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Erick Rowan: There’s Always An Opportunity for WWE Return

Thomas Lowson
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Erick Rowan could be the next member of the Wyatt family to make his return to WWE, following Bray Wyatt’s return at Extreme Rules this past weekend.

Wyatt had been released in July 2021, reportedly over his high-dollar contract and creative disputes with then-WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.Amid reports that a new Wyatt faction could be in the works, it was reported that his real-life brother Bo Dallas is heading back to WWE.

During a recent interview with Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston, Rowan said he is not opposed to a return to WWE.

“There’s always [an] opportunity and my story within wrestling, that character of Erick Rowan or Erick Redbeard, it has so much left to tell and talk about. I think when I stepped aside when Covid happened and people were let go, I wasn’t ready for my story to stop.”

Erick Rowan

Rowan was released from WWE on April 15, 2020, in the first of what would be waves of mass releases over the next two years.

Feuding with Rollins

Mere weeks before his release from WWE, a storyline began that saw Rowan carry a covered cage around wherever he went.

Anyone who peered under the cover would be horrified by what they saw, but the eventual reveal was far less impressive. Rowan’s monster turned out to be little more than a very fake-looking spider, which wasn’t the original plan.

“Seth Rollins was the big babyface at the time and I was told it’s going to be a pet rat. Which was great because it tied into my last feud where I tried to kill a man, this being Roman Reigns, with a vehicle. I was like ‘great, probably got a court-appointed therapist who told me to get a therapy pet.’

“Seth backstage was going to curb-stomp it by accident. I was like this is a great idea to start a feud even though I’ve got to carry around the cage and not really tell a story for a couple of weeks. But he turned heel close to a few weeks after that and it just kept getting extended… you could picture it all you want along the ride but that’s what it was and I’m sorry people didn’t like that.”

Instead of a feud with the former Universal Champion, Rowan’s rat became a spider, which was crushed by Drew McIntyre in March 2020.

The Dark Order

In December 2020, the wrestling world lost Brodie Lee, who had worked with Rowan in WWE as Luke Harper (later just Harper.)

In a tribute episode of AEW Dynamite, Rowan (working under the name Erick Redbeard) appeared alongside the Dark Order, Lee’s stable.

Speaking about the group, which has carried on despite Lee’s passing, Rowan said he did not share an interest in joining.

“It was never a conversation. I was doing and pursuing my own things and I don’t know, just it was it was never a thing. I didn’t want to be that guy that distracts and always made you remind people of a loss especially that quickly and with the Dark Order. I wanted nothing to do with it and that’s not to say that I’m better or not. ]

“What I’m saying is I didn’t want anything to do with it because that’s his legacy. If it’s going to fizzle out I want it to fizzle out but he made it and created that in such a quick amount of time. I want that to be the memory of him.”

After appearing for the Brodie Lee memorial Dynamite, Rowan has competed twice for AEW, first in a losing effort at AEW Revolution 2022, where he teamed with PAC and Penta Oscura, and on an August 2022 Rampage, teaming with Danhausen.

Erick Redbeard Reveals New Tattoo Honoring Brodie Lee

Okada vs. White Official for NJPW WrestleKingdom 17 Main Event

Michael Reichlin
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The main event is set for New Japan Pro Wrestling’s biggest show of the year.

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 is scheduled for Wednesday, January 4, 2023 from the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. New Japan’s flagship show returns to a single-night format after several years of taking place over 2 nights.

As expected, the main event of WK17 will see IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Jay White defending against Kazuchika Okada, winner of the G1 CLIMAX 32 tournament.

Wrestle Kingdom 17 will be dedicated to Japanese wrestling legend Antonio Inoki, who passed away last week.

wk17main

Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White

The bout was made official during the closing segment of Monday’s NJPW Declaration of Power, where White successfully defended his title against Tama Tonga. During a post-match promo, Okada came out and had a stare-down in the ring.

Okada is considered one of the greatest wrestlers of this generation, but some will consider him an underdog going into this bout. The Rainmaker holds a 1-4 record against Switchblade in their five battles.

Preview For Tonight’s WWE Raw Season Premiere from Brooklyn

Michael Reichlin
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WWE returns to Brooklyn, NY tonight for the (Fall 2022) Season Premiere edition of Monday Night Raw from the Barclays Center.

Raw will feature D-Generation X’s 25th Anniversary celebration. Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Sean “X-Pac” Waltman and ‘Road Dogg’ Brian James will celebrate one of the most legendary factions in WWE history. DX was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019.

These days, the group’s former leaders (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) are among the most powerful people behind the scenes. Triple H serves as WWE’s Chief Content Officer and Head of creative, while Michaels is the Vice President of Talent Development Creative for NXT.

Roman Reigns and The Bloodline will also be on hand. Reigns won’t be competing at Extreme Rules, but has a ‘date’ with Logan Paul at Crown Jewel on November 5th.

Matches advertised for the WWE Raw Season Premiere include:

  • Seth Rollins vs. Bobby Lashley for the United States Championship.
  • Johnny Gargano vs. Austin Theory

In addition to these announced segments and matches, the ‘new season’ of Raw comes with some significant changes to the show’s broadcast team:

  • Backstage correspondent Kevin Patrick moves to the announcer’s booth and will call the action alongside Corey Graves.
  • Byron Saxton and the returning Cathy Kelly will serve as the shows’ new backstage correspondents.

Join us here later tonight for our WWE Raw results and takeaways.

New Japan Unveils New NJPWWorld Television Championship

Michael Reichlin
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New Japan Pro Wrestling has introduced a new championship belt. On Monday, the promotion held its NJPW Declaration of Power event.

Mid-way through the show, the company introduced the NJPW World Television championship, named after the promotion’s NJPW World streaming service.

Matches for the Television Championship will have a 15 minute time limit, which adds a sense of urgency and heightens the fast-paced element they are striving for. They will also focus on younger wrestlers, as well as having the belt defended in smaller towns that don’t often see title defenses.

A tournament will be held to crown the first champion starting on October the 14th. Semifinals will be held on November 3rd in Osaka, with the first champion being crowned at Wrestle Kingdom 17.

A representative from TV Asahi Sports mentioned that title matches will eventually air for free on NJPW’s social media channels.

Here’s a clear look at the gold:

NJPWWorld Television Championship

Eric Bischoff Has No Sympathy for Frustrated Wrestlers: “Be Grateful!”

Thomas Lowson
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Frustrated wrestlers, tired of not receiving adaqueate TV time and prominent booking, shouldn’t bother turning to Eric Bischoff for a shoulder to cry on.

In recent months, there have been reports of talent being unhappy in AEW, with meetings beind held backstage to address concerns.

Last year, Brian Cage’s wife Melissa commented publicly about her husband’s lack of booking in AEW, and her criticism of the company drew him significant heat backstage.

Be Ready

With limited hours, it is impossible for everyone to be featured on AEW programming each week.

Tony Khan has amassed an impressively large roster, which he divides among Dynamite, Rampage, Dark and Dark: Elevation.

Speaking on his 83 Weeks Podcast, Bischoff advised those in AEW to be ready, even when they’re not being used.

“Be ready for your opportunity. Because let’s face it, injuries are a thing. Contract issues are a thing. HR issues are a thing. Just because you’re at the bottom of the card or you’re not getting as much Television time as you think you deserve, keep your nose to the grindstone.

“If you’re getting paid and you’re healthy and you get to spend time with your family, and you have more time to work out, maybe you have some time [to improve.] God forbid, take some classes. Take some improv classes. Learn how to be better as a character on Television. You’re getting paid good money and you’re not on the road 300 days a year.”

Be Grateful

While many wrestlers do try and improve, there is no shortage of talent who have been unhappy with the lack of focus they receive.

AEW’s Miro has liked tweets suggesting he would do better in WWE, while Andrade El Idolo retweeted a recent fan post, complaining that Andrade wasn’t used more when multiple talent missed Dynamite due to Hurricane Ian.

Speaking about those who insist on being negative online, Bischoff had two simple words of advice: be grateful.

“Focus on yourself. I don’t have sympathy for talent who are frustrated. First of all, you made the decision. You made the choice to go work there. And because things aren’t going exactly the way you want them to go, exactly when you want them to go, I don’t think it gives you the right [to complain.] It certainly is not a good look to make as much noise and be as negative an influence as some people are. Man, be grateful! God almighty be grateful.

“I don’t have sympathy for talent who are frustrated.”

Eric Bischoff

“How many people in the world, or this country, would do anything to change places with you? And guess what? They wouldn’t be b*tching about how much TV time they’re not getting. Come on man, be grateful.”

Bischoff added that several wrestlers fall into the trap of an echo-chamber on social media, reading comments from their fans that they should receive better booking.

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

Eric Bischoff Explains Why He’s “Not that Big a Fan of Wrestling Matches”

Ronda Rousey to Liv Morgan Fans: “Cry About It Neckbeards!”

Thomas Lowson
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New WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey is thrilled to hold the gold again after dethroning Liv Morgan.

At WWE Extreme Rules, Rousey defeated Morgan to regain the title, making the plucky babyface pass out.

Morgan had won the title from Rousey at Money in the Bank by cashing in the briefcase after Rousey had retained the title against Natalya.

At Summerslam, Morgan became the only woman to hold two victories over Rousey, defeating her thanks to some botched officiating.

Cry About It

While Rousey returned to WWE as a babyface as part of January’s Women’s Royal Rumble, her feud with Morgan has made her a heel once more.

On Instagram, Rousey relished in her title victory, informing fans of Morgan to “Go home and cry about it, neckbeards.”

The win marks Rousey’s third title in WWE, after winning the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania Backlash 2022, and winning the Raw Women’s Title at Summerslam 2018.

The End of Morgan’s Push?

Morgan’s title win was a long-time coming for fans of hers, but this loss may mark the end of her run on top of the women’s division.

According to reports, the plan for WrestleMania 39 is for Rousey to finally have her one-on-one match with Becky Lynch, a bout that was originally planned for Survivor Series 2018.

With the likelihood that this match will be for a championship, it is likely that Rousey will hold the SmackDown Women’s Championship until April of next year.

If so, Morgan won’t have another title reign until after WrestleMania 39, and may have to wait even longer if Lynch wins the gold next year.

Saraya Fires Back at Claims Against ‘Unethical’ AEW for Medically Clearing Her

Thomas Lowson
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Saraya has hit back at claims that AEW is acting “unethically” by clearing her for in-ring competition.

The former WWE Divas Champion was recently cleared to wrestle nearly five years after her last match. On last week’s AEW Dynamite, Saraya got physical for the first time in years, confronting Dr. Britt Baker. Some ‘medical experts’ on social media have accused AEW of negligence and acting without Saraya’s best interests in mind.

On Twitter, one user claimed that Saraya was not cleared by 15 doctors during her time with WWE. They added that Dr. Sampson, AEW’s resident physician, has been accused of “numerous unethical decisions.

The Twitter user, who calls themselves a “reality check” for wrestling, provided no names of doctors nor any of these alleged unethical decisions.

In response, Saraya said that the claim of 15 doctors is “straight up lying for clicks.”

She added that Dr. Sampson says lives, and shared a tweet from Jerry Lawler. It was Dr. Sampson who saved the WWE Hall of Famer’s life in 2012 after he suffered a cardiac event during an episode of WWE Monday Night Raw.

https://twitter.com/Saraya/status/1578902584995516416

Retirement

Saraya’s last match took place at the December 26, 2017, WWE Live event inside Madison Square Garden.

During a six-woman tag-team match, Paige took a stiff kick from Sasha Banks which resulted in the match being stopped, the latest in a long list of injuries the former Divas Champion had been dealing with.

On the WWE Raw after WrestleMania 34 in April 2018, Saraya (then Paige) announced her retirement and became the General Manager of SmackDown later that week.

Backstage Reaction To Bray Wyatt’s Return At WWE Extreme Rules

Robert Lentini
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Bray Wyatt returned to WWE last night at the conclusion of Extreme Rules.

Matt Riddle defeated Seth Rollins in the Fight Pit match in the main event of the PLE. After the match, the lights in Wells Fargo Arena went out and the Firefly Fun House came to life.

The puppets were shown in human form throughout the arena as “he’s got the whole world in his hands” played in the arena. A door then appeared and Bray walked through it to a tremendous reaction from the crowd as Extreme Rules went off the air.

Backstage Reaction To Bray Wyatt’s Return At WWE Extreme Rules

According to a new report from Fightful Select, Bray Wyatt’s return last night was said to be “very well received” backstage within WWE. The company is also happy with the buzz created surrounding the hints and QR codes the past several weeks.

The White Rabbit teaser campaign gave Extreme Rules have a “big night” feel for those in the company. Fightful added that Bray Wyatt also has a good relationship with a new WWE hire.

Rob Fee, WWE’s new Director of Longterm Creative, was recently signed by the promotion. Fee has worked with Marvel Comics and Disney in the past. Rob reportedly also pitched a “Fiend movie” to the company that was well-received, but nothing ever came of it due to Wyatt’s release last year.

Several AEW and WWE stars reacted to Bray Wyatt’s return last night at WWE Extreme Rules. Alexa Bliss welcomed back her old friend and you can check that out here.

3 Things Bray Wyatt Instantly Brings To WWE

C.J. Perry (Lana) Joins “The Surreal Life” Reboot

Samantha Schipman
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VH1 is bringing back their popular 2000s era celebrity reality show, The Surreal Life. Wrestling fans will find a familiar face with C.J. Perry, known to WWE fans as Lana.

Former nWo member (and basketball player, of course) Dennis Rodman, Stormy Daniels, Frankie Muniz, Manny MUA, Tamar Braxton, Kim Coles, and August Alsina round out the new cast.

Perry told The Man Cave Chronicles with Elias that “not only (does) every room have cameras, but also the bathroom has sound. So, you’re kind of losing your mind. You’re like ‘can I just have five seconds to myself?’ Besides that, you also have cameras following you around.”

“You’re putting eight different people into a house with no doors and of course, a lot of things are bound to happen. And also for people with very different backgrounds, different cultures, different races, different religions, different career paths. I made friends, I laughed, I cried, I had several panic attacks on there.”

Although she can’t spill the tea, Perry said that she developed a competitive rivalry with Manny, Braxton, and Muniz with their daily activations. “They were kind of challenging, so we all developed a really competitive bond.” Perry also lets viewers know “there was some drama with Dennis Rodman that you’ll see.”

The Surreal Life airs Monday, October 24 at 9 PM ET.

Eric Bischoff: Tony Khan Has Dug Himself a Hole as the ‘End All, Be All’ of AEW

Jesse Velasquez
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All Elite Wrestling has recently seen an explosive number of altercations behind the curtain. From CM Punk’s comments at the AEW All Out Media scrum to Andrade El Idolo and Sammy Guevara’s confronation. AEW which is led by Tony Khan, has been in a bit of disarray.

Eric Bischoff is also no stranger to seeing backstage antics in a wrestling company.

He was up close and personal to a lot of politics and drama when he was senior president of WCW from 1994 to September of 1999. On the most recent episode of Bischoff’s 83 Weeks podcast, he was asked if there were any parallels to the backstage drama between AEW and WCW when he was running the company?

“In some ways, of course. You’ve got talent who can be emotional at times. That’s across the board. Some of the biggest names in the industry have been difficult to work with from time to time.”

“Sometimes the emotions can be heightened to the point where they become problematic. It’s happened in WWE, we saw Stone Cold Steve Austin walk out over creative differences. It certainly happened in WCW, I had my own issues with that.”

AEW Backstage

Tony Khan

The physical confrontation after AEW All Out that led to the suspensions of CM Punk, The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega, has upstaged the in-ring product in recent weeks. It brings into question, what’s going on management wise behind the scenes in AEW?

AEW owner and president Tony Khan wears many, if not all the hats in the company. He books the shows on top of making the major executive decisions. Something that former WWE CEO Vince McMahon was often criticized for.

Trying to police a locker room that seemingly has unrest is becoming a larger issue for Khan. When Bischoff was asked if he had any advice for Khan, he said the following.

“Tony has really dug himself in as the end all, be all (of AEW). He’s the CEO, head of creative, whatever six titles he has. I don’t think he has delegated well. I think it would have served Tony much better early on, to set the stage and create the culture.”

“If Tony not only would have surrounded himself but delegated and trusted some of the more senior people around him early on, I think he would’ve quite possibly avoided some of this drama.”

More from Eric Bischoff:

Eric Bischoff: Tony Khan Messed Up Buying “Insignificant” Ring of Honor

3 Things Bray Wyatt Instantly Brings To WWE

Robert Lentini
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After weeks of QR codes, Jefferson Airplane blaring at arenas, and hidden messages, the White Rabbit was finally revealed last night at WWE Extreme Rules.

Matt Riddle defeated Seth “Freakin” Rollins last night in the Fight Pit match at Extreme Rules. Following the match, the lights in the Wells Fargo Arena went out and the Firefly Funhouse puppets were shown in human form in the crowd.

A mysterious door then appeared and Bray Wyatt walked through it to an enormous pop from the crowd as Extreme Rules went off the air.

Here are 3 things Bray Wyatt instantly brings to the WWE:

Buzz

Bray Wyatt’s return has been a huge success for WWE in terms of numbers of social media. The return video on YouTube already has garnered close to 1.7 million views less than 24 hours later.

PWInsider provided the following metrics earlier today and they have already gone up drastically:

  • YouTube: 1.86 million views (between two videos)
  • Twitter: 1.2 million views, 5,252 retweets, 27,200 likes
  • Instagram: 437,045 likes
  • Facebook: Around 500,000 views
  • TikTok: 73,000 views with 20,000 likes

The two videos of Bray’s return (the reveal at the end, Firefly Fun House comes to life) have no accumulated 2.7 million views between the two videos. The numbers provided by PWInsider earlier today were already some of the highest numbers from WWE in 2022. It will be interesting to see how far the views climb over the next few days.

Creativity

WWE’s ‘White Rabbit’ teaser campaign captivated the wrestling world as they tried to put together the pieces from each clue. The QR codes kept viewers locked in and had every wrestling site on the edge of their collective seats trying to post the clues before each other.

It was reported that WWE was mainly “hands off” in the creative process of the White Rabbit campaign because fans were having so much fun with it. The company used fan-assisted viral marketing with the White Rabbit campaign and it was seen as a major success backstage within the company.

Bray Wyatt’s character “The Fiend” wasn’t beloved by every wrestling fan, but there is no doubt that it was creative. The split-personality aspect of the character was compelling as well, as Bray would often portray a demonic Mr. Rogers of sorts in the Firefly Fun House segments. Bray even “wrestled” John Cena in a Firefly Fun House match at WrestleMania 36 in a match you either enjoyed or absolutely hated.

Unfinished Business

Bray Wyatt was released from WWE in July 2021. His final match was a loss against Randy Orton during Night 2 of WrestleMania 37. The Fiend had the match in control but was betrayed by Alexa Bliss at the conclusion of the match. It was never explained why Alexa turned her back on The Fiend and Orton simply moved on from the feud.

Randy spoke with The Ringer Wrestling Show earlier this year about feuding with The Fiend and admitted it was difficult.

You go out there and do your best job. Even though I am lighting a dead guy on fire and he’s the babyface. I had a very hard time trying to make that real, but I feel like I did a good enough job to where even though it was a little cringe-worthy for some people

Randy Orton on working with The Fiend (via The Ringer Wrestling Show)

Former WWE CEO Vince McMahon and Bray Wyatt reportedly had issues during their time working together. AEW star Matt Hardy revealed that Vince and Rotunda (Wyatt) had a strange relationship. Matt claimed that Vince would praise Bray when he did something he liked, but would get overly angry when Wyatt did something he was not a fan of.

Following Vince McMahon’s resignation in late July, Triple H took over the promotion’s creative as the Chief Content Officer. Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan were named the new co-CEOs of the company. Triple H has brought back several released WWE Superstars and Bray Wyatt is the latest at Extreme Rules.

Bray presumably now has more creative freedom than he’s ever had in his career. The Game spoke about Bray before his debut with Ariel Helwani of BT Sport and claimed that Bray can sometimes be a victim of his own mind.

He is one of the most, and I mean this in the best way possible, crazy creative people I’ve ever been around. His mind just never stops thinking of creative, but it’s like being in a whirlwind of stuff, without the harness and without somebody to point the tornado, it’s just all over the place. And he’s a victim of his own mind.

Triple H on working with Bray Wyatt (via BT Sport)

If Triple H can serve as the “harness” for Bray’s tornado of ideas, the WWE Universe could be in store for the best run of Wyatt’s career in years ahead.

More from SEScoops:

“Roman Reigns Can’t Fight… He’s Just A Big Muscular Dude”

Robert Lentini
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Former RAW announcer Jimmy Smith announcer shared some interesting comments about WWE’s top star just a few days after his unexpected departure from the promotion.

WWE recently shook about their announce teams and it resulted in Jimmy Smith being let go from the company. Corey Graves and Kevin Patrick were named the new team for WWE RAW recently. Michael Cole and Wade Barrett were named the announcers for SmackDown. Wade noted that he will not be at SmackDown for long and will be returning for NXT.

Vic Joseph and Booker T were named the new commentary team for NXT. Jimmy reportedly accidentally learned about his firing ahead of time by Triple H and you can check that out here.

Former Colts punter and media personality used to call SmackDown with Michael Cole but his job is on “hold” as he has taken a full-time role with College Gameday on ESPN.

New Commentary Teams for WWE Raw, SmackDown & NXT

Former WWE RAW Announcer Jimmy Smith On Roman Reigns

Jimmy Smith appeared on MMA on Sirius XM today, less than a week after his departure from WWE. The former RAW announcer spoke about the atmosphere backstage in WWE. He added that Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns is “just a big muscular dude” that cannot actually fight in real life.

“The WWE behind the scenes is more CM Punk than Brock Lesnar. Does this guy look like he can fight? That is what the WWE is about. Roman Reigns can’t fight. He looks like he can fight. He’s just a big muscular dude. Daniel Cormier does not (look like he can fight). You put (Cormier) next to Brock Lesnar, and it looks like a man and a kid, and WWE is all about that visual.”

UFC legend Daniel Cormier was the special referee for the Fight Pit match last night in the main event of Extreme Rules.

Roman Reigns did not defend his title at last night’s WWE Extreme Rules PLE. The Tribal Chief is set to put the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship next month against Logan Paul at Crown Jewel.

Bo Dallas WWE Return Expected “Very Soon”

Thomas Lowson
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Bray Wyatt has made his long-awaited return to WWE, and his real-life brother Bo Dallas is reportedly not far behind.

Wyatt, a former Universal Champion, returned at last night’s Extreme Rules Premium Live Event, ending the show to a thunderous ovation from the live crowd.

Bo Dallas

Bryan Alverez, through the ‘superfollowers’ function on his Twitter account, reports that Wyatt is expected back “very soon,” according to multiple sources within WWE.

Dallas was released by WWE in April 2021, over a year and a half after what would become his last match for the company.

Dallas signed with WWE in 2008, and would have an impressive run in NXT, including becoming the third-ever NXT Champion.

Joining the main roster in 2014, Dallas would hold the Raw Tag Team Championships (with Curtis Axel) and briefly be 24/7 Champion, before his release.

Outside of the ring, Dallas is in a relationship with current WWE Superstar Liv Morgan, who lost the SmackDown Women’s Championship at Extreme Rules.

Future Plans

It is unclear what WWE has planned for Dallas, but this report coming so soon after his brother’s comeback is interesting.

Some have suggested that Dallas could join forces with his brother as part of a new Wyatt family stable, the first time the pair would be aligned on WWE’s main roster.

It is also possible that Bo’s return will not be connected to his brother at all, and that he will be a singles Superstar in his own storyline.

In April 2022, Dallas hinted that he would be wrestling again soon.

Details Emerge Over Bo Dallas Backstage Role at WWE Prior to Release

MJF Fires Back at Kanye West’s Anti-Semitic Comments

Michael Reichlin
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Maxwell Jacob Friedman is firing back at anti-Semitic comments made by Kanye West.

West made headlines around the world overnight with his late night diatribe aimed at Jewish people. He wrote on social media, “I’m a bit sleepy tonight when I wake up I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.”

fuck kanye

Days before this Tweet, Jewish groups accused West of propagating anti-Semitic stereotypes during an interview with Fox News.

West has received blowback from various racially sensitive comments over the years, and Jews have not been his only target. In 2018, he floated the idea that African Americans “chose” to be slaves. He told TMZ, “When you hear about slavery for 400 years … For 400 years? That sounds like a choice.”

MJF Responds to Kanye West

On Sunday, MJF addressed the controversy on Twitter. He wrote:

“Kanye calling Jewish people horrifying doesn’t shock me.

What shocks me is how little we as a society talk about antisemitism.

To put things into perspective. Slavery was very recent and the plight of POC is still rampant.

End of slavery-1865

End of Holocaust-1945

People tweeting “this is out of character”

I don’t play a character. Never have. I’m a Jew. I’m angry, And you should be angry too.”

The tweets got a lot of replies, as you can imagine. He followed up by writing, “And for the people out there who will try to attack me for bringing up the abolition of slavery in the US. I am not taking your very real pain away. Nor am I trying to play a game of ‘who’s had it worse.’ If you think that was the point of this tweet you’re dumb as bricks.”

MJF has been outspoken about the anti-Semitism he’s faced while growing up. Back in February, he cut an impassioned promo on AEW Dynamite explaining how he dealt with a high school classmate who bullied him for being Jewish.

Current Champions & Others to Depart Impact Wrestling

Thomas Lowson
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Impact Wrestling’s roster has shrunk after the most recent tapings, as four stars have reportedly finished with the company.

Impact held its eighteenth annual Bound for Glory this week, and has confirmed the date and location for their next pay-per-view Hard to Kill 2023.

Departures

PW Insider reports that Mike Bennett, Maria Kanellis-Bennett, Vincent, and Matt Taven are believed to have finished with the company.

Bennett, like his wife, returned to Impact this past January at the Hard to Kill pay per view, after being released from WWE in 2020.

Bennett’s departure, as well as Taven’s, is unusual as the pair are in their first reigns as Impact World Tag Team Champions.

Vincent also joined Impact Wrestling at Hard to Kill 2022, alongside Bennett, Kanellis and Taven.

Honor No More

The four departing wrestlers all debuted at the same time, and as part of a group, later dubbed by Kanellis-Bennett as ‘Honor no More’ in January 2022

The group, which included PCO, came about during Ring of Honor’s hiatus (which ended in April 2022,) and consisted of prominent former ROH talent.

Later that month, Kenny King, a former ROH and Impact Wrestling star, returned to the latter promotion and joined Honor No More.

The following month, Eddie Edwards would be revealed as the group’s leader.

The recent Bound for Glory event saw a mixed result for Honor No More, as Bennett and Taven retained their tag titles on the show against the Motor City Machine Guns.

On the other side of things, PCO would fail to win the Call Your Shot Gauntlet and Edwards would be unsuccessful against Impact World Champion Josh Alexander.

Closer Look at Bray Wyatt’s Creatures From WWE Extreme Rules Return

Thomas Lowson
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The creatures from the Firefly Fun House arrived at last night’s WWE Extreme Rules 2022 Premium Live Event, thanks to the work of artist Jason Baker.

On the show, Bray Wyatt made his long-awaited return to WWE, debuting a new mask in the closing moments of the show to a thunderous ovation from fans in Philadelphia.

Wyatt had been released in 2021, a controversial decision that was reportedly over his high-dollar contract and creative differences with then-CEO Vince McMahon.

The Fun House Friends

During Wyatt’s return, performers dressed as members of the Firefly Fun House appeared in person at the Wells Fargo Center.

Mercy the Buzzard, Abby the Witch, Huskus the Pig Boy, The Fiend and Ramblin’ Rabbit all appeared as part of Wyatt’s monumental return.

Firefly Funhouse Characters

Jason Baker

Special effects artist Jason Baker showed off his latest work in a backstage photo posted on Twitter. Wyatt’s big return fell on Baker’s 40th birthday, making the night even more special.

Baker, a protege of horror movie effects legend Tom Savini, is no stranger to working with Wyatt, having created the mask and props for The Fiend in 2019.

Last year, it was reported that Baker and Wyatt were working on a film together, which was set to be produced in-house by Baker’s Calloseum Studios.

The film’s script was written by Rob Fee, who was recently hired by WWE and is said to be a big fan of both Wyatt and the current product.

With Wyatt’s return to WWE last night, it is unclear if the film is still being made, or if it will become a WWE Studios production.

Bray Wyatt Comments on His WWE Return

Bray Wyatt Breaks Silence After Returning At WWE Extreme Rules

Daniel Cormier Reacts to WWE Extreme Rules 2022 Main Event

Thomas Lowson
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Daniel Cormier was blown away by the Fight Pit match that headlined last night’s WWE Extreme Rules 2022 Premium Live Event.

In the main event of the show, the Fight Pit made its debut on the main roster, as Matt Riddle got a victory over Seth Rollins. This marked Riddle’s first win in the Fight Pit, and the third match to take place in the cage overall. Part of the selling point of this week’s Fight Pit was Daniel Cormier, who served as the guest referee for the match.

Speaking to the returning Cathey Kelly after the show, the former UFC Heavyweight Champion expressed his respect for both Riddle and Rollins.

“It was amazing. Those guys fought. You knew that a rivalry like that needed an ending like that. Something very true. Something that could not be questioned and Matt Riddle got it done. It was tremendous being inside the Fight Pit.”

– Daniel Cormier

Cormier, who retired from professional fighting in 2020, was also asked about an altercation between himself and Rollins during the match but believes that this wasn’t a sign of biased officiating.

“I had to put him in his place because he’s been disrespectful. He grabbed me while I was checking on Matt Riddle. But I said I would be fair. I thought that I was that tonight. I came here to do a job and I think I did that job to the best of my abilities.”

Cormier’s appearance at Extreme Rules was reported to have been a one-off appearance for WWE, but both sides remain open to working together again in the future.

More on DC’s Appearance at Extreme Rules

Who Convinced Daniel Cormier to Make WWE Extreme Rules 2022 Debut?

WrestleMania 40 Logo Revealed at Extreme Rules

Bruce Lee Hazelwood
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WWE has revealed the official logo WrestleMania 40 which takes place April 6th and 7th, 2024 from Philadelphia, PA at Liberty Financial Field.

The most notable aspect of the logo is that WWE is bringing back the traditional roman numerals as part of the event’s official branding. As seen above, WrestleMania 40 is being branded as, WrestleMania XL.

It’s been a decade since Roman numerals were on the logos and posters for WWE’s biggest show. The last to have them was WrestleMania XXX (2014) in New Orleans that saw the culmination of the then Daniel Bryan’s babyface run.

While fans have referred to the intervening shows by their numbered editions, this is the first official WWE WrestleMania logo to feature the numerals.

Of course, WWE still has to course through 2023 before they head to Philadelphia for WrestleMania XL. The 39th edition of WrestleMania takes place April 1 and 2 in Inglewood, California from SoFi Stadium, the home of the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers.

That show has been dubbed WrestleMania Hollywood, a throwback to WrestleMania 21 from Los Angeles.

What Happened With Bray Wyatt After Extreme Rules Went Off Air

Anutosh Bajpai
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Bray Wyatt is back!

The former Universal champion made his much-anticipated WWE return on tonight’s Extreme Rules PPV after weeks of build-up.

The main event of the show saw Riddle beating Seth Rollins in a fight pit match. Both Riddle and the special guest referee Daniel Cormier were on the stage after the bout when the lights went out.

The different characters of Firefly Fun House were then spotted in the crowd before Wyatt himself made an appearance on the stage.

He made his entrance through a temporary set with a lantern in his hand. Wyatt removed his mask and the show went off air after the returning star’s logo was seen on the screen.

After the cameras stopped rolling, Bray came out of the door and greeted fans for a second. However, he quickly went back as the fans continued cheering.

There was an announcement for the crowd thanking them for attending the show. The WWE staff was seen dismantling the temporary set and taking it to the back as the lights came back on:

WWE has since posted two videos on their YouTube channel. One shows Bray Wyatt’s return while the other is of the various creatures shown during the segment.

This suggests that we will see Wyatt leading a faction of the various Firefly Fun House characters in the coming times.

Multiple NXT Superstars Were Backstage for Extreme Rules 2022

Thomas Lowson
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WWE Extreme Rules 2022 saw some of the promotion’s biggest stars, but not everybody behind the scenes made it on to the show.

Last night’s Premium Live Event saw in-ring appearances by Edge, as well as an appearance by fellow Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix.

The show is most notable for the return of Bray Wyatt, 15 months after his controversial release from WWE in July of last year.

NXT in Philadelphia

Not every wrestler backstage at Extreme Rules 2022 was fortunate enough to make it on the card.

Bodyslam.net reports that Nikkita Lyons was backstage at Extreme Rules, but obviously did not appear on the show.

Lyons had been scheduled to make her WWE main roster debut during the recent Women’s Tag Team Championship tournament, teaming with Zoey Stark, but was pulled over medical reasons.

Sources who spoke to Bodyslam added that reigning NXT Champion Bronn Breakker was also backstage at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

Breakker appeared on WWE’s main roster earlier this year, and dethroned Dolph Ziggler on the post-WrestleMania 38 Raw to begin his second (and current) NXT title reign.

Call-Ups

While not always the case, NXT talent being backstage at a WWE main roster event is usually the sign of an imminent call-up.

In Breakker’s case, this is the latest tease of a call-up, as even before his Raw appearances earlier this year, there were talks of arriving on the main roster.

There have been reports about Breakker being ‘fast-tracked’ to the main roster, with WWE believing he has already proven himself capable in NXT.

Bron Breakker Would Love to do More With Rick Steiner in WWE

“He Tapped” – Sheamus Takes Shot At Gunther After WWE Extreme Rules

Robert Lentini
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Sheamus sent a message to Intercontinental Champion Gunther following WWE Extreme Rules.

The Brawling Brutes battled Imperium in a Donnybrook match to start off Extreme Rules. Sheamus, Butch, and Ridge Holland isolated Gunther in the ring at one point during the match. Sheamus hit the 10 Beats of Bodhran as Butch & Ridge stomped the champion down to the mat.

The Celtic Warrior picked up the win for his team by hitting the Brogue Kick on Giovanni Vince for the pinfall victory.

After WWE Extreme Rules went off the air, The Celtic Warrior took to Twitter to take a shot at the champion. Gunther defended his Intercontinental Championship against Sheamus at Clash at the Castle in an instant classic.

They met again on this past Friday’s episode of SmackDown in the main event. Sheamus appeared to have the match won after applying the Cloverleaf and Gunther pounded on the mat. Referee Jessika Carr claimed that Gunther didn’t tap out and the match continued. Gunther then bashed Sheamus over the head with a shillelagh to retain the title.

Sheamus claimed that Gunther is a cheat and tapped out on SmackDown. The Celtic Warrior also boasted about The Brawling Brutes beating down the champion tonight at Extreme Rules.

Let it be known that 24 hours in hell showed ‘The Ring General’ to be nothing more than a dishonorable defeated cheat.. submitted then torn apart by 3 hungry dogs. Oh, and he tapped. What’s mine is mine. #ICTitle

Sheamus has never won the Intercontinental Championship in his incredible WWE career. Time will tell if he will be able to take it from the hands of The Ring General.

3 Reasons Sheamus Should Win The Intercontinental Championship

Seth Rollins Blacks Out Twitter Account After Another Loss At WWE Extreme Rules

Robert Lentini
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Seth Rollins lost yet again at a WWE Premium Live Event and doesn’t appear to be handling to it too well.

He battled Matt Riddle in the main event of Extreme Rules in a Fight Pit match UFC legend Daniel Cormier was the special guest referee for the match. Matt had the advantage as a former MMA fighter and tapped out Seth to win the match. After the match, the lights went out and Bray Wyatt returned. You can check that out here.

Rollins has only won two matches at Premium Live Events this year. The Visionary defeated Reigns via DQ at the Royal Rumble in January. He also defeated Matt Riddle last month at WWE Clash at the Castle in Cardiff, Wales.

Seth Rollins Blacks Out Twitter Ahead Of US Title Match On WWE RAW

Seth and Liv Morgan both had similar reactions following their losses tonight at Extreme Rules. Liv blacked out her Twitter account and now Seth Rollins has done the same as seen in the image below.

Seth Rollins Twitter

The 36-year-old will have to put this loss behind him fast because he’s scheduled to face Bobby Lashley for the United States Championship on RAW. On last week’s episode of the red brand, Seth Rollins brutally attacked Bobby Lashley following his successful title defense against Mustafa Ali.

Bobby was interviewed in the trainer’s room following the attack and challenged Seth to the match scheduled for Monday at the Barclays Center. During Extreme Rules, the champion took to Twitter and took a shot at Rollins.

Hey @WWERollins, Penn Hospital is just a few miles away from Wells Fargo. Want me to schedule an Uber for the morning to get your ass to Brooklyn? My treat. #ExtremeRules

Bray Wyatt Breaks Silence After Returning At WWE Extreme Rules

Robert Lentini
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Bray Wyatt made his shocking return to WWE tonight at the conclusion of Extreme Rules.

After Matt Riddle defeated Seth Rollins in the Fight Pit match, the lights in the arena went out. The camera cut to an abandoned Firefly Funhouse, full of cobwebs and dead puppets.

A mysterious door then appeared and a masked man walked toward it with a lantern. The masked man opened the door, and took off his mask to reveal that he was Bray Wyatt and the crowd at the Wells Fargo Arena in Philadelphia went insane.

Bray Wyatt Breaks Silence After WWE Extreme Rules

Following his incredible return to WWE, several stars reacted on social media. Alexa Bliss welcomed her old friend back in a tweet shortly after Extreme Rules went off the air.

Bray hopped on Twitter after the show to respond to a fan who posted a video of her daughter dancing around in a Fiend mask as “he’s got the whole world in his hands” played in the background.

The 35-year-old responded and said that this is why he missed everyone.

This is why. I missed you too. All of you

Bray Wyatt was released from WWE in July 2021. He spent almost a year and a half as a free agent before returning to the company tonight. Triple H recently spoke to Ariel Helwani of BT Sport and admitted that Bray Wyatt is a genius but often is a victim of his own mind. The Game noted that he loved working with Bray and he will get the chance to do so once again now that he’s returned to WWE.

“He is one of the most, and I mean this in the best way possible, crazy creative people I’ve ever been around. His mind just never stops thinking of creative, but it’s like being in a whirlwind of stuff, without the harness and without somebody to point the tornado, it’s just all over the place. And he’s a victim of his own mind.”

Watch: Liv Morgan Is In A Dark Place Following Title Loss At WWE Extreme Rules

Robert Lentini
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Liv Morgan put the SmackDown Women’s Championship on the line tonight against Ronda Rousey in an Extreme Rules match.

She had already defeated Ronda Rousey twice leading up to tonight’s match. Liv won the women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match and cashed in on Ronda on the same night. Morgan defeated Ronda once again at SummerSlam in a controversial finish. It appeared that Liv had tapped out but the referee claimed that Ronda’s shoulders were down at the same time for a three count and awarded Liv the victory.

Ronda earned another shot at the title by winning a Fatal 5-Way on a recent episode of SmackDown. Liv vowed to prove to Ronda that she was extreme tonight and the 28-year-old did just that, but it wasn’t enough. She bashed Ronda with a ton of chair shots but Rousey kept battlign back.

Liv connected with a Senton through a table but couldn’t keep Ronda down. The Baddest Woman on the Planet got Liv in a submission hold and the champion passed out with a smile on her face. Ronda Rousey is the new SmackDown Women’s Champion.

Liv Morgan Is In A Dark Place After Losing The Title To Ronda Rousey

During the final hour of the Extreme Rules Premium Live Event, Liv was spotted backstage in a WWE Digital Exclusive. Megan Morant approached Liv as she was hiding in a corner. Megan asked Liv if she was alright and Morgan stared at her in frustration. You can check out Liv’s post-match reaction in the video below.

After Extreme Rules went off the air, the former SmackDown changed her Twitter profile and banner to a black image. It will be interesting to see where Liv goes from here in the weeks ahead on SmackDown.

6 Takeaways From Extreme Rules: Wyatt Returns, Fight Pit, Ladder Match, Edge vs. Balor

WWE & AEW Stars React To Bray Wyatt’s Return At Extreme Rules

Robert Lentini
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Bray Wyatt returned tonight at the conclusion of WWE Extreme Rules.

After Matt Riddle defeated Seth Rollins in the Fight Pit match, he posed with UFC legend Daniel Cormier on the entrance ramp.

The lights in Wells Fargo Arena went out and the cell phone flashlights kicked on. “He’s got the whole word in his hands” played throughout the Wells Fargo Arena in Philadelphia. The camera cut to the Firefly Funhouse that was full of cobwebs and the puppets appeared to be dead.

A door then appeared and a masked man with a lantern walked through it. The man took off his mask to reveal that it was Bray Wyatt underneath and the crowd went crazy.

https://twitter.com/TranquiloSZN/status/1578947464325128193?s=20&t=XsNfR8lNinBTLG-PJPef0w

WWE & AEW Stars React To Bray Wyatt’s Return

Alexa Bliss was paired with The Fiend and welcomed her old friend back with a tweet following Extreme Rules.

Hello, old friend.

Bray’s old friend and current AEW star Matt Hardy welcomed Bray back with a GIF of the two hugging at WrestleMania.

Former Intercontinental Champion Ricochet claimed that Bray got the Road Warrior pop and Cathy Kelley stated that she got goosebumps. Cathy was recently re-hired by WWE after exiting the company in 2020.

Former WWE ring announcer Joseann Offerman said that she was so proud of him. The couple have two children together.

T-Bar, Cora Jade, and Johnny Gargano all reacted to the 35-year-old’s return to the company. Johnny Wrestling shared a GIF of him astonished during a WWE Watchalong back in the day during The Fiend’s entrance.

https://twitter.com/TBARRetribution/status/1578948507121385472

SmackDown commentator Pat McAfee took to Twitter to share screenshots of his television of the amazing moment.

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