Home Blog Page 503

Austin Theory Reveals When He Found Out About Vince McMahon’s WrestleMania Match

Jon Fuentes
-
0

Austin Theory didn’t know that Vince McMahon would be wrestling at WrestleMania 38 until last-second.

McMahon had an impromptu match with Pat McAfee at WrestleMania shortly after McAfee defeated Theory in a match of their own. McMahon picked up a quick win over the already exhausted announcer, which was a surprise to many.

However, even though Theory was involved in the angle, he didn’t know about it until the last second, as he explained during an recent interview with Busted Open Radio.

“The egg started everything. I just heard, ‘Mr. McMahon wants to film this segment with an egg.’ I heard about it, it was him arriving with the egg and the story was somebody stole the egg. Literally, that day they were like, ‘You stole the egg.’ ‘I stole the egg, alright.’

“We filmed the segment with Vince and I was super nervous for that. ‘I stole the egg? $100 million egg? Alright.’ I’m trying to figure all this out and it’s my first thing with Vince. It was almost like anytime we filmed anything, it felt so fast. We’d do it and that would be it. Onto the next one.

“Especially, WrestleMania was interesting because we had no idea if we were going to have Vince in the match until like the night before. I remember that day showing up, I met Stone Cold for the first time. ‘Hey, how’s it going, Austin, nice to meet you.’ ‘Hey, nice to meet you, I’ll be seeing you later tonight.’

“He got on the golf cart and kept driving. ‘What is going on?’ I got to Gorilla, he told me the business, that’s it. Went out there and he gave me that look.“

Austin Theory

Of course, since Vince McMahon’s departure from the creative side of the company, Austin Theory is no longer featured as prominently as he once was for a potential World Title run. He does, however, currently reign as the United States Champion.

Quotes via Fightful

Sami Zayn Answers: Can He Be The Face of WWE?

Thomas Lowson
-
0

Is a 38-year-old Montreal-born wrestler who once donned the masked persona of ‘El Generico’ on the cusp of becoming the next face of WWE?

Sami Zayn’s popularity with wrestling fans is truly impossible to deny, with the Honorary Uce winning over crowds around the globe with his role in the Bloodline.

Zayn’s journey with the group began in April 2022 when he tried to curry favor with Roman Reigns’ faction, a plan that has clearly paid off.

The Face of WWE?

Since losing their tag match to John Cena and Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn has felt the ire of the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.

After being found not guilty on this week’s Raw (thanks to a last-minute defense by Jey Uso) Zayn was told that he will face a final challenge at tomorrow’s Royal Rumble.

While Zayn has proven his loyalty to the Bloodline time and time again, many feel it is just a matter of time before e and Reigns face off.

Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Zayn was asked about the prospect of dethroning the most dominant champion of the last three decades.

“If we’re being honest, I mean, I don’t know, I can win the World title. I could carry it for a while. I could go do talk shows, I could do all that stuff. I don’t know if I’m the guy you could necessarily hitch your wagon to for the next five to ten years and like face of the company for the next five to ten years.”

“I’m not as big as say Roman or Cena or Brock or whoever and that’s typically the guy who’s the head.”

Sami Zayn.

“If nothing else, I’m somewhat realistic about my physical [appearance.] I’m not as big as say Roman or Cena or Brock or whoever and that’s typically the guy who’s the head at that scene. Because they [WWE] want a certain projection for the long haul.”

World Champion

Zayn may be pessimistic about becoming the next face of WWE, but that doesn’t mean World Championship glory will allude him.

In the interview, Zayn spoke about the possibility of being champion, and says it would be an excellent payoff, as long as the story is done correctly.

“Could I win the world title? I think, especially because of the way the story’s done… if you do it right, fans will buy it and get into it. So I think at this point, the way it’s been built, and I’m not saying this is what’s going to happen. But if it was me and Roman at WrestleMania, and I beat Roman, if we did it right like we’ve been doing it right the past nine month, nobody’s going to go ‘bogus. I’m out. I can’t take that.’ Because we’ve done it right.”

Even if he wasn’t to become the ‘face’ of WWE, Zayn was confident he would represent the company proudly as champion.

“I think I could be a guy who carries that title six months. Go on Jimmy Fallon, make a couple of jokes, have him do that fake laugh that he does. All that good stuff. Sure I could do that. Sure. I could probably do that in my sleep to be honest. But it’s just I understand the company’s projection of what they see as the face of the company.”

“I could be a guy who carries that title.”

Sami Zayn.

“Being the champion and being the face are almost two different things, and I think I could be the champion. No problem. As far as being the guy that they’re like ‘number one, he’s our guy, he’s the poster-boy. He’s the ultimate representation of what our company is.’ I know physically I don’t fit that mold.”

Reigns will face Zayn’s real-life best friend Kevin Owens with the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship tomorrow night at the Royal Rumble.

Banger Bros. No More: WWE Drops Ill-Conceived Tag Team Name

J. Cunningham
-
0

Former WWE Champions Sheamus and Drew McIntyre’s on-screen reunion has been greeted by respectable fan fare and a rather unfortunate choice of team name.

In a nod to Sheamus’ ‘Banger after banger after banger’ meme, his newly reformed team with Drew McIntyre was initially named The Banger Bros. The real-life pals were previously portrayed as allies back in 2020. At the time, Drew McIntyre was riding high as the lead babyface on RAW.

The usually heelish Sheamus enjoyed a quasi-face turn as the then-WWE Champion’s main ally. ‘The Celtic Warrior’s subsequent betrayal of McIntyre in early 2021 was poorly received by fans, with many feeling it had come too soon and ruined the angle.

Sheamus and the rest of his Brawling Brutes team turned babyface following notable fan support during his acclaimed feud with Intercontinental Champion Gunther last year.

Sheamus Gunther Imperium Brawling Brutes Clash at the Castle

Ahead of Survivor Series, he was reunited with McIntyre to feud with The Bloodline heading into Survivor Series. The pair unsuccessfully challenged The Usos for the WWE Undisputed Tag Team Championships earlier this month. While the team garnered support from audiences, their-ill-fated team name recently caused some trouble.

WWE Drops Banger Bros. Due To XXX Connotations

It turns out there’s a pornographic website with an eerily similar name to Sheamus and Drew McIntyre’s team moniker. As a PG company, the prospect of a WWE act potentially leading to Google searches turning up something adults-only would be disastrous.

With this in mind, WWE have quickly vetoed the Banger Bros. moving forward. A similar incident occurred back in the summer of 2015. Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch were called up from NXT to form a faction with Paige dubbed The Submission Sorority. The name turned out to also belong to a pornographic, leading to a similar slew of search engine mishaps for those who wanted to look the team up.

The Submission Sorority were subsequently renamed Team PCB to sidestep any further confusion.

For now, the new moniker for the team remains unconfirmed. Both Sheamus and Drew McIntyre have joked about the name on social media in recent days.

Mercedes Mone Addresses Her WWE Departure, Why She Signed With NJPW

Andrew Ravens
-
0

Mercedes Mone, formerly known as Sasha Banks, is in a new chapter of her wrestling career after departing from WWE last year and joining NJPW this month when she made her promotional debut at Wrestle Kingdom 17. 

The debut happened when she attacked IWGP Women’s Champion KAIRI, after her successful title defense against Tam Nakano. 

This set up a championship bout between KAIRI and Mone for a match at February’s NJPW Battle in the Valley. 

The Reason

While speaking with NJPW’s website, Mone noted that working in Japan became her number-one goal even before WWE. 

“I was so amazed by them that Japan became my number one goal even before WWE. I managed to achieve what I wanted to achieve in WWE, and now I get to live out this international dream.”

Mone noted that she was surprised by how quickly people have taken to her new monicker.

Mone walked out of WWE last May alongside Naomi due to creative differences. However, that doesn’t mean she’s been relaxing, as she noted she’s been working every day since she left, whether that be modeling, making movies or wrestling.

Booker T: Rhea Ripley Is The Future Of The Women’s Division

Jon Fuentes
-
0

WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T believes Rhea Ripley is the future of the women’s division.

Booker T took to his podcast, “The Hall Of Fame,” and offered up some predictions for this weekend’s Royal Rumble. He picked Rhea Ripley as the winner for the Women’s Royal Rumble, going as far as suggesting Ripley is the future of the division.

“Of course in the men’s, it’s gonna be Cody Rhodes,” Booker said. “In the women’s, it’s going to be the Rhip (Rhea Ripley). It’s time for the Rhip to get that push. It’s time for the Rhip to come out of that shadow of the women.

“Being able to just sit back in the wings, watch and wait, you know, with Judgment Day as of late, has given her a little bit of time to get that hunger back to go out there and really take control of that women’s division. I really think she can. I really think Rhea Ripley is the future of the women’s division.”

Ripley has certainly made a name for herself since joining the WWE’s main roster in 2021. After making a name for herself in NXT UK and NXT, winning the women’s title for both brands.

Upon making it up to the main roster, Ripley went on to defeat Asuka for the RAW Women’s Title at WrestleMania 37. She also won the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles alongside Nikki A.S.H.

Currently, Ripley is a member of The Judgement Day alongside Finn Balor, Damian Priest, and Dominik Mysterio.

Quotes via WrestlingNews.co

Matt Riddle Earns His BJJ Black Belt, Update on WWE Return

Andrew Ravens
-
0

Matt Riddle has been making progress in his personal life while away from WWE. 

The WWE star has been gone from television since December 5, when Solo Sikoa attacked him on Monday Night Raw to cover up his absence from television. WWE announced at the time that he would be away for six weeks. 

Outside The Ring Problems

In reality, WWE did the angle because he failed a second drug test in 2022 with the expectation that he would be going to rehab. Riddle reportedly violated WWE’s wellness policy for the first time over the summer.

An adult film star confirmed he was in rehab while also alleging that he cheated on her to do drugs with another woman, something Riddle later issued a statement on

Riddle recently noted on Instagram that he got his BJJ black belt while training under Daniel Gracie. 

“Finally got my BJJ black belt and I couldn’t be happier, thank you to everyone who has helped and supported me along the way #bro #danielgracie #wwe #mma #bjj #stallion.”

In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer questioned whether Riddle would be back in time to be a surprise entrant in the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match as WWE announced his absence on the December 12th show.

“Riddle was announced as returning in six weeks after the injury angle on 12/12. That would indicate a Rumble return, although if he’s suspended two months, he wouldn’t make that time line.”

Liv Morgan: I’m Pitching to Enter the Women’s Rumble at #1

Thomas Lowson
-
0

Liv Morgan is hoping to prove just how tough she is by entering tomorrow’s Women’s Royal Rumble match from the #1 spot.

Tomorrow’s show will be the 36th Royal Rumble event in total (37 if you include 2018’s Greatest Royal Rumble) and the sixth to feature a women’s match.

Since 2018, Asuka, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair, and Ronda Rousey have all won the Rumble and punched their ticket on the road to WrestleMania.

Number One

Statistically speaking, #1 is the worst possible spot for a Rumble entrant, though that didn’t stop Shawn Michaels, Chris Benoit, and Edge from winning.

Speaking to Denise Salcedo, Morgan shared her plans for the Rumble, and will have a long night ahead.

“I am hoping and I have been pitching myself to come out first. I want to come out first and make a statement. To not only endure all the pain and physicality that it will take to get to me to be the last woman standing, but just to leave a message that, bring all 29 women on, but at the end of the day, I’m still going to be the last one standing in that ring. And who knows what title I’d want to wrestle for.”

The earliest Women’s Rumble victory goes to Bianca Belair, who lasted 56:42 in 2021 to win from the number 3 position.

2022

It was in January 2022 that Morgan was challenging for the Raw Women’s Championship, that started a milestone year for her.

Winning the Women’s Money in the Bank contract and the SmackDown Women’s Title that July, Morgan spoke about accomplishing her goals in 2022.

I feel like all the obstacles just made the end goal and the end result so much sweeter. I feel like there are so many times in my career where I felt like I’d never be Champion, or I wasn’t good enough to be Champion. Other people thought I wasn’t good enough to be champion.

“Other people thought I wasn’t good enough to be champion.”

Liv Morgan.

“At the end of the day [I knew] I will be Champion so that’s exactly what I did. I’ve had an incredible, amazing, blessed year and I couldn’t be happier.”

Change of Character

After losing the SmackDown Women’s Championship to Ronda Rousey, Morgan underwent a change of character that has shown her more extreme side.

Addressing the change, Morgan appreciated how she’s been able to push the boat out from what fans are used to seeing.

“I just feel more free if that makes sense? Especially right now with what I’m doing on TV. Liv is very extreme, she’s willing to go the extra mile to get what she needs done and with that I just feel like there are no handcuffs. No cage.

“I just feel like there are no handcuffs. No cage.”

Liv Morgan.

“I can do anything and everything to accomplish my goal, to get what I want. So with that is such an intense feeling of just freedom which I’ve had so much fun with.”

Liv Morgan Shares Big Plans for When she Retires from Wrestling

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

Update On Why Wardlow Has Been Off AEW Television

J. Cunningham
-
0

Former TNT Champion Wardlow has not been seen on TV since his loss to Samoa Joe on Dynamite last month.

The big man was taken out in brutal fashion by ‘The King of Television’. Along with getting the win, Samoa Joe also assaulted him before and after the match. After choking the former champ out, ‘The Samoan Submission Machine’ clobbered Wardlow with a belt shot before cutting off his top knot. Since then, Joe has dropped the TNT belt to Darby Allin. Wardlow, meanwhile, has remained curiously absent.

2022 proved to be a breakout year for ‘Mr Mayhem’. Starting the year as MJF’s trusty henchman, the powerbomb symphony maestro connected with audiences during a slow burn babyface turn on ‘The Salt of the Earth’.

Wardlow MJF
Wardlow and MJF (Photo: AEW)

After squashing the Long Island loudmouth at Double or Nothing, Wardlow was moved into the TNT Title picture. His title reign and booking was met with a polarized reception. Regardless, he remains one of AEW’s more over homegrown babyface acts.

Wardlow Reportedly Out With An Injury

According to famed wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the angle with Samoa Joe was booked to write Wardlow off TV. ‘Mr Mayhem’ has been dealing with an injury of late. He will remain out of the picture while he heals up. Within the story of the match, his knee was injured due to a pre-bout attack courtesy of ‘The King of Television’.

While the injury is severe enough to warrant giving the former TNT Champion some time off, he reportedly won’t be out for long.

Upon returning, it’s highly likely the Samoa Joe feud will resume, presumably with the babyface getting his revenge. The decision to move the title from Joe to Darby Allin so suddenly becomes even more eyebrow-raising with this in mind.

Will you be excited to see Wardlow return?

Details on MLW Hitting WWE With a Cease and Desist Letter

Rayan Sayyed
-
0

Major League Wrestling (MLW) has reportedly sent a Cease and Desist legal letter to WWE over the company’s attempt to use MLW talent on the Raw is XXX anniversary special.

This is not the first time MLW has accused WWE of predatory behavior (more on that below). According to MLW sources (via the Wrestling Observer), WWE attempted to contact MLW’s contracted talent to be part of the Bloodline Acknowledgement Ceremony.

MLW stars who are part of the Anoa’i family include Jacob Fatu (son of Samu Fatu, nephew of Rikishi) and his brother, Lance Anoa’i.

The Acknowledgement Ceremony was reportedly canceled due to The Wild Samoans (Afa and Sika) being unable to attend. The segment was replaced by The Trial of Sami Zayn.

It’s believed that MLW CEO Court Bauer would have been open to the idea of his talent working a WWE show, but such arrangements would have to run through MLW offices, instead of ‘feelers’ being sent to talent directly. Per the Observer, WWE not replied to the C&D letter.

WWE vs. MLW

The legal battle between the two has been heating up in recent months. MLW filed a lawsuit against the wrestling giant for interfering with their business prospects and contracts.

According to previous reports, the lawsuit specifically accuses the WWE of attempting to prevent Vice TV from working with MLW in early 2021. It also alleges that a former WWE executive named Susan Levinson even called Vice TV to let them know that Vince McMahon is not exactly happy about its partnership with MLW.

WWE also reportedly stopped MLW from getting a deal with the streaming service Tubi. MLW claims that failure to secure a deal with Tubi caused substantial losses, including event cancellations and a 40% drop in ticket sales. The company’s CEO, Court Bauer, has spoken out against WWE in a press release.

“WWE has been wrongfully depriving its competitors of critical opportunities for many years, but its latest conduct has been even more unconscionable,” said MLW CEO Court Bauer. “I think we speak for the rest of the professional wrestling world when we say that this anti-competitive behavior has to stop.”

WWE Royal Rumble Preview, Steve Austin & The Rock Rumors

Ryan Droste
-
0

This week on Top Rope Nation, SEScoops Site Manager Ryan Droste is joined by Pro Wrestling Torch Assistant Editor Zack Heydorn to preview Saturday night’s WWE Royal Rumble event.

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. That means that the crew will be live this Sunday morning to review the Royal Rumble.

On episode 281 this week, every match on the Rumble card is previewed (with predictions). Plus, Ryan and Zack also look at the rumors of appearances by The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin at the Royal Rumble. Will it happen? Should it? A great discussion.

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

Bray Wyatt On What The Undertaker Said To Him At Raw 30th

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

Bray Wyatt got to share a pretty special moment with The Undertaker at Raw 30th Anniversary special. The Dead Man symbolized the passing of the torch when he didn’t capitalize on the opportunity to Chokeslam LA Knight. The Last Outlaw instead passed him on to the former Universal Champion so Wyatt can deliver a Sister Abigail. Taker then whispered something to Bray before making his way back.

The Fiend recently had a rare interview with Ryan Satin on Out of Character. He was asked the question everyone has in mind – what did The Undertaker say to him. While the former champion didn’t betray the secret, he did claim that it was a very special segment. Wyatt who never re-watches any of his work, said that it’s the one moment he will cherish for the rest of his life:

“Okay, so I think everybody kind of can see it for what it was, right? When something like that happens, that’s something that no one can take away from me.” said Bray Wyatt, “That moment belongs to me. No one else in the world in the history of time ever gets to have that moment. No one but me. What he said was something that only I would have understood. Something that only I would be able to appreciate, for when and where it happened.

It was something I never thought would come but what he said exactly is between me, him, God [and] the devil. I could never [reveal it]. I’ll never, never tell so. I’ll go to my grave with it. But it was powerful, and it was unexpected. Very very cool. Something I will cherish for the rest of my life. That’s a segment I can watch back. That’s a special one.”

You can check out the interview of Bray Wyatt below:

More Originals From SEScoops:

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

Bray Wyatt Opens Up About Struggles After Loss Of Brodie Lee, WWE Release

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

Bray Wyatt is one of the rare breed of wrestlers who have kept kayfabe alive. He is one who almost never comes out of his character to talk to people and it creates a mystique around him. Though sometimes it also leads to him facing all his problems on his own without involving the world into it.

The WWE star had a rare chat with Ryan Satin on the Out of Character podcast. They talked about his return promo at Extreme Rules last year where the former Wyatt Family Leader opened up about his struggles a little bit and thanked fans for saving him. He revisited the emotions during the talk and reiterated that it’s the fans that have led him back:

“Well, I despise the way my mind works. That’s the truth of it all. I’m the first person ever to tell you all my flaws. I refuse to watch myself back. I’ve never seen pretty much anything that I’ve ever done. I can’t watch. I [am] just that kind of headcase man, but it’s also kind of my superpower.

It’s what makes me, me. [It] is the obsession. When I’m geared on something, I’m so deep into it that there is no separating life from anything else. It just is. When I dive deep like that, it’s what makes me connect and it’s the reason that I have fans that are so into what I do. It feels like it’s part of their life too. If I didn’t have such passionate fans, man, I wouldn’t be here. I really wouldn’t. It’s them that led me back here.”

‘It Was All Out of Nowhere’: Bray Wyatt

The former Universal champion went through a dark period in his life just around the time of his WWE firing in 2021. He lost two of his best friends apart from losing his job. Opening up about the time, Bray Wyatt admitted that he didn’t deal with it very well. Though he also explained that the long journey has led him to where he is now:

“There was so much there. Just so much going on with all that. It was out of nowhere. I wasn’t prepared for any of that. I lost my childhood best friend. I lost Brodie. I lost my best friend from college Mark. It was something that I think I didn’t deal with very well. I think Brodie’s wife Amanda dealt with it. The kids dealt with it better than me and Rowan did. There’s something there that reminds me of him every single day.

I think that time period was such a conundrum for me. I wasn’t myself. It took me a while to kind of remember what makes me, me. It was a long journey man but it’s led me here, into this moment. This is the best I’ve ever felt.”

More Originals From SEScoops:

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

Vince McMahon Has Not Attended Any TV Tapings or Creative Meetings Yet (Report)

Thomas Lowson
-
0

Could Vince McMahon actually be telling the TRUTH?!

The 77-year-old billionaire retired from WWE last July over allegations of misconduct with female employees, resulting in millions of dollars being paid in NDAs.

McMahon returned to WWE earlier this month and has since been appointed the promotion’s Executive Chairman.

Keeping his Word

When announcing his intention to return, McMahon made it clear that he was merely back to facilitate a sale of the promotion.

Names reported as potential buyers include Comcast, FOX, Netflix, Disney, Amazon, and the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, among others.

Many have been dubious of McMahon’s claim, and believe it is just a matter of time until he makes a play to take over previous roles such as Head of Creative.

In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it is reported that McMahon is remaining true to his word, and is rarely seen outside of meetings about the potential sale.

McMahon has not attended any TV tapings, nor has he appeared at any creative meetings yet.

Sources who spoke to the Observer that contrary to McMahon’s first era on top of WWE, he now leaves work at a normal time, rather than staying into the early morning.

The Sale

Though there was a time when the idea of Vince McMahon selling WWE seemed impossible, McMahon is seemingly fixated on making a sale go through.

While it had been reported that the Saudi PIF had purchased the company and were planning on turning it private, that was later debunked.

It is believed that WWE hopes for a sale to happen soon, before they have to renegotiate with their broadcast partners at the USA Network and FOX later this year.

NBCUniversal CEO Comments on a Potential WWE Sale

NXT Talent Still In the Dark Over WWE Royal Rumble Status (Report)

Thomas Lowson
-
0

The talent from WWE NXT are still in the dark as to whether they will be used for tomorrow’s Royal Rumble Premium Live Event.

The show will be the 36th Rumble event (37 if you include the Greatest Royal Rumble) and will be the sixth year in a row that there will be a men’s and women’s match.

This will also be the first Royal Rumble for Triple H following his appointment as WWE’s Head of Creative and Head of Talent Relations last July.

NXT Power

At this time, just seven spots in the Women’s Royal Rumble match have been filled, while 16 for the men’s match have been claimed.

In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it is reported that as of midweek, NXT talent, particularly the women, were waiting to hear if anyone was being brought into the Rumble.

WWE has previously used NXT talent to boost the numbers in previous Royal Rumbles.

It was reported ahead of last year’s Royal Rumble event that WWE did not want to use women from NXT for that year’s match, following the brand’s relaunch as NXT 2.0.

The belief at the time was that with NXT 2.0 once again being a developmental brand, it didn’t make sense for these ‘rookies’ to be put in the Women’s Rumble.

No Rousey

The women of NXT may not be sure of their Royal Rumble fates, but we do know that Ronda Rousey will not compete.

The Observer adds that as of mid-week, the former SmackDown Women’s Champion was not going to be in the Rumble match.

The feeling is that they didn’t want to marginalize Rousey’s star power by making her just one of 30 names in the match.

Ronda Rousey returned to WWE after a near three-year hiatus at last year’s Royal Rumble event, winning the Women’s Rumble match.

WWE Royal Rumble 2023 Staff Predictions

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

Thomas Lowson
-
0

This week’s emotional tribute show to Jay Briscoe was a huge night for AEW, but wasn’t approved until very late in the game.

Briscoe died last Tuesday in a car accident, mere minutes from his home in Laurel, Delaware. He was 38.

Both Jay and Mark had previously been banned by WBD from appearing on AEW programming over controversial comments Jay made a decade ago.

Tribute Show

This week’s show went off well, but there were several changes made to the show before it went live.

Fightful Select reports that prior to Tuesday, it didn’t appear that Mark Briscoe’s match against Jay Lethal was happening.

AEW had to move “many things around” to make the match a reality, and Ian Riccaboni was flown in just hours before the show.

The AEW TNT Championship match between Darby Allin and Buddy Matthews was the originally scheduled main event of the show.

That match had some time trimmed to add to the Briscoe-Lethal match, and the same happened with the Acclaimed’s therapy segment.

One source said it was impressive how they were able to provide Mark Briscoe and Jay Lethal as much time as they needed without compromising anything else that was advertised.

Dalton Castle was at the show and came to sit front row to cheer on Mark Briscoe, who defeated Lethal in the main event.

Those working in AEW who spoke to Fightful said they were very happy with how the show went.

Mark Briscoe on Brother Jay’s Passing: “He’s Ain’t Gone”

Top AEW Star Missed This Week’s Dynamite Over Visa Issues

Thomas Lowson
-
0

This week’s edition of AEW Dynamite was an emotional show, but one top name from the company could not attend.

This week’s Dynamite was a tribute to Jay Briscoe, who died earlier this month in a car accident near his home in Laurel, Delaware.

Dynamite saw Jay’s brother Mark make his AEW debut and defeat Jay Lethal in the main event of the show.

Visa Issues

In addition to a stacked show, Dynamite saw the rosters of AEW and Ring of Honor appear to support Mark, but Kenny Omega wasn’t among them.

According to Fightful Select, the self-proclaimed ‘Best Bout Machine’ wanted to be at the AEW tapings “but has been battling visa issues” in recent days.

Omega has not appeared for AEW since he and the Young Bucks regained the AEW Trios Championships from Death Triangle on the January 11, 2023, episode of Dynamite.

It remains unclear when Omega will be able to return to TV, and the former World Champion missed much of 2022 due to injuries and his post-All Out suspension.

Tribute Show

Even without Omega, this week’s Dynamite was an exceptional affair in memory to one of the most established names in Ring of Honor history.

Dynamite saw AEW TNT Champion Darby Allin retain his title against Buddy Matthews, while JungleHook defeated Matt Hardy and ‘All Ego’ Ethan Page.

Bryan Danielson continued his winning ways in his efforts to get a shot at MJF, by defeating ROH Six-Man-Tag Team Champion Brian Cage.

Ruby Soho defeated Toni Storm in a match that was meant to be a triple-threat but was changed due to Britt Baker’s injury.

Kenny Omega’s Time with WWE Made Him Question His Love for Wrestling

Dax Harwood Reflects On 2022 Rivalry With The Briscoes

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

FTR didn’t have the best year in 2021. The tag team was stuck in limbo after jumping ships from WWE to AEW and they didn’t get a lot of opportunities to showcase their talent. The duo of Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler decided to change this in 2022 and the team that helped them in this task was none other than The Briscoes.

Harwood talked about their highly praised feud with the ROH veterans on the latest episode of his podcast. He remembered their first encounter at ROH Final Battle in December, 2021 where FTR attacked The Briscoes. Per Dax, there were no plans for them in the place at the time and they just wanted to test the waters:

“We just wanted to test the waters. We just wanted to see what was gonna happen. Myself and Cash, really were in a low point in our career. We weren’t doing anything. We begged Tony to let us do that.”

– Dax Harwood

‘We Deserve To Be On National Television’: Dax Harwood

The Final Battle confrontation led to a highly praised match between the two teams at Supercard of Honor 2022. It was the time when the future of ROH was in question. So the two teams decided to go out with a blaze of glory and prove that they deserved to be on national television every week:

“We knew we could go. If Ring of Honor was going to go out, the four of us could go out with a blaze of glory and say, ‘This is who we are. This is what we represent and we deserve a job somewhere. We deserve to be on national television every week somewhere.’ That was our mindset going into it. Then the match happened. Man, it was f**king magical.”

The match between FTR and The Briscoes at Supercard of Honor was awarded a five-star rating by Dave Meltzer. It helped both the teams create buzz. They went on to have two more highly praised matches that helped put them back on the map.

More Originals From SEScoops:

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

Bray Wyatt Says He Can’t Bring Back The Cult Leader Character Without Brodie Lee

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

Ever since Bray Wyatt returned to WWE last year, people have been wanting to see the return of his cult leader character. The reason for him to not bring it back however, is very personal.

WWE on Fox recently posted a clip of their upcoming sit-down interview with the former world champion. He is seen talking about the different iterations of his character.

Speaking about the gimmick he originally debut on main roster with, Wyatt explained that he can’t bring it back without Brodie Lee:

“For me, the Hawaiian shirt of Bray, who he was, he can’t be without Brodie. I can’t be that without Brodie. It’s just not the same. It’s disrespectful to my best friend. It just can’t be without him.”

– Bray Wyatt

The WWE star also mentioned his WrestleMania 37 match against Randy Orton. He claimed The Fiend died that day in Tampa, Florida and ‘it can never be again.’

Brodie Lee, better known to WWE fans as Luke Harper was one of the original members of The Wyatt Family. He, unfortunately, passed away in December 2020 at the age of 41.

Bray Wyatt is scheduled for a pitch-black match against LA Knight at Royal Rumble this year. The event, scheduled for Saturday, January 28 will be coming live from Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

Mark Briscoe on Brother Jay’s Passing: “He’s Ain’t Gone”

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

Mark Briscoe believes that Jay Briscoe is not truly gone and he has just moved on to the next higher level of existence. Now it’s time to wrestle for him.

The ROH veteran addressed the passing of his brother in a video published on Caprice Coleman’s Twitter account. He mentioned that he wouldn’t have been able to continue wrestling this long, if his brother was not with him:

“Ain’t no way I’ve been wanting to do this for this long if ain’t have my boy with me this whole time. But now, it’s time to carry on for him. Family is beyond. This life is temporary. Let’s focus on the eternal, not the temporal.”

Jay Briscoe passed away in an unfortunate car accident on January 17. The wrestling world has since come together to mourn the loss and pay tribute to the ROH legend.

Mark Brisoce: “He Ain’t Gone”

Mark Briscoe mentioned how Jay is not with him in person. Though the late star is still in his heart and knowing that has helped him keep going:

“He’s still with me right here [points to his heart]. He ain’t gone. If I thought he was gone, I wouldn’t be no good. I know he ain’t gone. I know he just moved on to the next higher level of existence. You know what I mean? That’s what keeps me going and keeps me pushing forward.”

– Mark Briscoe

AEW presented a tribute show for Jay Briscoe on this week’s Dynamite. You can check out the tribute video they put together below:

Impact Wrestling Results (1/26/23): Golden Six Shooter Match

Tyriece Simon
-
0

The Jan. 26 episode of Impact Wrestling aired on AXS TV at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT.

This episode featured a main event between Sami Callihan, Eddie Edwards, Rich Swann, Rhino, Moose, and Chris Sabin in a Golden Six Shooter match. It is a six way elimination match. The winner of the match will challenge Josh Alexander for the Impact World Championship at No Surrender on Feb. 24. This week’s episode also aired on their Youtube channel for Impact Insider subscribers. Impact Wrestling offers a monthly subscription to watch weekly episodes on Youtube for $1.49.

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

Impact Wrestling Results (1/26) Results

(C)Trey Miguel vs. Mike Jackson- X Division Championship Match

The match started with both Miguel and Jackson exchanging holds and going for quick pinfalls. Miguel tries to go for a handshake and punches Jackson in the face. The champion starts to control the match by working on the arm. Miguel goes for a Springboard Moonsault but misses. Jackson pulls his straps down and tries to fire back, but Miguel stops him.

The action goes to the outside, where Miguel misses a Clothesline to Jackson and hits the ring post. Jackson brings the champion back to the ring and goes Old School. He tries to walk over the ring ropes and hit Miguel’s arm but gets hit in the stomach. Miguel takes back control of the match. The finish came when Miguel landed the Lighting Spiral on Jackson.

After the match, Crazy Steve and Black Taurus confront Miguel, but the champion runs away in the crowd.

We get a backstage interview with Impact World Champion Josh Alexander. He says no matter who wins the Golden six shooter match; he’ll remind him why he is the champion. Steve Maclin confronts Alexander and teases a match between them in the future.

The Good Hands (Josh Hotch & John Skyler) vs. Kushida & Kevin Knight

Kevin Knight and John Skyler start the match. Knight controls the arm of Skyler and tags Kushida in the match. Both Kushida and Knight start to focus on the arm of Skyler. The match turns when Skyler tags in Hotch, and they start taking control of it. Hotch brings Kushida to his teammate’s corner and tags Skyler back in. Skyler lands a cheap shot on Knight and The Good Hands land a Rolling German Suplex/ Jackknife pin combo on Kushida for a two count.

The Good Hands tried another tag team move, but Kushida countered and tagged in Knight. Knight and Kushida start to take control of the match. Kushida blind tags in the match and picks up Hotch over his head for Knight to hit a Dropkick. Kushida locks in the Kimura lock on Hotch to win the match.

We get a backstage segment between Mickie James and Jordynne Grace. Grace wants another opportunity at the Impact Knockout Championship.

(C)Death Dollz(Jessicka & Taya Valkyrie) vs. Gisele Shaw & Tara- Impact Knockout Tag Team Championship

Taya Valkyrie and Tara start the match, but Gisele Shaw blind-tags Tara. The Death Dollz start to take offense to Shaw after Jessicka tags in. Jessicka lands several kicks on Shaw and tries to go for a leg drop but misses. Shaw follows up by landing a Running Uppercut to Jessicka in the corner. The fans start chanting for Tara, but Shaw refuses to tag her. Jessicka tags in Valkyrie, who rallies a comeback.

Jai Vadal trips Valkyrie as she runs to the ropes near him. Rosemary hits a Spear on Vidal to take Vidal out of the match. Shaw lands Tara’s signature move, the Spider web, for a two count. Shaw teases like she’ll tag Tara in but denies her. Tara enters the ring to confront Shaw. They get into an argument until Shaw pushes Tara. Tara responds by landing the Widow’s Peak on Shaw. Tara leaves the match and the Death Dollz hit the Death Driver on Shaw to win the match.

We get a backstage segment between Santino Marella and Dave LaGreca. Bully Ray stops them while talking and asks Marella why he isn’t in the Golden 6 Shooter Match. Ray threatens Marella after he gets denied again from being involved in the match. LaGreca tells Marella that he should get Tommy Dreamer to go against Ray.

We get a backstage interview with Tasha Steelz and Savannah Evans. Steelz talks about last week’s tag team match and says James didn’t defeat her one-on-one. Steelz also teases a split between her and Evans as a group.

The Major Players(Brian Myers & Matt Cardona)vs. The Bullet Club (Ace Austin and Chris Bey)

Matt Cardona and Chris Bey start the match by exchanging holds. Bey gets the better of Cardona and tags Ace Austin in. The Bullet Club lands several tag team moves on Cardona and Brian Myers to take control of the match. Cardona and Myers escape to the outside of the ring. Austin does a dive to the outside on The Major Players. Austin tries to put the legal Myers back in the ring but gets attacked by Cardona.

Cardona tags in the match to take the offense to Austin. The Major Players tagged in and out of the match to dominate Austin. Myers taunted Bey and got caught with a kick from Austin. Bey gets tagged, and he takes the offense to Cardona, who is tagged in. However, Myers distracts Bey for Cardona to land a hard Clothesline. He follows it up by hitting the running boot to Bey in the corner. Myers tag in to land a Top Rope Elbow Drop for a two-count.

Myers tags in Cardona to go for another tag team move, but Bey takes them both out. Bey tags in Austin, and the finish comes when Austin locks in a weird pin on Cardona for the win.

After the match, Joe Hendry comes out to accept Cardona’s challenge for the Digital Media Championship.

Jonathan Gresham vs. Sheldon Jean

Jonathan Gresham takes control early against Sheldon Jean. He locks in an Ankle Lock, but Jean gets to the ropes. Jean tries to get some offense in, but Gresham counters every move. The finish comes when Gresham hyperextends Jean knee and hits hit him in the back of the head with an elbow to win.

Impact teases matchups for next week.

  • The Bullet Club (Ace Austin & Chris Bey) will face Kushida and Kevin Knight.
  • Giselle Shaw try to get her revenge against Tara in a singles match.

Golden Six Shooter Match

Moose and Rhino clear the ring of the other opponents. They both start exchanging Shoulder Blocks until Moose racks the eyes of Rhino. Moose tries to capitalize but gets caught with a clothesline by Rhino. Chris Sabin takes out Rhino momentarily with a Running Shoulder Block. Sami Callihan enters the ring and lands an Exploder Suplex on Sabin. However, Sabin gets the momentum back by countering a move from Callihan and dives to the outside on Moose.

Each opponent starts landing their moves on each other in the ring until it’s down to Rhino and Callihan. Rhino starts to beat down Callihan until Moose surprises him with a Spear. Before Moose can cover, Callihan kicks him in the face and pins Rhino to eliminate him. We go on a commercial break.

After the break, Moose is in control of the match. Eddie Edwards tries to attack Moose but gets caught in the Urinage. Sabin hits a Tornado DDT on Moose to stop his dominance. Callihan enters back in the ring to attack Sabin. However, Sabin outsmarts him. Edwards tries to attack Sabin but hits Callihan. Sabin grabs Edwards and runs up Callihan’s chest to land a Tornado DDT on Edwards.

Sabin tries to go after Callihan but gets countered by him. The action in the match continues to go back and forth with all opponents. The subsequent elimination comes when PCO distracts Edwards and Sabin puts Edwards in a cradle pin to eliminate him.

Moose enters the ring to attack Sabin. He overpowers Sabin until he gets caught with an Enzuigiri in the corner. Sabin tries to land another Tornado DDT, but Moose avoids it and hits a Spear on Sabin to eliminate him. We go to commercial break.

We return from a commercial break with Moose, Callihan, and Swann exchanging offense. Swann lands a Springboard Cutter on Callihan to make him roll out of the ring. Moose turns his attention to Swann and starts to focus on his leg. He gets overconfident and tries to pick up Swann from his leg, but Moose gets caught in a roll-up to get eliminated. The Design comes to the ring, and Cody Deaner tells Callihan he has to beat Swann.

Callihan and Swann exchange offense until Swann hits his opponent with a spinning kick to the face. Swann gets the win after landing a 450 Splash from the middle rope.

The Design beats down Swann, and Deaner tries to make Callihan attack Swann. However, Yuya Uemura, Franke Kazarian & Josh Alexander come out to save Swann.

Report: WWE Changed Plans For Women’s Title Match At The Royal Rumble

Tyriece Simon
-
0

The WWE Royal Rumble will take place this Saturday, Jan. 28. The matches are set; however, it seems the company changed their plans for the women’s title picture for the event.

WWE surprised fans with Charlotte Flair’s return and the defeat of Ronda Rousey for the Smackdown Women’s Championship on the Dec. 30 episode of Friday Night Smackdown. Before her match with Flair, Rousey defeated Raquel Rodriguez to retain the title. However, it’s reported WWE didn’t initially plan for the Rousey and Rodriguez match to happen that soon.

Ronda Rousey
(via WWE)

Fightful Select reports that the company wanted the Rousey and Rodriguez title match to occur at the Royal Rumble. The report also shared that WWE had thought of having Flair work with Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair.

“…Ronda Rousey Smackdown Women’s Title defense against Raquel Rodriguez that took place on December 30 was actually originally planned to go down almost a full month later. Fightful has gained information that displays that the match was set for the WWE Royal Rumble as of early December,” said the report.

It also added that “…Another interesting note is that several WWE plans have changed as a result of this in relation to it. At the same period, Charlotte Flair was tentatively scheduled on a “suggested matches” list to wrestle Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship. Rhea Ripley was set to take on Rousey, but that’s when Rousey was still Champion.”

Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey
(via WWE)

What’s Next For Ronda Rousey?

After her defeat to Flair, it’s unclear what WWE has planned for Rousey. The report notes that WWE gave her different creative options before Dec. 30. However, it didn’t work out, and they went with Flair defeating Rousey after her match with Rodriguez. It also didn’t share the options that WWE presented to the former champion.

She isn’t advertised to compete at the Royal Rumble this weekend. This could still change, but Fightful Select reported on Jan. 20 that she isn’t expected to appear at the event.

The company could have Rousey challenge Flair for the Smackdown Women’s Championship. However, Flair is working with Sonya Deville, which could get added it the Royal Rumble card. Rousey will have to wait to see what WWE has planned for her.

Vince McMahon Spotted at WWE Headquarters

Andrew Ravens
-
0

Vince McMahon returned to WWE as the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, and countless changes have been made in the wake of his decision.

His daughter and the former WWE CEO and Chairwoman Stephanie McMahon publicly announced her resignation on January 10, just hours before McMahon officially named himself the Executive Chairman. 

This was after McMahon brought himself back to the Board along with George Barrios and Michelle Wilson while some Board members had left. 

JoEllen Lyons Dillon, Jeffrey R Speed, and Alan M Wexler were the members that were removed to make way for them. Nick Khan is the CEO of the company, while Triple H remains in charge of WWE creative as well. 

Last week, several big backstage names parted ways with WWE, and several employees were fired. Vince has also brought back EVP of Operations Brad Blum to the company.

He’s Back

Pwinsider.com reported, “McMahon was spotted earlier this week at Titan Tower, so it appears he’s back in his old office.”

Since his return to the Board, there have been rumors that he was back, but this marks the first confirmed sighting of the former CEO and Chairman. 

McMahon’ departed from the company last July after ‘hush pact’ allegations. He reached a settlement with Rita Chatterton for millions after she accused him of raping her in 1986. McMahon is back to facilitate a sale of the company and help with the TV rights negotiations.

Britt Baker Update Following Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite

Andrew Ravens
-
0

AEW President Tony Khan unexpectedly announced Wednesday morning that Britt Baker wouldn’t be competing as scheduled on this week’s Dynamite episode. 

Khan cited that she wasn’t medically cleared to compete and had been pulled from a scheduled triple threat bout against Ruby Soho and Toni Storm on this week’s show. 

Dave Meltzer noted on today’s Wrestling Observer Radio that Baker’s injury is not considered serious although it’s still unclear what the exact injury is. She wasn’t cleared and won’t be sidelined for a lengthy period of time. 

Plans Change

Soho vs. Storm in a singles match was booked instead on the show. AEW did use Baker on Dynamite as she was seen on the stage area during the match, leading to a distraction that allowed Soho to pick up the victory.

Khan revealed on Wednesday morning’s Busted Open Radio that the planned triple threat would take place once Baker is medically cleared. 

Baker’s last Dynamite match happened when she teamed with Jamie Hayter and defeated Saraya and Toni Stormon on the January 11, 2023, edition of Dynamite from Los Angeles. She teamed with Jamie Hayter and defeated Saraya and Toni Storm that night. Last week, Hayter & Baker beat the Renegade twins on Rampage.

AEW & DAZN Announce Multi-Year, Exclusive Broadcast Deal

Thomas Lowson
-
0

Action from All Elite Wrestling will be available in dozens of markets across Europe and Asia as part of a new broadcast deal with DAZN.

DAZN, the popular global sports streaming service, began in 2015, and holds domestic broadcasting rights for several top soccer teams in their main markets, include Italy’s Serie A, Spain’s La Liga and Germany’s Bundesliga.

The Statement

In a statement by DAZN Group, it was confirmed that they had secured “exclusive broadcast rights to AEW, in a multi-year deal that will bring the promotion to DAZN subscribers in 42 markets across Europe and Asia.

The deal will include AEW Dynamite and Rampage, Dark and Dark: Elevation, four Battle of the Belt events a year, and four Pay-Per-Views a year.

The statement by DAZN calls the introduction of AEW to is schedule “another major addition to the breadth of multi-sport content available on the platform.”

AEW is described in the statement as “the new professional wrestling league taking the world by storm with its meteoric rise, record-high ratings, world-class roster and highly entertaining product.”

AEW will air in the following markets as part of DAZN:

Albania, Alderney, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, Georgia, Gibraltar, Greece, Guernsey, Hungary, Iceland, Jan Mayen Islands, Jersey, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Svalbard, Sweden, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

Impact Partners with DAZN to Bring Content to 170+ Countries

Mick Foley On Bleeding Having A Place In Wrestling

Jon Fuentes
-
0

WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley believes that bleeding certainly has its place in professional wrestling.

Foley recently took to his podcast, “Foley Is Pod,” and discussed the topic. It’s a topic of discussion that many legends have been sharing their thoughts on as of late. The ex-WWE Champion explains that blood definitely has its place in professional wrestling, as long as it’s not overused.

“I always felt like [blood] had a place. I’ve been around when it was overused, I’ve been around where it was underused or extinct. I was pretty good with the amount of blood when I was in WWE.

“Of all the big matches — up until I had my comeback matches, where the blood was more frequent — I think I was only in four or five bloody matches, in my four years in WWE. Less is more. So that when Steve and Bret had their legendary match [at WrestleMania] it really meant something because it wasn’t overdone.”

Mick Foley Hell in a Cell

He further explained that he’s sure there were some of his matches that featured blood that probably didn’t need it. However, there were also matches that featured blood that actually helped make a good match great.

“I’m sure there were times when I was involved in bloody matches that didn’t need to be bloody. I was in some others where the blood would have taken a good match and made it great, or taken a great match and made it legendary.

“I did pretty well for myself in WWE during my main four years there, where I rarely bled. I did pretty well in WCW even after they put the ixnay on the bleeding. I didn’t feel like I had to have it. I thought I had it in perspective.

“Maybe I used it a little more often than I should have, but I also don’t think that I overused it. Or else my fair complexion would look considerably different.”

Quotes via 411Mania

1...502503504...3,400Page 503 of 3,400