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4 Reasons CM Punk vs. Jon Moxley is More Than Just a Title Match

Robert Lentini
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AEW World Champion CM Punk will battle AEW Interim Champion Jon Moxley tonight on Dynamite to determine the Undisputed Champion. All signs were pointing to this match happening at All Out early next month but it was surprisingly booked for tonight’s show.

Here are 4 reasons CM Punk versus Jon Moxley for the AEW Championship is more than just a title match:

The Company Needs Some Momentum

AEW Dynamite has flatlined in the ratings just below 1 million viewers, but thankfully they have an established and loyal audience that tunes in every week. The issue is that AEW President Tony Khan has spent a ton on contracts for ex-WWE talent that haven’t really made a huge difference yet in regards to attracting the casual fan.

It is hard to get invested in some of the talent when they are only featured once a month on television. Wardlow capturing the TNT Championship should have felt more important by now. He finally was able to rid himself of MJF and capture some gold, so why he is in a 6-man tag at the PPV?

The TNT Champion is wrapped up in a storyline with Sonjay Dutt, Jay Lethal, and Satnam Singh. ROH Tag Team Champions and forever #1 contenders in AEW without getting a title shot, FTR, will be joining teaming up with Wardlow to battle the trio of heels at All Out. The match will likely be entertaining but it feels like an egregious missed opportunity for both the Wardlow and FTR to be in bigger storylines.

CM Punk versus Jon Moxley needs to deliver tonight in order to get people talking about how exciting All Elite Wrestling is again. Many fans are scratching their head and wondering what is going on at the moment. These two should have a long feud with a story, with weeks of promos and attacks, not a rushed title match to pop a rating. However, if tonight’s show is newsworthy and gets people talking about the product over the drama backstage, then maybe it was worth it.

Fan Perception Has Changed

All Elite Wrestling arrived as the cool kid in the wrestling industry, while Vince McMahon’s vision for professional wrestling felt dated and borderline unwatchable at times. None of that applies anymore, just a month after Vince departed the company and his son-in-law, Triple H, has taken over as Head of Creative.

WWE has not only turned the page, but they’ve also flipped the script. They are now the cool company in the wrestling industry that talent is signing with. It is stunning how quickly the perception surrounding WWE has changed, despite unprecedented chaos at the top of the company over the summer.

Nowadays, AEW feels dated in comparison. The Jericho Appreciation Society refers to themselves as “sports entertainers” while Drew McIntyre is dropping the word “wrestler” in his promos on RAW. At this point, AEW is parodying itself and not the competition.

Talent Getting In Each other’s Way

Before his promo with Jon Moxley on last week’s Dynamite, the AEW Champion bizarrely called out Hangman Adam Page in his home state of West Virginia. He sat in the ring in his iconic pose and challenged Hangman to a rematch. The 43-year-old captured the AEW Championship from Hangman at Double or Nothing, only to break his foot the following Wednesday and go on the shelf for two months.

CM Punk gave Adam a few moments to come to the ring before uttering “that isn’t cowboy sh*t, that is coward sh*t”. It was an odd moment, but most people moved on when Moxley showed up. However, the incident was reportedly unplanned and Punk acted on his own to give Hangman a “receipt” for a perceived slight during a previous promo between the two.

Something just always seems to go awry now. Jonathan Gresham flipping out before Death Before Dishonor due to lack of communication from management, Tony’s unprofessional response to Big Swole, Cody Rhodes exiting the company, and the whole MJF thing, Why are Miro and Andrade liking tweets hinting at their unhappiness? It is always something, at least at least it appears that way.

During the post-Double or Nothing media scrum after CM Punk won the title, he said the following about AEW in comparison to WWE:”It felt like 10 years of fighting silly battles and standing on my own d*ck. I feel there’s no limitation put on myself or anybody, the sky’s the limit.” He’s used that phrase multiple times in reference to WWE.

That seems to contradict Fightful’s report of Punk telling management that he would not lose to Hangman Page. From the outside looking in, it appears AEW is repeatedly standing on themselves at the moment.

The Possible Return Of An Unlikely Hero

One of the possible reasons that the title match may have been moved up was because the promotion has a better main event planned for AEW All Out. If MJF returned, the company would have the majority of its stars back and the shows would instantly improve. MJF is an immense talent, a picture-perfect heel.

He delivered one of the most memorable promos of any promotion, in any time period, and the man is only 26 years old. The Dynamite following his loss to Wardlow at Double or Nothing, not too many people were discussing the match or even the victorious Wardlow. MJF skipped out a signing during the PPV weekend and reportedly booked a flight out of Vegas. Thankfully, cahooler heads prevailed and he did the job to Wardlow. The distraction still sullied the TNT Champion’s moment and he hasn’t fully recovered.

After MJF’s pipebomb promo, Punk tried to confront MJF but he left through the crowd at The Forum in Los Angeles, and that was the last time he appeared on television. He’s also gone completely dark on social media. If he returns tonight it will inject some much-needed life into the product just a couple of weeks out from All Out. Somehow, MJF has managed to become an even bigger star in the company without even appearing on television.

Details On Who Pushed For Jon Moxley vs. CM Punk On AEW Dynamite, Talent Meeting Scheduled

Andrew Ravens
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AEW surprised many fans when they announced that World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk and Interim World Champion Jon Moxley would collide in an undisputed title bout on tonight’s episode of Dynamite instead of saving it for the All Out pay-per-view event in Chicago next Sunday. 

Moxley vs. Punk

CM Punk Moxley 2

Fightful Select reports that sources indicated “Moxley was in favor of the move, and one source even indicated that it was his idea and pitch, and All Elite Wrestling went with it.”

One source noted that Punk eventually agreed to it. It’s unclear if this was connected to any of the reported issues with Punk last week. 

Grapsody’s Will Washington noted that he’d heard there was an idea in play a few days before to increase ticket sales and add buzz to the Cleveland show. The decision was not the original plan, and “multiple plans” for AEW All Out had changed.

All Elite Wrestling has still yet to confirm what the main event will be for All Out. 

Mandatory Talent Meeting 

Tony Khan

Fightful also reported that AEW will be holding a mandatory talent meeting at Dynamite in Cleveland, OH with company president Tony Khan in attendance. 

Talent does expect management to address “the rumors of unrest, contract inquiries, and personal issues, as well as those things being leaked.”

As previously reported, Tony Schiavone dismissed that there is a lot of backstage tension in the promotion by calling the reports bulls**t.

Former NWA President Passes Away

Jon Fuentes
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Former NWA president Howard Brody has passed away.

PWInsider has reported that Brody passed shortly after undergoing a quadruple bypass surgery. Brody unfortunately caught an infection after the surgery which eventually led to his passing.

Brody promoted numerous professional wrestling shows throughout the United States, as well as internationally. He was also the head of the Ring Warriors promotion and TV series alongside Hiro Matsuda. Brody also helped nearly bring New Japan Pro Wrestling to Saturday morning TV syndication in the U.S.

Ring Warriors was among the first professional wrestling shows on the internet to be downloaded and viewed. He was also the first professional wrestling promoter to bring pro wrestling to China with MACW in 2003. Brody also helped ECW expand into Florida along with Dory and Marti Funk.

NWA Logo

He served as president of NWA from 1996 to 2001, helping bring the brand back from near extinction via an agreement reached with WWF to use their name. The deal also allowed Jeff Jarrett and others to appear as NWA personalities on Monday Night RAW.

Brody helped shape NWA into what it has become today, as it continues to grow, make strides, and create numerous stars in the professional wrestling community.

Bruce Prichard Denies He Was Involved With NXT 2.0

Anutosh Bajpai
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The rebranding of NXT last year was surrounded by many wild speculations. One such rumor was that Bruce Prichard was heading the brand and he was writing the shows.

The WWE executive recently returned to his Something To Wrestle With podcast after undergoing surgery for a torn rotator cuff in June.

Among other things, he also addressed the rumors about his involvement with NXT. Prichard claimed that he has never written an episode of the development show ever.

“I do have to say, because it’s something people, even internally, have come to me with and made comments about…that I was writing NXT. I never said a word. You know what else I never did? I never wrote one NXT show in the history of my existence.”

– Bruce Prichard

Prichard also commented on Shawn Michaels’ leading the brand. He said that HBK has done a tremendous job of grabbing NXT by the horns.

Apart from this, the wrestling veteran commented on the management change in WWE. He called it an exciting time and explained that he chooses to love his life.

WWE rebranded the development brand to NXT 2.0 in September last year. Shawn Michaels took over the duties of Triple H in the absence of The Game, and he has since received a new title in WWE.

Quotes via Fightful

New Gameplay Footage & Details for AEW: Fight Forever

Thomas Lowson
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Since AEW launched in 2019, fans of the All-Elite promotion have been hoping for a video game akin to WWE’s 2K series.

While AEW has had two mobile games, ‘AEW Elite General Manager’ and ‘AEW Casino: Double or Nothing,’ the promotion has yet to have a console video game.

Fans and gamers alike are excited for the upcoming console game ‘AEW: Fight Forever’ which is scheduled to release on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch.

New Gameplay Footage

Features

This week, Evil Uno and Colt Cabana were at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, and gave a ton of new information.

The pair confirmed a “deep career mode” which will see players go “on the road” with AEW in this mode and select a manager as well.

Mixed-gender matches are possible. Wrestlers can also be placed in matches against themselves. CPU vs CPU matches will also be possible.

Online play was referred to as “a big part” of AEW: Fight Forever.

The Game will feature a lot of customization, with entrances, ring attire, and arenas being changeable to the player’s desire.

Gameplay

The game’s controls are similar to past wrestling games with strike, grapple, strong strike, and strong grapple options by a series of different buttons.

Blocking and reversals are performed by using the left and right bumper buttons.

Kick-outs and escaping submissions are done through button-mashing as opposed to mini-games, as have been seen in WWE’s 2K series.

There are 40 different weapons that are useable in the game which the wrestlers can grab from under the ring. 

Extra Information

While it has been reported that AEW is looking at getting the game out by the end of year, neither Cabana nor Uno confirmed a date.

“In the future sometime,” “soonish” and “stay tuned” were all responses given when asked about a release date.

The game is rated 16+, in part due to the inclusion of blood.

It was confirmed that original music from The Acclaimed’s Max Caster will be in the game.

Tony Khan Confirms Heat Between CM Punk & Hangman Page

Jon Fuentes
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Tony Khan confirms there are issues between CM Punk and Hangman Page.

The All Elite Wrestling (AEW) president confirmed during an appearance on Busted Open Radio that there is “unresolved anger” between the pair. Seemingly due to something from their match at Double Or Nothing.

It’s unresolved anger, I think, from the world title match at Double or Nothing, and we had not really tied up all of those issues. CM Punk made one appearance to wrestle after Double or Nothing and then it was immediately after that, that he got injured and was forced to step away. So there was clearly some stuff that never got resolved at Double or Nothing.” 

Tony Khan on CM Punk & Hangman Page’s Relationship

Legitimate Heat

Punk Hangman

Punk made some unscripted comments about Page last week on AEW Dynamite. The AEW World Champion challenged Page to a World Title match right on the spot, before calling him a coward for not coming out. He then moved on to cutting a promo on Jon Moxley.

Prior to the show, Punk reportedly had a meeting with Khan about the ordeal. There were even reports that Punk was considering not showing up to Dynamite at all.

While his on-screen rivalry with Page seems to be done with, the issues between the pair backstage are still very much alive.

Punk is currently slated to face Jon Moxley in an AEW World Title unification bout on tonight’s episode of Dynamite.

Why is Punk vs. Moxley taking place on Dynamite?

Tony Khan also addressed the surprising news that Punk vs. Moxley will take place on AEW Dynamite instead of at All Out.

“It’s a great match for the fans now and I feel like it would be a great match at any time,” said Khan. “But tonight, it felt like the right night for this big fight, and given that last week, we really could not keep these guys apart, it just did not seem sustainable to try and have this show get taken down week after week by these guys who were clearly just going to tear the ring apart if we continued this way.”

Khan said we are going to have a much clearer picture of the AEW All Out card after tonight’s Dynamite.

What Does William Regal Think of The End of WWE NXT UK?

Thomas Lowson
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Last week, WWE announced the launch of NXT Europe, which will come at the expense of NXT UK. 

The UK brand will go on what’s being called a “brief hiatus” after next month’s Worlds Collide event. 

Not long after the announcement, WWE released several performers from NXT UK. 

Regal Reacts

Between this hiatus and the mass release of talent, many believe that NXT UK is finished for good. 

One name who was a large part of NXT UK, especially during the early days, was William Regal. 

Speaking on his Gentleman Villain podcast, Regal said that he’s known for years that NXT Europe was the long-term plan (via Wrestling Inc.)

“For the last several years NXT Europe was in process … Things changed in the last year and different things, but now, things have changed again and things are back on track … I don’t work there and I don’t ask, but the expansion of NXT was going to happen. I was personally working on that for the last seven or eight years until January.”

“The expansion of NXT was going to happen. I was personally working on that.”

William Regal on NXT Europe and the end of NXT UK.

Addressing the mass releases last week, Regal said that being cut does not mean they can’t come back as part of NXT Europe, adding that “everything was done for the right reasons.”

What’s next for NXT UK?

NXT UK may be done for good, but there are still some huge matches planned for those on the brand. 

During this week’s NXT 2.0, it was confirmed that NXT UK Champion Tyler Bate will face NXT Champion Bron Breakker at Worlds Collide in a title-unification match. 

It has also been confirmed that NXT Women’s Champion Mandy Rose, NXT UK Women’s Champion Meiko Satomura, and Blair Davenport will face off at Worlds Collide in a title-unification match. 

These matches which will see the NXT UK titles stop being used on TV, have only fueled the belief that NXT UK is done for good. 

William Regal Credits Vince McMahon with Saving His Life In 1999

Tony Schiavone Fires Back At Reports of Backstage Tensions In AEW

Joey Galizia
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Over the last week multiple reports have surfaced stating that there have been a number of backstage issues going on in AEW, specifically citing the CM Punk promo on Adam Page as Punk “going into business for himself” for being upset at something Page said during their Double or Nothing match build.

Aside from that there were rumors that things were incredibly hectic backstage and several talents were unhappy. However, one top AEW name refutes those rumors.

Tony Schiavone, who recently got promoted to a Senior Producer and Special Advisor to Talent, appeared on the What Happened When podcast with Conrad Thompson to discuss the matter and to confirm that most of the reports have been completely overblown.

“There are some challenges, as you know, and of course the internet is going crazy about this or that. I’m not going to get into it because… I’m going to say this right now, things are not as bad as bullshit people on the internet would say. Not even close to it.”

Schiavone Enjoying His New Role with AEW

Tony Schiavone

Schiavone adds that certain plans are in motion that are going to make thinks in AEW better than ever.

“We’ve got some things in place now that I think are going to make us better than ever.”

The backstage turmoil wasn’t the only thing Schiavone touched on. He also spoke about his his new position and how much he’s been enjoying the new responsibilities.

“[I] enjoy my job, enjoy my new responsibilities with the company. They are challenging, but those are challenges that I readily accepted when I took the job. I’m seeing a whole new part of wrestling and wrestlers that I didn’t see before.”

This interview with Schiavone came out ahead of this evening’s AEW Dynamite, which will featured the highly anticipated undisputed world title matchup between CM Punk and Jon Moxley.

(Quotes via Fightful)

John Morrison Reveals the Origin of His Drip Stick in WWE

Michael Reichlin
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John Morrison says his Drip Stick gimmick came about after Vince McMahon saw him reference ‘drip stick’ in a promo and saw dollar signs.

During a conversation with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston earlier this week, Morrison says he planned for an elaborate ring entrance that wasn’t meant to be.

“First of all, I wrote, ‘I’m gonna moisten somebody up with my drip stick’ in a promo as kind of a joke. So Vince reads that and he goes, ‘Drip Stick? We’re gonna make a fortune on these drip sticks!’ He loves it.”

“I wanted to have my entrance and then stand on the turnbuckle and have everyone shoot me with their drip sticks. It was going in that direction until people realized the arena would then be soaking wet and we decided we can’t sell drip sticks.”

Drip Drop vs. Drip God?

Later during the discussion, Steve Fall asked Morrison if he was bothered by Seth Rollins calling himself the Drip God. “As far as the drip stuff goes, I don’t know if he knows what drip is, even,” he said.

“I feel like I got pulled back on because Miz left and for some reason, I had like 3 different plans that got changed at the last second.”

“So, I was just sitting, and at TV, if you’re sitting for a couple weeks, then you start getting troubled, because you haven’t been on TV for a month or two, and suddenly it’s like.. ‘What are we doing with John? I don’t know, he hasn’t been on in a while. We need somebody to put over this guy, how about John?’ I think that’s kind of what happened, more than Seth Rollins being the cause of it. “

Watch John Morrison’s interview with Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4SvnpeZ3bI

CM Punk Likens Jon Moxley to ‘The Next CM Punk’ in 2012 Video

Joey Galizia
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CM Punk and Jon Moxley go to war tonight on AEW Dynamite to determine the Undisputed AEW World Champion.

This will not be the first time the Chicago Savior and the Purveyor of Violence have clashed inside the squared circle. They worked together extensively on WWE television, but many fans may not be aware that they once wrestled in WWE’s former developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling.

This match in FCW convinced him that Moxley was no ordinary talent. Punk saw something very familiar in Mox. He saw himself.

“I hate saying that anybody is the next CM Punk. I don’t wish that upon anybody, but I think if anybody was, it’s this guy. He’s got it.”

– CM Punk on Jon Moxley (2012)

The Next CM Punk

CM Punk spoke about Jon Moxley’s potential in a resurfaced video from 2012’s Wizard World Comic Con event. Punk raves that the Cincinnati fighter has all the tools to make it to the top of the industry, including just the right amount of crazy.

“[Moxley] is special. I say that and I mean it both ways,” said Punk. “He’s a little touched up here (points to head), but I think you have to be to do what we do. I hate saying that anybody is the next CM Punk. I don’t wish that upon anybody, but I think if anybody was it’s this guy. He’s got it.”

Punk continued, “Something about him. He can talk, he can work. I’m fortunate that I got a chance to work with him. I actually got in trouble for wrestling him. I wasn’t suppose to.”

“I went down to FCW to do an autograph signing and it was just an opportunity, and when opportunity strikes I always take a hold of it. I was like, ‘I’m gonna work the kid.’ It was fun, and now we got him on television.”

You can watch a clip of the interview here:

Moxley’s WWE main roster debut came in 2012, when The Shield arrived on the scene as mercenaries for none other than CM Punk. Fast forward a decade, Punk and Moxley have crossed paths once again in AEW.

Punk captured the AEW World title back in May from Adam “Hangman” Page at Double or Nothing. The following week, he’d be sidelined with a foot injury. During his absence, Moxley was crowned Interim champion, his second AEW World reign since the promotion launched back in 2019.

image 38

WWE Storyline Plans for Edge Before His 2011 Retirement

Michael Reichlin
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New details have emerged about WWE storyline plans for Edge before his heartbreaking retirement in April 2011.

The Rated R Superstar’s career was cut short abruptly over a decade ago after he was diagnosed with cervical spinal stenosis. In an emotional address to the WWE Universe (seen below), Edge said doctors warned him he risked paralysis or even death should he continue wrestling.

The Toronto native never gave up on his dream to wrestle again. Nine years after stepping away from the ring, he made a shocking return to WWE at the 2020 Royal Rumble.

With Edge pondering retirement once again, this time on his own terms, we’ve now learned about a major angle WWE creative had in store for him in 2011.

Plans for Edge before 2011 Retirement

On the latest episode of his Wrestling With Freddie podcast, former WWE writer Freddie Prinze Jr. shared a storyline he wrote for Edge that wound up getting scrapped.

“I actually wrote the story for Edge that he ended up having to pull out of because he retired. We wrote this whole thing where, and it was creepy because it was kind of actually what happened to him.”

“He wanted to get the belt on Christian, and Christian was gonna turn on Edge. [He was going to] just for weeks, smash him. It was going to be like when Dave Chappelle spoofed Sesame Street. He was going to do something like that, and they were gonna spell the word spine and what each letter stood for. Just mock what he did to this dude’s neck. It was this whole thing.”

“Then Edge ends up actually hurting his neck. He couldn’t do the story. So they just wrapped it around Alberto Del Rio. [Christian] ended up getting [the title] for a day.”

WWE Raw was back in Edge’s home town of Toronto this week. After Raw went off the air, he addressed the crowd and spoke about his plans to retire once and for all in the near future. More on that story (including video of Edge’s speech) here:

Listen to this week’s full episode of Wrestling with Freddie:

Please link to SEScoops if you use any of the quotes transcribed in this article. New episodes of Freddie Prinze Jr.’s podcast Wrestling With Freddie drop Wednesdays.

John Morrison on His WWE Departure, Scrapped Storyline

Michael Reichlin
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John Morrison spoke with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall this week for NBC Sports Boston. During their discussion, Morrison spoke about his unceremonious release from WWE, karma catching up to John Laurinaitis and early impressions of Triple H’s new regime.

Morrison believes there’s a “crazy shift” going on right now in wrestling and certain performers stand to benefit from the changes.

“There is a crazy shift going on right now in the wrestling world,” he said. “I don’t know exactly what that means for me, but for pro wrestlers out there like me are are unsigned, it means opportunity. Where? I don’t know. When? I also don’t know.

“Sometimes, like with [Karrion] Kross, and Dexter Lumis, the time was right and I think they made the right move. Sometimes it’s better to wait and sometimes it’s better to go to the other place. It just depends on who you are and what your style is.”

He said there are people in WWE he’d like to work with, including Seth Rollins.

Miz Program Cut Short, No ‘Future Endeavors’

Morrison reveals derailed plans for a feud with the Miz and shares how he coped with his WWE release.

“We were going to feud, but he missed a couple of Raws before he left for Dancing with the Stars, so that never happened. I don’t know if the reason for that is public. But, that never happened and that’s why I was left in limbo, and then.. anyway, I don’t even want to get into it.”

– John Morrison

He continued, “The thing about it is, after [his wife] Taya was gone, I didn’t want to be there anymore. When I heard I was going to be released, I went through the 8 steps of grief, 10, however many, in the like 30 seconds. From surprise to shock to regret to ‘ok.’

The Miz John Morrison

Morrison joked that he was never wished ‘the best in his future endeavors’ when he left WWE. “I thought he said that to people? I didn’t get that out of Laurinaitis.” He questioned if anybody said to him recently and laughed.

“He created his own problems.”

– John Morrison on John Laurinaitis

He continued, “I could talk about .. this subject, for hours, the litany of poor decision making. I think that’s what most wrestling fans do, and what the wrestlers do. When you’re actually behind the wheel and you’re making those decisions, it’s not that you’re making a decision in hindsight like we are now.”

Watch John Morrison’s interview with Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston:

“It Wouldn’t Exist” – Cody Rhodes on His Role in AEW’s Creation

Anutosh Bajpai
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When Cody Rhodes left WWE, he started a chain reaction that ultimately led to the creation of All Elite Wrestling. The former AEW star believes that the company wouldn’t exist without him.

The former IC Champion started his wrestling career in WWE in 2006. He had a decade-long run with the promotion, where he went through various phases.

However, after being repackaged as Stardust, Rhodes became increasingly frustrated with his creative direction and he finally left WWE in 2016.

He went on to make a name for himself in the independent circuit. Cody joined The Bullet Club and made friends with the Elite and the rest is history.

Cody Rhodes and AEW

A fan recently tweeted how people seem to underestimate Cody Rhodes’ importance in the creation of AEW. Replying to it, the former TNT champion said that the facts are there for everyone to see:

“Facts are all out there to see…without Brandi or I it wouldn’t exist. Look no further than some of the infrastructure in place or even half the names of the events. Tony, Bucks, Kenny, Jericho, Dana, Hang…pioneers. I’ve moved on to the next stage for me, but beautiful memories.”

What do you think about Cody Rhodes’ role in the inception of AEW? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Tyrus (Brodus Clay) Reveals Hilarious Advice From The Undertaker

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE under Vince McMahon had the habit of coming up with the most atrocious gimmicks for the most unlikely of performers. One such gimmick was when Brodus Clay was repackaged as a fun-loving dancing character dubbed as The Funkasaurus. WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker had the most hilarious response to it.

The former WWE star who now goes by the name Tyrus recently appeared on Talk Is Jericho. Speaking about his Funkasaurus character, Clay revealed how the dead man reacted to it before his debut:

“Taker never liked it. Taker’s advice to me was, he came up to me. He was like ‘Fall’. [I’m like] ‘What?’ He’s like ‘When you go out there, you debut tonight, fall. You fall on the stage; they’ll scrap the whole thing and you can get back [to being a monster].’ I just loved that. When I said ‘Would you fall?’, he said ‘No'”

– Brodus Clay

Brodus Clay was originally introduced as a monstrous bodyguard for Alberto Del Rio on Raw in early 2011. This stint lasted for a few months before Clay took time off from WWE programming for a movie. When he returned, Vince McMahon decided to repackage him. Needless to say, the new character never caught on, and he was released from the company in June 2014.

The former WWE star has since made a name for himself in the independent circuit as Tyrus and he is the current NWA TV Champion. He will be looking to add the NWA world title to his collection as well when he takes on Trevor Murdoch at NWA 74.

More Originals From SEScoops:

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

Bayley Reveals Sasha Banks Tribute From Raw

Anutosh Bajpai
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Bayley has confirmed that she paid tribute to her longtime rival and real-life friend Sasha Banks during her match on this week’s episode of Raw.

The former women’s champion competed in a match against Aliyah. She defeated the young star after a short fight on this week’s episode of the Red Branded show.

She later took on her Instagram to share video of a moment from her bout. It was a recreation of a spot from her famous NXT Takeover: Brooklyn match against Sasha Banks:

https://www.instagram.com/p/ChmlTgHOs4k

Bayley and Sasha Banks

Bayley and Sasha Banks have been crossing paths since their days in NXT. The two alongside Charlotte and Becky Lynch became known as the Four Horsewomen.

It was during this time that the two had a highly praised match at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn in 2015. This bout inspired many young females to pursue a career in wrestling, including a current NXT star as well.

The two continued their love hate relationship after being called up to the main roster. They even became the Inaugural Women’s Tag Team Champions when the titles were first introduced in 2019.

Sasha Banks is currently away from WWE after walking out of the company in May. Bayley on the other hand is leading the faction of Dakota Kai and IO Sky. They recently became the first finalist in the tournament for the vacant women’s tag team titles.

WWE Changes Plans for NXT 2.0 Stable Amid Call-Up Rumors

Thomas Lowson
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On last week’s NXT Heatwave special, Santos Escobar lost to Tony D’Angelo in a ‘Loser Leaves NXT’ match.

Given that Escobar had teased a call-up to the main roster during the WWE WrestleMania 39 tickets launch event, his lost to Escobar wasn’t too surprising.

The Call-Up

It appears to be just a matter of time before Santos Escobar is called up to WWE’s main roster, but it doesn’t look like he will be going alone.

On last night’s WWE NXT 2.0, Escobar pulled up in his SUV in the parking lot, where he was greeted by Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro and Elektra Lopez, members of Legado Del Fantasma.

Escobar asked the group if they really thought he’d leave WWE NXT 2.0 without them, and teased the entire group’s call-up.

“You didn’t think I was going to leave without you, did you? La Familia stays together. So, you ready to go?”

Santos Escobar

All members of Legado Del Fantasma got in the SUV and drove away from WWE NXT 2.0, signifying the end of the group on the brand.

A Change of Plans

Legado Del Fantasma are seemingly coming to the main roster soon, but that wasn’t always the plan.

During Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said how there were plans in place for Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro to become part of Tony D’Angelo’s ‘family.’

The pair have been appearing as associates of D’Angelo during this past week’s NXT Live events in Florida.

Those plans have seemingly been scrapped based on last night’s episode of WWE NXT 2.0.

WWE NXT Results (8/23): Lights Out Match, Dexter Lumis Appears

Chris Jericho Isn’t Interested in Having the Same Matches in WWE

Thomas Lowson
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In 2019, Chris Jericho joined AEW at the promotion’s launch event and has consistently been one of the company’s top stars.

Later that year, Jericho would become the first AEW World Champion, and his work as part of the Inner Circle and later the Jericho Appreciation Society has kept him a fixture on TV.

Returning to WWE

Jericho has been a fixture of AEW for over three years now, but there are still some fans who hope to see him in WWE again.

It was in WWE that Jericho became a nine-time Intercontinental Champion (a record that stands to this day) and the first-ever WWE Undisputed Champion.

On Twitter, a fan suggested to Jericho that a return to WWE would be good for him, and that matches pitting Jericho against AJ Styles or Kevin Owens would be ‘fire.’

In response, Jericho pointed out that these matches have happened, multiple times.

Jericho was the first major feud for Styles after the former TNA Wrestling star joined WWE in 2016.

Jericho Vs. Owens

Fans won’t be seeing Chris Jericho face Kevin Owens in WWE, but this is a match fans have seen before.

In 2017, the former friends feuded after Jericho cost Owens the Universal Championship, payback for Owens attacking Y2J during the Festival of Friendship.

In an interview with TalkSport last year, Jericho said that there had been plans for him Vs. Owens for the Universal Championship as the main event of WrestleMania 33.

After realizing WWE did not care about the feud, which saw Owens beat Jericho for the U.S. Title at WrestleMania, the AEW star said he knew it was time to finish with WWE.

Chris Jericho Once Wanted To Punch Vince McMahon In His “Stupid Face”

Konnan Claims AEW Talents Complained To Him About Their Booking

Anutosh Bajpai
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Not everything has been right in AEW. Tensions have been brewing in the promotion over the booking of the company originals and the spotlight shifting towards ex-WWE talents for a while now. According to Konnan, people have actually complained to him about their bookings.

The wrestling veteran recently discussed the reports of talent being unhappy in AEW during his Keepin It 100 podcast. He first mentioned how he loves talking to Tony Khan because they both are fans of the same things.

Speaking about the situation in AEW, Konnan actually claimed that a lot of people complained to him about their spot the last time he visited a show:

“Then the last time I was there, bro, you have no idea how many people came up to me and they were pissed about the booking. They weren’t happy how they were being used. They were very, very vocal about it.”

According to the Mexican star, people believed that Konnan may be joining the AEW creative team. So talents talked to him openly about their frustrations. Though the AAA promoter made it clear that he is not trying to get a job with ALL Elite Wrestling

What do you think about the influx of ex-WWE talents and how it has changed the booking philosophy in AEW? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Two NXT Title Unification Matches Announced For Worlds Collide

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE has announced not one but two NXT title unification matches for the upcoming Worlds Collide event on September 4.

It all started when multiple NXT UK stars made their presence felt at the NXT 2.0 brand during the Heatwave special last week.

The show saw NXT UK champion Tyler Bate confronting the NXT Champion Bron Breakker after the main event. The two have been taking shots at each other since then.

This week’s episode of the development brand then saw Breakker issuing a challenge to Bate. The title unification match was made official after Tyler, who referred to himself “the last ‘NXT UK’ Champion” agreed to the bout at Worlds Collide.

Tensions had also been brewing between the NXT Women’s Champion Mandy Rose, Blair Davenport and the NXT UK women’s Champion Meiko Satomura.

This Tuesday’s episode of the show featured a segment between Rose and Davenport. Satomura interrupted this segment. A triple threat match to unify both the women’s championships was then announced for the upcoming show.

This comes after WWE officially confirmed the end of NXT UK. They have announced a new NXT Europe brand to replace the previous show. It’s set to launch sometime in 2023.

CM Punk vs. Jon Moxley: Betting Odds Reveal Strong Favorite for AEW Dynamite

Ryan Droste
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AEW surprised the wrestling world last week when they announced the much-anticipated AEW Championship unification match between CM Punk and Jon Moxley for this Wednesday night on Dynamite.

The match was previously thought to be taking place at All Out during Labor Day weekend. Instead, someone will likely walk away with both belts this Wednesday night. Will the match result in a large television ratings bump? That remains to be seen. And who will be involved in a title match at All Out? That also remains to be answered.

With all of that being said, oddsmakers see one of these men as the heavy favorite to walk out of Cleveland this Wednesday night the undisputed champion: CM Punk. With All Out taking place in his hometown of Chicago in less than two weeks, Bet Online forecasts Punk’s chances at victory at -400. They have Moxley as the underdog at +250.

CM Punk

The Summer of Punk That Wasn’t

CM Punk captured the AEW World Championship from “Hangman” Adam Page back at AEW Double or Nothing Memorial Day weekend in Las Vegas. It was expected to lead to a “Summer of Punk,” with the former multi-time world champion having high profile matches throughout June, July, and August.

Instead, a foot injury sidelined Punk for over two months and Moxley was crowned interim AEW World Champion after a brief tournament.

Since Punk’s surprise return to AEW at Dynamite in Minneapolis two weeks ago, there’s been no shortage of headlines. Last week, Punk took a shot at Page during his promo to start Dynamite, and there have been conflicting reports of real-life animosity between he and Page, as well as he and Moxley.

Nevertheless, Punk has tried to quell some of the rumors that he is unhappy at AEW through postings on social media of late.

Last weekend on Instagram, Punk wrote, “One year ago began the best year of my professional career. Too many great moments, not enough space to post all the great pics. Rekindled passion, made new friends, reunited with old ones. Can’t stop smiling, won’t stop until the wheels fall off. Thank you most of all to all the fans who made it possible. I’m having the time of my life.”

Who do you think will walk out of AEW Dynamite as the undisputed world champion? Let us know in the comments section below.

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

WWE NXT Results (8/23): Lights Out Match, Dexter Lumis Appears

Andrew Ravens
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The August 23, 2022 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center. 

WWE NXT Results 

  •  
  • Gallus defeated Briggs and Jensen via countout 
  • Cameron Grimes defeated Javier Bernal 
  • Blair Davenport defeated Indi Hartwell 
  • The Dyad defeated Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro
  • Tyler Bate defeated Von Wagner
  • Wendy Choo defeated Tiffany Stratton in the Lights Out match

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Opening Segment

bate bron

WWE NXT UK Champion Tyler Bate and NXT Champion Bron Breakker opened the show. 

Heatwave’s main event last week featured Breakker defending his NXT Championship against JD McDonagh. Following the contest, Bate entered the ring wearing the NXT United Kingdom Championship ring. Breakker and Bate held up their respective title belts as the night came to a close. Breakker and Bate’s champion-versus-champion contest appears to be scheduled for WWE’s Worlds Collide event on Sunday, September 4.

Breakker opened the show by calling out Bate so they can talk. Bate cut a promo about how he has respect for Bron and he’s not here to collect air miles. He said he will be the first and last NXT UK Champion. He said with NXT Europe around the corner, he wants to unify the NXT UK and NXT Titles. 

Bron said he knows how good Bate is and such a threat to his title. When he thinks of NXT UK, he thinks of Bate. Bron said this isn’t NXT UK, but rather NXT where the greatest superstars are at. Bron said there should be one NXT Champion and said let’s make some history by doing a unification title bout at Worlds Collide. 

After Ilja Dragunov had to relinquish the championship due to injuries, Bate was named NXT United Kingdom Champion. At an NXT UK television taping in July, Bate won the championship, but the victory has yet to be broadcasted.

WWE also booked a non-title bout between NXT UK Champion Tyler Bate and Von Wagner. This match between Bate and Wagner featured 

Lights Out Match

2nxt 3

Wendy Choo and Tiffany Stratton met in the Lights Out match. 

On last Tuesday’s episode, Stratton and Choo discussed their ongoing feud, including Choo’s attack on Stratton two weeks ago while the lights were off in her dressing room. In addition to the arena being darker during the bout, Choo said that everything she did to Stratton would be permissible in the Lights Out match.

The match was saved for the main event. They darkened the arena and used various weapons. It was basically a hardcore match in the dark. Wendy hit a splash off the top rob for the win. 

NXT UK Tag Team Title Bout

1nxt 3

Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen defended the NXT UK Tag Team Titles against Gallus.

On last week’s program, Gallus made their NXT debut by attacking Diamond Mine when they were talking in the ring. In a later backstage interview, they confronted Briggs and Jensen, claiming they had held the crowns for 497 days. 

The match ended in a no contest after eight minutes. Diamond Mine ran out to brawl with Gallus. Security ran out to separate the two factions.

Triple Threat Match

triple

NXT UK Women’s Champion Meiko Satomura vs. NXT Women’s Champion Mandy Rose vs. Blair Davenport in a title unification bout at Worlds Collide in a promo segment following Davenport’s match against Indi Hartwell. 

During the segment, Dexter Lumis showed up. Lumis and Hartwell hugged in the ring and kissed to pop the crowd. Lumis handed Hartwell a caricature painting before being arrested.

“There’s No Passion” – Cornette Criticizes AEW Star’s Promo Ability

Robert Lentini
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AEW star Jungle Boy and Christian Cage have been in a feud on Dynamite for the past two months. Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus were known as Jurassic Express in the promotion, and Christian served as their manager during their reign as AEW Tag Team Champions.

However, the 48-year-old betrayed Jungle Boy at AEW Dynamite: Road Rager and even convinced Luchasaurus to turn heel for a couple of weeks. Christian has made it even more personal with references to Jungle Boy’s mother and his recently passed father, famous actor Luke Perry.

He recently challenged Christian to a match at AEW All Out on September 4th and brutally attacked him on this past Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite. Jungle Boy has since responded with a promo of his own and beat Christian down on last week’s episode of Dynamite.

Jim Cornette Wonders If Jungle Boy Will Figure It Out

On a recent episode of the Jim Cornette Experience, he was very critical of Jungle Boy and wondered if he was ever going to “get it”.

Does Jungle Boy have it? Is it going to come out? If it was, would it have come out by now? Verbally, speaking on television, having any kind of passion or emotion. Are all people of his age bracket this boring?

Jim Cornette on Jungle Boy

Co-host Brian Last suggested that Jungle Boy may find more success down the road as a heel but Cornette wasn’t optimistic. Jim claimed that the only way he could pull that off was if Jurassic Express reunited as heels, and Jungle Boy played the role of an instigator hiding behind Luchasaurus.

While Jungle Boy may not be dynamic on the microphone yet, he’s already established himself as one of the talents with the most potential on the AEW roster. The 25-year-old’s match against Christian Cage at all All Out will be the biggest match of his young career.

Do you agree with Jim Cornette’s assessment of Jungle Boy or do you believe he will be one of AEW’s biggest stars down the line? Let us know in the comments section below.

First Look at IWGP Women’s Championship Belt

Andrew Ravens
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NJPW and Stardom will be introducing the IWGP Women’s Championship belt. The inaugural champion will be crowned via a tournament. 

New Japan Pro Wrestling announced that the tournament will begin with the first quarterfinal matches at Royal Quest II night two in London, England on October 2. It will continue with the quarterfinals at Stardom’s October 22 event while the semifinals will take place on a Stardom card in Tachikawa on October 23. 

The tournament will conclude with the finals at Stardom and New Japan’s Historic X-over joint show on November 20 in Ariake. The first title defense will take place at Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 4.

First Look

Courtesy of Tokyo Sports, you can see a photo of the championship belt below:

084b0c4c4d2bdfb1127c7c2af8cd4d5d

The two companies have confirmed that the title will be defended in Japan and also in the US on New Japan Pro Wrestling events. It’s slated to be the primary title for NJPW, with Stardom’s main titles remaining the World of Stardom Championship (red belt) and the Wonder of Stardom Championship (white belt).

Stardom wrestlers will begin to be featured on NJPW shows in the United States.

Ric Flair Expects Triple H to Make a Change WWE Fans Will Love

Michael Reichlin
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Ric Flair thinks the WWE’s new creative regime led by Paul “Triple H” Levesque will continue to yield significant positive changes.

Triple H took over as head of creative and talent relations following Vince McMahon’s retirement in July 2022. WWE programming has been getting better reviews by industry pundits and fans on social media over the past few weeks.

Flair discussed the new era of WWE on the latest episode of his To Be The Man podcast. He tells co-host Conrad Thompson that he’s enjoying the current product. He is also hearing good things from the WWE locker room.

“I just like the whole show. It’s enjoyable to watch.”

– Ric Flair

Flair says it’s a looser environment behind the scenes and he’s confident Triple H has a good support system to lean on.

Big Change Fans Will Appreciate

Brock Lesnar
(via WWE)

WWE has relied on part-time performers over the past several years. The company’s top champions and box office attractions are not always working full-time schedules.

“I don’t think he’s crazy about the part-time performers.”

– Ric Flair on Triple H

Flair believes Triple H will want WWE’s champions to be available to appear week in and week out.

“He looks at the big picture totally different than other people do, than other people have,” said Flair. “I don’t think he’s crazy about the part-time performers. That would be my take on it. As he knows.. he worked every day until the day he got more involved in the office.”

“Especially in a title role, the title picture, this is just me taking a guess, I think he’s going to work towards having people who are champions working more dates. That would be my guess.”

– Ric Flair

Falling out with Triple H

Conrad asked Ric about the status of his relationship with Triple H. Are they still tight and thick as thieves?

“Well, I don’t think we’re thick as thieves, but I cant tell you this. We had a big falling out over the trademark, ‘The Man’ issue, a big falling out. But, I’d be very surprised if I wasn’t in the top 5 people who reached out to Stephanie when he got sick. Certainly, as soon as I became aware of it, I called her and I called him.”

“He is the first person I called when [Ric’s son] Reid died. So, for whatever people want to make about our relationship or not, I feel like everybody has ups and downs. You have arguments, you have disagreements. But I can guarantee you this, I will be at his funeral, and I’ll guarantee you this, he will be at mine. Everybody else can say what they want to say, make of it what they want to make of it.”

When Flair returned to WWE in 2001, Hunter was just as instrumental as Vince in welcoming him back into the fold. They knew he was battling big self confidence issues and helped rebuilt himself by pushing him to be his best and not rest on his laurels.

Flair said everything he has today in wrestling, as far as his ‘redemption’ post-WCW, is because of Triple H and Vince.

Please credit Ad Free Shows with a link to SEScoops if you use any of the quotes transcribed in this article. Visit AdFreeShows.com to subscribe starting at $9/month.

WWE Draft Probably Not Happening Anytime Soon (Report)

Tyriece Simon
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The WWE Draft that was rumored to take place shortly after Clash of the Castle is no longer expected to take place.

Earlier this month, it was reported by Fightful Select that members of the Raw roster were scheduled to appear on the first SmackDown after Clash at the Castle, while while SmackDown superstars were slated for the following week’s Raw.

This led to a feeling amongst talent that WWE will be holding a Draft over the next several weeks. On Tuesday, we got another update that dispels that earlier report.

Conflicting Reports

Per Fightful, Raw talent is no longer scheduled to appear on SmackDown. While some WWE stars still expect a draft to be held, there’s reason to believe that’s not the case.

The latest update is that sources within the USA Network are not aware of any plans for a WWE Draft taking place in September. In fact, April 2023, following WrestleMania 39, is a more likely timeframe for the next roster shakeup.

“USA Network sources have told talent that the Draft isn’t happening in the immediate future, have outright stated to that after WrestleMania is a likelier landing spot.”

– Fightful Select

WWE has yet to announce anything related to an upcoming Draft. For now, it’s safe to say that your favorite Raw and Smackdown talent will be staying put for the foreseeable future. We’ll be tracking this story and will keep you posted if there are any developments.

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