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Former WWE Star Exits Impact Wrestling

Thomas Lowson
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Impact Wrestling has been around for over 20 years and boasts an impressive roster of wrestlers.

Despite some shaky years, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, Impact has emerged the other side a stronger company and has a loyfal fanbase, ready to support the wrestlers and the company.

Impact Wrestling has a stacked roster, but it will have to operate without Tenille Dashwood.

Tenille Dashwood Gone from Impact

Tenille Dashwood

Tenille Dashwood has departed Impact Wrestling. On Sunday, she confirmed her status as a free agent for the first time in 3 years.

Dashwood’s most recent match for Impact was nearly two months ago, losing to Masha Slamovich in just over one minute at the July 2, tapings, which would air two weeks later.

Since her most recent appearance for IMPACT, Dashwood has competed in several matches in her native Australian for the WSW promotion.

On the tour with WSW, Dashwood picked up wins over Shazza McKenzie and Chelsea Green, but failed to capture the WSW Women’s Championship from Taya Valkyrie.

Dashwood in Impact

Tenille Dashwood

In July 2019, Impact announced that Dashwood had signed a deal with the promotion, after previously competing for WWE and Ring of Honor.

One of Dashwood’s first matches after signing however would be at AEW All Out 2019 Pay Per View, where she’d be part of a 21-woman Casino Battle Royale on the pre-show.

In Impact, Dashwood would immediately become a challenger for the Knockout’s World Championship, but lost to then-Champion Taya Valkyrie at Bound for Glory 2019.

It wouldn’t be until March 5, 2022, four days after her 33rd birthday, that Dashwood would capture her first Championship.

That win saw Dashwood and Madison Rayne win the Impact Knockouts World Tag Team Championship by defeating The IInspiration.

Top Dolla Addresses Swerve Strickland’s Absence from Hit Row

Michael Reichlin
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Hit Row made a “smash return” to WWE on the August 12th edition of Friday Night SmackDown. However, they are missing a key component of the original act.

The group, which was comprised of Swerve Strickland, Top Dolla, Ashante “Thee” Adonis and B-Fab, were broken up and released from WWE at different points throughout 2021.

Strickland later signed with All Elite Wrestling. Along with Keith Lee, he’s one half of the reigning AEW World tag team champions.

The three remaining members now look to reestablish themselves as a force to be reckoned with on the SmackDown brand.

During a recent appearance on the Jobbing Out podcast, Top Dolla spoke about how their WWE return came about and his thoughts about the group continuing without Swerve.

Hit Row’s Road Back to WWE

Hit Row member Top Dolla appeared on the Jobbing Out podcast this week and spoke about their road back to WWE. He never stopped talking to Triple H after his release. They kept in regular touch and said they have a strong relationship.

He kept in touch with other members of WWE management, as well. The day after he was released from WWE, John Laurinaitis (former head of talent relations) called him and said Hit Row would be waned back in WW when the company resumes hiring.

Top Dolla said the group knows they created something special. They never stopped plotting their return and were eager to get back to work. When Triple H came into power at WWE, Top Dolla was waiting for “the call” to return. That call came and he told Triple H the crew is ready to come back. Within a week or so, they were back on television.

Hit Row

Hit Row Without Swerve Strickland

Of course, Top Dolla was asked about the absence of Swerve Strickland, the group’s breakout star during their initial run in NXT.

The former NFL star said it’s not really a big deal, because the three remaining members have been working together for over two years and were a unit before Swerve was added to the group.

“Swerve was added to the crew two weeks before we debuted. And – when we got released, he told us he wanted to do his own thing. We didn’t tell him he couldn’t be in Hit Row… He said he wanted to do his own thing. So, he’s doing his own thing.”

– Top Dolla

Top Dolla said he, Ashante “Thee” Adonis and B-Fab are the “OG-3.” The group was his creation and were just fine before Swerve was added. The three original members feed off of each other creatively and will be just fine on SmackDown.

Listen to Top Dola’s appearance on the Jobbing Out podcast:

Karrion Kross & Scarlett to Appear at Indie Events Despite WWE Return

Thomas Lowson
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On the post-Summerslam 2022 edition of SmackDown, Karrion Kross and Scarlett returned to WWE.

The pair had been released in November 2021 as part of ‘budget cuts’ mere months after WWE had promoted the two-time former NXT Champion to the main roster.

Kross made an impact upon his return to WWE, attacking Drew McIntyre and facing off with Roman Reigns.

Making Appearances

Prior to his return to WWE, Kross (under the name Killer Kross) appeared for several promotions, including Chikara, CYN, MLW and NJPW Strong.

On Twitter, Kross confirmed that from now on, he will only be competing in WWE rings and on WWE TV.

However, the company is allowing both Kross and Scarlett to appear at independent events that had already been booked prior to the duo’s return to WWE.

Kross made it clear these appearances will be for meet-and-greets only and that fans should not expect either of them to wrestle.

The SmackDown Superstar added that he will only appear if the event does not overlap with his WWE schedule which takes precedence.

The Main Event

While Kross’ first stint on WWE’s main roster, his return has been an incredible sight to behold.

Upon returning, Kross has been thrust into the main event scene, involving himself in the storyline between WWE’s arguable two biggest stars (Reigns and McIntyre.)

It is believed that Kross and McIntyre will feud after WWE Clash at the Castle next month.

There have been reports that WWE is planning for Reigns to face Kross at Survivor Series 2022 this coming November.

Karrion Kross Reveals His Reaction To WWE Return

WWE Star Deactivates Twitter (Again) After Heated Exchange

Michael Reichlin
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Social media can be a toxic place. This rings especially true for female celebrities, who are often the subject of targeted harassment.

This weekend, WWE Superstar Shotzi deactivated her Twitter account (again) to get away from online negativity.

The controversy began when Shotzi had a tense exchange with on-screen rival, SmackDown Women’s champion Liv Morgan. Morgan referenced Shotzi deactivating her Twitter account earlier this year, which led to the green-haired grappler firing back with an allegation that caused a lot of commotion on Wrestling Twitter.

Shotzi Claims Liv Morgan Got Ruby Soho Fired

Shotzi claims that Morgan is responsible for getting Ruby Soho released by WWE in June 2011.She told Morgan that she won’t be the next “green haired tattooed girl” to get run over. In fact, she’s the one that typically does the running over.

image 33

Shotzi Deactivates Twitter Again

Shotzi was attempting to stand up for her friend, but was inundated with messages calling her a bully towards Morgan.

Things spiraled out of control when some fans sent death threats. Shotzi saw this as the right time to unplug.

She said “Bye!” to her followers and sarcastically wrote that she’ll be back when she’s in the mood to “bully another one of her coworkers” again.

image 34

As noted, this is the second time this year that Shotzi decided Twitter wasn’t for her. Just last month, she took a break from social media after fans mocked her for botching spots during the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match.

After this latest exchange, it will be interesting to watch how Liv Morgan and Shotzi interact on WWE television. The two wrestled just days ago, on Friday’s episode of SmackDown. You can see footage from that match below.

Morgan defends the SmackDown Women’s Championship against #1 contender Shayna Baszler at the upcoming Clash at the Castle premium live event on September 3.

Edge Confirms Reports About Judgement Day

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE star Edge has confirmed the reports that him getting kicked out of The Judgement Day wasn’t the original plan for the group.

The Rated R Superstar recently had an interview with Bleacher Report. He talked about things such as Triple H taking over the creative in the company and more.

Speaking about The Judgment Day, the wrestling veteran claimed that he is having a blast working with the group. He also confirmed that they have had to make some changes into the original plans for the faction.

A Fun Direction, Adapting

Edge Backstage

“So far, I’ve had a blast going to work and getting to do a storyline with Priest and Balor and Rhea [Ripley],” he said. “It was kind of floating there for a little while.

Now, it’s getting a direction and that’s really, really fun.” said Edge, “We had to make some changes due to injuries and stuff like that, and you just have to adapt.”

The Hall of Famer was kicked out of The Judgement Day during the June 6 episode of Raw. It was later reported that some creative differences about the presentation of the group led to this change.

Edge has since started a feud with his former protégés. He is currently set to face Damian Priest in a one-on-one match on Monday’s Raw from Toronto.

Edge is the subject of the latest episode of Biography: WWE Legends series on A&E, premiering Sunday night at 8/7c.

Charlotte Flair Claims Becky Lynch Title Exchange Controversy was an Accident

Thomas Lowson
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In October 2021, then-Raw Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair was drafted to SmackDown on FOX.

Mere months earlier, Raw Superstar Becky Lynch had captured the SmackDown Women’s Title after over a year away due to pregnancy.

On the October 22, 2021, episode of SmackDown, a segment saw the two switch titles, to correspond with their respective brands.

Going Off-Script

During the segment, the two former friends took digs at each other, and Flair was said to have gone off-script.

Instead of handing the title to Lynch as planned, Flair dropped the Raw Women’s Title on the floor, which is said to have left Lynch furious.

Once backstage the pair got into a heated argument which led to Flair being escorted from the building.

An Accident

Flair dropping the title was the latest issue between the two former friends and was widely reported at the time.

The second-generation wrestler was condemned for her going off-script, but that’s not what happened according to Charlotte.

While speaking on Steve Austin’s “The Broken Skull Sessions,” Charlotte said that what happened was just an accident (via The Sportster.)

“I wish I could sit here and tell you that I did it on purpose but if people need me to be that bad guy, I’ll be that bad guy. Things happen on screen. I would never go on a scripted television show and purposely do something on purpose…It was accidental.”

“If people need me to be that bad guy, I’ll be that bad guy.”

Charlotte Flair denying that her title-belt dropping was deliberate.

Lynch would later lose the Raw Women’s Championship to Bianca Belair at WrestleMania 38.

While Flair would retain her SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania, she’d lose the gold to Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania Backlash.

Becky Lynch Provides Injury Recovery Update

WWE TV Has More Wrestling Since Triple H Took Over Creative

Thomas Lowson
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Triple H is putting the “wrestling” back in WWE.

When Vince McMahon retired from WWE in July, his son-in-law Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque replaced the ex-Chairman as Head of Creative.

As both the Head of Creative and Head of Talent Creative, Triple H has implemented several changes, bringing back several Superstars released under the previous regime.

The change in WWE management has also had an impact on the in-ring action, as the wrestling in ‘World Wrestling Entertainment’ has become more prominent.

More Wrestling

Since the “King of Kings” took over as head of WWE’s Creative department, there has been a notable uptake in the amount of wrestling, fans get to see.

Data from Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics reveals that in the four weeks of Raw’s since Triple H took over, there has been an increase in the number of minutes dedicated to wrestling per hour.

The most action-packed Raw was the August 1, 2022, episode of the red brand, which saw 26 minutes of wrestling per hour, totaling one hour and 18 minutes of in-ring work over the three hours.

In the data, the show with the lowest amount of wrestling as the April 4, Raw, the night after WWE WrestleMania 38, which averaged 12 minutes of in-ring action per hour, or 36 minutes in total.

For SmackDown, the most action-packed episode was the July 29, 2022, show, the go-home event before Summerslam, which had 25 minutes of wrestling per hour, or 50 minutes in total.

The worst offender was the July 8 episode, the first SmackDown after Money in the Bank 2022, which saw seven minutes of wresting per hour, 14 minutes across the entire show.

WWE fans have been eager to see what this “new era” brings. With Triple H serving as the new head of talent relations, he’s already brought back several performers including Dakota Kai, Io Sky, Hit Row, Karrion Kross and Scarlett. As the head of creative, it’s encouraging that we’re already seeing more in-ring wrestling per week.

Backstage News On WWE Releasing Over A Dozen NXT UK Talents

Anutosh Bajpai
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After uneasiness over the future of NXT UK for several weeks, WWE finally confirmed that the territory will be rebranded as NXT Europe earlier this week.

This announcement, unfortunately, was followed by the release of over a dozen names associated with the brand. This included talents such as Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews among others.

Fightful Select provided more details on this announcement. They noted that many UK talents knew that a change was coming, but they were unaware of the gravity of it.

As far as the releases go, it wasn’t all about WWE cutting talents they didn’t want. Several names were released because they didn’t want to move to US. There were others who didn’t think it made financial sense to continue with the promotion.

Many UK-based promoters are hopeful that the reinvigorated free agents market will help the UK indie scene that was affected by NXT UK’s formation.

Flash Morgan Webster had been out of action due to an injury since last year. It’s been said that he signed a long-term deal with the promotion only months before his release.

WWE has confirmed that the NXT Europe brand will be launching sometime in 2023. Though they haven’t provided much details beyond that.

CM Punk on AEW: “The Best Year Of My Pro Wrestling Career”

Anutosh Bajpai
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It’s been one year since CM Punk made his triumphant return to pro wrestling, and according to the Straight Edge Star, this has been the best year of his wrestling career. Amid all the controversy surrounding his promo on Dynamite, the AEW champion took on his Instagram to reflect on the one-year anniversary of his return.

He posted some behind-the-scenes photos of his AEW journey so far. Seemingly commenting on the reports that he wanted to quit the company, Punk noted that he wouldn’t stop ‘until the wheels fall off’:

“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.” wrote CM Punk, “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, as there’s a drive into deep left field by Castellanos and that’ll be a home run. And so that’ll make it a 4-0 ballgame.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/ChgNoAyNQt4/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D

CM Punk left wrestling when he walked out of WWE back in 2014. He mostly stayed away from the industry for almost 6 years before finally making his return during August 20, 2021 episode of Rampage. Punk has reclaimed his spot in the wrestling world since then and he became a world champion once again. He defeated Hangman Page at Double Or Nothing in May to win his first title in almost 9 years.

You can relive CM Punk’s iconic return to wrestling below:

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

Joey Galizia
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Chris Jericho and Vince McMahon have quite a history.

The current AEW superstar spoke about a specific moment with the now retired WWE Chairman during his recent appearance on the Inside the Ropes Live show. The leader of the Jericho Appreciation Society recalled the lead-up to his WrestleMania 18 main event showdown with Triple H, and how a rehearsal with The Game got him heated with McMahon.

Jericho begins by remembers how he got heat with Triple H.

“The last couple of weeks, right before the match, I did get some serious heat on Triple H. I think I hit him in the leg with the sledgehammer and all this sort of thing. I remember one time we were rehearsing it, me hitting Triple H with a sledgehammer, and Vince [McMahon] would want you to rehearse as if it’s real. You can’t rehearse if you’re really doing it because there’s no crowd, the crowd is where you get the vibe and the adrenaline, and your whole energy comes [from] that. “

During the rehearsal McMahon demanded that Jericho put in some further effort, then later insulted him. It was here that Jericho revealed how angry McMahon’s comments made him in the moment.

“Vince would be like, ‘Do it harder! Do it harder!’ and I’m like, “I’m not in the moment yet,’ and I remember he goes, ‘Oh you don’t wanna do it? What are you on the rag or something?’ I remember thinking, ‘You big-eared, big nose motherf*cker. I’m going to punch you right in your stupid face right now. Knock that toupee right off his head’.”

In the same interview Jerichoh did praise McMahon, saying that there will never be another mind like his in the pro-wrestling industry again.

Miro Fires Back at Comments About Lana’s Wrestling

Thomas Lowson
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In 2014, WWE called up Rusev and Lana to the main roster, with the latter serving as the manager for the Bulgarian wrestler. 

Years later, Lana would enter the ring herself, and challenge for the SmackDown Women’s Championship in 2017 in a losing effort. 

In 2020, Lana seemed on the cusp of a WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship win, though that didn’t happen, and she was released in July 2021. 

Okish

Lana, now going by CJ Perry, may have left WWE without a title win to her name, but she faced plenty of big stars during her years with the promotion. 

Former and current Champions including Mandy Rose, Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler have all come up short against the “Ravishing Russian.”

Despite this, some believe Lana accomplished little in the ring, and in a recent tweet, Cageside Seats branded her an “okish” wrestler.

In response, Miro praised his wife as a “better wrestler then 95% of the entire locker room” and added that she is also the “best manager.

He also blasted Cageside Seats reporting as “okish.”

In response, Cageside Seats didn’t apologize but said they “accept this criticism.”

A Reunion in AEW?

CJ Perry hasn’t wrestled since being released from WWE last year, but there have been talks about her in AEW.

Recently Miro made reference to his wife during a segment when Julia Hart tried to convince him to join the House of Black to no avail.

After the segment, Perry spoke on Busted Open Radio, saying she was “furious” by Hart’s actions.

She added that she would love to do something with her husband in AEW, and hopes she gets the chance.

Lana & Miro Comment On Her WWE Release

Charlotte Flair on Becky Lynch Feud: “Two Alphas Who Don’t See Eye-To-Eye”

Joey Galizia
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One of the most publicly known off-screen stories in WWE over the last year has been the heated feud between Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch, two of the company’s top superstars and staples in their competitive women’s division.

The Queen recently joined WWE Hall of Fame Steve Austin on his Broken Skull Sessions podcast to discuss her ongoing irritation with Big Time Becks, where she remind fans that the rivalry comes from two performers who want to be the best of the best.

“You have two women who want to be the best. There’s no other way to put it. I want to be the best. She wants to be the best. Natural courses of life.”

Flair and Lynch both found love outside of the sport, so the need for them to be a crutch for one another after coming up together on television slowly disappeared.

“She got married and had a baby. I met Manny [Andrade El Idolo] on the road. Maybe we were each other’s crutches at one point.”

It was at this part in the interview that Flair opened up regarding each woman’s desire to be better than the other, which has left them on opposite sides.

“But now, she wants to be the best. I want to be the best. You have two alphas who don’t see eye-to-eye. We grew up together on TV, and you see that. People didn’t know how close we were.”

The two have had numerous in-ring encounters over the last several years, some that many fans would call some of the best matches WWE has put on in that time. A title exchange gone wrong prior to last year’s Survivor Series seems to be all anyone remembers at this point, with the story of Flair vs. Lynch continuing on.

H/T WrestlingNews.Co for the transcribed quotes

‘People Are Fickle’: Shane Thorne Weighs In On If WWE Can Revert To Old Programming

Anutosh Bajpai
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Triple H has made a number of changes to WWE programming since coming to power. These alterations have generally been received positively by the fans. However, former WWE star Shane Thorne is not sure that they will stick to this formula.

The former Retribution member recently had an interview with Fightful. He talked about things such as his main roster run and more.

During the interview, Shane Thorne was asked if WWE can abandon the recent changes and revert back to how the programming was before Triple H took over. The former NXT star explained that people can get sick of the current formula in the future as well. This can potentially lead to further change:

“It’s a burnout process. You know what I mean? Like, it depends how long they can keep it up for. Because then who says in a year or two that this, we don’t get sick of this formula. [People can be like] ‘It’s too much change, I can’t keep up with it.’ People are fickle as they say.” said Shane Thorne, “It’s good though. I hear good things, I don’t watch it. I see things on the internet and it looks good. There is good buzz. People getting jobs back is good.”

Shane was part of the WWE roster from 2016 to 2020. He teamed up with Nick Miller and together they were known as TM-61. The two made some appearances on Raw in 2020 but were later sent back to NXT and disbanded. Thorne was then put in the Retribution faction and renamed to Slapjack. He was released from his contract in November last year.

You can check out his full interview below:

More Originals From SEScoops:

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

Wrestling veteran rushed to hospital due to pneumonia

Anutosh Bajpai
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Wrestling veteran Bobby Fulton has been rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with double pneumonia earlier this morning.

Dillon Hines, The son of the retired wrestler provided this update about his father on the wrestling stars’ Twitter account. He asked all the fans to keep his dad in prayers:

“Came back home from NC for the weekend with dad, an hour out had to rush him to the hospital. They’ve pronounced that dad is sepsis and has double pneumonia! Please keep him in your prayers thanks!” he wrote.

Bobby Fulton made his wrestling debut on June 17, 1977. He stayed active in the business up until a couple years ago. He retired in July 2020.

The 61-year-old was best known for his tag team with Tommy Rogers known as The Fantastics. They feuded with teams such as The Midnight Express and Bushwhackers.

Fulton also started his own wrestling promotion in Ohio back in 1990. It was called James Hines presents Big Time Wrestling which was the precursor to Smoky Mountain Wrestling.

The Fantastics made a brief appearance in the then WWF in June 1997. The veteran wrestler competed in his final match at a show dubbed as Bobby Eaton: A Night of Appreciation in December 2019.

AEW Star Didn’t Like The Way He Won His First Title In The Company

Anutosh Bajpai
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The team of Jungle Boy and Lucharsaurus finally won their first championship in All Elite Wrestling earlier this year. However, the second-generation star wasn’t a fan of how it all went down.

The AEW star recently had an interview with Steven’s Wrestling Journey. Among other things, he talked about Jurassic Express’ AEW tag team title win over The Lucha Bros at the start of this year.

Speaking about the ending of the bout where Rey Fenix got injured, Jungle Boy admitted that he didn’t like the way this match concluded:

“I kinda didn’t like the way it happened exactly. There was some stuff that kinda went wrong at the end. Fenix got hurt, which is never nice, and there were some hi-jinx going on that I didn’t fully love,

But still, to win the tag team belts in the best wrestling company in the world with my best friend was just a really special experience.”

Jungle Boy and Lucharsaurus defeated The Lucha Brothers in a tag team championship match during the January 5 episode of Dynamite. Fenix unfortunately broke his arm towards the ending of the bout.

The duo held the titles for 122 days. They dropped them to The Young Bucks in a ladder match during the Road Rager special of Dynamite on June 6.

Quotes via WrestleZone

Scarlett Describes Her Experience Working For Triple H

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Many people have called Triple H the best boss they have worked for. According to Scarlett, he is someone who is very accessible and a boss that she is very comfortable sharing ideas with.

Both Karrion Kross and his wife recently appeared on After The Bell podcast. They talked about things such as their reaction to WWE release and return.

When asked about working for Triple H, Scarlett explained that he is someone who actually loves wrestling. With him, you always feel like you’re in great hands:

“Sometimes you feel, as a woman you feel very shut down, you don’t feel comfortable talking to boss about certain ideas. Hunter is always there a text away. We just messaged him yesterday with certain ideas and certain character arcs and storylines, things like that.

It feels great to be able to have that kind of relationship with a boss who is accessible that way. You actually feel like he loves wrestling.” said Scarlett, “He actually loves wrestling. He wants to make the best show possible. So you just feel like you’re in great hands all the times.”

The former NXT duo were split up when they were brought up to the main roster during their initial run. Vince McMahon changed the gimmick of Kross and released the duo in November last year, only a few months after their call-up.

Triple H brought the two back not long after taking over the WWE creative earlier this month. Karrion Kross and Scarlett have been paired back, and they are now feuding with Drew McIntyre.

Ric Flair Names WWE Legend Who Doesn’t Belong in the Hall of Fame

Thomas Lowson
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In 2008, Ric Flair was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, marking the first-time an active Superstar had received the honor.

Flair retired (the first time) the next night, losing to Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 24, but wasn’t finished being inducted.

Four years later, Flair was inducted yet again, this time as part of the Four Horsemen faction, becoming the first-ever two-time inductee into WWE’s Hall of Fame.

Doesn’t Belong

At this time, there are a total 234 entries into the WWE Hall of Fame, consisting of individual Superstars, Tag-Teams, Stables, Celebrity inductees, and Warrior Award recipients.

The Warrior Award is in honor of the Ultimate Warrior, who during his 2014 induction, addressed the idea of an award for the unsung heroes working within WWE.

On the latest edition of his ‘To Be The Man’ podcast, however, Flair addressed the Warrior’s legacy, and why he feels he doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame (via WrestleTalk.)

“You hold up the company, then you sue them – which he [The Ultimate Warrior] did, and then you end up in the Hall of Fame… There’s a lot of people in the Hall of Fame that are there for – I can’t figure out any rhyme or reason why they would be other than political stuff.”

Suing the Company

Flair is referencing Warrior’s lawsuits against WWE in 1996 and 1998, when the two sides fought for ownership of the Ultimate Warrior character.

The courts ruled that Warrior was legally entitled to use the gimmick, costuming, face paint designs, and mannerisms of the WWE character.

In January 2006, Warrior would again sue WWE, this time for libel following the release of the ‘The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior’ DVD.

The documentary saw several Superstars have unflattering comments about Warrior, though his libel case was thrown out in September 2009.

Ric Flair Reveals Thoughts On His Final Match

Casino Ladder Match Returning For All Out 2022

Anutosh Bajpai
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AEW has confirmed that the Casino Ladder match will be returning at the upcoming All Out PPV from Now Arena in Chicago, Illinois.

The unique match combines the elements of the Money In The Bank ladder match with the Casino Battle Royal, with the winner receiving a future world title shot.

The bout sees two competitors entering the ring every 90 seconds. Whoever retrieves the casino chip suspended above the ring is declared the winner. The match can end before all the participants have entered.

AEW confirmed during the August 19 Rampage that this match will be returning for All Out 2022. Though no participants for it were announced.

The company has held two Casino Ladder matches till now. The concept was originally introduced during the Double or Nothing PPV in 2020. Lance Archer won the first Casino ladder match but he was unsuccessful in winning the world title.

Hangman Page then won the second Casino Ladder match held during the October 6, 2021 episode of Dynamite. Page went on to defeat Kenny Omega for the AEW championship at Full Gear 2021.

Apart from this, the upcoming PPV will feature the finals of the trios title tournament, Thunder Rosa vs. Toni Storm for the AEW Women’s title, and The Pinnacle vs. The Lethal Connection.

Monday’s Raw to Get a Healthy Dose of Stratusfaction

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus has been announced for an appearance on this Monday’s episode of Raw from Toronto, Canada.

The wrestling veteran was originally announced for a couple of House Shows this weekend from Kingston on Saturday and London on Sunday.

WWE then confirmed on this week’s episode of SmackDown that Stratus will also be making an appearance on Monday’s Raw. The former champion took on her Twitter after this announcement to share her excitement:

Trish Stratus was part of the last WWE show in Toronto as well. It was a non-televised event that took place just before WrestleMania 38 on March 27.

The wrestling legend had a confrontation with the then Raw women’s champion Becky Lynch on the show where Stratus slapped The Man.

The Attitude Era star retired from wrestling in 2006. She has been making sporadic appearances for the company ever since.

This run ended with a match against Charlotte Flair at the SummerSlam 2019. Unfortunately for Trish, she lost this one-on-one bout against The Queen.

She returned to the ring for a run in 2018. Stratus first competed in the Women’s Royal Rumble and she then went on to have a few more matches.

AEW Rampage Results (8/19/22): Tag Title Match, Miro Attacks, Trios Tournament, Claudio Castagnoli

Robert Lentini
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AEW Rampage was taped Wednesday night following Dynamite in West Virginia.

Rampage Results (8/19)

  • Swerve in our Glory def. Private Party to retain the AEW Tag Team Championships
  • Buddy Matthews def. Serpentico
  • Athena def. Penelope Ford
  • Best Friends & Orange Cassidy def. Trustbusters in the Trios Tournament

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Claudio Castagnoli Issued An Open Challenge

Claudio pointed out Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat in the front row and said it feels great to be standing in front of his mentor. He issued an Open Challange and Dustin Rhodes’ music hit. Dustin said he’s dreamt of being in Claudio’s spot for the last 30 years. Dustin claimed that the match was a dream of his and vowed to bring the best version of himself. Claudio accepted and shook his hand. The ROH Championship match will happen next week.

Swerve in our Glory Retained The AEW Tag Team Championships

Swerve in our Glory (Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland) defended the AEW Tag Team Championships against Private Party (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen). Private Party controlled the action early and sent Swerve out of the ring. Kassidy caught Strickland with a Suicide Dive through the ropes as Rampage went to a commercial break.

When Rampage returned, Swerve battled back and was able to tag in the big guy. Keith Lee launched Isiah across the ring before following it up with a Splash in the corner. Lee followed it up with a Clothesline for a two count. Marq Quen tagged in and Keith beat him down in the corner of the ring. Swerve got the tag and connected with the JML Driver for the pinfall victory.

HOOK Retained the FTW Championship

Reality TV star Zack Clayton battled Hook for the FTW Championship. This went how everyone expected and Hook applied Redrum right away for the submission victory. Hook retained the FTW Championship.

After the match, Matt Menard and Angelo Parker were interviewed. It was reported earlier today that the tag team has recently signed contract extensions with All Elite Wrestling. They claimed that it was time for the FTW Championship to be held by a sports entertainer.

Buddy Matthews Picked Up A Win, Miro Attacks

Buddy Matthews battled Serpentico on this week’s edition of Rampage. The House of Black member dominated Serpentico for a quick victory after connecting with a Pump-Handle Slam.. House of Black will battle Dark Order in the Trios Tournament next week. After the match, Miro made his way to the ring with Malakai Black’s mask. Miro brawls with Buddy and beat him down.

Britt Baker Interview

Tony Schiavone interviewedBritt Baker backstage with Jamie Hayter and Rebel. Britt claimed that ThunderStorm is a “shit show” and AEW Women’s Champion cannot defeat Toni Storm, and that is why she teamed up with her.

Athena def. Penelope Ford

Penelope Ford battled Athena tonight on Rampage in a singles match. Kip Sabian is still wearing a box over his head and was shown in the crowd cheering for his wife Penelope. Athena controlled the action early but Penelope caught her with a Dropkick. Athena battled back and hit the O-Face (Eclipse) for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Jade Cargill destroyed part of Athena’s ring gear with a sledgehammer. The TBS Champion and The Baddies then attacked Athena.

It was announced that Billy Gunn will face his son Colten next week on Dynamite.

Orange Cassidy & Best Friends def. Trustbusters

The Trustbusters battled Orange Cassidy & Best Friends in the first round of the Trios Tournament. Before the main event, Mark Henry interviewed both teams. Orange Cassidy tried to steal Mark Henry’s. “it’s time for the main event line” during the interview.

Daivari and Trent started off the match and Ari hit a Neckbreaker before applying a headlock. Slim J tagged in and got into a staring contest with Orange Cassidy. Best Fiends beat down Slim J and Daivari. Parker Boudreaux and battled with Trent in the ring. Chuck Taylor and Orange Cassidy joined in and leveled Parker with a triple Dropkick in the corner of the ring.

Trent connected with a Spear that sent Parker into the barricade. Cassidy followed it up with an Orange Punch to knock Parker over the barricade. Orange climbed to the top turnbuckle but Orange tripped him up. Danhausen showed up to put a curse on Daivari. Sonny was getting in the way and but Danhausen stepped aside. Best Friends and Orange Cassidy isolated Slim J in the middle of the ring. Cassidy connected with a Splash of Best Friends shoulders for the pinfall victory.

What Happened With Sami Zayn And Kevin Owens After SmackDown In Montreal

Anutosh Bajpai
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Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens got to share a touching moment after this week’s episode of SmackDown from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

The final segment of this week’s show featured a confrontation between the WWE Universal champion Roman Reigns and the #1 contender for the title Drew McIntyre.

The promo segment turned into a brawl towards the end. When McIntyre first tried to hit Reigns with a Claymore Kick, Sami Zayn interrupted and took the hit instead.

Roman Reigns then tried to hit a Spear on his opponent but the Scottish Warrior managed to counter. He hit a Claymore this time, and the show ended with McIntyre holding up the titles.

After the show went off air, Kevin Owens came out and shared a moment with his longtime best friend. Owens said that he is proud of Sami and that Zayn is finally getting the recognition he deserves.

Though Kevin also mentioned that the former El Generico is too good to be ‘Roman’s bitch.’ Riddle then came out and got the two stars to hug.

The fans then got to see a tag team match where Kevin Owens teamed up with Riddle. They defeated the team of Butch and Ridge Holland. You can check out photos and videos from the dark segment below:

https://twitter.com/WWEColombiaSoc/status/1560817971764891648

WWE SmackDown Results (8/19/22): Roman Reigns & Drew McIntyre, Fatal 5-Way, Women’s Tournament, Sami Zayn

Robert Lentini
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The 1,200th edition of WWE SmackDown aired live from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre will meet face-to-face tonight ahead of their title match at Clash at the Castle on September 3rd. In addition to the takeaways below, Trish Stratus was announced for Monday’s episode of RAW in Toronto.

WWE SmackDown Results (8/19)

  • Toxic Attraction def. Natalya & Shayna Baszler to advance in the Women’s Tag Team Tournament
  • Sheamus won the Fatal 5-Way to become #1 contender for the Intercontinental Championship
  • Liv Morgan def. Shotzi

Here are the takeaways from this week’s WWE SmackDown:

Ronda Rousey Arrested, Roman Reigns Arrives

Ronda Rousey kicked off the show and entered the ring through the crowd to great reaction. Rousey said she is not leaving the ring until she is reinstated. She was suspended following her attack on Liv Morgan and the referee at SummerSlam.

WWE official Adam Pearce interrupted and stated that he just cannot lift Ronda’s suspension because he wants her to do so. Security entered the ring and Ronda beat them down. Rousey locked in an Armbar on one of the guards before she was arrested and escorted out of the arena. Roman Reigns then arrived to the arena and got a big pop from the crowd.

Toxic Attraction Advanced In The Women’s Tag Tournament

Sonya Deville and Natalya battled Gigi Dolin & Jayce Jayne of Toxic Attraction in the Women’s Tag Team Tournament tonight on SmackDown. Shayna beat Gigi down in the corner to start off the action. Toxic Attraction battled back and launched Natalya into the steel steps outside the ring. Bayley, IYO SKY, and Dakota Kai were shown in the front row as SmackDown went to a break.

When SmackDown returned, Jayne and Deville were battling in the ring. Sonya knocked Gigi off the ring apron and but turned around into an elbow to the face from Jayce. Jayne mocked Natalya and went for the Sharpshooter but Sonya blocked it. Natalya tagged in and went for the Sharpshooter but Jayce booted her away.

Gigi tripped Natalya up and followed it up with a Clothesline but Sonya broke it up. Jayne and Deville battled to the outside of the ring. Jayce threw Sonya into the barricade right in front of Bayley, IYO SKY, and Dakota Kai. Back in the ring, Gigi rolled up Natalya for a near fall. Natalya responded with a Clothesline and some punches in the corner of the ring.

Natalya locked the Sharpshooter on Dolin but didn’t realize Jayce Jayne tagged in. Jayce broke it up and rolled up Natalya for the pinfall victory. Toxic Attraction have advanced in the Women’s Tag Team Championship Tournament.

Sami Zayn Actually Spoke To Roman Reigns

Sami Zayn approached Roman Reigns’ locker room. His security guard said that Roman wanted to see Sami. Roman asked Sami to take a seat next to him and Roman wondered how everything has been going. Zayn ranted about Jey Uso always being on him about “having to level up”.

Sami noted that he took a Claymore from Drew McIntyre and called Jey ungrateful. Roman agreed and joked that Jey doesn’t care about anything. Roman exited but left his phone behind. Reigns asked him to answer and Jey was shouting. Sami told Roman that The Usos are stuck at the border and are not going to be here tonight. Zayn brought up the Fatal 5-Way later and Roman told him the IC title would look good in The Bloodline. Roman brought up Kevin Owens shouting at The Usos that Roman owes him one on RAW. Reigns told Sami that he doesn’t owe Kevin Owens anything.

Hit Row Embarassed Maximum Male Models

Max & Maxiine Dupri made their way to the ring with Mace and Mansoor. Hit Row interrupted and beat the hell out of them before cutting rapping for a bit. Hit Row got a good reaction from the crowd and Maximum Male Models were made to look like fools in the segment.

Karrion Kross Warned Drew McIntyre

Karrion Kross and Scarlett had a vignette about Drew McIntyre. They brought up him being “The Chosen One” in the past and claimed that WWE were wrong in doing so.

Sheamus Earned A Shot At The IC Title

Ricochet, Sheamus, Happy Corbin, Madcap Moss, and hometown hero Sami Zayn competed in a Fatal 5-Way to crown the #1 contender for the Intercontinental Championship. Ricochet hit Sami with a Hurricanrana and knocked him out of the ring. Corbin planted Ricochet with a Chokeslam and went for the cover but it was quickly broken up as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Corbin launched his former tag team partner Madcap Moss into the turnbuckle. Happy did the same to Ricochet and sent him out of the ring. Ricochet battled back and planted Happy with a Tornado DDT and followed it up with a Shooting Star Press for a near fall.

Sheamus hit Madcap and Sami with a couple of Irish Curse Backbreakers in the middle of the ring. The Celtic Warrior then mocked Gunther’s pose before delivering the 10 Beats of the Bodhran to Moss as the crowd chanted along at each impact. Sami Zayn hit a flip onto Sheamus and Ricochet outside the ring.

Back in the ring, Sami went for the Blue Thunder Bomb but Ricochet blocked it. Sami responded with a Michinoku Driver for a close two count. Moss went for a Fallaway Slam but Sami escaped and hit him with the Blue Thunder Bomb for a close two count. Zayn made his way to the top rope but Ricochet joined him up there.

Sami shoved him down but then Sheamus joined him on the turnbuckle. Sheamus lifted Sami up on hit White Noise off the middle turnbuckle. Zayn grabbed his arm in pain and rolled out of the ring immediately. Sheamus planted Ricochet with a Powerslam but Corbin hit him with Deep Six. Ricochet hit a Crossbody and everyone was down on the canvas. Sami was being helped backstage as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Madcap sent Sheamus flying across the ring with a Fallaway Slam. Moss went for the cover but Sheamus kicked out. Ricochet hit a springboard Moonsault for another near fall. Happy Corbin unloaded some punches on Ricochet but got sent out of the ring. Back in the ring, Corbin leveled Ricochet with a big boot and followed it up with a Torture Rack Neckbreaker for a near fall.

Sheamus set up for the Brogue Kick but Moss dodged it. Moss slammed Sheamus to the mat but turned around into a Recoil from Ricochet. Ricochet made his way to the top rope and hit a Splash on Sheamus but Corbin broke it up at two. He sent Corbin out of the ring as Sami Zayn hobbled back down the entrance ramp while holding his arm.

The crowd erupted into a “Sami!” chant as he entered the ring. Sami planted Ricochet with an Exploder Suplex and followed it up with the Helluva Kick. Zayn went for the cover but Happy Corbin broke it up at two. Corbin then launched Sami shoulder-first into the ring post. Sheamus hit a Brogue Kick on Happy Corbin for the pinfall victory.

Viking Raiders Sent A Message To The New Day

Viking Raiders held a “Viking Funeral” for The New Day. Erik and Ivar warned Kofi and Xavier. It appeared that Sarah Logan was in the promo as well but she was only shown from behind.

Shayna Baszler Attacked Liv Morgan

SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan battled Shotzi tonight in a non-title match. Liv sent Shotzi to the corner and hit her with a Splash. Shotzi responded with a Bronco Buster against the ropes and went for the cover but the champ kicked out at two.

When SmackDown returned, Shotzi lifted Liv up but she escaped with a few elbows to the head. Shotzi planted the champion with a Northern Lights Suplex and went for the cover but Liv kicked out at two. Liv hit Oblivion for the pinfall victory and celebrated in the ring.

Shayna Baszler attacked from behind and made it seem like she was going to stomp on Liv’s arm. Shayna booted her in the face instead and exited the ring. Liv Morgan will defend the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Shayna Baszler at Clash at the Castle.

Drew McIntyre & Roman Reigns Face-To-Face

Roman and Drew were shown getting ready backstage. McIntyre picked up his jacket to reveal that Karrion and Scarlett had placed an hourglass in his locker room. Reigns got a massive reaction from the crowd as he made his way to the ring. Roman held out his hand and a WWE employee handed it to him.

Reigns noted that he’s not here every week anymore and sometimes people say stupid stuff. Reigns said that there is only one man that can claim he’s the face of the company and that is him. Drew interrupted and said that Roman Reigns doesn’t represent the titles the way they deserve to be represented.

McIntyre claimed that Roman doesn’t deserve to be champion because he’s got Paul Heyman and The Bloodline working for him. Drew claimed to see fear and concern in Roman’s eyes. McIntyre claimed that there isn’t a man that he can’t tear apart with his bare hands. McIntyre vowed to take the titles from him at Clash at the Castle and suggested a fight tonight.

The two stars traded punches in the middle of the ring. McIntyre got the better of the exchange and set up for the Claymore. Sami Zayn leaped in the way and Roman capitalized with the Superman Punch. Reigns went for a Spear but McIntyre countered with a Claymore. Michael Cole said Drew is right and Roman Reigns is vulnerable when The Usos aren’t here. McIntyre posed with the WWE and Universal Championships over Reigns to close the show. Roman will defend the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against McIntyre at Clash at the Castle on September 3rd.

https://twitter.com/mckenzieas93V2/status/1560808998965809153?s=20&t=erc8tV_b7BX_ziMHiYrlew

AEW Tag Team Sign Contract Extensions

Andrew Ravens
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Two key members of the Jericho Appreciation Society have been signed to new deals and that’s 2point0 (Angelo Parker and Matt Menard). 

Fightful Select reported today that Parker and Menard signed contract extensions. No terms were disclosed.

The Rise of 2point0

They made a name for themselves in WWE NXT Ever-Rise, but were released in the summer of 2021, less than two weeks after signing new deals. They went to AEW in early August in a trios match with Daniel Garcia. The announcement of their full-time deals came shortly after.

The tag team became part of Chris Jericho’s new JAS faction in March following Jericho turning on Santana and Ortiz, which officially ended the Inner Circle.

Menard, who hasn’t been in action since June’s Blood & Guts cage match, has been doing commentary work for the Dark series as of late. He’s been sidelined with a torn labrum, rotator cuff, and partial shoulder tear in the gimmick match.

For Parker, he has worked just two matches since – once in July for a dark Dark match and on a Canadian indie show in August.

Toxic Attraction Headed to Tonight’s WWE SmackDown

Andrew Ravens
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WWE is making a change to the Women’s Tag Team Title tournament.

NXT stars Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne of Toxic Attrraction will replace Nikkita Lyons & Zoey Stark in the first round match against Natalya and Sonya Deville.

WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels has the official word below. According to the Heartbreak Kid, Stark sustained an injury at Tuesday’s NXT Heatwave event and is unable to compete.

Toxic Attractions’ Dominant Run

Toxic Attraction
(via WWE)

Dolin & Jayne are former NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions, while Mandy Rose is the reigning NXT Women’s Champion.

Rose successfully beat Stark to retain her title on Tuesday’s episode of NXT 2.0: Heatwave after targeting the knee of Stark throughout the match and pinning her with a running knee strike while having Stark’s knee brace.

Stark was sidelined from October 2021 to July with a torn ACL/Meniscus.

Two segments were previously announced for tonight’s SmackDown, including The Viking Raiders holding a ‘viking funeral’ for The New Day and a face-to-face between Drew McIntyre and Roman Reigns ahead of their Undisputed WWE Universal Title bout at Clash at the Castle next month.

There is “A Ton of Backstage Drama” in AEW Right Now

Thomas Lowson
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During this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, CM Punk challenged ‘Hangman’ Adam Page to a title match, which was not accepted by the Cowboy.

It has since been reported that Punk’s actions were not part of the plans for the show, and that the AEW World Champion knew that Page was not scheduled to appear on the show.

Seemingly going into business for himself, Punk’s promo has sparked a discussion among fans about reported real-life beef between himself and the man he dethroned as AEW World Champion in May.

Backstage Drama

Punk and Page appear to have some issues, but they are not the only ones who are causing things to be tense behind the scenes.

Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that “a ton of backstage drama involving many of the top guys that has gotten much worse in recent weeks.”

Meltzer added that AEW President Tony Khan may have no other choice but to arrange a meeting with everyone to “air everything out” before things get any worse.

“It feels like a number of people are close to their breaking point if things don’t get settled.”

Dave Meltzer on the tensions within AEW right now.

Unhappy Talent

Punk may have a problem with ‘Hangman’ Adam Page, but the reigning AEW World Champion isn’t the only unhappy talent right now.

Earlier this month, Miro liked a tweet suggesting that he had it better in WWE, where he became a three-time United States Champion as ‘Rusev.’

A separate tweet, that argued that Miro was being wasted in AEW, and the same went for Andrade El Idolo, was liked by the former NXT Champion.

CM Punk’s UFC Opponent Reacts To Recent Controversy
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