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Wrestling Veteran Describes His New Role with AEW

Anutosh Bajpai
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Veteran wrestling commentator Tony Schiavone has received a big promotion in AEW. In addition to his broadcast duties, he is now working in a talent relations role as well.

The AEW commentator opened up about this on the most recent episode of AEW Unrestricted. He revealed Tony Khan has promoted a number of people recently:

“I’m very honored to have been promoted by Tony Khan. It’s a crew of us that have been promoted. It’s QT Marshall, Sonjay Dutt, Pat Buck, and myself. [We all] have been promoted within the confines of what’s going on.”

Tony Schiavone’s New Job Title

Tony Schiavone
Tony Schiavone (Photo: AEW)

Tony Schiavone also confirmed his new job title and explained his role behind the scenes. Schiavone noted that when he is not helping Khan with something, he makes sure that all the talents are happy:

“My job is now Senior Producer, Special Advisor & Talent Relations. I love that special advisor role. I do a lot of running during the day, trying to talk to talent. Then what I’ll do is when I don’t have a specific thing to do, like run go get this person because Tony wants to talk to them and we need to hammer out some things and bring him back into Tony’s office.

Basically, what I do [is I] walk around during the day and ask people how they’re doing and ask them if they’re happy. If there’s anything we can do to make it better. That’s very very important, I think we are really making good strides. I really do.”

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

Eddie Kingston Lashes Out at CM Punk After AEW Dynamite Dig

Thomas Lowson
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On last week’s AEW Dynamite, CM Punk returned to TV after over two months away due to a foot injury.

This week, Punk said that he and Jon Moxley would unify the AEW World Championships at All Out, but Moxley later convinced Punk to have the match next week.

This will mark Punk’s first match since the June 1, edition of AEW Dynamite when he and FTR defeated the Gunn Club and Max Caster

Kingston Hits Back

During his promo on this week’s Dynamite, Punk made reference to WWE and also took aim at some of the AEW wrestlers.

One name Punk mentioned was Eddie Kingston, calling him the third best Eddie he’s stepped in the ring with and the second best Kingston.

The first comment likely is in reference to Eddie Guerrero, who Punk faced early in his career, but it’s unclear who the other Eddie is.

The second best Kingston line is presumably a nod to Kofi Kingston, who Punk teamed with in WWE in 2008.

Responding on Twitter, Eddie Kingston didn’t hold back.

https://twitter.com/MadKing1981/status/1560060197481185282

Punk and Kingston

Kingston’s comment stems from reported real-life beef that the ‘Mad King’ has with the reigning AEW World Champion.

Last November, it was reported that Kingston despised Punk from their days in IWA-Mid South, where Punk called Kingston and his tag-team partner at the time Blackjack Marciano, fat, lazy, and unsafe.

Marciano had injured Delirious during a match, and an irate Punk “buried them nonstop” according to a source who was with the promotion at the time.

Eddie Kingston Says Match Against CM Punk The Most Personal Of His Career

Triple H may have Undone a Controversial Vince McMahon-era Ban

Thomas Lowson
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In July, Vince McMahon resigned from all duties with WWE, due to the ongoing investigation against him.

McMahon is alleged to have paid millions of dollars to former WWE employees in Non-Disclosure Agreements to cover up alleged affairs.

The former Chairman’s departure has seen Triple H grow in power behind the scenes, replacing McMahon as Head of Creative and replacing John Laurinaitis as Head of Talent Relations.

The Ban

In late 2020, WWE issued a new rule which stated that the company would be taking over talents’ third-party streaming accounts.

Several prominent Superstars were forced to either shut down or change their streaming channels, with AJ Styles, Xavier Woods, Adam Cole and others all being affected.

WWE’s rule was met with a ton of backlash by Superstars, fans and those in the industry.

AEW poked fun at WWE’s rule, with Kip Sabian promoting his Twitch channel during the All Out 2020 Pay Per View.

On Twitter this week, WWE Superstar Drew Gulak confirmed that he has returned to Twitch, and thanked ‘Papa H’ for the chance.

https://twitter.com/DrewGulak/status/1560087806554300417

Other Changes

Triple H has been hard at work undoing some of the decisions made recently by Vince McMahon.

Since becoming Head of Talent Relations ‘The Game’ has rehired several Superstars released under the previous regime of the company.

Karrion Kross, Scarlett, Dakota Kai, and Hit Row have all returned to WWE so far, with more returns expected including Bray Wyatt.

There has also been a change to WWE’s banned terms list, with words including hospital and wrestler now being used on TV.

AEW Star Sees Triple H’s New Role as a “Game Changer” for WWE

Spoiler: Claudio Castagnoli To Defend ROH Title Against 34-Year Veteran

Anutosh Bajpai
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Current ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli will be challenged by a 34-year veteran in his next title defense.

This week’s episode of Dynamite gave us many notable moments, including the AEW return of Kenny Omega and the surprising announcement of the AEW world championship match.

Though things didn’t end there as the company also taped this week’s episode of Rampage after the Wednesday night show went off air.

During one of the segments on the taping, ROH world champion Claudio Castagnoli came out alongside ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta.

Castagnoli first mentioned how it was great to come out before the crowd as the ROH champion, especially with Ricky Steamboat in attendance.

Claudio Castagnoli’s Next Challenger

Dustin Rhodes
(AEW)

The former WWE star then issued an open challenge for next week. Dustin Rhodes came out to accept this challenge, and officially became the #1 contender for the title. This match will take place on the August 26 Rampage.

Claudio Castagnoli won the ROH championship by defeating Jonathan Gresham at the Death Before Dishonor PPV. He previously defended his title successfully against Konosuke Takeshita.

Apart from this, the Rampage episode also featured matches such as Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland vs. Private Party, Buddy Matthews vs Serpentico and The Best Friends & Orange Cassidy vs. The Trustbusters in a first-round trios title tournament match.

Watch What Happened With Kenny Omega After Dynamite Went Off Air

Anutosh Bajpai
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Former AEW world champion Kenny Omega made his grand return after almost 10 months of absence on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite.

The Cleaner teamed up with The Young Bucks to compete in the first round of AEW Trios Title Tournament. They defeated the team of Andrade El Idolo, Rush, and Dragon Lee in the main event of the show.

Andrade turned on Dragon Lee after this loss. The broadcast ended with the former NXT champion dropping Lee with a Hammerlock DDT.

The Elite then hit the ring to save Lee from the attack. They stayed in the ring afterwards, and Kenny Omega addressed the crowd following his grand return after almost 300 days.

Kenny Omega Talks To The Fans

Omega first mentioned how they were able to survive the match on the show because of The Young Bucks. The Bucks pointed that the crowd has been booing them the past year and Kenny then explained why he probably should be mad too:

“Maybe I should be mad, too, because the reason why I’m in this state right now, the reason I have to have three, sometimes four sessions of physical rehab every single day, is because of you. Maybe I should hate each and every one of you, because I come back out here for you guys. It’s never for me.”

However, Kenny Omega then claimed that deep down, he has an appreciation for all the fans. He ended the promo by thanking the crowd for their support:

“So, on TV, I may blame you guys, I may hold resentment towards you guys. But perhaps, deep down inside, as long as this never gets aired, I do very much appreciate you. Thank you very much.”

You can check out Kenny Omega’s post Dynamite promo below:

Watch: Kenny Omega Makes His Grand Return On Dynamite

Anutosh Bajpai
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Kenny Omega is back!

The former world champion had been absent from AEW programming since November last year. He dropped the AEW title to Hangman Page at Full Gear and took time off due to multiple issues.

The Cleaner had been overseeing the development of AEW Fight Forever video game in the meantime but keeping his distance from the wrestling side of things.

In his absence, Adam Cole became the unofficial leader of The Elite for a while. However, he turned on The Young Bucks and left the group along with Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly a few weeks ago.

Fans started speculating about Kenny Omega’s return when the company finally announced the brackets for the trios title tournament, and The Young Bucks started looking for a partner.

Kenny Omega Returns To Dynamite

The tournament began on this week’s episode of Dynamite. This is where Omega made his return as the surprise tag team partner of The Young Bucks.

The team of Kenny Omega and The Bucks went on to defeat the trio of Andrade El Idolo, Rush, and Dragon Lee to advance to the semi-finals of the tournament.

They will meet the winner of the first-round match between Death Triangle and the United Empire. The Elite are currently the favorites to win the whole thing and become the Inaugural Trios champions.

Huge Championship Match Shockingly Announced For Next Week’s Dynamite

Anutosh Bajpai
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AEW has shockingly announced a huge championship match for next week’s episode of Dynamite from Wolstein Center in Cleveland, OH.

They have confirmed that the AEW world champion CM Punk will be facing the Interim world champion Jon Moxley to unify the titles next week.

Punk won the AEW title from Hangman Page at Double or Nothing in May. Though he had to take time off from the company shortly after due to a broken foot.

The promotion crowned Mox the interim world champion in the meantime, and the hardcore star has been defending the championship since Forbidden Door.

Punk vs. Moxley

Punk vs Moxley announced for Dynamite

Punk made his surprise return on last week’s Dynamite and saved Moxley from a beatdown. The two then had a confrontation and many believed they will meet at the upcoming All Out PPV.

This week’s episode of the show, however, saw a heated verbal exchange between the two stars. This was followed by a brawl that had to be broken up by security. The championship match was announced for next week after this.

This surprise announcement has left fans puzzled. The All Out PPV is only a few weeks away, and there is now speculation that this storyline could lead to the return of MJF.

The Salt of The Earth hasn’t been seen since his explosive Dynamite promo. Many believed that his return was being held off because of Punk’s injury and fans are now wondering if we can finally see his comeback next week.

AEW Dynamite Results (8/17/22): Kenny Omega Returns, CM Punk & Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson vs. Daniel Garcia

Robert Lentini
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This week’s episode of AEW Dynamite aired from the Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, West Virginia. In addition to the takeaways below, Dax Harwood challenged Jay Lethal to match next week.

Dynamite Results (8/17)

  • Bryan Danielson def. Daniel Garcia in a 2 out of 3 Falls match
  • Gunn Club def. Varsity Blonds
  • Toni Storm def. KiLynn King
  • Kenny Omega & Young Bucks def. Andrade El Idolo, Rush, Dragon Lee to advance to the 2nd round of the Trios Tournament

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

CM Punk & Jon Moxley Traded Words

AEW Champion CM Punk made his way down the entrance ramp and joked that he was going to dive into the crowd again. Punk recently returned at Quake by the Lake and confronted Interim AEW Champion Jon Moxley. CM Punk got a great reaction from the crowd.

Punk thanked the crowd and said he has the prettiest belt in wrestling. CM Punk raised the AEW Championship and noted that he hasn’t been here in some time. He took a seat in the ring and said if Hangman Adam Page wanted a rematch he can have it right now. The crowd chanted “Cowboy sh*t!” but Hangman didn’t come to the ring. Punk said that isn’t “Cowboy sh*t, that is coward sh*t”.

Punk added that the apology from Hangman better be as loud as the disrespect. He brought up Interim Champion Jon Moxley and noted that the term means “temporary”. CM Punk mocked Eddie Kingston as the third-best Eddie he’s ever been in the ring and the 2nd best Kingston. He added that Jon was the third-best member of BCC. CM Punk said he plans to defend the title at AEW All Out before Interim Champion Jon Moxley interrupted.

Jon slowly made his way through the crowd as Punk did snow angels in the ring. Moxley got inside the ring with a microphone and joked that CM Punk is dropping pipebombs. Jon ducked and said that Punk is doing what he does best, writing checks with his mouth that his body can’t cash. Moxley added that he’s the heart and soul of the company and CM Punk as champion makes him sick. He said that they both know that Punk came to AEW because he ran out of money.

Jon claimed that most of the time Punk isn’t even the best wrestler at catering. CM Punk joked that he’s afraid to touch Jon now because he might just bleed over him. Moxley stared at Punk before the two traded punches. AEW security broke it up to end the segment. Moxley versus Punk is official for AEW All Out on September 4th.

Bryan Danielson def. Daniel Garcia, Jericho Attacks

Bryan Danielson battled Daniel Garcia in a 2 out of 3 Falls match tonight on Dynamite. Chris Jericho joined commentary before the match as Dynamite went to a commercial break. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat was in the front row for the match as the “guest timekeeper”. Danielson controlled the action early as Dynamite went to break.

When Dynamite returned, Garcia locked in an armbar in the middle of the ring but Bryan was able to escape. Danielson planted Garcia with a Fisherman’s Suplex for a close two count. Garcia rolled out of the ring to regroup and Bryan caught him with a Dropkick through the ropes.

Danielson went for a knee strike off the apron but Daniel dodged it. Garcia hit a Suplex of his own on the floor outside the ring. Back in the ring, Garcia gave Bryan a taste of his own medicine and started reigning down elbow strikes to the face. Daniel went for a Sharpshooter but Danielson blocked it.

Bryan then locked in a Triangle submission but Garcia countered into a perfect Piledriver. Daniel Garcia choked out Bryan Danielson in the middle of the ring to win the first fall.Bryan was weakened and Garcia unloaded some chops to the chest. Daniel followed it up with an Enziguri as Dynamite went to a break. When Dynamite returned, Garcial was still in control but Danielson rolled him up out of nowhere to win the 2nd fall. We are now tied 1-1.

Danielson tied Garcia up in the Tree of Woe in the corner of the ring. Bryan hit some kicks before unloading some elbow strikes. Bryan sent Daniel to the mat with a release German Suplex and sat up as the crowd erupted. Danielson hit a Dropkick off the top rope and knocked Garcia out of the ring. Bryan hopped up and hit a Suicide Dive through the ropes before delivering some kicks to Garcia’s chest. Garcia bounced Bryan’s head off the ring post and got back into the ring. Bryan made it back into the ring at the last second as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

Back from the commercial, Daniel Garcia connected with a running knee strike but Bryan kicked out at two. Danielson and Garcia started trading punches in the middle of the ring. Garcia got the better of the exchange and booted Danielson in the face several times. Danielson unloaded some elbow strikes of his own before applying the LeBell Lock. Daniel Garcia reached for the ropes but couldn’t get there and passed out. Bryan Danielson won 2 out of 3 Falls. After the match, Bryan Danielson tried to shake Daniel Garcia’s hand but Jericho attacked from behind. Garcia pulled Jericho away and Chris scolded him as the crowd chanted “you’re a wrestler!” at Garcia. Daniel pushed Jericho away and Chris retreated to end the segment.

Jon Moxley & CM Punk Brawled Again, Match Announced For Next Week

Tony Nese was making his way to the ring before Jon Moxley attacked him. The Interim Champion fell down on the entrance ramp before marching to the ring. Jon wanted to fight CM Punk again and called the AEW Champion out. AEW security and Blackpool Combat Club broke it up.

Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat and Jericho had a conversation backstage. Jericho told Ricky that he hasn’t liked him for 15 years and to stay out of his business. Cool Hand put his hands on Ricky and Steamboat leveled him with a chop.

CM Punk versus Jon Moxley was announced for next week’s Dynamite. Death Triangle vs. Will Ospreay and Aussie Open in the Trios Tournament was announced for next Wednesday’s show as well.

Gunn Club Betrayed Their Dad

Griff Garrison & Brian Pillman Jr. (Varsity Blonds) battled Colten & Austin Gunn. Billy Gunn was ringside for the match. Colten hit Griff with the Colt 45 right away for the pinfall victory. Billy Gunn cut a promo after the match and said he’s super proud of them. Stokely Hathaway showed up and Gunn Club attacked their dad from behind. The Acclaimed rushed the ring to make the save and Gunn Club retreated. The Acclaimed celebrated with Billy Gunn to end the segment.

Jungle Boy Attacked Christian Cage

Jungle Boy came to the ring and cut a promo on Christian Cage. He challenged Christian to a match at All Out and Cage interrupted. Christian declined the challenge and claimed to be proud of him. Christian joked that a year ago it was like he was from West Virginia and couldn’t form a sentence. The crowd booed as Christian entered the ring. Christian told Jungle Boy that he wants to fix this as the audience chanted “bullsh*t”.

Cage said the crowd has never accomplished anything in their lives and asked Jungle Boy not to listen to them. Christian wanted a hug but Jungle Boy tackled him instead. Jungle Boy unloaded some punches to Christian’s face and dragged him back as he tried to escape. Christian got out of the ring and launched Jungle Boy into the barricade as he chased after him. Jungle Boy responded by hurling Christian into the steel steps and bouncing his head off of them several times. He then stomped on Christian’s elbow against the steps and bashed his head against them several more times before AEW security broke it up.

Toni Storm def. KiLynn King

Toni controlled the match early and knocked KiLynn out of the ring. Storm went for a Tornado DDT off the ring apron but King blocked it. Back in the ring, King sent Storm to the corner and charged but Toni countered with a kick to the face.

Storm climbed to the top turnbuckle but KiLynn tripped her up. When Dynamite returned from the break, Storm planted KiLynn with a DDT for the pinfall victory as AEW Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa was shown watching backstage.

Kenny Omega Returns,Trios Match

Andrade El Idolo, Rush, and Dragon Lee battled The Young Bucks and a mystery partner in tonight’s main event in a first-round matchup in the tournament to crown the first Trios Champions. Young Bucks handed Justin Roberts a card and he introduced Kenny Omega as their partner. Don Callis and Michael Nakazawa accompanied Omega during his entrance.

Nick Jackson and Dragon Lee started off the action. Dragon Lee hit a shoulder tackle but Nick responded with an Armdrag. Matt Jackson tagged in and sent Dragon to the corner. Young Bucks connected with a Bulldog and Nick delivered a Hurricanrana to Andrade El Idolo.

Kenny Omega tagged in as Don Callis argued with Jim Ross on commentary. Omega hit Dragon with a couple of chops to the chest and some punches to the face in the corner of the ring. Omega hit a slam and tagged out after hitting a Fameasser on Dragon Lee. When Dynamite returned from a break, Andrade hit Matt Jackson with a running knee to the face for a near fall. Andrade, Rush, and Dragon Lee unloaded three Dropkicks as AEW went to the final commercial break of the night.

When Dynamite returned, Matt Lee booted Dragon Lee away and got to the corner to tag in Kenny Omega. The former AEW Champion connected with an Enziguri on Rush and then a snap German Suplex on Andrade. Kenny hit Rush and Dragon Lee with a snap German Suplex as well before tagging in Matt.

Young Bucks hit sent Rush and Andrade to opposite corners of the ring. They hit them with Superkicks and isolated Dragon Lee in the corner. Matt hit Dragon Lee with a Buckle Bomb and fired up the crowd. Young Bucks and Omega hit Dragon with three Superkicks but Rush broke up the cover. Nick and Matt hit Rush and Andrade with a couple of Crossbodies on the outside. Jose the Assistant tripped Omega up and then he was placed on top of the barricade. Dragon Lee took out Kenny with a ridiculous Suicide Dive and they rolled him back into the ring.

Dragon hit Nick with a Hurricanrana as Andrade connected with a standing Moonsault on Kenny for a near fall. Andrade followed it up with a DDT but Matt broke up the cover. Kenny hit Dragon Lee with the V-Trigger and followed it up with the One-Winged Angel for the pinfall victory. Omega and The Young Bucks advanced in the Trios Tournament. Andrade planted Dragon Lee with a DDT after the match.

Jack Evans Has Regrets About His Time With AEW

Tyriece Simon
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Former All Elite Wrestling talent Jake Evans reflected on his AEW run and believed he could’ve done better.

Evans signed with the company alongside his former tag team partner Angelico on May 9, 2019. He also competed in a tag match with his partner at AEW’s inaugural Double or Nothing Pay Per View against Best Friends(Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta) on May 25, 2019.

While Evans started in the early days of AEW, the company rarely used him for TV, and he also dealt with setbacks as a team with his partner. AEW decided not to re-sign Evans to a new deal and let his contract expire in April this year.

Evans recently spoke with Brett Deutchman for PWMania and discussed what keeps him going in professional wrestling. He shared that AEW motivated him and said he could’ve done better with the company.

“Honestly, one of the things that has motivated me recently was my AEW stint,” said Evans. “I didn’t do as well there as I could’ve, but nonetheless, I was grateful for the experience. I don’t know how likely it is that I’ll be back there, even though I would love to. It’s a very sought-after promotion that everyone’s trying to go to.”

Jack Evans on His Current Plans After Leaving AEW

Jack Evans

Since his departure, Evans has begun to work for independent wrestling promotions and recently wrestled for Impact Wrestling. He unsuccessfully challenged “Speedball” Mike Bailey for the X Division Championship at Emergence on Aug. 12.

At 40 years old, Evans is motivated to compete in the indies. He also praised how independent wrestling promotions operate today compared to the past.

“After I got released from AEW, I got back on the indies, and I’m just grinding it out,” said Evans. “Tomorrow, I’ll be wrestling on Impact. I just did MCW recently too. Not a lot of people realize that MCW has been around a long time, which is impressive for an indy promotion.”

He continued, “At the time when they were established, not many indies would last that long; it was rare. Most would be a one-off show, and that’s it. MCW has a business model that makes it profitable.”

Although Evans wants to compete with the best on the independent wrestling scene, he doesn’t rule out a return to AEW. He would also like to do more promos if he returns to the company. For now, Evans is a free agent looking to compete as a single competitor.

Rey Mysterio Wants Finn Balor at WrestleMania

Jon Fuentes
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Rey Mysterio wants a match with Finn Balor at WrestleMania.

Mysterio was recently interviewed by Inside The Ropes where he discussed his professional wrestling career, including his current run on Monday Night RAW.

Currently, he and his son, Dominik, are locked in a feud with The Judgement Day – Rhea Ripley, Finn Balor, and Damian Priest.

With that being said, Mysterio has had the opportunity to work quite a bit with Finn Balor. When asked who his desired opponent for WrestleMania would be, Mysterio named the Irish star.

“The one guy I had in mind, and it’s actually happening right now as we speak is Finn Balor. The opportunity of working against Finn, and these last couple of weeks that we have been on Raw, I really feel like we have great chemistry together.

“It was bound to happen just because I know how dedicated he is, and how committed he is, so I think the program I have been doing with Finn has been incredible.”

Rey Mysterio

At the moment, Mysterio and Dominik have been feuding with The Judgment Day for the past few weeks. They’ve seemingly aligned themselves with ex-Judgement Day leader Edge, who was kicked out of the faction several weeks ago.

Judgement Day has been attempting to lure Dominik into their faction for some time. If they ultimately succeed, perhaps a father vs. son angle could be on the horizon. It’s something The Mysterios have admittedly talked about amongst themselves.

However, they’d only want to do it if it felt right at the moment. Given where their current storyline seems to be heading, the perfect moment might be right around the corner.

Quotes via Wrestling Inc.

Damian Priest on Rey Mysterio’s Influence: “I’m Still Learning a Lot From Him.”

Scott Fishman
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When WWE talent transitions from developmental (NXT) to the main roster, there’s always the issue of how much of their act will be changed. There is the old adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” When talking about the creative side of pro wrestling, this adage isn’t always followed.

Damien Priest is one of the lucky performers who did not skip a beat after leaving NXT. His success in WWE comes down to timing, but also making the most of an opportunity. The Bad Bunny mainstream rub certainly helped. At the same time, the two’s alliance felt far deeper than your typical celebrity involvement. Priest was entrusted with helping one of the biggest music stars in the world succeed in the ring. The imposing Raw superstar opened eyes and turned heads, showing what he could do when given the ball. 

The former United States champion continues to prove himself as a pillar of Judgment Day. Among his biggest tests comes in a marquee match on Raw against rival Edge from his hometown of Toronto.

Over SummerSlam weekend I had the chance to sit down with Priest to reflect on some of his biggest recent moments, the impact Bad Bunny made, and Judgment Day’s future. 

Rey Mysterio’s Influence

You were part of Rey Mysterio’s big 20th anniversary in WWE live from Madison Square Garden. What did that night mean to you as a fan and New Yorker?

Damian Priest: “Obviously, we’re feuding, but realistically, when I go out, the main thing I get told is ‘Thank you’ for representing. There isn’t any of that without Rey Mysterio. He was someone who was looked at as somebody who shouldn’t have achieved the success he has. Forget his size. Just being Latino. That meant a lot. I remember growing up watching him, so it was meaningful. Now I’m in that role of also someone representing our culture.

I’m still learning a lot from him. The way he treats people and tries to enhance representation. It was a big deal. Then it’s The Garden, so many things. Talk about the perfect place and time. It became, ‘Man, I just worked Rey Mysterio in Madison Square Garden on the night he was celebrating his 20th anniversary with WWE.’ That was just wild to me.”

Judgment Day

The Judgment Day
(via WWE)

It seemed things were really picking up with Edge leading Judgment Day. How did you react to this change of guard? 

Damian Priest: “Our idea is still the same. With Rhea Ripley healthy, we’re excited. We’re all giddy in the back talking about the chaos we’re going to cause. Even without the cameras on, we’re dangerous. The three of us are dangerous together. We’ve been looking forward to this. That’s the idea. We were all fine on our own and as singles competitors, but this gives us a different look. A different vibe, and opportunity. Growing up I’ve always wanted to be in a faction. I was a big faction guy. The nWo, DX, Four Horsemen, Evolution. So many groups I was a fan of. 

To be a part of one and the idea there is no leader. We support each other. Whoever a particular moment is about, we’re going to support that person in the front. It’s all the same. It’s a revolving door of leadership. As long as we maintain that mentality, I think now the fans are really going to see something special. We haven’t really been able to do it yet, but we’re just getting started. The future is going to be really cool for us and for the fans.

Working with Bad Bunny

pjimage 2021 02 15T200616.600.jpg.optimal

Your profile really grew alongside Bad Bunny. You can see he really put in the work. Do you think he helped change the overall perception when celebrities decide they want to wrestle? That it’s more than a publicity stunt. 

Damian Priest: “We’ve had celebrities before, but I think he is an example of what someone from a different world can do in our world. You don’t have to come in, promote something and leave. You can earn the respect of the fans and the talent. You can create something special for yourself, your fanbase, and us working together.

I haven’t been here the longest, so I can’t speak on celebrities who have been here before, but what he did was unprecedented in the way he treated us and this business. The respect he showed everyone. When you have guys like Randy Orton going up to him saying, “Hey, thanks for showing us respect. Thanks for doing this. You are one of the boys.” I was there and felt emotion for Bad Bunny. 

That’s amazing when you have someone of that caliber saying that to you. That’s awesome. Now you got guys like Logan Paul signing a contract. These guys are not coming in for just a one-off or for a joke or laugh. They are taking this seriously. Bad Bunny may have changed the narrative about how celebrities should treat us and how the company should accept celebrities coming in. Not just opening the doors to anybody. Earn it. He may have changed a little bit of that culture.”

Backstage News on Kenny Omega’s Return to AEW

Andrew Ravens
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Kenny Omega will be returning to in-ring action soon. Really soon.

In what is the worst kept secret in wrestling, he will be teaming with the Young Bucks on tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite to face Andrade El Idolo, Rush, and Dragon Lee in a first-round match for the AEW World Trios Championship tournament.

The Young Bucks have been searching for a partner to join them in the trios tournament. On Wednesday morning, they updated their Twitter bio to let the world know, the search is over.

Plans in Motion

Kenny Omega
(via AEW)

We’ve got an update on the circumstances leading to Omega’s return, courtesy of Fightful Select. The former AEW World Champion has been out of action since November. The company has been planning for his return, but the tentative plans for his returned were changed as recently as last month.

Some wrestlers were told this was due to Omega’s pending return once the planned match between FTR and The Young Bucks was changed. It was noted then that Omega was scheduled to return with The Bucks for the Trios tournament.

AEW President Tony Khan talked about creating the Trios Titles for a while now, but he wanted to establish the titles whenever Omega could return.

Omega has reportedly avoided the public eye while he’s been on the shelf recovering from various injuries. In addition to focusing on rehab, he was integral in developing the AEW Fight Forever video game. One source close to the situation described his input as “crucial.”

Omega was dealing with a shoulder injury, a sports hernia, and a leg/knee injury before he took time off. For years, he also battled vertigo brought on by a dropkick he took from Kazuchika Okada. 

Kevin Owens: Locker Room ‘Rejuvenated’ By Triple H Promotion

Jon Fuentes
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Kevin Owens claims the WWE locker room has been “rejuvenated” by Triple H’s recent promotion.

Owens was recently interviewed by the TWC Show where he was asked about the changes that have gone on within WWE since Triple H took over. Owens got to work very closely with “The Game” during his own days in NXT, before eventually making his way up to the main roster.

Triple H was also a big part of his storyline in which he won the Universal Championship. With Triple H now running creative on the main roster, Owens is able to work with “The Game” again, and “KO” is excited about the reunion.

“Getting to work with Triple H again is really exciting because he’s obviously the reason I’m here, the reason I got my opportunity in WWE, my chance to go to tryout and eventually get signed and everything.

“When I first started out, I was in NXT for a few months and I got to work directly with him and it was so enlightening. I’ve been blessed to work with a lot of people that have tremendous minds for this industry.”

Vince McMahon was forced to step down as WWE CEO after some sexual misconduct allegations against him surfaced. After those claims began to be investigated, McMahon then retired as head of creative for WWE.

Soon after, Triple H then stepped in to fill the position, and there have already been big changes made under the new regime. Owens adds that the change has “rejuvenated” those in the locker room.

“It rejuvenated everybody, the atmosphere here is pretty great and it’s just cool to see where things go from here.“

Quotes via Wrestling Inc.

Billy Corgan Confirms Plans for Future NWA Empowerrr Event

Thomas Lowson
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Last year, the National Wrestling Alliance hosted their Empowerr event, marking the first all-female show in the promotion’s history. 

The event didn’t just showcase the female talent in the NWA but also stars from AEW and AAA in a three-way crossover of the companies. 

The show was headlined by Chelsea Green going the distance in the NWA Women’s Invitational Cup Gauntlet after entering from the #1 position.

Bringing Back Empowerrr

In the year since NWA Empowerrr, the promotion has not brought back the event, but that is reportedly the plan. 

Speaking to SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall, NWA owner Billy Corgan discussed the all-female event’s future. 

“It is in the cards. In fact, I saw a headline recently that said I don’t plan on bringing back Empowerr and that is totally false… We will definitely run another Empowerrr Pay Per View. Absolutely. Hopefully next year, but it’s just one of those things where it has to be the right time.”

“We will definitely run another Empowerrr Pay Per View.”

Billy Corgan on the future of the NWA’s all-female event. 

Addressing not holding an NWA Empowerrr Pay Per View this year, Corgan said that there are currently not enough female free agents to justify doing the show.

“Look at all the people under contract with AEW and look at all the people under contract with WWE. You recognize probably 80 to 90 percent of top talent on the female side is already under contract.

NWA 74

Next weekend will mark the NWA 74 Pay Per View, which will run from August 27 to August 28.

In the interview, Corgan promised that “anything can happen” and that “history will definitely be made” next weekend. 

The Smashing Pumpkins star also spoke about the NWA reaching it’s 75th year of operation, which he described as “insane.”

Later in the interview, Corgan called next week’s two-day event as a blend of “what was, is, and will be.”

Another Former WWE Superstar Wants to Join AEW

Michael Reichlin
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Another former WWE Superstar is hoping to become All Elite in the near future.

The AEW roster features a healthy mix of homegrown talent, former WWE stars and legends. Competitors such as PAC, Malakai Black, Andrade, Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland are just some of the names who joined Tony Khan’s promotion hoping to show fans their true potential.

Miro is a great example of a former WWE star who has taken advantage of the creative freedom offered by AEW. Having reinvented himself as The Redeemer, Miro has done a commendable job establishing a new character that is completely different from his former persona, Rusev.

God’s Favorite Champion has long spoken about his hot, flexible wife. After countless references to his better half, it sounds like former WWE Superstar CJ Perry (Lana) is itching to get back to business.

Lana Wants to Join AEW

CJ Perry

CJ Perry appeared on Wednesday’s edition of Busted Open Radio and spoke about Miro’s success in AEW.

Miro was courted by Julia Hart to join the House of Black faction last week on Dynamite. He rejected the offer, but the interaction caught Perry’s attention.

According to Perry, she didn’t like seeing Hart proposition her man. She was so enraged by the interaction that she was ready to retaliate with violence.

“I’m not a jealous type of person, but I was furious. I wanted to literally show up and slap the shit out of her.”

– CJ Perry on Julia Hart

She wasn’t done venting about what she wants to do to Julia Hart. Perry continued, “She does all these cute pictures on Instagram and her vibe is very House of Black, then she shows up in a blazer. I will literally dropkick her in the face.”

CJ Perry was asked if she’d be interested in working with Miro in AEW. As we saw in WWE, the married couple has undeniable on-screen chemistry.

“Hopefully, I get a chance to do that,” she said. “I’d love to do something with Miro in AEW. We’ll see what happens.”

Watch CJ Perry’s comments about wanting to join AEW:

Miro Comments on Lana Joining AEW

Miro spoke with WhatCulture last month and had this to say about his wife possibly joining AEW:

“You never know. She’s really focused on CJPerry.com, her website, and everything it has to do with. She’s doing movies, she’s producing movies, so she’s really, really busy. But like I said in my interview, it’s about my god, my gold and my gorgeous wife.”

He says he and his wife have always been “money” wherever they’ve gone, whether it’s pro wrestling, reality television or online digital content.

“In my mind, in The Redeemer’s mind, his wife is always there, so it’s a no-brainer for my gorgeous wife to join my team eventually and walk through fools together.”

Jim Ross Believes Punk vs. Moxley Could Be Biggest AEW Main Event Ever

Jon Fuentes
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Jim Ross believes that CM Punk vs. Jon Moxley for the Undisputed All Elite Wrestling (AEW) World Title will be the promotion’s biggest main event ever.

Ross recently took to his podcast, “Grilling JR,” to offer his thoughts on the potential CM Punk vs. Jon Moxley match to unify their AEW World Titles. Punk recently made his return to AEW TV to confront Moxley, teasing their eventual matchup.

Of course, given Punk’s current injury, there’s no indication as to when that match could finally take place. With that being said, Jim Ross believes when the match finally does go down, it could do historic business for AEW.

“I knew he was in the building. I saw him briefly, earlier in the day, in the trainer’s room, getting some attention. He sure has been missed, there is no doubt about it. The crowd’s reaction would indicate the same. They are ready to see him.

“I still don’t know how healthy the guy is. I asked on air ‘has he been cleared to wrestle?’ Nobody knew. He will be cleared. He’s under good doctor’s care. This process has been ongoing.

“He’s still in the process of healing as far as I’m concerned, until I get word that he’s 100%, I’m going to play it by ear. He’s a tough guy. Everyone wants to see him and Moxley beat the shit out of each other.

“You can count your bottom dollar that’s what they’re going to do. They both have that pride. It’s going to be, arguably, the biggest main event we’ve ever had considering all the ramifications going in and injuries and all these things.

“I’m excited about calling that match. I think it’s going to be fun as hell.” 

CM Punk

Punk won the AEW World Title at AEW Double Or Nothing earlier this year against Hangman Page. However, in June it was announced that Punk suffered a foot injury that needs surgery to repair.

In his absence, Moxley has been crowned as the interim World Champion. He’ll be ready to welcome Punk back once the former WWE Champion is ready to get back inside the squared circle.

Chris Jericho: Cons of Vince McMahon Departure Will Be Felt Later

Jon Fuentes
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Chris Jericho believes that the cons of Vince McMahon’s departure from WWE won’t be felt for another few months.

Jericho was recently a guest on the Swerve City podcast, where he talked about Vince McMahon stepping down as WWE CEO, as well as retiring as the head of creative on television. This happened shortly after allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced against McMahon.

“Y2J” explained that, while there will certainly be some positives from McMahon’s WWE departure – especially creatively – there will also be some negative impacts. Those negatives in particular likely won’t be felt for a few more months.

“I can go back working for him for 17-18 years. Obviously, there are Vince-isms and Vince-foibles that don’t make sense, but I did learn a lot about the psychology of the business and how to be a star, how to conduct yourself, how to be a true main eventer and money draw.

“I think the pros, if that’s the right word, the pros of Vince leaving WWE will be seen very quickly. There are a lot of changes right off the bat, very refreshing. Lots of in-ring time. The cons of Vince leaving won’t be felt for a few months, maybe more, six months, a year.

“There are a lot of things that Vince did, little things, and I know people bag on him for his recent booking, and obviously there was a habit he had, but the guys who are true main event stars are legit stars. Legit stars.

“You can spot them from a mile away. Look at the difference between Drew McIntyre now, prior to the last run he had. Vince worked with him to make him a top guy and top star. Same with Roman (Reigns).

“Completely different now than it was before he turned heel. Brock as a babyface, I can tell Vince worked with him as being a babyface. You can spot it. I can see it.”

Chris Jericho
(AEW)

Chris Jericho certainly knows what he’s talking about when it comes to working with McMahon. The current All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star worked under McMahon during his nearly 20-year run with WWE.

After departing from WCW in the late 90s, Jericho debuted for WWE and instantly became one of the company’s biggest stars. The six-time WWE World Champion eventually joined AEW in 2020, where he became the promotion’s inaugural World Champion.

Quotes via Fightful

Hangman Page Reveals the Most Difficult Matches of His Career

Anutosh Bajpai
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Hangman Page has wrestled in many competitive matches over the course of his career. The two hardest matches for him are a death match where he suffered a gruesome injury…and wrestling Bryan Danielson.

The former AEW world champion recently held a Q&A session at GalaxyCon Raleigh 2022. During the talk, Page was asked which are the hardest matches he has had to wrestle. He first recalled his Texas Death Match against Lance Archer:

“Probably the hardest match I would say two. One of them would be wrestling Lance Archer in a Texas Death match. I got my eyebrow cut. I didn’t know there were like vessels and veins in your eyebrow a lot. So I bled so much.” remembered Hangman Page, “There’s blood in my eyes and I couldn’t see.

I couldn’t breathe because it was just like going up my nose and stuff like that. I couldn’t see anything, I got thrown onto the steel steps and my left arm crashed into the edge of it. I lost feeling in my left arm for a while. It was a terrible combination. So that was a really hard match.”

‘I’m Just Huffing and Puffing’: Hangman Page

The second match was Hangman Page’s very first AEW world title defense against Bryan Danielson. The two wrestled for an hour in a match that ended in a draw. Per Page, Bryan was enjoying this bout while he was looking for an opportunity to throw up:

“Secondly, I’d probably say wrestling Bryan Danielson for an hour. An hour is so long to do anything, especially wrestle someone like Bryan. He’s just doing jumping jacks and having a good ol’ time lefts and right in the ring and I’m just huffing and puffing and trying to throw up. So those are probably my two hardest matches.”

You can check out the session featuring the AEW star below:

More Originals From SEScoops:

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

AEW Dynamite Preview (8/17): House of the Dragon

Michael Reichlin
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All Elite Wrestling returns tonight with a special “House of the Dragon” themed edition of AEW Dynamite from Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, West Virginia.

The show is being presented as a promotional tie-in to the Game of Thrones spinoff series premiering this Sunday on HBO Max.

Dynamite will feature a huge 2 out of 3 falls main event, a Trios Tournament first round match, a special appearance by Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat and more.

Daniel Garcia shocked the world when he defeated Bryan Danielson last month. Can the Jericho Appreciation Society member do it again?

The Young Bucks need a partner for the AEW World Trios Championship tournament. “Hangman” Adam Page turned them down last week. Will they be able to find a suitable third man?

AEW Dynamite Preview (8/17)

AEW has announced the following for tonight’s AEW Dynamite:

  • Best-of-3 Falls Match: “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. Daniel Garcia
  • Trios Tournament (First Round): Andrade El Idolo, Rush and Dragon Lee vs. The Young Bucks and a Mystery Partner
  • Toni Storm vs. KiLynn King
  • The Gunn Club vs. The Varsity Blondes

Plus, wrestling legend Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat will serve as the special guest time keeper for tonight’s matches.

Check back later tonight for our AEW Dynamite Results and news coming out of the show.

AEW Control Center

AEW has produced this special “control center” preview for tonight’s House of the Dragon episode of Dynamite:

Thunder Rosa Addresses her “Challenging” AEW Women’s World Title Reign

Thomas Lowson
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In March this year, Thunder Rosa captured the AEW Women’s World Championship, ending the 290-day reign of Dr. Britt Baker DDS and doing so inside of a steel cage.

The win was made even more special as it happened in her adopted hometown of San Antonio, Texas.

Rosa has held on the title since then, defending against the likes of Toni Storm, Nyla Rose, Serena Deeb, Marina Shafir, and Miyu Yamashita.

The Challenge

Prior to signing full-time with AEW, Thunder Rosa competed for the NWA, where she is a former NWA Women’s World Champion.

Rosa’s 277-day reign as NWA Women’s World Champion began in January 2020 and would end at the hands of Serena Deeb that October.

Speaking to Bullet Cast, Thunder Rosa explained how being the Champion of AEW has brought on more challenges than her time with the NWA (via Wrestling Inc.)

“It’s been really challenging because being a champion on a major platform is different than when I was the NWA Women’s Champion. There’s a lot more at stake, there’s a lot more that you’re representing, and also a little bit of pressure.

“It’s been really challenging… There’s a lot more at stake.”

Thunder Rosa on her reign as AEW Women’s World Champion.

“Every time you stand in front of the camera, you just want to make sure that you’re perfect. The thing is, it’s not about perfection, it’s about making a difference and I hope that I have been making a difference in the women’s division.”

Rosa’s most recent title defense saw her retain against Jamie Hayter on the August 5, Battle of the Belts III special taping.

Thunder Rosa & Marina Shafir Make Amends After Sabotage Claims

Becky Lynch Reveals How Much Creative Freedom She Has On The Mic

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE is notorious for forcing stars to memorize scripts and lay out every move of a match in advance. However, there are many top stars who have broken this stigma recently. Becky Lynch is one of the names who apparently has the freedom to say what she wants on the mic.

The Man recently took part in an Instagram Live session with Seth Rollins, The Rock and former WWE writer Brian Gewirtz. During the interview, she was asked if she has to memorize promos word by word as well. Lynch claimed that she gets to write her own promos for the most part:

“Thankfully for me it’s not like that and it’s not like that for this guy [Seth Rollins] either. We get a promo and sometimes there’ll be lines in it that you have to hit,” said Becky Lynch, “They’ll often be that the lines that you’re like ‘That doesn’t sound like she would say that’ But for the most part we’ve gotten to the point where we’ve gotten enough equity and we’ve gotten enough trust that, we get to write our own promos.

She continued: “It’s usually a collaborative process where if I’m comfortable with my writer, [I’ll go] ‘Well what do you think of this. I feel like it’s gotta hit more and I think we could do more with this.’ And a lot of the times they’ll come up with a good line. It’s collaborative that way when you’ve gotten that equity, but I think when you first come up [it’s different]. Like when I first came up, I was too scared to say anything out of turn. I was like ‘oh these are the words on the page, I must say every single word exactly as it is.’ Thankfully it’s not like that anymore.”

More Originals From SEScoops:

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Kris Statlander Confirms Timetable For Recovery

Anutosh Bajpai
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AEW star Kris Statlander joined the ever-growing injury list when she suffered a leg injury during the AEW Dark tapings on August 5.

The female star provided some updates on her health on the most recent episode of AEW Road To. She revealed that she has completely torn her ACL:

“After getting an MRI, I have a completely torn ACL. My lateral meniscus is torn, and there is lateral impaction fractures in my tibial and femoral heads. So just tiny little cracks that are more of a bruise, but still, technically a broken leg.”

Speaking about her recovery, Kris Statlander noted that it’ll be six to eight months before she gets cleared to compete again:

“So recovery time, it’s about six-to-eight months post-operation. Once we got the MRI, we were hoping it was just a meniscus tear. That would have either been a few weeks to three months, at most. But now that we know the ACL is completely torn, that’s the one you don’t want to get, children.”

The timing of the injury is unfortunate for Statlander as she was gaining momentum in AEW before that. She has reached the #2 spot in the ranking and was making a strong case for a shot at the women’s title.

Watch: Sasha Banks’ Car Broken Into And Robbed

Anutosh Bajpai
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Wrestling star Sasha Banks had her car broken into and robbed in Oakland by an unidentified person earlier on Monday.

The former champion shared photos and videos of the incident on her Instagram account. The video, as seen below, shows that someone broke the glass from behind.

Banks noted that her car had only been parked there for five minutes. In the caption of one of the stories, she suggested that the thief only managed to steal some hair products.

Both Sasha Banks and Naomi made headlines yesterday as well when they attended the premiere of the new Marvel series She Hulk.

The former women’s tag team champions have been absent from the wrestling world ever since they walked out of a Raw episode back in May. Both the WWE stars were frustrated with their creative direction.

Earlier reports had suggested that the former champions had decided to leave WWE for good, and at least Banks had gotten out of her contract with the company.

However, things have changed following Vince McMahon’s retirement. It’s believed that both Sasha Banks and Naomi have agreed to make a comeback, and the officials are now looking for a suitable opportunity to bring them back.

Multiple NXT UK Stars Show Up At NXT 2.0

Anutosh Bajpai
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There have been speculations about the future of the NXT UK stars recently. It now appears that NXT 2.0 is going to be their new home for the time being.

The development brand presented the Heatwave special this week. What’s notable is that multiple NXT UK stars made their presence felt during the show.

First The Diamond Mine was attacked by longtime UK stable Gallus. The group was arguing that Roderick Strong wanted to end the faction in a segment.

This came after Diamond Mine was defeated by Tony D’Angelo and others during the July 26 episode of the show. Strong cost them the match after he accidentally hit his own team member Julius Creed.

After attacking the NXT faction, the group of Wolfgang, Joe Coffey, and Mark Coffey went to the back. They confronted the current NXT UK tag team champions Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen and challenged them for the title match next week.

Though these three weren’t the only UK stars to show up on the show. The main event of the episode saw Bron Breakker successfully defending his NXT Championship against JD McDonagh.

After the bout, the NXT UK champion Tyler Bate came to the ring and confronted Baker. Both the stars held up their belts high as the episode went off air.

Bate won the vacant NXT UK championship during a match taped on July 7. However, the bout is yet to air and he isn’t officially recognized as the champion as of now.

High Flying Star ‘Banned’ From NXT 2.0

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Former NXT cruiserweight champion Santos Escobar has been ‘banned’ from NXT 2.0 after losing a match on this week’s Heatwave special.

The former King Cuerno had been feuding with Tony D’Angelo and his faction in recent times. The two were set for an All or Nothing Street Fight at the show.

The stipulation for this bout was that if Escobar wins, then Legado Del Fantasma will be free from the D’Angelo family. However, if he loses, then he will have to leave the development brand.

The match featured a lot of interference. The ending of the bout saw D’Angelo accidentally hitting Elektra Lopez.

Both Tony and Santos then grabbed a crowbar and brass knuckles, respectively. Though D’Angelo managed to hit Escobar first and pinned him for victory.

Santos Escobar has been a part of the WWE roster since 2019. He made his official in-ring debut in February 2020 and has been a featured star of the brand ever since.

There is no word yet on what the company is planning for the future of the high-flying star. There is obvious speculation that he could be headed to the main roster now that Triple H has taken over the creative.

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