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WWE Has Been Asking Around About Hall Of Fame Inductions (Report)

Thomas Lowson
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WWE is asking around for names to be inducted into this year’s Hall of Fame, according to the Wrestling Observer.

Since 1996, WWE has inducted individuals into the Hall of Fame in recognition of their contributions to wrestling.

WWE also has the Warrior Award for individuals in wrestling who have made a significant, off-screen contribution as well as their Celebrity wing for achievement in the world of entertainment.

2023 Hall of Fame

At this time, nobody has been confirmed for this year’s class of inductees, which has come as a surprise.

Typically, WWE will have confirmed multiple inductees this close to their biggest event of the year.

On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer explained that while nobody is confirmed “people are being asked for the Hall of Fame.”

Meltzer speculated that Triple H’s idea is for everyone to be announced in the last week, and stressed that WWE is “running low on time.”

While the Game has called legends in the past for the Hall of Fame, this year’s ceremony will be his first as Head of Creative and Head of Talent Relations.

Who Makes the Cut?

While nobody has been publicly confirmed by WWE, there’s no shortage of names rumored to be going into the Hall of Fame this year.

It has been reported that former World Champion Dave Batista will be headlining this year’s class, after withdrawing from the 2020 class.

Last month, Ric Flair shared his belief that the Midnight Express should be inducted, calling them a “great team.”

Trish Stratus (a 2013 inductee) said last month that Victoria and Impact Wrestling Knockouts World Champion Mickie James both deserve the nod.

WWE Hall of Fame: Latest Update on Plans for This Year’s Ceremony

Vince McMahon’s is Doing “More Than They’re Letting On” After WWE Raw Visit (Report)

Thomas Lowson
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Why exactly was WWE’s Executive Chairman Vince McMahon backstage during this week’s Raw?

After returning to WWE in January, fans (and the roster) were concerned that McMahon would resume a position of power in the company’s creative team.

Instead, McMahon has kept his distance from WWE programming and has reportedly remained focused on finding a buyer for WWE.

Backstage Visit

This week, McMahon ended his exile from WWE programming by being backstage during Raw.

It has been reported that McMahon was visiting John Cena, who made his return during the show and confronted Austin Theory.

While many have stated that McMahon’s only purpose on the show, some have speculated that the Chairman had an ulterior motive.

During the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer explained that McMahon and WWE are doing “more than they’re letting on.”

Meltzer insisted that Triple H remained “in control,” as he has been since being appointed Head of Talent and Head of Creative last July.

When asked about whether McMahon had big plans backstage, or was there to simply say hi, Meltzer said “the truth is in the middle.”

McMahon Back on TV?

Vince McMahon has made his return to the backstage of WWE programming, but is a return in front of the camera next?

Immediately after his return to the company in January, there were concerns by fans and talent that the Mr. McMahon character’s return to TV was inevitable.

Any return to programming would earn WWE significant backlash given the seriousness of the allegations against McMahon and the scandal that led to his retirement.

Speaking on Bill Simmons’ podcast in January, WWE CEO Nick Khan said there are no plans for McMahon to be on TV, although he admitted that it could change “in a few months.”

McMahon appeared at both WrestleMania 37 (where he welcomed fans back amid the Thunderdome era) and at WrestleMania 38 (where he defeated Pat McAfee.)

WWE Removes Vince McMahon’s Name from WrestleMania 39 Poster

Update on Vince McMahon’s Presence Backstage at Monday’s Raw

Bishal Roy
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Vince McMahon reportedly made his presence felt backstage at this week’s edition of Monday Night RAW and we’ve got an update on what he was doing there.

McMahon made his return to WWE as the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors in January. The party line is that McMahon was back solely to help WWE explore the possibility of a sale and help with the negotiations of the next TV rights deal.

However, many believe that it’s only a matter of time before McMahon becomes increasingly involved in the company’s creative process.

Why Vince McMahon was at RAW

WWE hosted Monday’s RAW from Boston’s TD Garden arena. In the hours leading up to bell time, news broke online that McMahon was backstage. Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful tweeted:

“Everything that I’ve heard thus far indicates that people at WWE Raw believe Vince McMahon was at the show to visit John Cena. He’s visited Cena multiple times outside of WWE over the last year.”

PWInsider provided additional clarity, noting that WWE’s head honcho was “not there to take over creative or to even run the taping”, but “primarily” to visit with Cena. Even with Vince McMahon in the house, the production of Monday’s Raw was no different than usual.

Meanwhile, the 16-time World Champion John Cena made his awaited return on RAW. He roasted the WWE United States Champion Austin Theory during a promo segment. It was later announced that the two stars will clash for the title at WrestleMania 39.

Update on the Child MJF Threw Beverage on at AEW Revolution

Rayan Sayyed
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During the main event match between Bryan Danielson and MJF at AEW Revolution on March 5th, the latter threw a beverage at a child in the front row.

This started a heated debate among fans online, on whether this was okay to do in the name of being a “heel.”

https://twitter.com/FadeAwayMedia/status/1632588866979766273

In the aftermath of the incident, AEW owner Tony Khan addressed the media at a post-PPV scrum, where MJF also made some bold statements about his status as the best wrestler in the world. While many wanted to hear Khan’s response to the incident, MJF basically brushed it off with a joke, claiming that he threw the drink because “the kid looked thirsty.”

However, Khan clarified that the incident was taken seriously and that he had spoken to the young fan, identified as Titus. Despite MJF’s dismissive attitude, Khan acknowledged that throwing a drink at a child was not acceptable behavior, especially from a champion who is supposed to set an example for others.

While Titus may have been a “real champ” about the incident, many argue that it was not fair to put him in that position in the first place.

The incident has also raised broader questions about the culture of professional wrestling and the role that performers play in shaping that culture. MJF is known for his heel work and pushing the limits when it comes to playing his villainous character, but some don’t agree that acting like this with a child is acceptable.

In this case, MJF’s behavior is being criticized as disrespectful and potentially harmful to the young fan involved. While it is ultimately up to AEW to decide how to handle the situation, it is clear that fans and critics alike will be closely watching to see what actions are taken to address the incident and if MJF will tone down his persona when interacting with fans.

Alundra Blayze: I Was Good to Wrestling but Wrestling Wasn’t Good to Me

Thomas Lowson
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WWE Hall of Famer Alundra ‘Madusa’ Blayze has opened up about her complex relationship with professional wrestling.

Blayze competed in the WWF as part of the New Generation, before leaving for WCW to work as Madusa in 1995.

Blayze infamously dumped the WWF Women’s Championship in the trash on Monday Nitro, a creative call by Eric Bischoff that Blayze was against at the time.

While Bischoff would be welcomed to WWE in 2002, Blayze would be blacklisted for 20 years after the title incident, before being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

The Lost Generation

During her tenure in the WWF, Alundra Blayze worked with some impressive women, though in a time when women’s wrestling wasn’t a huge attraction.

Speaking on The Sessions, Blayze dubbed her locker room the lost generation, neither being remembered for their skills nor for the titillation fans would see in the Attitude Era.

I was jaded for a long time in pro wrestling. I was good to pro wrestling. Pro wrestling wasn’t good to me. It was because of that. So you had your June Byers. You had your [Fabulous] Moolahs and your Mae [Young.] That wonderful great start of women, sixty or seventy years ago. But if it wasn’t for those women, there wouldn’t have been the next era, which was a little jump. Your Wendi Richters, your Sherri Martels, your Jumping Bomb Angels, and your Glamor Girls.

“I was good to pro wrestling. Pro wrestling wasn’t good to me.”

Alundra Blayze.

“We had that whole wonderful thing when Wendi Richter was in the first WrestleMania. My God! And then you had a little bit of a stint on the second, and third, maybe. And then really, we didn’t have a woman’s wrestling WrestleMania match until WrestleMania 10, which is mine against Leilani Kai.”

Social Media

Not only were Blayze and other women at the time not being given much of an opportunity to shine, but their issues extended outside of the ring.

In the interview, Blayze said that getting interviewed did little to help them, as writers would edit or even make-up quotes for their own agendas.

“Our social media at the time was people, writing for magazines, and they were writing their story, how they thought, and would put our interviews in their voice, which we basically never said. So we had no control.

“Thank God for social media [today.] Because people are able to go back at history and look at everything that was there and the people that were there before.”

“There’s always everything we see from the Attitude Era forward, which is fantastic. If we keep pushing that, then that’s all they [the fans] know. But if we educate something, a little bit before [the Attitude Era] then they’re going to want to do some history, want to kick it up and knowledge themselves.”

WWE Relationship

It wouldn’t be until 2015 that Alundra Blayze was welcomed back to WWE, and has made sporadic appearances for the company.

Blayze told Renee Paquette that she is pleased for what she has now, and considers herself a representative of the ‘lost generation.’

“I’m thankful for what I do and have with WWE, intermittently when they do give you a call. Because I feel that it’s not just helping me. It’s helping to represent the women before the Attitude Era. And I see that as a whole now.”

Alundra Blayze.

Stepping Out

While WWE was in no hurry to bring Blayze back into the fold once WCW folded, the former WCW Cruiserweight Champion was in no hurry to return either.

As someone who takes great pride in her wrestling ability, Blayze explained that she considered herself done with wrestling after WCW went under.

“Man, I had to step out of wrestling in 2001 when I retired. I was like ‘I’m out of here, I’m out of this s**t show.’ I didn’t like the way the direction of the women was going. I hated how they were writing women, even in WCW at that time.

“I was like ‘I’m out of here, I’m out of this s**t show.'”

Alundra Blayze on retiring from wrestling in 2001.

“I didn’t want to do bra and panties, I didn’t want to do barbeque matches and tear off your nightgown. Kudos to the women who stuck it out during the Attitude Era, because hell, they didn’t have another choice. You had to do what you had to do. It was their contract. But again, we have choices. You can say yes or you can say no.”

Blayze’s new memoir ‘The Woman Who Would be King‘ is set to hit bookshelves later this month.

WWE Hall of Famer Wants to Face Rhea Ripley in her Retirement Match

For use of these quotes please give a h/t to SEScoops.

Zelina Vega Once Had to Explain What Naruto Is to Vince McMahon

Thomas Lowson
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Zelina Vega’s love of anime is hardly a secret, but the Superstar struggled to explain one of the most popular series ever to Vince McMahon.

Vega’s time in WWE has been somewhat mixed and in late 2020, she was fired from the company minutes after expressing support for unionization.

Rehired in the summer of 2021, Vega would win that year’s Queen’s Crown Tournament and the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships.

Crunchyroll? Is That Sushi?

Vega has been able to incorporate her love anime and Japanese culture into her WWE character, and can often be found cosplaying on social media.

Recently, Vega discussed how she was able to have an entrance inspired by Naruto’s Madara Uchiha for the 2022 Women’s Royal Rumble match.

Vega told I Hear Voices hosts Will Friedle (Batman Beyond) and Christy Clark Romano (Kim Possible) that explaining the concept to Vince McMahon proved to be quite the task.

“I told him ‘I want Neil Kaplan [English voice of Madara] to do my entrance for the Royal Rumble.’ Vince was like, ‘why? Well, he is the voice of Madara Uchiha. ‘Who’s that?‘ I was like, OK. Do you know what Crunchyroll is? He’s like ‘it’s sushi, yes.'”

Zelina Vega

Vega realized that for McMahon to understand her ideas, she would need to speak his language.

“[I said] Crunchyroll is like the Netflix of anime. He’s like ‘okay, I get that.‘ So Naruto is like the WWE of anime. He’s like ‘okay, I like Naruto. This is good.‘ Madara is kind of like what Paul Heyman is to Roman! He was like ‘okay, we need it.'”

Zelina Vega.

Zelina would get her Naruto-inspired entrance and would last over 17 minutes in the match, scoring one elimination (Sasha Banks) before being tossed out by Rhea Ripley.

WWE Superstar Presents at Crunchyroll Anime Awards in Tokyo

h/t – 411 Mania

Mick Foley Shares His Video Resume to be The Judgment Day’s Newest Member

Thomas Lowson
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Mick Foley may be something of a cuddly teddy bear these days, but the three-time former WWE Champion is ready to raise some hell as part of The Judgment Day.

This April will mark one year since the group debuted, and initially consisted of Edge and Damian Priest.

At WWE WrestleMania Backlash 2022, Rhea Ripley was added to the group, and Finn Balor’s entry not long after would see Edge be ousted as leader.

It was at September’s Clash at the Castle Premium Live Event that Dominik Mysterio joined the group, after betraying Edge and his father Rey Mysterio.

Foley’s Judgment

Mick Foley’s days in the ring are long behind him, but the WWE Hall of Famer has expressed a (somewhat tongue-in-cheek) interest in joining the faction.

On YouTube, Foley donned a distinct purple and black flannel to seek “gainful employment” as a member and referenced his decades of experience in the industry.

Foley also acknowledged his moniker as ‘King of the Death Match’ and mentioned reaching the New York Times bestseller list twice.

While praising the group’s various skills (including the abs of Finn Balor,) Foley requested his son Dewey to draw more tear ‘tattoos’ on his face.

Dewey instead wrote the word ‘Help Me’ on his father’s forehead (a not to Al Snow) and a more ‘phallic’ piece of ink on his other cheek.

Judgment Day at WrestleMania

The Judgment Day is yet to publicly respond to Foley’s resume, but with or without the Hardcore legend, they’ll be kept pretty busy at WrestleMania.

After becoming the first woman to win a Royal Rumble match from #1, Rhea Ripley will challenge SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair this April.

On next week’s Raw, Edge and Finn Balor will have a confrontation, and it has been rumored that a Hell in a Cell match between the two will take place at WrestleMania.

There have been rumors that Dominik Mysterio will face his father Rey next month in the father and son’s home state of California.

Mick Foley Thinks Darby Allin Needs More Layers to his Character

Stratus/Lynch/Lita Dream Team Plan to Shut Damage CTRL Up at WWE WrestleMania 39

Thomas Lowson
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The dream team of WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Becky Lynch and Lita, and Trish Stratus, are looking to shut Damage CTRL up for good at WrestleMania 39.

Last month, Lita made her return to WWE to aid Lynch in a steel cage match against Bayley, which had originally been scheduled for the Raw is XXX event.

On last week’s Raw, Lynch and Lita dethroned Dakota Kai and IYO SKY to win the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships, the first title for Lita since 2006.

While Bayley tried to interfere in that match, the returning Trish Stratus (who had been scheduled for the previous week’s Raw but didn’t appear) neutralized the Role Model.

WrestleMania 39

On this week’s Raw, the new champions and Stratus celebrated the victory but were quickly interrupted by Damage CTRL

Stratus then challenged Damage CTRL to a six-woman-tag team match and made it clear that she wanted to shut Bayley up once and for all.

Bayley accepted the challenge on behalf of her team.

The WrestleMania match will mark Stratus’ first match since SummerSlam 2019, when she lost to Charlotte Flair in Canada.

Surprisingly, this will mark the second in-ring WrestleMania appearance for Lita, after she challenged for the WWF Women’s Championship at WrestleMania X8.

Double-Booked?

The announcement of Lynch, Lita and Stratus against Damage CTRL at WrestleMania is an interesting one, given that this isn’t the match many expected.

It has been reported that WWE’s plan initially was for Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler to win the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships at the two-night event in April.

Despite Rousey aggravating an injury (which is why she was in a sling on last Friday’s SmackDown,) she is expected to be fully healed in time for WrestleMania.

There is the possibility that the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions could compete on both nights, a feat Tamina Snuka and Natalya achieved at WrestleMania 37 in 2021.

Trish Stratus Calls for Former WWE Star to be Inducted Into Hall of Fame

WWE King & Queen of the Ring Confirmed for May Premium Live Event

Thomas Lowson
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WWE will be adding some new royalty to their history books with the crowning of a new King and Queen of the Ring later this year.

It has been confirmed that the King and Queen of the Ring event will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, May 27.

WWE’s most recent coronation also happened in Saudi Arabia, at the Crown Jewel 2021 event.

At that show, Xavier Woods (who had rallied for the return of the KOTR tournament) was crowned King.

Zelina Vega, mere months after her return to WWE, bested Doudrop to win the ‘Queen’s Crown Tournament’ as WWE opted against calling her Queen of the Ring.

Unhappy

For the video package aired on Raw, WWE featured several Superstars, but two notable exceptions were Vega and Woods.

On Twitter, Vega expressed her displeasure at the fact that the most recent King and Queen of WWE were nowhere to be seen.

Woods also shared an edited clip of the video promo, which featured only himself and Vega.

Good to Be the King

The first King of the Ring tournament took place back in 1985, when Don ‘The Rock’ Muraco captured the crown, besting the Iron Sheik in the finals.

In the following years, Harley Race, Randy Savage, Ted DiBiase, Tito Santana, and Bret Hart would all be crowned King.

In 1993, WWE introduced the King of the Ring event to Television, with Bret once again winning, becoming the only two-time King of the Ring winner in history.

Two WWE PLEs Including ‘King and Queen of the Ring’ Planned for May

John Cena Roasts Austin Theory, Confirms WWE WrestleMania 39 Match

Andrew Ravens
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As expected, John Cena will wrestle Austin Theory at WWE WrestleMania 39. 

The match was made official during Monday Night Raw this week when Cena made his return where he was about to do a promo, but Austin Theory came out before Cena could say a word. 

Theory said that he has all the respect in the world for Cena and he became a WWE star because of Cena and watching him as a kid. He said he has a gift for Cena and that’s for them to have a match for the US Title at WrestleMania 39. 

Cena told him no because he was not interested in his gift because Theory hasn’t earned it to give it. He said that he doesn’t care what Theory says and just like the fans, he doesn’t either because they don’t believe Theory because Theory doesn’t believe him. He called him generic and has no heart. He said that Theory was the version of him that almost got fired as ruthless aggression. He said that Theory has been given chances and has shown nothing for it. Cena said that the fans believe in him and don’t believe in Theory. He said that Theory is a pair of trunks from being jabroni, but Theory has the best name in WWE history because that’s exactly what Theory is, a theory. In theory, Austin should be great, but he’s not. Cena told him to shut up and leave. 

Theory refused and said he’s not going anywhere just like Cena’s bald spot. Cena said he’s proud of it. He questioned Cena’s giving up, and not respecting the chance to go to WrestleMania. Theory said that you shouldn’t meet your hero because if you do, they’ll disappoint. Cena said he would rather be bald than have WWE pipe-in crowd noise during his matches.

He said no because Theory isn’t ready for a match and he wins then Theory loses everything because he was done. He said if Theory wins then he would lose everything and go out the next night to explain by himself to the most critical fans alive. He said Theory is full of crap. He asked the fans what they should do and the fans cheered. Cena accepted the match and said Theory made the biggest mistake of his life. 

WWE RAW Results (3/6): John Cena Returns, Sami Zayn Faces Jimmy Uso, More

Colby Faria
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WWE‘s latest edition of Monday Night RAW went down on(3/6/23) from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts! 16-time World Champion John Cena returned to WWE in his hometown of Boston, Massachusetts, and more!

Live Coverage

The show begins and we see a truck pulling up to the arena. Jimmy Uso, Solo Sikoa, and Paul Heyman exit the vehicle and Heyman says that they didn’t solve the ‘Sami Zayn problem’ and tonight, Solo Sikoa solves the ‘Kevin Owens problem’, while Jimmy does the same to Sami Zayn.

In the arena, our commentary team of Kevin Patrick and Corey Graves welcomes us to tonight’s show and it’s time for our opening contest of the evening.

Solo Sikoa (with Jimmy Uso) vs. Kevin Owens

Owens attacks Solo during the latter’s entrance and here we go! Solo takes control on the outside of the ring and fires Owens into the ring post before sending the former WWE Universal Champion into the ring and the bell rings to officially start this one. Solo chokes Owens with the middle rope and crushes him with a spinning back kick. Solo lights Owens up with some heavy punches and goes for the cover but Owens kicks out. Solo delivers several stomps to a downed and cornered Owens and lands a standing splash on Owens before going for the cover but Owens kicks out once more. Solo applies a head lock, Owens powers out, and lands a pair of clotheslines on Solo. Owens stomps on Solo’s foot, kicks him in the mid section, and wallops him with a senton. Owens sets Solo up in the corner and looks for the cannonball, Solo rolls to the outside, and Owens surprises him with a clothesline around the corner. Owens sends Solo back into the ring and goes up top, but Jimmy Uso gets on the apron and distracts Owens. Solo sends Owens to the corner and cracks him with a running hip attack and we head to a commercial break.

Back from the break and Solo has Owens on the top turnbuckle. Owens trips Solo to the mat but Solo plants Owens with Samoan Drop and goes for the cover but Owens kicks out. Solo tosses Owens to the corner and looks for a corner splash but Owens evades and both competitors are down. Both Owens and Solo struggle to their feet and when they do, they exchange heavy strikes. Owens looks for a stunner, Jimmy Uso gets on the apron, Owens clotheslines him off, sends Solo to the corner, and nails him with a cannonball. Owens goes up top and crushes Solo with a swanton bomb and goes for the cover but Jimmy comes in and breaks it up but Solo gets disqualified!

Winner – Kevin Owens (via DQ)

After the match, Jimmy and Solo attack Owens. Solo clears off the announce table and Jimmy puts Owens on top of it and delivers a number of strikes. Solo jumps on the barricade and is lining Owens up for a splash through the table but Sami Zayn comes out of nowhere ad makes the save! Sami fires Solo into steel steps and grabs a steel chair and starts swinging at both Solo and Jimmy but both members of The Bloodline escape through the crowd. Sami gets in the ring to a raucous ovation and the Boston, Massachusetts crowd is white hot for Zayn and Owens. Sami looks at Owens and offers his hand to help Owens to his feet but Owens slides out of the ring instead.

It’s announced that we’ll hear from Bobby Lashley after the break.

Back from the break and we see a video recap of the interaction between Bobby Lashley and Uncle Howdy from SmackDown this past Friday night. Lashley is shown backstage and he says Bray Wyatt isn’t a man as we see a Bray Wyatt logo pop up on the monitor behind him (Lashley). The former WWE Champion ponders what it will take for Bray to ‘face him like a man’ and the segment ends.

We then see Byron Saxton backstage with Carmella. The former SmackDown Women’s Champion says Adam Pearce inadvertently set up RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair to ’embarrass herself’ before her WrestleMania match against Asuka. Chelsea Green appears and says it’s nice to see someone agree that Adam Pearce doesn’t know what he’s doing running RAW. Green says after Carmella defeats Bianca tonight, she’ll help Carmella get into the RAW Women’s Title match at WrestleMania. Carmella asks Chelsea to be in her corner against Bianca, Chelsea says she’d be honored to do so, and they both tell Byron to stop listening to their ‘private conversation’ and to leave, which he does.

RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair makes her way down to the ring and she’ll face Carmella after the break.

Bianca Belair vs. Carmella (with Chelsea Green)

Bianca starts things off with a hip toss. Carmella rolls out of the ring and baits Bianca to the outside and Carmella shoves Bianca into the announce table before rushing back into the ring. Carmella meets Bianca with a kick to the mid section but the champion tosses her to the corner and back flips over Carmella before drilling her with a drop kick to the mid section. Bianca sends Carmella to the corner and looks for a splash, Carmella evades, but Bianca rolls her up but Carmella kicks out. Carmella drop kicks Bianca and we head to a commercial break. Back from the break and Carmella has a head lock applied on the champion in the center of the ring. Bianca looks for a slam but Carmella slides behind the champion and uses Bianca’s braid to slam her to the mat.

Carmella grabs Bianca’s braid but Bianca catches her and nails her with a sidewalk slam over her (Bianca’s) knee and goes for the cover but Chelsea Green slides in the ring to distract the referee. Bianca drags Chelsea into the ring but Carmella spins her around and nails her with a super kick and goes for the cover but Bianca lifts the shoulders after a two count. Bianca sends Carmella to the corner and lands a few short spears before going up top and delivers some heavy hammer fists before back flipping herself to the mat. Chelsea rushes the ring, Bianca dumps her out of the ring and sends her over the barricade. Bianca gets back into the ring, Carmella rolls her up with her feet on the ropes, Bianca kicks out, and plants Carmella with the K.O.D. for the 1-2-3!

Winner – Bianca Belair

After the match, Chelsea Green rushes the ring and attacks Bianca. Carmella joins the attack and Asuka’s music hit and out comes Bianca’s WrestleMania 39 opponent. Carmella and Chelsea look terrified as Asuka approaches them, Asuka spits her mist out, Carmella ducks and it goes directly into Chelsea’s eyes. Carmella and Chelsea exit, Asuka stares Bianca down and the crowd is white hot for these two WrestleMania competitors. Both Bianca and Asuka look at the WrestleMania sign and we see replays from Asuka misting Chelsea.

We then see Sami Zayn walking through the backstage area. Sami finds Kevin Owens and says he doesn’t know what else to say or do and says The Bloodline is too much for he or Owens to take on alone. Sami says he and Owens don’t need to be friends or to even be a team but the only way to talk out The Bloodline is to do it together. Owens says he remembers everything that Sami did to him and says maybe together he and Sami could take down The Bloodline but he doesn’t want to do anything with Sami. Owens tells Sami that maybe Sami should go back with The Bloodline and says he doesn’t care what Sami does but to leave him alone. Sami exits and it’s announced that Seth Rollins and Logan Paul will go face-to-face after the break.

Back from the break and we see a video package hyping up Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 39.

We then see The Miz, who’s in the ring for a special episode of Miz TV. We see highlights from last week’s show where Seth Rollins attacked The Miz before using Miz’s phone to FaceTime Logan Paul to invite him to tonight’s show. Miz says he’s here to moderate Seth Rollins and Logan Paul’s confrontation tonight to prepare for his ‘hosting duties’ at WrestleMania 39. Miz introduces Logan Paul, who makes his way down to the ring. Seth Rollins wastes no time in following Paul and out comes the former WWE Universal Champion. The crowd won’t stop singing Rollins’ theme song and Miz is not happy about it and Paul tells the Boston crowd to ‘shutup’. Rollins screams ‘Boston’ to a massive ovation and says it’s so nice that the ‘social media superstar’ Logan Paul has ‘graced us with his presence’. Rollins says he and Logan have never been formally introduced and he runs down his accolades to Paul, who says he’s very familiar with who Rollins is.

Paul says Rollins is a ‘clown’ and points out that he eliminated Rollins at the Royal Rumble and ’embarrassed’ him at the Elimination Chamber and says he accomplished in one year what it took Rollins over twenty years to do. Paul says if he were Rollins, he wouldn’t like him either. Miz says Paul made a few good points and Rollins looks annoyed and removes his glasses as the Boston crowd leads a ‘f*** you Logan!’ chant. Rollins agrees that Paul made a few good points but says none of those points are the reason that he (Rollins) and the fans don’t like him (Paul), and says that they don’t like him because he’s the ‘scum of the earth’. Rollins says he and the fans don’t want Paul in ‘their house’. Rollins says Boston didn’t come there tonight to see he and Paul talk, they came to see him (Rollins) get his ‘pound of flesh’. Rollins says the talking is over and says it’s time to fight. Rollins takes off his jacket but The Miz says it’s his job to make sure that Rollins and Paul don’t fight tonight. Paul stops Miz and says if he wants to fight Rollins tonight, he will because he does what he wants…but he doesn’t want to fight Rollins tonight because he doesn’t ‘fight for free’…especially in Boston.

Paul says if the stage was bigger, the money was bigger, and if they were somewhere with more star power, he’d consider it. Miz tells Paul that he’s the host of WrestleMania, so he has the authority to make Seth Freakin’ Rollins versus Logan Paul official for WrestleMania 39. Rollins tells Miz to go backstage and make it official and tosses Miz out of the ring. Paul attacks Rollins from behind but Rollins takes control and stops an attacking Miz. Paul clocks Rollins with a big right hook and tells Rollins to let him know about WrestleMania when he wakes up and mocks Rollins from last week and says ‘bye bye bitch!’ before tossing the microphone at Rollins and exiting.

Kevin Patrick and Corey Graves on commentary hype up John Cena’s appearance for later tonight and we see a video replay of Brock Lesnar and MVP’s interaction in the VIP Lounge form last week’s show.

Omos makes his way down to the ring, alongside MVP and Brock Lesnar’s WrestleMania 39 opponent will face Dolph Ziggler after the break.

Omos (with MVP) vs. Dolph Ziggler

Mustafa Ali is watching this one from behind the barricade. Omos scoops and slams Ziggler, hoists him back up and plants him with a two-handed choke slam for the 1-2-3!

Winner – Omos

We then see Maxine Dupri, Mace, and Mansoor of Maximum Male Models backstage. Baron Corbin approaches them and asks for a spot in the group but Mace screams ‘EW!’. Maxine says if Corbin can help her dispatch of Chad Gable that way Otis isn’t distracted and joins MMM, there may be a spot for Corbin in the group. Corbin tells Maxine that she won’t regret her decision and exits.

Finn Balor, alongside Rhea Ripley, Damian Priest, and Dominik Mysterio of The Judgment Day make their way down to the ring and Balor will face Johnny Gargano after the break.

Finn Balor (with Rhea Ripley, Damian Priest, and Dominik Mysterio) vs. Johnny Gargano (with Dexter Lumis)

Gargano nails Balor with a hurricanrana, dumps Balor out of the ring, and crushes him with a dive through the ropes on the outside as we head to a commercial break. Back from the break and Balor is in control back inside of the ring. Gargano takes Balor down with a big chop to the chest and drop kicks him out of the ring. Gargano goes for a flip over the ropes, Balor dives back into the ring, Gargano stops himself on the apron, and flips back into the ring and lays Balor out with a cross body. Balor trips Gargano to the mat and unloads some ground and pound as he yells in Gargano’s face but Gargano rolls him up but Balor kicks out. Dominik Mysterio gets on the apron, Gargano knocks him to the outside, but Balor takes advantage and drop kicks Gargano. Balor goes up top, looking for the Coup de Grace and Edge’s music hits! Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley rush to the stage to stop Edge but the WWE Hall of Famer comes in from the crowd and shoves Balor off the top rope. Gargano plants Balor with ‘The Final Beat’ and gets the 1-2-3!

Winner – Johnny Gargano

After the match, Dexter Lumis takes out Damian Priest and Edge flattens Balor with a massive spear.

We then see a highlight package of the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and his WrestleMania 39 opponent Cody Rhodes’ interaction from this past Friday’s episode of SmackDown.

Nikki Cross makes her way to the ring and she’ll face Piper Niven after the break.

Nikki Cross vs. Piper Niven

Cross leaps on Niven’s back before the bell and Niven tells the referee to ring the bell and begin the matchup. Cross goes up top and nails Niven with a cross body and Niven rolls to the outside. Niven gets back in the ring and cracks Cross with a head butt but Cross lands a drop kick and a chop to the chest. Niven grabs and plants Cross with a swinging side slam and gets the 1-2-3!

Winner – Piper Niven

Backstage, we see Rick Boogs and Elias. Boogs is pumping iron as always and tells Elias that it would be smart for Boogs to tell Bronson Reed (who’s standing nearby) that he should go up to him and tell him that he wants to fight him. Boogs tells Reed something and Reed comes back and tells Elias that he and Elias will fight next week, but notes that it’ll be Elias’ funeral. Boogs comes back over and Elias tells Boogs that he meant Boogs should’ve told Reed that he (Boogs) wants to fight him (Reed), not Elias. Boogs looks confused, Elias tells him that he (Boogs) still has a lot to learn and we see Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens talking way off in the background as the segment ends.

It’s then announced that John Cena is up after the break!

Back from the break and the famous horns hit and out comes the 16-time World Champion John Cena in his hometown of Boston, Massachusetts! Before Cena can even say a word, United States Champion Austin Theory’s music hits and Theory makes his way down to the ring. Theory says like the Boston crowd, he has all the respect in the world for Cena. Theory says Cena is the reason Theory became a professional wrestler and thanks Cena for inspiring him. Theory tells Cena that he brought him a gift that’s from the bottom of his heart, something that’s bigger than any movie role Cena will ever have…a one on one match for the United States Title at WrestleMania 39. The crowd is on fire and chants ‘YES! YES! YES!’. Cena says no and says he took a second to think about it and the answer is no because Theory hasn’t earned it. Cena says he’s been watching RAW and sees Theory but he doesn’t care…and neither does the fans, because he (Cena) and they don’t believe him (Theory). Cena says Theory doesn’t even believe Theory and points out a sign that says Austin Theory is a John Cena wannabe and says that he (Cena) is Theory’s ghost of Christmas future. Cena says Theory is in his ruthless aggression era but notes that when he (Cena) was in his ruthless aggression era, everyone could see that he (Cena) didn’t believe himself.

Cena says Theory has no heart and says the fans are there because they respect him (Cena) and because for the past 20 years, they’ve believed Cena and they’ve seen him do everything. Cena says now he’ll give Theory a compliment and says that Austin Theory is the best name in WWE history because that’s exactly what Austin is…a theory. Cena says in theory, Austin should be great because he’s everything a WWE executive looks for, and in theory, everybody in the crowd should be there to see him (Theory) but nobody cares and he’s (Theory) wasting our time. Cena says he and Boston would like to give Theory a gift…to shutup, turn around, and leave the ring, and he and Boston will allow him (Theory) to leave in peace. Theory says he’s not going anywhere, just like the bald spot on his (Cena’s) head isn’t going anywhere. Theory says he looks around and he sees all the Cena shirts in the crowd that say ‘Never Give Up’ but it looks like Cena is giving up by declining his (Theory) WrestleMania challenge. Theory points out that Cena’s hat says ‘Respect’ and says Cena has no respect for the fans by declining to have a match at WrestleMania.

Theory says that he’s realized that it’s true that you don’t want to meet your hero, because now that he’s met his (Cena), he can see that all they do is disappoint. Cena says he’d rather be bald than have WWE pipe in fake crowd noise during his matches because nobody cares. Cena says he can by cream to fix his hair but Theory still sucks. Cena says he said no to save Theory because Theory isn’t ready and if Cena fought him and beats him at WrestleMania, Theory is done. Cena says if Theory beat him, Theory would still lose everything because now he’d have follow up that performance every single night and the crowd will eat him alive…because he’s ‘full of crap’. Cena says Theory’s left him no choice because Theory brought the fans into it…so now he has to ask them (the fans) what they want. Cena thanks his family for being here tonight and says it means a lot to him and now he needs his family and the fans’ help. Cena asks the crowd if they want to see John Cena versus Austin Theory at WrestleMania. The crowd is absolutely ballistic and pour down the ‘YES! YES! YES!’ chants and Cena asks them once more…and the chants get even louder. Cena says he doesn’t care about Theory but he’ll always listen to ‘them’ (the fans). Cena tells Theory he made the biggest mistake of his life because at WrestleMania 39…it’ll be John Cena versus Austin Theory!

Cena says Theory doesn’t have it all up there (his head), he doesn’t have it in here (his heart), and he certainly doesn’t have it down here (his man parts) and Cena pokes Theory below the belt and walks out. Cena stops before he leaves the ring and says Theory really needs to work on (down there) and makes his way out. Cena stops at the top fo the stage and says Theory doesn’t deserve to be at WrestleMania but it’s time Boston sees someone who does…and Cena introduces ‘The American Nightmare’ Cody Rhodes! Roman Reigns’ WrestleMania 39 opponent’s music hits and out comes Rhodes to a raucous ovation!

Backstage, we see Cathy Kelley, who approaches Sami Zayn. Cathy asks Sami about him not being able to get Owens on his side. Sami says he won’t stop until he sees the end of Roman Reigns and The Bloodline and tells says that tonight will NOT be Jimmy Uso’s night.

We head back to the ring and John Cena, Cody Rhodes, and Austin Theory are all gone and Chad Gable makes his way down to the ring alongside Otis and Gable will face Baron Corbin after the break!

Chad Gable (with Otis) vs. Baron Corbin

Corbin plants Gable with a slam to start. Gable fights back and nails Corbin with a pair of German suplexes. Gable goes up top and dives down but Corbin catches him and slams him down to the mat. Gable trips Corbin and locks in an ankle lock out of nowhere and Corbin taps out!

Winner – Chad Gable

We then see highlights of Becky Lynch and Lita defeating IYO SKY and Dakota Kai of Damage CTRL last week to become the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. It’s then announced that we’ll hear from Becky Lynch, Lita, and Trish Startus after the break.

Back from the break and it’s announced that Seth Rollins vs. Logan Paul has been made official for WrestleMania 39.

Becky Lynch’s music hits and out comes she and Lita to celebrate becoming the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. Becky says she and Lita never miss and Lita says when Becky gave her the opportunity to become tag champion, she could’ve either let the opportunity pass her by, or she can do what she did and that’s make history with Becky. Lita says Damage CTRL didn’t make it easy on them, but they did it anyway. The ‘you deserve it!’ chants pour down and Lita says she thanks Becky for giving her this opportunity but says they need to thank someone else for helping them…and Trish Stratus’ music hits and out comes the WWE Hall of Famer! Trish tells Lita that she’ll always have her back and she wouldn’t miss her (Lita) and Becky winning gold for the world. Trish says she warned Bayley that she needed to shit her mouth but Bayley’s music hits and out comes Damage CTRL. Bayley says Trish, Lita, and Becky love sticking their nose in business that doesn’t concern them and while the fans may believe them, she (Bayley) sees right through them (Trish, Lita, and Becky).

Bayley says Trish and Lita are the reasons why she, IYO SKY, and Dakota Kai are in the ring, but Damage CTRL is going to be the reason they won’t be in the ring much longer. Trish says if Bayley keeps talking, she’ll go from she ‘is’ retired to she ‘was’ retired. Trish challenges Damage CTRL to a six woman tag match for WrestleMania 39 and Bayley accepts! Damage CTRL attacks but Trish, Lita, and Becky are ready for it and send IYO and Dakota out of the ring. Bayley and Becky come face-to-face and Becky, Lita, and Trish all knock Bayley to the outside and Damage CTRL scurry off.

Commentary announces that Finn Balor and Edge will come face-to-face, Bronson Reed will face Elias, and Bianca Belair will take on Chelsea Green next week on Monday Night RAW.

We then see Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa walking through the backstage area and Jimmy will face Sami Zayn after the break.

Jimmy Uso (with Solo Sikoa) vs. Sami Zayn

Sami takes Jimmy down with a Thesz Press right as the bell rings. Sami clotheslines Jimmy to the outside and shoves Jimmy over the barricade as we head to a commercial break. Back from the break and Jimmy is in control of Sami back in the middle of the ring. Jimmy is yelling at Sami and Sami trips Jimmy to the mat, goes up top, and lands a diving elbow drop and goes for the cover but Jimmy kicks out. Jimmy dumps Sami to the outside and Solo is about to attack Sami but the referee catches him and ejects Solo from ringside. Sami plants Jimmy with a Blue Thunder Bomb and goes for the cover but Jimmy kicks out as we head to a commercial break. Back from the break and Sami and Jimmy are brawling on the top turnbuckle. Sami shoves Jimmy down to the mat and looks or a dive but Jimmy cracks him with a super kick. Jey Uso appears in the crowd and runs down the stairs. Jey is cheering on Jimmy at ringside and it appears as if Jey is back with The Bloodline. Sami goes for a Helluva Kick, Jimmy ducks under, but Sami rolls Jimmy up for the 1-2-3!

Winner – Sami Zayn

After the match, Jimmy Uso looks shocked and Jey Uso looks on in disbelief as to what just happened. Jey gets in the ring and gives Jimmy a one armed hug and looks extremely emotional while doing so. Jey walks away from Jimmy and exits the ring. Jey passes by Sami on the stage and tells Sami that he trusts him and hugs Sami! Jey and Sami are pumped up and both look at Jimmy, who’s back in the ring on one knee and looks beyond upset. Jey puts the 1s in the air, Sami does that same, and the crowd is white hot. Sami tells Jimmy that it isn’t too late and the ‘holy sh*t!’ chants ring throughout the TD Garden. Jey super kicks Sami and gets in Sami’s face and asks Sami if he ever thought that he was going to choose Sami over his family. Solo Sikoa rushes down and The Bloodline are on the attack. Cody Rhodes’ music hits and Rhodes rushes down to the ring to make the save as The Bloodline retreat as the show goes off the air!

Vince McMahon Backstage at Monday’s WWE Raw from Boston

Andrew Ravens
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Ever since Vince McMahon made his return to WWE as the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors in January, fans have feared that he would eventually return to the head of creative. 

McMahon said that he returned to WWE to explore the possibility of a sale and help with the negotiations of the next TV rights deal. McMahon has yet to take over creative from Triple H and for now that will stay intact, but McMahon did make his presence known at WWE Monday Night Raw this week. 

He’s Back

At Monday’s show in Boston, MA, McMahon is at the show. Sean Ross Sapp, Dave Meltzer, and Bryan Alvarez reported the news. It’s unclear whether he will appear on the broadcast or why he’s there, but it may have something to do with John Cena. 

When Cena made his return to WWE TV last June, it was McMahon who introduced him. Despite the hush money scandal going on that eventually led to him stepping down as CEO and Chairman, McMahon did make a few appearances on WWE television. 

Cena will return on tonight’s Raw where it’s expected that he’ll set up his WrestleMania 39 match with Austin Theory. 

Triple H took over creative last summer and has publicly said that he will get suggestions from McMahon. However, he is still in charge, not his father-in-law.

Last week after WWE made the Brock Lesnar vs. Omos match at WrestleMania 39 official, it was reported that the match was an idea by McMahon, who was high on Omos when he was in charge of creative. 

The Rock Explains Why he Bought The XFL

Andrew Ravens
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Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson had many doubters when he decided to buy the XFL alongside his longtime business partner Danny Garcia and RedBird Capital a few years ago after Vince McMahon shut it down after a second attempt at a spring pro football league. 

The new owners have revamped what McMahon had come up with. The Rock is looking to get the most out of the third chance at the league because he wants to give players a second chance. 

The Rock played as a defensive end/tackle at the University of Miami but didn’t make it to the NFL. Instead, he went to the CFL before he decided he had enough and got into wrestling. 

The Reason

While speaking to ESPN, The Rock was asked why he decided to buy the XFL with his investment partners. 

“It was an ability to create a league that I wish I had when I was around. I was a good player. I had great, what Coach Ed Orgeron used to say, I had ‘great upper body violence.’ Which is a compliment,” The Rock stated.” The allure of this was my longtime business partner Dani Garcia, she says, ‘I have this crazy idea, let’s go buy the XFL, and immediately it was the easiest ‘yes’ I ever said because we both knew we had an opportunity to not only be owners of a league, but to be a part of the sport that we love, but also create a culture of second chances for guys like me.”

The Rock noted that he told that story to NFL commissioner Roger Goodwell. 

Bray Wyatt and Wade Barrett Among Names Announced as WWE 2K23 DLC Characters

Andrew Ravens
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Fans will have more superstars to play, as in WWE 2K23, through five post-launch DLC packs.

On Monday, WWE and 2K games announced five upcoming DLC packs, including various superstars, legends, and celebrities. The first pack will be released on April 19, while the last pack is set to be released on August 16.

Some names include Bray Wyatt, The Steiners, Zeus, Harley Race, Eve Torres, Blair Davenport, and Wade Barrett.

The Breakdown

DLC 1: Steiner Row Pack (April 19)

  • Scott Steiner
  • Rick Steiner
  • B-Fab (Manager only)
  • Top Dolla
  • Ashante Adonis

DLC 2: Pretty Sweet Pack (May 17)

  • Karl Anderson
  • Luke Gallows
  • Tiffany Stratton
  • Elton Prince
  • Kit Wilson

DLC 3: Race to NXT Pack (June 14)

  • Harley Race
  • Ivy Nile
  • Wendy Choo
  • Tony D’Angelo
  • Trick Williams

DLC 4: Revel with Wyatt Pack (July 19)

  • Bray Wyatt
  • Zeus
  • Valhalla
  • Joe Gacy
  • Blair Davenport

DLC 5: Bad News U Pack (August 16)

  • Eve Torres
  • Wade Barrett
  • Damon Kemp
  • Andre Chase
  • Nathan Frazer

The standard edition of WWE 2K23 will be out on Friday, March 17, 2023 on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series XS, Xbox One, and PC. Those who get the Deluxe or Icon editions will have access to the game on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. 

WWE 2K23: Complete Roster of Playable Characters at Launch

Details on WWE’s Big Plans for Solo Sikoa and Roman Reigns

Rayan Sayyed
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WWE has found another diamond in the rough in Solo Sikoa.

Wrestling is all about creating larger-than-life characters that resonate with audiences and become legends in their own right. WWE has made some bonafide superstars – and Sikoa could be getting this treatment next.

Sikoa has been impressive since his debut on NXT. He’s continued to wow audiences and critics alike on the main roster. Most recently he picked up an impressive victory over Sami Zayn in the main event of Friday’s SmackDown.  

Undefeated Sikoa Primed for Greatness

On the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer stated that WWE plans to build and protect Sikoa. In time he’s slated for a massive showdown against none other than Roman Reigns.

Sikoa’s impressive streak on the main roster is worth noting, as he has not suffered a clean singles loss on TV, nor has he lost any singles matches at non-televised events.

This is a testament to the creative team’s belief in him and their desire to protect him as they build towards something big. Sikoa has already been involved in some big matches, including The Bloodline’s WarGames win, where he played an integral role in the victory. He has also defeated some notable names, including Sheamus, Dolph Ziggler, and Mustafa Ali.

Solo Sikoa was brought in to help Reigns retain his title over Drew McIntyre at WWE Clash at The Castle, and a feud with Reigns would make for a very engaging storyline with The Bloodline. This would be a significant match for both wrestlers, as Reigns is currently the top dog in WWE, and Sikoa is still establishing himself as a future star. If booked correctly, this could be a career-defining moment for Solo Sikoa. Solo Sikoa, he has all the tools to become a future WWE superstar. He has the look, the charisma, and the in-ring skills to succeed in WWE, and he has already shown that he can handle himself where it counts.

Mercedes Moné Revs Up For More Outside Projects In 2023

Ella Jay
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Mercedes Moné continues to grow her resume outside of professional wrestling.

As she continues her post-WWE career, Mercedes Moné looks to etch her name in several non-wrestling endeavors as well. Later this year, Moné (real name Mercedes Varnado) will make her silver screen debut, starring in the action-thriller movie, “The Collective.” Besides her ventures into the film industry, the current IWGP Women’s Champion teased the launch of a makeup line and brand this year as well. It appears that there’s much more to come in 2023, though.

On the heels of signing a contract with the United Talent Agency, Moné spoke with TMZ Sports about her upcoming outside projects. Though she didn’t specify the extent of her agenda, Moné revealed she is “absolutely doing more” in television and film.

“I just signed with UTA. I just filmed a movie in October, in the middle of training in Mexico. So, I am doing so much. I am legit booked and busy and 2023 is just going to be the year of making money,” she said. “I wish that upon everybody, I hope everybody has an amazing year of getting the bag and being a boss, banking on yourself. You have to be a CEO of your own life, so, let’s go get the bag together.”

Under the guidance of UTA, Mercedes Moné will seize more opportunities within the landscapes of film, television, theater and more. Within the television realm, Moné previously starred as Koska Reeves in the Disney+ series “The Mandalorian,” and has racked up several other appearances on shows like “Nick Cannon Presents: Wild ‘N Out” and “Barmageddon.”

Chris Hero Returns to The Wrestling World in a New Role

Andrew Ravens
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Chris Hero has a new role in the world of pro wrestling. 

Hero started wrestling in 1998 through 2020, where he worked for several promotions and found great success. Throughout his in-ring career, he won the PWG World Title, IWA Mid-South Heavyweight title, EVOLVE Championship, wXw World Championship, and the CZW Championship. He also had a memorable run as a tag team with Claudio Castagnoli as Kings of Wrestling, where they won gold in ROH, Chikara, and CZW. 

Hero attended Saturday’s West Coast Pro Wrestling event at the United Irish Cultural Center in San Francisco. At the show, it was announced that he would be the promotion’s new matchmaker. 

West Coast Pro Wrestling

The promotion has held shows since 2018 in California, where the top champion is Titus Alexander. Past champions of the promotion include some notable names such as  AJ Gray and Jacob Fatu. 

At Saturday’s show, Masha Slamovich defeated Sandra Moore to become their inaugural Women’s Champion after winning the finals of the tournament. Fans can watch West Coast Pro shows on IndependentWrestling.TV.

Hero last wrestled a match at a set of tapings for the WWE NXT UK brand in Midlands, England, on March 6 & 7, 2020, before he was one of the names to be released from WWE that April due to budget cuts.

John Cena Reflects on his WWE Rivalry With The Rock

Andrew Ravens
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For a span of a few years in the early 2010s, The Rock and John Cena had a memorable rivalry that stemmed from real life.

Cena felt that The Rock abandoned the company he worked for and found success as a top star for many years when he went to Hollywood to become an actor. His full-time days started to dwindle down in 2002 before missing the second half of 2003 and then only working one match in 2004 before being on hiatus from WWE for several years. 

In 2011, The Rock returned to be the host of WrestleMania 27 where he cost Cena the WWE Title by helping The Miz retain the championship. They later teamed together to beat The Miz and R-Truth that November at Survivor Series. 

The Rock beat Cena at WrestleMania 28 in Miami, Florida then the next year at WrestleMania 29, Cena beat The Rock to win the WWE Title in New Jersey. 

The Tweet

Their feud was featured on Sunday’s WWE Rivals program that aired on A&E. Cena took to Twitter to look back on the feud. 

Cena tweeted: “Relive this epic @WWE rivaly thru those who lived it. I wouldnt be who I am 2day w/o @TheRock.  Professionally & personally. He challenged me, demanded my best, forced me to address my flaws w/ the world watching! Respect is a core value for me…this took it to new level!”

Cena will be returning to WWE on tonight’s episode of Raw where it’s expected that he will be there to set up his WrestleMania 39 match with United States Champion Austin Theory. 

Mercedes Moné Vows To Make IWGP Women’s Championship A ‘Global’ Title

Ella Jay
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After capturing the IWGP Women’s Championship at Battle in the Valley, Mercedes Moné promises to take the title around the world.

Speaking with the TMZ Sports, Mercedes Moné reflected on her huge title win last month. “That day was so insane,” she said, “but for it to be in San Jose just a little an hour and a half away from where I was born in Fairfield, California. I had my friends and my family there from legit my blood family and my family in wrestling was there to support me. It was a moment that I’m always going to remember.”

“The CEO” noted that defeating KAIRI for the championship was likely the second favorite moment of her entire career. Her performance there, though, also served as a defining mark in the new chapter of her career. As she turns the page on the Sasha Banks name, she looks to cultivate a legacy for Mercedes Moné as well.

“That day was so incredible,” she continued. “It was in front of a sold-out crowd that was just dying and waiting to see what I was going to do as Mercedes Moné. I had an amazing interest. I had an amazing partner in the ring, KAIRI. She gave me everything, she basically walked me like a dog. She threw me through a table, she threw money at me, she ’bout snatched me bald, but thank God I pulled through. I hit the Money Maker. I hit the one, two, three, and now I am the IWGP Women’s Champion, and I’m making this title global. I’m taking this title all over the world and not just in Japan. So, I’m excited. I’m excited to see what’s next for me in the world of wrestling.”

Making The Title Global

Mercedes Moné IWGP Women's Champion

Despite her obvious deal with New Japan Pro-Wrestling now, Moné remains a free agent. With her title alongside her, she plans to explore markets beyond the realm of Japan, and beyond the wrestling scene itself. “Besides taking it on carpets, autograph signings all over the world, to Paris, I’m going to see what little promotions I can pop up to,” she said.

“I know next on my plate is April 8th and Tokyo, Japan for Sakura Genesis, I have a girl named AZM calling me out, so I’ve been putting the offer on the table [for] who’s next on the list. I want to see who’s ready for Mercedes Moné because I turned down to nobody. I’m always here for the check. I’m always here for the bag, and whoever has the biggest bag is where I’m going to go.”

Outside of wrestling, Moné recently brought her championship belt to the red-carpet for the season three premiere of The Mandalorian. Moné, of course, played the role of Koska Reeves in the series, so she wanted to “pay tribute to the character” — with a little bit of (championship) gold as well.

First Look at John Cena’s Character in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem”

Andrew Ravens
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John Cena joins a star-studded cast for the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” animated movie.

The teaser trailer for the highly anticipated film was released today and gives a first look at Cena’s character, Rocksteady, which appears at the 1:12 mark of the trailer. 

The movie is slated to be released on August 4th. The film’s synopsis reads as the following: 

“In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, after years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts. Their new friend April O’Neil helps them take on a mysterious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.”

Rest of the Cast

  • Micah Abbey as Donatello
  • Shamon Brown Jr. as Michelangelo
  • Hannibal Buress as Genghis Frog
  • Rose Byrne as Leatherhead
  • Nicolas Cantu as Leonardo
  • Jackie Chan as Splinter
  • Ice Cube as Superfly
  • Natasia Demetriou as Wingnut
  • Ayo Edebiri as April O’Neil
  • Giancarlo Esposito as Baxter Stockman
  • Post Malone as Ray Fillet
  • Brady Noon as Raphael
  • Seth Rogen as Bebop
  • Paul Rudd as Mondo Gecko
  • Maya Rudolph as Cynthia Utrom

The film is directed by Jeff Rowe and written by Brendan O’Brien. It’s produced by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and James Weaver. Paramount Pictures distributed the film. 

Fan Ejected By Security During AEW Revolution Main Event

Bishal Roy
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One rowdy fan got ejected from the arena during the main event of Sunday night’s AEW Revolution pay-per-view from the Chase Center in San Francisco, California.

The main event saw MJF successfully defend his his World Championship against Bryan Danielson in a 60-minute Iron Man match. The two top stars gave their all in the ring for the gold. However, there was some action outside the ring as well.

According to a report by PWInsider, a fan threw a water bottle towards the ring during the main event. Security quikcly identified the fan and ejected him from the arena, which prompted a loud “You F**ked Up” chant that was audible during the broadcast.

MJF vs. Danielson at Revolution

MJF and Bryan Danielson’s Iron Man match was a gruesome and bloody battle. ‘The American Dragon’ had scored the running knee strike for the first fall. After hitting a low blow, MJF rolled him up for 2 falls.

MJF was DQ’d for the low blow and Danielson was awarded a fall. The third fall for MJF came when he hit a piledriver on Danielson, who was dangling on the middle rope. 

The match was a time-limit draw and MJF retained his title. It was announced that the match will continue under sudden death rules as MJF got oxygen. The final moments of the match saw Danielson avoiding being hit with the diamond ring and hit a running knee strike for a near pinfall.

MJF then smashed the oxygen tank on Danielson as the champ locked in the Lebell Lock. Despite Danielson fighting against it, he eventually tapped out. You can also watch what went down after AEW Revolution went off air. It seems that MJF wants his ‘Reign of Terror’ to last an eternity after the massive win.

AEW Revolution Review: Best Iron Man Match Ever?

Ryan Droste
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This week on Top Rope Nation, SEScoops Site Manager Ryan Droste and Kyle Ross review Sunday night’s AEW Revolution PPV show. The big debate on the show is whether or not Bryan Danielson vs. MJF was the greatest Iron Man Match of all time.

Plus, where does Revolution rank as far as best AEW PPV events ever?

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.

You can subscribe to the show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever podcasts are found. You can listen to the podcast via the player below as well.

Watch Mustafa Ali Ruin Dolph Ziggler’s VIP Signing

Bishal Roy
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Mustafa Ali crashed a VIP autograph signing for Dolph Ziggler over the weekend at a non-televised live event from Trenton, New Jersey.

The former Retribution leader has adopted a new character. He’s keeping a positive mindset, but seems unstable and is borderline delusional.

Ali’s new angle with Ziggler began a few weeks ago, when he scored a surprising win over Ziggler on Raw in less than five minutes. As seen below, he filmed a video of himself ambushing Ziggler with more of his off-putting ‘positivity.’ Ziggler wasn’t having it and had security escort Ali out of the event, which got the guests all riled up.

Mustafa Ali has a surprise for Ziggler on RAW

Meanwhile, Mustafa Ali has also planned a surprise for Dolph Ziggler on the upcoming episode of RAW. Ali has accused ‘The Showoff’ of getting more opportunities because he looked different and smiled more.

However, ahead of Monday Night RAW next week, the 36-year-old star took to Twitter to announce that he was a surprise for Dolph Ziggler. Ali also asked WWE fans to guess his surprise for The Showoff.

“HUGE!!!HUGE!!!HUGE!!!! SURPRISE for my man Deez @HEELZiggler NEXT WEEK on #WWERaw. Comment below; what do you think the SURPRISE is?!?” Mustafa Ali wrote.

Update on FTR’s AEW Contracts Following Revolution Return

Bishal Roy
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FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood) made a triumphant return to All Elite Wrestling at Sunday night’s AEW Revolution pay-per-view.

This marks the team’s first appearance in AEW since they dropped the World Tag-Team Championships to The Gunns at Holiday Bash in December 2022. Amid speculation about the team’s future, fans have been wondering about their futures. Their contracts are set to expire in April and the hiatus has some people questioning if they’re on their way out of Tony Khan’s promotion.

The belief amongst AEW talent is that FTR have long-term deals, according to a new report from PWInsider. The hiatus and FTR’s public comments about ‘evaluating their futures’ were part of a storyline to build interest in their eventual returns.

FTR & Tony Khan on their AEW Contracts

AEW President Tony Khan has spoken publicly about FTR’s contractual status. Back in January, he appeared on the In the Kliq podcast and stated, “I think, for [FTR], we want to see them back in AEW and want to see them heal up and come back at 100%. We’re really looking forward to that, hopefully. I think they’re a great team, and we’d love to have them back.”

Dax Harwood had said on his podcast in January that their contracts were up in April, noting:

“That’s my news; we’re going to be away for a little while. I’m not sure exactly how long we’ll be away. It may be all the way up until the end of our contract. I don’t know yet; contract is up in April. I’m not exactly sure on the exact date, our gimmick attorney would know that. But it will be somewhere in the beginning of April.”

As it seems, FTR are on a mission to reclaim the tag-team golds. The Gunns successfully defended their AEW World Tag Team Championships against three separate teams. The teams involved were The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster), Jeff Jarrett & Jay Lethal, and Orange Cassidy & Danhausen.

Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler attacked The Gunns as the champs spoke to Renee Paquette post-match. The Top Guys issued a statement with the assault, seemingly challenging for the belts.

Former IMPACT Star Larry D Loses Home In House Fire, Shares GoFundMe

Ella Jay
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Former IMPACT Wrestling star Larry D shared some unfortunate news Saturday evening.

As revealed via Twitter, Larry D and his family lost their home in a house fire. Luckily, the family, including his dogs and cats, were rescued, but the road to recovery remains long.

“We lost our home to a house fire tonight, everything gone… I’m for the first time at a loss for words and do not know where to start…thankfully our dog an cats were saved and recovered… long road for my wife, our 4 kids and I, I you all, Tia for positive an prayers,” Larry D wrote.

GoFundMe

Following the horrific event, Larry D’s ex-wife, Amanda Caswell, launched a GoFundMe to help the family get back on their feet. Caswell noted that the family is in special need of clothes, furniture, and more assistance in taking care of their four children. The current goal for the fundraiser is $10,000. At the time of this writing, donations have already reached more than half of that goal. Donations to the GoFundMe fundraiser can be placed here.

The description of the GoFundMe reads:

“Hi my name is Amanda Caswell. I started this go fund me page to help my ex-husband Larry Jones and his wife, Paige Jones together we share a 14-year-old daughter and a 12 year old son. Paige has a 15-year-old daughter from a previous relationship and they have a six-year-old daughter together, they’ve just lost their home to a fire. They’ve lost everything and will be starting from scratch. They have no clothes no furniture and no toys for their baby 10,000 isn’t nearly enough but it is enough to get started. Please help me help them rebuild Every little bit will be appreciated. God bless.”

SEScoops would like to send out our best wishes to Larry D and his family during this difficult time.

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