CMLL Arena Coliseo Tag Team Champion (with Sansón.)
The Bloodline may be one of WWE’s most popular acts in years, but they apparently cannot hold a candle to The Elite.
Following Roman Reigns’ heel turn in 2020, his cousins The Usos would fall in line behind their Tribal Chief, who has been advised by his special counsel Paul Heyman.
Last September, Solo Sikoa was added to the faction by helping Reigns retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Clash at the Castle.
Without a Doubt
The Bloodline storyline, especially the chapter with Sami Zayn, has been heralded as one of the best thing wrestling fans have seen in years, but they are not the only faction around.
Last November, the Elite made their AEW return at Full Gear, after being suspended for their roles in the backstage fight following All Out.
Speaking on the Cafe de Rene podcast, Jake Roberts was asked which group he thinks is better.
“Kenny. Kenny and The Bucks without a doubt. I think Kenny Omega is f***ing unbelievable. He is f***ing on spot. I don’t like a lot of stuff The Young Bucks do but brother they’re doing it and getting away with it.”
At AEW Revolution 2023, the Elite lost the AEW Trios Championships to the House of Black.
The Elite Vs. The Bloodline?
At this time, the idea of a six-man-tag match between the two factions is purely hypothetical, but that is something WWE hopes to change.
The belief is that if they can sign Omega (who has previously been under a WWE developmental deal) then it may encourage the Bucks to jump ship to WWE.
The Street Profits will be sticking together for the long term according to recent comments made by Angelo Dawkins.
The team, consisting of Dawkins and Montez Ford, debuted on a March 2016 edition of WWE NXT, and has been a team ever since.
The Street Profits are one of three teams to have held the NXT, Raw, and SmackDown Tag Team Championships (the others being The Revival/FTR and the New Day.)
Sticking Together
Given the number of tag teams and groups that have split due to a betrayal (The Rockers, Evolution, The Shield, etc) it’s no wonder why many expect one member of the Steet Profits to betray the other.
While speaking to the Attitude Era Podcast, Dawkins was asked if there were plans for him and Ford to go their separate ways.
“Nah, never. Never. We’re brothers till the end bro. We’re always gonna support each other no matter what, we always got each other’s back, we ain’t never turning [on each other.]”
Angelo Dawkins.
Singles Push
While Dawkins has no plans to turn on Ford and vice versa, being a tag team may not prevent the Street Profits from reaching singles success.
In recent years, Ford’s ability and charisma have earned him praise from several notable names, including Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, who Ford idolized during his youth.
Last October, it was reported that Dawkins had been impressing a lot of the right names backstage, with the bigger member of the team having as many singles matches from June to October as he did from April 2021 to May 2022.
