The behind-the-scene tensions in AEW have been a major topic of discussion recently. Every time it seems like things have settled down, a new report of heat between stars or a new altercation comes out, leading to more speculation. Though according to Chris Jericho, despite all this, the positivity within the company is off the charts.
Y2J recently had an interview with Comicbook.com. He first commented on the reports of him stepping up as a locker room leader in the past few months. Jericho explained that AEW has only been around for three years and the company has growing pains. This is why people like him, Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley have to come forward.
Commenting on the reports of the backstage environment of the promotion, Chris Jericho claimed that there is always going to be little dips and dots in any locker room:
“The funny thing is, everyone’s got an opinion when they’re online and the social media and all that stuff. We know what’s really happening and we know, sure there’re things you got to fix, but the positivity in our company is off the charts and the optimism of where we’re going over the next few years is also off the charts.”
Chris Jericho then stirred the conversation toward AEW’s third-year anniversary. He explained that it’s huge because when they started the company, they weren’t sure about having even a single anniversary. Per the former AEW champion, they are now taking care of the issues and focusing on the positives, which are 98% to two.
Liv Morgan recently piqued people’s interest when she posted a photo with none other than the fastest-rising star in pro wrestling history – MJF.
The AEW star has been teasing a bidding war over him when his current contract with AEW expires in 2024. Many believe that the 26-year-old might actually end up jumping ships when the time comes.
Morgan was asked about the photo with the AEW talent during a recent interview with Metro. She revealed that it was taken during a birthday party:
“Aha! So, I went to my friend Skylar’s birthday party and he was just there! I had never met him before that. We had great, great, great, great banter. We have a lot in common actually!”
Speaking about the possibility of MJF joining WWE in 2024, Liv Morgan claimed that only the Wrestling Devil can decide what’s best for him:
“When 2024 comes, I think only he can know or decide what is best. I think whatever he wants to do is gonna be the best decision for him. Wherever he goes, I’m just he’ll be a star.”
Morgan also continued teasing a major acting project. She didn’t provide much detail but said that there is some news coming out soon that is a ‘literal dream come true.’
United States Champion Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch attended tonight’s football game in Chicago.
Seth Rollins captured the United States Championship from Bobby Lashley this past Monday night on RAW.
The Visionary had attacked Bobby Lashley on the RAW before WWE Extreme Rules. Lashley had just successfully defended the United States Championship against Mustafa Ali. Seth attacked after the bell and planted the champion with a Stomp.
On this past Monday’s episode of RAW, Bobby Lashley was ready to defend his title when The Beast Brock Lesnar’s music hit. Brock attacked Lashley and hit him with a couple of F5s. Seth then goaded Lashley into still having the match by questioning his courage. Rollins capitalized on a wounded Lashey and defeated The All Mighty to capture the title.
Seth Rollins & Becky Lynch Attend Chicago Bears Game
The Chicago Bears are currently playing the Washington Commanders on Thursday night football. Ahead of kickoff, the Bears’ official Twitter account sent out a photo of Seth and Becky at the game. Seth had the United States Championship around his shoulder in the photograph.
The post had the caption “we love football” above the image. Rollins often tweets out “I love football” or “I hate football” depending on whether the Bears won the game or not.
Becky Lynch last wrestled at this year’s SummerSlam PLE. Big Time Becks battled for the RAW Women’s Championship but lost to Bianca Belair. After the match, Damage CTRL (Bayley, IYO SKY, Dakota Kai) arrived and surrounded the champion. Becky turned babyface and stood by The EST’s side and Damage CTRL retreated.
The following night on RAW, Damage CTRL attacked Becky to write her off of television as she recovers from a separated shoulder suffered at SummerSlam. Lynch posted about attending tonight’s football game and you can check that out below.
Hardy names various wrestlers who he thinks are the best he’s worked with in his career. He lists wrestlers like Eddie Guerrero, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Rock, Brock Lesnar, and Edge & Christian.
He shared who thinks are the best “with the newer style of wrestling.” “Three guys that I have to give shoutouts to because they truly do have great minds for what they do and they’re very polarizing, but Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks. I’ve loved my experiences with them as well. It’s funny, you know, people sleep on the Young Bucks, but they really do know their shit. I mean, they can work an old school-style match if they needed to. They’re very well-versed in everything. They are extremely smart in how they put together their shit. They’re great.”
Matt Hardy would like to work with these AEW wrestlers
(AEW)
When asked who we wants to work with in AEW that he hasn’t worked with yet, Hardy immediately replied, “Kenny Omega”. For younger talent, he wants to work with MJF. He revealed that it was discussed at one point during the Pandemic Era.
Although they worked together some in WWE, the current AEW World Champion, Jon Moxley, is someone who would love to work with now and have a “one-on-one match with.”
After getting to work with “All Ego” Ethan Page a little bit, Hardy can see the similarities that host Jon Alba pointed out, such as his “wrestling acumen”.
Bray Wyatt made his triumphant return to WWE last Saturday at Extreme Rules. Matt Hardy reacted to his friend’s return on the latest episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy.
Hardy and Wyatt were paired together during Hardy’s last WWE run when he was “Woken Matt”. They were rivals that had a feud culminating in “The Ultimate Deletion”. They eventually became a tag team, “The Deleters of Worlds”, and became RAW Tag Team Champions.
Many fans have had concerns about how Wyatt will be handled upon his return to the ring. On RAW, his return was aired again. A new vignette of Bray in his current mask was also shown between Seth Rollins and Matt Riddle’s matches (his return followed their match at Extreme Rules). Fans took to Twitter to voice their displeasure that Wyatt himself was not on RAW.
“First and foremost, I’m so happy for him. He loves wrestling, but it’s one of those things, towards the end, he was burned out in many ways. He was very frustrated with a lot of Vince’s decisions, I think. And to see him back and doing what he does best and doing it passionately, I love it. I thought the re-introduction was so amazing. I love how you have all these characters from the Firefly Funhouse and now they’re real. They’re showing up in different parts of the arena. It was done in such a cinematic way, such a theatrical way. I love the presentation, I love the reaction it got. And the fact that he came out with the lantern –a nice callback to old school Bray– and blew it out. I loved that. And the concept behind the ‘Wyatt 6’; six individuals that are kind of like all within his mind and they’re all somehow real now. I like the possibilities behind this.”
WWE has to follow through with Bray Wyatt
Hardy shares in the concern about how Wyatt will be handled. “They have to capitalize. Once again, it was Philadelphia and Philadelphia fans they won’t come for you unless you give them some shit that they want and that they like. They’re very passionate about how they react to things and their reaction was off the charts. So, that really speaks volumes about much wrestling fans in general care about Bray and his return. So yeah, I think they have to capitalize on it and make the most of it and they have to really be smart with how they progress forward.”
“He’s such a unique character too. There’s so many idiosyncrasies with everything he does. So you really have to–the devil’s in the details. You really have to pay attention to the details. Bray’s good at that. Hopefully with Triple H behind the helm now, he’s going to stay on top of it too.”
On the QR codes and viral marketing, Hardy said he loves “that type of stuff where fans have to work a little bit and where they figure it out, they get a payoff.” He thinks today’s fans are smarter and appreciate stuff like that.
Bray Wyatt made his shocking return at the conclusion of WWE Extreme Rules this past Saturday night.
WWE ran a wildly successful ‘White Rabbit’ teaser campaign that dished out clues and kept fans engaged in the mystery up until the Premium Live Event over the weekend.
After Matt Riddle defeated Seth Rollins in the Fight Pit match, he posed with UFC legend Daniel Cormier on top of the entrance ramp. The lights went out and the Firefly Funhouse set was shown abandoned with cobwebs all around.
The puppets in the Firefly Funhouse came to life in human form in the crowd as a mysterious door was shown on the ramp. Bray Wyatt emerged and blew out his lantern as the crowd in the Wells Fargo Center lost their collective minds. Bray Wyatt has since been placed on the SmackDown roster since his debut.
Eva Marie Teases A Return On WWE SmackDown
Former WWE Superstar Eva Marie took to Twitter to share a video of her launching a Lilly doll toward a trash can. The caption claimed that if she made the shot, she will be returning to WWE tomorrow night on SmackDown. Eva tagged Bray Wyatt, WWE, WWE on Fox, and Peacock in the post. The video ended with Bray Wyatt’s logo before it was revealed whether Eva made the shot or not.
Eva Marie signed a contract to return to WWE in October 2020. A vignette aired on the May 3, 2021, edition of RAW in which she said she wanted to help others and promoted the “Eva-Lution. Doudrop, formerly known as Piper Niven joined the main roster as Eva’s protege the following week. Eva’s last appearance in WWE was on September 27th last year. She was attacked by Shayna Baszler in an injury angle and was then released by the company on November 4th.
Bryan Danielson debuted in All Elite Wrestling last year at All Out.
He arrived just after Adam Cole made his debut with the company as well. Danielson stood by Christian Cage and former AEW Tag Team Champions Jurassic Express’ side and battled The Elite to end the PPV. Danielson has had some tremendous matches in All Elite Wrestling but some fans were hoping for more for The American Dragon in the promotion.
Here are the 3 ways Bryan Danielson has been underutilized in AEW:
Zero Title Reigns
Bryan Danielson arrived in All Elite Wrestling with all the fanfare a wrestler could imagine. His match AEW World Championship with Kenny Omega at Dynamite: Grand Slam last year was legendary. The crowd in Arthur Ashe popped just because the bell rang. Omega and Danielson had a tremendous match that ended in a time-limit draw.
Bryan Danielson vs Kenny Omega last year at Grand slam was genuinely one of the best matches I’ve ever seen.
Speaking of time-limit draw finishes, Bryan Danielson wrestled Hangman Page to a 60-minute draw at AEW Dynamite: Winter is coming on December 15th, 2021. It was another great match, but the build-up to it was what was special in my opinion.
Danielson had morphed into a heel and was doing some of the best work of his career. Hangman Page had just defeated Kenny Omega at Full Gear in November 2021 and had the crowd behind him. Danielson used the time-limit draw as a way to get another match for the title a few weeks later on Dynamite.
Hangman went on to defeat Danielson in just under a half hour to retain the AEW World Championship on the January 5th Dynamite earlier this year. In the past month, Danielson has lost his two other opportunities at a championship. He lost the finals of the Tournament of Champions at this year’s Dynamite: Grand Slam to Jon Moxley. Danielson battled Chris Jericho for the ROH Championship on this past Wednesday’s edition of Dynamite and once again was on the losing end.
There have been multiple opportunities to elevate Bryan Danielson to a higher status on the roster. The timing may not have been right to put the title on Bryan during his feud with Hangman. However, in hindsight, he probably would have gotten a lot more out of a feud with Adam Cole than Hangman did in his forgettable rivalry with him earlier this year.
Just A Part Of The Group
In the months after losing both title matches to Hangman Adam Page, Danielson entered a rivalry with Jon Moxley. They battled at AEW Revolution and Moxley picked up the victory. Bryan was still a heel at the time and wanted to form a partnership with Moxley. Jon wasn’t interested until the two bled together. After the match, Danielson and Moxley continued to fight until the legendary William Regal arrived and thus began the Blackpool Combat Club.
Following Revolution, Danielson & Moxley wrestled as a tag team for three episodes of Dynamite in a row (3/16, 3/23, 3/30) and then that was it. They didn’t go after the tag titles, instead, they expanded their group. Wheeler Yuta joined the Blackpool Combat Club, followed by former ROH Champion Claudio Castagnoli. Claudio debuted in AEW as Bryan Danielson’s replacement at Forbidden Door on June 26th.
Blackpool Combat Club entered a rivalry with Jericho Appreciation Society that I thought culminated in the Anarchy in the Arena at Double or Nothing in May, but is somehow still going on. The Anarchy in the Arena match pitted Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson, Santana, Ortiz, and Eddie Kingston against Chris Jericho, Jake Hager, Matt Menard, Angelo Parker, and Daniel Garcia.
The finish of the match saw Bryan Danielson pass out due to being in the Walls of Jericho and being choked out by Jake Hager at the same time. Danielson’s last victory at an AEW PPV came at Full Gear last year in November against Miro in the finals of the World Title Eliminator tournament.
He then went on to defeat members of the Dark Order until losing to AEW World Champion Hangman Page twice. Somehow Bryan Danielson has found himself as a role player in Blackpool Combat Club and Moxley is firmly established as the biggest star of the group.
Ignoring Today To Build The Stars Of Tomorrow
The storyline between Chris Jericho and Bryan Danielson revolved around Daniel Garcia. The 24-year-old is a phenomenal talent in the ring, and the idea of wrestling icons Chris Jericho and Bryan Danielson arguing over the direction of Garcia’s career sounds great on paper.
Garcia’s struggle over deciding whether he’s a “sports entertainer” or a “professional wrestler” was entertaining, and prompted the “AEW Galaxy” to chant “you’re a wrestler!” at Daniel several times.
Jericho Appreciation Society wears ridiculous outfits, is flashy, and parodies Vince McMahon’s “sports entertainment” vision for wrestling. The issue is Vince McMahon resigned from WWE three months ago and the goofiness has already started to fade from RAW and SmackDown. So who are they parodying at this point?
There’s no doubt that Daniel Garcia will benefit from being in Jericho’s group, and would have been a great addition to the Blackpool Combat Club. One has to wonder if there was a better way of telling the story without handing Danielson additional losses.
Cody Rhodes exited All Elite Wrestling because he didn’t want to be a “gatekeeper wrestler”. The American Nightmare put himself into a bit of a box by stating that he wouldn’t challenge for the AEW World Championship again as an EVP if he lost to Chris Jericho at Full Gear 2019. Cody lost the match after MJF threw in the towel on his behalf, and hit Rhodes with a low blow after the bell.
Now, it appears that Bryan Danielson is penciled in as a role player, or a storyline device in All Elite Wrestling. He’s referred to as the “best wrestler on the planet” by AEW World Champion Jon Moxley, but just can never seem to defeat his fellow Blackpool Combat Club member. Or anyone for that matter when a title is on the line.
There is plenty to love about AEW and there is also a lot to criticize. The same could be said for any promotion on the planet. However, the missed opportunities for Bryan Danielson are starting to mount and who knows how long The American Dragon has left inside the squared circle. It would be nice to see Danielson have a moment or two in AEW before it is too late.
Renee Paquette made her debut last night for All Elite Wrestling and kicked off Dynamite.
She worked in WWE under the name “Renee Young” from 2012 – 2020. Renee served as a backstage interviewer, host (Talking Smack, WWE Backstage), and briefly as a commentator on RAW.
After departing WWE, Renee launched her podcast, “The Sessions” on Fox’s Colin Cowherd’s The Volume network. She also recently landed a new gig with the Cincinnati Bengals. Paquette hosts the series “Renee All Dey” for the organizations and interviews a different player every week.
Paquette got a pop from her hometown crowd in Toronto as she opened this week’s episode of Dynamite. She interviewed Christian Cage before the match between Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus. Cage is also from the area but mocked the crowd as a heel during the interview.
Kayla Braxton Wishes Renee Paquette Was Still In WWE
Renee spoke about her debut in AEW on her podcast today and said she was happy to be back in the world of professional wresting.
“I’m so excited to be back in the world of professional wrestling.”
WWE personality Kayla Braxton responded to the news and said she wishes Renee was back with us (WWE). Kayla added that she is “super pumped” for Renee and congratulated her on everything she has going on.
Not gonna lie – wish she was back with us, but super pumped for this woman and all she’s got going on. Congrats @ReneePaquette you bad ass, you!
Not gonna lie – wish she was back with us, but super pumped for this woman and all she’s got going on. Congrats, @ReneePaquette, you bad ass, you! https://t.co/YpMpTjdmIU
Renee’s husband, AEW World Champion Jon Moxley, is set to defend the title against Hangman Adam Page on next week’s Dynamite. It will be a special Tuesday night edition of the show airing from Moxley’s hometown of Cincinnati in the Heritage Bank Center. Hangman Adam Page confronted the champion last night ahead of the title match next week.
WWE Superstar Edge has been cast in an upcoming series for Disney+.
He’s currently involved in a bitter rivalry with the group he created, The Judgment Day. This past Saturday at WWE Extreme Rules, Edge battled Finn Balor in an I Quit match. Judgment Day interfered but Rey Mysterio made the save. Rhea Ripley then attacked Edge’s wife, Beth Phoenix, and threatened to hit her with a con-chair-to if The Rated-R Superstar didn’t quit.
Edge uttered the words “I quit” to end the match, but Ripley opted to hit Beth with the con-chair-to anyway. Ripley recently took to Twitter and claimed that she’s the person that Edge wanted her to be.
Adam Copeland Cast In “Percy Jackson and the Olympians“
It was reported today by Variety that Adam Copeland (Edge), alongside Suzanne Cryer and Jessica Parker Kennedy, has been cast in the upcoming series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” for Disney +.
Edge will appear in the series as a recurring guest star. The 48-year-old will play “Ares” in the series, a character described to Variety as “handsome in a wicked way and arrogant, despite not being the sharpest tool in the shed. He loves conflict and acts as an agent of chaos wherever he goes.” The series is not scheduled to be released until early 2024.
Edge Set To Retire In Toronto Next Year
The Ultimate Opportunist defeated The Judgment Day’s Damian Priest in the main event of RAW in Toronto on August 22nd. After the match, Edge grabbed a microphone and revealed to the crowd that he plans on retiring when WWE returns to Toronto in 2023.
I can’t wait to hopefully come back one last time here in Toronto. I’m looking at the calendar, we usually come here in August. So next August, I plan on seeing each and every one of you. And in a perfect world, we all say goodbye to each other on that night.
Hey but that is okay man. This is the place we need to do it, okay? I mean this when I say it, I love all of you. And in case you missed it, I love being Canadian!
Road Dogg doesn’t understand CM Punk’s us of “Cult Of Personality” as his entrance theme.
Taking to his podcast, “Oh You Didn’t Know,” Road Dogg discussed Punk’s use of the song by Living Colour for his theme. In Dogg’s opinion, the song doesn’t really match Punk’s personality.
“Buying ‘Cult of Personality’ for CM Punk makes zero sense to me. Yes that was his theme song for a minute, but why?
“[Whatever song they would’ve picked for his return] would’ve been fine, it would’ve been CM Punk’s new song and they could’ve found one in a music library that was close enough to where we can either copy this, rip it off a little bit, change it a little bit and own it, or we can just use that one, pay the library costs.
“I don’t know, I don’t think the’ Cult of Personality’ defines him in my mind or not. I don’t know if I’m just bringing that up because I’m negative about him all the time.”
Road Dogg and CM Punk have certainly had their issues with one another in the past. In a past podcast, the D-X member noted that he once wanted to fight Punk for the lack of respect he would show to veterans such as himself and The New Age Outlaws.
Currently, Punk is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) where he is a multi-time World Champion for the promotion. However, he’s currently nursing an injury that has him sidelined from in-ring action.
He was also involved in a backstage altercation with other AEW talents that has caused quite a bit of backstage drama within the promotion. His future with AEW remains in question.
Former WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon and former Talent Relations head John Laurinaitis passed on renewing Saraya’s contract when it expired.
Fightful Select has a new report regarding the WWE departure of Saraya, formerly known as Paige. When she was informed of the news that WWE wasn’t going to re-sign her, she went public with her statement. Saraya’s WWE contract was surprisingly low, and many of her outside projects were restricted to some degree.
It was said that while Saraya was on the shelf for the majority of the last five years, there were “some confusing messages sent regarding about her physical status, ability to wrestle, and the way that things went down.”
WWE’s Offer
(AEW)
The new WWE regime did offer her the role of General Manager a month after her deal was not renewed. When the regime made that offer, she was told that if she ever wanted to return to in-ring action, the company would help make that happen. There had been rumors of WWE getting Saraya multiple doctors to get her medically cleared, but this report dismissed it and said WWE didn’t go to the extent of getting her checked out for an in-ring return.
Instead, Saraya went through three extensive health checks herself to gain clearance. WWE reportedly was not interested in bringing Saraya back before the new regime. Also, that regime wouldn’t sign off on X-rays to have her examined. The case of her wrestling again was said to be closed as far as the old regime was concerned.
When Triple H took over, his regime did make efforts to get Saraya back into the mix, as there is a positive relationship between the two sides. Triple H was reportedly said to be shocked when the old regime did not renew Saraya’s deal.
Ultimately the freedom to do outside projects without giving up a cut in pay, and other contract terms, led to Saraya going with AEW instead of returning to WWE.
The Rock has offered up his thoughts on the recent backstage changes that have gone on within WWE.
During a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, The Rock was asked about the recent changes that have gone on within WWE backstage. He called it an “interesting shift” that the company is going through, praising their ability to pivot.
“What an interesting shift that the company has gone through this year, unexpected in many ways, but when unexpectations happen in that kind of way, that form or fashion, especially in that business, you gotta have the ability and the agility to pivot, which they have.”
“With Roman, I think he’s doing a pretty good job, and the boys too, the Usos too.”
Recently, the creative leadership within WWE has taken a major turn. Amidst sexual misconduct allegations against longtime WWE CEO Vince McMahon, “The Chairman Of The Board” was forced to step down from the position, allowing Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan to step up as co-CEOs.
(@TheRock)
Shortly after, investigations into the allegations began, and McMahon retired from WWE altogether. This left the creative reigns to former WWE Champion and McMahon’s son-in-law Triple H.
Since the change, the general reception from fans and backstage talent has been mostly positive.
Ronda Rousey actually had pitched a finish for her Extreme Rules match with Liv Morgan that was turned down.
“The Rowdy One” revealed this during a live stream on her YouTube channel. The pitch apparently mimicked that of the finish of their match at SummerSlam, but instead featured thumb tacks for Rousey to be slammed on.
“I pitched the finish to be on thumbtacks. She would put down the thumbtacks and powerbomb me on the thumbtacks and then as a repeat of our finish before, I would go for the armbar on the thumbtacks and they would start counting the pin.
“Then I would have to push up to my one shoulder. Like into the thumbtacks to keep the armbar… Liv would be like bite her hand, trying not to tap out and pass out face down into the thumbtacks and have her hand protect the face.
“They said we can’t use thumbtacks anymore. That legally we can’t like purposefully, like, injure people, like, cut through skin and stuff. I don’t know.”
(via WWE)
Rousey captured the SmackDown Women’s Title from Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania Backlash in an I Quit match back in May. At Money In The Bank this past July, Rousey successfully defended the title against Natalya.
However, Liv Morgan, who won the Women’s Money In The Bank briefcase earlier in the night, cashed in on and defeated an already beaten down Rousey to win the SmackDown Women’s Title for the first time in her career.
After successfully retaining the title against Rousey at SummerSlam in controversial fashion, the pair rematched yet again at Extreme Rules, but this time in an actual Extreme Rules match.
The ex-UFC champion picked up the win via submission after a grueling match. Now, Ronda Rousey is in the midst of her second-ever reign with the title.
Saraya has revealed why she wasn’t on this week’s episode of All Elite Wrestling (AEW) Dynamite.
Some fans were confused as to why AEW’s newest signing wasn’t on this week’s episode of Dynamite. However, Saraya took to Twitter to explain that she wasn’t on the show this week because she had to make a trip home to the U.K.
It should be noted that Saraya’s uncle, Julian, passed away earlier this month. Saraya did note that she’d be back for next week’s episode in Cincinnati.
The 30-year-old began her professional wrestling career back in 2005. She signed with WWE in 2011 under the ring name “Paige.” In perhaps one of the most memorable main roster debuts in recent memory, Paige debuted on Monday Night RAW the night after WrestleMania 30.
She congratulated then-champion AJ Lee on her successful title defense the night before, but after Lee slapped her, this lead to an impromptu title defense in which Paige actually won. Paige also held the NXT Women’s Title at the time.
(AEW)
Unfortunately, Paige’s career was plagued by injuries throughout her WWE run, as the last few years of her time with the company resulted in no in-ring competition due to her inability to get cleared medically.
However, after her contract with WWE expired earlier this year, Saraya opted to sign with AEW, who has since medically cleared her for in-ring competition.
The legendary team the British Bulldogs are back for a new era of wrestling and are set to make their debut at MLW Fightland 2022.
The original Bulldogs consisted of real-life cousins Tom ‘Dynamite Kid’ Billington, and Davey Boy Smith, and competed in their native UK, Japan, and North America.
The duo held the WWF World Tag Team Championships on one occasion and the Stampede International Tag Team Titles twice.
The New Bulldogs
In a statement on their official website, MLW confirmed that a new era of Bulldogs will be debuting soon.
The group, now a trio, will consist of Davey Boy Smith Jr., and his cousins Tom and Mark Billington, the nephews of the Dynamite Kid.
The group will take on the Bomaye Fight Club, consisting of Alex Kane, Mr. Thomas, and Myron Reed.
MLW Fightland will take place on October 30, 2022 at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, better known as the stomping ground of the original ECW.
MLW Fightland
The debut of the new British Bulldogs is just one part of what is shaping up to be a stacked card.
The show will also see Sam Adonis, who signed with MLW this month, face a mystery opponent, while Jacob Fatu takes on Lio Rush.
Reigning MLW World Middleweight Champion Shun Skywalker will put his title on the line against an opponent yet to be announced.
In the main event, reigning MLW World Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone will defend against E.J. Nduka (Ezra Judge in WWE NXT) in a Last Man Standing match.
Drew McIntyre has offered his reaction to the 15th anniversary since making his WWE debut.
McIntyre took to Twitter and reflected on 15 years since making his debut with the company on an October episode of SmackDown in 2007. He noted that he had only been in the United States for two weeks at the time and the titantron had gotten his name wrong.
Check out what he had to say here:
“15 years ago this fresh faced kid made his @WWE debut. I had only been in America for about 2 weeks, the titantron got my name wrong, and I didn’t know what a hard-cam was or how to find it. Craziest part is I’m still 37 years younger than @WWESheamus“
15 years ago this fresh faced kid made his @WWE debut. I had only been in America for about 2 weeks, the titantron got my name wrong, and I didn't know what a hard-cam was or how to find it. Craziest part is I’m still 37 years younger than @WWESheamuspic.twitter.com/WkpmjVJovY
McIntyre’s first run with WWE lasted from 2007 to 2014. After being released from the company, he spent three years on the independent circuit reinventing himself before returning to WWE.
Throughout his time with WWE, the Scottish star has racked up two WWE Title wins, an Intercontinental Title run, an NXT Champion, and a two-time RAW Tag Team Champion. McIntyre was also the winner of the 2020 Royal Rumble match.
Now, Drew McIntyre is one of the top stars over on SmackDown Live on Friday nights, and still very much involved in the World Title picture.
Jon Moxley is at the top of the wrestling world. While he is financially set and can quit anytime he wants to, the AEW champion isn’t planning on going away anytime soon.
The AEW star recently spoke to Sports Illustrated. He talked about things such as helping younger talents, his battle with alcohol addiction and more.
Speaking about his goals in wrestling, Mox mentioned that he wants to get better with every match he wrestles. Per the 36-year-old, he wants to wrestle into his 50s:
“My goal is to keep getting way better. I want to wrestle into my 50s and become one of those crusty old-man wrestlers. It’s going to be f—ing awesome.”
– Jon Moxley
The former WWE star also commented on his new AEW contract. He claimed that his job is the best in the world and he is lucky to have it. According to Jon Moxley, all he worries about in AEW is wrestling.
Hours before Dynamite, AEW President Tony Khan had confirmed Paquette’s ‘All-Elite’ status with a tweet.
Commentary
Before coming to AEW, Paquette worked as an interviewer in WWE, before rising to the ranks of Raw commentator.
Paquette’s arrival at the desk in September 2018 made her the first female full-time WWE commentator but faced criticism from some fans.
In her first appearance on ‘The Sessions’ since her AEW status was confirmed, Paquette was asked if she’d commentate for AEW.
“No. I shouldn’t say no, but I also feel like anyone who just heard you [co-host Emilio Sparks] ask, probably had the same reaction. ‘No thanks, we don’t need that. We don’t want that.’ And that’s always how I felt about it… People had such a negative reaction to it, and it just wasn’t the thing that I wanted it to be.”
While Paquette isn’t interested in the role, she still could not fully rule out the idea of commentating.
“If the opportunity made sense and it was something that everyone was on the same page about, maybe, but I just don’t see that being what I want to do.”
Being All-Elite
Paquette’s AEW arrival comes over two years after leaving WWE, where she worked as Renee Young.
Speaking about signing with AEW, Paquette said that it was more-so her husband [AEW World Champion Jon Moxley] who made the first step.
“For as much as I’d been around a lot, I’d never really talked to Tony about coming into AEW. A lot of it, and this is probably going to sound bad, and I’m sure people are going to take this out of context. Honestly, a lot of it was talking to Jon. Of being like ‘man, I want to get back in the wrestling world. I miss being around it. I miss doing stuff.’ So most of our conversations were internally between Jon and I.
“Him [Moxley] and Tony are obviously very close. They spend tons of time talking about things, so I think it was more so them talking about it. I think a lot of people thought I was done with wrestling to a degree.”
When asked later on, Paquette said that once the discussions about her joining AEW started, it did not take long for a deal to be struck.
“It all happened really fast. It literally happened so fast. Jon and I had been talking about it, and then the next day, my manager is calling me being like ‘oh yeah, they’re reaching out. I’m getting the contract through.'”
Feeling Displaced
Paquette made her on-screen AEW debut this week, but it was hardly the first time she had been at an event.
Being married to Moxley, Paquete is said to have been a regular behind the scenes before signing.
Early into the podcast, she explained how while she enjoyed her time as a guest of AEW, she never felt quite right.
“It was always sort of an odd displaced sort of feeling anytime I went to shows with Jon. Because I’m always used to being at shows, but working and being useful and contributing. So being there for the duration of Jon being at AEW and not doing that… It’s just a different feeling going there as a guest as opposed to now.
Differences with WWE
Paquette is excited to work with AEW, and has done plenty over the past two years, but is well aware that her name was made as part of WWE.
AEW allows their talent more freedom in their work, something that Paquette is very excited for.
“This is going to be a very different situation with AEW. Because my time with WWE was very much ‘here’s the interview, here’s the script. This is what we’re going to do.’ That’s now how AEW operates, so that is exciting for me.
“Now I get to actually interview people, if that makes sense? I mean, I was reading scripts before and I enjoy doing that. But this is different, actually interviewing people about things.”
Not Taking Shots
Paquette is the latest WWE alum to be welcomed with open arms by Tony Khan, who has never shied away from taking digs at WWE.
Much like the company President, AEW talent aren’t opposed to jibes about the competition, something that Paquette wants no part of.
“People become very territorial about WWE vs. AEW and all that. I want nothing to do with any of that. I love so many people at both companies.WWE was so great to me for years. Of course, I could have my gripes about things, but who couldn’t about any job?”
Paquette’s first assignment took place on this week’s AEW Dynamite, interviewing fellow WWE veteran Christian Cage.
Mandy Rose has thanked fans for their support in a statement confirming the death of her brother.
Rose, the reigning NXT Women’s Champion, has been missing from the past two weeks of programming.
On this week’s NXT, Rose’s real-life best friend Sonya Deville filled in for her, aligning with Toxic Attractions Jacy Jayne and Gigi Dolin.
Her Statement
After Rose missed last week’s WWE NXT, some suggested that she was facing a personal tragedy.
In an Instagram post, Rose spoke of losing someone, which was believed to be her brother Richard.
During her most recent Instagram Stories post, Rose confirmed reports of her brother’s passing and thanked those who have sent their support.
“I just wanted to thank everyone who paid their respects for my brother. The last few days weren’t easy but we’re so thankful for all of our family and friends who supported us in this tragic time & celebrated Richie’s life. I know Richie would even be surprised to see how many people cared about him and loved him. Still feels like a bad dream. RIP Richie.. we love you.“
Richard Saccomanno
Richard Saccomano is believed to have passed away on October 3, aged 40 and no cause of death has been made public knowledge.
Services for Saccommano will take place at the Joseph A. Scarano Pines Memorial Chapel, in Peekskill, New York.
We here at SEScoops would like to offer our deepest condolences to Mandy Rose and her family at this incredibly sad time.
Adam Cole’s future with AEW is in serious doubt as he continues to recover from a particularly nasty concussion.
Cole debuted for AEW in September 2021 at that year’s All Out, days after competing for WWE at their NXT TakeOver 36 event.
At AEWxNJPW Forbidden Door in June this year, Cole suffered a concussion during a four-way match for Jay White’s IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
Could be Never
After a short absence from TV, Cole returned on the August 3, episode of AEW Rampage, but confirmed that he was still not medically cleared.
Speaking on the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that there’s still no sign of Cole’s return to the ring.
“It’s a concussion, it’s a bad concussion. Real bad concussion. He’ll be back when he’s cleared – it could be tomorrow, and it could be never, you know what I mean?”
Dave Meltzer on Adam Cole’s ongoing concussion issues.
AEW Bay Bay!
Cole’s arrival in AEW at All Out 2021 was a shocking moment, earning the Dynamite award for the Biggest Surprise of the year.
Cole has said that working with new talent, access to his Twitch stream, and being able to spend more time with his girlfriend Britt Baker as reasons for his “fairly easy” decision.
Earlier this year, Cole challenged twice for the AEW World Champion, held at the time by ‘Hangman’ Adam Page, but lost at Revolution and on the April 15, episode of AEW Rampage in a Texas Deathmatch.
At Double or Nothing 2022, Cole defeated Samoa Joe to become the first-ever Men’s Owen Hart Cup winner.
Solo Sikoa of The Bloodline disclosed that the first time he met Triple H was before his debut at Clash at the Castle on the latest episode of the Cheap Heat podcast.
Sikoa admitted that he had no idea that he was being called up the main roster the first time he spoke with WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H.
You know, going to Cardiff, that was my first time meeting him (Triple H). At the time, he was not in NXT. When he signs people at NXT, he takes a picture with them. I think like a week before we were getting ready to take the picture with him, he had some differences and something had happened.
But that was my first time meeting him man. He brought me to the office and goes ‘hey man, welcome to Cardiff. You know this is your call-up right?’ I was like ‘no, I didn’t.’ He goes ‘yeah this is your call-up man for SmackDown, so welcome’.
Solo added that Triple H had to explain to him what he was doing at the Premium Live Event. The 29-year-old stated that The Game will talk to him after every match and give him advice.
He’ll talk to me every time after the match to give me some advice, which I’m really happy I got the chance to meet him.
Rosenberg asked Sikoa towards the end of the interview what it was like being in the ring with Drew McIntyre. Sikoa cost Drew his shot at the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Clash at the Castle. They battled on an episode of SmackDown in a match that ended in a DQ following interference from Karrion Kross.
He’s a pro. He’s been in the game for over twenty years I think. Me being in there with a guy like him man, I was happy to be in there because I learned so much. You know with guys like that have been around the game and I’m just coming up from NXT.
It is a whole different pace. It is a whole different ballgame from NXT to the main roster. If you can catch on and switch how you was in NXT to the main roster, I think you will fit in just fine.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Cheap Heat and give a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.
Solo Sikoa made his main roster at WWE Clash at the Castle in the main event.
The 29-year-old showed up during the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match between Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre.
Drew set up for the Claymore and appeared to have the match one but got distracted by Sikoa. Roman capitalized with a Spear to retain the title and continue his legendary reign. The Tribal Chief has been the champion for 772 days now, and is scheduled to defend against Logan Paul next month at WWE Crown Jewel.
Solo Sikoa Reveals The Advice He Got From Roman Reigns
Solo Sikoa chatted with Peter Rosenberg on the latest edition of The Ringer’s Cheap Heat podcast. Sikoa revealed that he hadn’t seen Roman for over 20 years before Clash at the Castle in Cardiff.
You know, seeing Roman in Cardiff, I hadn’t seen him for like 20 years. We really weren’t close but he was always around at our house playing with my brothers (The Usos). They were the same age and I was way younger than them.
Now coming into the business, I’m starting to get close with him even though the age gap is there. I’m really starting to get close with him because it’s Big Uce Roman Reigns, you know what I’m saying? He’s been running this game for a while now.
Rosenberg asked if The Tribal Chief gave Solo any advice before his debut at Clash at the Castle.
He just said be there. Be there on the timing. If you don’t do this and that during the match, it’s not going to work.
I remember when we got there, nobody knew I was there in Cardiff. None of the boys, just only certain people.
I remember that day man, we were just sitting in the locker room. It’s quiet. I was watching them get ready for their match and I didn’t want to say anything.
He was in his zone and I was in my zone. He was like man ‘I just need you to be here and I need you to execute this at this time’. And I did man, and it blew the roof off the place.
Solo added that Roman told him that he did a good job following the Premium Live Event last month.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Cheap Heat and give a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.
AEW made its Canada debut this week with Dynamite coming live from Toronto’s Coca-Cola Coliseum. The main event of the show saw Orange Cassidy challenging Pac for the All-Atlantic Title.
At one point in the match, Pac tried to use the title to get himself disqualified but Danhausen made a surprise appearance and stopped him.
Pac then retrieved a hammer from under the ring. However, Cassidy prevented him from using it. The Freshly Squeezed delivered a couple of Orange Punches to pick up the victory and win his first championship in the company.
The show went off the air with Orange Cassidy celebrating his title win alongside Danhausen and the Best Friends. Though this wasn’t the end of the night.
What Happened With Orange Cassidy After Dynamite
After the cameras stopped rolling, Cassidy mentioned how he doesn’t like to carry things. He called out for someone to bring his bag and it turned out to be none other than Kris Statlander.
After they put the title in the bag, Cassidy cut a promo thanking the fans. You can check out the new champion’s post-show promo in the video below:
The Bloodline’s Solo Sikoa has made his presence felt on the main roster since arriving at Clash at the Castle.
He is the younger brother of Undisputed Tag Team Champions The Usos and the son of WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi.
The 29-year-old has become The Enforcer of The Bloodline and recently demolished Ricochet & Madcap Moss for questioning if Sami Zayn was actually a member of The Bloodline. Solo captured the NXT North American Championship from Carmelo Hayes on the September 13th edition of NXT but was forced to relinquish the title a week later.
Sikoa defeated Madcap Moss on the September 16th edition of SmackDown to retain the title.
Solo Sikoa On Sami Zayn Being In The Bloodline
Solo joined Peter Rosenberg on the latest episode of The Ringer’s Cheap Heat podcast. During the conversation, Rosenberg noted that he sees a lot of Rikishi and Umaga in Sikoa. He asked Solo if there were any wrestlers that influenced him and he listed off several names from his family including Umaga, Yokozuna, The Usos, and Rikishi.
Solo Sikoa spoke about Sami Zayn and referred to the Honorary Uce as a little bother.
“Sami’s like that little brother, you know? He’s the loud brother, and he’s dancing all over the place. But when he bumps into trouble, he runs back to his older brothers for help.
I feel like Sami is like that. But he’s one of those characters man, where it is very one in a million to have him a round. And he’s in The Bloodline, so it doesn’t get no better than that.
Peter asked if wrestlers backstage pull Solo Sikoa aside and give him advice. Sikoa stated that happens from time to time but his brothers in The Bloodline usually take care of that.
There are some times when other people pull me aside, but I feel like my brothers, and Roman, and Sami already do that enough.
I am blessed to have these four guys around me. Sami, Roman, and my brothers are always giving me feedback on everything.
For me just coming up and just started, I’m very blessed and lucky to have that. Back in the day, or even now, a lot of guys wouldn’t do that.
I can tell all four of them care about me and want to see me succeed.
Sami is one of those guys where he’s a student of the game. He really knows his stuff. When he talks to me man, I’m all eyes and ears.
If you use quotes from this article, please credit Cheap Heat with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.
