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Chris Jericho Tells Funny Story About Roman Reigns’ Dad

Anutosh Bajpai
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Chris Jericho comes from a time when kayfabe was protected by wrestlers and the general public wasn’t aware that wrestlers were playing characters. This led to some fascinating situations while also giving birth to many funny stories. Jericho recently told one such story from his childhood about Sika Anoa’i, the father of Roman Reigns.

Y2J was joined by Evan Husney & Jason Eisener, the producers of Dark Side of The Ring on the latest episode of Talk Is Jericho. The duo were promoting their new series called Tales From The Territories. During the episode the trio shared various stories from the territory era of wrestling.

Speaking about how people believed in kayfabe back in the day, Chris Jericho recalled his childhood. He remembered how he believed the stories about Sika being a wild Samoan. Jericho was left surprised when he heard him talking in English:

“It was like that when I was a kid. I remember I used to go hang out at the Polo Park Inn in Winnipeg and just watch pro wrestlers. That’s where they all used to stay. Sika who’s actually Roman Reigns’ dad, came in. He was from Samoa. They actually would do vignettes of Mr. Fuji having him eat raw fish and he couldn’t speak English.

I walked up with a with a pen and a paper and I was like, ‘Please….sign. Sign name. You…sign name with the pen. He looked at me. He goes ‘Fuck off, kid,’ and I didn’t care that he told me to F off, all I cared was like ‘He speaks English! Did anybody else hear that?'”

  • Chris Jericho’s Best Gimmicks Ranked

More Originals From SEScoops:

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

This article is edited for clarity

NJPW and WWE Share Touching Memoriam For Antonio Inoki

Joey Galizia
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Yesterday, the pro-wrestling world learned that Antonio Inoki, the founder of New Japan Pro Wrestling, a former 12-time world champion, and respected Japanese politician, had passed away at the age of 79. Inoki’s legacy will forever be remembered, including in WWE, where he was an unrecognized world champion and entered their Hall of Fame in 2010.

Today both WWE and NJPW each shared their own touching memoriam to celebrate the life of Inoki, with each pointing out marquee moments in his prestigious career.

Statement From WWE

“WWE is saddened to learn of the passing of WWE Hall of Famer Antonio Inoki.

One of the key figures in the history of Japanese wrestling, Antonio Inoki was among the most respected men in sports-entertainment and a bona fide legend in his homeland.

Born in Yokohama, Japan in 1943, Inoki grew into a natural in-ring competitor. The incredible squared circle figure found his greatest success in New Japan Pro Wrestling, a promotion he founded in 1972. Over the course of the next two decades, Inoki built NJPW into the most successful wrestling company in Asia. Utilizing talented Japanese competitors like Tatsumi Fujinami and Riki Choshu, innovative high-flyers like Tiger Mask and Dynamite Kid and American Superstars like Bob Backlund and Vader, the young promoter created a product that was unique, influential and far ahead of its time. In addition to running the company, Inoki himself was one of the top stars in NJPW, carrying the championship and battling the likes of Stan Hansen, Tiger Jeet Singh and Hulk Hogan.

In his most-famous match, Inoki fought boxing legend Muhammad Ali in a rare wrestler vs. boxer match in June 26, 1976 – a contest that paved the way for the advent of Mixed Martial Arts, which would explode in popularity decades later. The bout also exemplified Inoki’s undying love and respect for professional wrestling. This passion for competition earned him the nickname “Moeru Toukon” amongst his peers, which translates to “The fighting spirit that burns.”

Inoki was also a tremendous ambassador for professional wrestling, bringing major events to places like Russia and China. And in 2010, WWE did the same by welcoming Antonio Inoki into the WWE Hall of Fame Class.

WWE offers it’s heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and fans of the squared circle legend and the wrestling world as a whole.

Statement From New Japan Pro Wrestling

“Antonio Inoki, founder of New Japan Pro-Wrestling, wrestler, promoter, politician and social activist, has died after a battle with amyloidosis. He was 79.

Inoki was born in Yokohama in 1943. Relocating with his family to Brazil at age 13, the promising athlete had been working on a coffee plantation when he was scouted by Rikidozan on excursion to the region and recruited into professional wrestling.

After making his debut on September 30 1960 under his birth name Kanji, his teenage years in Brazil would lead to him being renamed Antonio, with a legend being born in 1962.

In the wake of discord within the Japanese Wrestling Association following Rikidozan’s death, Inoki would depart the promotion, forming New Japan Pro-Wrestling in January 1972 before staging NJPW’s first event in Ota on March 6 that year.

As NJPW’s status grew, Inoki’s early career rival and former tag team partner Giant Baba would also become a promoter. In the face of his competition in All Japan Pro-Wrestling, Inoki would brand NJPW around the ideas of ‘Strong Style’ and ‘Fighting Spirit’. The rivalry sparked a boom in pro-wrestling that Inoki would be at the forefront of.

June 26, 1976 would see Inoki break new ground when he battled Muhammad Ali in the Nippon Budokan, a match credited with being the birth of what became mixed martial arts. From his martial arts fights, to bloody brawls with the likes of Tiger Jeet Singh, and an indomitable underdog spirit opposite the hulking Andre the Giant, Inoki blended an in ring versatility with an explosive charisma that made him the image of professional wrestling to generations both in Japan and worldwide.

Though Inoki would be active in ring until his Tokyo Dome retirement on April 4 1998, 1989 would see Inoki transition to the political arena, establishing the Sports and Peace Party and winning election into the Japanese House of Councillors on his first attempt. He would serve two terms in the Japanese Diet and was the first ever wrestler to serve in such a capacity.

Inoki would start NJPW’s 50th year celebrations on January 4 2022 with a special video message in the Tokyo Dome at the start of Wrestle Kingdom 16.

The thoughts and deepest sympathies of all at New Japan Pro-Wrestling go out to Inoki’s family, friends and fans.”

You can read our initial report on Inoki here.

Seth Rollins Says Jon Moxley Is “At The Top Of His Game” In AEW

Robert Lentini
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Seth Rollins sat down with Ariel Helwani of BT Sport for an interview and discussed several topics.

He revealed that he felt inferior to Roman Reigns on the biggest night of his career, his thoughts on going winless against Cody Rhodes and their infamous Hell in a Cell match. Rollins also spoke about the disastrous Hell in a Cell match against The Fiend in 2019. Seth was also asked about a former member of The Shield Dean Ambrose, now known as AEW World Champion Jon Moxley.

Moxley was the Interim AEW Champion while CM Punk was out with an injury. He then defeated Punk on an episode of Dynamite to become the AEW Champion, only to lose it back to him at AEW All Out. CM Punk got injured again during that match and also brawled with The Elite following the media scrum.

AEW President Tony Khan vacated the AEW and Trios Championships on the following episode of Dynamite. Jon would go on to defeat fellow Blackpool Combat Club member Bryan Danielson in the finals of the Tournament of Champions at Dynamite: Grand Slam to become AEW World Champion once again.

Seth Rollins On His Relationship With Jon Moxley

During the interview, Ariel asked The Visionary about Jon Moxley and whether or not he still keeps in contact with the former Shield member. Seth revealed that Moxley is not much of a phone guy but they keep in touch. The 36-year-old added that Jon is “at the top of his game doing his thing” in AEW and that he’s never had any animosity towards him.

I don’t talk to him as much obviously. We have opposite schedules and different stuff, but our baby girls are close to the same age. And he’s not much of a texter like he’s an in-person cat. He’s not much of a texter or a phone guy, he’s an in-person dude.

So if there’s ever a chance, when we were in Cincinnati last time I was there I popped in the house to say ‘hi’ and all that, checked in on him.

I do that periodically just to see how he’s doing and stuff. But I’m close with Renee (Paquette), so we are always exchanging baby pictures and what is new with the kids.

But yeah, never any animosity. He’s great, he’s at the top of his game doing his thing over in AEW. So nothing but the best.

I’ve never, between the three of us (Reigns, Rollins, Moxley) and I can’t speak for any of them, but they were closer than I was with either of those guys as friends off camera.

So I assume that they are still chill. I’ve never heard anything to the contrary, but yeah I’ve always had a great relationship with those guys.

Please credit BT Sport with a H/T to SEScoops if you use any quotes from this article.

Andrade El Idolo Set To Put His AEW Career On The Line Next Week On Rampage

Robert Lentini
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Andrade El Idolo has been using the hashtag #FreeElIdolo on social media and it was announced during tonight’s episode of Rampage that his AEW career will be on the line in an upcoming match.

During a backstage segment on this week’s edition of Rampage, Andrade El Idolo and Jose The Assistant interrupted an interview with Hangman Adam Page and the Dark Order. Hangman Page is scheduled to battle Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship on a special Tuesday night edition of Dynamite on October 18th.

El Idolo rolled a clip of Hangman eliminating “10” Preston Vance from Dark Order during the Golden Ticket Battle Royal at Rampage: Grand Slam last week. Andrade and Vance got face-to-face and started trading words.

Andrade challenged Vance to a match and said that he will have to remove his mask if he loses. Vance increased the stakes and stated that Andrade will have to leave All Elite Wrestling if he loses the match. AEW President Tony Khan took to Twitter to make the match official. The bout will take place on the two year anniversary of Brodie Lee’s final match in AEW. Brodie was the leader of the Dark Order when he sadly passed away in December of last year.

Andrade El Idolo debuted in All Elite Wrestling in June 2021. He formed the Andrade-Hardy Family Office with Matt Hardy, Butcher, Blade, Jora Johl, and Jose The Assistant. The faction booted Matt Hardy and has since rebranded as “La Faccion Ingobernable” and added Rush to the group.

It was announced earlier today by Tony Khan that Rush has signed a contract to join All Elite Wrestling’s roster. Andrade El Idolo was ringside for Rush’s victory over John Silver in the main event of this week’s Rampage.

Gunther Faces Wrestling Veteran In Dream Match After SmackDown Goes Off Air

Anutosh Bajpai
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Fans in the arena for this week’s episode of SmackDown got to witness a dream match between two wrestling veterans after the show went off air.

The main event of this week’s episode of the Blue Branded Show saw Drew McIntyre teaming up with Kevin Owens and Johnny Gargano for a six men tag team match.

These three faced the team of Austin Theory and The Alpha Academy. McIntyre delivered a Claymore to Theory to pick up the victory for his team. The show ended with Drew hitting Theory with a leather strap.

What Happened After SmackDown

While the cameras stopped rolling after this, the action didn’t stop. WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther came out to defend his title in a dark match.

He faced wrestling veteran Shinsuke Nakamura in a singles match. Gunther won the bout to retain his title but Nakamura delivered a Kinshasa at the end to send the crowd home happy.

This is the second time in two weeks that Nakamura and Gunther have come face to face. They were on the opposite side of a dark tag match on last week’s episode of the show.

The former NXT UK champion is currently engaged in a feud with Sheamus. This might be an indication of what’s next for him once he has dealt with the Celtic Warrior.

Seth Rollins On Controversial Ending To Hell In A Cell Match Against The Fiend: “Not Our Call”

Robert Lentini
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Seth Rollins and former WWE Superstar Bray Wyatt (The Fiend) had a Hell in a Cell match in 2019 that left a lot to be desired.

The match was the main event of the Premium Live Event and featured The Fiend’s red lighting throughout the contest. In a questionable booking decision, Seth Rollins was disqualified at the end of the match after he stacked up a bunch of chairs on top of The Fiend and bashed him with a sledgehammer.

The Fiend had wielded a giant mallet earlier in the match so the finish didn’t sit well with the majority of the WWE Universe. Sean Waltman (X Pac) was watching the show in a WWE watch-along and couldn’t wrap his mind around someone getting disqualified in a Hell in a Cell match.

Seth Rollins On The Controversial Finish At WWE Hell in a Cell 2019

Seth Rollins was interviewed by Ariel Helwani of BT Sport recently and the match against The Fiend at Hell in a Cell was brought up during the discussion. The Visionary revealed that he was not able to tell a “good wrestling story” with The Fiend because of his character. He added that the finish to the match wasn’t their call.

“It was tough figuring out how to tell a good wrestling story with that character,” said Rollins. “I just wasn’t good at it. That was one thing, I was not good at the phenomenology stuff, like I wasn’t able to interweave that with reality enough to make what I felt was a captivating story. At the end of the day, it probably would have been better if he just mauled me in that cell, put the claw on me and called it a day.

I could have moved on to something else and he could have had his run as champion. But that wasn’t the case and we played the hand we were dealt, and that was not our call. I know he would tell you the same thing, that did not go the way we wanted it to.

We tried, and we tried, and we tried, and the boss at the time would not budge. Like I said before, it is not our sandbox, you know? We are actors on a stage sometimes and we read the lines.”

Seth Rollins on the Hell in a Cell match against The Fiend in 2019

Seth Rollins is slated to battle Matt Riddle at Extreme Rules in a Fight Pit match. Bray Wyatt is rumored to be the White Rabbit and possibly appear at the Premium Live Event as well. It will be interesting to see if the two cross paths once again.

H/T: Sportskeeda Wrestling

8 Takeaways From AEW Rampage (9/30): The Acclaimed Defend Titles, Rush vs. John Silver, Jamie Hayter

Robert Lentini
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AEW Rampage was taped Wednesday night in Philadelphia after Dynamite. The Acclaimed put their AEW Tag Team Championships on the line tonight. Rush battled John Silver of the Dark Order in the main event.

Rampage Results

  • The Acclaimed def. Butcher & Blade, Private Party to retain the AEW Tag Team Championships
  • Lee Moriarty def. Fuego del Sol
  • Jamie Hayter def. Willow Nightingale
  • Rush def. John Silver

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

The Acclaimed Retained

The Acclaimed defended their AEW Tag Team Championships in a 3-Way tag team match against Butcher and Blade and Private Party (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen) in the first match of Rampage.

Bowens and Kassidy shook hands to start off the match. Bowens drove Kassidy to the corner and Caster tagged in. Max put the boots to Kassidy before leveling him with a Dropkick in the middle of the ring.

Quem tagged in and Bowens hit him with a Leg Drop to the groin. Butcher and Blade rushed into the ring and attacked both teams. Butcher and Blade isolated Bowens and beat him down.

When Rampage returned from a break, Blade connected with a Powerslam on Bowens. Butcher tagged in and hit a Leg Drop for a two count as Matt Hardy was shown watching the match backstage.

Butcher hit a Back Body Drop on Bowens but ran into a kick from Quen. Marq hit Blade with a Crossbody as Kassidy dropped Butcher with a Cutter. Quen followed it up with an insane flip onto Butcher outside the ring. Private Party hit a Senton/Neckbreaker combo but Caster broke it up at two.

Kassidy hit a Crossbody onto Butcher and Blade outside the ring. Max Caster then followed it up with a Crossbody of his own onto all three of them. Bowens hit a slam and Caster followed it up with the Mic Drop (Elbow Drop) on Blade for the pinfall victory. The Acclaimed are still the AEW Tag Team Champions. It was also announced that Wednesday night is “National Scissoring Day” on Dynamite.

The Firm Mocked FTR, Andrade To Put His Career On The Line

The Firm was interviewed backstage this week on Rampage. The Gunn Club poked fun at FTR holding titles that they do not care about and said they wanted the AEW Tag Team Championships. Gunn Club added that FTR have been holding onto their #1 contendership for “like 8 years” and have yet to make moves.

https://twitter.com/BrasilAllElite/status/1576032843007827968?s=20&t=zPI_R8Tva7LcBkS7yrJ0SQ

In a backstage segment, Andrade El Idolo confronted Hangman Page and Dark Order. El Idolo rolled footage of Hangman eliminating 10 during the Golden Ticket Battle Royal. He challenged 10 to a match and said he will have to take off his match if he loses. 10 upped the stakes and made it a Career vs. Mask match. Tony Khan took to Twitter to make the match official for next week’s Rampage.

Nyla Rose Confronted Jade Cargill

TBS Champion Jade Cargill was interviewed backstage but was quickly interrupted by Nyla Rose and Vickie Guerrero. Vickie pointed out that the last time Jade battled Nyla Rose she didn’t pin her. Cargill told Nyla she will give her a match but on her time.

Lee Moriarty Dominated

The Firm’s Lee Moriarty battled Fuego Del Sol tonight on Rampage. Stokely Hathaway and W. Morrissey were ringside for the match. Lee picked up the quick submission victory with the Border City Stretch.

After the match, W. Morrissey followed it up with a Chokeslam after the match. The Firm then informed Andrade El Idolo of some “contract tampering” regarding Matt Hardy and Private Party backstage.

Jamie Hayter def. Willow Nightingale

Willow Nightingale battled Jamie Hayter on tonight’s edition of AEW Rampage. Britt Baker and Rebel were ringside for the match. Willow tackled Jamie to the canvas and unloaded a bunch of headbutts right away. Nightingale connected with a Body Slam and followed it up with a Senton.

Willow hit a Splash and went for the cover but Jamie powered out at two. Nightingale connected with a Northern Lights Suplex and another Splash in the corner. Jamie caught Willow with a big boot as Britt danced around outside the ring. Hayter hit Double Knees to the face as the crowd chanted her name.

When Rampage returned from a commercial break, Hayter connected with a kick for a two count. Willow responded with a shoulder tackle that sent Jamie tumbling out of the ring. Nightingale rolled Jamie in the ring and scared Britt and Rebel away. Hayter stomped on Willow as she was getting back into the ring and then hit an uppercut.

Hayter sent Willow to the ropes but Nightingale connected with a Death Valley Driver for a close two count. Nightingale climbed to the top rope but Britt distracted her. Jamie hit a German Suplex and then the a big lariat for the pinfall victory.

Hook Choked Out Ryan Nemeth, Trustbusters Appeared

FTW Champion Hook interrupted Ryan Nemeth tonight on Rampage. Hook hopped in the ring and leveled him with a Clothesline. He launched Ryan across the ring before clubbing him across the face several times with forearm strikes.

Hook then choked Nemeth out with Redrum as the crowd cheered. Hook then exited with the FTW Championship as the Trustbusters left a present for him on the entrance ramp.

Wardlow & Samoa Joe Warned Everyone

ROH TV Champion Samoa Joe and TNT Champion Wardlow cut a promo backstage during this week’s episode of Ramage. They stated that together, the power, mayhem, and chaos are limitless. Samoa Joe added that “WarJoe” is standing before you and claimed that anyone that gets in their way will fall.

Rush def. John Silver

Rush battled John Silver in the main event of tonight’s Rampage. Before the match, Mark Henry interviewed the competitors in split screen.

Rush connected with a shoulder tackle to start off the action. Silver caught Rush with an uppercut and knocked him out of the ring. Johnny Hungy posed for the crowd as Alex Reynolds pounded on the mat to fire him up. Rush battled back as Andrade El Idolo applauded ringside. Rampage went to the final commercial break of the night with Rush in control.

When Rampage returned, Rush and Silver traded strikes. Johnny connected with a German Suplex but Rush hopped right up. Silver hit another one and fired up the crowd. John connected with a Powerbomb and went for the cover but Rush kicked out and the main event continued.

Rush hit a Northern Lights Suplex and went for the cover but Silver kicked out at the last moment. Andrade shouted at Rush to put Silver away and he started taunting him. Rush slapped Silver in the face and John got angry. Silver and Rush traded forearm strikes to the face in the middle of the ring.

They then started trading chops and Rush got the better of the exchange. Silver went for a Clothesline but Rush blocked it. John connected with a Brainbuster and went for the cover but Rush powered out at two. Jose hopped on the ring apron but Reynolds took him down. Andrade hopped on the ring apron and distracted Silver. Rush capitalized with a running forearm to the face and then a Dropkick to the face for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Andrade and Rush attacked. Dark Order made the save and beat them down in the ring. Butcher and Blade joined the party but Hangman Adam Page evened the odds. Hangman hit Jose with the Buckshot Lariat to close the show as Rush retreated. Hangman Page will battle Jon Moxley for the AEW Championship on October 19th. Hangman versus Rush was announced for next week’s Dynamite.

Wrestling Legend Antonio Inoki Passes Away at 79

Ryan Droste
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Antonio Inoki, one of the biggest stars in the history of professional wrestling, has passed away. He was 79 years old.

Inoki had been battling systemic amyloidosis. According to Japanese press, Inoki had reportedly fell ill a few days ago and had been recovering at home. He was feeling better as of Friday, September 30th, however he took a turn and fell ill again the morning of Saturday, October 1st and passed away at home in Japan.

A 12-time world champion, Inoki changed the world of wrestling over the course of five decades in the business. In addition to being a 12-time world champion and the first-ever IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Inoki was also the founder and longtime owner of New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Inoki was a pop culture icon, especially in his homeland of Japan. One of his most iconic moments came in 1976 when he worked a wrestler vs. boxer match with Muhammad Ali, drawing cameras from all over the world. The match was one of the earliest for the world of mixed martial arts and ended in a draw.

Ali was far from the only legendary world champion that Inoki worked with over the years. Later in his career, Inoki worked with Ric Flair in Pyongyang, North Korea (1995) as part of the Pyongyang International Sports and Culture Festival for Peace (Collision In Korea) that was promoted by New Japan Pro Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling. The two-day event drew over 150,000 fans each day.

Inoki parlayed his fame from the wrestling world into politics. He was elected to the Japanese House of Councilors in 1989. He served until 1995 and was later re-elected in 2013, serving until 2019.

Inoki was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2010.

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Tributes to Antonio Inoki Pour In From Around the Wrestling World

It didn’t take long for tributes to begin coming in from around the wrestling world. Inoki’s death was mentioned during WWE SmackDown, as seen from the clip below.

“One of the most important figures in the history of our business, and a man who embodied the term ‘fighting spirit.’ The legacy of WWE Hall of Famer Antonio Inoki will live on forever,” wrote Paul Levesque (Triple H) on his Twitter account.

AEW’s Tony Khan also commented on Inoki’s death via Twitter, writing, “RIP Antonio Inoki, a pioneer in the pro wrestling industry. Inoki’s influence and his achievements will live on forever in the wrestling world; he’s an inspiration to all of the dreamers. Thank you sir.”

A statement from New Japan Pro Wrestling read, “New Japan Pro-Wrestling is deeply saddened at the passing of our founder, Antonio Inoki. His achievements, both in professional wrestling and the global community are without parallel and will never be forgotten. Our thoughts are with Inoki’s family, friends and fans.”

Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news. Apple – Spotify – YouTube. 

10 Takeaways From WWE SmackDown (9/30): Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens, White Rabbit, Max Dupri, GUNTHER

Robert Lentini
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WWE SmackDown aired live from the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. WWE dropped some more White Rabbit clues, Max Dupri hinted at a character change, and there was a big 6-man tag team match in the main event.

SmackDown (9/30)

  • Sami Zayn & Solo Sikoa def. Ricochet & Madcap Moss
  • Drew McIntyre def. Austin Theory via DQ
  • Hit Row def. Los Lotharios
  • Ronda Rousey def. Natalya via submission
  • Drew McIntyre, Kevin Owens, Johnny Gargano def. Austin Theory & Alpha Academy

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Solo Sikoa & Sami Zayn Picked Up A Win

The Bloodline’s Solo Sikoa and Sami Zayn battled Madcap Moss and Ricochet in a tag team match to begin the night. The Bloodline isolated Ricochet in the ring to start off the match. Ricochet battled back with a Dropkick and tagged in Madcap. Moss hit Zayn with a Fallaway Slam and then sent Solo out of the ring with a shoulder tackle.

Sikoa grabbed a steel chair but Ricochet stopped him. Madcap got distracted and Sami rolled him up for a two count. Zayn followed it up with a Blue Thunder Bomb and went for the cover but Moss kicked out at two. Moss connected with a Jackhammer Suplex and went for the cover but Sikoa broke it up.

Ricochet knocked Solo to the outside but Sami tripped Ricochet up. Madcap sent Sami into the barricade and Sami went for a Suicide Dive. Solo launched a steel chair into Ricochet’s face while the referee was distracted. The lights randomly went out for a moment as Sikoa tagged in. Solo hit a spin kick and the Spinning Solo (Uranage) for the pinfall vcitory.

Madcap grabbed Sami after the match but Sikoa beat him down. Sami tried to put a stop to it but Sikoa kept hitting him with Hip Attacks. Zayn raised Solo’s hand and the two posed in the ring to end the segment.

More White Rabbit Clues

During the commercial break, a red light appeared and White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane was played. Another QR code appeared after Karrion Kross cut a backstage promo warning Drew McIntyre and you can check that out here. The code took fans to a new video featuring morse code and a cartoon pig, a possible reference to Bray Wyatt’s NXT character Husky Harris.

Karrion Kross will battle Drew McIntyre in a Strap match at Extreme Rules.

https://twitter.com/AjBlueBayBelt/status/1576005537938149376?s=20&t=uP8wJ8KY0zArtkVhwrC1Vw

Drew McIntyre def. Austin Theory via DQ

Austin Theory trashed talked McIntyre about losing at Clash at the Castle but didn’t realize he was standing behind him. Drew then challenged Theory to a match.

Drew went for a Clothesline to start off the match but Theory ducked under it. McIntyre leveled him with a shoulder tackle and followed it up with a Future Shock DDT. Alpha Academy then interfered and attacked Drew to end the match in a DQ. After the match, Johnny Gargano and Kevin Owens made the save. The babyfaces stood tall in the ring and the heels retreated.

Hit Row Picked Up A Win

Hit Row (Top Dolla & Ashante Thee Adonis) battled Los Lotharios (Humberto Carrillo & Angel Garza) tonight in a tag team match. Adonis and Angel started off the action and Adonis hit a Neckbreaker. Top Dolla tagged in and connected with a lariat. Angel started flirting with B-Fab ringside and it backfired. Top Dolla leveled him and then planted Humberto with the Heavy Hitter for the pinfall victory.

Liv Morgan & Ronda Rousey Brawled

Ronda Rousey battled Natalya on this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown. Natalya dominated the action early but Rousey battled back. Ronda connected with an Arm Drag before getting Natalya in an Ankle Lock for the submission victory.

After the match, SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan made her way to the ring with a weapon and a brawl broke out. Security separated the two after Ronda launched Liv over the barricade. The champ jumped on Ronda and they brawled some more before security finally broke it up. Liv Morgan will defend the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Ronda Rousey in an Extreme Rules match at the PLE on October 8th.

https://twitter.com/sashasprescott/status/1576016537105756160?s=20&t=aZTePjgQ6tPiH4tt1T4YdQ

Kevin Owens Told Sami Zayn To Get A New Shirt

Honorary Uce Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens had a very brief conversation backstage tonight. Kevin, Drew McIntyre, and Johnny Gargano were preparing for their 6-man tag team match against Alpha Academy and Austin Theory later tonight. Owens stumbled upon Sami and told him that he needed to get a new shirt.

Imperium Sent A Message To Sheamus

Imperium (Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER, Ludwig Kaiser, Giovanni Vinci) came to the ring ahead of their 6-man tag team match against The Brawling Brutes at Extreme Rules

Ludwig and Gio claimed that nobody in the Brawling Brutes displays the qualities of a champion like Gunther. The Ring General went to speak but Sheamus interrupted.

Sheamus stated Ridge and Butch are stuck in Florida during the hurricane. The Celtic Warrior shouted “The King of the Bangers” is here in Winnipeg and wanted a fight. Sheamus hit Giovanni and Ludwig with a shillelagh and got in the ring with GUNTHER.

The Ring General and The Celtic Warrior traded punches. Sheamus hit a knee to the face and fired up the crowd. The Celtic Warrior set up for the Brogue Kick but the numbers game caught up to him. Imperium then beat Sheamus down and the Intercontinental Champion unloaded chops and strikes. GUNTHER followed it up with a Powerbomb in the middle of the ring. Sheamus grabbed a microphone and laughed into it.

Sheamus said “is that all you’ve got?!” and Imperium made their way back to the ring. Vinci and Kaiser beat Sheamus down some more and then GUNTHER brought the shillelagh into the ring. GUNTHER bashed Sheamus with it as the crowd booed.

GUNTHER will defend his Intercontinental Championship against Sheamus next week on the season premiere of SmackDown.

Bayley def. Shotzi, Bianca Belair Appeared

Bayley cut a backstage promo during tonight’s SmackDown on Shotzi. The Role Model said that Dakota & IYO are stuck in Florida as well but vowed to defeat Shotzi without them. Bayley then vowed to defeat Bianca Belair at Extreme Rules.

WWE paid their respects to Antonio Inoki after he sadly passed away today.

Bayley started off the match with a flurry of strikes but Shotzi escaped and taunted The Role Model. Shotzi sent Bayley to the math with a few Arm Drags and rolled her up for a two count.

Shotzi tripped Bayley up against the ropes and went for a Dropkick but Bayley dodged it. Shotzi got Bayley back on the middle rope and hit a Bronco Buster before climbing to the top rope. Bayley got up and Shotzi hopped back down for a boot to the face. Shotzi slammed Bayley onto the ring apron and she fell to the floor as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Shotzi hit a Suplex and climbed to the top rope. Bayley slammed her back down and followed it up with the Rose Plant for the pinfall victory. After the match, Bayley hit another Rose Plant for good measure and rolled out of the ring. She brought out a ladder and shouted some mean words at SmackDown announcer Michael Cole.

Bayley brought the ladder into the ring and placed Shotzi inside of it. The Role Model climbed to the middle turnbuckle but RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair rushed the ring. Bayley retreated but then swooped back into the ring and attacked Belair from behind.

Bianca battled back and went for the KOD but Bayley escaped out of the ring. Bianca Belair will defend the RAW Women’s Championship against Bayley in a Ladder match at WWE Extreme Rules on October 8th.

Max Dupri Exits Maximum Male Models

Maxxiine Dupri, Mansoor, and Mace tried to set the record for longest pose in Canadian history tonight throughout SmackDown. Max Dupri finally got pissed off and punched Mansoor in the stomach. Max then said “this isn’t for me anymore. I’m not sure if this really was ever for me. yeah.” before exiting.

Drew McIntyre, Kevin Owens, and Johnny Gargano Picked Up A Win

Money in the Bank winner Austin Theory and Alpha Academy (Chad Gable & Otis) battled Drew McIntyre, Johnny Gargano, and Kevin Owens in tonight’s main event. Kevin Owens dominated as SmackDown went to a break.

When SmackDown returned, Alpha Academy had Johnny Gargano trapped in the corner of the ring as Austin Theory attacked Drew McIntyre on the outside. Gargano tried to a tag but Gable dragged him back and applied an Ankle Lock.

Gargano countered into a cradle for a two count before tagging in Kevin Owens. KO hit Gable with a Clothesline and then a Neckbreaker. Owens knocked Gable to the canvas and hit him with a Cannonball in the corner. KO followed it up with a Swanton for a two count.

Drew tagged in and delivered a Suplex to Theory before knocking Otis off the apron. McIntyre connected with another Suplex and followed it up with a Neckbreaker. McIntyre geared up for the Claymore but Theory escaped out of the ring.

McIntyre chased him around the ring and rolled him back inside. Otis came out of nowhere with a shoulder tackle before hurling McIntyre into the steel steps. Gargano went for a Crossbody but the big man caught him. KO and Johnny Wrestling hit Otis with a couple of Superkicks before clearing off the announce table.

Chad planted KO with an Exploder Suplex and brought him on top of the table. Gargano planted Otis with a Tornado DDT and KO hit a Stunner on Gable on the announce table. Back in the ring, McIntyre connected with a Claymore on Austin Theory for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Drew brought the strap into the ring and whipped Austin Theory across the back. McIntyre warned Karrion Kross to close the show.

WWE Drops More White Rabbit Clues During SmackDown

Robert Lentini
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0

WWE showed another QR code tonight on SmackDown that gave fans some more ‘White Rabbit’ clues.

Karrion Kross cut a backstage promo about Drew McIntyre tonight. He will battle Drew in a Strap Match at WWE Extreme Rules on October 8th.

Immediately after Karrion’s promo, another QR code flashed on the screen that took fans to another clue.

When the QR code is scanned, it takes fans to a new video featuring a cartoon pig. Bray Wyatt wrestled as Husky Harris in NXT. There was also a pig puppet in The Firefly Funhouse that was named “Huskus The Pig Boy”. The morse code at the end of the video apparently says “Azazel reborn”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZcN74CSDJo

A sign appeared behind commentary in the crowd and fans have pointed out that it was a quote used by Bray Wyatt in the past.

WWE’s ‘White Rabbit’ Teaser Campaign

The promotion has been teasing the WWE Universe by playing the 1967 song “White Rabbit” during commercial breaks and randomly during live events.

A QR code appeared on a recent edition of RAW behind Austin Theory backstage. That code sent fans to a secret WWE website where a game of “Hang Man” was being played. The question asked was, “who killed the world?” and the answer is “YOU DID”.

Another QR code appeared on this past Monday’s edition of RAW with the same question and answer. The video featured stars of the past like The Rock, Road Dogg, and Kurt Angle. Edge and Cody Rhodes were also in the video. The number in the video is the zip code for Corbin, Kentucky.

Fightful Select recently reported that WWE is planning to reveal the ‘White Rabbit’ at Extreme Rules early next month. Fightful stated that the White Rabbit is believed to be Bray Wyatt but it is not confirmed whether he will physically be at the Premium Live Event or not.

It was also reported by Fightful that WWE’s creative team led by Triple H has been “hands off” with the campaign. They feel that fans are doing more than enough to promote the angle and it is seen as a “major success” backstage.

You can check out our deep dive on WWE’s White Rabbit campaign here.

Seth Rollins Reveals How His Match Against Cody Rhodes At Hell In A Cell Helped Repair His Reputation In WWE

Robert Lentini
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0

Cody Rhodes made his shocking return to WWE at WrestleMania 38 as Seth Rollins’ mystery opponent.

The American Nightmare picked up the win at the biggest show of the year, and went on to defeat Seth at WrestleMania Backlash and one more time at WWE Hell in a Cell.

Rhodes tore his pec while training for the Hell in a Cell match and revealed the gruesome injury at the Premium Live Event. Despite the injury, Cody defeated Seth for the third time in a row. Cody remains out with injury as Rollins gears up for his Fight Pit match against Matt Riddle at WWE Extreme Rules on October 8th.

Seth Rollins On How He Got More Respect Following The Match At HIAC

Speaking with Ariel Helwani of BT Sport, Seth noted that his match against Cody Rhodes at WWE Hell in a Cell actually helped restore his reputation with fans a little bit. The Visionary said that he had gotten a lot of grief online after wrestlers had previously gotten injured in matches with him, and Cody coming out of that match without any further injury earned Seth more respect.

“It really went a long way in repairing my reputation,” said Rollins.”I had gotten so much flack online for some injuries that had happened in matches that I was in and whether they were caused by me, directly or indirectly, is a whole different can of worms.

I think people were like ‘oh maybe he does know how to take care of people in the ring’. Yeah, duh. But yeah, I think it was more visually jarring than anything.

Was there a danger for me in being in there with someone who only has one good arm? Absolutely. But again, we’re professionals and we can design these matches to take care of each other in ways that still create captivating stories and moments.

I think that in some ways the match may not have been as special without that visual of his completely torn, bloody, and bruised arm, chest, and belly. Whatever was going on there.”

H/T: Sportskeeda Wrestling

Seth Rollins On Going Winless Against Cody Rhodes In WWE: “He Needed To Re-Establish Himself”

Robert Lentini
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0

Seth Rollins had a tremendous rivalry with Cody Rhodes in 2022 after The American Nightmare made his return to WWE.

Former CEO Vince McMahon in storyline handpicked Cody as Seth’s mystery opponent at WrestleMania 38. The former AEW EVP and TNT Champion made his shocking return to the company at the biggest Premium Live Event of the year and picked up a victory over Seth. The American Nightmare would defeat Seth Rollins again at WrestleMania Backlash.

Cody beat Seth for a third time at Hell in a Cell but suffered a torn pec leading up to the match. Seth attacked Cody on the following RAW as a way to write him off of television.

Seth Rollins On Going Winless Against Cody Rhodes

Speaking with Ariel Helwani of BT Sport, The Visionary said that losing to Cody three times added to the chip on his shoulder because he felt like he was catapulting someone else to a position he deserved. The 36-year-old claimed that he got “more respect” backstage following their rivalry and added that their WrestleMania match was made at the last minute.

“When we finally got the news, which was very last minute as far as WrestleMania is concerned. I knew that was going to be my match and I think it was pretty obvious to me which way things were going to lean. It didn’t stop me from being a little frustrated.

Again, feeling like I was being used to catapult somebody else into a position I felt like I deserved. So that was kind of demoralizing, but that is just more of a chip on my shoulder.”

I definitely think I came out of it a lot better than when I went into it. I don’t think in any way that I suffered from losing three times in a row. If anything, I in some ways got more respect for having the humility to put my own self-interest aside to work with someone who, incoming back into this world (WWE) from his past world (AEW), he needed it a lot more than I did.

My equity is not going anywhere and he needed to re-establish himself.”

H/T: Sportskeeda Wrestling

Seth Rollins Felt Inferior to Roman Reigns on the Biggest Night of His Career

Andrew Ravens
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0

This November will mark the anniversary of The Shield’s debut on WWE television when they got involved in a triple threat match at Survivor Series involving CM Punk, John Cena, and Ryback. 

The trio of Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns are on top of the wrestling world but not together under the same promotion. Ambrose, now Jon Moxley, is the current AEW World Champion, while Reigns is the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion and Rollins is a top star. 

While speaking with Ariel Helwani of BT Sport, Rollins talked about how he feels like he has never been ‘the guy’ in WWE with Reigns being around.

Seth Rollins
Seth Rollins

“Even when I had won the title at WrestleMania, cashed in. Great moment. I still felt like I was second fiddle to Roman [Reigns]. I still felt like, ‘he was the guy, you’re the placeholder until he’s totally ready and we’re totally ready to put the ball in his hands. But for now you’re a step ahead, so we’re gonna give you this and then we’ll move on to what we really want to be, it’s just gonna take a few months’. So no, I’ve never ever felt like, in my time in WWE, that the company was like ‘yep, he’s our guy, put his face on everything’.”

Rollins was asked if he feels he is close to getting to that point in WWE. He questions whether it will ever happen because he lives in the Roman era. 

The only time I was even considered, I think, for the main event of WrestleMania, [was when] Roman, when he got Leukemia, and he was out from August to January, February whatever it was, and I was second behind in the babyface column, so I got slotted in. So, I feel like, it’s one of those things. The best I can hope for is to be the Edge to his [John] Cena, the [Randy] Savage to his [Hulk] Hogan. Sometimes I just feel like that’s just the way the cookie crumbles. Doesn’t mean that I don’t think I’m better than he is, or that I can perform or I can draw at that level. I certainly think all those things, but it’s not my sandbox. I don’t make those decisions.”

Rollins is set to participate in a Fight Pit match against Matt Riddle at the Extreme Rules event.

H/T to WrestleTalk for the transcription

Warner Bros. Discovery Tried to Help AEW Re-sign Cody Rhodes

Andrew Ravens
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0

When the news of Cody Rhodes leaving AEW came out earlier this year, it stunned fans as he was preparing to make a return to WWE once he couldn’t reach an agreement for a new deal with Tony Khan. 

Fightful Select reported today that in speaking with Warner Bros Discovery sources, there were several efforts made within the company to retain Rhodes in AEW. 

Rhodes created a solid relationship with WarnerMedia through working on AEW, Rhodes to the Top, and Go Big Show programming. The report stated that the Rhodes WWE deal wasn’t official until a few weeks before WrestleMania, even though WWE considered it a foregone conclusion. 

Warner Bros. Discovery Wanted Rhodes to Stay

Cody Rhodes
(via AEW)

The report noted that after the merger of Warner Bros. Discovery, “there were inquiries in the company completely separate from AEW to gauge Rhodes’ interest in staying.”

Some sources told Fightful that an effort was made to reach out to Rhodes through Sam Linskey, who serves as Associate General Manager and Senior Vice President of Scripted Original programming for TNT, TBS, and TruTv. 

There wasn’t any ill will between either side, and Rhodes had told those who asked that it was “time to leave the territory.” He made similar comments in various interviews. 

Due to the Rhodes’ connections across multiple Warner Bros. Discovery shows, they were also contacted to possibly participate in the UpFronts. 

WBD sources said they would have loved it if Rhodes had stayed, but it wasn’t a dealbreaker. Sources within the company said they’ve been happy with AEW, particularly with their numbers in September.

WWE & AEW Competing to Sign Top Free Agent

Andrew Ravens
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0

Bandido is a man who is in demand right now, as both WWE and AEW are reportedly interested in signing him. 

Despite losing the match, he had a great outing against Ring of Honor Champion Chris Jericho on Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite. AEW immediately offered Bandido a full-time contract.

Dave Meltzer reported the news in Friday’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter. There is no confirmation whether he has signed his deal. This marked his promotional debut. 

Bandido Has Options

Bandido 1

While speaking on today’s Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez noted that he heard WWE is also interested in Bandido. 

“I don’t know…it just says here he was offered a deal. Hopefully, he’s signed because WWE was asking for his number like before that match was even over. The man is in demand. It begs the question, why wasn’t he in demand before Wednesday? I don’t think we needed Wednesday to find out that Bandido was great.” 

Bandido made his debuts for both Impact Wrestling and MLW this year while also regularly working on the indies and AAA events in Mexico.

He had a multi-year run in ROH from 2019 through 2021 that saw him win the World title from Rush at Best in the World in July 2021. He couldn’t work Final Battle in December 2021 due to COVID-19 and then lost the title in a unification bout of sorts to Jonathan Gresham at this year’s Supercard of Honor. 

If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit F4Wonline.com with an h/t to SEScoops for the transcription.

Rush Officially Signs Contract with AEW

Andrew Ravens
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0

Rush is now under a full-time deal with All Elite Wrestling

AEW President Tony Khan officially announced that Rush has signed a full-time AEW contract today on Twitter after Rush had been on a per-appearance deal since making his AEW debut at Double or Nothing this May, where he was introduced in a pre-tape segment as Andrade El Idolo’s business partner. 

Rush is All Elite

RUSH AEW
AEW

Khan wrote: “It’s official: @rushtoroblanco is All Elite! What a week for Rush! Yesterday was his birthday, today he’s All Elite, and it’s Rush vs. [John Silver] TONIGHT on Friday Night #AEWRampage! Don’t miss Friday Night #AEWRampage on @TNTdrama @ 10pm ET/9pm CT TONIGHT!”

His first match for AEW then took place in June. La Faccion Ingobernable (Rush, his brother Dragon Lee & Andrade El Idolo) took part in AEW’s Trios title tournament this summer and ended up losing to The Elite (Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks) in the first round.

rush is a former CMLL World Light Heavyweight Champion, CMLL World Tag Team Champion, CMLL World Trios Champion, and Mexican National Trios Champion. He’s also a former two-time ROH World Heavyweight Champion.

AEW will have extra TV time next week to celebrate anniversary

Samantha Schipman
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0

Next week will mark three years since AEW began airing on TNT. To celebrate, Tony Khan announced that Dynamite will be extended 15 minutes on Wednesday.

Following the live Rampage, Battle of the Belts IV will air live. AEW will have an additional hour and 15 minutes of programming next week.

In addition to the programming announcement, Khan also announced that the “informative video packages are here to stay.”

AEW Dynamite Anniversary Show card

Bryan Danielson and Danial Garcia

Next week’s Dynamite will feature MJF vs. Wheeler Yuta, Bryan Danielson & Daniel Garcia vs. Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara (aka Le Sex Gods), and Darby Allin vs. Jay Lethal. Luchasaurus will be in action to squash someone. Its also National Scissoring Day with The Acclaimed.

Rampage matches for next week will be announced tonight. It’s unclear when Battle of the Belts IV matches will be announced.

Chris Jericho Hoping For Major AEW Match Against Wrestling Legend

Joey Galizia
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0

Chris Jericho is eyeballing a marquee matchup in AEW with one of the company’s biggest legends.

The Demo God and current Ring of Honor world champion was the latest guest to join the AEW Unrestricted podcast, where he spoke about his desire to face off against the Icon Sting, a star that he’s never stood across from inside the squared circle. Sting has been one of the most dominant talents on the AEW roster, but has only competed alongside Darby Allin (and others) in tag team action.

Jericho Is Willing To Bring Out The Painmaker For Sting

When the topic came up in the interview Jericho wasn’t shy of calling out the Stinger as a dream opponent.

“Whenever there’s a Sting-Jericho match which there has to be because Sting and I have never been in the ring together ever, except for when Keith Mitchell retired and we had that after-ceremony. Never been in the same ring ever. Ever, ever, ever. “

That’s not all…Jericho is already drumming up ideas about a potential scenario with Sting. He’s even willing to resurrect his Painmaker gimmick, an act that Jericho created during his NJPW run between 2019-2020.

“There has to be a Sting and Jericho match in whatever way we decide it and that would be a great time for ‘Painmaker.'”

Jericho recently defeated Bandido on Dynamite, his first successful defense of the ROH title since winning it from Claudio Castagnoli. He has since challenged Bryan Danielson to a showdown at the AEW debut in Canada, where the ROH title will once again be on the line.

(Quotes via Post Wrestling)

New ‘Powerhouse’ Tag Team Coming to WWE’s Main Roster Soon

Andrew Ravens
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0

Indus Sher, the former tag team featuring Veer Mahaan and Sanga, have reunited.

They teamed together again last weekend at an NXT house show in Citrus Springs to face Andre Chase and another talent. It marked the first time they’ve teamed together since January 2021, when they teamed with Drew McIntyre to defeat Jinder Mahal and The Bollywood Boyz at WWE Superstar Spectacle.

WWE’s Big Plans 

WWE logo

Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE plans to use them as a powerhouse tag team on the main roster. 

Meltzer wrote, “The idea is to have them as a main roster powerhouse team, a slot they haven’t had since they tried with Authors of Pain and that Luke Harper & Erick Rowan did for a brief period, but in both cases, injuries came at the wrong time, and Vince lost interest in them.”

They first started teaming together in 2018 and, at one point, were managed by Malcolm Bivens, now known as Stokely Hathaway in AEW. However, they were split up as  Veer was called up to Raw. 

After feuding with the Mysterios, he has only been seen a few times on television since Triple H took over WWE creative from Vince McMahon in July.

Sanga was later reintroduced in NXT as a bodyguard for Grayson Waller, but they were split up shortly after that where he became a babyface.

Possible Changes Being Made to WWE Day 1 2023 – Brock Lesnar Status

Thomas Lowson
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0

WWE could be about to move the date of next year’s WWE Day 1 premium live event, despite the show’s name.

WWE Day 1 is the latest event to be added to the WWE calendar, with the first event happening earlier this year.

As the name suggests, the event took place on January 1, 2022, the first day of the calendar year.

Moving Dates

Despite the name Day 1, next year’s WWE Day 1 may not take place on January 1.

In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it is reported that WWE is open to changing the date.

At this time, WWE Day 1 2023 will take place on January 1, at the State Farm Arena, in Atlanta, Georgia.

This would see the show fall on a Sunday, WWE’s traditional pick for Premium Live Events, though WWE has moved several events to Saturdays this year.

The Observer reports that and an announcement will be made next week if WWE changes the date, but that the venue will remain the same no matter the date.

The Beast’s Return

Brock Lesnar appeared at this year’s WWE Day 1, and had been scheduled to face Reigns (then just the Universal Champion.)

That match was canceled as Reigns had tested positive for Covid-19, and Lesnar was added to the WWE Championship match which he won.

The Observer also reports that Lesnar’s next match in the United States will be at the WWE Day 1 2023 event.

The report specified that this will be Lesnar’s next match in the United States, keeping the possibility of an appearance at WWE Crown Jewel on November 5.

WWE Day 1 Results: Brock Lesnar Wins WWE Title, Beth Phoenix Returns

Ex-ROH World Champion Offered Full-Time AEW Contract After Dynamite

Thomas Lowson
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0

AEW’s roster is reportedly set to grow after Bandido was offered a contract following this week’s episode on Dynamite.

During the show, Bandido took on Ring of Honor World Champion Chris Jericho in a losing effort.

Jericho has vowed to defeat every former ROH World Champion, and has his offer accepted by former Champion Davey Richards.

The Offer

Bandido may have come up short against Jericho during Dynamite, but he impressed the right people behind the scenes.

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Bandido, a former ROH World Champion in his own right, was offered a contract “immediately” after his performance on this week’s show.

It is reported that this is a full-time contract with the company, though the lengthy of the deal is unknown at this time.

It was also not confirmed whether Bandido has accepted the offer yet.

Bandido

Debuting in wrestling in 2011, it wouldn’t be until 2016 that Bandido (real name unknown) would adopt the Bandido name.

In 2018, Bandido would join Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and would capture the PWG World Championship in December 2019 from Jeff Cobb.

Bandido would hold the title for 863 days, a record-breaking reign, before losing the title to Daniel Garcia in May this year.

In July 2021, Bandido defeated Rush to win the ROH World Champion, before losing to Jonathan Gresham at this year’s ROH Supercard of Honor XV.

Bandido has also competed for CMLL and AAA, and participated in New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Best of the Super Junious 27 tournament in 2019.

Watch: What Happened With Bandido After Dynamite Went Off Air

Matt Hardy Open to Forming a New Trios Team?

Samantha Schipman
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0

In the latest episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, Hardy discusses his relationship with Private Party. He says that he looks at Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen as “my disciples, as my students” while look to him as a mentor.

“I’m really happy to give back to them. We really share a bond and connection on a personal level as well.” The three recently reunited this week on AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam after weeks of teases on Being the Elite. Hardy was glad the reunion happened in New York since the tag team is from there.

“The fact that the crowd reacted to it was amazing because it wasn’t an angle that was pushed hard on TV. We had done bits and pieces to make it work and it really got over big and everyone was so happy with it. I know the AEW office thought it was a great piece of business and was super happy about it. I’m very excited to see what the future hold for the three of us now.”

Could Hardy Party challenge for AEW Trios gold?

Matt Hardy Private Party
Matt Hardy & Private Party

Hardy is someone that has been popular with wrestling fans for three decades and it’s not always easy to boo him. Private Party started off as babyfaces, but turned heel when Hardy brought the “Big Money Matt” character to AEW. Although it was hard for fans to boo them, Hardy believes that turning Private Party heel “made them better workers.”

With Hardy Party reuniting, could a Trios run be in their future? Hardy hopes so. “I would love to do a run with Private Party as a Trios team and fight and challenge for the Trios Title. That would be fun.”

Hardy has never held Trios gold, so this would be a first for him. “That would be a cool notch to add to my belt, actually to be Trios champion.”

  • Chris Jericho: I Was the Only Big Star When AEW Began

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

Melina on the Negative Stigma to WWE’s Divas Era: “It’s a Weird Thing”

Thomas Lowson
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0

Melina Perez is proud to have been a WWE Diva, despite what others may think of the term or of the Divas era.

In the 1990s, WWE introduced the term ‘Diva’ to address female talent, and would retire the phrase in 2016, with the women being called ‘Superstars’ like their male counterparts.

Despite the term once being a staple of WWE programming, Diva is now on WWE’s banned terms list, never to be uttered on TV.

Negative Stigma

The Divas era has faced criticism from fans, as the focus was more on soap opera-style storylines than in-ring skill.

The urban legend is that John Laurinaitis, then WWE’s Head of Talent Relations, would hire talent using a binder of modeling photos, instead of seeking established female wrestlers.

Speaking with MCW Backstage Pass, Melina addressed her time as a WWE Diva and the stigma around it (via 411 Mania.)

“It’s a weird thing, because ‘diva’ gets tied up with the model search and that’s not it. And that’s the hard part where the term ‘diva [era]’ is thought of as ‘model days’ right when it wasn’t even that — well kind of, but regardless, each woman who held that title did their best, gave it their all.

“the term ‘diva [era]’ is thought of as ‘model days’ right when it wasn’t even that.”

Melina

“I mean, blame the — I’m kind of blaming Diva Search. But it was really, you can’t blame them for getting an opportunity. It’s like Tough Enough, I mean you can’t blame the people who did Tough Enough, and that’s what the Diva Search was.”

A Change in Perspective

Nowadays, WWE takes women’s wrestling more seriously, with female matches often headlining TV.

Speaking about the change, Melina said that she’s pleased that there are more opportunities now, but doesn’t regret her Divas era days.

“I’m never gonna change and look down on my time, because everyone’s like, ‘Okay, do you wish that you were in this era because of all the opportunity?’ No, I love what I went through.”

Melina last competed for WWE at the 2022 Royal Rumble, competing in the Women’s Rumble match in her first match for the promotion in over a decade.

Melina Wishes For One On One Match With Sasha Banks

WWE Creative has been “Hands Off” with the White Rabbit

Thomas Lowson
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0

The WWE Universe has been hooked on trying to decipher the mystery of the White Rabbit, all without the company putting much effort into the angle.

The White Rabbit teases began earlier this month, when WWE used the song of the same name by Jefferson Airplane during a SmackDown commercial break.

WWE has since used the song and eerie red lighting off-camera at several Live events, with the belief that this will mark the return of Bray Wyatt.

Hands Off

While the White Rabbit has been a talking point among fans, the story has yet to be referenced by anyone on Raw or SmackDown.

According to Fightful Select, WWE’s creative team, now led by Triple H has been “hands off” with their approach.

The attitude backstage is that the fans are doing plenty to promote the storyline, which is being seen as a “major success” backstage.

Rather than reference the storyline on WWE TV, the company has used fan-assisted viral marketing, as well as unique tactics including leaving flyers of the car windshields of fans at arenas.

While WWE’s higher-ups are aware of what the plan is, many within the company still have no confirmed clue, which has led to excitement behind the scenes.

From the Rabbit Hole

WWE has done little to address the White Rabbit mystery on TV, but the mystery could be solved at next week’s Extreme Rules Premium Live Event.

It is reported that WWE has at least at one point had plans for the White Rabbit to be revealed at Extreme Rules.

It is unclear if the person or group that WWE has been building towards will be there in person or just have a presence on the show.

WWE Extreme Rules will take place on October 8, at the Wells Fargo Center, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

WWE Drops More White Rabbit Clues Featuring The Rock, Cody Rhodes, & More On RAW

“I’m Into It!” – Rob Van Dam On CM Punk’s Rant After AEW All Out

Robert Lentini
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0

Former AEW World Champion CM Punk is currently under suspension for his role in the altercation with The Elite following the All Out media scrum.

CM Punk defeated Jon Moxley in the main event of AEW All Out to become AEW World Champion. It was his 2nd reign with the title without ever making a title defense. MJF returned after the title match to have a stare-down with CM Punk.

Jon Moxley has since captured the title once again by defeating Bryan Danielson in the finals of the Tournament of Champions at Dynamite: Grand Slam. CM Punk reportedly suffered a torn triceps during the title match at All Out and was spotted wearing a brace in a recent photo.

Rob Van Dam on CM Punk’s Comments at the All Out Media Scrum

ECW legend and former WWE Superstar Rob Van Dam joined Rene Dupree and Paul London on a recent episode of the Cafe de Rene podcast. Rob discussed Punk’s comments and said that he wants to see what happens next.

I’m into it. I’m interested to see the full circle, like what happens from this energy. Being the zen master that I am, let me point out because a lot of people might not notice, but pro wrestling is full of the most, by population probably, the most amount of ridiculously extreme egos that you will ever see jammed together.

Rob Van Dam then claimed that there is a good chance that CM Punk has as big of an ego as anybody else he’s ever interacted with in the wrestling business.

I think there is a good chance that CM Punk, just from feeling his energy, probably has as big of an ego as anybody that I’ve interacted with in the business. Those are the guys that get ahead, the guys that really believe in themselves. But then at the same time, it is really hard for me as another guy in the locker room, I think they believe in themselves too much. Some of it can be like natural heat, like The Miz. It’s just so easy to hate him.

When someone comes back through the curtain after their character could have given the most believable speech that got all the heat in the world, if they can come back through the curtain and be humble, and realize that they are one amongst many, that is a really good place to be in.

  • CM Punk is Probably Not Returning to AEW

Please credit Cafe de Rene with a H/T to SEScoops if you use quotes from this article.

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