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Kayla Rossi Talks Chyna Comparisons, Harsh Fans & Body Positivity

Thomas Lowson
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Kayla Rossi is used to being compared to WWE Hall of Famer Chyna, but plans to establish herself on her own merits in the ring.

Rossi debuted for AEW earlier this year, initially as the bodyguard of Joey Janela. Since Janela’s departure in late April, she’s appeared as a solo act on AEW Dark. With her impressive physique, there are natural comparisons to Chyna, the muscle-bound female DX member who broke down barriers regarding how women are portrayed in pro wrestling.

Speaking to SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports, Rossi was asked if she takes the comments comparing her to the Ninth Wonder of the World as a compliment.

“I mean I do, but then I’m in the back of my head like ‘no, Chyna was like 5′ 10 5′ 11, statuesque and brute force.’ I get it. I look like her I’m built like her, but I’m 5’3 and I’m athletic as hell and I can do other things.”

While Rossi wants to set herself apart from the Ninth Wonder of the World, she had nothing but praise for the late trailblazer.

“I can’t lie. I’ve taken inspiration from her who wouldn’t? She is such a prominent figure in the world of wrestling and did such great things for women in general.”

Body Confidence

Although wrestling has become more accepting of different body types among female talent, Rossi is still considered an outlier to many in the industry.

Speaking about her physique, the 34-year-old wrestler addressed receiving hateful comments on social media, long before she stepped in the ring.

“When I first started bodybuilding it was really tough because you put yourself out there and you see these comments like ‘oh she looks like a man’ or whatever it might be. And it used to bother me at first and it made me super self-conscious. It made me question if I even wanted to do it and if I even wanted to look that way. And then I was like ‘you know what I’m gonna own this’ because you can be strong and badass and beautiful and feminine at the same time.

“It made me question if I even wanted to do it and if I even wanted to look that way.”

– Kayla Rossi on hateful comments shaking her confidence.

“There doesn’t have to be one or the other and I think people get that misconception because I can go up there on tv or I can get on that bodybuilding stage and be powerful and be strong but I’m still a woman and I’m still feminine.”

The Next Chapter

Rossi has had a handful of matches on AEW Dark, but her next big opportunity could come outside of wrestling.

When Fall asked if she’d ever consider a jump to MMA, Rossi said that she’s up for the idea, and has already had training.

“I’m Going to Sleep” – Jake Roberts on the Most Painful Moment of his Career

Thomas Lowson
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Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts has experienced a lot of pain in his life, but nothing can compare to working with Andre the Giant.

In 1989, Roberts feuded with the Eighth Wonder of the World, who was terrified of Jake’s snake Damian.

While Andre would win at untelevised events, Roberts would get a DQ win over the former WWF Champion at WrestleMania 5.

Working with Andre

Speaking during the latest DDP Snake Pit podcast, Roberts was asked about the most painful moment of his career. 

“Probably when I clothes-lined Andre [The Giant.] He went through me and it ripped my pec. I remember going down and I thought I’d broke my shoulder. I’m just holding my shoulder. I’m wiggling my fingers, trying to get some feeling back in them and Andre reached down and grabbed me by the hand and jerked me to my feet, which stretched that back out again. 

“At this point, I decide ‘I’m going to sleep.’ I passed out from the pain, and when I woke up Andre has got me in a bear hug and he’s single to me. ‘Nice little baby. Nice little baby.’ And I woke up like ‘oh my God’ I need to get us out of here. [Andre says] ‘No. We finish match.’ So we finished the match and then that night we wrestled again. Me with the blown pec, but I never took a day off.”

Working with Vader

Roberts may still be reeling from working with Andre, but he’s not the only legend who left Jake worse for wear. 

Roberts also spoke about working with Vader, notoriously a wrestler who was hard-hitting in the ring, and recalled being injured by the super-heavyweight. 

“A broken sternum, Leon [White, aka WWE Hall of Famer Big Van Vader] gave me that. Broke my sternum twice in two matches. He crushed me in the corner and broke my sternum. A broken sternum is real painful because it takes a long time to heal and if you sneeze or cough you’re going to rip your eyeballs out.”

Vader sadly passed in 2018 and the 13-time World Champion was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year. 

Jake Roberts Names the Huge Mistake Braun Strowman is Making

Fandango Recalls Working With John Cena On Southpaw Regional Wrestling

Anutosh Bajpai
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The Southpaw Regional Wrestling was one of the most absurd yet entertaining pieces of programming WWE ever produced. It allowed the featured wrestlers to leave their usual personas behind and have fun with some of the most outrageous characters ever created in wrestling. Two such stars who had a lot of fun with the show were John Cena and Fandango. They did the commentary for the series.

The former WWE star who goes by the name Dirty Dango recently appeared on Cafe De Rene. He was asked to tell an interesting story about the web series. Replying to it, the former WWE star recalled the first time he worked with John Cena on the show:

“So they asked Cena to be the commentator for the show, which was set in the 80s. I was kind of the color guy adjacent to John at the desk.” recalled Fandango, “John had probably 10 pages, probably six episodes of verbiage. He looked at it for about 20 minutes, memorized the whole thing. I’m pretty shocked.

I’m like, ‘I’ll just go on the fly and go off you’ Because he had to remember all the verbiage and he did it all in one take. I’m like, ‘Holy shit – this guy.’ That was the first time I’m like ‘This is acting’ because this is what he does. His brain is wired for that. I was like, ‘Holy fuck. this guy’s pretty good,'”

You can check out Fandango’s full interview below:

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Drew McIntyre Update After Bad Case of Food Poisoning

Michael Reichlin
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Drew McIntyre is on the mend after battling a bad case of food poisoning. The 6’5″ 265-pound Superstar is as tough as they come, but even he was no match for the illness.

McIntyre was in bad shape last Friday, but still appeared on WWE SmackDown after undergoing intravenous treatments backstage before the show. He was originally scheduled to compete at the WWE live events over the weekend from Stockton, California (Saturday) and Fresno, California (Sunday), but was given time off to recover.

We’re happy to report that McIntyre is feeling better and is scheduled to be back on television this Friday for SmackDown. The 2-time WWE Champion is part of the creative team’s plans for the show, according to a report at PWInsider.

Looking ahead for Drew McIntyre

McIntyre is one of the most popular wrestlers in WWE. He just challenged Roman Reigns for the Undisputed Clash at the Castle event from Cardiff, Wales. Reigns was victorious, but needed help from (the debuting) Solo Sikoa to defeat the Scotsman. The Tribal Chief has moved on to a feud with Logan Paul, which will culminate at WWE Crown Jewel on Saturday, November 5th from Saudi Arabia. After that Reigns has another challenger waiting in the wings.

McIntyre is currently feuding with Karrion Kross, who recently returned to WWE. The two are scheduled to clash at next weekend’s Extreme Rules premium live event from Philadelphia. We’ve updated our post about Extreme Rules Betting Odds, if you’re interested in seeing who is currently favored to win that match.

Check out this Top 10 highlight video of Drew McIntyre’s great moments in WWE:

Bayley Reveals Which Veteran From Past She Wants To Face

Anutosh Bajpai
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Bayley has achieved a lot of things in her ten years long WWE career. While there are still things she wants to do in the company, the bigger goal for her is to leave the place better than when she started.

The former champion recently spoke to The Five Count podcast. When asked which star from the past she would be interested in wrestling, she took the name of Lita:

“Yeah, I guess I would say Lita because she was my childhood hero. I feel like that would just be the cherry on top for my story of my career.”

– Bayley

‘Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day’: Bayley

Damage CTRL

The leader of Damage CTRL then discussed her goals in wrestling. She mentioned how winning the Royal Rumble and main eventing WrestleMania are on her list. Ultimately though, it’s all about leaving the women’s division in good hands:

“There’s still a lot. There’s a lot of women in NXT that I would love to tell some stories with but I still haven’t main evented WrestleMania. I feel like that’s a big deal to everybody especially because it’s been done a couple times now in the Women’s Division. I would love to do that or just have a singles title match at WrestleMania.

[I] would love to win the Royal Rumble, but those are just little things. I think the bigger picture is just to leave the division in good hands. That’s what Damage CTRL is all about. I wrote on a post that Rome wasn’t built in a day. So I know it’s gonna be a little bit so I can feel satisfied.”

More Originals From SEScoops:

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MJF Reveals His Retirement Plan

Anutosh Bajpai
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MJF is only 26 years old but he is already one of the most famous wrestlers in the industry. Unlike many others, he also knows how long he wants to continue wrestling and then retire to never be seen again.

The AEW star recently had an interview with KFC Radio. Speaking about the people who have problem with his mannerisms, the young star explained that he doesn’t pretend to be someone he’s not:

“Now a lot of people have a problem with what I’m saying, which I find hysterical but also I have fans. So I’m the wrestling devil. I call my fans devil worshippers. My devil worshippers, they love me because they know that I’m not throwing bullshit.

Now I can be a happy go lucky guy. [I] could sit down in this chair and be like, ‘Love everybody. Everyone’s important. Teamwork.’ That’s not what I’m about because that’s bullshit. They’re just saying that to save face.”

MJF then explained what he’s truly all about. He mentioned that it’s all about making the most amount of money for him. Once he has done that, he’ll say goodbye to the world of pro wrestling:

“What I’m about is making the most amount of money I can in the shortest period of time with putting in the least amount of work. So I can retire at like 38 and never have to fucking look at anybody.”

Later in the interview MJF also detailed why he doesn’t want the job of Tony Khan or Triple H. He said that he doesn’t want to deal with the stress that comes with it. The Salt of The Earth reiterated that he is making ‘a lot’ of money and he wants to make ‘a lot lot’ of money so he can retire at 38.

You can check out the full interview below:

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Jim Ross Can’t Understand Why AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam Didn’t have More Viewers

Thomas Lowson
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Last week saw AEW host their latest ‘Grand Slam’ special of Dynamite, with five title matches on the show.

The event saw Jon Moxley capture the AEW World Championship, defeating Bryan Danielson for the vacant title and becoming a three-time champion.

Chris Jericho captured the Ring of Honor World Championship from Claudio Castagnoli, while The Acclaimed won the AEW World Tag Team Titles from Swerve in our Glory.

The show also saw Pacretain the AEW All-Atlantic title while Toni Storm held on to the Interim AEW Women’s World Championship.

The “Conundrum”

Despite the stacked show, which also saw the AEW debut of Saraya, the show’s numbers didn’t live up to expectations.

The show garnered an average 1.039 million viewers, down 12% from the previous week’s standard episode of Dynamite, which had 1.175 million viewers.

On his Grilling JR podcast, the AEW commentator struggled to understand the fall in viewership (via Wrestling Inc.)

“It was an interesting thing, how do you explain the fact that AEW does around a million viewers on a big-time hyped show that is loaded with five title matches, how do you justify or explain that? I don’t know the answer to that conundrum, I really don’t.”

“I don’t know the answer to that conundrum.”

Jim Ross on AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam not doing better in terms of viewership.

“You’d think we were providing the audience with what they wanted to see; all of our top programs, all the titles that were significant are getting some exposure. When you don’t have those massive numbers that you were hoping for, it’s hard to explain why that happened.”

AEW President Tony Khan remained positive in his report of the viewership for Grand Slam, pointing out that Dynamite has been over one million viewers for five consecutive weeks.

Jim Ross on the Unpredictability of AEW All Out: “It’s Beautiful”

NXT Will Still Focus on Younger Talent After Ditching NXT 2.0 Branding

Thomas Lowson
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WWE NXT 2.0 may be over, but the goal of the paint-splattered show to focus on younger, newer stars continues to live on.

NXT 2.0 was launched in September 2021 and saw some extreme changes made to the established brand.

Many Superstars associated with the original NXT were released or moved to other brands ahead of the change last year.

Younger Talent

Arguably the biggest change made with the implementation of NXT 2.0 was a shift of focus, with more attention being spent on newer, younger stars.

NXT 2.0’s arrival saw the debuts of Superstars including Bron Breakker, Von Waner, Joe Gacy, Grayson Waller, Nikkita Lyons, and others.

Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that NXT will still focus on new stars despite ditching the NXT 2.0 branding (via eWrestlingNews.)

“No more 2.0, it’s just NXT again. They’re going back to the old colors. But the same philosophy in the sense of mostly younger guys coming in, and younger women coming in and everything.”

Dave Meltzer

Prior to the 2021 relaunch, the show had been treated as a third brand, equivalent to Raw and SmackDown.

NXT

Originally a reality show where wrestlers would compete for a chance for a WWE contract, NXT was revamped for the first time in 2012.

The change was made for NXT to become a developmental brand, replacing Florida Championship Wrestling, which had been producing talent for the main roster for years.

In 2019, NXT was moved to the USA Network and competed head-to-head with AEW Dynamite.

At that time, the decision was made for NXT to be its own third brand and competed against Raw and SmackDown at that year’s Survivor Series.

NXT Black And Gold’s Return is The Latest Bold Change by Triple H

Fandango Teasing TV Return In ‘Next Couple Weeks’

Anutosh Bajpai
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Former WWE star Fandango, who now goes by the name Dirty Dango is teasing a return to television very soon.

The 39-year-old recently appeared on Café De René with Rene Dupree. Among other things, he was asked about his future schedule.

Replying to it, Fandango teased a Television return very soon. He claimed that he will be starting with a company in the next couple of weeks:

“I’m starting with a company soon, I think in the next couple weeks that I can’t really talk about, but it should be on TV. I mean it will be on TV,”

– Fandango

Fandango was part of the WWE roster from 2006 to 2021. He spent a long time in various development territories including a couple years in NXT.

He made his main roster debut as a ballroom dancer back in March 2013. Dango would go on to defeat Chris Jericho in his debut match at WrestleMania 29.

However, the character didn’t go anywhere from there. He coasted around the WWE roster for the next few years before getting paired with Tyler Breeze.

The team of Fandango and Tyler Breeze received praise from fans for their character work. They even won the NXT tag team titles. Both the stars were released from their contract in June 2021.

MJF Reveals Why He Wants To Be A Free Agent In 2024

Robert Lentini
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Maxwell Jacob Friedman, known to wrestling fans as MJF, is one of the hottest stars in professional wrestling today.

He is in line for an AEW World Championship match against Jon Moxley at a time and place of his choosing. Moxley is set to battle NJPW star Juice Robinson on tomorrow’s episode of Dynamite in a World Title Eliminator. If Juice wins, he will also get a shot at the title.

Hangman Adam Page has already earned a shot at the championship on the October 18th edition of Dynamite. It is a special Tuesday night episode of the show and will oppose WWE NXT. Jon Moxley captured the AEW Championship last week by defeating Bryan Danielson in the Tournament of Champions as MJF watched on from the crowd.

MJF On Why He Wants To Be A Free Agent In 2024

MJF spoke with Kevin Clancy of Barstool Sports on KFC Radio this week about a bunch of topics. He revealed what makes him special, which insider wrestler term he finds phony, why he’s the most exciting thing in wrestling since the Attitude Era, and now why he wants to be a free agent in 2024.

“I do want to be a free agent in 2024. So again, I’m going to wait until January 1st, 2024 because I am an intelligent businessman. I do foresee myself winning that AEW World Title and what happens if my contract goes up and I have that championship? If I’m Tony Khan, I’m probably going to have to pay this guy a lot of money.

I concern myself where the money is at. I’ll go to a new company, with a new founder that no one has ever heard of if they’re willing to pay me the most amount of money. I do genuinely think that I’m a prodigy, and I say that humbly. There’s probably no one in the wrestling world that knows more or has a better IQ than me.”

MJF also revealed what the most important thing to him in the wrestling business is.

“The most important thing to me is money and if I can make an absurd amount of money without having to be stressed out of my mind. The only person you should worry about is yourself and if anyone tells you otherwise they are out of their minds.”

Please credit KFC Radio and give a H/T to SEScoops if you use quotes from this article.

Matt Jackson on Instagram: I can’t wait ‘to see you guys soon’

BJ Bethel
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Matt Jackson, All-Elite Wrestling Executive Vice President and member of the Young Bucks, posted a video story on Instagram on Tuesday promoting the release of the team’s new basketball shoes. It was the first public comment from either member of the Young Bucks since they were suspended following the All Out pay-per-view on Sept. 4.

Jackson was suspended along with several others following a fight in CM Punk’s locker room following Punk’s comments about the EVPs during a press conference. In Tuesday’s Instagram post, Jackson was emotional and reflective about the release of the sneakers and the tag team’s fans over the years.

“Thank you for everything the last 18 years,” Jackson said. “You’ve supported us and been so great for us and I really can’t wait to see you guys soon.”

Matt and Nick Jackson, Kenny Omega, Ace Steel and CM Punk remain suspended while a third-party firm continues to investigate a brawl that occurred after the show.

Thank you for everything the last 18 years. You’ve supported us and been so great for us and I really can’t wait to see you guys soon.

Matt Jackson

Jackson made his comment to fans during a video promoting the release of the Diadora Young Bucks basketball shoe by Champs Sports scheduled for Wednsesday, Sept. 28. The Young Bucks have become synonymous with their shoe collection during their last two years, wearing expensive and designer Air Jordans to the ring, even attracting mainstream press attention. Their Dior designed Air Jordans were a small part of a storyline in a feud with Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston in 2021.

Jackson said he and his brother consulted with Denise Cutler, wrestling outfit designer and wife of AEW wrestler Brandon Cutler. The shoes were made by Diadora and are being released through a promotion with Champs Sports.

“I got Denise Cutler on the job,” Jackson said. “I said please Denise, you need to come up with a Young Bucks sneaker. I wore them at the mall for two hours and they got so many looks.”

The Young Bucks wore the sneakers in their trios tag team tournament final match at All Out with Omega.

“Our dream was to make it to the NBA and to have our own basketball sneaker,” Jackson said. “We were too short to make it to the NBA, but our dream of our own sneaker did pan out. I’m super proud of this. You (our fans) have always supported us with all of our crazy projects. This is the one I might be the most excited about. It’s definitely in the top three.”

Jackson said the shoes tend to run ‘big.’ He said he normally wears an 11 or 11.5 size shoe, but wore 10.5 size shoes at the PPV. He recommended fans buy a half-size or full-size smaller than their size in other brands.

A limited number of shoes are available. Jackson said fans who want the shoes should buy them early on Wednesday because of limited quantities.

CM Punk Spotted With Brace In Latest Photo

Anutosh Bajpai
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CM Punk has kept his silence and mostly stayed away from the public eye ever since his All Out media scrum rant and the post-show brawl.

The only update we have gotten about the AEW star has been through various reports. One such update revealed that the former AEW champion had to undergo surgery for a torn triceps.

This report was seemingly confirmed recently when a new photo of the Straight Edge Star surfaced online. In the photo with a fan as seen below, CM Punk is spotted wearing a brace on his left arm:

CM Punk Done With AEW?

There has been lots of rumors about the AEW future of the former WWE star ever since his media scrum comments led to the backstage altercation at All Out.

There are many who believe that Punk is done with the company after this and he won’t be brought back in any capacity. The belief is that AEW is taking their time to sort out any potential legal situations before releasing the 42-year-old.

The wrestling promotion itself, however, has stayed quiet on the matter. There has been no update on how the investigation on the incident is going, so it’s hard to say how the management is planning to handle Punk’s departure.

  • CM Punk is Probably Not Returning to AEW

“That’s What Makes Me Special” – MJF Explains What Sets Him Apart From Other Wrestlers

Robert Lentini
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MJF returned to AEW at All Out on September 4th following the title match between CM Punk and Jon Moxley.

CM Punk emerged victorious at the PPV and MJF showed up to close the show. Maxwell had won the Casino Ladder match earlier in the night after Stokely Hathaway’s The Firm stable interfered.

MJF walked down to the ring in a devil’s mask and was handed the chip to ensure him a future shot at the AEW World Championship. Jon Moxley captured the title once again by defeating Bryan Danielson at Dynamite: Slam in the finals of the Tournament of Champions. Moxley is set to face NJPW star Juice Robinson in a World Title Eliminator tomorrow night on Dynamite.

MJF On What Makes Him Special In Wrestling Today

Maxwell was a guest on KFC Radio this week and spoke about his incredible rise to stardom in All Elite Wrestling at just 26 years old. Host Kevin Clancy brought up fans who get caught up in the technical aspect of the matches and said that this isn’t the Olympics. MJF responded with the following:

“I think in a way that’s where wrestling fell off and what I love about professional wrestling now is I feel like it’s a cornucopia of all these different styles. It’s every single different flavor of ice cream.

And then you have a guy like me who is a superstar. I walk out there, I can do it in the ring or on the microphone. I’ll talk into the mic and I give you no choice but to stay tuned in. That’s what makes me special and the company that I’m in right now currently, as long as they keep paying me the fat bucks.

What makes my company special is they let me go out there with zero hindrance. It’s f***ing insane the amount of money I’m making right now. I took a break, rightfully so. I told my boss I want more money and he said no. I said ‘oh word, deuces’.

I bounced, and my boss realized over the summer that without MJF, there is no AEW. And he paid up and I didn’t have to sign a contract extension, so I’m a happy boy.”

Please credit KFC Radio with a H/T to SEScoops if you use quotes from this article.

MJF Reveals The Insider Wrestling Term He Won’t Use

Robert Lentini
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MJF is one of the most popular wrestlers on the planet and is sitting pretty with a title shot anytime he wants it.

The 26-year-old won the Casino Ladder Match at AEW All Out on September 4th. Stokely Hathaway’s faction “The Firm” interfered in the match and retrieved the chip suspended above the ring.

A man in a devil’s mask made his way to the ring and was handed the chip that signifies a title shot. After CM Punk defeated Jon Moxley to win the title at the PPV, it was revealed that MJF was the masked man. It was MJF’s first appearance since his explosive promo at The Forum in Los Angeles in June.

MJF On Why He Won’t Use The Word “Promo”

Maxwell appeared on KFC Radio recently and discussed several topics. He claimed to be the most exciting wrestler since the Attitude Era and spoke about his meteoric rise to stardom in All Elite Wrestling.

“I got signed on to a top brand in the world of professional wrestling at only 22 years old. I am now 26. After being on national television for only three years, I am one of, and this is a fact, facts don’t care about your feelings, look up the numbers if you do not believe me.

I’m one of the biggest draws in the entire business at 26 years old. I’m not one of the guys that, I call it grapple f***ing, and what grapple f***ing is these guys walking out all sweaty with no personality.

I don’t care, you don’t care, nobody in their right mind cares. Everyone on Twitter pretends they care, but then I come out and they lose their s***.”

MJF then refused to use the word “promo” in the interview and suggested the term “oratory exhibitionist instead.

“I don’t like to use that word by the way. Oratory exhibitionist. I don’t use the p-word. That sounds phony. Promo, I don’t use that word. That sounds phony to me. It is very phony”.

Please credit KFC Radio and give a H/T to SEScoops if you use quotes from this article.

WWE NXT Results (9/27): Pub Rules Match, Halloween Havoc Main Event Confirmed

Andrew Ravens
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The September 27, 2022 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center. 

WWE NXT Results 

  • Joe Gacy (with The Dyad [Rip Fowler and Jagger Reid]) defeated Cameron Grimes. 
  • Sol Ruca defeated Amari Miller
  • Nikkita Lyons defeated Kayden Carter 
  • Damon Kemp vs. Brutus Creed ended in a no contest 
  • Wes Lee defeated Tony D’Angelo via referee stoppage. 
  • Mandy Rose defeated Fallon Henley in a non-title match. 
  • Ilja Dragunov defeated Xyon Quinn.
  • Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen defeated Wolfgang and Mark Coffey of Gallus in a Pub Rules Match. 

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Joe Gacy vs. Cameron Grimes

grimes

Joe Gacy (with The Dyad [Rip Fowler and Jagger Reid]) defeated Cameron Grimes. The person in the red hoodie was seen again in the crowd.

Gacy has attempted to recruit Grimes for his Schism faction in recent weeks, but Gacy has rebuffed him.

Ilja Dragunov Sets Things Up

triple threat

Ilja Dragunov cut a promo about winning the NXT UK Title and being forced to relinquish it. JD McDonagh exchanged words with him over Ilja taking JD out of NXT UK. Bron Breakker walked out and said he was waiting on Dragunov to show up. Bron said the title isn’t going anywhere. JD said that due to him being the #1 Contender, Ilja and Bron should fight each other for the right to face him. 

Bron mentions due to being a Steiner, he’s good at math and he has 33 1/3 chance of beating both of them at Halloween Havoc in a Triple Threat match.

No Contest

1nxt 3

Damon Kemp vs. Brutus Creed ended in a no contest as Damon used a chair several times to beat down Brutus.

There were several referees running out to stop him as he was yelling at Brutus and the camera. Julius didn’t come out to save Brutus. 

Non-Title Match

rose

Mandy Rose (with Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jane) defeated Fallon Henley in a non-title match. Rose went over with her finisher. 

Post-match, Rose cut a promo about Alba Fyre as she conquered two divisions while Fyre has been tossing around wood. Fyre who came on the screen and mentioned she’d be coming for the Women’s Championship. She said that she doesn’t believe in warnings. She set a thing on fire that said “and new.” 

Pub Rules Match

0NXT 3

Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen defeated Wolfgang and Mark Coffey of Gallus in a Pub Rules Match. Various weapons were used including tables, trash cans and more. 

Briggs and Jensen hit their finisher on Mark Coffey, who had a garbage can wrapped around him, to win the match.

Ronda Rousey: WWE Fans Respect Legends More than UFC Fans

Robert Lentini
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Ronda Rousey is set to battle Liv Morgan for the SmackDown Women’s Championship in an Extreme Rules match at the Premium Live Event on October 8th.

The Baddest Woman on the Planet earned the title shot by winning a Fatal 5-Way on the September 9th edition of SmackDown. Liv Morgan sent a message to Ronda on this past Friday’s episode of the blue brand following her bout with Lacey Evans.

Morgan hit Oblivion to pick up the pinfall victory but wanted more. She climbed to the top turnbuckle and connected with a Senton to send Lacey crashing through the table. The 28-year-old then looked at the camera and stated “I’m ready for you Ronda! Let’s get Extreme!”.

What Does Ronda Rousey Think Is The Difference Between WWE & UFC Fans?

Ronda Rousey spoke about the difference between UFC and WWE fans on her latest gaming stream on her YouTube channel. The former UFC Women’s Champion said that WWE fans respect the legends of the business for a lot longer.

She pointed out how the WWE Universe will remember something a wrestler did twenty years ago, while UFC fans are ready to move on if you are no longer at the top.

I would say that the WWE fans care more about the wrestlers than the UFC fans care more about the fighters. UFC fans have much less respect for the veterans and legends of the sport than WWE fans do. 

A lot of UFC fans are kind of like bandwagon fans in that way. The second you’re not on top, you’re dead to them. Where WWE fans are like, ‘this is the guy that did this 20 years ago’ and are still really excited whereas UFC fans now are like, ‘Forrest Griffin sucks.’ Uhh, you owe basically the whole sport to him. S*** like that. ‘Anderson Silva sucks. GSP [Georges St-Pierre] sucks.’

These are people that elevated the sport and paved the way for everybody else. I don’t see UFC fans having the same respect for people that got the sport to where it is as WWE fans. I’m not saying it’s completely absent, I’m just saying I see more respect for legends in WWE fans than UFC fans. There are exceptions to everything.

Ronda Rousey on the difference between WWE & UFC fans

H/T: Thirsty For News

WWE Secures New Television and Streaming Deal in Australia

Andrew Ravens
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WWE has reached an agreement with Foxtel Group, which is majority-owned by News Corp., for its rights in Australia. 

The WWE Network will be converted into Binge, a Foxtel outlet. Although the companies did not disclose any terms for the new multi-year agreement, Deadline reports a person familiar with the deal said it marks a significant increase over the prior one reached by the parties in 2017. 

WWE’s Latest Expansion

WWE Logo
(WWE)

There are 4.5 million subscribers on Foxtel as well as streaming outlets Kayo Sports and Binge. The deal will see Foxtel launch a dedicated, 24/7 WWE channel, which will host all premium live events. 

These events used to cost $30 apiece on pay-per-view but now will be included at no extra charge on Fox8, a pay-TV channel owned by Foxtel.

“With its far-reaching and engaged audience, the Foxtel Group has been a trusted and long-standing partner of WWE for more than 20 years,” said WWE Chairwoman and Co-CEO Stephanie McMahon. “We look forward to expanding our partnership with the Foxtel Group and welcoming Binge as the new streaming home of WWE Network in the region.“

Binge, whose subscription plans start at $10 a month, will begin streaming WWE content in January 2023. 

MJF Claims He Is The Most Exciting Thing To Happen In Wresting “In Over A Decade”

Robert Lentini
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Maxwell Jacob Friedman, known in All Elite Wrestling as MJF, is one of the most popular stars in all of professional wrestling today.

He has been making the media rounds after winning the Casino Ladder match at AEW All Out. MJF now has a title shot at a time and place of his choosing. MJF watched from the crowd as Jon Moxley defeated Bryan Danielson in the main event of Dynamite: Grand Slam to capture the AEW World Championship.

The 26-year-old spoke with Kevin Clancy (KFC) of Barstool Sports on KFC Radio recently. KFC noted that he fell off as a wrestling fan after the Attitude Era but credited MJF for getting him to watch it again.

“Because I am attitude. This is what I like to tell people, I think the Attitude Era was the best era of professional wrestling until right now because right now has me. And I say that with love and respect, and I say it humbly.

I genuinely feel I’m the most exciting thing to happen in professional wrestling in over a decade. Everyone in my industry, they all want to just tiptoe around the line. If this is the line, I don’t just step over it, I’ll f***ing jump over it.

Because what people want is somebody who is honest, open, not afraid to speak their mind and that is me to a T. I’m not fake, I’m not phony, I’m as real as it gets. I think now more than ever that is what professional wrestling needs and I think that is what All Elite Wrestling brings to the table.” [5:23- 06:06]

Please credit KFC Radio with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.

The New Day Reunites for ‘Action Human’ Comedy Sketch

Michael Reichlin
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Legendary wrestling faction The New Day recently reunited, but it wasn’t for WWE. Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods and Big E got together to film a comedy sketch for G4’s Attack of the Show Youtube channel.

The beloved trio teamed up with comedians Will Neff and Case Blackwell for a parody television commercial promoting Action Human, a fully opposable life-sized version of wrestling action figures. The sketch involved two friends are playing with wrestling action figures, but they were upset because the “barely-opposable” action figures don’t properly capture the intensity of a real wrestling match. A fireball erupts and the New Day emerge to save the day. The Superstars transformed one of the guys into a “Fully Opposable Action Human” and well, hilarity ensues.

Xavier Woods has been an on-air host for the G4 television network ever since the gaming channel was relaunched in 2020.

Big E has been off WWE television since he suffered a broken neck on the March 11, 2022 edition of SmackDown on FOX. He provided an update on his condition last month. At the time, he was 5 months removed from breaking his neck and said he was feeling great. He still doesn’t know if he will be able to wrestle again, but he’s living a normal life with virtually no pain from in the incident, which is nothing short of a miracle.

For more on Big E’s recovery from a broken neck, check out this article from last month:

Big E Health Update 5 Months After Breaking His Neck

Drew McIntyre Reveals Why He Hates Hell In A Cell Matches

Jon Fuentes
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Drew McIntyre is not a fan of Hell In A Cell matches.

The former WWE Champion was recently interviewed by Steve Fall of NBC Sports Boston. During their conversation, McIntyre was asked which stipulation matches he’s not necessarily a fan of.

McIntyre answered with Hell In A Cell matches, going as far as to say that he hates competing in the matches.

“Hell in a Cell matches, I have not had a good track record with them. I’ve had two, I have lost two. I’ve fallen off the side of the Hell in a Cell. You wanna talk about not liking heights, I’ve been on top of Hell in Cell twice, and it is terrifying.

“Legitimately 20-feet high. You’re scaling a cage to get up there. Technically there’s supposed to be little assist holes that help you climb your way up. When you’re live on the air, you can’t find those things.

“They’re invisible. So I’ve literally scaled up that thing with my bare hands, hating heights, falling off the side. Worst fall of my career against Randy Orton, knocked me ten feet off the side of a cell, which is 17 feet when you look back before you fall when you’re as tall as I am.

“Yeah, I hate Hell in a Cell. So give me a street fight, give me a weapons match. Keep me on the ground and let me swing a weapon at you. If you push me too far, I’ll swing my sword at you.” 

Drew McIntyre Roman Reigns
(via WWE)

Drew McIntyre recently competed in a big match for the Undisputed WWE Title against Roman Reigns at WWE Clash At The Castle. The event took place earlier this month in McIntyre’s backyard of Cardiff, Wales.

Unfortunately for McIntyre, his efforts came up just short of capturing the gold yet again. However, he did have a rather exciting surprise for fans at the event.

Quotes via WrestleZone

DDP and Jake Roberts Reminisce on Living Together, Helping Marcus Bagwell

Bruce Lee Hazelwood
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On the most recent edition of DDP Snake Pit, WWE Hall of Famers “Diamond” Dallas Page and Jake “The Snake” Roberts took questions from listeners with co-host Conrad Thompson. One question led to DDP and Roberts discussing the more difficult times they had while living together.

Roberts has battled addiction to drugs and alcohol, but it reached a tipping point before he moved in with Page in 20212. Roberts, under the guidance of Page, was able to overcome his tribulations as documented in The Resurrection of Jake Roberts.

Living together through troubled times

Jake Roberts AEW
(via AEW)

Listener Dan asked, “When you lived together and times got tough, how were you both able to realize that tough love and getting Jake help was more important than just giving in to outbursts, even if it may have cost you your relationship?”

After a pause and a laugh from Page – “As Jake points to me” – Page said he usually does some morning meditative time, but he wasn’t doing it at the time they were living together. What he did have was gratitude, specifically toward Roberts and the late Dusty Rhodes. Page was a little choked up as he discussed how those two were the only ones who really believed in him.

When Page asked Roberts how he could repay him for his time and investment, he said Roberts simply replied, “Pass it on.” He said that respect he had and still has for Roberts led to not only taking in Roberts, but, “It could takedown the sometimes anger, sometimes bewilderment (laughs), you know, and know that I just needed to breathe and believe and keep moving forward.”

Roberts added that when he and Page had their confrontations, he knew the bottom line: “If I leave here, I’m done.” He admitted he would argue points, but not to “being ran out of there.” He said he wasn’t afraid to drop down to his knees and asked to stay, that he needed Page.

Continuing to “pass it on” with Marcus Bagwell

Buff Bagwell
Buff Bagwell

They used that moment to transition into who they’re helping now: Marchs “Buff” Bagwell. Page said while Bagwell is a good guy, “He’s an asshole.”

Roberts added that as performers, “Sometimes we get caught up in our own publicity and our own bullshit that we get lost, and once you’re lost, it’s hard to get back. He said Bagwell is adapting like Roberts did a decade ago, but added, “This is your last chance, Buff – Marcus. If you don’t make it through this, don’t find a better path, you’ll be the next one we bury.”

Bagwell was in at least two major auto accidents in the past decade, one in 2012 and another in 2020. Both left him with multiple fractures and other injuries, and the 2020 accident resulted in an arrest on multiple charges.

Roberts ended this listener question by saying he likes to mentor and help people that are still struggling, but the tough thing is to not become emotionally connected to that person because “their sickness will end up hurting you, and that’s something I have to be careful of.”

The two went on to answer more questions, including the WCW locker room in 1995 when Atlanta won the World Series, if either were interested in running their own promotion or a show (an emphatic no from both), Roberts’ (negative) experience with World Class Championship Wrestling, and more.

If using this transcription, please give credit to SEScoops and DDP Snake Pit.

Roman Reigns Advertised For Upcoming SmackDown Season Premiere

Jon Fuentes
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Roman Reigns is currently advertised for the upcoming SmackDown season premiere in October.

The DCU Center is currently advertising “The Tribal Chief” for the WWE SmackDown on Friday, October 7 in Worcester, Massachusetts. That will be the season premiere for the show, and it will also be the go-home show prior to WWE Extreme Rules 2022.

WWE.com is also advertising Reigns for the show. It should also be noted that The Bloodline is also being advertised for the Monday Night RAW on the post-Extreme Rules edition of the program in October.

Check out the official advertisement from the DCU Center here:

Roman Reigns currently reigns as the Undisputed WWE Champion since capturing the WWE Title from Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania earlier this year. After successful title defenses against the likes of Lesnar and Drew McIntyre, Reigns’ next opponent is already booked for Saudi Arabia.

Roman Reigns

He’ll take on Logan Paul at Crown Jewel next month. While it’s highly unlikely that Reigns’ title reign ends with Paul, it will be interesting to see who else could challenge Reigns for the WWE’s top prize moving forward.

Names such as the returning Braun Strowman, AJ Styles, and Karrion Kross have all been tossed around as possibilities.

WWE Planning Redesigned Championship Titles

Thomas Lowson
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WWE has commissioned several sets of new championship belts in what is being seen as the latest big change to the company in the post-Vince McMahon era.

Since the ex-CEO’s departure in July, several changes have been made to WWE’s roster, with talent released in recent years being brought back. WWE has also made changes on a larger scale, ending the NXT UK brand in favor of the NXT Europe show expected to launch next year.

WWE is host to plenty of titles across Raw, SmackDown and NXT, and some of those titles are set to receive a new look. WWE has had newly designed championships for weeks, with at least three new sets of title belts fully finished, according to Fightful.

WWE Superstars who spoke to Fightful off-the-record are said to welcome the new titles. It’s also believed that Triple H’s rise to power following McMahon’s retirement sped up the process to introduce new title designs.

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New Tag Gold

Championship belt creator Belt Fan Dan recently noted on Twitter that new tag team championship belts have been created and are ready to roll out.

The WWE Undisputed Tag Team Championships have been represented by the Raw and SmackDown tag-team titles since the championships were unified in May.

There are also never used tag team titles, which look like the designs used on the WWE Women’s tag titles on colored straps, but it is unclear if they will be used.

Velcro vs. Snaps

One change already made to WWE’s championships is the use of velcro on the titles.

Though WWE once used snap pins to hold titles around the waist of talent, velcro is now used, with the snap pins being used for aesthetic appeal.

WWE talent who spoke to Fightful said that they appreciate how velcro allows them to fasten and unfasten titles quickly, but it cosmetically looks bad.

More Changes

WWE’s championships are set to get a redesign, and the promotion has plans to change things across all three brands.

We recently saw WWE introduce a new logo for NXT and drop the “2.0” branding that was introduced last year. Aside from new championship belts on the main roster, there are said to be other cosmetic changes in store for the Raw and SmackDown brands.

WWE Could be About to Drop one of its Championships

WWE Hall Of Famer Thinks CM Punk’s Media Scrum Rant Was Disastrous and Counterproductive

Joey Galizia
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As the month of September comes to an end the pro-wrestling community is still reeling from the events of the AEW ALL OUT media scrum, and the tirade from former two-time world champion CM Punk, who called out the wrestling media for their “mishandling” of the Colt Cabana situation. The Second City Saint also took aim at the AEW EVPs Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks.

The situation only became worse when a backstage melee occurred between Punk and the Elite, one that got multiple names suspended and threw a wrench into several ongoing storylines that cause Tony Khan to alter his plans once again. At this point an investigation is still going on, with Punk’s status the biggest question mark up in the air. A number of top legends, analysts, and current superstars have weighed in on this monumental moment, and now we can add one more to the list.

Mick Foley Calls Punk’s tirade a disaster for AEW President Tony Khan

WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley spoke about the ALL OUT media scrum and the ensuing backstage altercation on the latest edition of his Foley Is Pod program. The Hardcore legend begins by stating the obvious, which is that Punk’s comments at the scrum were counterproductive to his world title win earlier in the evening, and put AEW President Tony Khan in a terrible position.

“I think anything that takes away from the majesty of that moment is counterproductive. By that standard, everything Phil did, Punk did, was disastrous because it put Tony Khan in a bad position. Anything that ends up with, Punk I believe was hurt and would have probably been out. But it put a lot of eyeballs on the product the next night, that’s a given. It was just really unfortunate. You don’t want to see that side of your superstars.”

That’s not all. Foley further elaborated on the situation by comparing Punk’s victory over Jon Moxley to his victory over The Rock, his first world title win in WWE.

“You know, I know when I held that title aloft when I beat [The Rock] for the WWE Title, and I never thought I was a WWE Title guy, so I never based my career on it the way that a lot of people have. But I remember that feeling of just utter joy. I moved pretty good for a big guy when I ran my two or three laps around there and then gave the impromptu promo, Big Daddio did it. I can’t imagine going backstage and being angry or bitter, or taking the joy out of the experience for our fans. So I didn’t see Punk’s promo in its entirety, but it put Tony Khan in a bad position, and there’s a time and a place, maybe, to play with emotions. If you have something substantial that can make people feel strange in their gut, but not after a title win.”

Aside from just the incident Punk was also injured during his matchup with Moxley, which has put him on the shelf once again. At this time it is unknown if he will return when he is all healed up.

CM Punk is Probably Not Returning to AEW

WWE Postponing Shows This Weekend Due to Hurricane Ian

Andrew Ravens
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WWE has announced that they’ve postponed two NXT live events in Florida this weekend as Hurricane Ian has caused mass evacuation orders in the state. 

Live shows originally set for Friday, September 30, from Tampa, Florida’s University Area Community Complex and Saturday, October 1, from Dade City, Florida’s Dade City Armory have been postponed until December 17 and November 11, respectively.

A state of emergency has been declared in Florida due to Hurricane Ian, which made landfall in Cuba on Tuesday and is expected to impact Florida on Wednesday. Around 2.5 million Floridians are currently under evacuation orders.

WWE’s Statement

wwe live 07

WWE issued the following statement regarding the shows being postponed:

“NXT UNIVERSE

Due to Hurricane Ian, the WWE NXT LIVE events this Friday, September 30th in Tampa, FL & Saturday, October 1st in Dade City, Florida will be postponed.

All tickets purchased for this Friday’s event in Tampa will be honored at the new event on Saturday, December 17th and all tickets purchased for this Saturday’s event in Dade City will be honored at the new event on Friday, November 11th.

If you have any questions about these events or would like a refund for your ticket please email [email protected] with your name and order number.”

AEW President Tony Khan announced via Twitter on Monday that it is voluntary for talent to travel to this week’s tapings.

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