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WWE Sale Update: Vince’s Magic Number, Latest on Potential Buyers

Tyriece Simon
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WWE Chairman Vince McMahon is asking for a steep price for the WWE, according to a new report.

The company is heading into an interesting situation as they look for a potential buyer. McMahon returned to power last month following his short retirement on July 22, 2022, following allegations of misconduct with female employees. His reason for his comeback to the WWE Board of Directors and Chairman position was to help the company sell or secure a TV deal.

While the company has yet to be sold, WWE CEO Nick Khan shared on Feb. 3 that fans may expect a sale in possibly three months. In a new update from Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw, McMahon is looking for $9 billion for the WWE.

“Vince McMahon is looking to get as much as $9 billion in a potential sale of World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., the company he returned to run this year, according to people familiar with his thinking, said the report. It continues, “The company has already received offers, said the people, who requested that they not be identified because the discussions are private. WWE declined to comment. Shares of WWE rose as much as 4.9% to $91.48 Friday in New York. As of the close Thursday, the asking price was 37% greater than the company’s $6.5 billion market value.”

wwe hqjpg

Potential Buyers For WWE

The report shares that Endeavor Group Holding Inc. is among the potential buyers looking to acquire WWE. Combat sports fans may recognize Endeavor as the current owner of the UFC. However, it is worth pointing out that the group bought the UFC for close to $6 billion in order to have full control of the company, which they needed numerous private equity firms, according to MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin. The Bloomberg article notes that Endeavor would need financial help in order to make the sell as their market cap value is $10.4 billion.

Other potential buyers could be the likes of Comcast, Fox, Netflix, Disney, and Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund. The article notes that McMahon “…Built the WWE into an international entertainment powerhouse that packs arenas and airs programs regularly on Fox Corp. and Comcast Corp.’s USA network.” To lose the potential TV rights to the WWE may not be in the best interest of Comcast or Fox. Comcast in particular has WWE’s library on their streaming service Peacock, which has helped them gain subscribers.

It’s unclear who will buy WWE. However, we know how much McMahon values his company.

Elimination Chamber Preview, Does AEW Have a ‘Babyface Problem’?

Ryan Droste
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This week on Top Rope Nation, Kyle is joined by Frank Peteani of Pro Wrestling Torch for a full preview and predictions for this weekend’s WWE Elimination Chamber. Plus, thoughts on the narrative that AEW has a “babyface problem” and a look at the possible WrestleMania 39 card.

Each week, the video version of Top Rope Nation streams live to the SEScoops YouTube channel. You can join the live streams by subscribing to the channel and turning on notifications so you never miss a live broadcast. This will include a regular weekly edition of Top Rope Nation (typically Thursday nights), as well as reviews of all major WWE and AEW PLE/PPV shows.

On episode 285 this week, Kyle and Frank have a fascinating discussion on the possible directions that WWE could go with creative this weekend in Montreal at Elimination Chamber. Plus, is the AEW babyface roster actually too weak for a heel world champion?

You can watch the show via the embedded YouTube video at the top of this page. Additionally, you can listen to the audio-only podcast on Apple, Spotify, or wherever podcasts are found. You will also find an embedded audio player below.

Snoop Dogg’s ‘Stolen’ Golden WWE Title is Now in The Possession of William Shatner

Andrew Ravens
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The latest development in the storyline of who has Snoop Dogg’s WWE Golden Title came to light today. When WWE first started this storyline, it got some mainstream attention and generated a lot of buzz among wrestling fans. 

Snoop, an iconic rapper, is part of the WWE Hall of Famer and got the golden WWE Championship from Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch at the WrestleMania Launch Party at SoFi Stadium in August. When he brought it on the Holidaze of Blaze Tour “to show the fans how dope it is” last December, the championship was stolen. 

Title Changes Hands

Last week, actor/comedian Pete Davidson was spotted with Snoop Dogg’s golden WWE Championship during a Pro Bowl game. Rob Gronkowski had the title last week as well just before the Super Bowl and now, it’s in the hands of legendary actor William Shatner. 

WWE has released this video of Shatner with the title: 

With WrestleMania 39 taking place on April 1st and 2nd at the SoFi Stadium in California, it’s possible that the storyline will end at the show.

WWE’s Original Plans for Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn at Elimination Chamber

Andrew Ravens
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The time is nearly here for the highly anticipated bout between Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn at the 2023 WWE Elimination Chamber PLE for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title. 

In recent weeks, there has been much debate among fans regarding how WWE should handle the booking of this match with some even pushing for WWE to add Zayn to the already announced bout between Reigns and Cody Rhodes for the title at WrestleMania 39 in April. 

In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that the original plan for Reigns vs. Zayn at the WWE Elimination Chamber PLE was for Reigns to retain the title. 

The idea was for Jey Uso to turn against Zayn at the show, leading to Reigns retaining and Zayn teaming with Kevin Owens to challenge The Usos for the Undisputed Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania. 

The Usos can travel to Canada for the show even though WWE shot an angle last week where they were told to stay home.

Things Have Changed

Meltzer wrote that “a lot has changed since that time” with Zayn becoming “major TV ratings mover” in recent months. The belief is that Zayn beating Reigns would be a “late deviation of the script. Meltzer wrote the following about the situation:

“It’s tricky for a lot of reasons, because Zayn does not fit into the mentality of what a mainstream ratings mover looks like, nor has his booking been what traditionally leads to it. It just happened, and it not handled right, it could end. Maybe it would have ended with a win as well, because the chase is over and maybe it was the build to the angle and chase that were the draws. Either way, this is the first booking decision in a long time that can actually make a difference to full show ratings.”

Reigns is a heavy betting odds favorite at -2000 to beat Zayn at the Elimination Chamber.

WWE’s 5 Biggest Montreal Moments

Mike Chin
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This weekend, all indications are that Montreal will be positively electric for WWE Elimination Chamber. The Road to WrestleMania and the staging of two eponymous Chamber matches are, in and of themselves cause for excitement. What really elevates this event, though, is the main event confrontation scheduled between Sami Zayn and Roman Reigns.

This match will be pay off months of captivating storytelling around The Bloodline faction, but no less importantly, positions Zayn as the number one contender when he’s one of the most over babyfaces WWE has had in years, and all the better in front of a hometown crowd that doesn’t play host to major WWE events all that often.

As the wrestling world casts its eyes on Montreal, there’s no better time to look back at some of the biggest moments WWE has staged in this very same city across the years.

5. Breaking Point 2009

Cm Punk Undertaker Breaking Point

WWE has only staged one PPV branded under the Breaking Point name. That’s understandable, as it was a niche concept to focus on submission matches. Nonetheless, the 2009 event was a compelling one. It featured an excellent Falls Count Anywhere Submission Match between DX and Legacy, in which Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase Jr. made Shawn Michaels tap out to a tandem hold. That’s not to mention one of the better matches in the John Cena vs. Randy Orton omnibus, as they competed under I Quit rules.

Unfortunately, an otherwise solid PPV tends to get overshadowed by a poor main event. WWE booked itself into a corner with heel World Heavyweight Champion defending against The Undertaker. It seemed clear WWE both didn’t want to take the title off Punk less than a month after he’d won it from Jeff Hardy, but also wanted to protect The Dead Man—both on his own merits and because he would ultimately win the feud.

The powers that be opted for perhaps the least satisfying conclusion possible to the nine-minute match, with Punk scoring a phantom submission victory with the Anaconda Vice, in a finish that called back to the Montreal Screwjob. That ending might have been intended to read as poetic, but the consensus among fans was that it felt like lazy booking that rubbed salt in a wound WWE really should have left alone.

4. Shawn Michaels Trolls Montreal In 2005

Shawn Michaels Trolls Montreal

Over the summer of 2005, the feud between Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels became one of the most fun storylines WWE had to offer. The two were set for a legitimate dream match at SummerSlam, and on the road there, HBK momentarily embraced his old heelish personality, much to the entertainment of the fans.

A climactic moment in the build came when Raw aired out of Montreal. The music for Bret Hart– who had been gone from the company for nearly eight years, last appearing in Montreal–rang out to the shock and exhilaration of the fans in attendance. The Hitman wasn’t coming, though. Instead, it was Michaels demonstrating an uncanny ability to draw nuclear heat, teasing Hart was there only to go on roasting the fans and Hogan alike.

3. Sami Zayn Challenges John Cena In 2015

Sami Zayn Vs. John Cena Montreal

John Cena spent a good chunk of 2015 in the United States Championship picture, highlighted by his fun weekly US Championship Open Challenge. This series of matches saw him take on a variety of fresh, often unlikely opponents. Moreover, it marked a high point for Cena’s career as he paid a decade of success forward. He made a number of less established talents look terrific when they held their own with, or even came close to beating the guy who had up until recently been the face of the company.

There may have been no greater moment in the US Championship Open Challenge series than when Sami Zayn—then, one of the most popular stars of NXT—made his surprise main roster debut and drew a huge pop from the Montreal faithful. Unfortunately, Zayn suffered a fluke injury on his entrance to the ring, but it’s a testament to his talent and composure that he toughed out the match just the same, putting on a star-making performance in defeat.

2. Brock Lesnar Debuts On The Raw After WrestleMania 18

Brock Lesnar Raw Debut Montreal

The Raw after WrestleMania has a well-established history of being one of the wildest nights in wrestling on annual basis. With the biggest show of the year out of the way and a lot of eyes on the product, this is often an episode with big returns or debuts, or other momentous storyline developments.

In 2002, the Raw after WrestleMania went down in Montreal and featured a thread of The Rock and Hulk Hogan feuding with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. That’s not to mention the announcement of the original brand extension that would lead to Raw and SmackDown having totally separate rosters.

Perhaps most exciting of all, though, Montreal was witness to the main roster debut of Brock Lesnar. Now that The Beast is one of the biggest names in wrestling history, it’s hard to recall a tie when he was just a face in the crowd. That’s literally what Lesnar, was though, when he hopped the barricade and absolutely destroyed Spike Dudley, Maven, and Al Snow to make his presence felt. He’d spend that whole next year on a tear, culminating in main eventing the next WrestleMania.

1. The Montreal Screwjob

Montreal Screwjob

No list of major moments in WWE history in Montreal would be complete without a nod to The Montreal Screwjob. The events of Survivor Series 1997 have been discussed and dissected ad nauseam. The central takeaway that WWE, in real life, screwed Bret Hart out of the WWE Champoinship with a phantom submission loss to  Shawn Michaels.

That finish put an end to one of the most storied rivalries—on and off-screen—in WWE history and forever changed the course of The Hitman’s career. Moreover, the moment changed WCW history as Hart joining their roster fresh off Montreal caused chaos and contributed to a wildly over complicated main event to Starrcade 1997, blowing the climax of what was otherwise one of the best stories the company had ever told between Sting and Hollywood Hogan.

Perhaps most importantly, though, the Montreal Screwjob marked one of the starkest breakdowns of the kayfabe-reality spectrum ever. It was a key moment in ushering in WWE’s Attitude Era, as well as establishing Mr. McMahon as a heel character who’d define so much of the product for years to come, across one of WWE’s hottest periods.

While WWE hasn’t spent a lot of time in Montreal relative to other major markets in North America, there’s nonetheless significant history embedded there. Win, lose, or draw, it seems entirely possible Sami Zayn will add a very significant chapter to that story at Elimination Chamber 2023.

NXT Star Rumored for Main Roster Call-Up Soon

Rayan Sayyed
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As WrestleMania season heats up, rumors are swirling that NXT standout Carmelo Hayes could soon be joining the main roster, potentially as part of a returning faction.

According to the Wrestling Observer, the rising star from NXT could be called up from the black and gold brand.

Hayes has been turning heads with his impressive in-ring abilities and charisma. He’s quickly established himself as one of the most exciting talents on WWE NXT, and many believe he’s ready for the big leagues.

Hayes could be in line for a post-WrestleMania call-up, with creative already discussing potential storylines for him on Raw or SmackDown. One of the most intriguing possibilities is a role in a reformed Hurt Business.

The Hurt Business was one of the most dominant factions in recent WWE history, led by MVP and featuring Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and Cedric Alexander. The group disbanded in 2022, but MVP has teased a potential reunion in recent weeks.

Hayes could be just the spark the Hurt Business needs to reform in a big way. Not only is he a talented wrestler, but his smooth-talking style would make him a perfect fit alongside MVP as a new mouthpiece for the group.

Vote of confidence from Shawn Michaels

A WWE veteran also has trust in Carmelo Hayes. The former NXT Champion recalled the time when he talked to Shawn Michaels about wanting to become a “top guy” in WWE.

“He [Michaels] was like, ‘alright, we’ll give you the ball and you can run with it. We’ll get you where we need to get you,’” Hayes once revealed in an interview.

“I told Shawn that I see myself as a top guy. I told him, ‘take me there.’ And I think that [conversation] is what gave him the belief that, ‘OK, this kid is a little different.’

As WrestleMania draws closer and the speculation around Carmelo Hayes continues to build, fans are eagerly anticipating what could be a major debut on the horizon.

Legendary Women’s Wrestler Returning to WWE Soon

Rayan Sayyed
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Trish Stratus is a legendary WWE women’s wrestler and seven-time Women’s Champion. She is reportedly set to make a return to the wrestling ring soon.

According to the Wrestling Observer, Stratus was scheduled to appear on the February 13th episode of Raw, but the storyline was delayed, possibly due to injury.

In September 2022, Stratus took to Twitter, where she shared a selfie and revealed that she had started working on a secret project. She also tagged the official WWE account, suggesting that she was working with the promotion.

It remains to be seen if this “secret project” was indeed connected to Stratus’ return after all.

Stratus in WWE

Stratus worked with WWE full-time from 2000 to 2006 before retiring in her hometown of Toronto at that year’s Unforgiven pay per view event.

Even though Stratus was gone for good from the world of professional wrestling, she made several appearances for the company since then and had a few matches.

In 2008, she wrestled her first match in over two years, teaming up with John Cena to defeat Santino Marella and Beth Phoenix. In 2018, Stratus made a comeback and had a series of matches during WWE Evolution, which was the promotion’s first-ever all-female pay per view event.

Stratus also recently called for Victoria to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

WWE fans have been eagerly waiting for Trish Stratus to make her return to the ring, and it seems like their wishes may soon come true. Despite the delay, reports suggest that the storyline involving Stratus is still on, and the wrestling legend will soon be back to give her fans another dose of ‘Stratusfaction.’

Bayley Makes Vow After Not Competing At Past Two WrestleManias

Thomas Lowson
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Bayley will go through anything to make her presence felt at WrestleMania 39, after missing out on a match at the previous two events.

The Damage CTRL member took to Twitter this week to make her promise and reminded fans of her recent bad luck with WWE’s biggest show of the year.

On this week’s Raw, Bayley faced Becky Lynch and Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair in a match with potential WrestleMania stakes.

Had either Lynch or Bayley won, they would have been added to tomorrow night’s Elimination Chamber match, in which the winner will face Belair for the title at WrestleMania.

Unfortunately for Lynch and Bayley, it was the EST who emerged victorious on Raw.

Bayley-Mania

Bayley hasn’t competed at the last two WrestleManias, though last year’s event WrestleMania 38 wasn’t down to WWE’s creative plans.

In July 2021, days before the return of live fans, Bayley suffered a serious ACL injury that led to her being out of action for over a year.

For WrestleMania 37, Bayley was simply not booked for a match, which angered fans who appreciated what she had done during the crowd-less Pandemic era.

Instead, Bayley was used for a few skits involving The Bella Twins, Hulk Hogan, and Titus O’Neil.

What’s Next for Bayley?

With the Role Model being blocked from entering the Women’s Elimination Chamber match, any bout for Bayley at WrestleMania is unlikely to be for a championship.

Earlier this month, WWE Hall of Famer Lita appeared on Raw to cost Bayley her steel cage match with Lynch, seemingly setting up a feud between them.

While it had been rumored that Elimination Chamber 2023 would see Damage CTRL face Lynch, Lita, and Trish Stratus, no match has been announced, but could be saved for WrestleMania.

With that said, it has been reported that WWE is planning for Dakota Kai and IYO SKY to defend the WWE Women’s Tag Titles at WrestleMania against Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler.

Bayley Celebrating Ten-Year Milestone in Her WWE Career

Chris Jericho Teases WWE Tag-Team Reunion With Trademark Filing

Thomas Lowson
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Could Chris Jericho be reuniting with an old WWE ally and former Tag Team Champion?

Despite being best known for his work as a singles star, Jericho is no stranger to tag team competition, having held tag gold in the WWE on seven occasions.

In AEW, Jericho has aligned himself with others as part of the Jericho Appreciation Society, and before this group was a founding member of the Inner Circle.

A Giant Reunion

Chris Jericho may be the namesake for the Jericho Appreciation Society, but may soon be reuniting with Paul Wight.

This week, Jericho filed a trademark for ‘Jeri-Show’ the WWE team consisting of himself and Wight (then The Big Show,) that dominated from 2009 to 2010.

The full description of the filing can be read below.

Mark For: JERI-SHOW trademark registration is intended to cover the categories of entertainment in the nature of wrestling contests; Entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibits and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer; Entertainment services, namely, live appearances by a professional wrestling and sports entertainers; Entertainment services, namely, personal appearances by a professional wrestling and sports entertainers; Entertainment services, namely, televised appearances by a professional wrestling and sports entertainers; Providing wrestling news and information via a global computer network; Providing online interviews featuring professional wrestling and sports entertainers in the field of professional wrestling and sports entertainment for entertainment purposes.

Jeri-Show

After failing to recapture the Intercontinental Championship from Rey Mysterio in 2009, Jericho entered the tag-team division, winning the Unified WWE Tag Titles with Edge at ‘The Bash.’

After Edge went down with an injury, Jericho introduced the Big Show as his new tag-team partner, and the pair enjoyed a 140-day reign as champions.

That reign ended at WWE: TLC 2009, when the pair lost a TLC match to D-Generation X, kicking off Shawn Michaels’ final championship reign.

While Wight has only had a handful of matches in AEW, the Giant has said he plans to be back in the ring very soon after healing up from surgery.

Chris Jericho Explains What Would Make Him Retire From Wrestling

Roman Reigns Reacts to Reaching Another Milestone as Undisputed WWE Universal Champion

Thomas Lowson
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Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns is on the roll of his career after reaching yet another milestone as the promotion’s top star.

Reigns returned from a hiatus (stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic) at Summerslam 2020 and captured the WWE Universal Champion a week later.

Since then, the Tribal Chief has maintained an iron grip on the title, and this week, reached 900 days with the gold.

At WrestleMania 38, Reigns unified the title with the WWE Championship (won from Brock Lesnar) and is on day-320 as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.

Roman Reigns Reacts

For Roman Reigns, reaching milestones such as these has become a common occurrence, and the Tribal Chief often reacts to his accolades on social media.

In a tweet, Reigns said that fans were given plenty of notice that such an impressive reign was coming for him.

In addition to this record, Reigns has not been pinned in 1,160 days, with the last time his shoulders were on the mat for the three-count coming at WWE: TLC 2019.

What’s Next for Roman Reigns?

Tomorrow night, Reigns will make his latest title defense, this one being against Sami Zayn in the latter’s hometown of Montreal.

Despite Sami having the home-field advantage, Reigns remains the firm favorite, and if victorious, will go on to defend his title at WrestleMania 39 against Cody Rhodes.

There has been speculation that Zayn’s popularity with fans could force WWE to make a triple-threat match at WrestleMania 39, an idea 16-time World Champion Ric Flair recently spoke out against.

Roman Reigns Responds To Emotional Cody Rhodes – Sami Zayn Segment

Ex-NJPW Star Karl Fredericks Receives WWE NXT Name & In-Ring Debut Date

Thomas Lowson
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Former New Japan Pro Wrestling star Karl Fredericks is ready to take WWE NXT by storm, albeit under a new name.

Fredericks signed with WWE in January of this year, after previously spending the past four years of his career with New Japan.

Karl’s highest accomplishment with the Bushiroad promotion was winning the 2019 Young Lion’s Cup.

WWE NXT

Fredericks has only been under contract with WWE for a matter of weeks, but his TV debut is already on the horizon.

WWE has announced that Fredericks will be making his in-ring debut on NXT Level Up, and will be working under the name Eddie Thorpe to face Dante Chen.

Other matches include Ivy Nile taking on Valentina Feroz in singles competition while Xyon Quinn will square off against Oba Femi.

Fredericks has previously appeared for WWE NXT during a house show in Fort Pierce, where he confronted Axiom.

The former New Japan star teased that he was going to say something, but left the ring without saying a word.

Huge Signings

Eddie Thorpe is a notable signing by WWE, but he is hardly the only interesting name that Vince McMahon’s promotion recently acquired.

In December 2022, Dragon Lee announced that he was joining WWE after he and Dralistico captured the AAA World Tag Team Championships from FTR.

WWE had been interested in Dragon Lee after they saw him compete in AEW, as he worked the House of the Dragon edition of AEW Dynamite in August 2022.

AAA reportedly believed that Dragon Lee’s announcement of his AAA exit was a joke at first, but of course, later learned that it was true.

Impact Wrestling Results (2/16/23): Rich Swann vs. Kenny King, Chris Bey vs. Kushida

Tyriece Simon
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The Feb. 16 episode of Impact Wrestling aired on AXS TV at 8 PM EST/5 PM PT.

This episode of Impact Wrestling saw Rich Swann take on Kenny King. The match was teased on Feb. 9 when Swann confronted King in a backstage segment. Tonight’s show also had Chris Bey vs. Kushida and more qualifying matches to determine who will be in a Fatal-Four-Way match at No Surrender. One of the matches tonight is Steve Maclin vs. Rhino. The winner of the Fatal-Four-Way match will be the number one contender for the Impact World Championship.

Impact Wrestling also aired on their Youtube channel for Impact Insider subscribers. The company offers a monthly subscription to watch weekly episodes on Youtube for $1.49. However, it aired at 8:30 PM ET/5:30 PM PT.

If you would like more results for this week’s events in wrestling, please check back on our results section.

Impact Wrestling Results (2/16)

The show starts with a tribute to Jerry Jarrett, followed by a video package of last week’s episode.

Chris Bey vs. Kushida

The match starts with Kushida and Chris Bey exchanging holds, with Kushida getting the best of his opponent. Bey tricks Kushida in a test of strength and starts to gain offense. However, Bey tried to Irish Whip Kushida into the ropes and got caught with a Springboard Back Elbow, which takes him out of the ring. Kushida follows him outside and jumps from the ring apron with a knee strike onto Bey’s left arm.

He rolls Bey back into the ring and starts working on Bey’s arm. Kushida starts to dominate the match by focusing on Bey’s arm. Bey rolls to the outside, and Kushida tries to land another knee strike from the ring apron but gets caught with a kick to the gut. Bey tries to capitalize, but they both land a Clothesline simultaneously. They lay on the floor outside the ring and both get into the ring at the count of nine to beat the countout. Back in the ring, they both exchange forearm strikes, until Bey gets the better of Kushida.

Bey starts to take control of the match and lands a Torture Rack Neck Breaker for a two-count. He tries to go for a Brainbuster on Kushida, but his opponent blocks it. Kushida starts to rally back after he catches Bey with a Rolling Thunder Kick to the face. Bey rolls out of the ring, but Kushida does a Senton dive from the top rope to the floor on Bey.

Kushida rolls Bey back into the ring and tries to lock in a Guillotine, but his opponent fights out of it. However, Bey got caught with a Dropkick to the left arm. Kushida tries to lock in a Kimura, but Bey gets out of the hold and lands a Springboard Leg Drop to the back of Kushida’s head for a two-count. The finish comes when Kushida puts Bey in the Kimura lock but transitions to a Small Package for the win.

Tommy Dreamer and Bully Ray to Have Live Busted Open Show at No Surrender

We get a backstage segment with Bully Ray and Tommy Dreamer, with Santino Marella as the mediator. Marella proposes that Dreamer and Ray have a live episode of Busted Open live at No Surrender. Dreamer says he will let bygones be bygones, but Ray agrees as long as Dreamer leaves Impact Wrestling. They both get into an argument until Marella says they can talk it out at No Surrender. They argue again about who gets to talk first at No Surrender, but Marella says that they will have a beat the clock challenge match next week to determine who will speak first.

Steve Maclin vs. Rhino No Surrender Qualifying Match

The match starts with Rhino and Maclin locking up, with Rhino getting the advantage. Rhino holds on to Maclin’s wrist until he gets caught with a back elbow. Maclin lands a Knife Edge Chop to Rhino in the corner, but it makes Rhino mad, and he hits a Shoulder Block on Maclin. Maclin tries to land a Suplex, but Rhino reverses and lands his Suplex, followed by an Arm Drag. Rhino tries to go for the Gore, but Maclin rolls to the outside.

Rhino tries to follow Maclin outside the ring but gets outsmarted by his opponent. Maclin slams Rhino’s arm into the ring post as we cut to a commercial break. When we return from the commercial break, Maclin completely controls the match in the ring.

Maclin tries to go for a Top Rope Headbutt on his opponent but misses it. After the mistake, Rhino starts to rally back in the match. He hits Maclin in the gut in the corner, followed by a Belly to Belly Slam for a two-count. Maclin responds by hitting Rhino with several forearm strikes, but Rhino catches him with a Spinebuster. Rhino tries to hit Maclin with a Gore, but misses it. Maclin responds by hitting the Gore on Rhino for a two count. The finish comes when Maclin lands the Wake Up Call(Rhino’s tag team partner Heath Slater finisher) for the win.

Johnny Swinger With Zicky Dice vs. Barry Horowitz

The match starts with Zicky Dice distracting Barry Horowitz, so Johnny Swinger attacks his opponent’s left knee. Swinger starts to work beat down Horowitz in the corner until he misses a shoulder strike. Horowitz starts taking offense to Swinger, hitting him with several European Uppercuts in the corner. He lands a Headbutt on Swinger and starts to taunt to the crowd. Swinger rakes his opponents eyes and starts to go for a Neckbreaker, until former WCW talent The Demon comes out to distract Swinger. Horowitz takes advantage and gets the Schoolboy pin for the win.

We get a backstage interview with Moose. He talks about what happened last week with Joe Hendry and says, “He doesn’t get humiliated; he gets even.” We cut to a commercial break.

After the commercial break, Moose starts busting a car in the parking lot that he believes is Hendry’s. However, it turns out to be Marella’s car. Marella announces that it will be Moose vs. Hendry for the Digital Media Championship at No Surrender.

Heath Slater vs. Eddie Edwards No Surrender Qualifying Match

The match starts with Eddie Edwards putting Heath Slater in a Head Lock until he gets thrown to the ropes and taken down with a Shoulder Block. Slater hits a Clothesline on Edwards to take him outside of the ring. He followed the move by diving on Edwards from the ring apron with a Senton.

Slater rolls Edwards back into the ring. As he tries to enter the ring, Edwards hits Slater to keep him out of the ring and does Suicide Dive onto Slater. Edwards rolls Slater back into the ring and starts to take control of the match. He beats down Slater for a few minutes until he gets caught with a Leg Lariat. Slater starts rallying back into the match and lands a Powerslam on Edwards for a two-count. He goes for The Wake Up Call, but Edwards blocks it. However, Slater lands a Spinebuster on Edwards for a two-count.

Slater goes to the top rope but gets stopped by Edwards. Edwards lands a Superplex on Slater, followed by a Tiger Driver for a two-count. The finish comes when Edwards goes for the Die Hard Driver but gets distracted by PCO music. Slater hits his finisher to get the win.

After the match, PCO comes from behind Edwards in the ring and starts attacking him. PCO lands a Reverse DDT and goes to the top rope, but Edwards rolls out of the ring to escape.

We get a backstage segment with The Design and Sami Callihan. Deaner says that Yuya Uemura and Frankie Kazarian challenged two members of The Design to match next week. Deaner tells Callihan that they both will go against Uemura and Kazarian on the next episode of Impact Wrestling.

We get another backstage segment with Father James Mitchell and The Hex. The Hex challenged The Death Dollz to a title match at No Surrender.

Masha Slamovich vs. Alisha

Masha Slamovich dominates the match from the start. Alisha would try to get her offense in but would get shut down. The finish comes when Slamovich lands the Snowplow for a quick win.

After the match, Slamovich puts Alisha in a Rear Naked Choke, but James enters the ring to stop her. James tries to go after Slamovich but gets caught in a Rear Naked Choke. Three Referees enter the ring to get her off of James. Slamovich leaves the ring and watches James as she tries to recover from the attack.

We get a backstage segment with Crazzy Steve challenging X Division Champion Trey Miguel to a Monster’s Ball match.

We get another backstage segment with Marella, Jonathan Gresham, Speedball Mike Bailey, and Dirty Dango. Marella announces that Bailey and Gresham will have a match at No Surrender. Dango suggests to Marella that Gresham and Bailey take on the Motor City Machine Guns on next week’s episode of Impact Wrestling. Marella agrees to have the tag match next week.

Kenny King vs. Rich Swann

The match starts with both wrestlers trying to get the better of each other with strikes. However, King caught Swann with a back elbow. He tries to run after Swann but misses and goes to the ring apron. King tries to throw a punch and misses, which lead to Swann kicking him in the face. While King is outside the ring, Swann dives from the ring apron onto King.

Swann rolls King back into the ring and starts to control the match. He Irish Whips King to the corner and does a running elbow strike on him. Swann maintains dominance over the King until he gets caught with Snake Eyes as Swann runs toward King in the corner. King follows up the move with a big Clothesline for a two count. Swann tries to regain momentum, but his opponent catches him in a Spinning Back Breaker. King tries to continue his offense. However, Swann lands a DDT on King as we go to commercial break.

We return from a commercial break with Swann in control until King lands a Spinebuster for a two-count. They exchange moves as both try to get the upper hand. However, Swann lands a Poison Rana on King for a two count. He follows up the action with three hard Spinning Side Kicks to the stomach of King.

He goes for a fourth kick, but King catches his opponent in a Single Boston Crab. However, Swann can get to the ropes to break the hold. They both get to their feet and exchange strikes until they simultaneously catch each other with a kick. The match’s finish comes when Swann catches King in a Small Package for the win.

After the match, King attacks Swann from behind. He goes outside the ring for a steel chair, but Josh Alexander makes the save. The Impact World Champion takes the chair from King. Swann goes for the Superkick to King but accidentally hits Alexander. The show ends with King escaping with Swann looking at Alexander as he is in the corner.

Charlotte Flair Pushes for WWE WrestleMania 39 Main Event Spot

Andrew Ravens
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0

Charlotte Flair is slated to be in another title match at WWE’s biggest event of the year when she defends the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 39 against Rhea Ripley. 

They previously wrestled each other at WrestleMania 36 in 2020 with Charlotte defeating Ripley to win the NXT Women’s Championship. Ripley earned this title match at WrestleMania 39 by winning the women’s Royal Rumble match. 

Just like in past years, WWE will have WrestleMania take place across two nights. The second night is expected to be headlined by Roman Reigns defending the Undisputed WWE Universal Title against Cody Rhodes. Charlotte believes her bout should headline one of the nights, most likely the first one. 

Charlotte Flair on WrestleMania Bout

“Rhea and I are main event quality, it’s a main event story, and I want to be in the main event with her. I know it’s going to be that good,” she told Kevin Raphaël and Pat Laprade on Les anti-pods de la lutte.

No other matches have yet to be confirmed for WrestleMania 39. H/T to Fightful for the transcription

Jay White on His Next Move: “Impact, AEW, WWE – We’ll See”

Michael Reichlin
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0

Jay White is ready to embark on the next chapter of his wrestling career. Switchblade is winding down with New Japan Pro Wrestling after a 5+ run that included two reigns as IWGP Heavyweight Champion.

He competes against AEW star Eddie Kingston this Saturday at NJPW Battle in the Valley from San Jose, California. In a new interview for Sports Illustrated, White spoke with Justin Barrasso about this weekend’s event and his desire to wrestle full-time in the United States.

So much is possible. Impact, AEW, WWE—we’ll see.

– Jay White

White has been a standout talent for years, but gained mainstream popularity as the former leader of the Bullet Club. He says he’s at peace putting the Bullet Club and New Japan Pro Wrestling in the rear view mirror. He did everything he wanted to do in Japan and doesn’t feel that he left any boxes unchecked. “Now I’m looking at what’s next,” he says.

White is looking ahead, but he’s not overlooking Eddie Kingston. He says Kingston is “real” and throws some of the hardest chops he’s ever felt. Kingston wants to build his legacy by knocking White out, which makes him a dangerous opponent. White plans to teach Kingston that you can’t always get what you want.

You can order NJPW Battle in the Valley on FITE TV for $19.99. Visit SI.com to read the full interview with Jay White.

“Stone Cold Takes on America” Docuseries Premieres April 30 on A&E

Michael Reichlin
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0

WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin is getting his own docuseries on A&E.

‘Stone Cold Takes on America’ will see Austin taking viewers on an epic adventure as he redefines what life after years in the ring looks like and experiences everything he missed out on while focused on his career. The show premieres Sunday, April 30 at 10pm (EST).

The Texas Rattlesnake put out this video Thursday afternoon once the news went public:

A&E sent in a press release to SEScoops that includes the following details:

For over two decades, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin gave everything to wrestling, becoming one of the all-time greats. However, his dedication to his career meant sacrificing many of the other experiences life has to offer. In each one-hour episode of “Stone Cold Takes on America,” Austin will hit the road in his RV, accepting challenges from fans that push him out of his comfort zone, and make up for lost time. Through archival footage from classic WWE moments and his own stories, the series weaves together Austin’s old and new life—both filled with incredible feats and his unique point of view—as he celebrates and learns from new experiences how only “Stone Cold” Steve Austin can.

“Stone Cold Takes on America” is produced by Pilgrim Media Group for A&E Network. The series is executive produced by WWE. Executive producers include Craig Piligian, Steve Austin, Heather Olander, Stijn Bakkers and Mike Nichols, who also serves as showrunner. Elaine Frontain Bryant and Brad Abramson serve as executive producers for A&E. A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights for “Stone Cold Takes on America.”

Bianca Belair Names WWE Star She Thinks Doesn’t Get Enough Credit

Andrew Ravens
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0

After countless matches with her, Bianca Belair knows how good Bayley is inside the squared circle. 

Belair has shared the ring with Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch, including at WrestleMania. Belair and Bayley feuded off and on for years where they’ve been part of ladder, last woman standing and WarGames matches. 

Although they’ve been rivals on television, Belair has nothing but respect and praise for Bayley, one of WWE’s top female stars. 

Bianca Belair on Bayley

Belair made an appearance on Ryan Satin’s Out Of Character podcast, where she shared her belief that Bayley doesn’t get the credit she deserves.

“I love Bayley. I feel like she’s one of the Four Horsewomen that doesn’t get as much credit as she should. She does so much that’s not for herself. Anybody that she steps in the ring with, she brings the best out of them and that’s what she did for me. I remember our Last Woman Standing match in particular. I was watching a lot of other Last Woman, Last Man Standing matches and you have your table spots and you have your ladder spots and your chair spots. 

We just wanted to make it as creative as possible and different. We’ve always been able to do that because Bayley is amazing in the ring physically, but when it comes to mentally, her creative mind is so amazing. We were able to create some amazing and iconic moments in that Last Woman Standing match like the golf cart. Like, we’re in Saudi Arabia and there’s women driving golf carts. That doesn’t happen all the time. It was really cool to create these fun and unique moments for these matches. The ladder match as well, that was our goal. Bayley is one of my favorite competitors to go up against.”

Belair scored a win over Bayley and Lynch in a triple threat match this past Monday night on Raw that prevented them from being added to the upcoming Elimination Chamber match where the winner will be Belair’s WrestleMania opponent. 

H/T to Fightful for the transcript

WWE Elimination Chamber Staff Predictions

Ryan Droste
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0

WWE Elimination Chamber takes place this Saturday from Montreal, Quebec. This will be the 13th Elimination Chamber event for the company; it originated as a standalone PPV event in 2010. WWE did not hold the event in 2016.

SEScoops correspondents Andrew Ravens, Tyriece Simon, and Jesse Velasquez have assembled to provide our official WWE Elimination Chamber predictions.

Men’s Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE U.S. Championship

Tyriece Simon: I think Austin Theory retains his championship. If what has been reported is true, Theory winning this match sets him up for the biggest match of his career at WrestleMania 39. Although I have Theory winning, this should be a great match. I predict Bronson Reed and Montez Ford to have a good showing in the match and have people talking. (Prediction: Austin Theory)

Andrew Ravens: I would think that Theory retains here and barely makes it out as champion because if WWE goes forward with having him wrestle John Cena at WrestleMania, then he needs to be built up as strongly as possible. He doesn’t need the title to take on Cena but should be kept strong and the title could be used to further build the story. (Prediction: Austin Theory)

Jesse Velasquez: This is an interesting chamber match. On paper, I could see 3 of these men walking away with the U.S. Title. Seth Rollins will have a program with Logan Paul at Wrestlemania, Damien Priest will return to being the muscle in the Judgment Day Group. Bronson Reed isn’t ready to hold gold so soon on the main roster. This leaves Theory, Johnny Gargano and Montez Ford as men who could come out on top. Gargano hasn’t been very interesting since returning last Summer. I would love for Montez Ford to start a massive singles run here. He could very well be one of the last two men left. I’m going with the champ to retain here with some hijinx involved. (Prediction: Austin Theory)

Consensus: Austin Theory

Women’s Elimination Chamber Match

Tyriece Simon: I have Asuka winning this match. WWE may have her eliminate everyone in the match, similar to what they had Shayna Baszler do at Elimination Chamber in 2020. Asuka should be the favorite going into this match, but this should also be a good elimination chamber match. I predict either Liv Morgan or Nikki Cross will be jumping off the top of one of the pods. I can also see Raquel Rodriguez throwing someone off the top of one of the pods. (Prediction: Asuka)

Andrew Ravens: Personally, I would like to see Asuka get this spot as a match between Belair and Asuka will always be good. However, I see WWE continuing to build up Raquel Rodriguez and have her get the win to set up the title bout. It will likely lead to Raquel winning the title, finally dethroning Belair as champion. (Prediction: Raquel Rodriguez)

Jesse Velasquez: There is one wild card in this match, that’s Raquel Rodriguez. She had a solid showing in the Royal Rumble and has shown some signs of breaking through in the women’s division at some point in 2023.In reality, it’s Asuka’s match to lose. Her darker “Kana” character made it’s return at the Rumble. This should mean a more serious Asuka moving forward.  That’s more than enough to bring another compelling match out of Bianca Belair at Wrestlemania. (Prediction: Asuka)

Consensus: Split

Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley

Tyriece Simon: This match taking place at Elimination Chamber is interesting. It’s also weird that we are getting a regular match since the last two matches against each other were singles. Unless WWE wants to push their feud to WrestleMania 39, I think Brock Lesnar will win this match. However, I can also see a scenario where something happens in the match, like a double DQ, that could lead to a WrestleMania showdown. I will stick with Lesnar’s defeating Bobby Lashley, and hopefully, this is the end of the feud. (Prediction: Brock Lesnar)

Andrew Ravens: Brock Lesnar wins here. They two are tied up with a win over each other. At the end of the day, WWE will always protect Lesnar because he’s a bigger name and a bigger draw. While Lesnar wins here, WWE will keep Lashley strong in the finish, and he’ll likely dominate the bout. (Prediction: Brock Lesnar)

Jesse Velasquez: The rubber match between two of the biggest specimens in the WWE. I’m completely unclear on the direction these guys are going once this match ends? Will it end in a no contest, leading to a rematch at Mania? Brock Lesnar could be tied to Gunther once this feud concludes. Where does Bobby Lashley go? He will have to wait his turn in the WWE Undisputed Universal championship pecking order if he wins. Lashley should go over here, but I have a sneaky suspicion he won’t. (Prediction: Brock Lesnar)

Consensus: Brock Lesnar

Edge and Beth Phoenix vs. Finn Balor and Rhea Ripley

Tyriece Simon: I think Edge and Beth Phoenix get the victory over The Judgement Day’s Finn Bálor and Rhea Ripley. The feud between Edge against The Judgment Day has continued for a long time. I believe that with the match happening in Canada, it’s a perfect time to have Edge and Beth Phoenix get a win to end the rivalry. It could also create fresh matchups for everyone for WrestleMania, especially since Ripley will challenge Charlotte Flair for the Smackdown Women’s Championship. (Prediction: Edge and Beth Phoenix)

Andrew Ravens: Hopefully, this is the blow-off match between the two teams. If that’s the case, Edge and Beth have to go over to get their revenge finally. However, I don’t rule out the possibility of Balor and Ripley going over to give them a further rub by big names. (Prediction: Edge and Beth Phoenix)

Jesse Velasquez: One thing is certain, I’m glad this is not a Wrestlemania match. Edge and Beth Phoenix returned at the Royal Rumble. Each of them attacking their counterparts when Edge started brawling with Balor after they were eliminated from the Rumble. I feel it would be a big mistake for Edge and Phoenix to get revenge in this match. We should see Ripley and Balor win this match. Leaving Edge and Balor to continue this feud at Mania. Meanwhile, Beth Phoenix can return to retirement and Ripley can propel her career by becoming the WWE Smackdown Women’s champion at Wrestlemania. (Prediction: Finn Balor and Rhea Ripley)

Consensus: Split

WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn

Tyriece Simon: It’s possible. The storyline and booking of the Bloodline and Sami Zayn have been excellent, and Zayn has shown he can be one of the top featured stars in WWE. I believe this is a situation similar to Mankind in early 1999. Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock was the main event for WrestleMania 15, but on the road to the “Grandest Stage of Them All,” Mankind held the WWE Championship for a little while.

This is a similar situation and could be an excellent time to pull the trigger on Zayn, especially in his hometown. Zayn can get the win at Elimination Chamber, and you can have him drop the title before WrestleMania 39. He can lose the title on a Raw or Smackdown episode to Reigns with the help of The Usos. It would shift the “heat” to the Usos, and you can have them vs. Zayn and a returning Kevin Owens for the Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania 39.

That said, the easy choice is Reigns defeating Zayn with the help of Jey Uso at Elimination Chamber, and you can still get to the tag title match. I believe Cody Rhodes is Austin in this scenario, and he should be the one to leave WrestleMania 39 as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. However, like in 1999, WWE is in a great position because the company has options for how they want to get there. Send the crowd home happy for Elimination Chamber with Zayn winning, and you can still have time to put the championship back on Reigns for WrestleMania 39. I’m going with the underdog Zayn to get the win. (Prediction: Sami Zayn)

Andrew Ravens: Roman Reigns will retain. How they get to the finish is what will be interesting. I would suspect a referee bump where The Usos come out to take out Zayn before Kevin Owens tries to make the save, only for the numbers game to be too much for him. No matter how this goes down, Zayn should and will be protected, or the fans will go nuts, and WWE knows that. (Prediction: Roman Reigns)

Jesse Velasquez: Much like the World championship match at the Royal Rumble, the drama in this story will likely be the aftermath. The story as we all know has been tremendous since April of 2022. Sami Zayn returns to his home province and will have a thunderous backing in full support of him.

Roman Reigns has been dominant as undisputed world champion. He really doesn’t need anymore heat in this situation. He’s going to rack it up no matter what. Facing the underdog challenger, in his hometown, and he’s put Zayn in his place all throughout this Bloodline story.

Does the WWE pull the shocking upset and give Zayn the W here? I don’t see it. What could play out is The Usos getting involved, Reigns gets the win. Kevin Owens comes out to save Zayn from a Bloodline beatdown, and we see a big tag team title match at Wrestlemania.

Another option is Zayn could have the match won and Solo Sikoa plus Paul Heyman get involved. Reigns retains and Zayn gets a fast one pulled on him, a “Montreal screwjob” if you will. That could lead to Zayn getting another title shot at Wrestlemania vs Reigns, or in a triple threat bout involving Cody Rhodes. There are a plethora of options here. (Prediction: Roman Reigns)

Consensus: Split

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1x9ueQkRVY

Ric Flair Doesn’t Want To See WrestleMania 39 Main Event Become A Triple Threat

Jon Fuentes
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0

Ric Flair seems to be against the idea of making the WrestleMania 39 main event for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title a Triple Threat match.

Flair recently took to his podcast, “To Be The Man,” to offer his thoughts on the possibility of the WrestleMania main event between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes adding Sami Zayn to make it into a Triple Threat match.

Given the popularity of The Bloodline storyline and the rising stardom of Zayn, many suggest WWE could be on the way to inserting him into the main event as well. However, if Ric Flair had his way, he’d like to keep things between Reigns and Zayn.

“No way! They have put too much time into Cody and too much time into Roman. The fans sometimes get with that three-way stuff, and sometimes they don’t, you know what I mean?

“I think it is better; I know it would mean more just from knowing him like I have since 12 years old; I think Cody and Roman that’s going to be a really world-class match.

“I actually think Cody is a better worker now than he was; his work is better right now than it was when he was at AEW. On top, yeah! And Roman hasn’t slacked off. I think Roman is great. I think it’s a clash of the titans, man.”

Cody Rhodes backstage at Royal Rumble

Rhodes earned his way into the main event of WrestleMania this year by winning the Men’s Royal Ruble match in Texas. Now, he’ll headline “The Show Of Shows” against Reigns in Los Angeles.

However, before that takes place, Sami Zayn will get his shot at the World Title when he challenges Reigns at the Elimination Chamber PLE. It will be interesting to see how the World Title picture shapes out heading into WrestleMania this April.

Quotes via NoDQ.com

Cody Rhodes Walks Back WrestleMania Comment About The Rock

Jon Fuentes
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0

Cody Rhodes is walking back his recent WrestleMania comment about The Rock.

Earlier this month, Rhodes noted that, in regards to rumors of The Rock coming back to face off against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39, the options WWE has at the moment without “The Great One” are even better.

However, it looks like now Rhodes is walking those comments back a bit. Speaking to Sports Illustrated, Rhodes said if The Rock can make it to WrestleMania in any capacity, he’d love for it to happen.

He added that he has a ton of respect for The Rock and everything he’s done for the industry – allowing them to have a WrestleMania at all.

“I said the other day, and I said it in a pretty nice way, ‘all respect to the Rock, I like what we have.’ I’m going to walk that one back. WrestleMania is amazing. If Rock decides to come to WrestleMania, please.

“Simply because, we’re able to have WrestleMania because of someone like The Rock, and Rock was able to have WrestleMania because of somebody like (Hulk) Hogan, and because of the Dustys [Dusty Rhodes], the Flairs [Ric Flair], the Pipers [Roddy Piper].

“Our industry doesn’t just exist, the content is so important in keeping it healthy and keeping it going and respecting these long-time fans. I hope I didn’t talk out of turn because I absolutely adore The Rock and would love it if he was present in any setting.

“His family is massively important to what we do and if Rock decides to show up to WrestleMania, Hollywood would love that. I will say, if Rock doesn’t come to WrestleMania, we have an unbelievable card, if not the best ever, at the biggest ever in terms of the financials, the gates, two days in Hollywood. It’s a win-win.”

Cody Rhodes zayn
WWE

Rhodes won this year’s Men’s Royal Rumble match, punching his ticket to the main event of WrestleMania 39 in Los Angeles, California. He’ll challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

Of course, those plans could always change, as Reigns will first defend his titles against Sami Zayn at the upcoming Elimination Chamber PLE. It remains to be seen if the eventual World Title match at WrestleMania could turn into a Triple Threat match given the popularity of Sami Zayn and The Bloodline storyline.

Quotes via NoDQ.com

Mark Briscoe Signs Contract With All Elite Wrestling

Thomas Lowson
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0

2023 has been a difficult year so far for Mark Briscoe, but the Ring of Honor World Tag Team Champion is now All-Elite.

Last month, Mark’s tag partner and brother Jay Briscoe was killed in a car crash minutes from his home in Laurel, Delaware.

Jay’s daughters, Kayleigh and Grace were both severely injured in the crash, which also killed the driver of the other vehicle.

All-Elite

On this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, Mark Briscoe defeated Josh Woods, a former ROH Pure Champion in his own right.

After the match, AEW President Tony Khan took to Twitter to confirm that Mark is under contract with AEW.

Lifting the Ban

It was only a few months ago that Briscoe being under contract with AEW seemed impossible.

Due to comments made a decade ago by Jay, both men had been essentially blacklisted from AEW programming by WarnerMedia.

Jay apologized multiple times for his homophobic comments, which he stated were as part of his heel character and not reflective of his personal beliefs.

It has been said that by the time of his passing, Jay’s apology was considered 100% legitimate by the wrestling world, and he had the support of many LGBTQ+ wrestlers in the industry.

Even after Jay’s passing, it was reported that Mark would not be allowed to appear, though Tony Khan “pushed and pushed” to lift the ban.

Briscoe’s one and only other AEW match saw him defeat Jay Lethal on the Jay Briscoe tribute edition of Dynamite on January 25, 2023.

Mark Briscoe’s AEW Debut Wasn’t Approved Until Late in the Plans

Vince McMahon Once Called an FTR Match the Worst Thing He’s Ever Seen

Thomas Lowson
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0

FTR may have impressed fans for years with their skills in the ring, but Vince McMahon was far from pleased with their performance in 2018.

After an impressive run in NXT, FTR (then The Revival) was called up to WWE’s main roster as part of the post-WrestleMania 33 Raw in April 2017.

Despite reigns as both Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Champions (making the team the first triple-crown tag Champions in WWE) the duo couldn’t match their NXT success on the main roster and were granted their releases in April 2020.

The Worst Match

By the 2018 Royal Rumble, The Revival had been feuding with the Good Brothers and had traded wins on TV and at live events with Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows.

Speaking with Matt Koon on his FTR podcast, Dax Harwood recalled the less than favorable feedback to the match on the Royal Rumble kick-off show.

“We come to the back and Vince (McMahon) is waiting for us, all four of us. We thought the match was good. it was like an eight-minute match. We came to the back and he said, ‘Welp, that was absolutely the worst wrestling match I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”

Dax Harwood.

Given that McMahon was closing in on fifty years in the wrestling industry at the time, Harwood joked that he takes having the worst match as a “badge of pride.”

Harwood added that McMahon was likely unaware that he and Cash Wheeler were employed by WWE for eight years.

WWE Return

While McMahon was far from pleased with FTR, WWE today is much different to the one the tag team left nearly three years ago.

Following McMahon’s retirement last July, Triple H has been appointed Head of Creative and Head of Talent, and FTR thrived under the Game’s watch in WWE NXT.

McMahon has (so far) kept away from creative meetings and WWE programming since his return to WWE last month.

It has been reported that FTR’s deals with AEW expire this May, but Harwood claimed in a previous episode of his podcast that McMahon’s return has made them question coming back.

FTR Was Speaking to Tony Khan The Day WWE Released Them

h/t – Fightful

Cody Rhodes Planning Indie Wrestling Tribute at Future WWE Premium Live Event

Thomas Lowson
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0

Cody Rhodes could be just 45 days away from becoming the next Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, but the American Nightmare hasn’t forgotten where he’s come from.

After choosing to part ways with WWE in 2016, Rhodes took his talents to various independent promotions and increased his star power outside WWE.

It was as a much bigger star that Rhodes founded AEW, and the person once considered mid-card for life returned to WWE as a main eventer in April 2022.

Tribute

As we’ve seen in his promos about his father and his exceptional segment earlier this month with Paul Heyman, history means everything to Cody Rhodes.

While speaking to Peter Rosenberg on Hot 97, Cody stated that he hopes to honor all the independent promotions during his WWE absence.

“Small spoiler, I guess, I was trying to come up with this idea for a weight belt for a very specific P.L.E. or pay-per-view, whatever you wanna call it where I wrote everybody independent promotion I worked at on it, because that was the most important thing I did was this connection with these fans and getting to know them and grassroots and that became really my bread and butter.”

Cody Rhodes.

WrestleMania

While Rhodes didn’t specify which event he planned this tribute on, the most likely guess would be WrestleMania 39.

On the show, Rhodes will face Roman Reigns and looks to dethrone the Tribal Chief, who is now in his 900th day as WWE Universal Champion.

If Cody goes ahead with this tribute, it will be interesting to see what WWE allows, as Cody has worked for some pretty big names (and competition to WWE) including AEW and Impact Wrestling.

Roman Reigns Responds To Emotional Cody Rhodes – Sami Zayn Segment

h/t – BodySlam

Spoiler: Former Champion Makes Return at Latest AEW Rampage Tapings

Thomas Lowson
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0

This week’s tapings of AEW Rampage saw a huge return from a former AEW World Tag Team Champion who has been out of action for weeks.

Friday’s Ramapge was taped immediately after the latest AEW Dynamite in Laredo, Texas, and saw names including Jon Moxley, ‘Hangman’ Adam Page, Britt Baker, and Mark Briscoe in action.

This week’s Dynamite saw AEW continue on the road to Revolution 2023, which will be headlined by AEW World Champion MJF vs. Bryan Danielson in AEW’s first Iron Man match.

Rampage Return

In the main event of the AEW Rampage taping, Dustin Rhodes defeated Swerve Strickland by disqualification when Parker Bordeaux got involved.

A post-match beatdown continued until Keith Lee made his return to AEW programming to even the odds.

Lee had been out of action for over a month after being attacked by Swerve, his former friend and tag partner, and the Mogul Affiliates.

The Limitless One was written off of TV with Swerve double-stomping a cinder block onto his former tag partner.

AEW Rampage

Keith Lee’s return to TV was just part of a stacked AEW Rampage this week, which we will be keeping spoiler free.

The show will feature AEW Trios Champions The Elite defending one more time against AR Fox and Top Flight.

Jericho Appreciation Society member Daniel Garcia will take on Ricky Starks as part of the latter’s feud with Chris Jericho.

AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill will put her title and her undefeated streak on the line against Vertvixen.

Keith Lee On His Immediate Reaction To WWE Release

Christian Cage Returns to AEW Television

Samantha Schipman
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0

On AEW Dynamite, “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry defeated Brian Cage. As he was going up the ramp after the match, the familiar music and countdown appeared on the screen. His mentor-turned-nemesis, Christian Cage, had returned.

Cage was still wearing a cast and shoulder sling when Perry came at him. Cage sprayed Perry with something in the face. He removed his arm contraptions in order to put “Jungle Boy” in the Killswitch Engage and left him laid out on the ramp.

Christian Cage Had Surgery

Christian Cage AEW

Cage was last seen on AEW programming back at ALL OUT. He defeated Perry in just 33 seconds.

Shortly after the pay-per-view, it was announced that Cage had a torn tricep, the same injury CM Punk suffered at ALL OUT. He was estimated to be out 6-9 months at the time.

It appears that Cage is coming to resume his feud with Perry, leading to a match at REVOLUTION.

Lucha Bros. Make Return to AEW

Samantha Schipman
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0

The Lucha Bros. made their return to AEW on Dynamite while assisting Mark Briscoe. Briscoe was facing his long-time rival, Josh Woods.

Briscoe was attacked by Ari Daivari and Tony Nese on the outside of the ring. Rey Fénix and Penta El Zero Miedo made the save.

Lucha Bros. Visa Issues

Lucha Bros Pentagon Fenix
Lucha Bros Pentagon Jr. and Rey Fenix

The Lucha Bros. haven’t been on TV since losing the Trios titles to The Elite last month. Wrestlers across multiple promotions have been having visa issues. Kenny Omega also had visa issues which kept him off TV after winning the Trios titles.

The issue has also kept Bandido off TV. He hasn’t been on TV since losing to Bryan Danielson on January 17. Visa issues are also keeping Dragon Lee from debuting for WWE.

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