Kenny Omega finally made his much-anticipated AEW return during this week’s episode of Dynamite after staying out of action for 9 months. He teamed up with The Young Bucks to compete in a first-round trios title tournament match.
The former AEW champion however, wrestled in a compression shirt instead of his usual ring attire. He also appeared to be in pain during the bout.
This led to speculations about his health and many wondered if Kenny Omega has been brought back prematurely. The AEW star only further fuelled these speculations with a Tweet after his return match where he talked about being a burden to the Bucks:
“The pieces aren’t all there yet but I refuse to burden the Bucks with my limitations. We have a real chance at this. I’ll be even stronger in round 2. I’ll surpass where I was at. I’ll surpass everyone.”
The pieces aren’t all there yet but I refuse to burden the Bucks with my limitations.
We have a real chance at this. I’ll be even stronger in round 2. I’ll surpass where I was at.
Dave Meltzer of F4Wonline provided some updates on The Cleaner’s health recently. He confirmed that Omega hasn’t been brought back before he was supposed to.
Per Meltzer, the whole thing where Kenny Omega seemed to be in pain was a work. It was part of a long-term storyline that will see the former champion eventually transform into the competitor fans expect him to be.
The team of Omega and Bucks have advanced to the semi-finals of the trios title tournament after their victory on Dynamite. They will now face the winners of the match between United Empire and Death Triangle.
WWE star Ciampa has offered up what he believes is the “craziest, funniest” part of Vince McMahon’s retirement.
Ciampa was recently interviewed on “Out Of Character” with Ryan Satin, where he gave his thoughts on the entire situation. The Monday Night RAW star noted that he believes the “craziest, funniest” part of it all was the fact that the 77-year-old McMahon retired via Twitter.
“The craziest, funniest part of it all was, of course the most powerful man in the history of professional wrestling tweeted out his retirement. One tweet, doesn’t need more than a 160 characters, no problem.
“It blew my mind. I heard a couple of texts before I saw it, and I looked and was like, ‘This is real.’ Aside from that, I’m not kidding you at all when I say that I just didn’t put much more thought into it.
“I’m just in such a different place in my life that I think my initial thing was, ‘I hope he’s happy. I hope he stops waking up at 3 AM to work out before his meetings. Dude, you deserve a retirement. You’re 77, go enjoy retirement.’
As we’ve noted, Vince McMahon was forced to step down as WWE CEO once allegations of sexual misconduct were levied against him. His daughter Stephanie McMahon and Nick Kahn then stepped in as co-CEOs in Vince’s place.
(via WWE)
Soon after, investigations began into the allegations into McMahon. As a result, McMahon then announced his retirement from WWE altogether, leaving his post as head of creative in WWE.
His son-in-law and multiple-time WWE World Champion Triple H would step up to fill the void. Although Ciampa has a great relationship with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, it’s a bittersweet ending to his working under McMahon.
“Of course, Hunter coming off all the health stuff, you’re like, ‘Well, I hope you’re ready for the deep end.’ But obviously, I have a good relationship with him and Steph, and their energy – it’s very positive.
“But I was also very much enjoying my time with Vince. I think everybody who gets into this, especially from our generation, wants that Vince pat on the back and bearhug and all that.
“He was giving me great feedback, and I was really happy with how things were developing. I’m still excited because when you give me an opportunity, I will take it and run.”
Sasha Banks has been an arch enemy for Charlotte Flair inside the ring and one of the best friends outside it for long. They started together at the bottom in NXT and have served as the faces of the Women’s Revolution alongside the other Horsewomen. That’s why Flair can’t even imagine never getting to wrestle the former champion again.
The Queen was the most recent guest of Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions. Among other things, she was asked for her thoughts on the situation with Sasha Banks and Naomi walking out of WWE.
Charlotte Flair mentioned how she has been away from WWE since WrestleMania Backlash, so she doesn’t really know the real story behind their walkout. Flair did admit that she cannot imagine never getting to wrestle Banks again:
“One, I haven’t been there because I left after Backlash. I know what it’s like to jump on social media and read these headlines that are so far from the truth. So I don’t know what happened but what I can say is – ‘I can’t imagine never wrestling Sasha again.'”
– Charlotte Flair
‘She Is My Ricky Steamboat’: Charlotte Flair
Charlotte Flair then claimed that Banks is her Ricky Steamboat. She explained that she is not in the position to speak on behalf of the company or the competitors:
“That would be hard for me to compartmentalize. Cause we started together. She is my Ricky Steamboat. My dad always tells her that. Then with Trin [Naomi], we just had hell of a match on SmackDown. And I’m like ‘Oh there is unfinished business there because of circumstances and storyline, whatever.’
So for me, I just can’t imagine not working with them, but in terms of what they are going through, it’s not my place to speak on behalf of the company or them because I am not there right now.”
The good news for both Flair and the fans of Banks and Naomi is that a lot of things have changed in WWE recently. The regime change has led to much positive environment being established between the talent and the management. The result of it is that both the former champions have reportedly agreed to a new agreement with the promotion.
If you use any quotes from the article, please creditSEScoops with an H/t for transcription
During this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, in a promo that was supposed to be angled at Jon Moxley, Punk instead started it off by taking a shot at Page, calling him a “coward.”
Initial reports indicate this was not part of the script. Wade Keller of PWTorch reports that there are, in fact, issues between Punk and Page.
However, he added that some wrestlers backstage in AEW wouldn’t put it past AEW president Tony Khan to do a work-shoot type of thing with it.
AEW
Keller did add, however, he doesn’t think that’s the case here. He also stated that Punk met with Khan in his locker room before Dynamite went on-air for a “decent amount of time.”
Despite the drama that unfolded on Dynamite (and all the subsequent fallout), Punk was acting fine backstage before the show with no signs of being disgruntled.
Punk has returned from a foot injury that required surgery to repair. He’s still the AEW World Champion, but in his absence, an interim champion in Jon Moxley was crowned.
Now, Punk will shift his focus to unifying his title with Moxley’s to determine the undisputed AEW World Champion.
Charlotte Flair is Steve Austin’s latest guest on The Broken Skull Sessions.
The two wrestling legends covered a lot of ground during the 90+ minute discussion. Topics discussed included breaking into the business, how her brother’s death changed the course of her life, coming up with the Four Horsewomen and much more.
The following are the main takeaways of what we learned from Charlotte Flair on Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions.
They started off talking about her recent wedding to Andrade, which was held in his hometown in Mexico. They honeymooned in Costa Rica and were grateful to have a full 7-day break from wrestling, which is rare these days.
Charlotte said it can be difficult being married to someone in the business, especially someone who works for a different company. At the end of the day, they’re best friends. It can be tough being married in the business, but it would be even harder being a woman in the business being married to someone on the outside. Few people can understand what a woman goes through as a pro wrestler and spouses who are not in the business would have a very tough time understanding that life.
Breaking into the Business
Charlotte Flair on Steve Austin’s The Broken Skull Sessions (via WWE)
She’s done it all at this stage of her career, but becoming a pro wrestler was not a childhood dream of hers. Even at 25 years old, she had no aspirations of being a wrestler. She got emotional talking about her brother Reid’s passing and carrying out his dream.
Before she got into wrestling, she remembers going backstage at WWE shows with her father and being intimidated by how beautiful all the Divas were.
She attended the Four Horsemen’s WWE Hall of Fame induction in 2012, along with her father and brother. They were sitting at dinner and a WWE producer came up to them and asked her, “Why aren’t you doing this?”
Got to FCW, didn’t know what she was doing, felt resentment because she didn’t need to do a tryout. Her brother passing away put her on a completely different path. It propelled her to the highest heights, but she still hasn’t fully processed it.
The Four Horsewomen vs. WWE Divas
Charlotte said she learned the most from the women who she came up with, Sasha Banks, Bayley and Becky Lynch. Together, they were dubbed the Four Horsewomen, an homage to her father and the legendary Four Horsemen faction. That was her group, that’s who she learned from and that’s who she felt the need to keep up with. She looked up the other women and they all got better by competing with each other.
During the time that the Four Horsewomen were getting buzz in NXT, WWE’s Divas division took notice. There was a sense of competition between the two rosters. She doesn’t know if they were making the women on the main roster nervous, but it definitely bred competition.
She remembers the Divas being fired up as the Four Horsewomen were getting called up. Charlotte, Sasha, Becky and Bayley were getting time in NXT, while the WWE Divas were not.
“We were getting the time in NXT, they weren’t, so it was like, being territorial,” she said. “We were hungry, they were hungry, but its not like the four of us [the Four Horsewomen] sat in a room and were like, ‘We’re going to change the game.’ We just didnt know how to look at it any different. We thought we were just as good.”
When she got to the main roster, she feuded with Nikki Bella. She remembers Nikki being very hungry to prove herself, which she saw as a good thing overall. She was still pretty green at the time, but felt confident in what they had been doing in NXT.
WrestleMania 32
WrestleMania 32 was a turning point for her career. She was Divas Champion at the time and competed against Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch in a match to crown the new WWE Women’s Champion.
She admits, “I still at this point don’t know what I’m doing.” Charlotte carries herself with an aura of confidence, which has helped her during times when she wasn’t so confident.
They felt a lot of pressure going into this match. After the reputation they had built for themselves, they absolutely had to deliver. They were nervous, but knew they had to knock it out of the park to get more opportunities. “If they trust us, they’ll give us more.”
Anyone could have won that night, but in the end, she was the victor. She said, when she won the Divas Championship at Hell in Cell 2015, she didn’t feel ready. When she won the Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 32, she felt ready.
Ric Flair
Steve Austin asked about Charlotte’s father, Ric, and how consistent their views about the business are. How often are they on the same page?
“It’s up and down,” she said. Sometimes she thinks he’s spot on, sometimes, she thinks he’s way off. She has a stronger athletic background than her father did. Sometimes, he encourages her to show off more of her athletic abilities, like moonsaults, but she understands and knows he’s just proud of her abilities
Austin asked what she learned about life on the road, having grown up with a father who was always making towns. She said, she learned what not to do. Ric Flair had so much fun during his wrestling career, she’s found herself on the opposite side of the spectrum, encouraging herself to loosen up more. She joked that she’s kept all her robes, laughed and left it at that.
Charlotte admits that she craves approval, but still feels like she’s a natural heel. Her father is Ric Flair, which is not exactly a relatable trait. Over time, she learned that heel heat is just as valuable, if not more valuable, than babyface pops.
She credits her match against Natalya at the first NXT Takeover (2014) as the moment she truly arrived. It put her on the map and established her in the eyes of the fans. She attained great success on the main roster, but it wasn’t until her match with Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series 2018 that she felt that she could perform 100% on instinct.
Charlotte Flair also played the “Word Association” game, a regular feature on Broken Skull Sessions. Here’s the first thing that came to mind for Charlotte when presented with the following topics:
Bayley: Role model
Ronda Rousey: Legit
Becky Lynch: Character
Trish Stratus: Queen
Lita: Teacher
Nikki Bella: Star
Asuka: Iron
Liv Morgan: Future
Rhea Ripley: Unfinished business
Watch Charlotte Flair’s appearance on Steve Austin’s The Broken Skull Sessions on Peacock.
MJF is expected to be back with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) “somewhat soon.”
A new report from Wrestling Observer Newsletter notes that MJF is expected back with the company soon after several months away from television. AEW seems hell-bent on bringing MJF back at this time given their upcoming TV deal negotiations.
Negotiations for a new TV deal will begin in a few months, so ratings from September up until whenever the deal gets done are more important now than ever. AEW has had a recent drop in ratings, which couldn’t have come at a worst time.
Bringing MJF back into the fold would certainly help things in that regard. MJF hasn’t been since on AEW TV since the post-AEW Double Or Nothing episode of Dynamite, in which he cut a scathing promo on AEW and president Tony Khan.
When Will MJF Return to AEW?
MJF has essentially vanished from professional wrestling since his ‘pipe bomb’ promo. His last match at Double Or Nothing saw MJF finally get what was coming to him against Wardlow, who laid waste to his former storyline employer.
Over the course of his run with AEW, Friedman has established himself as one of professional wrestling’s biggest young stars, turning heads with his amazing ability on the microphone. He has had some of the best feuds in AEW thus far, most notably against current World Champion CM Punk.
When he finally makes his return to AEW TV, it will be interesting to see if he jumps into the World Title conversation, as he’s yet to win the AEW World Title thus far.
WWE has a busy weekend ahead, with the Raw and SmackDown crews touring Canada, while NXT has two shows in Florida.
Here are a few interesting notes for what’s ahead:
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns will be making a rare live event appearance at Saturday’s SmackDown house show from Ottawa. He’ll be wrestling in the main event against his Clash at the Castle opponent, Drew McIntyre.
Reigns has been working a greatly reduced schedule over the past several months. He’s been kept off a few premium live events and does not work many non-televised shows.
Ronda Rousey, who is currently serving ‘suspended’ due to her attacking a referee at SummerSlam, is also back on the road for SmackDown She’ll be competing in 3-way matches with SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan and Natalya.
On the Raw side, WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus will be hosting the events from Kingston, Ontario and London, Ontario. This weekend’s Raw brand main events will see Theory vs. Dolph Ziggler in a Street Fight. Rollins vs. Riddle is also advertised.
WWE Weekend Schedule
Friday, August 19
Friday Night SmackDown (Montreal, QC)
NXT Live (Lakeland, FL)
Saturday, August 20
NXT Live (Venice, FL)
Saturday Night’s Main Event – SmackDown (Ottowa, ON)
CM Punk’s UFC opponent Mike Jackson has taken a dig at the controversy surrounding the AEW star’s recent Dynamite promo.
The AEW world champion had a promo battle with Jon Moxley on this week’s Dynamite. Before this confrontation, he went off script and called out Hangman Page.
Reports that have since come out reveal that there has been real life tension between Punk and Page. It started with a promo Hangman cut during their feud earlier this year.
It’s also been said that CM Punk is not happy in AEW. He has expressed his displeasure so blatantly that some even thought he might quit the company.
Mike Jackson Jokes About CM Punk
Mike Jackson reacted to one such report, which stated that Punk had made it clear that he won’t be losing to Page. The MMA star posted a photo of him beating Punk and joked that he could help with the situation:
CM Punk made his UFC debut against Mickey Gall at UFC 203 in September 2016. The former WWE star was taken down by his opponent immediately and he lost the match via a rear naked choke submission in the first round.
His second match came at UFC 225 two years later in June 2018. Punk managed offense in the first round in the bout against Jackson. However, he became fatigued in the second round and lost the bout by unanimous decision after being dominated by Mike.
Karrion Kross had strived to become a WWE star from the moment he stepped foot in a wrestling ring. So it was a heart-breaking experience for him when he finally got the opportunity but it didn’t turn out the way he expected. Thankfully for Kross, things have changed very quickly. According to the former NXT champion, finally getting the chance to showcase his talent in WWE is pretty incredible.
Both Kross and Scarlett recently appeared on Corey Graves’ After The Bell podcast. Among other things they talked about their WWE release and return. When asked how he felt upon his comeback, Karrion Kross said that it’s hard to put in words:
“It’s really hard to find the words man. To want something so bad and then to have to accept that that’s not a reality anymore. Then to get a call one day out of the blue, and to be offered everything you were striving for. It’s pretty incredible.”
– Karrion Kross
Karrion Kross had a successful NXT career after signing with the company in February 2020. Unfortunately for him, it didn’t translate into a successful main roster run. Vince McMahon did not see potential in his NXT gimmick. Both him and Scarlett were released in November 2021 after a lackluster run on Raw.
Things have changed since then. He is one of the first people Triple H has brought back after taking over creative. Kross has not only gotten his old gimmick back but he has been presented as a monster since day 1.
This week’s episode of Dynamite featured an explosive CM Punk promo and the much-anticipated return of former AEW champion Kenny Omega, but it doesn’t seem to have helped the TV ratings of the show.
The August 17 episode of the show featuring Omega’s return and the first match of the Trios Title Tournament in the main event drew 957,000 viewers on TBS, according to ShowBuzzDaily.
This is a 1.5% decrease from last week’s episode of the show and the second lowest Dynamite viewership since July 20.
In comparison, last week’s Quake by the Lake special featuring the Jon Moxley vs Chris Jericho AEW World Title match in the main event and the surprise return of CM Punk had averaged 972,000 viewers.
The show finished second on the cable charts for the 18-49 demo. The episode drew a 0.30 rating. This is a 9.1% decline compared to last week’s 0.33 rating and the second lowest key demo rating the show has garnered since moving to TBS.
AEW has announced a big title unification match between CM Punk and Jon Moxley for next week’s Dynamite from Cleveland, OH.
This, coupled with the drama that has followed Punk’s controversial promo on the show may help the Wednesday night program regain some viewers next week.
Brian Pillman Jr. and Griff Garrison collectively known as Varsity Blondes in AEW have joined the list of stars who seem to be frustrated with their position in the promotion.
During the August 17 episode of Dynamite, the two AEW stars were squashed in a match by The Gun Club. This bout lasted for only about 30 seconds.
The match ended so quickly that Pillman Jr. never even got to tag in. He was jumped by Colten Gunn. Colten went on to hit a Colt 45 on Garrison and picked up a pinfall victory.
This short match was a way to set up a heel turn for The Gun Club. They turned on their father Billy Gunn after this bout and joined forces with Stokely Hathaway.
The Varsity Blondes Are Not Happy
The Varsity Blondes seemed to be unhappy with the fact that they were used as enhancement talents on the show. Griff Garrison took on his Twitter after this bout and wrote ‘Frustrated’:
AEW surprised everyone when they announced a AEW world championship unification match between CM Punk and Jon Moxley for next week’s episode of Dynamite.
Latest reports have now revealed some more details on the bout. They suggest that this wasn’t part of a long term plan the company had for the title.
According to reports from Fightful Select, the Mox vs Punk match for the August 24 Dynamite was ‘a late decision.’ Though they couldn’t elaborate on when exactly the decision was made.
CM Punk made his return from the foot injury at last week’s episode of Dynamite. He saved the interim AEW champion Jon Moxley from a beatdown at the hands of the Jericho Appreciation Society.
The two title holders then had a confrontation. Many expected this face off to lead into a title unification match at the upcoming All Out PPV on September 4.
However, this week’s episode of Dynamite featured a promo battle between the two AEW stars. Punk went into business for himself during the segment, calling out Hangman Page. He later had a brawl with Mox.
Everyone was left surprised when AEW announced after this segment that the title unification match between the former WWE stars will take place on next week’s episode of the show instead of the PPV event.
Diamond Dallas Page or DDP was part of the Ric Flair’s Last Match event. The 66-year-old got physical during the show but it appears that Flair wanted him to do even more.
The former WCW champion was the most recent guest of Renée Paquette’s The Sessions podcast. He talked about things such as helping veteran wrestlers with his Yoga program and more.
Speaking about the grand spectacle that was Ric Flair’s Last Match, DDP revealed that the 16-time world champion actually wanted him to be part of the main event:
“Ric actually called me and asked me if I would be in the match with him, do a six-man. At first he said, ‘D, how old are you?’ [I replied] ’66.’
[He said] ‘I’ve seen you, you’re in great shape. I’d really love to have you be in this match.’ I said, ‘Ric, I can’t do it. I feel so good, I can’t take a chance on hurting myself.'”
After DDP refused to join Flair for the match, the two-time WWE Hall of Famer convinced him to take part in his roast instead.
Page made an appearance at the event as well and he delivered a diamond cutter to Matt Cardona. Ric Flair on the other hand, teamed up with Andrade to face Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal.
Shawn Michaels have received a brand new title in WWE. The Hall of Famer is now recognized as WWE Vice President of Talent Development Creative by the promotion officially.
After uneasiness over the future of NXT UK in the last several weeks, the company finally revealed what’s next for the development brand yesterday.
The promotion sent out a press release and confirmed that the UK brand will be expanding its scope and will be relaunching as NXT Europe in 2023.
Another curious thing in the press release was that Shawn Michaels, who had been working without an official title so far was listed as a Vince President now.
HBK retired from in ring action back in 2010 to spend more time with family. He returned to the company in a backstage role at the Performance Center in 2016.
The former world champion initially only helped train recruits at the PC but he started helping with the creative side of things for NXT in 2018.
Shawn Michaels stepped up and became the godfather of NXT when his best friend Triple H had to take time away due to his health issues in September 2021.
Now this new title suggests that Michaels’ responsibilities have increased further, and he might be overseeing the NXT Europe brand as well as any other development brands the promotion may be planning to launch in future.
CM Punk was trending worldwide on Thursday after a bombshell report by Fightful Select stated that AEW officials were unsure if Punk would appear on this week’s Dynamite as advertised.
The primary issue revolves around Punk’s strained relationship with “Hangman” Adam Page, which stems from their heated feud that culminated with Punk winning the AEW World Championship at Double or Nothing.
Punk has been so vocal about unhappiness with that situation that sources in AEW have wondered if he’ll quit working for the company entirely.
The following is a summary of the developing situation involving CM Punk and AEW:
CM Punk’s Feud with Hangman
The feud between Punk and Page started on the Apr. 20 episode of AEW Dynamite. Leading up to their inevitable clash at Double or Nothing on May 29, the two had gone after each other in promos to build towards the match.
The story onscreen was that Page was taking his match against Punk personal and that Punk thought it was just business. “Hangman” started the war of words by taking shots at Punk in a promo on the May. 4 episode of AEW Dynamite when Punk wasn’t in attendance.
In the promo, the champion said, “…At Double or Nothing, there’s not going to be a handshake. At Double or Nothing, there’s not going to be a masturbatory Bret Hart tribute match. I am going to destroy CM Punk.”
The May. 4 episode is the only show where Punk wasn’t in attendance for their build towards Double or Nothing. The last promo with each other took place at AEW Dynamite on May. 25 where Page alluded to Punk personal issues with Colt Cabana.
They finally had their match at Double or Nothing, where Punk defeated Page with his Go-To-Sleep finisher.
CM Punk’s Promo on August 17th
Punk is currently in a program with Interim AEW World Champion Jon Moxley. He made his return after healing his foot injury at AEW Dynamite on Aug 10 to confront the interim champion.
He was set to promote his feud with Moxley on the Aug. 17 episode of AEW Dynamite, but he decided to address Page for an unknown reason. He called Page out and referred to him as a coward, which Wrestling Observer Radio’s Dave Meltzer shared wasn’t planned.
Punk actions caught fans and reportedly the AEW roster by surprise, including Page. However, the story behind Punk’s promo got more interesting after the Fightful Select report on Aug. 18.
Fightful Details Regarding Punk
Fightful Select had followed up on Punk’s action and reports that those close to Punk believe that he contemplated not appearing on the show. It’s reported that several people on the AEW roster think Punk mentioned Page because he felt his rival went into business for himself leading into their Double or Nothing match on May 29. In a promo on the May 25 episode of AEW Dynamite, Page alluded to Punk’s issues with Colt Cabana.
The report also states that he’s shared that he is unhappy with the situation to the point that sources that know of the problem believe he might leave the company. via Fightful:
“…Sources familiar with the situation claim that CM Punk has often verbally expressed his displeasure, including recently so blatantly that they thought he might end up quitting the company. Those close to him said that he might have almost decided to stay home instead of coming to the August 17 Dynamite, but don’t think he would have quit. We haven’t been given any indication that he plans on leaving AEW, but one veteran said they have heard of “threats being levied”
– Fightful Select
Furious
According to Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Live, some people in AEW were furious at CM Punk, but the locker room was split and some siding with Punk over Adam Page.
There were a few people furious at CM Punk backstage, because Hangman is a well-liked guy. So they’re mad at Punk. Also, you have people who are on Punk’s side who say Hangman started this, so they’re mad that you’re mad at CM Punk. I know this is pro wrestling, and we have the MJF deal, but I was told that it’s not. It was started when Hangman was unprofessional, and CM Punk followed that up by making Hangman look like a fool.
CM Punk Match Against Jon Moxley For Next Week Was Reportedly a Late Decision
In another twist from last night, fans were surprised that AEW decided to have the anticipated Punk vs. Moxley title match on the Aug. 24 episode of AEW Dynamite. AEW’s decision seems odd, especially with their Pay Per View All Out taking place on Sep. 4.
The report added that AEW’s decision to have the match on Aug. 24 was late. However, it’s unclear how late the company decided to make the match official for AEW Dynamite.
While it is a surprise, wrestling fans can rejoice at seeing the unification match without watching it on Pay Per View.
Conclusion on this topic
It’s worth noting that Punk nor Page has spoken about issues between the two. The report also acknowledges the claim that he is upset with Page over their program is based on AEW’s roster speculation.
However, Punk’s actions and Fightful Select’s sources could make wrestling fans wonder how AEW will resolve this issue. Punk signed to AEW last year and is likely in a multi-year deal. Punk hasn’t shown that he has considered quitting or didn’t want to appear on the recent AEW Dynamite episode.
Independent Wrestler Trish Adora discusses her upcoming match against legend LuFisto for Beyond Wrestling.
Adora is slowly becoming a popular fan favorite on the independent wrestling scene. After spending several years in the United States Army, The Washington D.C native shifted her focus to becoming a professional wrestler in 2018.
Adora has garnered a large fan base as her career has progressed and is the reigning Pan-Afrikan Diaspora Wrestling World Champion. She has also wrestled matches for All Elite Wrestling, WWE, and Ring of Honor.
"#Americanrana '22: Blackout" will be a celebration of everyone that's made it this far and a preview of who will carry the indies into the future!
On Aug. 21, Adora will have a tough challenge when she faces professional wrestling legend Lufisto at Beyond Wrestling Americanrana 22: Black Out. It will be the first match between the two competitors. While Adora is looking to get the win, she respects LuFisto and is looking forward to the match.
In an interview with SEScoops’s Steve Fall, the reigning Pan-Afrikan Diaspora Wrestling World Champion previewed her match.
“Lufisto is one of the most legendary independent women wrestlers,” said Adora. “She’s a trailblazer. She is the innovator of intergender wrestling, who I take a part of.”
“Just to be across the ring from her for the very first time too. It’s just going to be very, very interesting. She has such a smash-mouth style, very, very hard-hitting, but I don’t mind taking a couple of punches. I’m no slouch, but I definitely plan on tying her up in a knot.”
Although it may seem hectic, The Washington D.C native is still looking to expand her reach and is contemplating relocating to the west coast later this year. She even mentioned in the interview that she thought about buying a camper vehicle and traveling around.
Adora is still figuring out her plans for the remainder of the year. She will have her hands full this weekend, but she is looking forward to all the challenges.
Wrestling fans can watch Adora face LuFisto at Beyond Wrestling Americanrana 22: Black Out on IWTV by subscribing for $9.99.
Shawn Michaels, WWE’s Vice President of Talent Development Creative, was quoted in a press release saying, “Given the success of NXT UK, we felt like it was time to expand beyond that.”
WWE recently canceled upcoming NXT UK TV tapings, which understandably created an aura of uneasiness amongst the roster.
As of today I am no longer under contract with WWE. It’s been a wild experience and I’m thankful for everything it’s afforded me – I am excited for what’s next and I am BUZZING to get back in that ring and GO!
L’équipe, je sais que c’est pré enregistré et que des spoilers sont déjà sortis mais malgré l’annonce de la fin d’NXTUK: je vous invite à regarder jusqu’au bout et à donner de la force. On a tous bossé très dur pour vous divertir. RDV ce soir dès 21h sur le WWE Network. ?
Very thankful to @WWE for allowing me to entertain thousands every week. This is just a road bump for me and I solely believe that. I have a chip to prove and I'm going to do everything I can so I can get back to where I belong. I'll be back! ?? pic.twitter.com/mGpPXup97G
When CM Punk returned from injury on last week’s AEW Dynamite, fans were excited for him to get back in the ring.
On this week’s Dynamite, Punk confirmed that his first match back will be at AEW All Out 2022, where he and Jon Moxley will unify the Lineal and Interim World Championships.
Later in the show, however, Moxley convinced Punk that the match should happen on next week’s episode of Dynamite instead.
With All Out’s scheduled main event now happening next week instead, there are several possible routes AEW could go.
AEW World Champion CM Punk Vs. Interim AEW World Champion Jon Moxley
Just because Punk Vs. Moxley has been announced for next week’s Dynamite, the two could still face off at All Out 2022.
It was confirmed on Dynamite that Punk and Moxley will face off to unify the two World Championships next week, but that doesn’t mean it will happen.
There’s no shortage of title matches ending in a no-contest, which usually means that the champion retains their title.
In this instance, both champions would retain, presumably after a mass brawl, featuring the Blackpool Combat Club and the Jericho Appreciation Society disrupting the match.
Not only does AEW get the expected viewership boost on next week’s Dynamite, but they still get the unification match at All Out, possibly in some sort of stipulation to prevent interference.
AEW Undisputed World Champion CM Punk Vs. ‘Hangman’ Adam Page
CM Punk brand ‘Hangman’ Adam Page a “coward” during this week’s edition of AEW Dynamite.
If AEW commits to crowning an Undisputed World Champion next week, odds are the winner will be CM Punk.
Moxley only became champion due to Punk’s injury, and it’s unlikely that Tony Khan, after paying a fortune to bring Punk in, wants his title reign to end on such a whimper.
On this week’s Dynamite, Punk addressed Moxley, but he also had some serious beef with ‘Hangman’ Adam Page.
Punk challenged Page to a title match, aware that the Hangman wasn’t in the building, and branded the former Champion a “coward.”
While it’s been reported that Punk’s comment wasn’t part of the plan, it appears that AEW is setting up a rematch between Page and the AEW World Champion.
A rematch may have been the plan all along, but delayed due to Punk’s injury, and the two could face off at All Out.
AEW Undisputed World Champion CM Punk Vs. MJF
Are we less than a week away from the return of MJF?
The same night that CM Punk got injured, MJF cut a scathing promo on AEW, culminating in begging Tony Khan to fire him.
MJF’s promo, which was based on some real-life grievances, is that Khan spends too much money and attention on ex-WWE Superstars.
CM Punk is a prime example of that, as Khan has paid a ton to bring in the former WWE Champion, who has been pushed as AEW’s top star since joining the company last year.
MJF hasn’t been seen since his June 1, promo, but it may finally be time to bring him back.
The Salt of the Earth is also the only man in AEW to hold a victory over Punk, defeating the AEW World Champion on the February 2, 2022, Dynamite.
A post-match attack on Punk could be the perfect way to bring MJF back, setting up a very personal war for All Out.
CM Punk opened this week’s AEW Dynamite with a promo, the first time has spoken on AEW programming since returning last week. He first started talking about his upcoming title match with Jon Moxley before shifting his focus to “Hangman” Adam Page.
He noted he had some “not so important” things to get out of the way and called out Page. He said Page could have a rematch right then and there, but Page didn’t come out. Punk called him a coward for not showing up and how everyone wants to be champion until they have to do champion things.
Things Got Real
Dave Meltzer stated on today’s Wrestling Observer Radio that nobody knew it would happen as Page wasn’t scheduled for the segment, indicating some heat between Punk and Page.
“If you’re wondering about the CM Punk thing at the start of the show with Adam Page… that was weird for everyone. As in, nobody knew he was going to do that. If you remember months ago when they were feuding, and I said there was a lot of reality to it – well, there’s a lot of reality to it.”
Meltzer continued, “So, I don’t know what the deal was, and nobody else does either, but… Punk was supposed to go out there and talk about Moxley and build the match, and he did… after he talked about Adam Page. They may build something from it down the line, but it’s not scheduled for this pay-per-view, and nobody knew he was gonna do it.”
Punk is slated to defend his AEW World Championship against Moxley next Wednesday on Dynamite. This was a surprise as many fans expected it to take place at All Out.
WWE is the most recognizable brand of professional wrestling on the planet and is watched by millions of fans around the world.
Prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic, WWE would regularly tour internationally and has returned to touring overseas over the past year.
Now, the company is looking to branch out even further than before.
NXT Europe
WWE is already the global force in professional wrestling, but will soon be expanding with the launch of NXT Europe.
The new brand, as the name suggests, will operate within the titular continent and has been confirmed to be launching at some point next year.
In a statement on WWE’s Corporate website, WWE’s Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels said he believes this is the right time for NXT Europe.
“Given the success of NXT UK, we felt like it was time to expand beyond that.”
Shawn Michaels on NXT Europe
The statement also highlighted some of the names who have started in WWE in NXT UK, including Rhea Ripley, Butch, and Intercontinental Champion Gunther.
The growth of #WWENXT to include all of Europe will not only bring diversity and opportunity to in-ring competition, but also recruitment and development of athletes from around the world. @WWE wants the best from around the globe!!! https://t.co/QInphcIVe8
NJPW has announced that its biggest event of the year, Wrestle Kingdom, will be returning to its previous format.
New Japan Pro Wrestling confirmed today that for the first time in four years this event will be a one-night event in 2023 as it will take place on Wednesday, January 4 at the Tokyo Dome.
January 4 is the date that NJPW’s Tokyo Dome show has traditionally been held on. It was also confirmed that New Year Dash will make its return the day after Wrestle Kingdom at Ota Ward Gymnasium in Tokyo on Thursday, January 5, 2023.
Returning To Tradition
The last time that Wrestle Kingdom was a one-night event was with Wrestle Kingdom 13 in 2019. Wrestle Kingdom 14 and 15 were held over two nights in 2020 and 2021, while Wrestle Kingdom 16 this year was held over three nights. The final night of Wrestle Kingdom 16 had an NJPW vs. Pro Wrestling NOAH theme.
As previously reported by Dave Meltzer, some AEW wrestlers are expected to take part in Wrestle Kingdom 17.
Also, Kazuchika Okada will be in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 17 as he won the G1 Climax 32 tournament today, earning him the right at an IWGP World Heavyweight Title shot at the upcoming show.
Kenny Omega made a not-so-surprising return on Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite. After a week of speculation, Omega was revealed to be the Young Bucks partner in their first round match of the Trios World Championship tournament.
The reunited Elite defeated Andrade El Idolo, Rush, Dragon Lee to advance to the second round. Following their loss, Andrade and Rush turned on Dragon Lee, effectively ending that short-lived alliance.
After AEW Dynamite went off the air, Kenny Omega addressed the live crowd. He broke character and discussed his long road to recovery, doubting himself along the way, what keeps him motivated and what the future holds for him and The Elite.
After Dynamite Ended
Kenny Omega has been healing from a slew of injuries and procedures over the past 9 months. However long its been, it’s been pretty grueling. Many times, he questioned himself. He questioned if he’d be able to come back to AEW and perform at the highest level.
He admits it will take him a while to catch up to the Young Bucks and what they can do in the ring. It may be a while before he can challenge for a singles title again, but this is a work in progress and he’s very glad that everyone is joining him on this journey.
Omega told the audience, “Don’t get it confused I’m not a good guy. I might even cheat to win every now and then. But one thing that I will say, is when we’re in this ring, you’re getting a genuine Young Bucks, Kenny Omega and Elite performance from the genuine Young Bucks and Kenny Omega.”
“We’re not pretending to be something we’re not. We’re not a tribute act. We’re not a parody. We’re not selfish and we’re not in this for selfish means or for selfish gains.”
Omega said The Elite is here to leave a legacy. That legacy is not about titles or match ratings or money. The Elite is here to change the world by changing wrestling.
They’re going to give fans the best wrestling in the world. That’s always been their mission statement. As long as The Elite are in AEW, they vow to give fans variety every time they perform. Win lose or draw, you’ll always get their best effort.
The Best is Yet to Come
Early Thursday morning, the Best Bout Machine provided additional commentary on his long road to recovery.
Omega admits he isn’t 100% just yet, stating, “the pieces aren’t all there yet.”
He does not want to be the weak link on his trios team, but is certain that he and the Young Bucks have a real chance at becoming the first AEW World Trios Champions.
Omega also teased that we haven’t seen him at his best, which is quite a statement, considering the success he’s attained in his career.
“I’ll surpass where I was at,” he wrote. “I’ll surpass everyone.”
The pieces aren’t all there yet but I refuse to burden the Bucks with my limitations.
We have a real chance at this. I’ll be even stronger in round 2. I’ll surpass where I was at.
New Japan Pro Wrestling returns to New York City this October.
On Monday, NJPW announced Rumble on 44th Street will take place on Friday, October 28th from the Palladium in Times Square.
This will be a live pay-per-view event that will feature talent from the Stardom women’s promotion. It will be New Japan’s first big show from the Big Apple since 2019.
Friday October 28 sees NJPW’s biggest event in the US since Capital Collision this past May, as Rumble on 44th Street hits the Palladium in Times Square. The stars will be out for the fall’s most significant American card, which will include the best of STARDOM for the very first time as part of an NJPW card in America!
Rumble on 44th Street tickets go on sale next Thursday, August 25th. There will be a pre-sale held on August 22nd, which cans can sign up for here.
Since AEW launched in 2019, the promotion has been at odds with WWE in a fight for viewers.
For over a year, AEW Dynamite went head-to-head with WWE NXT in the Wednesday Night Wars, which Tony Khan’s promotion would ultimately win.
Now, the two companies are set to go head-to-head once more, on a bigger scale.
World’s Collide
During this week’s NXT Heatwave special edition of the show, several stars from NXT UK made their presence felt.
The first surprise appearance came by Gallus, who attacked the Diamond Mine but later attacked fellow NXT UK Superstars Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen.
Blair Davenport later appeared on the show in a segment with Indi Hartwell, while NXT UK Champion Tyler Bate confronted NXT Champion Bron Breakker after the latter’s victory in the main event.
In a statement on WWE’s Corporate website, the company confirmed that this crossover is for World’s Collide, which will take place on September 4, the same day as AEW All Out.
WWE’s statement comes after Dave Meltzer reported on Wrestling Observer Radio that the two shows will face off, and that Triple H will be overseeing things.
“Hunter is all in on this.”
Dave Meltzer on NXT World’s Collide.
No matches have been confirmed for the NXT & NXT UK crossover event.
Possible Card
WWE has not confirmed the crossover event for September 4, so no matches have been confirmed either.
After this week’s NXT 2.0, it’s likely that Tyler Bate will face Bron Breakker are the show.
If WWE goes down the route of Champions Vs Champions (like Survivor Series) then certain matches are expected.
NXT Women’s Champion Mandy Rose would face NXT UK Women’s Champion Meiko Satomura unless either woman loses their titles in the coming weeks.
NXT Tag Team Champions The Creed Brothers are likely to face NXT UK Tag Team Champions Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen.
Sylvester Stallone understands that wrestling is as real as it gets because talents take legitimate risk and people get hurt doing it. The Hollywood veteran recently spoke to Sports Illustrated. He was promoting his upcoming prime action film Samaritan, releasing on August 26.
Speaking about wrestling, Stallone expressed his love for the sport. He mentioned how he wants his daughters to watch wrestling for the story:
“I love wrestling, it’s all about getting swept up in the drama. I love wrestling’s mythic qualities. I made my daughters watch wrestling—I wanted them to watch for the story.”
Sylvester Stallone also addressed the criticism wrestling gets for ‘not being real.’ He mentioned how things like jumping off the top rope or people bumping on you are real:
“I understand what goes into it. I hear people say it’s not real. Really? Gravity is real. Jumping off the top rope or having 300 pounds landing on you, that’s real.
Stallone later claimed that he feels the same way about action films. He discussed how the action genre is dismissed by people for being an act but the Hollywood star revealed that he has had over 30 operations due to action films.
Sylvester Stallone also named people like Bruno Sammartino and Gorgeous George. He credited them for helping forge his personality. You can check out his interview here.
