Dakota Kai returned to WWE at SummerSlam alongside Bayley and IYO SKY. The group became known as Damage CTRL and has already become a key part of the RAW roster.
Kai was released in April but made her return after WWE had undergone massive changes at the top of the company. Vince McMahon resigned in late July and his daughter, Stephanie McMahon, and Nick Khan took over as the new co-CEOs.
Triple H replaced John Laurinaitis as the EVP of Talent Relations and was recently given the title of Chief Content Officer. Since gaining power in the company, The Game has brought back several released talents and Dakota Kai was one of them.
Dakota Kai On Triple H Reaching Out To HerFor WWE Return
Dakota Kai joined Ryan Satin on the latest edition of the Out of Character podcast. During the interview, Kai revealed that Bayley pitched the idea to Triple H for Damage CTRL and The Game was in favor of it.
It was very strange because obviously, I wasn’t taking bookings, I was just chilling and doing my streaming thing. Bayley texted me on Thursday just out of the blue, we talk a lot but this question was out of the blue.
She was like ‘hey out of curiosity, are you like talking to anyone right now in terms of companies?’. I said ‘well, kind of, why do you ask?’.
She said that she in a last-ditch attempt for this idea that she had of a group, she said she texted Hunter and kind of gave it like one last push.
I guess I didn’t know if that would be a thing that he would look to contact me about. But sure enough, she texted him about the idea we had. We had filmed a bunch of videos and took some photos, and she sent him the idea.
His first thought response after that was ‘what is Dakota doing?’.
Dakota added that she was dumbfounded that Triple H wanted her to return as she had never viewed herself as a top star in the company.
I was dumbfounded because I never look at myself as like ‘the guy’. I’ve always been, my role within the company has always been to help elevate, you know, or as someone to just tell a story. I’ve never considered myself a top guy.
So the fact that I was on his mind in terms of that idea and the fact that I was like the first he called back after he had gotten control of the company. I was shocked.
Matt Riddle has opened up about moving past his personal issues with Seth Rollins as they work together inside the ring.
It’s no secret that Riddle and Rollins aren’t the best of friends backstage. It has been reported that the pair had some issues with one another backstage after some comments made by Riddle’s now-ex-wife.
However, despite this, the two men have been working a program on WWE TV with one another for the past several weeks, and putting on some great matches with one another.
Speaking to Corey Graves on “After The Bell,” Riddle explained how the pair have worked through their differences in order to do business together.
“Didn’t get along too well, he wasn’t a fan of me, and I’ll say this, I wasn’t not not a fan of his, but somebody close to me at the time made some comments, this, that, and the other thing, and Seth wouldn’t talk to me.
“Seth wouldn’t look at me, he wouldn’t talk to me, he wasn’t gonna have anything to do with me. And eventually, it’s kind of like Brock [Lesnar] and everybody else, you don’t have a choice. I’m here, I’m gonna keep working hard.
“Eventually, you’re gonna have to get in the ring with me and we’re gonna have to do business. And eventually, Seth came to that conclusion.”
Recently, Matt Riddle picked up a big win over Rollins at Extreme Rules in a Fight Pit match that was officiated by UFC Hall Of Famer Daniel Cormier. It will be interesting to see where their feud goes from here.
Dakota Kai named a WWE Superstar she would like to team up with Damage CTRL in a WarGames match.
The WarGames match will be returning to the main roster at WWE Survivor Series next month at the TD Garden in Boston, MA. In previous years, Survivor Series pitted RAW versus SmackDown in a battle for brand supremacy. In 2019, NXT was a part of Survivor Series and was the victorious brand.
Speaking with Ryan Satin on the Out of Character podcast, Dakota revealed that she would pick Rhea Ripley to join the group for a WarGames match.
Obviously, the three of us but I think someone I’d really like to be on our side would be Rhea (Ripley). I know she’s kind of tied up with a lot of other things right now. But we could just be like, ‘Hey, can we just like use you for one day.’
Because she’s also someone that’s been in the WarGames cage a couple of times too. So I think with her experience and she’s so strong and she’s so like brutal and all the stuff. I think she’d be an awesome person to have on our side, for sure. [To] be the muscle.
Dakota added that NXT star Alba Fyre would a great addition to the group on a full-time basis.
“Kay Lee Ray, oh sorry, Alba Fyre. Sorry, my bad. I think Alba would be such a good addition. She is so ruthless and reckless. I’ve known her for a very long time. I think she’d be such a great addition to Damage CTRL. She’d bring a lot to us as a group and help us to evolve a little bit more, and take that next step. I think she’d be awesome.”
Dakota Kai was released by WWE earlier this year in April. She returned alongside Bayley and IYO SKY at SummerSlam. Dakota and IYO have already established themselves on the main roster and are currently the Women’s Tag Team Champions.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit the Out of Character podcast with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.
Triple H isn’t done with bringing back former WWE stars who were released under the Vince McMahon regime.
According to a report by WrestleVotes, WWE is interested in bringing back Chelsea Green, who was among the names to be released by the company last year because of “budget cuts.”
Chelsea Green Returning?
Chelsea Green
Her departure happened shortly after she was moved from the main roster to NXT. Should she return to the company, she will likely re-debuting on the main roster. WrestleVotes tweeted the following about Green:
“I’m told another name WWE has significant interest in bringing back is Chelsea Green. I would think if a deal is offered, it’s for the main roster. Time will tell.”
If Green returns to WWE, it will be interesting to see whether WWE would also be interested in her husband, Matt Cardona, also known as Zack Ryder, in WWE. Cardona has been able to draw money for several promotions since his WWE departure as he has reinvented himself with a more serious gimmick, unlike the comedy character he had in WWE.
While away from WWE, Green made a surprise debut at Ring of Honor’s Best in the World pay-per-view event last July before returning to Impact Wrestling.
For months, AEW has faced reports of talent being frustrated, with meetings being held to address these issues.
After last month’s All Out Pay Per View, a fight backstage resulted in CM Punk, Kenny Omega, and the Young Bucks all being removed from programming.
Last week, Andrade El Idolo picked a fight with Sammy Guevara that resulted in the former NXT Champion being sent home.
Smiling Faces
Flair doesn’t work for AEW, but the 16-time World Champion has seen the reports of talent wanting out.
Speaking on his ‘To Be The Man’ podcast, Flair claimed that things aren’t as bad as some people believe.
“It can’t always be perfect. Tony’s got his hands full. I don’t know the thought prospect behind his decisions. But they have enjoyed a lot of success lately.
“a lot of smiling faces.”
Ric Flair on AEW behind the scenes.
“Sofiya of course, my stepdaughter, works for them. She’s having a great time. She does a lot of their social media so she’s pretty much on top of what’s going on there. She sees a lot of smiling faces. Hopefully, everything works out.”
Flair and AEW
Flair left WWE in 2021, reportedly frustrated with the booking for both himself and his daughter Charlotte Flair.
The reported plan was for Flair to join AEW and manage his son-in-law Andrade El Idolo.
El Idolo had at the time, split with his then-manager Chavo Guerrero, who had replaced Vickie Guerrero.
Any plans for Flair in AEW ended after VICE’s Dark Side of the Ring covered the Plane Ride from Hell, where Flair is alleged to have forced flight attendants to touch his genitals.
William Regal may be impressed by what MJF does in AEW, but that doesn’t make the Salt of the Earth a true villain of wrestling.
MJF returned to AEW at the All Out Pay-Per-View, following a three-month hiatus, stemming from scathing comments made against AEW and Tony Khan.
At the event, MJF won the Casino Ladder match as the Joker entrant, earning an AEW World Championship match.
Fake Bad Guy
With his win at All Out, MJF has a championship title match, presumably with current AEW World Champion Jon Moxley.
Part of what has made MJF such a successful performer is his heel persona, which William Regal doesn’t buy as he explained on the Gentleman Villain podcast.
“I’ve always seen the potential in him. Not sure I like the way he goes about doing stuff. If you want to be a real bad guy, there are things that you can do and things that you can’t. I used this term on AEW the other week and it’s only a few people know this term. O-D-V, which is an ordinary decent villain.”
Regal explained that to be an ODV means knowing that those non-wrestlers are off limits, a lesson that MJF hasn’t learned.
“Anybody who signs up to be a pro wrestler, you’re fair game for anything my wicked mind wants to do to you. But if they don’t, you leave them alone.”
Roddy Piper
With his heel work, many (including WWE Hall of Famer Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts) have called MJF this generation’s Roddy Piper.
Addressing the comparison, Regal said that MJF couldn’t hang with the legendary talker.
“Roddy Piper would have seen straight through him. He would have gone ‘this is a lad who’s not grown up the same as us.’ He’s not got the same mentality.”
“Roddy Piper would have seen straight through him.”
William Regal.
“You might think you’re a bad guy, you might want to act like a bad guy. But there’s a difference there’s a big difference and very few people know that. A lot of people who got through this job by just acting like a bad guy.”
Tough Enough
Years before arriving in AEW, MJF tried out for the 2015 season of Tough Enough.
Speaking about MJF’s formative years, Regal discussed why the Salt of the Earth never made it in WWE NXT while Regal was in charge.
“He was young. Far too young to get hired [by WWE.] And there was only so many places in NXT. If you’ve got a full roster and somebody young [comes along] you go ‘right now what you need to do is go out and do your thing.’ Make people notice you, which he did.
MJF wouldn’t make it on the show, but his audition tape (suspiciously) remains on WWE’s YouTube channel.
The WWE Universe will be seeing Superstars on Raw, SmackDown and NXT make more appearances on other shows moving forward.
In 2016, WWE reintroduced its brand extension, splitting the WWE’s main roster into distinct brands for Raw and SmackDown once more.
Crossover
WWE Superstars appearing on a show they’re not rostered for does happen and is set to increase in the coming weeks.
Sources who spoke to Fightful Select said that fans can expect more crossover between brands.
No reason was given as to why there will be more crossover, though it is believed that using Superstars from other brands will help increase viewership.
This week’s Raw saw appearances by The Bloodline, all of whom are SmackDown rostered Superstars.
Jade and Perez
This crossover will be felt next week in WWE NXT as part of the feud between former NXT Women’s Tag Champions Cora Jade and Roxanne Perez.
On last night’s episode, it was confirmed that Jade and Perez will choose members of the WWE main roster to face each other on next week’s show.
Jade asked interviewer McKenzie Mitchell if she has the number of Ronda Rousey, while Perez will be on this Friday’s WWE SmackDown on FOX.
WWE Main Event
One way NXT Superstars are getting exposure on the main roster is by appearances on WWE Main Event.
In their report, Fightful adds that more NXT Superstars are expected to be on the show, with WWE watching to see how ready they are for a full-time transition.
On last week’s WWE Main Event, Fallon Henley made her main roster debut by taking on WWE 24/ Champion Dana Brooke.
Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen, former NXT UK Tag Team Champions, also appeared on last week’s show, facing Shelton Benjamin and R-Truth.
More NXT Superstars will appear on this week’s episode of WWE Main Event.
Enofe and Blade defeated The Dyad and Briggs and Jensen
Alba Fyre defeated Jacy Jayne
Wes Lee defeated Stacks
Kiana James defeated Thea Hail
Ilja Dragunov defeated Grayson Waller
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Malik Blade & Edris Enofe vs. Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen vs. The Dyad
Malik Blade & Edris Enofe vs. Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen vs. The Dyad
The next challengers for Pretty Deadly’s NXT Tag Team titles were determined on this show when WWE booked a triple threat number one contender’s tag team match with Malik Blade & Edris Enofe, Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen, and The Dyad (Rip Fowler & Jagger Reid).
Last week’s NXT ended with Pretty Deadly being confronted by Blade & Enofe and Briggs & Jensen after they retained their titles against The Brawling Brutes (Ridge Holland & Butch) in the main event.
Grimes tripped up Fowler to prevent Ticket to Mayhem. Enofe rolled up Reid for the win.
NXT North American Championship Ladder Match Qualifier
Axiom vs. Nathan Frazer in an NXT North American Championship Ladder Match Qualifier took place. Fazer went over with his finisher to advance and win the best-of-three series. It was a great match.
This was the final edition of the best-of-three series between them as both wrestlers in the series has one victory. The winner is eligible to compete in Halloween Havoc’s North American Championship ladder match.
WWE NXT Champion Bron Breakker vs. Javier Bernal in a non-title bout took place.
On this week’s show, Bernal interrupted a backstage interview with Breakker, setting up the match. On October 22, at Halloween Havoc, Breakker will defend the NXT championship against Ilja Dragunov and JD McDonagh in a triple threat match.
After the match, all three top stars got into a brawl to further build up their match.
Alba Fyre wrestled Jacy Jayne in a singles match on the show.
Last week, a six-woman tag match with Toxic Attraction facing Alba Fyre, Nikkita Lyons & Zoey Stark was booked, but didn’t take place. Toxic Attraction arrived in a SUV, and they were attacked with a baseball bat by Fyre, who sped away with NXT Women’s Champion Mandy Rose in it. On this same show, Gigi Dolin & Jayne fell short in their NXT Women’s Tag Team Titles No. 1 Contenders’ Match against Zoey Stark & Nikkita Lyons.
Fyre hit Jayne with a kick and Gory Bomb for the victory. Following the bout, Fyre was grabbed and hit by an individual in a black hoodie who was revealed to be Sonya Deville. Fyre was taken out by Deville, Jayne and Gigi Dolin. They delivered a powerbomb to her through the announce table. In a backstage interview, Sonya stated that she would confront Fyre in the ring next week, but if Fyre did so, she wouldn’t make it to Halloween Havoc.
Fyre will challenge Rose for the NXT Women’s Championship at Halloween Havoc on October 22.
Controversy was the story after Smash Wrestling star Psycho Mike was the victim of a shoot and got big-timed by an Australian Shepherd named “Very Good Boy” in a recent pro wrestling match.
Footage of the match went viral on Twitter over the last 24 hours:
In an interview with SEScoops.com, Psycho Mike – despite suffering the emotional after effects of the loss – told his story, the controversial changes that happened once the match began and his bad experiences working with canines in the past, who he complained haven’t paid their dues and are difficult to work with.
Psycho Mike: Not much to say, really. Dog wasn’t trained to lay down on her back, so she couldn’t do the job. No big deal; I’m a professional, I’ll put her over.
We called a few spots to make it look competitive, but right out the gate she botches the shine. Whatever, these things happen – I’m ready to call it on the fly.
But then the dog goes into business for herself and starts shooting on me. I’m just trying to get my shit in, ya know?
Anyways, we’re supposed to be going broadway, but I call an audible and take it home early. Ruff night.
B.J. Bethel: The dog looked like it was working snug. And then there was that low blow early. Did you two have heat?
Psycho Mike: Liquid magma heat. Tired of these canines walking into our business without paying dues.
The match began to go awry at the bell. The manager entered the ring and Very Good Boy landed a stiff low blow on Mike.
Kaelean Ramos/Twitter
Then came a series of dangerous four-paw stomps – much more dangerous than a Curb Stomp or Coup De Grace (the Coup De Paw?) because they involve anywhere from two-to-four times as many paws/feet. Keep in mind the one-foot/paw Curb Stomp was banned from top promotion World Wresting Entertainment for a few years due to the inherent danger of the move.
Very Good Boy showed no such scruples, landing almost half a dozen Coup De Paws on the veteran Psycho Mike, who has wrestled stars such as Dalton Castle and The Blade/Pepper Parks.
Kaelean Ramos/Twitter
Mike took the pinfall, but there was more controversy as Mike protested the three-count.
Kaelean Ramos/Twitter
Continue to follow SEScoops.com and SEScoops on social media for the latest on this developing story.
Bray Wyatt made his expected return to WWE this past Saturday at the Extreme Rules premium live event, and now he is moving forward to what’s next.
Wyatt is reportedly set to work on the WWE SmackDown brand moving forward, according to Pwinsider.com. The outlet noted that as of last word, Wyatt is only scheduled for appearances on SmackDown, although it’s possible that this could change.
Bray Wyatt Part of SmackDown
(WWE)
It should be noted that the official WWE roster still has Wyatt listed as an Alumni Superstar, but that should change soon. As of this writing, WWE has yet to add him to Raw or SmackDown on the official WWE website roster.
WWE has already announced him for Friday’s SmackDown from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA. The teaser video for SmackDown sks what Wyatt has in store for his return to the blue brand, which will mark his SmackDown appearance since The Fiend defeated Kevin Owens in the main event of the October 9, 2020, Draft edition of SmackDown.
Wyatt didn’t appear in front of the live fans on Monday Night Raw in Brooklyn. It’s unclear whether he will appear live in front of the crowd at SmackDown, but the WWE Events website has Wyatt listed along with other Superstars booked to appear live, indicating that he will be there in the ring.
Mustafa Ali shared an interesting video on Youtube where he declared that he is “done” and expressed his frustrations. Ali stated he is not going to allow anyone to keep him down.
On Twitter, Ali tagged Joey Maloney, who is the Director of WWE Network documentaries. It’s possible that he did the video with WWE’s approval and it’s part of a push he is getting from the company. Ali said the following in the video:
Mustafa Ali’s Declaration
(via WWE)
“I heard something the other day and it really hit me and it goes. ‘if I always do what I’ve always done then I’ll always be where I’ve always been.’ And the reason that hit me is because I’m done. I’m done being here. I’m done being where I’ve always been. Everyone keeps asking me why did I pick a fight with Bobby Lashley? Why don’t I just stay down? And listen, as complicated as it gets up over here I promise you the answer is simple. it’s just done. I am done standing in line and waiting for my number to get called. A number that we all know was never gonna get called in the first place. I’m done being the victim.”
Ali continued, “I’m done blaming other people. I am done complaining about what I don’t have. I’m done not fighting. I’m done with it. I got a fight, it is on me! This is World War me. And yes, sure there might be someone in front of me. Someone slamming the door in my face but it’s on me to kick that door down. It’s always been on me. Every night I used to pray to God. I used to pray to God to please calm my mind and heal my heart and to please please let my dreams come true. But now I realize even that’s too much I’m asking. You see for my dreams to come true I gotta be a little insane. I have to go through the pain. Now the only thing that I ask from God is to wake me up because I gotta handle the rest. I’m gonna handle the rest. So to everyone in that locker room, the next time you lock eyes with me, brother – It is not just an opponent that you are staring at. You are staring at a problem! Realize that you are facing a man that is willing to die before he lets his own dreams die. Go ahead. Knock me down. I promise you. I promise you you’re not going to keep me down.”
Ali was off TV for several months late last year and in early 2022 after a dispute with Vince McMahon over creative for his character. He returned to television in April, but the company hasn’t done much with him besides working Main Event episodes.
MLW CEO Court Bauer has announced a partnership with Pro Wrestling TV that will kick off in November after teasing for months that a new deal was coming, which had been holding up new episodes of MLW Fusion
The news was announced on SI.com Tuesday. MLW’s official streaming home will be on the free service and starts on Thursday, November 3rd, with Battle Riot IV. This is MLW’s June event that has yet to be aired anywhere.
MLW’s Programming Schedule
MLW Blood & Thunder (Photo: Ho Ho Lun)
According to their website, MLW Fusion will debut on PWTV on Thursdays at 8 PM Eastern. Fusion will continue to air on BeIN Sports on Saturdays as their linear partner, but it’s unknown if YouTube, where Fusion used to debut, will also continue to air during the week.
PWTV already broadcasts AAA, Control Your Narrative, and other indie promotions, airing 24/7. MLW’s entire catalog of shows will be available on PWTV in the future.
MLW hasn’t aired a new episode of Fusion since July. Once matches from Battle Riot IV air, MLW will transition to matches taped in September (Super Series) and then to this month’s Fightland TV taping.
The Rock is currently making the media rounds to promote his upcoming “Black Adam” film. During a recent interview with E! News’ The Rundown, “The Great One” was asked who The Head Of The Table is.
Obviously this is a jab at WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns, who is regarded as The Head Of The Table for The Bloodline in WWE. Rock responded by saying there’s only one Head Of The Table, and you’re looking at him.
“Who is head of the table? Without saying any names, you’re looking into his eyes right now.”
When asked if he was seemingly confirming a WrestleMania match against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39 next year, The Rock said he is not.
However, he did double down on how much he loves the world of professional wrestling, and he knows he’s going to receive a text from Reigns as soon as he sees this interview.
“I am not confirming that at all. No, I am not. I know I’m going to get a text from him after he watches this. I love the idea of a WrestleMania. I’m close to a lot of people there, but I’m very close to one in particular, who we’ve talked about this.
“There are so many variables that come into play. I’m a fan because I’m a promoter at heart. I’m a fan of promoting an event and what that could be. I love WrestleMania, and I love that word.”
Currently, Reigns is slated to put his World Title up for grabs against Logan Paul at WWE Crown Jewel on November 5.
UFC megastar Nate Diaz recently posted a photo with WWE’s Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.
Diaz took to his Instagram and shared a photo of himself, “The Game,” and Stephanie McMahon, captioning the photo with “We’ll see what’s bout to happen next.” Check it out below:
Diaz is certainly free to pursue a career in WWE should he decide to do so. He recently wrapped up his UFC contract in September when he picked up a submission victory over Tony Ferguson at UFC 279.
The longtime UFC veteran then declared his intentions to forgo re-signing with the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotional juggernaut, instead opting to go out and “take over” another sport.
While he did not specify as to what sport he was referring to, most believe he’s hinting at a move to boxing – something Nate Diaz has been suggesting as a dream of his for the past several years.
Diaz could potentially be in line to face YouTube star Jake Paul next after his upcoming fight with Anderson Silva later this month. However, perhaps the sport Diaz was hinting at “taking over” next is actually WWE.
WWE and the UFC have been intertwined with one another for some time now. Diaz would be following in the footsteps of the likes of Ronda Rousey, Brock Lesnar, and Shayna Baszler – all former UFC stars who have gone on to have great runs in WWE after their MMA careers.
Corey Graves mentioned Billy Gunn during last night’s episode of WWE Monday Night RAW.
D-Generation X celebrated their 25 year anniversary on the season debut of RAW last night, but were missing one notable member. While Triple H, Shawn Michaels, X-Pac, and the Road Dogg were all in attendance – Billy Gunn was not present.
Gunn is currently employed by All Elite Wrestling (AEW). DX didn’t make any direct references to Gunn during their promos, but commentator Corey Graves certainly did.
X-Pac kicked things off by shouting out the late Chyna, who he called the “magic ingredient” to DX. Road Dogg followed up by doing his signature intro for The New Age Outlaws, letting the crowd do Gunn’s parts.
(WWE)
Just after the crowd said Gunn’s lines for him, Graves said “the other guy is doing something with office equipment these days, I’m not sure.” This was a play on Gunn’s current scissoring gimmick with The Acclaimed.
The segment wrapped up with Triple H doing the “Are You Ready?” line for the crowd, and Shawn Michaels saying “We Got Two Words For Ya!” RAW went off-air with DX celebrating and posing for the crowd.
Check out the segment, along with Graves comments on Gunn, here below:
Bobby Lashley apparently has his eye on reuniting The Hurt Business in WWE at some point.
Lashley was recently interviewed by Busted Open Radio, and was asked about being positioned as one of the top stars on Monday Night RAW.
“The Almighty” discussed his excitement about his U.S. Title run, and also put over a few other talents.
He then mentioned that he’d like to reunite The Hurt Business alongside MVP, Cedric Alexander, and Shelton Benjamin.
“Some of my closest friends, even favorites, the Hurt Business. MVP is there with Omos. Shelton Benjamin is still doing his stuff. Cedric is there. I’d like to bring that group back together at some point in time.”
(WWE)
The Hurt Business slowly fizzled out shortly before WrestleMania earlier this year. Lashley and MVP were kept together as the latter managed him into a WWE Title run. However, the pair split up after WrestleMania, as MVP instead aligned with Omos.
Aliyah has confirmed that she suffered rib and shoulder injuries last month.
The former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion posted an injury update on Tuesday via Instagram. She revealed she suffered rib and shoulder injuries last month. The injuries are an elevated first rib and AC sprain on the September 12 episode of Raw, where she and Raquel Rodriguez lost the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles to Damage CTRL’s Dakota Kai & IYO SKY.
Aliyah mentioned she doesn’t know when she will return to action, but she can’t wait to get back in the ring.
Aliyah’s Statement
“It’s been a month so here I go straight from the horses mouth: I have to say my last match was probably one of my most favorite. And I would like to thank my tag partner Raquel and Damage CTRL And everyone involved. Yes I got injured mid match, however I have this overwhelming gratitude towards the incident because I felt like it pulled out a version of me that I never even knew existed. ‘Keep going!’ I remember thinking. ‘I never get opportunities like this one’ another voice in my head screamed. So idc I’m going to keep going and keep showing out. The emotions and energy I was feeling in the moment truly lit me up inside and I felt INDESTRUCTIBLE in that moment (yes, with an elevated first rib and ac sprain and all.) I am very grateful to get to do what I do and I hope my passion and efforts transcended thru your television screen.
I don’t know what the future holds or when I’ll be back. But I just want to say thank you for everyone that has reached out. I really can’t wait to get back in the ring.”
Aliyah and Rodriguez became the Women’s Tag Team Champions when they won the tournament to crown new champs after Sasha Banks and Naomi were stripped of the titles when they walked out. Aliyah & Rodriguez held the titles for 14 days before losing them.
Since its inception, AEW has had its core body of devoted fans. They’re the supporters who believed in the company’s vision of posing a meaningful alternative to WWE. They’re fans of the WWE alumni who have been better used under the AEW banner, like Jon Moxley and Christian Cage, as well as fresher talents AEW gave an opportunity to shine like MJF and Hangman Page. They’re fans of faster-paced AEW style embodied in acts like Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks.
However, for all the fans AEW has amassed, the company also has its vocal critics who have only intensified with time, AEW’s higher profile, and particularly a web of controversies that have put the company under siege in recent months. One common talking point from these critics has been that AEW is looking an awful lot like WCW. While there are superficial similarities, these comparisons are mostly wrongheaded.
Why Some Fans Compare AEW With WCW
There are surface level reasons why someone might relate AEW to WCW. Like WCW, AEW is a rival promotion to WWE, and just so happens to air its weekly programming on Turner cable networks. Just as WCW was financially backed by billionaire Ted Turner and his organization, AEW is owned and operated by billionaire Tony Khan. There’s also the narrative line that like WCW relying on WWE-established stars like Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, and Bret Hart, AEW has heavily featured talents like Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, and Bryan Danielson.
Additionally, the controversy around CM Punk this summer drew a spotlight to issues with talents having undue influence on the product (as Punk arguably did and may still), besides wrestlers like Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks serving in executive vice president roles. These dynamics harkened back to the narrative of “the inmates running the asylum” in WCW, with figures like Hulk Hogan and Kevin Nash wielding different levels of formal or informal stroke during their tenures as on-air talents. WCW was all but synonymous with chaos in its late stages. Between the Punk issues, talents requesting their releases, and the most recent issues pitting Sammy Guevara against Eddie Kingston and Andrade El Idolo, AEW has started to feel the same way to some spectators.
The Management Structure Of WCW Posed Very Different Challenges
One of the fundamental differences between AEW and WCW is the management structure each organization had. Personalities ranging from Bill Watts to Kevin Sullivan to Eric Bischoff to Vince Russo to Kevin Nash dictated the creative direction of WCW at different points. Regardless of each of these men’s talents and limitations, there were always awkward structures around them answering to non-wrestling people within the Turner or Time Warner organizations.
In his first book and his 83 Weeks podcast, Eric Bischoff discussed his frustrations working with executives who couldn’t even name what night of the week Nitro aired on. Bischoff has gone on to paint a clear picture that, particularly after Time Warner took over, the powers that be were more interested in ridding themselves of the pro wrestling albatross than setting up WCW to thrive.
Like anyone producing a television product, AEW’s Tony Khan has network executives, advertisers, and other business partners to please. The ownership structure and chain of command is much more streamlined, however. It’s possible Khan could run his company into the ground, but if he does, it won’t be because of decisions that were made over his head within the company, which poses a fundamental difference from how WCW was structured.
AEW Had Been Steady In Its Aesthetic
When fans look back on WCW, there are very distinctive different eras they might consider from its twelve-and-a-half year run. In its early days, WCW largely reflected the same talents and style as Jim Crockett Promotions, in particular anchoring itself around Ric Flair and the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.
From there, Hulk Hogan signed and launched a two year period in which WCW felt like a WWE Golden Era “tribute band”, featuring many of the big names WWE had spotlighted in the 1980s and a cartoonish vibe.
That gave way to WCW’s greatest commercial success when it recentered around a more realistic tone, rooted in the New World Order faction, accented by the Crow version of Sting and the emergence of stars like Diamond Dallas Page and Goldberg. The wheels came off in the years to follow as WCW teetered out of control with erratic booking and over-reliance on worked shoot angles.
To be fair, AEW has only existed for a little over three years, so it’s too soon to speak to its long-term style and aesthetic. Just the same, from what we’ve seen so far, the company’s direction has been largely steady with an emphasis on in-ring action, a faster pace, and storytelling that is provocative, while rarely soap opera-esque. This is a style of presentation that bears little resemblance to any stage of WCW, instead feeling a bit more like a hybrid of the original ECW and ROH’s heyday.
In the end, every wrestling promotion has some degree of similarity to others, and over time it’s possible AEW will come to legitimately offer more similarities to WCW. For now, though, there are far more differences than commonalities between the two major promotions, and fans are best served to consider AEW on its own merits.
Aliyah wants to clear the air regarding her noticeable absence from WWE programming.
The 27-year old star released a new post on her personal Instagram revealing that she suffered an injury during her tag team title matchup against Damage CTRL (Iyo Sky & Dakota Kai) from an episode of Raw last month, where her and her partner Raquel Rodriguez lost the titles after a short reign as champions.
When talking about the match Aliyah calls it one of her personal favorites because the injury she suffered caused her to push forward, adding that she unleashed a side of herself that she never knew existed.
“It’s been a month so here I go straight from the horses mouth. I have to say my last match was probably one of my most favorite. And I would like to thank my tag partner Raquel and Damage CTRL And everyone involved. Yes I got injured mid match, however I have this overwhelming gratitude towards the incident because I felt like it pulled out a version of me that I never even knew existed. “Keep going!” I remember thinking. “I never get opportunities like this one” another voice in my head screamed.
So idc I’m going to keep going and keep showing out. The emotions and energy I was feeling in the moment truly lit me up inside and I felt INDESTRUCTIBLE in that moment (yes, with an elevated first rib and ac sprain and all.)”
Aliyah ends her passage by saying she is very grateful to be a professional wrestler, and is looking forward to getting back into the ring.
“I am very grateful to get to do what I do and I hope my passion and efforts transcended thru your television screen. I don’t know what the future holds or when I’ll be back. But I just want to say thank you for everyone that has reached out. I really can’t wait to get back in the ring. “
Aliyah and Rodriguez were the first champions following the walkout of Sasha Banks and Naomi, where the duo won an eight team tournament to capture the belts. Neither WWE or Aliyah has confirmed how long she will be out of action.
Even though he is only 26 years old, MJF is already one of the top stars of the pro wrestling world. The Salt of The Earth is one of the smartest pro wrestlers of today’s generation so he hardly ever needs to look to anyone else for advice. When he does need a second opinion on something, he turns to none other than Cody Rhodes.
When asked about his current relationship with Cody Rhodes, MJF claimed that they’re ‘best friends.’ Per the 26-year-old, he calls Rhodes every once in a while, when he needs a second opinion on something:
“I’ll still call him when I honestly need… rarely do I need advice – I mean, look at me. But I’ll call him because I respect the shit out of him. I’ll call him to get a second masterful opinion.”
– MJF
MJF and Cody Rhodes had been working together since the very beginning of AEW. The latter took the young star under his wing and they had a long partnership. This partnership ended when the Wrestling Devil caused Rhodes to lose a match against Chris Jericho at Full Gear 2019 and turned on the now WWE star afterward.
Jim Ross isn’t opposed to calling the action of a Football game, but not if it takes away from his responsibilities with AEW.
Ross joined Tony Khan’s promotion in January 2019 and has been a staple of AEW for the company ever since.
Commentary
Ross is considered one of the greatest wrestling commentators to don a headset, but isn’t just interested in the sport.
It’s no secret that JR is an avid football fan, calling a season for the Atlanta Falcons in 1992, and would call another season for the team in 1994.
When asked during the latest Grilling JR whether he wants to return to football commentary, Ross said it would depend.
“If it meant leaving AEW, the answer would be emphatically no. I like what I’m doing. But would it be fun to be in a booth for a game? Sure. I’m a football fan and I’m a broadcaster, so I think it all goes hand in hand. But the bottom line is I have my perfect job right now.”
Rampage
In June this year, JR was moved from being a full-time commentator for AEW Dynamite, to a full-time commentator for AEW Rampage.
While many have seen this as a demotion for the WWE Hall of Famer, Ross doesn’t share this viewpoint.
“I’m excited. I appreciate the things people have been saying about Rampage. We’re trying to build that brand. Friday nights are a daunting night for any TV programming. But we’ve got work, and I thought our last two or three shows on Rampage have been solid as hell.”
The new deal will see Moxley compete almost exclusively for AEW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, as the two promotions enjoy a working relationship.
Stabilizing
Moxley’s re-signing is some much-needed good news for Khan, whose company has recently faced a series of scandals.
Injuries, fight backstage and reports of an unhappy roster have been just some of the problems AEW has had to deal with recently.
Speaking on the Grilling JR podcast, Ross spoke of the ‘stabilizing’ effect Moxley’s re-signing will have.
“I think it’s very stabilizing for our roster. He’s our top guy, he’s the champ. So he’s emotionally invested. To sign a five-year deal, at his age, you’re invested. I’m really happy to see that happen.”
Jim Ross.
There’s no word yet on how much Moxley will make per year on his new deal for the company.
Exclusivity
Moxley’s new deal is good news for AEW, but bad news for Game Changer Wrestling.
MJF returned to All Elite Wrestling at All Out but the wrestling world was talking about the brawl between CM Punk and The Elite following the PPV.
The brawl resulted in AEW President Tony Khan stripping CM Punk of the AEW World Championship and Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks of the Trios Championships. Death Triangle captured the Trios Championships on the Dynamite following All Out and Jon Moxley defeated Bryan Danielson in the finals of the Tournament of Champions at Dynamite: Grand Slam to become the new champion.
MJF is in line for a title shot and Moxley will put the title on the line against Hangman Page on a special Tuesday night edition of Dynamite on October 18th.
MJF Comments On The Brawl Between CM Punk & The Elite
MJF was recently a guest on Sam Roberts’ Notsam Wrestling show. Sam brought up the backstage incident following AEW All Out and noted how Jon Moxley & MJF seized their opportunity a few days later on Dynamite.
Roberts said that both MJF and Jon were able to get fans to forget about the drama from a moment. MJF quoted CM Punk’s pipebomb promo where he said he’s just a spoke on the wheel and the wheel is going to keep spinning no matter who is in the locker room.
I think it has honestly become less interesting as time has gone on and isn’t that telling, right? Because that is what professional wrestling is.
I’ll use a phrase from a guy that was involved in it (CM Punk), it’s a wheel. And it is going to keep on turning.
I’ve said it before and I will say it again, everyone that was involved in this thing is crazy talented. Crazy talented. And whatever happens, whichever way this goes, I wish everyone involved the best of luck.
But like we just discussed, AEW is insane right now and that is not hyperbole. Ratings have been going up, the key demographic has been going up.
Even with this crazy bulls*** nut job hurricane, where you know that the news media is going to be fear-mongering, and like ‘you’re all gonna die!’, we still hit a great demo.
That is the end of the story and I think that it is why it has become a bit of a moot point. It was much more interesting when it went down.
CM Punk is Probably Not Returning to AEW
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Notsam Wrestling and give a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.
Matt Taven may be the next wrestler to ink a contract with WWE, at least if the promotion gets its way.
Taven joined Impact Wrestling earlier this year, appearing at January’s ‘Hard to Kill’ event as part of Honor No More.
Last weekend, it was reported that Taven, alongside Maria Bennett, Maria Kanellis-Bennett, and Vincent have left the promotion.
WWE’s Interest
Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said that WWE has a great deal of interest in Taven.
“I know WWE has [an] interest in Taven.”
Dave Meltzer.
Meltzer added that while WWE is interested in Matt Taven, Stephanie McMahon’s company isn’t his only option.
“I would think that also Taven, Bennett, and Maria could go to New Japan [Pro Wrestling] because they have history there. I don’t know about AEW. If there’s something going on at Ring of Honor they could go there, because they were Ring of Honor people.”
Matt Taven
While Taven recently left Impact Wrestling, the majority of his success has come in Ring of Honor.
A former World Champion, Tag Champion and Television, Taven is the promotion’s fifth Triple Crown winner.
Also being a former six-man Tag Team Champion, Taven is the company’s second-ever ROH Grand Slam winner, behind Christopher Daniels.
Taven has also competed in CMLL, and New Japan, and he is the second person to hold gold in both those companies as well as Ring of Honor (behind Rocky Romero.)
Since 2016, he and Bennett have operated a wrestling school located in West Warwick, Rhode Island.
Bray Wyatt made his return to WWE at last weekend’s Extreme Rules Premium Live Event, but only after some efforts from other promotions.
Wyatt’s return came after weeks of ‘White Rabbit’ teases, and the former Universal Champion earned a thunderous response in Philadelphia.
Bray had been controversially released from WWE, which was reportedly over creative differences with then-WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.
Feelers
Wyatt’s return is yet another victory for WWE’s Head of Talent Relations Triple H, who has brought back several released talents since being appointed in July.
Sports Illustrated reports that while WWE was negotiating with Wyatt, AEW had sent ‘feelers’ to gauge Bray’s interest in joining.
Impact Wrestling and AAA also sent feelers, trying to determine if Wyatt would consider signing with them instead.
It had been previously reported that Wyatt’s asking price had left all but the biggest promotions unable to afford appearances from the former Universal Champion.
What’s Next?
With Wyatt now back with WWE, the biggest question is what is next for him?
Some have suggested that Wyatt is set to start a new Wyatt family, with many pointing to the characters featured at Extreme Rules.
As part of his return, individuals dressed as Huskus the Pig, Ramblin’ Rabbit, Abby the Witch, Mercy the Buzzard and The Fiend made appearances.
Grayson Waller, who many believe played Mercy the Buzzard, teased involvement in Wyatt, having a Bray Wyatt head lantern in the background of a recent tweet.
Wyatt’s next appearance has been confirmed for this Friday’s episode of SmackDown on FOX.
