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Lance Archer Tweets About Frustrations

Samantha Schipman
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Lance Archer was a key wrestler in the early days of AEW, particularly the Pandemic Era at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville.

Back in 2021, Archer suffered a neck injury against Eddie Kingston. He did a moonsault from the top rope and landed on his head. He returned to TV in January 2022. Archer went to Japan to compete in the G1 a few months later.

Lance Archer’s Frustrations

Lance Archer
(via AEW)

On Sunday, Archer tweeted “51 days since I laced up my boots last! NOT by choice!”

Archer hasn’t wrestled since December 23, 2022 for New Japan. Suzuki-Gun had their final match in an 8-man match against each other. Prior to that, Archer had been competing in the World Tag League as Minoru Suzuki’s partner.

The “Murderhawk Monster’s” last AEW match was on November 18, 2022. He lost to Ricky Starks in the first round of AEW World Title Eliminator Tournament. Prior to that, he had mostly been relegated to Elevation and Dark, except for competing in the AEW World Title #1 Contendership Grand Slam Golden Ticket Battle Royal.

Judging by his tweet, creative (in either AEW or NJPW) has nothing for him. His manager, Jake “The Snake” Roberts recently made his return to the company. He was named a special advisor to AEW Together, their outreach program.

Tony Khan: AEW Wrestlers Tell Me They’ve Been Approached by WWE

Thomas Lowson
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AEW President Tony Khan has claimed that WWE is partaking in contract tampering by speaking to several stars under All-Elite deals.

Since being founded in 2019, AEW and WWE have been at odds, as seen with the Wednesday Night Wars which saw Khan’s promotion emerge victorious.

The two promotions have occasionally aligned, with Khan allowing AEW talent to appear via video to celebrate John Cena’s 20th anniversary on WWE’s main roster last June.

Contract Tampering

Multiple names from AEW once called WWE home, though Vince McMahon was able to bring back AEW EVP Cody Rhodes in April 2022.

Speaking on the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, Tony Khan said he’s consistently approached by talent who claim WWE are speaking to them. Here’s what he said, courtesy of POST Wrestling:

“I can’t really comment on what their (WWE) internal struggles, internal strife’s are because I don’t work there and I’m not there. I can only speak to the challenges we’ve had.

“I got a lot of wrestlers come to me and allege that WWE reached out to them to tamper with their contracts and ask them to break their contracts. I can’t confirm that specifically. I can only tell you what the wrestlers have come to me and said.”

Tony Khan.

Khan didn’t name who WWE has allegedly contacted, but called the action “very disturbing.”

On WWE’s Radar

There’s no shortage of prominent names that WWE would love to snatch away from AEW and use to draw viewers to their own product.

In January 2022, it was reported that WWE had shown interest in Wardlow, and have also reportedly shown interest in Brian Cage.

The biggest name WWE has reportedly shown interest in is AEW World Champion MJF, who has teased leaving to join WWE when his AEW deal expires on January 1, 2024.

WWE Targeting AEW Allies For Partnership Deals (Report)

Undertaker Rumor Killer: “100% NOT What I Said to Bray!”

Michael Reichlin
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The Undertaker understands why fans compare Bray Wyatt to his WWE character, but he doesn’t think that comparison does Wyatt any favors.

The Hall of Fame legend appeared on Tim and Friends this week to promote his upcoming stage show that’s taking place in Montreal during Elimination Chamber weekend.

Last month at the Raw 30th Anniversary special, Undertaker and Wyatt got fans buzzing with a brief-yet-surreal in-ring interaction that saw Taker whisper something into Wyatt’s ear.

Everybody wants to know what he said to Wyatt that night. The Undertaker would not spill the beans, but did acknowledge, “it was a cool moment” that “did exactly what I thought it would do.”

The Undertaker on Bray Wyatt Comparisons

Bray Wyatt Lights Out Match

The Undertaker is considered the greatest ‘gimmick’ in pro wrestling history. There have been countless supernatural characters throughout the years, but nobody has made an impact like him.

Undertaker says there’s obviously a huge amount of comparisons between Wyatt’s character and his, but Wyatt is his own man and his own character.

In the big scheme of things, obviously it’s kind of in that same supernatural genre, but it’s 2023, and he’s doing his own thing. I can appreciate, I can see what he’s trying to do.

– The Undertaker on Bray Wyatt

Undertaker says he’s told Bray Wyatt that “his phone is always on” and he’s happy to guide Wyatt, if he ever wants to run creative ideas by him. He’s got a wealth of experience and could help shine a lot on some of the questions Wyatt may have.

If you’re in the Montreal area next weekend, catch UNDERTAKER: 1 deadMAN SHOW on Thursday, February 16 at L’Olympia. For more information, visit WWE.com.

Update (2/12/23): Several other news outlets misinterpreted The Undertaker’s comments about what he said to Bray Wyatt at Raw 30. The Undertaker did not reveal what he whispered to Wyatt that night and is keeping it a secret.

As stated during his Tim & Friends interview, The Undertaker told Wyatt “my phone is always on, if you ever want to run ideas by me” in a separate interaction. He set the record straight on Instagram:

taker nope

MJF Asked to Sign a Female Fan’s Chest – Hilarity Ensues (Watch)

Rayan Sayyed
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All Elite Wrestling World Champion MJF recently had a hilarious encounter with a female fan in El Paso, Texas. After winning against Konosuke Takeshita in this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, a female fan approached MJF and asked him to sign her chest.  

MJF recounted this interaction in a tweet, where he called the female fan a “skank” and said that he was close to signing the female fan’s chest. However, she did not have a sharpie on hand. MJF said “You were this close to getting your t*****s signed you stupid b***h!” to the female fan and began to walk away. 

The other fans with her came to the rescue and yelled that they have a marker. Hearing this, MJF returned to do the autograph signing. However, the AEW World Champion noticed that someone was recording the whole interaction, and he decided against signing the female fan’s chest and simply walked away.  

In his tweet, MJF wrote, “Some skank in El Paso tried to get me to sign her breasts outside the arena. Multiple people recorded it. Still hasn’t made its way to twitter. Prob cuz people in El Paso don’t know how to use technology.” 

You can check out the video interaction as well, but it contains partial nudity so NSFW warning: 

MJF is known for being one of the best heels in the professional wrestling industry today. His interactions with fans go viral as he always stays in character even when outside the ring.  

When it comes to the ring, MJF will face off against Bryan Danielson in the first sixty-minute Iron Man match for the AEW World Championship on March 5 at Revolution 2023.  

Jake Roberts Recalls Fan Shooting At Him During A Show

Anutosh Bajpai
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Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts comes from a very different era of wrestling. Fans took wrestling more seriously during his prime and things used to be wilder. This includes being attacked by people outside of shows and in at least one instance, being shot at by a fan in the arena.

The wrestling legend recently had an interview with Derricks Reptiles. He talked about things such as bulls**ting his way into his WWE role and more.

When asked to share a crazy fan story from his time, Roberts recalled the one show in Dallas Texas where he was wrestling with Sting:

“Craziest one would have been in Dallas, Texas. I was wrestling Sting. A guy stood up in the ninth row, reached in his jacket. [He] pulled out a pistol and started shooting at me. He got three shots off. Missed me. That’s about as crazy as it gets. I jumped my ass out of that ring, got underneath the ring and hid.”

– Jake Roberts

Jake Roberts was also asked what is the one thing he would tell Vince McMahon that he never did. The former WWE star replied with ‘Go f**k yourself.”

Apart from this, Roberts told a crazy road story from the time he was travelling with The Undertaker and they went to a bar.

You can check out his full interview in the video below:

More Originals From SEScoops:

If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

CM Punk Shares Forgiveness Message Amid AEW Suspension

Thomas Lowson
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Is CM Punk ready to forgive The Elite over what happened at AEW All Out 2022, or is Punk hoping to be forgiven?

Once AEW’s top star, Punk has been suspended from AEW for his comments and actions after the now-infamous September 2022 Pay-Per-View.

Out of all the names suspended from AEW following All Out, Punk is the only person whose future with AEW remains unclear.

Forgiveness

As Punk made abundantly clear during his All Out post-show media scrum tirade, he has had issues with Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks.

The two-time former AEW World Champion has accused the three (currently in their second reign as AEW Trios Champions) of spreading false stories about him.

On Instagram Stories, Punk shared a video about forgiveness in which it is said that forgiveness does not excuse someone to hurt you again.

Though the video has since expired, a fan shared a clip on Twitter.

What’s Next for CM Punk?

Tony Khan has refused to speak about Punk in all interviews since his suspension, which also resulted in the Chicago-Made star being stripped of the AEW World Championship.

It has been reported that Punk is seeking a buyout of his AEW contract, something that Tony Khan is in no hurry to grant, believing he could jump to WWE.

Chris Jericho called Punk a “cancer” following his actions at All Out, and WWE’s Seth Rollins used similar verbiage last month when asked about the controversial star.

It has also been reported that people from both WWE and AEW are under the impression that Punk returning to either company is a bad idea and that he will only cause more trouble.

Punk himself has yet to publicly comment on his AEW status.

Seth Rollins: It Pains Me To Have To Say Negative Things About CM Punk

JBL-Baron Corbin Split “Wasn’t the Plan” for WWE (Report)

Thomas Lowson
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WWE made the call to end the pairing of Baron Corbin and John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield this week, but that wasn’t always the plan.

In late 2022, the former WWE Champion was introduced as Corbin’s manager, something that Layfield had openly spoken in favor of doing for years.

Despite a four-match winning streak with JBL in his corner, Corbin has been win-less on TV and at WWE live events since the November 21, 2022, edition of Raw.

Wasn’t The Plan

During this week’s Raw, the pairing of JBL and Corbin ended via backstage segment, after the latter suffered another loss, this time to Dexter Lumis.

During the latest Wrestling Observer Radio show, Dave Meltzer said that this wasn’t what WWE intended when they began the pairing.

“They gave up on it… this wasn’t the plan. The guy in charge, that’s Paul (Levesque), felt it wasn’t working and that was it.”

Dave Meltzer.

The End of Corbin’s Push

It was in 2016 that Corbin made an impactful main roster debut, winning the Andre the Giant WrestleMania battle royal.

A year later, Corbin was seemingly on the cusp of a World Championship reign when he captured the Money in the Bank briefcase, but his cash-in was unsuccessful.

On his show, Meltzer stated that despite multiple opportunities, the Lone Wolf just hasn’t reached the status WWE hoped for him.

“There’s nothing wrong or right with him but in the pantheon of stars, he’s just not at that top star level. I think they wanted him to be at that level and they gave him every chance to be at that level. He’s just a guy. A tall guy but he’s just a guy.”

Baron Corbin: ‘Braun Strowman is Full Of Crap for Calling Himself The Greatest Big Man’

h/t – Wrestling News

WWE Referring to Two Current Superstars As “All-Time Greats” in Triple H Edict

Thomas Lowson
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Two WWE Superstars are to be referred to as some of the “all-time greats” in an edict from WWE’s Head of Creative and Head of Talent Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque.

The Game entered both roles in July 2022, replacing his father-in-law Vince McMahon in Creative, and WWE veteran John Lauriniatis in the Talent Relations department.

Triple H’s work thus far has been widely praised by fans, who have appreciated the rehiring of big names and talent being given more opportunities to showcase their characters.

All-Time Greats

WWE’s current roster is home to legends in the making, but two names have already reached the status of being ‘all-time greats.’

In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it is reported that Becky Lynch and Bayley will be referred to by the monikers going forward.

The Man and the Role Model have been feuding ever since the Raw after Summerslam 2022, when Damage CTRL attacked Lynch.

Returning to in-ring competition at Survivor Series: WarGames, the pair have continued feuding for months.

After Bayley and Damage CTRL once again got the upper hand at Raw is 30, Lynch bested her nemesis in a Steel Cage match this week, with an assist by the returning Lita.

Great Careers

Though some may find the label as ‘all-time great’ a tad premature for talent still wrestling today, Bayley and Lynch have some impressive claims to the moniker.

Lynch is a six-time Women’s Champion (two Raw, four SmackDown,) the winner of the 2019 Women’s Rumble match, and won the first-ever Women’s main event at WrestleMania.

Bayley is a four-time Women’s Champion (one Raw, one NXT, two SmackDown,) a two-time WWE Women’s Tag Champion, a Miss Money in the Bank winner, and was the first-ever WWE Women’s Triple Crown winner and WWE Women’s Grand Slam.

WWE RAW Results (2/6/23): Becky Lynch Defeats Bayley In A Steel Cage Match with Help From WWE Hall of Famer

Dave Bautista Lands Role in Upcoming George R.R. Martin Movie Adaptation

Anutosh Bajpai
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Former WWE star Dave Bautista has landed another interesting role. This time he will be featured in the movie adaptation of a George R.R. Martin story.

Per Deadline, In The Lost Lands is an upcoming movie based on a short story written by the Game of Thrones creator. The former world champion will be starring alongside Resident Evil star Milla Jovovich in this fantasy adventure film:

“The movie will follow a queen, desperate to obtain the gift of shape-shifting, who makes a daring play: She hires the sorceress Gray Alys (Jovovich), a woman as feared as she is powerful.

Sent to the ghostly wilderness of the “Lost Lands,” Alys and her guide, the drifter Boyce (Bautista), must outwit and outfight man and demon in a fable that explores the nature of good and evil, debt and fulfilment, love and loss.”

Paul W.S. Anderson will be directing the movie starring the retired wrestling star. Anderson has also written the script for the upcoming project.

Dave Bautista has made a point to distinguish his characters from one another. In his own words, the Hollywood star does not care about being a star and he ‘just wants to be a better actor.’

The MCU star has received praise recently for his work in movies such as Glass Onion and Knock at the Cabin. The upcoming adaptation is only expected to add to his reputation.

NWA Nuff Said Results (2/11/23): Tyrus Retains Worlds Heavyweight Championship Against Matt Cardona

Colby Faria
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NWA’s latest PPV event, Nuff Said went down on (2/11/23) from the Egypt Shrine Center in Tampa, Florida. Tyrus defeated Matt Cardona to retain the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship against former champion Matt Cardona in the evening’s main event.

NWA Nuff Said Match Card

  • Tyrus (C) vs. Matt Cardona — NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship
  • Kamile (C) vs. Angelina Love — No Disqualification Match, NWA Women’s World Championship
  • La Rebelión (C) vs. Blunt Force Trauma — NWA World Tag Team Championship
  • Pretty Empowered (C) vs. Renegade Twins — NWA Women’s World Tag Team Championship
  • Cyon (C) vs. Homicide — NWA National Heavyweight Championship
  • Kerry Morton (C) vs. Alex Taylor — NWA Junior Heavyweight Championship
  • Mercurio & Natalia Markova vs. Jennacide & Max the Impaler
  • Dak Draper & Matthew Mims vs. Jax Dane & Blake Troop
  • Thom Latimer vs. Fodder — Singapore Cane Match
  • La Rosa Negra vs. Missa Kate
  • Chris Adonis vs. Trevor Murdoch
  • EC3 vs. Kevin Kiley
  • Odinson vs. Joe Alonzo

Results

La Rosa Negra def. Missa Kate

Dak Draper & Matthew Mims def. The Outlaws

Mia Valentine Announces EC3 Has Signed with NWA

Odinson def. Joe Alonzo

Mercurio & Natalia Markova def. Jennacide & Max The Impaler

Thom Latimer def. Fodder — Singapore Cane Match

Kerry Morton (C) def. Alex Taylor — NWA Junior Heavyweight Championship

Silas Mason def. J.R. Kratos

Renegade Twins def. Pretty Empowered (C) — NWA Women’s World Tag Team Championship

EC3 def. Kevin Kiley

La Rebelión (C) def. Blunt Force Trauma — NWA World Tag Team Championship

Chris Adonis def. Trevor Murdoch

Kamile (C) def. Angelina Love — No Disqualification Match, NWA Women’s World Championship

Cyon (C) def. Homicide — NWA National Heavyweight Championship

Tyrus (C) def. Matt Cardona — NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship

Stay with SEScoops for the latest in the world of professional wrestling.

Mercedes Mone And Naomi Announced For Joint Appearance Next Month

Anutosh Bajpai
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Mercedes Mone has been making strides in the wrestling world this year after her WWE release. Her tag team partner Naomi however, has stayed mostly quiet about her future.

There has been rumors of her returning to the Vince McMahon-owned promotion but a latest announcement suggests that she isn’t planning a comeback after all.

The Emerald City Comic Con announced on Twitter recently that both Naomi and Mercedes will be joining the event on March 4 and 5:

“Welcome to #ECCC, Trinity Fatu (“Naomi”)! ? Trinity and her bestie, Mercedes Varnado, are tag-teaming Seattle March 4 and 5. Meet this duo at the brand-new Seattle Convention Center Summit building”

Mone made her NJPW debut during Wrestle Kingdom 17 earlier this year. She attacked the IWGP Women’s Champion Kairi during her first appearance.

The former Sasha Banks has been announced to challenge the Women’s title holder for the belt. This match will be taking place at NJPW Battle in the Valley in San Jose on February 18.

Naomi on the other hand has not made any wrestling appearances since the duo walked out of WWE back in May last year.

The former Women’s Champion has accompanied Mone on several red-carpet appearances. She has stayed quiet on her future plans in the wrestling business.

AEW Champions Re-Sign With The Company

Andrew Ravens
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Tony Khan has signed the AEW Tag Team Champions The Gunns to new contracts. 

This week’s episode of AEW Dynamite featured a controversial main event that left a lot of fans unhappy as Austin and Colten Gunn beat The Acclaimed to win the AEW World Tag Team Championships. 

The title change was a surprise as many fans weren’t expecting it as The Acclaimed has been protected in recent months and is one of the most over acts in the entire promotion. 

The Deal

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported today that both Austin and Colten have re-signed with the promotion and will remain with them for the foreseeable future, although specific details of the terms were not given. Fightful was able to confirm that they have signed multi-year deals with AEW.

Austin signed with AEW in January 2020 while Coten was never given an official ‘All Elite’ announcement when he joined his father, Billy, and brother, Austin, on television. 

Although not confirmed, it’s likely All Elite Wrestling will book a rematch between the two tag teams for the gold at AEW’s next pay-per-view event, Revolution, which takes place on March 5. 

Tony Khan Addresses The Possibility of Monthly AEW PPV Events

Andrew Ravens
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AEW President Tony Khan has addressed potentially expanding its pay-per-view calendar in the future, especially if a streaming deal comes to the promotion. 

Khan was asked about this topic while doing an interview on the John Chuckery Show. For Khan, he feels the focus should remain on AEW’s big five events (Double or Nothing, All Out, Full Gear, Forbidden Door, and Revolution) as he sees those as the flagpole AEW events. 

“Well, we’ve been able to really make the events keep that super special feel, where there is so much anticipation building up to Revolution, Double or Nothing, Forbidden Door now, and of course, All Out and Full Gear,” said Khan. “I think that with the current model we have, which is a la carte pay-per-view, true pay-per-view like so many of us grew up with, it makes a lot of sense. The price is about $49.99, and if somebody’s going to give us that $49.99, I would like them to feel like they’re getting a show they’ve really looked forward to for a long time and are getting maximum value.”

Expansion

Khan did state that should a streaming offer come along he would consider expanding the PPV calendar, but the events mentioned above would still be considered the big five. 

“I think for us right now, the way we’re doing pay-per-view makes sense, but if the right offer came along on streaming to expand the calendar, that’s something we have the capacity to do. I would only want to do it if we can make sure that we keep Revolution, Double or Nothing, Forbidden Door, All Out, and Full Gear as premium, top-end events like they are right now.”

AEW holds its Revolution pay-per-view event on March 5, 2023. Transcribed by Fightful

Matt Hardy Comments on Cody Rhodes Winning the Royal Rumble

Samantha Schipman
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Last year, Cody Rhodes shocked the wrestling world when he jumped ship from AEW to WWE. He made his return after 7 years at WrestleMania 38.

He famously wrestled with a torn pectoral at the 2022 Hell in A Cell before having surgery. Rhodes returned at this year’s Royal Rumble to enter the Rumble match at #30. He battled with Gunther to win the Rumble and become the #1 contender for Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39.

Matt Hardy’s Comments

Matt Hardy
(via AEW)

On the latest episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, Hardy said he was “very proud of him.” He reflected on their time together during in Jacksonville during the Pandemic Era. Due to spending so much time at Daily’s Place and “filming Dark until 2 AM”, Hardy and Rhodes spent a lot of time together.

“It was cool, man. I thought Cody killed it when we first came into WWE. I think him leaving AEW and going to WWE — the first major jump from an AEW to WWE deal — I think it’s good for business. I think it’s good for interest, I think it’s good for wrestling fans, I think it’s good for the entire biz, just in general.”

“So I was very happy for him to come back and I was happy that he won the Royal Rumble. And I think he’s the guy that should have won the Royal Rumble. I like that direction. And I’m really interested to see what him and Roman are going to do at Mania.”

WrestleMania 39 takes place in Los Angeles on April 1 and 2.

Dijak Auctioning Off Entrance Worn Jacket to Benefit Pugh Family

Samantha Schipman
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Last Saturday, Dijak challenged Wes Lee for the NXT North American Championship at NXT Vengeance Day.

While he came up short in his quest to get the title and suffered a gruesome looking injury, he is doing something really cool. Dijak wore a custom entrance jacket that read “Reach for the Sky” in red font.

He tweeted “At Vengeance Day I was very proud to honor the legacy of my friend Jay Briscoe.” Dijak announced that he will be auctioning off the jacket with 100% of the funds going to the Pugh (Briscoe) family.

Bid on Dijak’s jacket

Dijak NXT

In addition to the entrance-worn ring jacket, the auction winner will also be followed by Dijak on a “social media platform.” The silent auction is open until 10 PM ET on February 14.

Randy Orton Taking Steps Toward WWE In-Ring Return

To place a bid, go to this Facebook page for details. You can also submit your bid at [email protected].

Dijak tweeted on February 15 that $3000 was donated directly to the Pugh family. He also thanked Triple H, Shawn Michaels, WWE, and NXT for allowing him to honor his friend.

Randy Orton Taking Steps Toward WWE In-Ring Return

Thomas Lowson
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Randy Orton remains optimistic about a possible return to the ring, despite the injury that has cost him nearly a year of his career.

Orton hasn’t wrestled since May of 2022 due to a debilitating back injury and there have been questions as to whether he’ll ever wrestle again.

The Viper’s most recent match saw himself and Matt Riddle lose the Raw Tag Team Championships to SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos, who unified the two titles.

Taking Steps

This ongoing hiatus is the longest injury in Orton’s 20+ year career as part of the main roster.

Pro wrestling bootmaker Jose G Sanz posted an Instagram story where he stated that Orton recently contacted him about making boots for his return.

“I haven’t made them yet but Randy Orton contacted me via email for his return. Currently, Drew McIntyre and Bray Wyatt are some of the biggest superstars. Today I received an order for boots for Cody for Wrestlemania.”

Before knowing the severity of Orton’s condition, WWE had planned on the Viper challenging Roman Reigns at SummerSlam 2022.

Feud with Riddle

There’s still no confirmed date for Orton’s in-ring return (if it ever happens,) but WWE may already have a plan.

When RK-Bro formed in 2021, the initial plan was for Orton to betray Riddle and have a match at SummerSlam 2021.

Given the team’s popularity with fans, WWE held off on the turn, with the match postponed until WrestleMania 38, but the break up was again postponed.

Riddle hasn’t appeared for WWE since last December after suspending the promotion’s wellness policy.

WWE’s Original Plans For Randy Orton Injury Return (Report)

Eddie Kingston Pulled From Event Due To Injury

J. Cunningham
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Popular AEW star Eddie Kingston is officially out of DEFY Wrestling’s Year6 event tonight.

After almost 20 years as a stalwart of the US indies scene, Kingston found new life in the wrestling mainstream back in 2020 when he debuted on AEW Dynamite. His gritty, authentic promos and character work have made him a fan favorite in the years since.

Kingston remains a constant presence on the independent scene, and was expected to butt heads with Artemis Spencer at tonight’s DEFY show. In a recent tweet from the promotion’s official profile, it was revealed that the Yonkers-born brawler has had to pull out due to an unspecified injury.

“[ BREAKING ] DEFY has learned that due to injury EDDIE KINGSTON will no longer be able to compete at tonight’s YEAR6. EDDIE is super bummed and we wish him a speedy recovery. We’ll have him back for a future event! DON’T FEAR, Defyance- a stacked card remains, 6 YEARS LOUD!”

Eddie Kingston Lashes Out At AEW Roster

Earlier this week, Kingston had some incendiary words regarding AEW World Champion MJF, Oritz, and The House of Black, before essentially dissing the whole roster. For now, it’s hard to tell whether or not the expletive-laden rant was in kayfabe or if ‘The Mad King’ has genuinely had enough of his peers.

Kingston has had a lot of choice words for MJF in particular on social media of late.

Warning: the tweet below contain explicit content.

https://twitter.com/MadKing1981/status/1623709844585820160

In a more humorous jab at ‘The Salt of the Earth’, Kingston likened the Long Islander’s controversial promo on this week’s Dynamite to one of WWE’s worst-ever angles. Backstage, after his match with rising star Konosuke Takeshita, MJF cut a shocking promo. He claimed to have been in a car crash with his then-girlfriend prior to junior prom back in high school. The champ then claimed he’d switched seats with her so it looked like she crashed the car.

For Eddie Kingston, the promo, rather than effective heel work, was reminiscent of the infamous Triple H/Kane rivalry from ’02. The notoriously tasteless angle involved a deceased cheerleader named Katie Vick who Kane had a bizarre, highly improbable history with. One portion of the bizarre story involved a fatal car accident.

https://twitter.com/MadKing1981/status/1623704505438162944

Whether these tweets are all part of an angle Kingston’s working remains to be seen. It’s worth noting that a Kingston vs. MJF feud has been rumored for later this year.

Would you like to see an Eddie Kingston vs. MJF feud this year?

IWGP World Heavyweight Title Match Set For NJPW Battle in the Valley PPV

Colby Faria
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0

The IWGP World Heavyweight Title will be up for grabs at NJPW’s upcoming Battle in the Valley PPV event.

In case you missed it, NJPW held a NJPW World special event in the form of ‘The New Beginning in Japan’ earlier this morning (2/11/23). During the show’s main event, IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada successfully defended his title against Shingo Takagi.

Following Okada’s victory, Okada called out Hiroshi Tanahashi, who came down to the ring and accepted Okada’s challenge for a title match at the company’s upcoming United States-based Battle in the Valley PPV event. Earlier in the event, Tanahashi claimed victory over Kenta in singles action, which apparently caught the eye of the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.

NJPW Battle in the Valley Updated Card

KAIRI Mercedes Mone NJPW Battle in the Valley
  • Kazuchika Okada (C) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi — IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
  • KAIRI (C) vs. Mercedes Monè — IWGP Women’s Championship
  • Fred Rosser (C) vs. Kentha — NJPW Strong Openweight Championship
  • Zack Sabre Jr. (C) vs. Clark Connors — NJPW World Television Championship
  • Motor City Machine Guns (C) vs. World Class Wrecking Crew — NJPW Strong Tag Team Championship
  • Josh Alexander, Mascara Dorado, Rocky Romero, and Adrian Quest vs. KUSHIDA, Kevin Knight, Volador Jr., and The DKC
  • Tom Lawlor vs. Homicide — ‘Filthy’ Rules Match
  • Eddie Kingston vs. Jay White
  • Bobby Fish vs. David Finlay *Pre-show Match*
  • Alex Coughlin vs. J.R. Kratos *Pre-show Match*

Battle in the Valley takes place on Saturday, February 18 from the San Jose Civic Center in San Jose, California. In addition to the newly announced IWGP World Heavyweight Title match between Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi, the show will be headlined by the NJPW in-ring debut of the former Sasha Banks, who challenges fellow-former WWE star KAIRI for the IWGP Women’s Championship.

SEScoops’ report on The New Beginning in Japan can be found by clicking here.

Former WWE Star Retires, Now Full-Time Coach at Performance Center

Colby Faria
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Oney Lorcan has officially retired from in-ring competition and transitioned into a coaching role within WWE.

Former WWE star and Performance Center Head Coach Matt Bloom broke some news during a recent media appearance. The former Intercontinental Champion was a guest on an episode of the Monsters In The Morning show and confirmed that now-former NXT talent Oney Lorcan has retired from active competition and is now a full-time coach at the company’s Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.

“My position now as a head coach, I oversee my coaches. I have an amazing staff, so I gotta give props to those guys. Terry Taylor, Fit Finlay, Robbie Brookside, Norman Smiley, Steve Corino, Alexander Winkler. As well as ‘Oney Lorcan’ Chris Girard, who just recently retired from being in the ring. Johnny Moss, and we have a few UK coaches that are on the cusp of being full-time coaches as well.”

Oney Lorcan Recently Returned to WWE

Oney Lorcan. Photo Credit: WWE.com
Oney Lorcan. Photo Credit: WWE.com

Oney Lorcan signed with WWE in September 2015 where he’d make his in-ring debut during a Halloween battle royal during an NXT house show. Lorcan wouldn’t make his on-screen debut until January 2016, in a losing effort against Rich Swann. Oney Lorcan would become a mainstay of NXT programming throughout his WWE tenure. Lorcan won the NXT Tag Team Titles alongside Danny Burch on the October 21, 2020 episode of NXT. WWE NXT General Manager William Regal would strip Lorcan and Burch of their titles during the March 23, 2021 episode of NXT after Burch went down with a shoulder injury.

Oney Lorcan requested and was granted his release from WWE in November 2021. Lorcan spent about a year outside of the company where he returned to the ring under his Biff Busick moniker and last competed in June 2022. Lorcan would return to WWE in October 2022 where he began reporting to the WWE Performance Center in a coaching role.

SEScoops has live coverage of WWE NXT every Tuesday night beginning at 8:00 p.m. EDT/5:00 p.m. PDT.

(H/T to WrestlingInc. for the transcriptions)

The New Beginning in Osaka Results: Kazuchika Okada vs. Shingo Takagi, Loser Leaves Japan Match

Tyriece Simon
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New Japan Pro Wrestling held its event The New Beginning in Osaka, on Feb. 11 at the Edion Arena Osaka in Osaka, Japan.

The event had the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada defend his title against Shingo Takagi. Okada’s match also marks the first title defense of his current reign. Another match on the card will have Jay White against Hikuleo in a Loser Leaves Japan match. Both wrestlers are rumored to be leaving NJPW, with the possibility of entering free agency.

The New Beginning in Osaka aired live on NJPW World. Fans can watch the event on video on demand by subscribing to NJPW World for $9.99.

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

Highlights from The New Beginning In Osaka

Lio Rush Challenges Hiromu Takahashi for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship

Hikuleo def. Jay White in Loser Leaves Japan Match

(C) Tama Tonga def. El Phantasmo- Never Openweight Championship match

(C) Kazuchika Okada def. Shingo Takagi- IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match

The New Beginning In Osaka Results

  1. Aaron Henare & Great O Khan def. Oscar Loiwe & Toru Yano
  2. Bushi, Hiromu Takahashi, Sanada & Tetsuya Naito def. Ryusuke Taguchi, Tiger Mask, Shota Unno & Tomoaki Homma
  3. Taiji Ishimori def. Master Wato
  4. Hiroshi Tanahashi def. KENTA
  5. Ren Narita, El Desperado & Minoru Suzuki def. (C) SHO, Yujiro Takahashi & EVIL- Never Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship match
  6. Hikuleo def. Jay White- Loser Leaves Japan match
  7. (C) Tama Tonga def. El Phantasmo- Never Openweight Championship match
  8. (C) Kazuchika Okada def. Shingo Takagi- IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match

Sami Zayn Understands The Impact Of The Bloodline Story: “It Will Be Remembered”

Anutosh Bajpai
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It would be an understatement to say that the storyline with The Bloodline and Sami Zayn is one of the most encapsulating stories of today. The many layers of this feud are intriguing to all sections of the wrestling audience. There aren’t many people who haven’t praised this saga. Per Zayn himself, every character of this tale understands that it will be remembered for a long time to come.

The Honorary Uce recently joined The Sick Podcast to talk about his feud with Roman Reigns and the story surrounding it. When asked how he feels being part of such an epic story, Zayn explained that it doesn’t seem so crazy when you’re in it:

“When you’re in it, it doesn’t seem that crazy. I think it’s one of those things where, because I’m in the middle of it. I’m so close to it that [it doesn’t seem crazy]. I realize that people are enjoying it.” said Sami Zayn, “I even see the reaction of like, people that are mildly into wrestling seem to be more drawn into wrestling as of late because of this story. I think it’s that kind of story that it’s actually brought some people even back which is amazing.

I can hear fans say, ‘Oh, I checked out of wrestling for a few years but then your feud with Kevin Owens brought me back or this story with The Bloodline brought me back.’ That’s a really rewarding thing to hear. For sure, I do realize that this is a very special story. I think everybody who’s performing in it at this point realizes, ‘Oh, yeah, this one will be remembered.'”

‘It Will Be Remembered’: Sami Zayn

sami zayn jey uso

Sami Zayn went on to explain how there are a lot of good wrestlers today and everyone can put on a good match. What’s harder is to create something that people will remember for a long time:

“What’s harder than doing something good is doing something memorable. If you can do something memorable in 2023, and I don’t even care what it is like, if it’s a podcast, if it’s a song, if it’s a viral thing [it doesn’t matter].

A lot of that stuff just comes and goes with the wind. Every day there’s a new one, every week there’s a new one. If you can do something with some lasting impact that people will talk about in 10-15 years, that’s huge. That’s huge nowadays. I think we stumbled onto something with this one. I think it will be remembered.”

You can check out Sami Zayn’s full interview below:

More Originals From SEScoops:

If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

WWE Bringing Back Movie Parody Trailers for WrestleMania 39 (Rumor)

Thomas Lowson
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WrestleMania is going Hollywood once again, and the WWE is bringing back one of its most popular promotional ideas from years gone by.

WrestleMania 39 will be the first event of its name hosted in Los Angeles since WrestleMania 21 in 2005, which leaned heavily into the fact that the show was airing from Hollywood.

In the lead-up to the 2005 event, WWE aired several parody trailers featuring WWE talent don roles from some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters.

According to Wrestle Votes, WWE is in the process of filming similar parody trailers for this year’s event, with names like The Miz, Drew McIntyre, the Street Profits, and others attached.

There’s no word on which movies WWE plans on parodying as part of their latest promotional campaign for WrestleMania 39.

WrestleMania 39

The card for WWE’s biggest two nights of the year is coming together, and will be headlined by Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns Vs. Cody Rhodes.

Rhodes earned the title match by winning the Men’s Royal Rumble match, while Women’s Rumble winner Rhea Ripley will challenge SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair.

Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair will take on the winner of next week’s Women’s Elimination Chamber match.

Matches rumored for WrestleMania 39 include Logan Paul Vs. Seth Rollins and United States Champion Austin Theory Vs. John Cena.

WWE WrestleMania 39 will take place on April 1 and April 2, making the fourth WrestleMania in a row to take place over two nights.

WWE Had Plans for New World Championship at WrestleMania 39 (Report)

Two NXT Stars Reveal Injury On Twitter

Anutosh Bajpai
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You never know when you may suffer an injury in wrestling. This is true for two NXT stars who have recently confirmed health woes on Twitter.

JD McDonagh revealed on Twitter that he is dealing with a detached retina in his right eye and he won’t be able to make an appearance at NXT Live Events this weekend:

@WWENXT fans attending Live Events in Tampa/Citrus Springs this weekend – Unfortunately, after a sneak attack on Tuesday, I’ve got a detached retina in my right eye. Waiting on a treatment plan, but I estimate a 10-14 day recovery time.”

McDonagh competed in a match against Carmelo Hayes on NXT this past Tuesday. A returning Ilja Dragunov not only cost him the bout but he also attacked the Irish star after the bell.

Amari Miller Reveals Torn ACL

Amari Miller also took on her Twitter to reveal that she has a torn ACL. Miller confirmed that she is set for a surgery next week:

“I have torn my ACL and getting surgery next week. Life happens in the CRAZIEST way. Everything happens for a reason and I totally think everything lately has been a blessing in disguise for a powerful future.”

There is no word on how long Miller will stay out of action. A torn ACL means that we are not likely to see her for the next few months.

What Happened With Bray Wyatt After SmackDown Went Off Air

Anutosh Bajpai
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This week’s episode of SmackDown featured not one but three different dark matches, including one with Bray Wyatt.

The very first dark match took place even before the show went on air. It saw Butch taking on Imperium’s Giovanni Vinci. The Brawling Brute won this bout.

The second dark match after the show was over featured the New Day. The duo of Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston shared a moment with Michael Cole and Wade Barrett before making their way to the ring.

The former tag team champions faced Judgement Day’s Dominik Mysterio and Damian Priest. The team of Kingston and Woods won this bout.

Bray Wyatt Wrestles After SmackDown

The final dark match of the night saw Bray Wyatt going up against LA Knight. The two SmackDown stars competed in a No Disqualification match.

The match was won by the Fiend after he put Knight through a table. The ending was very similar to their dark match last week.

Wyatt did not make an appearance on this week’s episode of the Blue Branded Show. LA Knight was part of a backstage segment.

Apart from this, the SmackDown episode featured a #1 contender’s match in the main event and more. You can check out the full results of the show here.

WWE SmackDown Results (2/10/23): Jey Uso Returns, Madcap Moss Earns IC Title Opportunity

Colby Faria
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WWE’s latest edition of Friday Night SmackDown went down on (2/10/23) from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut! (winner) defeated (three losers) to earn an Intercontinental Championship match against champion Gunther!

Paul Heyman and Sami Zayn Promo

Paul Heyman kicks off the show with both the Undisputed WWE Universal Championships in his hands. Heyman notes that he only offers spoilers, never predictions. Heyman polled the Connecticut crowd if they believe Sami Zayn could actually defeat Roman Reigns at Elimination Chamber…and a massive pop ensued. Zayn snuck up behind Heyman and said it’s not a prediction…but a spoiler that he’s going to become the new Undisputed WWE Universal Champion after he defeats Roman Reigns at Elimination Chamber.

Drew McIntyre & Sheamus def. Hit Row (Top Dolla & Ashante Thee Adonis)

The Banger Bros picked up the quick win after McIntyre drilled Adonis with his patented Claymore Kick which was followed up by a thunderous Brogue Kick by Sheamus for the 1-2-3.

Video packages hyping up the Viking Raiders, Valhalla, Karrion Kross, and Scarlett were shown.

Jimmy Uso was shown backstage trying to get ahold of his brother Jey ahead of their scheduled defense of their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles later tonight. Jimmy kept calling Jey but to no avail.

Lacey Evans def. Carmen Harress

Evans picked up the quick win over the local talent Harress after getting the latter to tap out to the Cobra Clutch.

Jimmy Uso was shown once again trying to call Jey, but much like earlier, to no avail.

Sonya Deville was shown backstage arguing with Adam Pearce. Chelsea Green interrupted the conversation and asked to speak to the SmackDown General Manager. Pearce decided to team both Deville and Green together to face the team of Raquel Rodriguez and Liv Morgan, later tonight.

The Usos (Jimmy & Jey Uso) (C) def. Ricochet & Braun Strowman — Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship

Jey made his long-awaited return following the proceedings at the Royal Rumble between The Bloodline. The Usos picked up the win after Jey made a self-tag on a winded Jimmy and nailed Ricochet with a top rope Frog Splash for the 1-2-3!

A Rey Mysterio promo was shown.

The Usos were shown backstage following their successful title defense. Jimmy asked Jey if he was ‘in’ but Jey said he doesn’t know if he is before exiting. Paul Heyman was lurking in the background during the conversation.

Natalya cut an in-ring promo. Shayna Baszler interrupted Natalya and Nattie called Shayna a knock-off Ronda Rousey…and the actual Ronda Rousey’s music hit and the ‘Baddest Woman on the Planet’ is back! Shayna and Ronda attacked Natalya before Shotzi came down to try and make the save but Shayna and Ronda proved to be too much and stood tall.

Sami Zayn caught up with Jey Uso as the latter was making his way through the parking lot. Sami told Jey that he acknowledges him. Jey told Sami that he isn’t going to be safe there and needs to leave. The pair fist bumped before parting ways.

LA Knight was shown backstage and said he never wants to talk about the Pitch Black match against Bray Wyatt from the Royal Rumble ever again.

Raquel Rodriguez & Liv Morgan def. Sonya Deville & Chelsea Green

Rodriguez and Morgan picked up the win after Raquel power-bombed Liv onto Green for the three-count!

Madcap Moss and Emma prepared for Moss’ upcoming fatal-four-way match to determine the number one contender for Gunther and the Intercontinental Championship.

Michael Cole sat down with SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair. Cole and Flair previewed Charlotte’s upcoming title defense against the 2023 Women’s Royal Rumble Match winner Rhea Ripley, which will go down at WrestleMania 39.

Madcap Moss def. Rey Mysterio, Santos Escobar, and Karrion Kross — Intercontinental Championship Number One Contender’s Match

Moss picked up the surprising victory after Scarlett distracted Mysterio, which allowed Kross to dispatch of the former WWE Champion. Escobar came in and took out Kross before Moss crushed Mysterio with a diving elbow drop from the top rope for the 1-2-3!

We then see Paul Heyman and Jimmy Uso backstage. Heyman said he received a message from the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, who ordered that both Jimmy and Jey to stay home next week during both SmackDown on Friday and the Elimination Chamber premium live event on Saturday night. Heyman said Reigns told him that sometimes you can see more things on TV than you do in-person. Heyman looked nervous to deliver the message while Jimmy was enraged as the show went off-the-air.

SEScoops provides live coverage of WWE RAW, NXT, AEW Dynamite, IMPACT Wrestling, WWE SmackDown, and AEW Rampage every week!

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