Next week will mark three years since AEW began airing on TNT. To celebrate, Tony Khan announced that Dynamite will be extended 15 minutes on Wednesday.
Following the live Rampage, Battle of the Belts IV will air live. AEW will have an additional hour and 15 minutes of programming next week.
To celebrate 3 years of @AEWonTV, the #AEWDynamite anniversary show this Wednesday has 15 minutes extra runtime, 2:15 total! +#BattleOfTheBeltsIV LIVE next Friday after a live Rampage!
Thank you @WBD for the special anniversary next week!
Next week’s Dynamite will feature MJF vs. Wheeler Yuta, Bryan Danielson & Daniel Garcia vs. Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara (aka Le Sex Gods), and Darby Allin vs. Jay Lethal. Luchasaurus will be in action to squash someone. Its also National Scissoring Day with The Acclaimed.
Chris Jericho is eyeballing a marquee matchup in AEW with one of the company’s biggest legends.
The Demo God and current Ring of Honor world champion was the latest guest to join the AEW Unrestricted podcast, where he spoke about his desire to face off against the Icon Sting, a star that he’s never stood across from inside the squared circle. Sting has been one of the most dominant talents on the AEW roster, but has only competed alongside Darby Allin (and others) in tag team action.
Jericho Is Willing To Bring Out The Painmaker For Sting
When the topic came up in the interview Jericho wasn’t shy of calling out the Stinger as a dream opponent.
“Whenever there’s a Sting-Jericho match which there has to be because Sting and I have never been in the ring together ever, except for when Keith Mitchell retired and we had that after-ceremony. Never been in the same ring ever. Ever, ever, ever. “
That’s not all…Jericho is already drumming up ideas about a potential scenario with Sting. He’s even willing to resurrect his Painmaker gimmick, an act that Jericho created during his NJPW run between 2019-2020.
“There has to be a Sting and Jericho match in whatever way we decide it and that would be a great time for ‘Painmaker.'”
Jericho recently defeated Bandido on Dynamite, his first successful defense of the ROH title since winning it from Claudio Castagnoli. He has since challenged Bryan Danielson to a showdown at the AEW debut in Canada, where the ROH title will once again be on the line.
Indus Sher, the former tag team featuring Veer Mahaan and Sanga, have reunited.
They teamed together again last weekend at an NXT house show in Citrus Springs to face Andre Chase and another talent. It marked the first time they’ve teamed together since January 2021, when they teamed with Drew McIntyre to defeat Jinder Mahal and The Bollywood Boyz at WWE Superstar Spectacle.
WWE’s Big Plans
Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE plans to use them as a powerhouse tag team on the main roster.
Meltzer wrote, “The idea is to have them as a main roster powerhouse team, a slot they haven’t had since they tried with Authors of Pain and that Luke Harper & Erick Rowan did for a brief period, but in both cases, injuries came at the wrong time, and Vince lost interest in them.”
They first started teaming together in 2018 and, at one point, were managed by Malcolm Bivens, now known as Stokely Hathaway in AEW. However, they were split up as Veer was called up to Raw.
After feuding with the Mysterios, he has only been seen a few times on television since Triple H took over WWE creative from Vince McMahon in July.
Sanga was later reintroduced in NXT as a bodyguard for Grayson Waller, but they were split up shortly after that where he became a babyface.
WWE could be about to move the date of next year’s WWE Day 1 premium live event, despite the show’s name.
WWE Day 1 is the latest event to be added to the WWE calendar, with the first event happening earlier this year.
As the name suggests, the event took place on January 1, 2022, the first day of the calendar year.
Moving Dates
Despite the name Day 1, next year’s WWE Day 1 may not take place on January 1.
In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it is reported that WWE is open to changing the date.
At this time, WWE Day 1 2023 will take place on January 1, at the State Farm Arena, in Atlanta, Georgia.
This would see the show fall on a Sunday, WWE’s traditional pick for Premium Live Events, though WWE has moved several events to Saturdays this year.
The Observer reports that and an announcement will be made next week if WWE changes the date, but that the venue will remain the same no matter the date.
The Beast’s Return
Brock Lesnar appeared at this year’s WWE Day 1, and had been scheduled to face Reigns (then just the Universal Champion.)
That match was canceled as Reigns had tested positive for Covid-19, and Lesnar was added to the WWE Championship match which he won.
The Observer also reports that Lesnar’s next match in the United States will be at the WWE Day 1 2023 event.
The report specified that this will be Lesnar’s next match in the United States, keeping the possibility of an appearance at WWE Crown Jewel on November 5.
AEW’s roster is reportedly set to grow after Bandido was offered a contract following this week’s episode on Dynamite.
During the show, Bandido took on Ring of Honor World Champion Chris Jericho in a losing effort.
Jericho has vowed to defeat every former ROH World Champion, and has his offer accepted by former Champion Davey Richards.
The Offer
Bandido may have come up short against Jericho during Dynamite, but he impressed the right people behind the scenes.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Bandido, a former ROH World Champion in his own right, was offered a contract “immediately” after his performance on this week’s show.
It is reported that this is a full-time contract with the company, though the lengthy of the deal is unknown at this time.
It was also not confirmed whether Bandido has accepted the offer yet.
Bandido
Debuting in wrestling in 2011, it wouldn’t be until 2016 that Bandido (real name unknown) would adopt the Bandido name.
In 2018, Bandido would join Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and would capture the PWG World Championship in December 2019 from Jeff Cobb.
Bandido would hold the title for 863 days, a record-breaking reign, before losing the title to Daniel Garcia in May this year.
In July 2021, Bandido defeated Rush to win the ROH World Champion, before losing to Jonathan Gresham at this year’s ROH Supercard of Honor XV.
Bandido has also competed for CMLL and AAA, and participated in New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Best of the Super Junious 27 tournament in 2019.
In the latest episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, Hardy discusses his relationship with Private Party. He says that he looks at Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen as “my disciples, as my students” while look to him as a mentor.
“I’m really happy to give back to them. We really share a bond and connection on a personal level as well.” The three recently reunited this week on AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam after weeks of teases on Being the Elite. Hardy was glad the reunion happened in New York since the tag team is from there.
“The fact that the crowd reacted to it was amazing because it wasn’t an angle that was pushed hard on TV. We had done bits and pieces to make it work and it really got over big and everyone was so happy with it. I know the AEW office thought it was a great piece of business and was super happy about it. I’m very excited to see what the future hold for the three of us now.”
Could Hardy Party challenge for AEW Trios gold?
Matt Hardy & Private Party
Hardy is someone that has been popular with wrestling fans for three decades and it’s not always easy to boo him. Private Party started off as babyfaces, but turned heel when Hardy brought the “Big Money Matt” character to AEW. Although it was hard for fans to boo them, Hardy believes that turning Private Party heel “made them better workers.”
With Hardy Party reuniting, could a Trios run be in their future? Hardy hopes so. “I would love to do a run with Private Party as a Trios team and fight and challenge for the Trios Title. That would be fun.”
Hardy has never held Trios gold, so this would be a first for him. “That would be a cool notch to add to my belt, actually to be Trios champion.”
Chris Jericho: I Was the Only Big Star When AEW Began
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Melina Perez is proud to have been a WWE Diva, despite what others may think of the term or of the Divas era.
In the 1990s, WWE introduced the term ‘Diva’ to address female talent, and would retire the phrase in 2016, with the women being called ‘Superstars’ like their male counterparts.
Despite the term once being a staple of WWE programming, Diva is now on WWE’s banned terms list, never to be uttered on TV.
Negative Stigma
The Divas era has faced criticism from fans, as the focus was more on soap opera-style storylines than in-ring skill.
The urban legend is that John Laurinaitis, then WWE’s Head of Talent Relations, would hire talent using a binder of modeling photos, instead of seeking established female wrestlers.
Speaking with MCW Backstage Pass, Melina addressed her time as a WWE Diva and the stigma around it (via 411 Mania.)
“It’s a weird thing, because ‘diva’ gets tied up with the model search and that’s not it. And that’s the hard part where the term ‘diva [era]’ is thought of as ‘model days’ right when it wasn’t even that — well kind of, but regardless, each woman who held that title did their best, gave it their all.
“the term ‘diva [era]’ is thought of as ‘model days’ right when it wasn’t even that.”
Melina
“I mean, blame the — I’m kind of blaming Diva Search. But it was really, you can’t blame them for getting an opportunity. It’s like Tough Enough, I mean you can’t blame the people who did Tough Enough, and that’s what the Diva Search was.”
A Change in Perspective
Nowadays, WWE takes women’s wrestling more seriously, with female matches often headlining TV.
Speaking about the change, Melina said that she’s pleased that there are more opportunities now, but doesn’t regret her Divas era days.
“I’m never gonna change and look down on my time, because everyone’s like, ‘Okay, do you wish that you were in this era because of all the opportunity?’ No, I love what I went through.”
The WWE Universe has been hooked on trying to decipher the mystery of the White Rabbit, all without the company putting much effort into the angle.
The White Rabbit teases began earlier this month, when WWE used the song of the same name by Jefferson Airplane during a SmackDown commercial break.
WWE has since used the song and eerie red lighting off-camera at several Live events, with the belief that this will mark the return of Bray Wyatt.
Hands Off
While the White Rabbit has been a talking point among fans, the story has yet to be referenced by anyone on Raw or SmackDown.
According to Fightful Select, WWE’s creative team, now led by Triple H has been “hands off” with their approach.
The attitude backstage is that the fans are doing plenty to promote the storyline, which is being seen as a “major success” backstage.
Rather than reference the storyline on WWE TV, the company has used fan-assisted viral marketing, as well as unique tactics including leaving flyers of the car windshields of fans at arenas.
While WWE’s higher-ups are aware of what the plan is, many within the company still have no confirmed clue, which has led to excitement behind the scenes.
From the Rabbit Hole
WWE has done little to address the White Rabbit mystery on TV, but the mystery could be solved at next week’s Extreme Rules Premium Live Event.
It is reported that WWE has at least at one point had plans for the White Rabbit to be revealed at Extreme Rules.
It is unclear if the person or group that WWE has been building towards will be there in person or just have a presence on the show.
WWE Extreme Rules will take place on October 8, at the Wells Fargo Center, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Former AEW World Champion CM Punk is currently under suspension for his role in the altercation with The Elite following the All Out media scrum.
CM Punk defeated Jon Moxley in the main event of AEW All Out to become AEW World Champion. It was his 2nd reign with the title without ever making a title defense. MJF returned after the title match to have a stare-down with CM Punk.
Jon Moxley has since captured the title once again by defeating Bryan Danielson in the finals of the Tournament of Champions at Dynamite: Grand Slam. CM Punk reportedly suffered a torn triceps during the title match at All Out and was spotted wearing a brace in a recent photo.
Rob Van Dam on CM Punk’s Comments at the All Out Media Scrum
ECW legend and former WWE Superstar Rob Van Dam joined Rene Dupree and Paul London on a recent episode of the Cafe de Rene podcast. Rob discussed Punk’s comments and said that he wants to see what happens next.
I’m into it. I’m interested to see the full circle, like what happens from this energy. Being the zen master that I am, let me point out because a lot of people might not notice, but pro wrestling is full of the most, by population probably, the most amount of ridiculously extreme egos that you will ever see jammed together.
Rob Van Dam then claimed that there is a good chance that CM Punk has as big of an ego as anybody else he’s ever interacted with in the wrestling business.
I think there is a good chance that CM Punk, just from feeling his energy, probably has as big of an ego as anybody that I’ve interacted with in the business. Those are the guys that get ahead, the guys that really believe in themselves. But then at the same time, it is really hard for me as another guy in the locker room, I think they believe in themselves too much. Some of it can be like natural heat, like The Miz. It’s just so easy to hate him.
When someone comes back through the curtain after their character could have given the most believable speech that got all the heat in the world, if they can come back through the curtain and be humble, and realize that they are one amongst many, that is a really good place to be in.
CM Punk is Probably Not Returning to AEW
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Malakai Black reportedly asked for his release from All Elite Wrestling but it was denied.
He cut a promo at an independent wrestling event and followed it up with a statement. Malakai confirmed that he requested his release and stated that he needed some time away to “recalibrate” the past two decades of his life.
Buddy Matthews cut a similar promo at an indie show this past weekend and both stars were rumored to be on their way out of the company. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer has reported that AEW President Tony Khan has opted not to release them from their contracts.
Malakai recently went on Instagram Live and debunked the rumors of his release. The 37-year-old stated that there is no conspiracy to this and he will be back in AEW “soon”.
On a recent edition of Jim Cornette’s Drive-Thru, the wrestling legend discussed the confusing events surrounding Malakai Black and All Elite Wrestling. Cornette said it is a little odd that Malakai Black and Buddy Matthews are both cutting similar promos about taking time away in the midst of all the recent rumors.
I don’t know what this f***ing guy is doing and apparently he doesn’t either. And who knows whether anybody in AEW does. If all of this stuff has been misreported, misdiagnosed, and we got the story all wrong, then what is his tag team partner doing the same exact thing for?
He goes and makes an independent show, Buddy, and says the same thing ‘I need to recalibrate, I’m stepping away for a little while, you’ll see me again soon’, he’s doing the exact same thing.
So what is going on here? It’s awful, I can understand one person having this particular issue come up and want to take some time off, but two people? In the same tag team? In the same company? At the same time? Sounds a little odd doesn’t it? That is all I’m saying. I don’t know what is going on but it sounds a little odd.
Cornette wondered why Malakai didn’t just come out and say “here’s the length of my contract and I’m going to honor it” if there was nothing to the story.
Please credit Jim Cornette’s Drive-Thru with a H/T to SEScoops if you use any quotes from this article.
Robert Roode has seemingly provided an update on his status amid the various rumors about his absence from the WWE ring.
The former NXT champion recently posted a photo on Instagram on Thursday. He tagged in Southlake Orthopaedics and noted that he recently had a medical procedure done in Birmingham, AL:
“Heading home after what is hoped to be a successful trip to Birmingham AL. Big thank you to @southlakeortho and @andrews_sports_medicine for taking great care of me this week. Especially to the first class medical staff of Dr Micheal Ellerbusch , Dr Andrew Cordover and Dr Charles Carnel.”
Robert Roode joined WWE back in 2016. He had a successful run in NXT where he won the brand’s top title once during his tenure.
The former TNA world champion made his main roster debut in August 2017. He has been a regular for WWE programming ever since and has won multiple titles in the company.
Longtime ringside physician Dr. Chris Amann has reportedly retired from WWE.
According to PW Insider, Amann reportedly gave his notice some time ago and has officially retired from his position with WWE this month.
Chris joined the company in 2008 after working as a physician for the 2008 United States Olympic team. He was the senior ringside physician that worked with both WWE and NXT talent. Chris also oversaw the medical care of other ringside physicians and trainers on the staff.
Long before the meltdown following AEW All Out, CM Punk had issues with WWE and Dr. Chris Amann.
In 2014, CM Punk was interviewed on The Art of Wrestling podcast, hosted by Colt Cabana (or Scott Colton as referred to be Punk during his media scrum rant).
Punk claimed during the podcast that the doctor misdiagnosed a lump on his back as a “fatty deposit” and it was later revealed to be an MRSA infection. Chris Amann later sued both CM Punk and Colt Cabana for defamation. His argument was that the words said on the podcast called into question his ability to perform his duties as a physician.
The trial lasted about a week and found that neither CM Punk or Colt Cabana were liable for defamation.
After the European tour, the whole European tour I am dry heaving after every match. I’m on all fours after every match and I’m either puking for real or I am just dry heaving because I don’t have anything in my stomach. I have no appetite. I don’t know what is up and what is down.
I can’t sleep, I can’t f***ing train. Doc’s like, ‘Oh you are sick, here is a Z-Pak.’ They Z-Pakked me to death, so much that in December I **** my pants on a SmackDown because that’s what antibiotics do to you.
Jim Cornette is not a fan of how WWE has been booking SmackDown star Lacey Evans as of late.
She returned to the company with a series of vignettes in which she spoke about her difficulties as a child, and her time in the military but it ultimately led to her being a heel on WWE TV.
On last Friday’s edition of the blue brand, SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan defeated Lacey Evans in a singles match. After her victory, Liv set Lacey up on a table and climbed to the top turnbuckle. Liv connected with a Senton through the table and sent a message to Ronda Rousey after the match.
Liv Morgan will be defending the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Ronda Rousey in an Extreme Rules match at the Premium Live Event on October 8th.
Jim Cornette Criticizes WWE’s Booking of Lacey Evans
Wrestling legend Jim Cornette shared his thoughts on WWE’s booking of Lacey Evans on a recent episode of his Drive-Thru podcast. Cornette wondered if Lacey had pissed someone off backstage and claimed that he has never seen a more talented female performer booked so poorly.
Who did Lacey Evans piss off?,” asked Cornette. “That is my question. Because I don’t know that I’ve seen a more talented female performer booked in such ridiculous sh**y ways ever from any company. What are you supposed to think about her? They had her do those promos, again part of this I’m sure was Vince, and some weird Vince idea that he had.
They had her do the promos as the abused child, the military hero, and a determined young woman, which all led up to her being a heel for some reason. She’s great as a heel. But now they are using her as f***ing cannon fodder for this Liv Morgan experiment of trying to make people believe that Liv Morgan is, now or ever has been, or should be a professional wrestler.
WWE is reportedly planning on unveiling the ‘White Rabbit’ at an upcoming Premium Live Event.
For several weeks, WWE has been running a cryptic teaser campaign featuring a mysterious white rabbit. The company has been playing the 1967 song “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane during live events and occasionally during commercial breaks of RAW or SmackDown.
A QR code appeared on a recent edition of RAW as Austin Theory made his way to the ring. The code brought fans to a secret WWE website where fans saw a “Hang Man” game. The question was “who killed the world?” and the answer was “YOU DID”. Another QR code appeared during this past Monday’s episode of the red brand and took fans to a TikTok video when scanned.
The video features the same question and answer from the Hang Man game with past and present wrestlers saying the words. The number “40701” was also displayed and fans uncovered that is the zip code for Corbin, Kentucky. You can check out our deep dive on WWE’s White Rabbit here.
WWE Reportedly Will Unveil The White Rabbit At Extreme Rules
According to a new Fightful Select report, the company plans to reveal the White Rabbit at Extreme Rules on October 8th.
Fightful stated that those they have spoken with backstage in WWE said that the teaser campaign has been more successful than they envisioned and has generated incredible buzz for the company. The report noted that they were not told if the “White Rabbit” will physically be at Extreme Rules or not and the reveal is expected to be Bray Wyatt.
Fans can expect to see Finn Balor be booked as a main event player soon under the creative vision of Triple H on WWE programming.
Balor was pushed as a top star in NXT under Triple H, where he held the NXT Title several times. However, on the main roster, he was only briefly used as a top star when he first arrived in 2016, becoming the first-ever Universal Champion at SummerSlam. However, he was sidelined due to an injury he suffered in that bout against Seth Rollins.
Finn Balor’s Bright Future
WWE has significant plans for Balor in the months ahead, according to WrestleVotes:
“I’m told that significant plans are lined up for Finn Balor in the future. I don’t know exactly for what those plans are, but he is a strong favorite of the new leadership group. Expect Finn to play a big role in the foreseeable future of WWE.”
WWE has kept The Judgment Day strong under two different regimes in the way of Vince McMahon, and now Triple H. Edge first created the group alongside Reha Ripley and Damian Priest.
This past June at Hell in a Cell, Judgement Day beat Balor, AJ Styles, and Liv Morgan. The following night on Raw, Balor turned heel by attacking Edge and joining the group.
At next Saturday’s Extreme Rules event from Philadelphia, Balor is slated to wrestle Edge in an I Quit Match.
Impact Wrestling officials will be looking to re-sign several of its talent as their contracts are slated to expire.
It was previously reported that Mia Yim’s deal was slated to expire this year. Chris Sabin is under contract with Impact Wrestling through this year.
The Names
Fightful Select reported today Yim has been under a short-term deal with Impact carrying her into October. The exact date is October 9th, which would make her a free agent after that date. This would mean she is under contract through next month’s Bound For Glory pay-per-view.
Also, Maria Kanellis, Mike Bennett, and Matt Taven’s deals are currently set to expire soon.
Yim previously worked for Impact from 2015 to 2017 under the ring name of Jade, where she won the Knockouts Championship. Yim also became the Queen of the Knockouts in 2016 prior to signing with WWE in 2018.
Yim was among the names to be released by WWE last November, including her husband Keith Lee.
Yim made her return to Impact Wrestling this past May at the Under Siege event, where she saved Taya Valkyrie from a post-match beatdown at the hands of Deonna Purrazzo.
The trial for the Randy Orton WWE 2K tattoo lawsuit is underway after being pushed back several times over the past couple of years.
In 2018, tattoo artist Catherine Alexander brought a lawsuit against WWE, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., 2K Games, Inc., 2K Sports, Inc., Visual Concepts Entertainment, Yuke’s Co., Ltd., and Yuke’s LA Inc.
She claims in the lawsuit that those parties have infringed on her copyright by using the tattoo work she did on Orton in video games without her permission. She performed the tattoo work on Orton between 2003 and 2008. Although Orton is not a defendant in the case, he does have a part to play as a witness.
The Trial
The trial officially began this past Monday, September 26. Pwinsider reported today that Orton testified as a witness on Wednesday, September 28.
It’s a notable case as the result will set s a legal precedent when it comes to the usage of people’s tattoos in video games.
Orton hasn’t appeared on WWE TV since the May 20th episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown, where he and Matt Riddle lost to The Usos. Orton had to get some work done on his back to get through the match. As previously reported, the feeling is that his back is so bad that he may have to get surgery, which would keep him out of action for the rest of 2022.
Ring of Honor World Champion Chris Jericho believes AEW would have not hit the ground running in the way they did without his involvement.
Following the success of ALL IN, AEW was announced in January 2019, with Jericho, being one of the first names announced.
Later that year, Jericho became the first AEW World Champion and has been a fixture of the promotion ever since.
The Jericho Effect
Jericho joined AEW less than a year after his last WWE match, and after a Hall of Fame-worthy career with the promotion.
Speaking during the latest AEW Unrestricted, Jericho discussed his own influence in the company’s early days.
“I wouldn’t say it [AEW] was built around me but at the risk of sounding egotistical if there was no Chris Jericho, I don’t know if the company would have gotten off the ground as quickly as it did.
“At the time, I was the only national superstar name that was involved. I mean besides Jim Ross but Jim Ross isn’t an on-air talent, he’s a commentator.”
The only Big Star?
Jericho wasn’t the only wrestler confirmed during the January 2019 press conference, as AEW EVPs Kenny Omega, the Young Bucks and then-EVP Cody Rhodes all made appearances.
On the podcast, Jericho explained how while the group are all stars in their own right, they didn’t have the same presence as he did that attracted networks.
“Keep in mind, no-one really knew Cody at that point. He’d been gone for years, and the last time we’d seen him, he was Stardust when he left [WWE.] And as much buzz as Kenny [Omega] and Matt and Nick Jackson had, they were still mostly just regional guys. They were worldwide stars, but when it comes to national TV in the States, they didn’t have any experience with that.
“They were worldwide stars, but when it comes to national TV in the States, they didn’t have any experience with that.”
Chris Jericho on The Elite not bringing the same appeal to networks.
“So there really wasn’t anybody else and I think if Chris Jericho wasn’t involved, it would have been a lot harder to sell to TBS or TNT or those types of people that were involved.
“We needed that big TV [deal] to get off the ground. We needed money, which we had, passion, which we had, television which is very hard to get and a roster of stars that no-one had really seen before, that were ready to go to the next level. But you needed a guy that kinda could open the door.”
AEW Without Chris Jericho?
It’s hard to imagine AEW without Chris Jericho, and for all his claims, the former World Champion believes that the company would have succeeded, with or without him.
“If I’m the bridge to get here, check me out, and then look at all these other guys that we have… Would the company have happened if I wasn’t there? Probably. But I don’t think it would have grown as quickly as it did, or maybe gotten off to such a huge start.
“Would the company have happened if I wasn’t there? Probably. But I don’t think it would have grown as quickly as it did.”
Chris Jericho.
“Everything worked out the way it should, but it happened very quickly, and once again, I think when the company started, it was on my back.”
Drew McIntyre has become one of WWE’s biggest stars in years, and he has The Undertaker to thank in playing a role.
McIntyre signed with WWE in 2007 and after a brief spell on SmackDown, returned to the blue brand in 2009 as ‘the Chosen One.’
It wouldn’t be until 2020 that McIntyre would fulfill Vince McMahon’s promise that he’d become WWE Champion, winning the title at WrestleMania 36.
Working with the Deadman
Drew McIntyre and the Undertaker shared the ring only a handful of times, but the two were close behind the scenes.
Speaking to Hollywood Raw, the Scottish Warrior explained how he became a personal project of the Deadman.
“It was awesome. He was put in charge of me probably against his will, when I was about 23. That was about the time where I think the powers that be realized that the older generation were starting to retire. [They] weren’t going to be there forever and they had to start pushing some youth to the front.”
McIntyre was right, as, in 2007, The Undertaker would begin taking lengthy periods off TV, and by 2010, was competing in just a handful of matches a year.
The Youth Movement
McIntyre learned plenty working with The Deadman, but he wasn’t the only young Superstar being groomed for greatness.
Over on Raw, Sheamus was moved to the red brand in 2009, and ended the year as WWE Champion.
In the interview, Drew explained how his real-life best friend also had a mentor of his own.
“Sheamus and I were kind of the first two people they took as the kind of projects. With Sheamus on Raw and myself on SmackDown. Sheamus was put under the Triple H learning tree and I was going to The Undertaker learning tree. Vince said ‘You don’t listen to anybody but The Undertaker.’
“Vince said ‘You don’t listen to anybody but The Undertaker.'”
Drew McIntyre.
“I wish I thought the way I think now back then, because [his] wrestling IQ is obviously off the charts. At the time, mine was a lot lower than it is now. So many of those lessons that I got, just flew right over my head. Thankfully I remembered a few.”
McIntyre Today
After capturing the WWE Championship, McIntyre was relied upon to carry the company through the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking about the Undertaker, who he called the “coolest guy in the room,” McIntyre said the Phenom’s presence backstage would pay off years later for him.
“You could feel him when he walked in the room. It’s such a presence. If there was a situation, it was always dealt with calmly by him. So it’s such an impact on me. How to be a leader. How to conduct yourself.”
Drew McIntyre and Sheamus have had very similar career paths. They both started their wrestling careers around the same time and got signed by WWE less than a year apart. Both the stars were positioned as future main eventers from early on in Raw and SmackDown respectively.
While their careers differed a bit after that, both have had a resurgence in the last few years. More importantly, they have been best friends through all these ups and downs and their friendship has only gotten stronger with time
During a recent interview with the Hollywood Raw podcast, the Scottish Warrior was asked which star he would like to induct him into the Hall of Fame. It’s only fitting that Drew McIntyre took the name of Sheamus:
‘It’s Gotta Be Sheamus’: Drew McIntyre
“Oh God, it’s gonna end up being Sheamus, ain’t it? He’s been there since before we both got signed. The good times, the bad times. I am best man at his wedding coming up. He was best man at my wedding.
We give each other hell all the time. As everybody sees, we fight more than me and my actual brother. What people get to see on TV as well as backstage they don’t get to see. But yeah, it’s gotta be Sheamus.”
Both Drew McIntyre and Sheamus wrestled in highly praised matches during the Clash At The Castle PPV. The Celtic Warrior has since continued his feud with Gunther while McIntyre has been pulled from the road due to food poisoning.
Imperium and the Brawling Brutes will look to settle the score next Saturday when the two factions meet in a Good Old Fashion Donnybrook match at WWE Extreme Rules 2022.
The no-disqualification match was confirmed on WWE.com and on social media, after weeks of the two sides feuding.
Imperium Vs. The Brawling Brutes
The two teams have been at odds for some time, with Imperium reuniting at Clash at the Castle 2022.
At the Cardiff, Wales event, GUNTHER retained the Intercontinental Championship against Sheamus in a critically-acclaimed match.
Imperium once again stood tall over the Brawling Brutes in a Six-Man Tag Team Match on the September 9, edition of SmackDown.
After Butch and Ridge Holland defeated three-other teams (including Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci) to earn a shot at The Usos, Imperium attacked them, costing them the Undisputed WWE Tag Team title match.
On the SmackDown before WWE Extreme Rules, Sheamus will once again challenge GUNTHER for the Intercontinental Championship.
Extreme Rules
The Donnybrook match is just the latest addition to a stacked WWE Extreme Rules 2022 card, which will see several stipulations.
Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair will defend her title against Bayley in a ladder match, the first singles ladder match in WWE Women’s history.
Drew McIntyre will take on Karrion Kross in a strap match, while Matt Riddle and Seth Rollins will square off inside the Fight Pit.
The Judgment Day’s Finn Balor will take on former leader Edge in an I-Quit match.
All Elite Wrestling will present a regular episode of its weekly Rampage series this Friday night on TNT after last week’s special 2-hour “Grand Slam” edition
These matches were taped Wednesday night after Dynamite from the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA, courtesy of Pwinsider.com:
AEW Rampage Spoilers
AEW World Tag Team Champions The Acclaimed defeated The Butcher and The Blade and Private Party.
Jamie Hayter (with Britt Baker and Rebel) def. Willow Nightingale.
Lee Moriarty (with Stokely Hathaway and W. Morrissey) def. Fuego Del Sol.
Ryan Nemeth insulted Philadelphia and ECW until FTW Champion HOOK interrupted. HOOK choked him out. The Trustbusters came out and left an envelope for Hook on the stage. HOOK picked up the envelope on his way to the back.
RUSH defeated John Silver. After the match, Andrade El Idolo attacked Alex Reynolds and Silver. The Dark Order got involved, as did The Butcher and The Blade. Hangman Page ultimately made the save.
AEW is about to kick off several weeks of holding live episodes of Rampage starting next week, including a live Battle of the Belts special next Friday night.
WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley is certainly a rich man now, but that wasn’t the case when he joined the promotion.
Foley debuted in the then-WWF in 1996, as Mankind, appearing not long after WrestleMania 12.
Mankind would immediately enter a feud with The Undertaker, with Foley getting the win in the first Boiler Room brawl at Summerslam.
Five Matches & $750
Foley came to the WWF in 1996 after a lengthy and successful run in WCW working as Cactus Jack.
Speaking on Foley is Pod, the Hardcore Legend said his deal when joining the WWF was much lower.
“I signed on that opportunity, and the only thing you were guaranteed is five matches a year at $150 a match. So you’re guaranteed $750 a year and that’s it. If they decided not to push you or take you off the road, then you’re sitting by idly, not making anything.”
When asked by co-host Conrad Thompson how he felt at the time, Foley said he was just grateful for the opportunity.
“I was happy. I didn’t start complaining about checks until 1998. I was just happy to be there, but they [the checks] weren’t enormous. Even the Pay Per View checks were not that big a deal.
“I remember accepting it as ‘this is what I get.’ When I did get a much bigger payoff for King of the RIng [1998] Hell in a Cell, it really did surprise me. I even wrote a letter of thanks to Vince [McMahon.]”
Marc Mero
While Foley received a very low guarantee, a sign of the company’s financial struggles at the time, Marc Mero had the opposite treatment.
Despite signing with the WWF around the same time, and having also worked previously in WCW, Mero received a much more lucrative contract
Speaking about Mero, Foley said there was some resentment from the locker room at the time.
“It wasn’t his fault… It’s not like Marc was going to say ‘hey, looking at the guys, I’ve decided to give them a little bit of mine back.’
“I took it personally at the time, and I saw him [recently] and asked him to forgive me. I kind of dogged him for a few years, even in my book.”
Part of Mero receiving the WWE’s first guaranteed contract was that the company wanted to make sure his then-wife Sable joined with him.
Saying No to WrestleMania
After a year in the WWF, Mankind had established himself but continued to be in the mid-card.
During the podcast, Foley said he even said he turned down a very short feud with Mero which would have culminated at WrestleMania 13.
“I was opposed to working with Marc [Mero] was at Wrestlemania in 1997. I said ‘if it’s just on the card, if it’s just a matter to be on the card, I’d rather not be on it.’ Even though it’d be years before I referred to myself as Mr. In Your House, I realized there are opportunities for me to shine and be in main event matches and steal the show.”
Instead of Mero, Mankind teamed with Vader to face Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith at WrestleMania.
WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg is always ready to return to the ring but isn’t contracted for any more matches.
Goldberg returned to WWE in 2016 and has had 12 matches so far, with a 5-7 win-loss record.
Highlights of Goldberg’s return include two Universal Championship victories, defeating Kevin Owens in 2017 and ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt in 2020.
Goldberg’s Contract
As part of his deal with WWE, Goldberg wrestles a handful of matches each year, traditionally at important events like WrestleMania, Summerslam or a Saudi Arabia-held event.
Speaking on the latest episode of WWE’s The Bump, Goldberg addressed his current contract, and a possible rematch with Roman Reigns.
“Well, I don’t have any matches left on my contract, but I know one way we could take care of him. I do need to give him a little receipt for that little choke-out in Saudi Arabia.”
The two-time former Universal Champion last competed at Elimination Chamber 2022 in Saudi Arabia, losing to Roman Reigns.
The Tribal Chief
Goldberg would love to be the one to dethrone Roman Reigns (now on day 760 of his title reign,) but he’s not the only one.
Speaking about possible challengers to the head of the Bloodline, Goldberg said that a mutual foe of theirs could do it.
“I think there are a number of superstars that are capable of dethroning him, most definitely. It’s got to be the right time, the right place, and it has to be one-on-one. That’s tough because nowadays with The Usos, he’s got a built-in bodyguard system working out pretty well for him. I think Brock most definitely has the opportunity to do it when he comes back.”
Lesnar hasn’t appeared on WWE TV since losing to Reigns at Summerslam.
The Tribal Chief will next defend the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Crown Jewel 2022 against Logan Paul.
Saraya had a subtle dig at WWE during her first promo for AEW during last night’s edition of Dynamite.
The two-time former WWE Divas Champion debuted for AEW during last week’s Grand Slam edition of Dynamite, after parting ways from WWE in July.
Saraya left WWE on July 7, when her contract expired and was not renewed by the company, and she has since made it clear it was not her decision to leave.
The Promo
Appearing on this week’s AEW Dynamite, Saraya spoke about the promotion being “my house” and was joined in the ring by AEW’s female babyfaces, led by Interim Women’s World Champion Toni Storm.
When Britt Baker interrupted the segment, entering alongside Jamie Hayter, Rebel, and Penelope Ford, Saraya announced a lumberjack match between Storm and Serena Deeb.
Saraya also took aim at WWE’s former CEO Vince McMahon, saying:
“I talked to Tony [Khan] backstage… It’s so good to have a boss that finally listens to me!“
Saraya.
Storm would retain the Interim AEW Women’s World Championship against Deeb later in the show.
Will She Wrestle?
Saraya has not competed so far in AEW, but there is a belief that she will wrestle for the promotion.
