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Madusa Names the Dream Opponent She Somehow Never Faced

Scott Fishman
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Whether it was in the pro wrestling or monster truck arena, Madusa has always been about breaking through barriers. The Hall of Famer is now looking to do her part to help along others do the same. It’s why she has gotten more involved with the Cauliflower Alley Club. A nonprofit organization that has helped so many within the industry in need. The 56th Annual CAC Reunion takes place September 26-28. Madusa, also known as Alundra Blayze, will be co-hosting the award’s dinner with John Arezzi. 

“I found myself in a different transition in my life. I wanted to get into some charity work. What better way to get back into charity work than look to our business and give back,” she said. “Especially 40 years in the entertainment business and understanding what our colleagues go through, tragedies to triumph.” 

Madusa hopes to lend her outspoken voice to the board of the CAC. Taking a seat at the proverbial table is just the beginning the former women’s champ envisions. 

“The organization has helped with a million dollars of charitable funds dedicated to helping people,” she said. “I would like to get the word out more.” 

Dream Opponent She Never Worked With

Along with hosting duties, Madusa is planning to help recognize Jacqueline Moore as the 2022 Women’s Wrestling Honoree. The legendary performer recalls almost crying when asked to participate. 

“Here is a woman basically parallel through my whole career,” Madusa said. “Same age started at the same time. We were in the same organization at the same time. Do you realize she and I never wrestled each other? What the hell?” 

Madusa loves throwing it out there that she still has the WWF women’s championship. You know the one where she helped ignite the “Monday Night War” by throwing the title in the trash can. A similar scene took place earlier this year when Cora Jade canned the NXT women’s tag titles. 

“When I saw that, I said, ‘Damn, at least that b—tch got to keep her job.’ Good for her,” she quipped.

The veteran superstar actually appeared on an episode of NXT. She has also remained active in helping the next generation of the NWA. An opportunity Madusa cherishes. As for a retirement match, it’s the old never say never.  

“I would love to have a retirement match,” Madusa said. “That may have gone and sailed. Maybe not. Maybe it’s Jacqueline?  We’ll finish it off. That would be unexpected and great. It would have to be someone that would have great chemistry and that could carry my ass in a way that if I bumped my head and didn’t know what was going on, they could carry the match.” 

Upcoming Autobiography

Last match or not, Madusa no doubt has a story to tell. And she finally will with an anticipated autobiography coming out in 2023 with James C. Melby Historian Award winner Greg Oliver.  

“I’ve been writing this book for 30 years. It first started in WWF. I was sitting down with Vince Russo when he was working there. I said I would like to write a book. He and I would intermittently sit down and talk. He would record me on those little cassette thingies,” Madusa recalled. “I would say eight years ago he said, ‘Deuce, I still have those tapes. Would you like them back?’ I’m like, ‘Sure!’ He sent me all the tapes.”

Encouragement from others including Arezzi led to the project continuing on with Madusa inspired. She is excited for everyone to read the finished product. 

“I will tell you this book is so well-written. So me.… The title of the book is ‘The Woman Who Would Be King.’ I’ve been queen my whole life. I’ve been ‘Queen of Carnage,’ ‘Queen of the Ring,” Madusa said. “I was talking to Paul Heyman, a very dear friend of mine to this day. I’ll text and bounce ideas. I said, ‘I’m about done with the book. I’ve got to two or three titles. I don’t know.’ 

“He said, “The Woman Who Would Be King. Deuce that’s you. That was all Paul Heyman. He did write the forward of the book. I’m so honored. This book is not a tattle tale book. It doesn’t throw anyone under the bus. It’s not about that crap. It’s about a woman and her story, surviving in two male-dominated businesses. The stories will make you happy, cry, piss you off and overcome. It’s a great story.” 

Visit the CAC site for more information on the organization and to attend the CAC Reunion. 

AEW Rankings Being Phased Out? Not Dead, But De-Emphasized

Michael Reichlin
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The AEW rankings system has been a double-edged sword for All Elite Wrestling’s matchmaking and storylines. When AEW launched in 2019, Tony Khan and his Executive Vice Presidents emphasized that “wins and losses matter,” unlike other promotions that have been hampered by directionless ’50/50 booking.’

AEW tracks the win/loss records of everybody on the roster, but it’s the Men’s, Women’s and Tag Team divisions that have generally been published each week. The records and rankings can be a useful tool when determining the challengers to AEW’s top championships. However, there have been instances where wrestlers who are not highly-ranked receive title shots, which muddies the waters.

Over the past several weeks, we’ve seen AEW announce and reference the rankings less frequently. At the AEW website, the most recent ‘weekly rankings’ available are from August 31, 2022.

The company still shows wrestlers’ W/L records on-screen during match entrances, but there has been a noticeable pull-back on this initiative. Dave Meltzer mentioned on Wrestling Observer Radio, “There was a decision not to emphasize them as much on television.”

Of course, this could be a temporary measure and AEW could always give a renewed push to the rankings system. We know the rankings will play a big part in the storyline mode in the upcoming AEW Fight Forever video game.

The AEW rankings system has been a bold challenge to execute. The rankings are currently being de-emphasized. For the foreseeable future, we expect AEW to utilize rankings when it makes sense, without the challenges that come from regular weekly reporting.

Swerve Strickland: AEW-Hip Hop Crossover is Attracting New Fans

Thomas Lowson
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AEW should carry on blending the worlds of professional wrestling and music according to one-half of the World Tag Team Champions Swerve Strickland.

In February this year, AEW announced an album featuring Hip Hop & R ‘n B artists for Black History month, including performers such as Jon Connor, Mega Ran, Brinson, Omega Sparx, Monteasy, and Josiah Williams.

Earlier this month, Daniel Garcia’s ring entrance was performed by Westside Gunn, ahead of the ‘Dragon Slayer’s’ ROH Pure Championship win over Wheeler Yuta.

Hip Hop star Action Bronson has been training ahead of an appearance at this week’s AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam.

AEW and Music

AEW has seen plenty of Hip Hop artists already, and that trend is set to continue if Strickland has his way.

Speaking on the latest episode of ‘The Sessions’ Strickland told host Renee Paquette how he thinks that pro-wrestling and entertainment crossovers just make sense.

“I’ve always been a big advocate of the crossover. Sports and media and entertainment, now we’re seeing Dwayne Johnson announce the Superbowl and things like that. There’s those same types of parallels that are transferring over and I’ve always been a big proponent for it.”

Bringing it Back

While Strickland said that AEW was crossing over with music prior to his arrival in March this year, he felt that the company’s interest in Hip Hop had wained in that time.

“I had a connection make the Kevin Gates thing that we did happen, and I was like ‘man I feel like we can bring that back to life and provide something that has been missing for quite some time on the show.

“Especially for hip-hop culture and African American culture and stuff like that. I think that may influence, and ripple through the industry. Even when we did LA. right after Double or Nothing I brought in Jeff Hamilton to do a little one-minute backstage with me. Hip-Hop heads, true hip-hop heads through the music industry and fashion were like ‘yo! What is he doing here on AEW Wrestling?'”

Responding to Critics

AEW has a huge fan base, but it is impossible to please everyone.

Speaking about recent crossovers, Strickland admitted that not everyone is on board with seeing musical artists take up time on AEW programming.

The AEW World Tag Team Champion countered that seeing artists is likely to win over people who want to watch wrestling, but don’t quite know how to start.

“There were some critiques about it like ‘what was this for? It was like a minute. What was that put on TV for?’ Some wrestling fans were like ‘I don’t understand what the purpose of that was.’

“You guys are already watching, it wasn’t for you as fans. It was for these people who want to like wrestling, but they’re so hesitant because they don’t see representation on certain shows.

“It was for these people who want to like wrestling, but they’re so hesitant.”

Swerve Strickland on AEW’s crossover with music winning over new fans.

“So now just having that ‘oh Jeff Hamilton he just did the NBA 75 jackets for Lebron James and Steph Curry and all these guys. What is he doing in AEW? Oh, they’re in the forum!’

“That’s a pop culture thing that goes all the way through You don’t have to be a wrestling fan to appreciate those connections. And that’s why I try to find.”

The Future

AEW has shown no signs of easing up on their involvement with music now that Strickland is around, and he has big plans for the future.

When asked what he hopes to be the next step, Strickland said that with Hip Hop artists coming to AEW, it’s time for AEW to enter their domain.

“I want to see us transfer over there to that side a little bit more. Because when you look at a lot of wrestling that gets involved with rap and music or doing it, it always feel like its very charicature, where it’s a parody of the music.”

For use of these quotes please give a h/t to SEScoops.

Swerve Strickland Drops “Lifeline” Music Video feat. Anthiny King

DDP Praises Former NWA World Champion Who Should be on Triple H’s Radar

Thomas Lowson
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Triple H should be keeping his eye on Nick Aldis, according to WWE Hall of Famer Diamond Dallas Page.

In July, the former WWE World Champion was appointed WWE’s Head of Talent Relations replacing John Laurinaitis.

Since his appointment, The Game has brought back several released Superstars, including Karrion Kross, Dexter Lumis, Hit Row, Johnny Gargano and others.

On the Radar

WWE is bringing back several names from their past, with Bray Wyatt also rumored to return, but Nick Aldis has never worked for the promotion before.

That should change according to DDP, who during the latest Snake Pit podcast, praised the former two-time NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion (via eWrestlingNews.)

“He’s got the friggin’ look, he’s got the work, he’s got the promo. I mean, all this time, he is a hidden, he is a hidden diamond. He isn’t a diamond in the rough, he’s a diamond. Like, he’s ready to go.”

When asked if WWE is aware of Aldis and are considering bringing him in, Page remained coy.

“I would think [so]. And if not right now, at some point later. He [Triple H] has got enough to do right now.”

Diamnd Dallas Page on whether Nick Aldis is on Triple H’s radar.

Nick Aldis

Beginning his wrestling career in 2003, Aldis rose to prominence in TNA/Impact Wrestling, working under the name Magnus.

A former TNA World Heavyweight Champion, Aldis remained with the company 2015, and had a brief return in 2017.

That same year Aldis joined the National Wrestling Alliance, where he is a two-time World Champion.

Nick Aldis: I Did More For The NWA Title Than Anybody In Recent History

Scotty 2 Hotty Recalls Having Move Banned by Linda McMahon

Thomas Lowson
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Scotty 2 Hotty took a lot of moves throughout his WWE career, but there’s one that he only took once, thanks to Linda McMahon.

Scotty, real-name Scott Garland, signed with WWE in 1997 and was with the company until resigning as a trainer in 2021.

The Move

Appearing this week on the Wrestling with Johnners podcast, Scotty was asked about his match with Dean Malenko at the Backlash 2000 Pay Per View.

The match for the Light Heavyweight Championship ended with Malenko countering Scotty’s attempted Superplex from the top-rope into a Cradle-DDT that spiked Scotty’s head into the mat.

The finish earned a loud response from fans, but it wasn’t Scotty’s idea, as he explained on the podcast (via Wrestling Inc.)

“It was Dean’s idea. He told me had done it with (Chris) Jericho; I recently just saw it with Jericho taking it a month ago for the first time and I was like ‘oh, that’s what I was supposed to do.’

“I was supposed to jump out further so I would land more on my stomach and I didn’t jump out. I just kind of spiked myself right into the mat from the top-rope.”

Scotty went on to say that it was “very dangerous” and he could have easily broken his neck.

Linda McMahon

The move, if done incorrectly, could have resulted in severe neck problems for Scotty, with the match taking place less than a year after Darren Drosdov had been paralysed during a match.

Speaking about the reaction backstage, Scotty recalled being confronted by then-WWE CEO Linda McMahon.

“don’t ever do that again!”

Linda McMahon’s words of warning to Scotty 2 Hotty

Scotty told Linda that she didn’t need to worry about him taking the move again, as he wasn’t planning on it.

Scotty 2 Hotty Says Vince McMahon Told Coaches To Cut Their Hair & “Look Younger”

“One Of The Greatest Feuds Of All Time” – MJF Comments On His Rivalry With CM Punk In AEW

Robert Lentini
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MJF returned to All Elite Wrestling at All Out on September 4th. Stokely Hathaway and The Firm attacked during the Casino Ladder match and a man in a devil’s mask entered as The Joker. The masked man grabbed the chip to ensure a future shot at the AEW Championship.

Following CM Punk capturing the AEW Championship from Jon Moxley in the main event, MJF appeared on the entrance ramp. Maxwell and CM Punk had a stare-down as All Out went off the air. Punk and MJF had an incredible rivalry and AEW fans were looking forward to revisiting it with the AEW Championship on the line.

Unfortunately, CM Punk was injured during the match and also was involved in a brawl with The Elite following his rant at the media scrum. MJF has traded words with Jon Moxley in recent weeks. Jon will battle Bryan Danielson this Wednesday night at Dynamite Grand Slam to determine the new AEW Champion.

MJF On The Media Scrum Brawl, His Rivalry With CM Punk

Speaking with Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour, Maxwell noted that he cannot comment on the press conference but said that the company is in a great place right now and backed it up with numbers.

“It doesn’t apply to me, it doesn’t concern me. I’ll tell you why and I’m going to use numbers. Because numbers don’t lie, numbers are facts and facts don’t care about feelings. When MJF goes out there, I pop a huge number. We just killed it in the ratings for the second week in a row. And again, if people leave, come, go, stay, people are going to step up to the plate.

We’ve got massive stars in our company, so I am not concerned in the least. I’m not going to comment on what was said because it doesn’t apply to me. But what I will say is our company, numbers don’t lie, our company is great right now. We’re about to have an incredible show at Arthur Ashe.”

Ariel then asked if All Elite Wrestling needs CM Punk and MJF decline to comment MJF added that his feud with CM Punk will go down as one of the greatest of all time.

“No comment. What I will say is that me and CM Punk had the greatest feud in the history of the company. And I do honestly think it will go down as one of the greatest feuds of all time.” [07:09 – 07:20]

MJF on his rivalry with CM Punk

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit MMA Hour with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.

  • CM Punk is Probably Not Returning to AEW

“People Want That Spotlight” – MJF On How The Locker Room Reacted To Cody Rhodes Leaving AEW

Robert Lentini
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Maxwell Jacob Friedman, known as MJF in AEW, joined Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour today.

He discussed several topics, including getting paid more money by Tony Khan without having to sign an extension. MJF was asked about The American Nightmare Cody Rhodes and his departure from All Elite Wrestling earlier this year. Cody was one of the original EVPs of the company but jumped to WWE at WrestleMania 38.

The American Nightmare was revealed to be Seth Rollins opponent at WrestleMania and went on to defeat him three times before tearing his pectoral muscle before WWE Hell in a Cell.

Max said that Cody Rhodes is a businessman just like himself and did what he had to do. The 26-year-old called the tribalism within fans nowadays “cute” before bringing up Terry Funk. He said that Terry traveled from territory to territory throughout his career because he was a draw like MJF.

Ariel asked MJF about how the AEW locker room responded to Cody exiting the company and he said that Cody leaving gave opportunities to other stars on the roster.

“I think honesty favorably, not favorably in the sense like ‘yay Cody’s gone!’ but favorable in the sense that we are all professional wrestlers and what happens when somebody leaves is it opens room for opportunity for another person to step up to the plate. And you know, that is wrestling.

Wrestling is cyclical, it is like a wheel. As somebody who has the highest wrestling IQ in the history of this business, I can tell you when big names leave big names step up. That is just how this business works and that is a fact.

So again, I think people who were friends with Cody were sad to see him go on a personal level. But this is a very competitive sport. People want that spotlight and people stepped up to the plate.” [11:52 – 12:37]

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit MMA Hour and give a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.

Sammy Guevara Sends Out Cryptic Message Ahead Of AEW Grand Slam

Robert Lentini
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Sammy Guevara is set to battle Eddie Kingston this Friday night on AEW Rampage Grand Slam. This Friday’s episode of Rampage will be a special two-hour edition of the show from Arthur Ashe stadium.

The two recently had personal issues that resulted in Eddie Kingston receiving a two-week suspension for confronting Sammy backstage. They were originally supposed to face each other at All Out but the match had to be canceled due to the confrontation. There happened to be a much worse confrontation between CM Punk & The Elite after All Out which resulted in more suspensions for the company.

Sammy Guevara issued a statement on the matter and called Eddie unprofessional. The Mad King apologized for his actions and admitted that he was wrong. Both men claim that the issue is behind them now.

Eddie and Sammy both wound up competing on the kickoff show at All Out. Kingston defeated Tomohiro Ishii and Sammy & Tay Melo retained the AAA World Mixed Tag Team Championships against Ortiz & Ruby Soho.

Sammy Guevara Sends Cryptic Message

Sammy Guevara has posted a cryptic message on Twitter and changed his profile images to the night sky. The 29-year-old said that things are coming to an end and will reveal more tomorrow on his vlog.

Thank you to the ones who’ve paid attention. Things are coming to an end. More tomorrow on the Vlog…

Some fans responded to the Tweet and claimed that Sammy is just attempting to get more views. Another asked Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful if he had any information about Guevara’s post and SRS stated that he has no clue.

Mysterious QR Code Shown On WWE RAW Reveals More ‘White Rabbit’ Clues

Robert Lentini
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A QR showed up on the screen during tonight’s episode of WWE RAW and has provided some more clues about the ‘White Rabbit’ mystery.

The code appeared during Austin Theory’s entrance for his match against Kevin Owens tonight on RAW. When the code is scanned, it sends fans to a WWE website that reveals more clues.

A game of Hang Man appears and the question is “Who killed the world?” and the answer is revealed as “YOU DID”. A white rabbit then hops around an alarm clock that reads 9:23. There is also an hour glass icon/logo spinning at the bottom right of the screen, which has led some fans to believe this is related to Karrion Kross.

Other wrestling fans have pointed out that the font resembles some of Bray Wyatt’s old merchandise. It appears that we will find out what this all means this Friday on the September 23rd edition of WWE SmackDown. You can check out the enitre video below.

https://twitter.com/WrestlingNewsCo/status/1572027833102520321?s=20&t=TV38Lvv9x5YFnPBhqu02hw

WWE has been playing ‘White Rabbit’ recently during live events and at last Friday’s edition of SmackDown during a commercial break. The song played with red lights on at house shows in Bakersfield and Oakland over the weekend, and once again tonight during a commercial break.

For more, visit our main thread taking a deep dive into WWE’s White Rabbit mystery.

7 Takeaways From WWE RAW (9/19): Title Match, Damage CTRL, Bayley & Bianca Belair, Extreme Rules

Robert Lentini
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WWE RAW aired live from the SAP Center in San Jose, California. Bobby Lashley defended the United States Championship against Seth Rollins to kick off the show. Bayley battled Alexa Bliss in tonight’s main event.

RAW Results (9/19)

  • Bobby Lashley def. Seth Rollins to retain the United States Championship
  • Kevin Owens def. Austin Theory
  • Brawling Brutes def. Street Profits
  • Judgment Day def. Rey Mysterio & Finn Balor
  • Bayley def. Alexa Bliss

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Matt Riddle Helped Bobby Lashley Retain The US Title

Bobby Lashley defended the United States Championship to begin this week’s WWE RAW. The crowd sang along with Seth Rollins theme music during the beginning of the match. Bobby slammed Rollins to the mat and Seth rolled out of the ring. Bobby chased him and Seth caught him with a Dropkick. Rollins went for a Suicide Dive but Bobby caught him. Seth escaped and shoved Bobby into the ring post.

Back in the ring, Bobby went for the Hurt Lock but Seth was able to escape. Rollins delivered a couple of Superkicks to the face and went for the Stomp but Bobby wouldn’t go down. Lashley shoved Rollins to the ropes and Clotheslined him out of the ring. Bobby leveled Seth with another Clothesline outside the ring as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Seth was in control and focused his attack on the champion’s arm. Seth applied a Triangle but Lashley countered into a powerful slam. Bobby got in some more offense before the action spilled out of the ring. The Visionary shoved the US Champion’s injured arm into the ring post and Bobby fell to the floor as RAW went to another break.

Lashley was in control when RAW returned and beat Seth down in the corner. Lashley connected with a Neckbreaker and went for the cover but the challenger kicked out at two. Bobby went for a Spear but Rollins countered with a knee to the face. Seth went for the Pedigree but Lashley countered with a Back Body Drop. Lashley followed it up with a Powerslam and geared up in the corner.

Bobby went for a Spear but Seth was ready for it and countered into a Pedigree. Seth went for the cover but Lashley somehow kicked out at two and the match continued. Rollins went for the Stomp but Lashley dodged it and applied the Hurt Lock. Seth pushed off the turnbuckle into a cover but Bobby kicked out.

Rollins hit Lashley with a low blow while the referee was knocked down. Seth set up for the Stomp but Matt Riddle’s theme hit. Matt ran down to the ring but stopped at the apron. Bobby capitalized on the distraction and hit Rollins with a Spear for the pinfall victory.

Alexa Bliss, Asuka, and Bianca Belair Interrupted Damage CTRL

Damage CTRL (Bayley, Dakota Kai, IYO SKY) drove to the ring in a golf cart and got a massive pyro. IYO and Dakota celebrated with the Women’s Tag Team Championships as Bayley drove around the ring. Bayley got a great reaction from her hometown crowd and she immediately insulted them. The Role Model hyped up Dakota and IYO while making fun of the San Jose Sharks hockey team. IYO stated “we are in control now” and Dakota boasted about their victory over Bianca Belair, Asuka, and Alexa Bliss. Kai claimed that they are the new faces of the women’s division in WWE. The RAW Women’s Champion interrupted with Bliss and Asuka. This led to a brawl and Alexa Bliss caught Bayley with a punch to the face and Damage CTRL retreated to end the segment.

Kevin Owens def. Austin Theory, White Rabbit QR Code

Kevin Owens squared off against Money in the Bank winner Austin Theory tonight on RAW. Austin attacked KO during his entrance and launched him into the barricade. Owens hobbled into the ring and the match officially began. KO unloaded some strikes in the corner but Austin quickly battled back. Theory stomped KO down to the mat and choked him against the ropes. Owens battled back and went for a Frog Splash off the apron. Theory tripped him up and hit a Neckbreaker on the floor as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, the action was back in the ring and Owens sent Theory to the corner. Owens went for a Cannonball but Austin got out of the way and Kevin crashed into the turnbuckle. Theory controlled the next few minutes of the match and hit an Ushigoroshi for a near fall. Austin got frustrated and tried to pin KO several times but he kept kicking out at two. Theory went to use his MITB briefcase as a weapon but Johnny Gargano showed up and ripped it away.

Owens hit a Superkick and knocked Theory to the corner. KO connected with the Cannonball as Johnny Gargano celebrated ringside. Owens followed it up with the Pop-Up Powerbomb for the pinfall victory. After the match, Johnny Gargano dropped the briefcase on Theory for a low blow.

Before the match, a QR code appeared on the screen, bringing viewers to the video below. Alpha Academy vs. Kevin Owens & Johnny Gargano was announced for next week’s RAW.

https://twitter.com/WrestlingNewsCo/status/1572027833102520321?s=20&t=7PmLt5ScNx8FOXVvQHUqPg

Brawling Brutes def. Street Profits

#1 contenders The Brawling Brutes (Ridge Holland & Butch) appeared on RAW tonight and cut a promo ahead of their title match against The Usos this Friday on SmackDown. Street Profits interrupted and it led to a tag team match. Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins isolated Butch in the ring to start off the action.

Ridge eventually got the tag but Dawkins greeted him with a massive shoulder tackle. Angelo followed it up with a Splash and a Samoan Drop for a near fall. Street Profits isolated Butch again in the ring and connected with a Blockbuster for a two count as the crowd chanted “this is awesome!”. Brawling Brutes connected with a Powerslam/kick combo on Dawkins for the pinfall victory.

Judgment Day Picked Up A Win & Tried To Recruit AJ Styles

Judgment Day cut a promo and Rhea Ripley claimed that they have already proven that they run RAW. She claimed that nobody will be able to stop them now that Dominik Mysterio is on their side. The crowd booed as Dominik claimed that he couldn’t be prouder to be standing here with his new family.

Matt Riddle and Rey Mysterio squared off against Finn Balor and Damian Priest of Judgment Day in a tag team match. Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio were ringside for the match. Rey controlled the action early but got distracted by his son. Finn Balor capitalized and got Rey in a Headlock in the middle of the ring.

Rey battled back and connected with a Suplex as Riddle pleaded for a tag. Mysterio hit an Enziguri and jumped to the corner to tag in Matt. Riddle leveled Balor with a kick and delivered some strikes to Damian Priest as well. Matt knocked Damian out of the ring and hit him with a Floating Bro. Back in the ring, Rey hit the 619 and climbed to the top turnbuckle.

Rhea Ripley hopped on the ring apron and Seth Rollins showed up. Seth tried to attack Matt Riddle but Rey charged at him with a steel chair and Rollins escaped through the crowd. Judgment Day isolated Rey after Dominik distracted his father. Balor hit Rey with the Coup de Grace for the pinfall victory. Seth and Riddle brawled in the parking lot after the match.

Finn Balor tried to recruit AJ Styles to Judgment Day but The Phenomenal One declined.

Dexter Lumis Interrupted Miz TV

The Miz and Ciampa made their way to the ring for an episode of Miz TV. The Miz had Dexter Lumis as his guest on the show. Dexter has been stalking The Miz for weeks. Miz claimed that he punched a Minion decoration during his child’s birthday party because he thought Dexter was hiding inside of it. He challenged Lumis to come to the ring and explain his actions.

Dexter started cutting through the ring and popped out from behind Miz. Lumis tried to pull Miz into the hole in the ring but Ciampa stopped him. Ciampa punched Lumis in the face and he fell under the ring. The Miz tried to look in the hole in the ring but Lumis popped out and stared at him to end the segment.

Bayley Picked Up A Win & Challenged Bianca Belair To A Match At Extreme Rules

Alexa Bliss squared off against Bayley in the main event of this week’s RAW. Damage CTRL, RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair, and Asuka were ringside for the match.

Bayley controlled the action early but Alexa battled back. Alexa connected with Double Knees and started talking trash with IYO and Dakota. The Role Model capitalized and slammed Bliss’ knee to the mat. Bayley followed it up with a Clothesline for a two count. The action spilled out of the ring and Alexa connected with a Senton off the announce table. Bliss was hobbling and holding her knee as RAW went to the final break of the night.

When RAW returned, Bayley was back in control but couldn’t put Bliss away. Alexa booted Bayley to the corner and then rolled her up for a near fall. Bayley hit the Bayley to Belly and went for the cover but Bliss kicked out at two and the match continued. Alexa connected with a Sunset Flip Powerbomb and went for the cover but The Role Model kicked out at two.

Bayley rolled Alexa up and got her feet on the ropes for leverage. Bianca Belair broke it up and a brawl broke out ringside as Bayley and Alexa locked up in the ring. Alexa booted Bayley in the midsection and planted her with a DDT. Alexa climbed to the top rope but Dakota provided a distraction. IYO shoved Alexa off the turnbuckle and Bayley connected with the Rose Plant for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Damage CTRL attacked Alexa Bliss in the ring. Asuka tried to help but Damage CTRL beat her down. The RAW Women’s Champion got in some shots on Bayley before Dakota and IYO attacked from behind. Bayley then connected with the Rose Plant on Bianca Belair. Bayley grabbed a microphone and said she wants the RAW Women’s Championship at Extreme Rules as the red brand went off the air.

Several Impact Wrestling Contracts to Expire Soon

Andrew Ravens
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Impact Wrestling officials are entering an interesting time for the promotion as several talent contracts are slated to expire. 

Fightful Select reports Mia Yim’s contract is due in October, while Maria Kanellis confirmed that she is signed with the promotion through Bound For Glory. 

Maria has stated that she has had talks with WWE, AEW, and Women of Wrestling (WOW). Her contract isn’t the only wrestler whose contract may be up as Matt Taven and Mike Bennett’s current deals expire soon.

These two stars are the current Impact Tag Team Champions. Sabin is under contract with Impact Wrestling through this year.

The Good Brothers also dropped their titles when their deals went up with Impact Wrestling after helping multiple tag teams become better.

NJPW Strong Tag Team Champions Aussie Open will take on the Motor City Machine Guns on this Thursday’s Impact Wrestling, with the winner earning an Impact Tag Team Title shot at October’s Bound For Glory. 

This will be the go-home edition of Impact for Friday’s Victory Road special. Digital Media Champion Brian Myers defending against Bhupinder Gujjar in a ladder match and Jordynne Grace vs. Zicky Dice are the other bouts confirmed for this show. 

Velveteen Dream (Patrick Clark) Seemingly Has Assault Case Dropped Against Him

Andrew Ravens
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Former WWE star Velveteen Dream, real name Patrick Clark, is no longer facing a case regarding battery charges and trespassing on a property filed against him. 

After being arrested on August 20th, he was supposed to have a hearing on September 28th. However, court records show the case has been closed, and the scheduled hearing is canceled, according to PWinsider.com. 

The court records indicate that prosecutors believed they did not have enough to go forward with a case against Clark and get a conviction, so it was deemed “not suitable for prosecution.”

Velveteen Dream mugshot

It was previously reported that Clark and an employee of a fitness gym in Orlando got into an altercation when the former WWE star was asked to exit an area of the gym that was about to be cleaned. It was alleged that Clark became “irate and argumentative” towards the employee and was ordered to leave the facility.

Clark threatened to kill the employee, which sparked a physical fight, which saw Clark allegedly bite the man.  Authorities found teeth marks on the men’s “left chest near the left armpit.” Clark pleaded not guilty and was released on a $1,200 bond. 

This arrest led to a violation of an existing Clark probation stemming from a November 2021 arrest when he was charged with possession of cocaine, use or possession of drug paraphernalia, destroying/altering/concealing physical evidence, and having no lamps/illuminating devices in his vehicle. 

Clark was arrested for that violation and was jailed for 25 days in Seminole County, Florida, before being released on September 13th.

MLW Super Series 2022 Results from Atlanta, GA

Michael Reichlin
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Major League Wrestling held it first show in Atlanta, GA on Sunday night, MLW Super Series. Close to 1,000 fans were on hand at the Space Event Center for this latest round of MLW Fusion tapings. Here are the results:

  • Lady Flammer defeated La Hiedra, Lady Shani and Reina Dorada in a number one contenders match for Tayas title. Taya was on commentary and ended up in a brawl with Flammer after the match. Hugo Savinovich came as one of the agents to help break it up.
  • Shun Skywalker reversed a pinning combo to end Myron Reed’s third reign as World Middleweight Champion. Skywalker came out with Davey Richards in his corner.
  • SST over Mark Davids & Angel Fashion in a squash. Fatu was in corner for Lance Anoa’i and Juicy Finau. Samoan SWAT Team got a huge reaction (one of the biggest of the night).
  • Davey Richards defeated SB KENTo to retain the national title. Real good technical match, clocking in at around 15 mins.
  • Alex Kane defeated a local guy in the Peach State prize fight. Davey Richards came out after and the Bomaye Fight Club attacked him and left him laying.
  • MLW World Champion Alex Hammerstone pinned Bandido in a great match. EJ Nduka came out after and brawled with Hammerstone.
  • Mance Warner and Mads Krugger went to a no contest. They did a wild, bloody brawl all over the arena and into the crowd. Mance through a taco at Mads, among other things. Mance drank with the crowd during the post match.
  • EJ Nduka pinned Sultan del Aire in a squash. Hammer came out and they fought up on the stage. Hammer put EJ through the stage. Hammer got busted open. But pop for the crash.
  • Taya Valkyrie defeated Lady Flammer to retain the title.
  • Jacob Fatu pinned Willie Mack. Willie did a coast to coast. He then sold the knee which played into the rest of the match. Lance Anoa’i and juicy Finau were seen cheering on fatu from the concession stand, which was filmed by MLW tv cameras.
  • Microman, Komander and Laredo Kid beat Taurus, Gino and Mini Abismo Negro. Mister Saint Laurent lead a singalong to the Microman song with the crowd. Microman then wandered out onto the stage and did a stage dive into Saint Laurent’s arms. Saint Laurent then held him up like Simba. Crowd loved Microman. Way over match with plenty of lucha high spots but Microman was the biggest star.

AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam is Approaching $1 million in Ticket Sales

Andrew Ravens
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AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam is looking to be a big success for the second straight year. 

AEW President Tony Khan noted on Twitter that the gate for this year’s event at Arthur Ashe Stadium surpassed last year’s gate. He also noted it will be AEW’s first $1 million gate for a non-pay-per-view. AEW has reached $1 million gates for Double or Nothing, Forbidden Door, and All Out this year.

Last year’s event drew a reported 21,277, with 18,300 paying just over $960,000. The show sold fewer tickets this year, although ticket prices are higher this year. 

According to WrestleTix, tickets distributed are just over 11,400 as of one week ago.

The Cards

Grand Slam: Dynamite

AEW Championship (Vacant): Bryan Danielson vs. Jon Moxley

AEW Tag Team Championship: Swerve in Our Glory (champions) vs. The Acclaimed

ROH Championship: Claudio Castagnoli (champion) vs. Chris Jericho

Interim AEW Women’s Championship: Toni Storm (interim champion) vs. Dr. Britt Baker vs. Serena Deeb vs. Athena

AEW All-Atlantic Championship: PAC (champion) vs. Orange Cassidy

Grand Slam: Rampage

No Disqualification: Sting & Darby Allin vs. Brody King & Buddy Matthews

TBS Championship: Jade Cargill (champion) vs. Diamante

Eddie Kingston vs. Sammy Guevara

Wardlow & Samoa Joe vs. Josh Woods & Tony Nese

Hook & Action Bronson vs. Matt Menard & Angelo Parker

Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Ricky Starks

Jungle Boy vs. Rey Fenix

Golden Ticket Battle Royale

Triple H Explains Why We Won’t See Intentional Blood in WWE

Jon Fuentes
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With Triple H now at the helm of WWE creative, many are wondering if intentional bleeding will be brought back to WWE.

With “The Game” now calling the shots, some predict WWE could begin reverting back to an old-school way of doing things, including intentionally having talents bleed during matches. However, Triple H has been quick to shoot those rumors down.

Speaking in a recent interview with The Ringer, Triple H noted that, given the current world we live in, especially with the recent COVID-19 pandemic, WWE has evolved from blading, and it would be irresponsible to revert back.

“The world has changed. The world has evolved. I don’t think it’s necessary. If we have talent that gets [cut open], usually you’ll see them roll out and they’ll get looked at to make sure that there’s nothing dangerous.

“I’m just of the opinion right now, given the state of the world and the pandemic, and at the end of the day, what we do is dangerous enough without intentionally making it more dangerous.

“Yes, we did [feature bleeding] for a long period of time, but we’ve changed that practice. And it’s irresponsible to go back.”

Triple H in a suit

For the past several weeks, Triple H has been at the helm of WWE creative since the sudden retirement of Vince McMahon.

Many agree that, since the change in regime, the on-screen product from WWE has been much better.

Given the regime change is still very much in its infancy, it will be interesting to see how much perspective changes in the coming months.

MJF Confirms New AEW Deal: “I have Tony Khan by the Balls!”

Thomas Lowson
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AEW star Maxwell Jacob Friedman is happy to be back on TV with the promotion, as long as company President Tony Khan keeps paying him the big bucks.

MJF returned to AEW at All Out, winning the Casino Ladder Match as the Joker, earning an AEW World Championship opportunity.

Prior to this, MJF hadn’t been seen since the June 1, AEW Dynamite, where he cut a scathing worked-shoot promo on Tony Khan, daring Khan to fire him.

A New Deal

MJF has never shied away from teasing leaving AEW, even claiming during last week’s Dynamite that he could take the AEW World Championship to WWE.

Speaking to Ariel Helwani, MJF announced that he has a new deal with the promotion, one that is seeing him be paid more.

“I’m making a stupid, absurd amount of money now, and I didn’t have to sign a contract extension.”

MJF.

MJF had reportedly been against signing any new deal with the company which would have extended his current contract, which is set to expire on January 1, 2024.

Despite blasting Khan as a “f***ing mark” during his June 1, promo, MJF now says he loves the AEW President thanks to the new deal, but says he has Khan “by the balls.”

Double or Nothing

Before his three-month hiatus from programming, a lot had been said about MJF’s antics before May’s Double or Nothing Pay Per View.

Prior to the event, MJF had no-showed a fan appearance, and had not been responding to attempts to contact him by AEW management.

The self-professed ‘Salt of the Earth’ claimed that during his three months away, he vacationed across Greece with his girlfriend (now fiancee.)

MJF claimed that he told Khan “pay up or daddy doesn’t show up.”

Leaving AEW

MJF is pretty pleased with himself, and his new deal with AEW, but he may still leave when the time is right.

Speaking about the January 1, 2024, expiration date on his contract, MJF said that “the devil goes to the highest bidder.”

MJF reiterated later in the interview that his loyalty is to who will pay him the most in 15 months’ time.

“A lot of people think I’m leaning towards one place or the other. All I’m leaning towards is money. That’s all I live and die by. I go where the money is at. Whoever is going to offer me the most amount of money, that’s where I’m going to do. It’s that simple.”

AEW

MJF may still have one foot out of AEW (or at least wants people to believe that) but he did have some rare kind words for the promotion.

MJF put over some of AEW’s top stars, while still considering himself the brightest star of them all.

“[AEW] has a lot of great stars. Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson, Chris Jericho, Brody King. But if we’re being honest with ourselves, the show had a big gigantic void, and I was that void.”

MJF.

When asked, MJF said he could not discuss the current situation with CM Punk, who is serving a suspension and could be fired for his actions following All Out.

MJF Fires Back At Fan Criticism: “I Don’t Play A Character”

Kevin Nash Says Shawn Michaels Lost It at Vince McMahon Over Road Travel

Thomas Lowson
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Shawn Michaels may have worked with Vince McMahon for decades, but the relationship between the two wasn’t always friendly.

During the mid and late 1990s, Michaels, by his own admission, was battling personal demons, which would be a factor in his four-year retirement from wrestling.

Although Michaels would eventually return to WWE after finding God, the Heart Break Kid’s reputation as difficult to work is still remembered years later.

Traveling

During the New Generation era, the WWF tried to maintain ‘kayfabe’ by keeping heels and baby faces apart at all times, in case fans spotted them outside of an event.

For many wrestlers, that meant keeping away from their closest friends, which Shawn Michaels was not ready to do.

Speaking on the ‘Kliq THIS’ podcast, Kevin Nash recalled Michaels exploding on then WWF head Vince McMahon, who quickly backed down.

“They told Shawn[Michaels] that Scott [Hall] couldn’t ride with us, because they were working the matches together. And Shawn, I mean just zero to one hundred went to ‘Mother f***er! You got me on the road 300 days a year and you’re going to tell me who I can spend my time with?!’

“And Vince just went like [raises hands] ‘Woah. I didn’t realize it was that. Okay. If it’s that much of a deal to you three, jeez. Do what you want to do.'”

When asked why McMahon, traditionally someone who had things done his way, was so quick to back down, Nash said that the quality of the Michaels-Hall feud gave them leverage.

“The match was so good. What are they going to do?”

Kevin Nash on Vince McMahon not punishing Shawn Michaels and Scott Hall.

To the Club

It wasn’t just travel arrangements that McMahon tried to have control over, as Nash also had his share of demands from the then-Chairman of the company.

Speaking about his own experiences with Vince, Nash recalled he and The Undertaker being told to keep out of strip clubs as they were babyfaces, and McMahon believed that a face wouldn’t visit such an establishment.

“Me and ‘Taker got called into the office. Principal McMahon told me and ‘Taker that he didn’t want to see us or hear of us being in any strip clubs. He said it wasn’t a good image for Mark [Calaway] and I because we were both babyfaces at the time.”

Despite the strong warning by McMahon, both men defied the order and had a reunion at a club.

“I look straight across from me in the room, I see this long flicking hair, I see a bandana. I look over and I f**king just see ‘Taker. We’re not gonna sit with each other, we’re just like, ‘Oh, so you didn’t listen either.’ It was just acknowledged, like, ‘F**k that, right, man?’”

Kayfabe

With wrestlers appearing regularly out of character on social media, many have argued that ‘kayfabe’ is dead in the modern day.

Addressing the idea, Nash recalled finding out that wrestling isn’t as legitimate as it is portrayed on TV, and whether kayfabe can still exist.

“I knew this sh*t was a work when I was ten. Don’t have a boom mic when you’re doing the shot. I say ‘oh! Boom mic. I’m watching a movie. Oh, he hit him 45 times in the face, and there’s no blood.’

“You’re selling the disbelief that these two guys are going out there and trying to beat each other’s ass. You can tell when you have the people. When you have a hot angle and you have the people and you work stiff.

“You can say what you want about Bill Goldberg but when he was on his streak… people sat up.”

The former WWF Champion also claimed that Edge Vs. Dominik Mysterio on last week’s Raw was able to “hook me in” with how aggressive Edge was following the latter’s heel turn at Clash at the Castle.

For use of any quotes from this article please give a h/t to SEScoops.

Kevin Nash: WWE Saudi Money Isn’t Enough To Wrestle Again

Stone Cold Names WWE Rival As The Best Talker During The Attitude Era

Joey Galizia
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Stone Cold Steve Austin has chosen who he thinks was the best on the microphone during the Attitude Era, and believe it or not, it isn’t himself.

The WWE Hall of Famer named his longtime rival turned Hollywood juggernaut Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the top talker during the height of pro-wrestling in popular culture. Austin, who is well-known for his skills on the mic, throws praise to the Great One during his recent appearance on the “First We Feast” program on Youtube, but does acknowledge that Rocky didn’t start out as a fan-favorite.

“You cannot overlook The Rock. When he first arrived on the scene, he was this good-looking, third-generation babyface and people just didn’t take to him. They’d say, ‘Die Rocky Die! Die Rocky Die!”

The Rattlesnake later discusses the work The Rock did to improve his character, which started with his decision to join the Nation of Domination. From there, he took his persona to the next level.

“He started wearing the silk shirts and he started referring to himself in third person and working that eyebrow. And he electrified and captivated crowds with his catchphrases, his cadence and his delivery, and his message and calling everybody ‘jabroni. He commanded the audience’s respect, attention and elicited the response that he was looking for from them.”

Who Else Does Austin Revere As A Great Talker?

The Rock wasn’t the only WWE legend Austin decided to call attention to. He also highlighted current AEW star and fellow WWE Hall of Famer Jake “The Snake” Roberts as a talent who captivated audiences by sometimes saying nothing at all.

“Once Jake got in the ring, he commanded your respect. He had this presence about him, and he’s one of the most economic, efficient workers out there, where he didn’t do a whole lot, but everything he did meant something, and he was always working for that DDT.”

Austin may hold these talents in high regards, but few would argue that he doesn’t belong at the top of the list as it is well documented that his run in the late 90s was considered one of the greatest of all time, and catapulted the Rattlesnake to monumental levels.

(Quotes via Wrestling Inc.)

Released AEW Star May be Returning to WWE

Andrew Ravens
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Malakai Black is an interesting star to follow now that he has confirmed that fans haven’t seen the last of him competing inside of the squared circle. 

As previously reported, Black received a conditional release from AEW despite having years left on his deal, which indicates that he has no plans to work for AEW President Tony khan again. 

Malakai Black Returning to WWE?

Malakai Black
Malakai Black

During today’s Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer discussed Black’s situation and how he wanted to return to WWE now that Triple H is in charge of creative. 

“He wrestled last night, which is interesting,” Meltzer said. “Then he put out a statement today and he wanted out from AEW. I guess we’ll see what happened. Obviously, he wanted to go back to WWE and he had a lot of time left on his deal. I think 4 and a half years left on the deal. It’s an interesting thing because it’s really difficult to keep someone who is unhappy under contract for that length of time. He did sign for that length of time. The reason you sign people to contracts is so that they can’t it they get unhappy or somebody makes an offer somewhere else, they can’t just go the next day. The whole reason he was signed to a 5-year big money contract was so if something happened in WWE and they wanted him back and they changed his mind, that they had him and they could book him for all those years. So it becomes an interesting situation and the same goes in the other direction too.”

It has yet to be confirmed that Black was offered a deal to return to WWE, but there have been multiple reports noting WWE has allegedly reached out to contracted AEW talent about coming back or joining the promotion. 

Meltzer brought up how Black wasn’t used much by AEW because he has been dealing with an injury. 

“I guess we have to wait for it to play out and see what the situation is. Basically, it’s what type of a deal he and Tony Khan came up with. Tony Khan wouldn’t talk about it. He talked a lot but didn’t say any specifics as to what the deal is. The story going around was that it was a conditional release and what that meant, I don’t really know. The assumption of a conditional release is that it’s probably something where he can’t just go right to WWE. Maybe there’s a timeframe or something like that. I don’t think he would agree to it if the timeframe was four and a half years.”

H/T to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription

Kenny Omega Pulled From AAA Appearance Due To Suspension

Jon Fuentes
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Kenny Omega will be missing Triplemania due to his All Elite Wrestling (AEW) suspension.

It was recently noted on Konnan’s podcast, “Keepin’ It 100,” that Kenny Omega will not be making the advertised TripleMania show for October 15. Omega was actually slated to headline the show, but due to his AEW suspension, that is no longer the case.

Konnan noted that both Omega and AEW head of talent relations Christopher Daniels confirmed “The Cleaner” will not be able to attend. Omega has found himself in the middle of a dicey situation in the AEW locker room.

Back at the AEW All Out pay-per-view (PPV) on September 4, then-AEW World Champion CM Punk made some disparaging comments about Omega and The Young Bucks in his post-show press conference.

This reportedly lead to a backstage brawl involving several people backstage, including Punk, Omega, and The Young Bucks, which latter led to several suspensions being handed out. Omega being one of the selected to be suspended.

After the fact, Punk was forced to vacate the AEW World Title, but this is more so due to injury. Also, Omega and The Young Bucks were stripped of the AEW Trios Championships after their suspensions.

It remains to be seen how much longer the group will be held off TV. However, it looks like Omega won’t be able to make any appearances for any promotion until the time is served out.

While he won’t be able to compete at TripleMania, other matches slated for the Mexico City event include Pentagon Jr. vs. Villano IV in a mask vs. mask match, Taya Valkyrie vs. Kamille for the AAA Reina de Reinas Championship, Hijo del Vikingo vs. an mystery opponent for the AAA Mega Championship, and Pagano vs. Cibernetico in a hair vs. hair match.

Kurt Angle On Concussions: I’m Starting To Not Remember Things

Jon Fuentes
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Kurt Angle seems to be feeling the affects of the concussions he’s suffered over the course of his professional wrestling career.

Angle recently took to his podcast, “The Kurt Angle Show,” and discussed suffering a few major concussions throughout his time in the ring. Angle noted that he’s now feeling the affects of those concussions, as he has begun to have memory issues.

“I would say I probably had four concussions that I know of. major. One was a slight concussion that wasn’t too bad. The other three were pretty bad.

“But, you know, even to this day, I’m starting to not remember things, you know, and I’m only in my early 50s. But, I’ve gotten a little damage to my brain, there’s no doubt about it.

“You know, my memory is not that great anymore. I really have to think hard about remembering the past.”

Kurt Angle
(via WWE)

The former Olympic gold medalist joined WWE back in 1998, quickly rising to main event status. After legendary feuds with the likes of Triple H, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, John Cena, Brock Lesnar, and so many more, Angle has become one of the most decorated stars in WWE history.

He’s a six-time World Champion, as well as a former United States, Intercontinental, Tag Team, and European Champion in WWE.

Angle was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2017, and has since made sporadic appearances on WWE TV, including a stint as WWE RAW General Manager.

Quotes via WrestlingNews.co

WWE Considering Big Vince McMahon Farewell For WrestleMania

Jon Fuentes
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WWE could be considering a big farewell for Vince McMahon at WrestleMania.

Dave Meltzer confirmed initial rumblings that have been going around about WWE planning something special for McMahon during WrestleMania next year. The story was first reported by The US Sun this past weekend.

The report suggests that current WWE co-CEO/Chairwoman Stephanie McMahon is in the midst of those discussions. It also notes that Vince may not be fully done with the company yet, as WWE is looking at ways to pay tribute to him.

While the report did admit WWE knows there could be some backlash, it’s said that what he’s down for the industry can not be underestimated. There have also reportedly been talks of McMahon being honored at the WWE Hall Of Fame.

Vince McMahon

This would certainly be interesting, as Vince McMahon never likes to appear on-camera at the WWE Hall Of Fame ceremonies, but only made the exception to induct The Undertaker.

There aren’t any plans set in stone at the moment, but the discussions do seem to be ongoing. Meltzer noted he has heard rumblings of something like this for weeks but has not received official confirmation.

He did add in himself that it makes sense and would be something that he’s expecting.

Reason For WWE Booking Roman Reigns vs. Logan Paul (Report)

Jon Fuentes
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We now have the reported reason for WWE deciding to book Roman Reigns vs. Logan Paul at Crown Jewel.

As we’ve noted, Roman Reigns vs. Logan Paul for the Undisputed WWE Championship will headline the Crown Jewel pay-per-view (PPV) on November 5. It’s a matchup that has a lot of professional wrestling fans scratching their heads booking-wise.

While Paul has been impressive in his short time inside the squared circle thus far, a matchup for the most prestigious title in the history of professional wrestling, against, arguably, the industry’s biggest star, is quite a jump up for his third-ever match.

However, it appears WWE has a specific reason for booking the matchup. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reports that Logan Paul is actually a big deal in Saudi Arabia, especially to the prince, and that’s all that matters in that regard.

Collage Maker 16 Sep 2022 03.45 PM

Ticket sales for the Saudi shows don’t really mean anything, neither do TV ratings in regards to the shows out of Saudi Arabia. Paul bringing in younger views would, of course, be seen as a bonus.

However, the Saudi prince wants to build the name of celebrity fights in Saudi Arabia, and believes Logan Paul will help generate more press than a Kevin Owens or Seth Rollins.

The Saudi shows are essentially used to give the prince the shows he wants and that he thinks will generate the best press for Saudi Arabia, and Logan Paul vs. Roman Reigns fits that criteria perfectly.

Survivor Series to feature 2 WarGames Matches, ‘Brand Warfare’ Dropped

Michael Reichlin
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WWE has announced major changes to the format of this year’s Survivor Series premium live event. For the first time in history, the November classic will feature not just one, but two WarGames matches. There will be a Men’s WarGames match and a Women’s WarGames match.

Also of note, Survivor Series will no longer feature a Raw vs. SmackDown theme. According to Triple H, the show will be more storyline-driven instead of being about brand supremacy.

Triple H spoke with The Ringer about the big shakeup coming to Survivor Series.

“The tradition of the Survivor Series has ebbed and flowed and changed slightly over time, but this will be similar to that,” he Triple H. “This will not be Raw versus SmackDown. It will be much more story-line driven. I still look at it as a traditional component to Survivor Series in there because it’s large teams of people competing. We just upped the ante a little bit with WarGames and made it evolve.”

No ‘Blood and Guts’ in WWE WarGames

WarGames has historically been one of the most violent matches in all of professional wrestling. Triple H doesn’t think WarGames needs to feature ‘blood and guts’ because the world is very different these days. He feels the world has evolved and blood is not necessary for a compelling WarGames match.

“I’m just of the opinion right now, given the state of the world and the pandemic, and at the end of the day, what we do is dangerous enough without intentionally making it more dangerous. Yes, we did [feature bleeding] for a long period of time, but we’ve changed that practice. And it’s irresponsible to go back.”

Visit The Ringer to check out their lengthy feature on the return of WarGames, featuring more quotes from Triple H.

WWE Survivor Series takes place November 26th from Boston, MA at the TD Garden arena. The event will stream live on Peacock int he United States and on the WWE Network internationally.

Trish Stratus Underwent Emergency Surgery Over the Weekend

Michael Reichlin
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WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus says she has “3 new scars and one less organ” after undergoing appendectomy surgery over the weekend.

Stratus was experiencing bad cramping in her abdomen over the past several days. She feels that she has a high tolerance for pain, but things got so bad that she took herself to the hospital. It turns out that was a very smart decision, because doctors determined her appendix had to be removed immediately.

“Turns out my appendix was getting ready to burst – which can be really bad if it happens and like cause death and stuff so I’m really glad I went to check it out, you know to avoid the whole dying thing.”

– Trish Stratus

In a message she posted on Instagram, Stratus urges her fans to listen to their bodies and get checked out if something doesn’t feel right.

“Some takeaways – listen to your body. Dr. Google told me appendicitis was pain in the lower right abdomen, so that’s why it took me a while to think it was that because at first the pain was all across my belly. But after getting another Dr. Google’s opinion (reading another article) I found out it will start as pain across your stomach (also was tender to touch) but as the appendix gets more inflamed the pain will migrate to the right side and continue to to get worse. And boy did it. Turns out it’s an organ that serves no function so good riddance old pal.

Got 3 new scars to add to my body badges and one less organ … recovery hasn’t been too bad so far, definitely manageable. Just wanted to check in!”

Here’s the video of Trish at the hospital:

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