Big E fractured his C1 and C6 vertebrae in his neck on the March 11th edition of SmackDown. Ridge Holland went for an overhead throw outside the ring and Big E landed on his neck on the floor.
He recently disclosed on Ryan Satin’s Out of Character podcast that he will be re-evaluated in March of next year to how his neck is progressing, but doctors are not worried about his ability to live a normal life.
“I’m just really grateful. Honestly, it feels like a bullet whizzed by my face. I felt the wind of the bullet go by my head and I’m very grateful to still be here, to have use of my limbs, to still feel good. That’s really my biggest takeaway, is just gratitude. I try to be grateful that I’m still here. I’m still kicking.”
Big E Thanks The WWE Universe For Their Support
Former WWE Champion Big E appeared on The Bump today and delivered a message to fans. While his arm was wrapped around former WWE Superstar Tyler Breeze, he thanked the fans for supporting him and added that he’s incredibly blessed. The 36-year-old told fans to not worry about him and to hug their loved ones.
I am here to send a message of love and zen. I am thankful now in my older years. I’m very thankful for the beautiful friendships that I have and it is a pleasure to make all of you laugh.
For everyone who has supported me, for everyone that has asked about my neck, thank you so much. I’m doing well, life is good. I have been incredibly blessed and it’s been a great year for me. So don’t worry about your boy, I am doing well. And hug your friends, hug the people you love.
WWE will present the 14th incarnation of their Extreme Rules event this Saturday night on Peacock and the WWE Network.
There’s been some really good Extreme Rules events in the past, to be sure. But maybe you’re having a hard time even remembering some of them at all, let alone the details of what transpired. In all honesty, many of the shows have been pretty unremarkable with little to remember. That said, there have been a handful of Extreme Rules events that absolutely rise above the rest, including one that is far and away the best in the history of the concept (2012).
So as we prepare for yet another night of WWE Extreme Rules this weekend, let’s take a look back at the best Extreme Rules events in the company’s history (so far).
WWE Extreme Rules 2019
This isn’t a show with any match of the year contenders. What it does have is several very good, above average matches. Perhaps more-so than any other Extreme Rules card, this event was extremely solid and consistent nearly all the way through.
Two of the best tag teams of the 21st century, The Revival (FTR) and The Usos wrestle on this show. You also get Roman Reigns teaming with The Undertaker against Drew McIntyre and Shane McMahon, a match that is better than it sounds. Plus, this incarnation of Extreme Rules also includes: Aleister Black vs. Cesaro, The New Day vs. Daniel Bryan and Rowan vs. Heavy Machinery, and AJ Styles vs. Ricochet.
Kofi Kingston and Samoa Joe, a match that looked good on paper, didn’t live up to the hype, and this was unfortunately the era where Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch’s real life romance was first turned into an on-screen tag team (absolutely obliterating Becky’s momentum) and they work against Baron Corbin and Lacey Evans. But top to bottom, this card is very good for the most part.
WWE Extreme Rules 2016
This was a two-match show, but those two matches are absolute bangers.
A fatal four-way Intercontinental Title Match featuring The Miz, Cesaro, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn absolutely tears the house down. That match is followed up by a main event featuring WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns taking on AJ Styles in an Extreme Rules Match.
Both of these contests were match of the year contenders in 2016 and were significantly better than anything on that year’s WrestleMania (32), a show which was universally seen as disappointing.
WWE Extreme Rules 2011
This card didn’t have any match of the year contenders, but what it did have was three very high level matches. The crowd in Tampa received a treat from top to bottom.
The standout contests were: Randy Orton vs. CM Punk in a Last Man Standing Match, Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio in a Ladder Match, and John Cena vs. John Morrison vs. The Miz in a triple threat Steel Cage Match.
WWE Extreme Rules 2012
There’s not really much of a debate around the fact that the 2012 edition of Extreme Rules is the best in the history of the show. That year’s event from Chicago was loaded with great matches, including: Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan in a Best 2 out of 3 Falls Match, CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho in a Chicago Street Fight, and John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar in an Extreme Rules Match.
Cena vs. Lesnar is quite the spectacle. Lesnar’s first PPV match since returning to the company and a brutal one at that. Cena’s take some hard elbows to the face and bleeds hardway to a level that hadn’t been seen in WWE for many years. The decision to put Cena over was criticized at the time, but the match itself is absolutely phenomenal.
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AEW President Tony Khan has opened up on how he deals with MJF, who has been in the headlines through 2022 for what he has done on and off camera.
During Double Or Nothing weekend, no-showed a meet and greet the night before the event but did lose in a squash match to Wardlow at the pay-per-view. He demanded that Khan fire him in a memorable promo on the following Dynamite before being pulled from television for several months.
MJF returned at All Out by being revealed as the joker in the Casino Ladder match, earning him a shot at the AEW World Heavyweight Title.
He has referred to this as “The Bidding War of 2024” between AEW and WWE. Although he didn’t sign a new deal, he did get a pay increase from Khan prior to his return to television. He is still set to become a free agent in January 2024.
MJF had been frustrated over the last several months because he felt like he outperformed the contract that he signed in 2019.
Tony Khan on MJF
Khan discussed his relationship with MJF while speaking with Variety.
“It’s very professional,” Khan said of his current relationship with MJF. “He’s been part of AEW from day one, and he’s one of the most important stars on our TV show. … Whether you love MJF or love to hate MJF, I think he’s one of the wrestlers who’s connected with the audience in recent years and made himself a star. He’s also had the company behind him to help build him and support him. I think that he is the total package of everything it takes to be a successful pro wrestler. I think he has it all. He’s a really important part of AEW.”
On tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite, MJF will wrestle Wheeler Yuta in the opening match.
The WWE Universe will once again walk through hell, fire, and brimstone as they prepare to celebrate a quarter-century of the Hall of Famer Kane.
This month marks 25 years since Kane’s debut in WWE, infamously appearing at the 1997 In Your House: Bad Blood event, during the inaugural Hell in a Cell match.
Prior to this, Glenn Jacobs, the man under the mask, had competed on WWF programming as evil dentist Isaac Yankem, as well as the fake Diesel.
Celebration
With today marking 25 years exactly since Kane’s debut, it was fitting that WWE made their announcement today.
In a statement, the promotion addressed Kane’s first appearance, costing his brother The Undertaker, and his feuds with stars such as ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin and Triple H.
WWE will be celebrating the legacy of the Devil’s Favorite Demon in the coming weeks with Kane-themed Top 10 videos and WWE PLaylist.
Throwback videos featuring classic Kane moments will also be shared, and fans are encouraged to join in using the hashtag #Kane25.
Kane: A Retrospective
Possibly WWE’s most successful example of a ‘monster’ Kane has been one of the company’s most successful stars.
Less than a year into his run, Kane won the WWF Title (admittedly for one day) but would have longer reigns as ECW and World Heavyweight Champion.
In 2001’s Royal Rumble match, Kane set a record with eleven eliminations, a record that would last until 2014 when Roman Reigns broke this streak.
In 2021, Kane, now the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee, was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Eddie Edwards is immensely proud to be the longest-tenuring wrestler competing for Impact Wrestling.
Edwards joined the promotion in 2014 alongside Davey Richards as The Wolves, mere weeks after making a one-off appearance in WWE NXT.
Since then, Edwards has become a triple-crown champion for Impact and is the leader of the Honor No More faction.
The Veteran
Joining Impact, then TNA Wrestling in 2014, Edwards is the longest full-time wrestler still with the company.
Speaking to SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall, the former Impact World Champion addressed this milestone.
“Impact has treated me with nothing but respect. A relationship with respect goes both ways. That’s the best type of relationship and I’m proud to be a member of impact I’m proud to be the longest-tenured roster member at this point and I want to keep it going until the wheels fall off.”
Bound for Glory
Edwards has been with Impact longer than anyone, but is yet to headline the promotion’s biggest Pay Per View event: Bound for Glory.
That changes this Friday when he’ll challenge Impact World Champion Josh Alexander in the main event of Bound for Glory 2022.
Speaking about the title match, Edwards said it means the world that Impact has faith in him to headline their biggest night.
“It’s been the staple. It’s our biggest event of the year and to be able to do it with the main event with the world title on the line against Josh Alexander it’s kind of it’s like the perfect storm.
“it’s kind of it’s like the perfect storm.”
Eddie Edwards on his upcoming Impact World Championship match at Bound for Glory.
“The company obviously believes in Josh, that’s clear and that’s for good reason. But they give me a shot here in the main event and I plan on going out there and do what I do best.”
Edwards is already a two-time former Impact World Champion, having defeated Bobby Lashley in 2016 and won a five-way match in 2020.
Something for Everyone
While Impact was once considered the biggest opposition to WWE, that title now belongs to AEW.
The wrestling scene now has more promotions than ever before, with the NWA, MLW, GCW and others trying to find their place.
Speaking about what sets Impact apart, Edwards encouraged fans to tune in to Bound for Glory, where they’ll be something for everyone.
“You’re going to find something that you love that’s gonna hook you. Whether it’s the Knockouts. It’s tag team wrestling. It’s hardcore craziness or it’s the main event Josh against Eddie Edwards, there’s gonna be something for everybody.”
Roster Changes
As Impact’s veteran, Edwards has seen plenty of changes made to the company.
Several stars have left over the years, with many finding success in WWE, AEW or other promotions.
Edwards said that he doesn’t feel bad about anyone doing what he feels is the right decision for them.
“People are going to come and go. That’s how professional wrestling is. You know, business is business and people make their own decisions as to what they need for their lives and I’ve always respected that. So some people will come and some people will go but the mainstay will be me representing impact to the best of my ability.”
Impact Wrestling Bound for Glory 2022 will take place at the Washington Avenue Armory, at Albany, New York.
AEW President Tony Khan looks to have gotten his wrestler in Bandido despite having competition from WWE and being interested in his services.
Bandido had a great outing against Ring of Honor Champion Chris Jericho on last Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite. This marked his promotional debut. AEW immediately offered Bandido a full-time contract.
As previously reported, Bryan Alvarez noted on last Friday’s Wrestling Observer Live that he heard WWE was also interested in Bandido and tried to get his number during the match.
Bandido is Committed
(via ROH)
According to a report by Fightful Select, Bandido has agreed to terms with All Elite Wrestling. However, he has yet to sign a contract, although people close to him say that he’s agreed to terms.”
The report stated that Bandido was booked on short notice for the match against the top AEW star and struggled to get gear in time but managed to piece together what he wore that night.
People in AEW spoke highly of Bandido’s demeanor and attitude regarding the situation of getting his gear and being booked to put Jericho over.
Former WWE NXT Women’s Champion Bayley has teased potentially returning to the NXT brand.
Currently, Bayley is involved in the RAW Women’s Title picture over on Monday Nights, but she appears to have some interest in making a return to NXT soon after this week’s episode.
During a Grayson Waller Effect segment involving Cora Jade and Roxanne Perez, it was announced that the pair will pick the other’s opponents over the next two weeks.
The guidelines for the ordeal indicated that ‘the entire WWE roster is fair game.’ Perez and Jade are slated to face off at the NXT Halloween Havoc pay-per-view (PPV) on October 22.
With the possibility of one of these ladies facing off against a main roster star looming, Bayley took to Twitter to seemingly throw her name in the hat.
It’s not unusual for main roster stars to appear on NXT; with several having done so already this year such as AJ Styles, Bobby Roode, Natalya, and Dolph Ziggler.
On this week’s show, Butch & Ridge Holland of the Brawling Brutes made an appearance, wrestling NXT Tag Team Champions Pretty Deadly. Holland and Butch were defeated thanks to some interference from Imperium.
Bayley
As for Bayley, her last appearance on WWE NXT was back in June of 2020 when she and Sasha Banks defended the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles against Shotzi & Tegan Nox.
Two-time WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair wishes that he’d have managed Andrade in All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
Speaking on his podcast, “To Be The Man,” Flair talked about wanting to manage his son-in-law for his current run in AEW. However, AEW president Tony Khan opted not to go that route in the end.
“I haven’t spoken with him, I knew he had a big match … I don’t really what — really haven’t kept track of what he’s doing there,” Flair said.
“I had hoped, as I told you before, I wish Tony would have let me manage him. He is an absolutely phenomenal worker and tough kid. I wish I could have managed him, but I guess Tony elected not to go with me for whatever reason.”
Ric Flair has managed Andrade several times before. One of the more memorable times being when Andrade faced Kenny Omega for AAA, as well as at the World Wrestling Council 49th Anniversary show in Bayamon, Puerto Rico when he faced Carlito.
(WWE)
Now, Andrade finds himself in AEW, where he’s experiencing some issues backstage. He recently engaged in a war-of-words with Sammy Guevara on Twitter over a recent interview in which Andrade revealed tensions between himself and Guevara backstage after one of their matches.
Andrade El Idolo is sick of talents being treated unjustly, and has called out a certain promotion for doing it.
The AEW superstar, who had already made headlines this week due to his online dispute with Sammy Guevara, is criticizing Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide for not paying their talents well during an interview with Más Lucha, specifically mentioning AAA’s current Mega Champion, Hijo del Vikingo. Andrade even suggests that Vikingo, who has become one of AAA’s most popular stars, needs to get out of that situation.
Andrade Claims CMLL Pays Opening Match Talents Better Than AAA Main Eventers
While is isn’t sure of their exact payments Andrade speculates that Vikingo is making $100-$200 per match, later adding that the other major Mexico based lucha-libre promotion CMLL pays their opening match talents more than AAA main eventers.
A clip of this portion of Andrade’s interview has circulated online. (Special thanks to LuchaBlog for the translation)
Andrade telling Hijo del Vikingo he needs to get out of AAA now because they're treating him unjustly as champion by how little they're paying him – Andrade's guessing 100 or 200 USD a match. Andrade later says he's heard CMLL opening match guys make more than AAA main eventers. pic.twitter.com/CcLLPY2HCT
Cinta De Oro, formerly known as Sin Cara in WWE, responded to Andrade’s recent tirade with Guevara to support and thank him for calling out certain injustices in wrestling. You can see that exchange below.
Solo es la verdad hermano! Por mucho tiempo hemos dejado que hagan con nosotros los que quieren, pero es tiempo de luchar por el lugar que nos merecemos.??
Andrade is set to face Preston “10” Vance on this Friday’s AEW Rampage, which has major implications for both men. If Vance loses he must give up his mask that was given to him by the late Brodie Lee, but if Andrade loses his AEW career is over.
Recently, an interview with Andrade and Mas Lucha revealed issues that the AEW star had with Sammy Guevara. Guevara apparently complained that Andrade hit him too hard during a match they had inside the ring.
“I had an issue with him because he once came to the locker room and complained that we hit him too hard. It’s wrestling, solve it in the ring. If I hit hard, hit me hard too. I learned that he came in and that he accused me like a little girl.
“After I learned about it, I spoke to him and asked if he had an issue with me, but he said he did not and that’s all there was to it. It’s funny because not even in WWE.
“For example, Sheamus likes to hit, and all my respect for him because he loves to hit hard and loves the strikes. He is wild. Even The Miz likes to throw strikes.
“Not even John Cena complained about me, so if he did not complain, imagine this kid who is just starting, but there’s that.”
Seemingly responding to Andrade’s interview, Guevara took to Twitter and took a shot at Andrade, calling him a “jobber.”
You are a jobber. A favor hire. Be grateful bitch.
Andrade then responded, suggesting he’s not afraid to speak up when he has an issue with someone. He then ended off his Tweet by saying he’s not afraid to get fired.
I said it to your FACE if you had a problem with me and you said NOTHING, I wont beat your ass because im a professional, don’t be scared.
When I say something I name names, and im not scared to get fired! #Sammy
Andrade has seemingly been looking for his AEW release, using the hashtag #FreeElIdolo on social media lately. He’s actually slated to face Preston Vance in a Mask vs. Career mask. If Andrade wins, Vance must remove his mask. If Andrade loses, he’s forced to leave AEW.
Perhaps this is AEW’s way of writing Andrade off AEW TV – whether that be temporarily or permanently.
Freddie Prinze Jr. admits that he has sent out an offer to Bray Wyatt about potentially joining his startup professional wrestling promotion.
Prinze took to his podcast, Wrestling With Freddie, and discussed the situation. In discussing his ongoing venture to startup his promotion, Prinze addressed a report going around involving him and former WWE star Bray Wyatt.
The report suggests that Prinze made an offer to Wyatt to join the promotion. Prinze admits that he did, in fact, make an offer to the former WWE World Champion.
“Everybody knows that I love Bray and it was basically reported that I was the one that made the offer, and sure, I’ll confirm that. I’ve put out an offer there and I think it’s a creative offer.
“Financially I wouldn’t be able to compete with the WWE, but I’ve put other things in there that I think are important to Bray. I don’t think I’m going to get it as the weeks go on, but we’ll see.
“You never know, and if I don’t, then I’ll shift gears again like I did the last time. It’s a speed bump in the road and I will find the next person and rework the story to make it work for that, but whoever my main guy is, that’s who this is going to revolve around in the wrestling half of things.”
Wyatt has been out of the professional wrestling fold since July of 2021. He was released from his contract with WWE after having been with the promotion since 2009. During that time, Wyatt won a WWE Title, two Universal Titles, and runs as RAW and SmackDown Tag Team Champions.
At WrestleMania 38, Roman Reigns unified the WWE and Universal Championships, defeating Brock Lesnar in the Night Two main event.
The title unification came just over eight years after WWE had unified the WWE and World Heavyweight Championships (TLC 2013,) which was 12 years after unifying the WWF and WCW titles (Vengeance 2001.)
From the moment the title-unification match was announced this year, the response was mixed, to say the least.
Even some in the industry have expressed displeasure with the decision, including Drew McIntyre
Now, six months (and one day) later, we ask: did WWE do the right thing?
The Good
On paper, WWE’s decision to unify the titles makes a lot of sense.
AEW, the NWA, Impact Wrestling, and virtually every other promotion in the world have one singular top championship which all wrestlers aspire to win.
While WWE boasts a roster arguably bigger than any other company, the idea of a singular World Champion remains the same.
It’s hard to say that a wrestler represents the very best in your company when there’s someone who gets the same praise on the other brand.
With his victory, Reigns became WWE’s sole champion and settled once and for all who the more dominant star is.
Sure, Reigns had been dominant, entering WrestleMania on day 581 of his Universal title reign, but Lesnar had always been considered just as big a star, if not bigger.
Very rarely can there be two top stars of an era.
We also can’t fault WWE for wanting a high-profile match at WrestleMania, which this certainly was.
An argument can be made that the unification was necessary, to add some much-needed stakes to Lesnar and Reigns’ third WrestleMania outing.
Fans had seen the Beast and the Tribal Chief battle plenty of times before, almost always for a World title, so nothing new would have been created with a third performance.
Instead, the unification gave WWE something new to promote, and seven years into their feud, new was needed.
Roman Reigns Vs. Brock Lesnar had fought for one World Championship at two WrestleManias already before this year.
The Bad
If WWE’s decision to unify the titles made sense on paper, it didn’t work in terms of the fall-out.
Not long after his win, Reigns would compete far less for WWE, and it would be confirmed that his new contract with the company would mean far fewer appearances.
In September, Reigns had just one televised match, and had zero in August, hardly the figures of a champion.
And yet, WWE had invested so much in Reigns by that point, that taking the title off him was impossible.
Now, fans have to wait months to see title defenses from the Tribal Chief, leaving a disgruntled viewing audience.
Sure, the Bloodline has been awesome, but as social media is proving, the collective patience of fans is wearing thin.
Reigns’ sole televised match in September saw him defeat Drew McIntyre at Clash at the Castle.
It’s not just audiences who aren’t pleased with the prospect of the one title, as folks at the USA Network are said to be unhappy.
We can hardly blame them. Reigns is, after all, a SmackDown Superstar first, and on TV, he makes far more appearances for Team Blue.
Reigns on Raw does happen (and will next week) but it is much rarer with the USA Network losing one of their biggest features, the WWE Championship, and getting a handful of appearances in return.
Seth Rollins has stepped up as arguably the biggest star regularly on Raw, but that’s only because Reigns rarely appears on the red brand.
If the USA Network is unhappy, then we imagine the roster themselves aren’t too thrilled either.
Sure, the idea of two World Champions both being the ‘top guy’ may not have made sense, but it gave some names a chance to shine.
Can you imagine that Daniel Bryan, Christian Cage or Mark Henry would have been given the opportunity to be World Champion, had WWE only had one title in 2011?
All of these stars were deserving of title reigns but at a time where John Cena and CM Punk were dominating the WWE title picture, it’s far more likely that the likes of Cage, Bryan and Henry would have been coming up short at best.
Would a Daniel Bryan World title win still happened in 2011, if there was only one World Championship?
The Future
WWE has one Undisputed Universal Champion at this time, but it may not have one for long.
Not long after Reigns’ April victory, it was reported that WWE had plans to introduce a new, second World title.
There’s no word on whether that plan is still the case, but it was reported more recently that WWE is working on new title designs, including for their richest prize.
However, it wouldn’t be just one championship belt to represent the Undisputed WWE Universal title, but two belts like we have currently, implying that the titles could be separated once again.
We can’t forget a recent report that WWE finds the Reigns situation ‘complex’, wanting two World title matches at WrestleMania 39, but are against Reigns taking a loss before then.
Was it Right?
Ultimately, none of us have the decision power to unify or deunify WWE’s titles.
In April, that power rested solely with Vince McMahon, but rests in the arms of the likes of Triple H, Nick Khan and Stephanie McMahon.
But was it right? The majority of people seem to think no, and that a second World title is only fitting for a WWE roster this size.
Will Reigns carry on as Undisputed WWE Universal Champion for much longer, only time will tell, but from what’s been reported, the unification of April 2022 was a huge moment WWE will praise as ‘history-making’ that they are eager to undo.
Montez Ford’s injury as seen on the latest episode of Monday Night Raw may not be as legitimate as first believed.
On Raw, Ford and Angelo Dawkins appeared in a segment with The Usos and revealed Ford’s injury.
Jey Uso warned Ford that saying something disrespectful would result in his other foot in a boot, and the camera panned down to show Ford right foot in a walking boot.
The Street Profits last competed on the September 24, WWE Live event in Vancouver, where the former Tag Team Champions defeated Alpha Academy.
The Boot
WWE has not publicly confirmed what kind of injury Ford is dealing with.
In an update from Fightful Select, it was reported that it is unclear backstage whether this injury is legitimate or for the show.
It was noted that WWE’s props department was tasked with sourcing a walking boot for Ford, instead of the company’s medical team.
If legitimate, no report has come out regarding when Ford suffered this alleged injury or how long he will be out of action for.
What’s next?
If this injury to Ford is for programming and nothing else, then it does beg the question: what’s next for the Street Profits?
On Raw, Angelo Dawkins had a rare singles outing, with the former SmackDown Tag Team Champion losing to the Bloodline’s Solo Sikoa.
Next week’s Monday Night Raw will be the season premiere of the red brand, and feature the entire Bloodline, including Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
Fee has had a prolific career outside of the wrestling industry.
On his official LinkedIn, Fee touts his experience as a horror writer for Marvel, having worked with the comic giant with some of their most popular characters.
Fee has written for Spider-Man, Daredevil, and the Avengers just to name a few.
He also was a head writer on multiple Disney shows, including 100 episodes of Disney XD’s top-rated series PLAYER SELECT.
Fee also produced content for Will Smith’s ‘The Fresh Prince Reunion’ and was a producer on The Ellen Show.
He has also served as a creative consultant for Netflix.
His new role in WWE will see him report to Bruce Prichard and maintain consistency across all WWE brands for long-term storytelling.
The White Rabbit?
Fee’s hiring to WWE comes at a very interesting time given his connection to Bray Wyatt.
Fightful Select reports that Fee pitched a movie related to The Fiend last year, which is said to have resonated well with WWE’s higher-ups.
The project had the possibility of being green-lit, before Wyatt’s release in July 2021 ended any plans for a ‘The Fiend’ film.
Fee is known for being a longtime fan of pro wrestling and sources within WWE said that he is very familiar with the product.
WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley has become the latest person to acknowledge the role that Sheamus has been on as of late.
The veteran WWE Superstar has received praise for his work in recent years, especially after being a key player during the company’s pandemic era of programming.
On Twitter, Mick Foley acknowledged the year Sheamus has been having, calling it “banger after banger after banger.
This got a response from Sheamus himself, who added one more ‘banger’ for good measure.
Sheamus certainly has been on a role as of late, feuding with his best friend Drew McIntyre last year.
Not long after, Sheamus would have a lengthy run as U.S. Champion, and has had criticially praised work with Ridge Holland and Butch this year.
At WrestleMania: Sunday, Sheamus and Holland defeated the New Day’s Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods.
Sheamus’ match at Clash at the Castle against Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER has also been praised, earning five stars from Dave Meltzer for his match at Clash at the Castle.
The match marks the first five-star match of Sheamus’ career.
Sheamus: Grand Slam Champion?
In his 13 years since joining the main-roster, Sheamus has accomplished ALMOST everything there is.
Mere months after his debut, the Celtic Warrior became WWE Champion, the third-quickest rise from debut to World Champion (behind Ric Flair and Brock Lesnar.)
Sheamus would capture the United States Champion in 2011, and would win his first of several tag titles in 2016.
Right now, the Intercontinental Championship is the only title alluding the Celtic Warrior.
After unsuccessfully challenging at WWE Clash at the Castle, Sheamus will challenge GUNTHER on this Friday’s SmackDown.
AEW Tag Team Champions The Acclaimed have become wildly popular in All Elite Wrestling. They battled Swerve in Our Glory (Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland) for the tag titles at All Out and came up short.
The crowd was so heavily behind The Acclaimed during the match and it got such rave reviews, that AEW President Tony Khan wasted no time and announced a rematch for Dynamite: Grand Slam. The Acclaimed captured the titles in Arthur Ashe Stadium and Daddy Ass (Billy Gunn) provided some assistance in the matchup.
Billy connected with a Fameasser on Swerve Strickland outside the ring and rolled him back inside. Max Caster hit the Mic Drop and Anthony Bowens fended off Keith Lee as the referee counted to three. The crowd went ballistic as The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass scissored in the ring.
Road Dogg On Billy Gunn With The Acclaimed
WWE is set to have a DX Reunion next week on RAW without Billy Gunn and there reportedly have already been preparations in case a “Daddy Ass!” chant breaks out. Billy was aligned with his sons (Colten & Austin Gunn) in the Gunn Club originally but they were separated.
The former DX member is now a massive part of The Acclaimed’s act and Colten & Austin have joined Stokely Hathaway’s The Firm stable alongside W. Morrissey, Lee Moriarty, and Ethan Page.
Road Dogg recently spoke about Billy Gunn on his “Oh… You Didn’t Know” podcast and praised his work with The Acclaimed. He said that Billy’s kids (Austin & Colten) needed to break away from their father to grow as performers.
The Ass Boys (Gunn Club) and Mr. Ass had to be separated sooner rather than later and now you can go on. Because with Billy, those kids couldn’t be heels and they didn’t have any room to grow because Billy’s star power overshadowed them. And that is all there is to it.
That is nobody’s fault, but they had to get Billy away from them so they had the kids turn on him. But look, those guys are really over right now and I think had I gotten a job with AEW, I think I could have helped The Acclaimed.
Road Dogg noted that The Acclaimed is capable of doing the same thing DX used to do with the long entrances and promos. He said that Billy being aligned with The Acclaimed is awesome and the group is on fire right now.
They’re on fire right now and they are only going to get greater. So look, Billy being involved with those guys is awesome to me. Billy does a job there too, he does what’s creatively written for him, he helps coach the kids, and he helps train people.
He does a lot other than just do his little TV show storylines. But you know, I’m proud of Billy. I’m happy where he is at, he’s happy where he’s at. So scissor away, my friend.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit the “Oh… You Didn’t Know Podcast” and give a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.
Sammy Guevara is tired of the backstage drama in wrestling.
The AEW star has made many headlines in the last few weeks. Most of it however has been about his behavior behind the scene rather than his work on TV. Whether it be his altercation with Eddie Kingston or the recent exchange with Andrade, Guevara has constantly been part of negative press coverage pertaining to the company.
The former TNT champion apparently addressed the latest accusations against him on his Vlog. Sammy Guevara claimed that he tries to mind his own business. Still somehow, he finds himself being targeted every couple of weeks:
“There’s just so much drama that goes on in wrestling, it’s really exhausting, It’s tiring. Seems like every couple of weeks is something. I’m minding my own business, on vacation, and then, you know, people want to start drama with me. It is what it is. It’s the life I signed up for, I suppose. But it’s definitely tiring and maybe I’ll need to go on another vacation next week because [it’s] stressful.”
The heat between Sammy Guevara and Andrade came to light after the latter spoke about the former in a recent interview. The former NXT champion claimed that Guevara complained to him about being too stiff in the ring. Sammy has since fired back saying that Andrade would be jobless if it wasn’t for his father in law Ric Flair.
Former WWE Superstar Lana, AKA CJ Perry, spoke with Elias of The Man Cave Chronicles about her acting career, her time in WWE, and if she would ever join her husband in All Elite Wrestling.
Lana was signed in 2013 and spent eight years with the company before being released last year. She served as the manager for her husband Rusev, now known as Miro in All Elite Wrestling, and wrestled as a singles competitor during her time with the company. Lana was also a main cast member of Total Divas from seasons 6-8 on the E! Network.
During the conversation on The Man Cave Chronicles, Lana was asked if there was any chance of her showing up in All Elite Wrestling in the future or if she would like to be a part of the promotion someday.
I would love to, I mean I love storytelling. I love wrestling and I love the fans. I can’t emphasize enough how much I miss it. I miss the fans, there is nothing like the people and that connection that you have.
I love television and movies, but you don’t get that instant gratification. You don’t even know, all you really get is online with the critics. When you are live performing in the wrestling arena, you know exactly how they feel immediately.
It is just such a relationship that I really am thankful for that I have with the audience. So I’d love to do something with AEW. If the story is right, I’d love to do something with Miro or maybe with other people. But I want to tell compelling stories, so if it is right I would absolutely love it.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit The Man Cave Chronicles with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.
Former WWE Superstar Lana, known in the real world as CJ Perry, was recently interviewed on The Man Cave Chronicles to promote her new film and the reality TV series ‘The Surreal Life’.
Lana spent 8 years in WWE before being released in June 2021. The 37-year-old is married to All Elite Wrestling star Miro, who wrestled as Rusev in WWE. CJ Perry is in the recently released movie ‘WIFELIKE’ and you can check out the trailer below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRUixPv9Bro
Lana On How Acting Helped Her WWE Career & How She Impressed Dusty Rhodes
CJ Perry explained on The Man Cave Chronicles that she actually started off as an actor and as a dancer in her career before signing with WWE in 2013.
“I actually started off in acting. I started off in Hollywood. So, I think I have a different journey than 99% of people in wrestling. I started off as a professional dancer as a ballerina in Russia. I moved to Los Angeles when I was like 18 years old, coming back from Florida State and then Hollywood, I was just diving into it. Dancing on a lot of different shows and movies, like Pitch Perfect.”
CJ noted that acting helped her accelerate a lot quicker in WWE and shared how she was able to impressive Dusty Rhodes in NXT.
Acting really helped me accelerate a lot quicker in WWE because I was basically able to build characters with words. That is what acting taught me, and I got signed in 2013, started in July.
I don’t know if you’ve ever seen Glow, but one of the characters who plays the Russian, she would come in with like five different character pitches. That was literally what I was doing in developmental.
I would come to Dusty Rhodes and I’m like ‘here I have seven different character pitches, this is one poster with all the different ideas and catchphrases and costumes’.
In promo class, I would come with like five different people, we would have this huge elaborate scene that they had really never seen before.
Because most people in developmental come up there and just do a promo, you know? I’m like directing five people and just kind of doing the most. Dusty Rhodes was always really impressed with my creativity, ambition, and work ethic.
I was really lucky, a month later I was paired with my husband (Miro) at the time he was going by Rusev. And we got paired as ‘the big bad Russians’.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit The Man Cave Chronicles with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.
16-time World Champion John Cena has shared a heartwarming story about a WWE fan who breaks records while dressed as him.
Matthew Akpan was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome later in life at the age of 24. He grew up in Leeds and attended Manchester Metropolitan University but wasn’t succeeding. Matt thought something was holding him back and was diagnosed with Asperger’s in 2013.
His father passed away the same year and Matthew decided to pay tribute to him in a unique way. He dressed up as John Cena and started running marathons. Matt told Leeds-Live that he watched wrestling for twenty years with his father and wanted to pay tribute to him.
Unfortunately, my father died in 2013, we watched wrestling for like 20 years and I thought that as a tribute to him and victim support, so I wanted to become a superhero, so I chose John Cena as he has done a lot for children.I thought he would be the best one to do, even though it wasn’t easy it was easy in his style, I ended up with a lot of blisters, scars and rash burns.
Matt participated in the York Marathon in 2021 in an attempt to achieve a world record. Guinness gave him a target time of three hours and thirty minutes to complete the race and Matt finished in less than three hours. He now holds the record as the first person to complete a marathon dressed as a professional wrestler.
John Cena took to Twitter to share the story and complimented Matthew on running for a cause and with purpose. Cena ended the tweet with his “never give up” catchphrase as an acronym.
A fun record worth celebrating for it’s substance and message (and maybe it’s style). Thanks to @GWR for recognizing a young man who is running for a cause and with purpose. #NGU
A fun record worth celebrating for it’s substance and message (and maybe it’s style ?). Thanks to @GWR for recognizing a young man who is running for a cause and with purpose. #NGUhttps://t.co/H5AaPflp0y
Austin Theory was a surprise addition to the men’s Money in the Bank Ladder match at the Premium Live Event in July and emerged victorious.
The 25-year-old had previously spent months conversing with former WWE CEO Vince McMahon in backstage segments. It seemed like he was destined to be the next big thing in the company but that doesn’t appear to the be the case anymore, at least at the moment.
Since winning the Money in the Bank contract, Theory has been an afterthought on WWE television. He attempted to cash in the MITB contract during the main event of Clash at the Castle but got leveled by boxer Tyson Fury in the front row.
According to his match listing on Pro Fight Database, he hasn’t even won a match at a live event since August 21st when he defeated Dolph Ziggler at Sunday Stunner. Austin Theory has gone 0-15 since picking up a win over the showoff. Theory is scheduled to face Johnny Gargano next week on RAW at the Barclays Center in New York.
Jim Cornette Criticizes WWE’s Booking of Austin Theory
The legendary manager spoke about Theory’s downfall in the company on the latest edition of the Jim Cornette Experience. Jim noted that Austin Theory used to be the chosen one and has all the tools needed to be a star in the industry.
He claimed that Theory is nothing but a “flunky” now and is clinging to the Money in the Bank briefcase to remain relevant. Cornette criticized how WWE talent won’t look at the camera during backstage interviews as well.
Austin Theory, what have they done to my boy?,” said Cornette. “He did a backstage interview and it was more noticeable here because he’s a guy that wants to look at people he’s talking to, and wants to as a cocky heel.
You could tell he’s trying not to look at the camera because they’re still telling, for whatever reason that Vince [McMahon] had in his demented mind, the talent still in a pre-tape backstage with an interview will not look at the camera because Vince didn’t like that.
This guy was going to be the chosen one, he got the Money in the Bank briefcase, he was Vince’s [McMahon] protege. He’s a tremendous worker. He’s got the physical tools, everything. And now just, whatever he did to piss whoever off since Vince has been gone he’s a flunky.
He’s clinging to that Money in the Bank briefcase by a thread and that is the only thing he’s got in his back pocket. And he had that before they started this tear-down project.
The October 4, 2022 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center.
WWE NXT Results
Carmelo Hayes (with Trick Williams) defeated Oro Mensah
Andre Chase (with Bodhi Hayward & Thea Hail) defeated Von Wagner (with Mr. Stone) in a North American Championship Qualifying Match
Wendy Choo defeated Lash Legend
Zoey Stark & Nikkita Lyons defeated Toxic Attraction (Gigi Dolan & Jacy Jayne) in a number one contenders match
Julius Creed defeated Duke Hudson
Pretty Deadly defeated Brawling Brutes
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Qualifying Match
WWE
A qualifying match for the North American title ladder match at Halloween Havoc took place that saw Andre Chase vs. Von Wagner.
The match saw Von go over with his finisher despite Chase being over. A brawl broke out after the match with everyone that has qualified thus far.
Wes Lee, Oro Mensah, and Carmelo Hayes have already qualified for the bout. The third match in the best-of-three series between Axiom and Nathan Frazer will determine the fifth qualifier for the Halloween Havoc ladder bout.
Six-Woman Tag Team Match
WWE
Stark and Lyons went over in the match. It’s still not clear when the Tag Team Championship Match will take place.
NXT Tag Team Champions Pretty Deadly held a State of the Commonwealth address.
They were out with a podium in front of them and wearing old royal attire with white wigs. They cut a promo about how great they are. They said they would be the NXT Tag Team Champions forever. Ridge Holland and Pete Dunne came out to see how tough they are face to face. This set up a tag team match later in the show.
Pretty Deadly beat them in the main event after Imperium got involved. Post-match, Briggs & Jensen and Malik Blade & Edris Enofe came out for a staredown.
There was a Grayson Waller Effect segment with Roxanne Perez & Cora Jade
Waller noted that he was live on Instagram and brought them out. They went back and forth about their problems. Perez said that they wanted to be like the Four Horsewomen. Perez said at Halloween Havoc she will leave her behind and go out to achieve her own dreams. Jade said Perez is just internet hype and not good enough to be part of this generation. Perez said nobody bought Jade’s act of being nice, Jade turned and showed her true colors. In two weeks, they will pick their opponents for each other. Their match at Halloween Havoc will be a spin the wheel match. Waller spun the wheel and it was revealed they will have a weapons wild match. They brawled until security broke them up.
WWE Extreme Rules is the company’s next premium live event.
This year marks the 14th installment of Extreme Rules as a standalone show. It was established in 2009. This year’s event takes place in Philadelphia, PA.
Extreme Rules follows last month’s Clash at the Castle and before next month’s Crown Jewel and Survivor Series premium live events.
WWE Extreme Rules Match Card
The following matches are confirmed for WWE Extreme Rules 2022:
WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan vs. Ronda Rousey (Extreme Rules Match)
Matt Riddle vs. Seth “Freakin” Rollins (Fight Pit Match with Daniel Cormier as guest referee)
Drew McIntyre vs. Karrion Kross (Strap Match)
WWE Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair vs. Bayley (Ladder Match)
Edge vs. Finn Balor (I Quit Match)
The Brawling Brutes (Sheamus, Ridge Holland, and Butch) vs. Imperium (Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser, and Giovanni Vince) (Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook Match)
WWE Extreme Rules takes place Saturday, October 8th from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the Wells Fargo Center. The main card of this premium live event starts at 8pm ET / 5pm PT.
How to Watch
WWE Extreme Rules streams live on Peacock in the United States and on the WWE Network internationally.
Dark Side of the Ring captivated viewers with true stories that showed the grimy underbelly of the wrestling business. Creators Evan Husney and Jason Eisener are back with a new show, Tales From the Territories. Their new venture is partnered with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Seven Bucks Productions.
Husney and Eisener are featured on the latest episode of The Sessions with Renee Paquette. Husney recalled during season one of DSOTR that The Rock tweeted him about the show. From there, they had meetings with Seven Bucks Productions to discuss projects and future ideas.
How Tales From the Territories Came About
“The roots of the show actually go back to right after season one in 2019 with Territories and we were batting around ideas. The short version of the story is that Brian Gewirtz who works with The Rock at Seven Bucks. We hit it off with him and had this mutual interest in wanting to do something about territory wrestling. That’s a huge, major fixation of Jason and I. We love that era. We’re huge World Class fans, Jim Crockett Promotions, all that stuff.”
When working on the Chris Benoit episode of DSOTR, they were working with Chavo Guerrero, Jr., who also wanted to do a documentary in “the territory realm.” “It was almost this perfect storm of all of us coming together and saying ‘let’s just do something together.’ And that was sort of developed and pitched as Tales From the Territories.” VICE wanted to do it and they went into production immediately following season three of DSOTR.
“Working with someone like The Rock and what that brings to the production is obviously a huge stamp of authenticity. One of the hardest parts on DSOTR sometimes is calling up wrestlers and getting them on the show. I think for great reason and a little suspect of guys like us that want to make docs about their lives or the darkest periods of their lives and stuff like that. Working with Dwayne has been awesome because obviously, he has all the relationships in the world in this business. And it’s given us the opportunity to work with a lot of different wrestlers that we didn’t have the chance to work with on Dark Side like Jerry Lawler and Michael Hayes.”
They also worked with Ted DiBiase and Kevin Sullivan for the first time. With the new show, they were able to bring back people like Bret Hart.
What to expect from the show
Each episode of Territories is in the roundtable format. Eisener explains that “the show is about one topic or one event.” “But, we wanted to try to recreate that feeling of being around a table with wrestlers when they’re telling stories and kind of bouncing back and forth, like off each other. We bring them all to a table and they sit down and we try to create a good environment for them to have fun telling their stories. And then we do the re-enactments, kind of similar to like we do with DSOTR. Each episode is like, five to six different stories within the territory.”
Husney interjects, “we say it’s almost like Tales from the Crypt format, you know where it’s kind of anthology of stories. It’s not a total history of the territory. It’s literally, you’re a fly on the wall for these four or five wrestlers coming together for the first time. Some that haven’t been in the same room in 35 years when they were working together in the 80s. It’s a cool vibe.”
“I remember several years ago, I think it was maybe STARRCAST, walking into a bar and it was Road Warrior Animal, Scott Norton, Eric Bischoff, and Sonny Oono and a bunch of these guys around a table, a few beers in, and they’re just telling these stories that were just jaw-dropping. Every one. One guy told a story and then the next guy told a story, and they just kind of went down the line. One story turned into 20 stories. I remember even Eric Bischoff at the time leaned over and was like, ‘this could be recreated for television’ and it was like, ‘I know. I’ve been thinking the same thing.’ That’s what the challenge of this was. Can we recreate this naturalistic, old time wrestlers hanging out and telling their best stories?”
Challenges that come with shooting a new series
Husney shared that there was a bit of a concern shooting in a studio, away from the comfort of the wrestler’s home. He also shared that there was a little bit of one-upsmanship with stories and they would maybe “embellish or over-exagerate”. Fans will see “this is the lore. These are the legends, like legendary stories of the road you know have taken on a new life as each decade rolls by. That’s the fun of show. It’s not trying to be journalistically accurate in a lot of ways. There’s no way that these stories could be, but that’s what’s great about them.”
There is a team of researchers to find the best stories and to help book the wrestlers to talk about them. Husney confirmed that the legendary story involving Ken Patera, Mr. Saito, and a McDonald’s is told on Territories.
The biggest challenge of doing a show like this is that many of the people involved have passed away. Bobby Heenan and Roddy Piper are two names Husney wished they could’ve talked too. Another issue is whether certain wrestlers would get along or have chemistry.
Three episodes have been filmed so far, with seven more scheduled. They’ll be delivering the episodes as they air. Husney does say there are talks for season four of DSOTR. Since Territories was on the way, they were focusing on that. “We’re definitely getting back to Dark Side.”
Short stories from Territories has provided story ideas for DSOTR. “In the Mid-South episode, there’s a lot of talk about Junkyard Dog and talking about some of the angles he was involved with,” Husney shared.
Tales From the Territories airs Tuesdays at 10 PM ET on VICE.
If you use any quotes from the article, please creditSEScoops with an H/t for transcription.
Alicia Fox has been away from the public eye for the last few years, but she was back on the radar today with some wonderful news.
The former WWE star is now engaged to be married. Her fiance revealed on Instagram that the couple is engaged.
The Engagement
Alicia Fox
“Yesterday was a perfect day,” he wrote in the caption. “She said Yes!!!” A series of photos were included of the couple celebrating their engagement.
The photos also show off Fox’s new engagement ring, which put her extensive arm tattoos on display she appears to have added since leaving WWE. Fox’s fiance is a musician and surfer. Fox was congratulated by WWE stars such as Mickie James and Natalya in the comments.
Over the years, Fox has been open about her battles with alcoholism and the incident involving then-WWE producer Arn Anderson, who allowed her to wrestle while intoxicated.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross noted on social media earlier this year that Fox has been clean and sober for three years. Fox was quietly moved to the alumni section of WWE’s roster in October 2019, having been with the company since her pro wrestling debut in 2006.
Her most recent WWE appearance was this past January by working the Women’s Royal Rumble match as a surprise participant. Congratulations to the happy couple.
