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Velveteen Dream Fires Back at EC3 With Cocaine Use Allegation

Thomas Lowson
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Former WWE NXT Superstar Velveteen Dream has had a lot of controversy to his name, but he is denying claims recently made by EC3.

Dream, real name Patrick Clark, was once considered a future big name in WWE, after impressing audiences in the 2015 season of Tough Enough.

In 2020, allegations were made that Clark had sent explicit photos to minors, and while he admitted the photos were of him, Clark claimed his phone had been hacked.

Despite a WWE-led investigation finding no wrongdoing by Clark, he was released in May 2021.

EC3

Earlier this month, Clark faced a new accusation, this one may be fellow NXT alum EC3.

Speaking to Sportskeeda, EC3 accused Clark of hiding his camera phone in a bathroom at a party hosted by the former Impact World Champion.

EC3 said that Clark filmed the genitals of guests, including wrestlers, without their consent, and Sean Ross Sapp later reported that this had been a long-standing rumor.

The Response

Patrick Clark is used to being on the receiving end of accusations and has now responded to the claims.

In an Instagram video, Clark claimed that EC3 was very drunk at the party, and was slumped in a corner.

Clark said that while he did leave his phone in the bathroom, it was not filming people, and that EC3 has falsely accused him of the act.

Clark claimed that EC3, who is “not friends, at all” with him, made the claim as he was unaware of Clark’s sexuality, due to the hedonistic persona of the Velveteen Dream character.

Clark went on to detail handing a mutual friend his phone, noting that he showed him the “recently deleted” section of his phone as well, to prove that he was not recording him.

The Accusation

After receiving plenty of accusations, Patrick Clark has made an accusation of his own against EC3.

In the same video, Clark claimed that EC3 uses cocaine and encouraged him to “get your sh*t together.”

Clark also claimed that despite EC3’s negative comments about him, the Control Your Narrative founder follows him on Instagram, which was true at the time of the video being published.

The video has since been removed from Instagram, but can be seen here:

Chris Jericho Clears the Record over Pizza Cutter Domino’s Controversy

Thomas Lowson
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In July 2021, Chris Jericho fought death-match veteran Nick Gage at the company’s Fight for the Fallen event, in a match that would go on to live in infamy.

Using staples of death-match wrestling, the bout saw the inclusion of panes of glass, baseball bats and light tubes, making it one of the most graphic AEW bouts in the promotion’s history.

The most infamous weapon in the match was a Pizza cutter, which Gage used to slice Jericho’s biceps and later on his forehead.

Clearing the Air

After the Pizza cutter was used, reports came out that many big names were furious at the spot being shown on TNT programming.

At the time, it was claimed that Domino’s had threatened to pull their advertising from all AEW shows, as the spot with the Pizza cutter aired during an ad for their deep-dish treats.

Speaking on the latest Talk is Jericho, the former AEW World Champion recalled the spot, and said that despite what was reported, nothing happened between AEW and the veteran pizza chain.

“So right when Nick is carving my forehead with the pizza cutter, there is a Domino’s Pizza commercial where the guy is cutting the pizza with what? A pizza cutter. Apparently, Domino’s was furious. [Everyone was] like ‘AEW’s gonna lose all their sponsors. This is it. This is the end of the line.’ Nothing ever happened.”

Jericho added that rather than be furious about the spot, Domino’s should have capitalised on a potential advertising idea.

“I was like ‘If I was the Domino’s guy I would have filmed a Chris Jericho – Nick gage commercial the next f*cking day.’ I mean it’s right there. Pizza cutters – Domino’s. They go hand in hand.”

It was later reported after the match that WWE had allegedly called wrestling media outlets, encouraging them to pick up the story.

Chris Jericho Discusses Cody Rhodes’ Decision To Never Challenge For AEW Title

Watch: What Happened With Bryan Danielson After Dynamite Went Off Air

Anutosh Bajpai
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AEW delivered another banger for the main event of this week’s episode of Dynamite. The match saw Bryan Danielson going up against Chris Jericho in the semi-finals of the tournament of champions.

At one point during this bout, Danielson got suplexed on the floor. The doctors checked on the AEW star after this spot and it looked like Bryan hurt his ankle.

The ending of the bout saw Bryan Danielson trying to roll up Chris Jericho. Jericho countered and hit a dragon screw on his opponent.

This allowed Y2J to put the Figure Four leglock but it didn’t last for long. Danielson transitioned it into the LeBell Lock. He forced the former AEW champion to submit to win the match.

After Bryan Danielson’s win, the other tournament finalist Jon Moxley came out and confronted the fellow BCC member. The show ended with the two shaking hands and exchanging words.

What Happened After Dynamite

While both Mox and Jericho went back to the locker room after this, Bryan Danielson took some time. The crowd applauded him as he got out of the ring.

Danielson stopped by the AEW world title that was at the ringside. He picked up the championship belt to a huge pop from the crowd.

The former WWE star re-placed the title before heading to the back. William Regal came forward to help him but Bryan declined the support. He went to the locker room on his own while selling the injury:

8 Takeaways From AEW Dynamite (9/14): Jon Moxley & Bryan Danielson, Tag Title Match, MJF Speaks

Robert Lentini
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AEW Dynamite aired live from the MVP Arena in Albany, New York. Jon Moxley battled Sammy Guevara and Bryan Danielson faced Chris Jericho in the semifinals of the Tournament of Champions. The winners will square off next week at Dynamite Grand Slam in Arthur Ashe to crown the new AEW Champion,

Dynamite Results

  • Jon Moxley def. Sammy Guevara to advance to the finals of the AEW Tournament of Champions
  • Jungle Boy def. Jay Lethal
  • Swerve in our Glory def. Lucha Bros to retain the AEW Tag Team Championships
  • Britt Baker & Serena Deeb def. Toni Storm & Athena
  • Bryan Danielson def. Chris Jericho via submission to advance to the finals of the Tournament of Champions

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Jon Moxley Advanced To The Finals Of The AEW Title Tournament

Jon Moxley battled Sammy Guevara in the semifinals of the Tournament of Champions. Moxley controlled the action early and got Sammy in a headlock in the middle of the ring. Sammy escaped and the two traded chops. Guevara knocked Jon out of the ring and leveled him with a Suicide Dive. Sammy followed it up with a flip and blew a kiss to the camera before sending Jon into the steel steps. Guevara booted Jon into the steel steps again and posed against the barricade as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, Jon took control of the match and bit Sammy in the face. Moxley followed it up with a Butterfly Suplex off the middle turnbuckle. Guevara went for a Boston Crab but Moxley escaped. Sammy connected with a springboard Cutter and went for the cover but Jon was able to kick out at two. Guevara went for the GTH but Moxley countered into the Bulldog Choke.

Jon unloaded some elbows to the face and went for a Clothesline but Sammy countered into an awesome Spanish Fly for a near fall. Sammy climbed to the top rope but Moxley hopped up and sent him to the canvas with a Belly to Back Suplex. Anna Jay and Tay Melo came to the ring for a distraction.

Tay booted Moxley in the groin and Sammy rolled Jon up for a two count. Sammy went for a Swanton Bomb but Jon got out of the way. Guevara went for the GTH but Moxley countered into the Deathrider for the pinfall victory. Jon Moxley has had advanced to the AEW Championship match next week. Dynamite went to commercial break with the announcers saying “MJF is causing a scene backstage”.

MJF Warned Jon Moxley

Maxwell Jacob Friedman’s music hit and the crowd popped. MJF told everyone in the crowd to shut up and they cheered anyway. MJF said he hasn’t slept since Jon Moxley’s promo last week and accused him of playing a character. MJF mocked how Moxley’s walk and brought up his book. Friedman said that Moxley was bullied as a child and it forced him to build a front.

He claimed that Jon is still that same poor little boy deep down and is old enough to drown his sorrows in alcohol. MJF gave Jon credit for overcoming alcoholism and said that his brain is better than Moxley’s disease. MJF suggested that Moxley take his vacation because the AEW Championship belongs to him. Maxwell said he’s a demon that Jon can’t slay. MJF noted that a “young group of gentlemen” helped him win the Casino Ladder match. MJF introduced the “first-ever stable on retainer” Stokely Hathaway and The Firm.

Stokely Hathaway & The Firm

Stokely said that everyone is about to hear some gospel. He stated that he flew from Orlando to New York City to talk to MJF while he was disenfranchised and wanted to leave All Elite Wrestling. Hathaway said that they are MJF’s support system, and they go they’re separate ways when Max doesn’t need them.

He added that he’s not a manager or a publicist, he’s a fried with connections to make anything happen. Stokely introduced Morrissey, Lee Moriarty, Gunn Club, Ethan Page as “The Firm”. He closed the promo by saying you have two options, run with them or run from them.

Jungle Boy def. Jay Lethal

Jay Lethal faced Jungle Boy tonight on Dynamite. The action started off back and forth before Satnam Singh interfered. Jay capitalized with a Backbreaker before Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, Jay was still in control. Jungle Boy tried to battle back but his back gave out. Jay went for Lethal Injection but Jungle Boy escaped. Jungle Boy hit a Brainbuster and went for the cover but Lethal kicked out at two. Jay rolled Jungle Boy up but he kicked out at two. Jungle Boy then locked in the Snare Trap for the submission victory.

Swerve In Our Glory Retained The Tag Titles

Swerve in Our Glory defended the AEW Tag Team Championships against Lucha Bros tonight on AEW Dynamite. The action started out back and forth as Dynamite went to a break. Lucha Bros isolated Swerve in the ring but Keith Lee eventually got the tag. Penta hit Keith with a Destroyer for a near fall. Fenix climbed to the top turnbuckle but Strickland shoved him to the floor. Keith then planted Pentagon Jr. with a Powerslam for the pinfall victory.

After the match, The Acclaimed interrupted. Swerve in Our Glory will defend the AEW Tag Team Championships against The Acclaimed next week at Dynamite Grand Slam.

Orange Cassidy attacked All-Atlantic Champion PAC backstage. PAC will defend the title against Orange Cassidy next week on Dynamite.

Ricky Starks Isn’t Done With Powerhouse Hobbs

Powerhouse Hobbs battled enhancement talent (Matt DiMartino) and won in a matter of seconds after hitting a Spinebuster. After the match, Hobbs cut a promo and boasted about beating Ricky Starks in less than five minutes at All Out. Ricky Starks made his way through the crowd and attacked Hobbs. Ricky bashed Hobbs over the head with the microphone to knock him out of the ring.

AEW Women’s Title Match Announced For Next Week

Britt Baker & Serena Deeb battled Toni Storm & Athena in a tag team match tonight on Dynamite. The action started off back and forth. Toni went for a Crossbody but Serena rolled through. Serena locked in a Half Crab but Athena broke it up. Britt Baker hit Athena with a boot to the face and threw her out of the ring. Baker launched Athena into the steel steps as Toni and Deeb battled inside the ring.

Baker held up a steel chair and Deeb sent Toni into it as the referee was distracted. Serena pinned Toni for the pinfall victory. After the match, Athena attacked Deeb and Baker. Britt battled back and hit Athena with a Stomp. Britt grabbed the steel chair but Jamie Hayter rushed the ring. Jamie then bashed Toni Storm and in the midsection with the chair before arguing with Baker some more to end the segment.

Toni Storm will defend the AEW Interim World Championship vs. Serena Deeb , Britt Baker, and Athena next week on Dynamite.

Jon Moxley Will Face Bryan Danielson Next Week To Crown The New AEW Champion

Chris Jericho battled Bryan Danielson in the main event of this week’s Dynamite in the semifinals of the Tournament of Champions. The winner of the match will battle Jon Moxley next week to crown the new AEW Champion.

ROH Pure Champion Daniel Garcia was shown backstage watching the match as Danielson hit Jericho with a Dropkick that knocked him to the floor. Danielson followed it up with a knee strike off the ring apron and posed for the crowd. Back in the ring, Bryan connected with a Dropkick and climbed to the top rope. Danielson hit a flying headbutt and went for the cover but Jericho kicked out at two.

Bryan unloaded some Yes Kicks to the chest but Jericho responded with a release German Suplex. Chris knocked Danielson out of the ring with a springboard Dropkick and followed it up with a Crossbody. Le Champion rolled Danielson back into the ring and started smacking him in the face. Danielson responded with a flurry of chops and both men fell to the mat as Dynamite went to a break.

When Dynamite returned, Jericho connected with a Hurricanrana and geared up for the Judas Effect. Danielson ducked and connected with a German Suplex for a two count. Chris focused a lot of his attack on Danielson’s knee and got him in the Walls of Jericho in the middle of the ring.

Bryan escaped but Jericho locked in the Figure Four in the middle of the ring. Danielson and Jericho traded punches while the Figure Four was applied. Danielson escaped and applied the LeBell Lock on Jericho in the middle of the ring. Chris reached for the ropes but ultimately tapped out. Jon Moxley will face Bryan Danielson next week at AEW Dynamite Grand Slam to crown the new AEW Champion. Jon Moxley came down to the ring after the match as William Regal looked on. The two Blackpool Combat Club members shook hands to close the show.

AEW Executive’s Suspension Concludes, Backstage For Tonight’s Dynamite

Joey Galizia
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The biggest story in the world of pro-wrestling over the last two weeks has been the comments made by CM Punk at the AEW ALL OUT media scrum, and the backstage melee that ensued between the Second City Saint and The Elite. This led to a number of suspensions for both talent, and backstage executives who tried to stop the fight.

One of the suspensions was for VP of Talent Development Pat Buck. He missed last week’s AEW Dynamite in Buffalo, which was the first episode following the events of ALL OUT weekend. However, a new report has surfaced stating that Buck’s suspension is officially over.

According to PW Insider, Buck is backstage for this evening’s episode of AEW Dynamite from Albany. It was noted that Buck was integral in helping break the fight up between Punk and The Elite. A third-party investigation is still ongoing and will determine the future of Punk and his longtime friend Ace Steel.

Follow Sescoops for updates on the situation.

Stay tuned to WrestlingHeadlines.com for more.

Top Prospect Reportedly Under AEW Contract

Joey Galizia
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The AEW women’s division has been the subject of much criticism since they launched back in 2019, but the promotion has done a lot to improve that portion of their roster, which includes bringing in marquee names like Athena, Ruby Soho, and current interim champion Toni Storm, and utilizing some top prospects from the independent circuit.

One of those prospects is Skye Blue, who has been regularly featured on AEW programming for over a year now, mainly on episodes of their Youtube series Dark and Dark: Elevation, but occasionally on their flagship shows Dynamite and Rampage. She even wrestled in the Casino Battle Royal at ALL OUT 2021, and challenged Jade Cargill for the TBS championship last October.

What Kind Of Deal Is Skye Blue Under?

Skye Blue has yet to receive the official “All Elite” graphic from president Tony Khan on Twitter, but that doesn’t mean that she’s not under contract with AEW.

According to Fightful, Blue has signed an agreement to compete for the promotion, although it is uncertain whether it is full-time or some sort of tiered deal. The report adds that indie events that have tried to book Blue have to get approval from AEW First.

Blue, who is 22 and from Chicago, last competed on this week’s Dark where she scored a tag team victory.

MJF Hits Back At Ex-WWE Referee Over AEW Promo Criticisms

Jon Fuentes
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MJF has hit back at ex-WWE referee Jimmy Korderas for his recent comments about All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and their promos mentioning WWE.

Recently, Korderas took to his latest “ReffinRant” on Twitter and discussed MJF’s promo on AEW Dynamite after All Out.

During the promo, MJF made several references to WWE, indicating he’d win the AEW World Title and take it to a “real” wrestling company – referencing WWE.

He also made a mention of Triple H, calling him his favorite wrestler, and teased following his good friend Cody Rhodes. Korderas took issue with this, suggesting AEW and their stars shouldn’t mention WWE so frequently in their promos.

MJF

MJF isn’t the only AEW star to reference WWE stars in promos on AEW TV. Even the likes of CM Punk has done so.

However, Korderas noted that AEW is making mistakes similar to that of WCW, who ultimately folded and went out of business.

Now, MJF has taken to social media to respond to Korderas’ comments. It’s safe to say he doesn’t agree with the ex-WWE referee’s opinion.

With his victory in the Casino Ladder match as The Joker, MJF now has a guaranteed shot at the AEW World Title. He’ll likely wait to use it until after the current AEW World Title tournament has concluded.

Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi Reunite In Japan (Photos)

Jon Fuentes
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Kenny Omega got the opportunity to reunite with Kota Ibushi recently in Japan.

Omega is currently dealing with a suspension from All Elite Wrestling (AEW) due to his involvement in the backstage altercation that took place after the All Out pay-per-view (PPV). However, he’ll still be making an advertised appearance in Japan soon.

“The Cleaner” is slated for the Tokyo Games Show and was spotted in Japan recently ahead of the event. During his time there, Omega apparently got the chance to reunite and hang out with his friend and former Golden Lovers tag team partner, Kota Ibushi.

Ibushi posted the following photos of himself and Omega out enjoying themselves. Check them out here:

As noted, Omega is currently dealing with a suspension after being involved in a brawl that broke out after the All Out PPV earlier this month. Omega and The Young Bucks confronted CM Punk backstage following Punk’s comments about them in his post-show press conference.

Kenny Omega
(AEW)

That apparently led to a physical altercation in which Kenny Omega found himself getting physical with Ace Steel. It was later reported that Omega and The Young Bucks were all handed suspensions for their involvement.

As for Punk, who has since been forced to vacate the AEW World Title, it remains to be seen if he’ll even remain with the company moving forward.

Johnny Gargano Reveals The Big Reason That Made Him Return To WWE

Jon Fuentes
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There was one big reason why Johnny Gargano decided to make his return to WWE after hitting free agency.

Gargano had his contract with WWE expire back in December, and was a free agent for several months after. Much was made about his future, with some speculating Johnny Wrestling could make the jump over to All Elite Wrestling like so many other former WWE stars have.

However, the former NXT Champion ultimately returned to WWE on the August 22 episode of RAW, officially having signed back with the company. Speaking to Ryan Satin on his “Out Of Character” podcast, Gargano he on his decision to return to WWE.

Gargano noted he was perfectly content staying at home with his family during the several months he was off. However, when he heard about the head of creative change, putting Triple H at the helm after having worked with “The Game” for so long in NXT, it was a no-brainer to return to WWE.

Gargano was quite the figure in NXT. During his five years with the brand, Gargano amassed an NXT Title run, three NXT North American Title wins, and an NXT Tag Title run.

Undoubtedly one of NXT’s best creations, it will be interesting to see if Johnny Gargano is able to replicate that success now that he’s on the main roster.

Watch Johnny Gargano’s discussion with Ryan Satin on the Out of Character podcast:

Road Dogg Wanted to Fight CM Punk After Being Disrespected in WWE

Andrew Ravens
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Road Dogg has opened up on his issues with CM Punk, which were big enough that he considered throwing down with him.

The former WWE Tag Team Champion spoke about his issues with CM Punk while discussing world championship runs and the perception behind “needing” a world title win.

Road Dogg recalled during the new episode of his Oh… You Didn’t Know? podcast on AdFreeShows.com that Punk had the mentality of needing to be the top champion and being in the main event. 

Road Dogg on his Issues With Punk

Road Dogg

Road Dogg discussed wrestlers wanting certain clauses in their contracts and recalled why he still doesn’t have any respect for Punk. It goes back to the 2014 brief run together in WWE between Punk and the New Age Outlaws (Road Dogg & Billy Gunn). 

“Bro, I’ve been burying him for years, and I’m not kidding. He’s not a nice person. He’s not a good — I don’t know. I don’t know. If you’ve been friends with somebody for so long and all the sudden you’re in a lawsuit over stuff and you can’t just talk to it? I just don’t understand it, but that’s not the straw that broke the camel’s back for me,” Road Dogg said. “It was when we actually had to work with him in our 2014 run [in WWE]. Seeing the attitude he had towards me and Billy — granted, we were not Hall Of Famers at the time, but we were on our way to be for sure — and we were the New Age Outlaws, at least we’d been there as long as he had, you know what I mean? He showed us not respect, he showed us disrespect, so that was that. You don’t get a second chance at that. I’m showing you respect, why aren’t you showing me respect? Honky Tonk Man said, ‘I don’t bodyslam you, why are you bodyslamming me?’

“The truth of it is, respect is a two-way street and if you don’t give it, you dang sure ain’t getting it. Not from me, and you got one shot at that, from me and Billy. It was just, he talked to us negatively and if I hadn’t had a job there, if I wouldn’t have been newly hired, I probably would’ve fought him. I feel relatively confident I would’ve come out on top. This was prior to his [MMA training], so maybe I would’ve come out on top, maybe I wouldn’t have,” Road Dogg proclaimed, “but I was willing to find out. That’s enough burying Punk, he’s burying himself good enough right now.”

The New Age Outlaws and CM Punk had a brief run together in January 2014. That same year, Road Dogg returned to working as a producer while Billy Gunn resumed his duties as a trainer in NXT and Punk left the company. 

Quotes via WrestleZone

EC3 Weighs In on Braun Strowman’s WWE Return, CYN, NWA, More

Thomas Lowson
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In 2020, two years after his return, EC3 was released from WWE for the second time.

After his departure, EC3 went on to co-found ‘Control Your Narrative,’ which encourages talent to take the reins of their careers and relies on stories booked by the wrestlers.

Braun Strowman

Earlier this month, Adam Scherr returned to WWE as Braun Strowman, over a year after his release from the company.

Scherr had been a large part of CYN, but of course will no longer be able to appear for the promotion.

Following Strowman’s return, Control Your Narrative issued a statement saying the “immediate future” of the promotion is unknown.

Speaking to SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall of NBC Sports Boston, EC3 spoke about the company’s unknown future and said he’s happy for his friend.

“Life is flux. Life is interesting. Life is wild. Life is unexpected, and what I really wanted to press home with that press release and Adam’s return is that everything you ever want, is when you go beyond the unknown. So obviously, I’m a close personal friend. Obviously, I’m super happy if he’s happy he’s back. There’s a lot of unfinished business. I know how that motivated me for a long time to go back there. Hopefully he has better luck than I did.”

NWA

While CYN’s future may be unclear, they have formed a partnership with the NWA.

At last month’s NWA 74 event, EC3 competed on both nights of the show, and members of the CYN roster invaded on the second night.

In the interview, EC3 had praise for Billy Corgan, who he sees as a ‘kindred spirit.’

“Billy and I are kind of like-minded, kindred souls and spirits in a way. And having the opportunity now to finally be able to do something with him… He’s committed to his vision. And few are because it’s so much easier to fall back into what we think we have to do as opposed to what we should do. What we should do is follow our intuition and let us see if it succeeds or fails.”

Given that CYN’s appearance at NWA 74 came before their statement about Scherr and their future, it is unclear if plans have changed.

WWE’s new Era

Control Your Narrative’s immediate future is unclear, especially with Adam Scherr and Karrion Kross returning to WWE.

Since Vince McMahon’s retirement, several ex-Superstars have returned, including Dexter Lumis, Johnny Gargano and Hit Row.

When asked about the returns, EC3 didn’t state if he wanted to come back, but had praise for WWE’s new Head of Talent Relations: Triple H.

“What I noticed about Paul, Triple H, he’s a real leader, and I got a lot from watching him work as much as conversations he’s very open to having and how hands-on he was with the talent from NXT. Really, watching him work and lead and address rooms and address people as people as opposed to just objects, I had a lot of respect for it.”

EC3 added that he believes WWE is in “very good hands” with Triple H running talent and creative.

Please credit Steve Fall with a link to SEScoops if you use any of the quotes from this article.

Braun Strowman & EC3 Announce New Promotion, Say TV Deal Is Imminent

Roman Reigns Topping the 2022 PWI 500 Should Surprise Nobody

Michael Reichlin
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Roman Reigns has topped Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s “2022 PWI 500” list, an annual ranking of the world’s best pro wrestlers. It’s the second time the Tribal Chief has earned the #1 spot after first scoring the honor in 2016.

Professional wrestling has a highly-opinionated fanbase, so this list is sure to inspire passionate discourse. You do not have to look farther than the Top 20 to find some puzzling inclusions and questionable omissions:

  • Jon Moxley is not in the Top 10.
  • Will Ospreay and Jay White are not in the Top 20
  • Matt Cardona is ranked above MJF, Seth Rollins, Adam Cole, Kenny Omega and Drew McIntyre.

That said, you’d be hard pressed to argue that anybody but Reigns is more deserving of #1. He’s firmly entrenched as this generation’s ‘Face of WWE.’ He’s leaps and bounds ahead of the pack, based on PWI’s established criteria.

The Top 20 wrestlers on the 2022 PWI 500 include:

  1. Roman Reigns
  2. Kazuchika Okada
  3. CM Punk
  4. Hangman Adam Page
  5. Bobby Lashley
  6. Cody Rhodes
  7. Bryan Danielson
  8. El Hijo del Vikingo
  9. Big E
  10. Jonathan Gresham
  11. Shingo Takagi
  12. Jon Moxley
  13. Matt Cardona
  14. Josh Alexander
  15. Hiroshi Tanahashi
  16. MJF
  17. Seth Rollins
  18. Adam Cole
  19. Kenny Omega
  20. Drew McIntyre

PWI 500 Criteria & Evaluation Period

The ranking criteria includes:

  • In-Ring Achievement: W-L, records, championships and tournaments won
  • Influence: Visibility and prestige within a promotion and/or the industry
  • Technical Ability: Quality of moves matches, and ring psychology.
  • Competition: Success against the most varied and highest quality opponents available.

The evaluation period for the 2022 PWI 500 ran from July 1, 2021-June 30, 2022.

Wrestlers need a minimum of 10 matches during that period to qualify (or 6 matches in separate months).

The 2022 PWI 500 issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated is available now for print preorder at PWI-Online.com The digital edition is available now at pwi.zinioapps.com.

Chris Jericho Discusses Cody Rhodes’ Decision To Never Challenge For AEW Title

Anutosh Bajpai
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Cody Rhodes was one of the top stars of AEW when the company kicked off. Everybody was sure that he would be a world champion in the promotion one day until he made the decision to never challenge for the title. The former AEW EVP announced this stipulation for his match against Chris Jericho at Full Gear 2019. His loss has left a lot of people puzzled to this day.

The latest Talk Is Jericho episode was a recording of The Jericho Chronicles from Glasgow. Chris spoke about Cody’s decision to never challenge for the top title of the company he helped build. Jericho mentioned that Rhodes probably wanted people to understand that he wouldn’t take advantage of his power:

“He was adamant. I’m still not too sure why he you put that rule that he can never challenge for the world title again. For whatever reason, that was completely his idea.” said Chris Jericho, “I guess maybe he wanted people to know that he wasn’t just gonna win the title. He wanted to be the face of the company.

We’re all faces of the company but he really embraced the EVP part of it. The other guys kind of did it in the shadows, but he was doing it on camera and all that sort of thing. So I think he wanted people to understand that he wasn’t gonna take advantage of this position that he was in and he did the ‘I’ll never fight for the world title.'”

Cody Rhodes has admitted in later interviews that the call was a mistake. It probably was the inspiration behind Rhodes’ decision to leave AEW and return to WWE.

More Originals From SEScoops:

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

The Time Has Come For AEW to Refocus on its Four Pillars

Mike Chin
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In the early days of AEW, there was conversation around the company’s so-called Four Pillars: MJF, Darby Allin, Sammy Guevara, and Jungle Boy. The spirit of the idea was that these were four talents who were relatively unproven on a national stage, but each of whom demonstrated remarkable potential, and AEW might grow alongside these youngsters—the company forging its identity as the four of them became household names.

While MJF and Allin in particular have remained in consistently featured roles for AEW, fans have looked on as the company also welcomed in stars who made their name in WWE, besides prominently featuring stars who had established themselves with hardcore fans in Japan or Ring of Honor.

It’s telling that of the five men who’ve reigned as world champion—Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, Kenny Omega, Hangman Page, and CM Punk—three had previously reigned as WWE Champion and one had been a world champ in Japan. Only Page could be considered a homegrown main eventer.

With AEW seemingly at a crossroads after the high-profile controversies of recent weeks, the time has come to re-center their focus on young talent.

AEW Can Take Advantage Of This Moment Of Controversy To Shift Gears

CM Punk AEW

CM Punk has always been a lightning rod for controversy, but may have reached new heights of heat in recent times, culminating in his wild press conference ranting after All Out and subsequent backstage altercation with Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks. That, combined with the EVPs’ role in spreading information—true or not—about Punk has created a dark cloud over AEW, and called attention to a need to shift gears and focus on some of the other high caliber talent at their disposal.

Those names might include Jon Moxley who, despite recently reigning as champion, was cast a peg below Punk. There’s also Bryan Danielson, who has selflessly absorbed more than his share of losses across his AEW tenure and Keith Lee whom some fans feel is underutilized in the tag team division. There are younger talents waiting in the wings as well, though.

Injuries Have Exposed The Limitations Of Relying On Older Talents In AEW

Christian Cage AEW

In addition to the poor behavior of some of AEW’s more established top talents, there’s also the matter of injuries. Besides CM Punk’s poor behavior after All Out, he also reportedly got injured in his match with Jon Moxley. That issue was compounded by Christian Cage purportedly also being hurt with a similar injury. That’s immediately after Kenny Omega returned from over a half year on the disabled list and after Bryan Danielson missed time.

Injuries can happen to anyone, but it’s also a reality that older wrestlers have more mileage on them and thus tend to be more prone to missing significant stretches because they’re legitimately hurt. It’s another reason why pushing younger names may be the best thing AEW can do at this point in time.

AEW Has Its Four Pillars And Other Young Talents Available To Push

Darby Allin Vs MJF

AEW seems ready to go all the way in pushing MJF. At 26, he’s a young talent and AEW can mostly take credit for building him up to main event status. While fans may have been justifiably skeptical about CM Punk putting over the heel when he cashes in his title shot from winning the Casino Ladder Match at All Out, things are more wide open now. With Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson the presumptive favorites to win the vacant title at Grand Slam, it seems entirely realistic one of them would put over MJF—likely as not at Full Gear, staged in front of an MJF-friendly crowd in Newark.

Darby Allin also looks ready for a big push. Beating Brody King in a Coffin Match and picking up the pin for his team over The House of Black at All Out both give him some real momentum to knock on the door of the main event.

Jungle Boy suffered a setback in both losing to Christian Cage, and Cage’s injury meaning Jack Perry won’t get any immediate revenge. However, he has Luchasaurus set up as a natural rival for the weeks ahead. Moreover, being out on his own still suggests Jungle Boy could move up to a better featured spot on the card.

Sammy Guevara is a trickier talent to predict the future for, with real life controversies, and very real heat with the fans perhaps putting a ceiling over what he’ll accomplish in the immediate future. Nonetheless, there’s no denying he’s an incredible in-ring talent and his willingness to play the heel wholeheartedly could pay off in the long run.

AEW certainly has room to look beyond its original Four Pillars as well. Wardlow has gotten over a high level this year and it would only be natural to revisit his issue with MJF in time. The Acclaimed had a gutsy, star-making performance at All Out. Though he’s not that young at 40, Eddie Kingston has been on a journey with AEW and if he can avoid real life controversies like his recent issues with Guevara, he could viably factor into the main event picture again.

Add on Hook, Powerhouse Hobbs, Ricky Starks, not to mention emerging stars on the women’s side like Jade Cargill and Julia Hart, and it’s easy to imagine a very different AEW landscape in a year’s time.

In the end, not everyone can be featured as a main event star in AEW. Nonetheless, out of a time of unprecedented controversy and chaos behind the scenes, the company may emerge all the stronger if it can capitalize and reprioritize around its deep pool of less established talents.

Roman Reigns On Dealing With Hate On Internet

Anutosh Bajpai
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Roman Reigns was one of the most polarizing figures in the wrestling world for the longest time. Avid supporters believed in WWE’s decision to make him the next face of the company but there were many who refused to accept him as the leading star. Such people targeted him relentlessly through various social platforms for a long time.

The Tribal Chief opened up about this hate while appearing on the Impaulsive podcast. He first discussed how, unlike old times, he never had to deal with haters in real life:

“I’ve been fortunate. The hate, we talked about earlier where it can get crazy. Even when it was at its worse, nothing ever happened in real life. It’s all respect and love in real life but on that Internet, boy they will spew some [shit]. They’ll come in with some negativity on the internet. But in real life, never.”

‘Waste Of Breath’: Roman Reigns

Speaking about the criticism on the internet and how he deals with it, Roman Reigns mentioned that he used to lose his cool back in the day but it’s not the case anymore:

“Early on I had, I think I had like a elevated way of thinking about it, but as a human, you’re like I’m gonna clap back on this guy and then you get a little pop from a few thousand people that are with you.

You make someone famous for 15 minutes on the internet and then it’s like, Well, I’m kind of a jerk for doing that. So now it’s just character stuff only. Yeah, I’m not responding to haters or trying to clap back. It’s funny for a second but at the same time it’s just a waste of breath.”

You can check out Roman Reigns’ full interview below:

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

Backstage Reaction to WWE Monday Night Raw Ratings Dip

Thomas Lowson
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WWE isn’t exactly panicking over this week’s dip in the ratings for WWE Monday Night Raw.

According to numbers obtained by Wrestlenomics, this week’s show averaged 1.71 million viewers across the three hours, down significantly from the previous week’s 2.054 million.

Ever since Vince McMahon’s retirement, Raw has seen a sharp uptake in ratings, with the show averaging over 2 million viewers an episode over the past month.

The Reaction

While this week’s Raw saw a sharp decline, this isn’t a cause for concern for WWE.

According to sources who spoke to Fightful Select, many within WWE expected the drop, given that Raw was going up against the season premiere of Monday Night Football.

Raw was also up against the 2022 Emmy Awards, and those within WWE expected the viewership to fall under 1.7 million.

Since the post-Summerslam 2022 episode of Raw, the red brand has had a consistent viewership between 1.9 and 2.2 million viewers.

This week’s episode saw Damage CTRL capture the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships and Edge compete in the main event.

Last year’s Monday Night Football premiere saw an even worse result for Raw, which dropped to 1.67 million for the September 13, 2021, episode of the red brand.

Bouncing Back

The dip in ratings this week may not be seen as a huge problem, but WWE will hope to bounce back.

Next week’s Raw will see United States Champion Bobby Lashley defend against Seth Rollins, with the Visionary hoping to win his first title in three years.

Kevin Owens Vs. Mr. Money in the Bank Austin Theory has also been announced for the show.

10 Takeaways From WWE RAW (9/12): Edge vs. Dominik, Open Challenge, New Champions

Roman Reigns Shares Advice on Dealing with the “What?!” Chant

Thomas Lowson
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In wrestling, fewer chants have stood the test of time quite like the simple word ‘What.’

While most synonymous with WWE Hall of Famer ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin fans have used the chant over the years, often disrupting promos from faces and heels.

The Tribal Chief

Roman Reigns knows all about the ‘What’ chant, having heard it both during his time as a babyface and since turning heel.

Speaking on Logan Paul’s ‘Impaulsive‘ podcast, the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion gave his advice for Superstars (via Sportskeeda.)

“It’s an old Stone Cold Steve Austin gimmick and they still hold on to it. So they’ll hit you with those and that’s when you can hear the more experienced performers and talkers where they’ll change their cadence.

“I have to machine gun then I’ll machine gun them but as soon as I know I’ve stopped that or I have a gauge on what’s happening I don’t mind sitting and letting them chant.”

Origins of the What

Speaking on the Pat McAfee Show in December 2020, Austin recalled how arguably his most iconic catchphrase began.

Austin said that the chant began when he was traveling on the road and rang Chrisitan, who didn’t pick up the phone.

The Texas Rattlesnake decided to prank call Christian, leaving a series of lengthy voicemails, in which he would list several points with the term ‘What’ repeated throughout the message.

“It Was An Uphill Battle” – Roman Reigns Discusses His Leukemia Diagnosis

Andrade El Idolo Claims He’s Not Allowed to Use Former Move

Thomas Lowson
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AEW star Andrade El Idolo has plenty of moves at his disposal, but don’t expect him to bust out a spinning elbow in the ring.

After years of working in WWE, where he became NXT Champion and United States Champion, Andrade was released last year, after having his initial request to be let go denied.

When a fan tweeted a clip of El Idolo using the spinning elbow on Johnny Gargano, the former NXT Champion said he is not allowed to use the move anymore.

While Andrade didn’t give a reason, it’s likely that the move has been banned for him, due to the spinning elbow bearing a striking resemblance to Chris Jericho’s Judas Effect finisher.

Andrade’s most recent match for AEW came at All Out, where he lost in the Casino Ladder Match to the Joker, later revealed to be MJF.

His most recent non-Pay Per View match was a month ago on the August 17, 2022 Dynamite, where he, Dragon Lee and Rush lost to the Elite.

Leaving AEW?

Andrade has been with AEW for over a year now, but his tenure with the company could be coming to an end.

In August, fans were critical of his booking in the company, with one tweet claiming that both he and Miro have been booked worse than when they were in WWE.

This tweet was liked by El Idolo, which came at a time where reports of talent being unhappy were becoming more common in the company.

This culminated in a talent-wide meeting prior to August 24, episode of AEW Dynamite, where Tony Khan addressed communications issues within the promotion.

Another Big AEW Star Seemingly Unhappy With The Company

Roman Reigns On How Paul Heyman Pairing Came Together

Anutosh Bajpai
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Paul Heyman is one of the most successful managers in the history of the wrestling business. He has worked with some of the top talents the industry has seen. Heyman’s pairing with Roman Reigns helped take the Tribal Chief character to a level that very few performers have been able to reach in their careers.

The Head of The Table opened up about this pairing on the Impaulsive podcast. Explaining how the partnership came together in August 2020, Reigns revealed that Heyman was free at the time since Brock Lesnar was in between contracts. However, he stressed that Paul wouldn’t have joined in if it was anyone else:

“Brock was in between contracts. So Paul was kind of wide open and it just fit. He had that opening creatively. He was still just working behind the scenes from a creative standpoint. When you’re working with someone like Brock for as long as he did with the success that they had, you need to have something that’s legitimate come through to make that move. I think I was really the only one that he wanted to work with.

Otherwise, I think he would just stay kind of plugged in and be helping from overall directive standpoint. Once he knew ‘Oh I’m going to be with Joe, it’s all good. I’m gonna be with Roman, it’s all good.’ Then we knew it was on.”

‘It’s Hard Not To Learn’: Roman Reigns

Paul Heyman has been on the top of the wrestling business for decades. Anyone who wants to be successful in the industry can learn a lot from the former ECW owner. When asked what he has learned from the Mad Scientist of Wrestling, Roman Reigns noted that he has been learning things from Heyman even before he joined the wrestling business:

“I was learning from Paul before I was with Paul. He was with my family for decades before I even got in the business. So I’m always learning from Paul. It’s not even just wrestling stuff like business stuff. I pick up stuff just talking father to father.

There’s a lot of different things you can learn from a Paul Heyman because there’s the life experience. Especially within our business, he’s just been at the very top of that mountain for so long as a promoter, as a talent, as a manager. There’s just been so many roles that he’s fulfilled, and he does it at an elite level that it’s hard not to learn from someone like him.”

You can watch Roman Reigns’ full interview below:

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

Paul Wight Reveals Production Trait Tony Khan Doesn’t Like

Anutosh Bajpai
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Tony Khan is not a fan of breaking the fourth wall with the AEW production, according to former world champion Paul Wight.

Wight recently had an interview with WNYT. The wrestling veteran discussed the various differences between WWE and AEW during his appearance.

Speaking about how Tony Khan’s production values differ from Vince McMahon and WWE, Wight explained that the AEW President doesn’t like breaking the fourth wall:

“The fourth wall, so to speak, Tony Khan doesn’t like that fourth wall. He doesn’t like that, ‘why is there a camera there catching this conversation and both participants ignore that there is a camera crew there while they are talking top secret information.’

It’s one of those things that throws you off.” explained Paul Wight, “If there is a camera there, it’s set up in a way that makes sense for a camera to be backstage, but it’s more focused on the talent in the ring,”

The former Big Show also commented on the different production philosophies between the two companies. He noted how WWE does an amazing job of producing a big entertainment spectacle.

 AEW on the other hand gets to the grassroots. According to Paul Wight, it’s not so much backstage drama and backstage vignettes.

Quotes via Fightful

NXT Black And Gold’s Return is The Latest Bold Change by Triple H

Anutosh Bajpai
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NXT Black and Gold is back. WWE celebrated the one-year anniversary of the NXT 2.0 brand this week and presented a solid show. It kicked off with a cage match and ended with Solo Sikoa winning the North American Championship.

Though this wasn’t the end of the night as the commentators noted that there was one more thing in store for the fans.

This announcement was followed by a voiceover from the new head of the brand Shawn Michaels, who noted how the show is constantly evolving:

“NXT has been and always will be developing superstars of tomorrow. We will always reflect and acknowledge the past. NXT is constantly evolving with a focus on the future. Superstars develop and move on, but our message to our passionate fans will never change – We Are NXT.”

The message was accompanied by a graphic that started with the logo of NXT 2.0 but slowly changed into a Black and Gold design, shedding the 2.0 branding:

With Triple H now the in charge of WWE creative, we can safely assume that this is a hint that the show he built will be returning to its roots.

WWE has not provided a lot of details so it’s hard to say how this transition will happen. One thing is for sure that fans will accept this change with open hands.

AEW star Adam Cole, a former NXT Champion, immediately took notice of the NXT rebrand and posted the following on social media:

NXT Star Confirms Knee Injury

Anutosh Bajpai
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NXT star Yulisa Leon has confirmed that she has suffered a knee injury and that she will be out of action for the foreseeable future.

This week’s episode of the development show featured a backstage segment starring Sanga, Valentina Feroz and Leon.

Leon was seen walking out of the medical area. She told her friends that she is going to be out of action with an injury for 9 months, saying that ‘it’s torn.’

The NXT star was wearing a knee brace, so it’s clear that she has suffered some sort of knee injury, but it’s not known what ligament is torn.

Sanga said that they need to turn this negative into a positive and that now would be Valentina’s time to showcase her skills.

Robert Stone and Wagner then walked in and Stone noted that they all looked depressed. Sanga told him to watch their language and Wagner got into his face. Stone talked him down, and the two walked off.

Yulisa Leon and Valentina Feroz were gaining momentum as a tag team on both NXT and NXT Level Up before the injury. There is no word on where Yulisa suffered the injury but we’ll keep you posted on her recovery.

WWE NXT Results (9/13): Solo Sikoa Wins North American Title, Steel Cage Opener

Andrew Ravens
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The September 13, 2022 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center. 

WWE NXT Results 

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NXT Tag Team Champions Pretty Deadly def. The Creed Brothers.

Fallon Henley def. Lash Legend.

Quincy Elliott def. Sean Gallagher.

Joe Gacy & Cameron Grimes def. Tony D’Angelo & Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo.

Zoey Stark & Nikkita Lyons def. Kiana James & Arianna Grace.

Solo Sikoa def. Carmelo Hayes to win North American Title

Mandy Rose’s Next Opponent

fyre

Mandy Rose came out for a promo where she touted her success as the NXT Women’s Champion. She said she took out the two best women in NXT UK history at Worlds Collide. Rose said that Toxic Attraction will continue to pick up wins.

Alba Fyre came out where she did a promo about how she comes from a long line of warriors and then a brawl broke out. 

Carmelo Hayes Defends

2nxt

NXT North American Champion Carmelo Hayes vs. Von Wagner, Wes Lee, or Joe Gacy could have been the latest challenger as a fan vote determined Hayes’ challenger.

It turned out to be Solo Sikoa as Hayes took out Lee earlier in the night.  The match served as the main event where Solo was portrayed as the babyface and sold his knee throughout the match. Solo hit a powerslam then connected with a splash off the top rope for the win. 

Opener

0NXT 1

NXT Tag Team Champions Pretty Deadly vs. The Creed Brothers opened the show in a steel cage match. A fan vote determined whether this was a tornado tag match, a no DQ match, or a steel cage match.

The match was solid and featured a suplex near the top of the cage. Near the end of the match, Julius was handcuffed to the cage. Pretty Deadly hits Spilled Milk for a second time to pick up the win.

Let’s Tag

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Tony D’Angelo & Stacks vs. Cameron Grimes and a mystery partner was booked. 

WWE set up this bout last week as D’Angelo and Stacks were enjoying a coffee backstage when Grimes met them. If he would like to join his family, D’Angelo enquired. Grimes objected. Eventually, a fight broke out, and Grimes was knocked out because of the 2-on-1 advantage.

That partner turned out to be Joe Gacy, but Grimes didn’t pick him. Instead, Gacy just came out randomly.  The match ended with Gacy going over with his finisher. Grimes told him after the match that he didn’t need him so Gacy laid him out. 

Fallon Henley vs. Lash Legend

1nxt 1

Fallon Henley vs. Lash Legend took place in a singles match. 

Henley and Legend have been involved in a conflict, with Henley supporting Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen and Legend supporting Pretty Deadly. On the final NXT before Worlds Collide, Henley, Briggs, and Jensen were beaten by Legend & Pretty Deadly. The NXT Tag Team Champions were later established after Pretty Deadly won in a four-team match at Worlds Collide.

The match ended when Henley delivered an insiguri for the win.

Sammy Guevara: ‘I Am Not Asking For My Release, I Wanna Be Here’

Anutosh Bajpai
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Sammy Guevara has been a part of the AEW roster since the very beginning and he is tired of being overlooked by the management and the fans.

The former TNT champion is set to face Jon Moxley in the semi-finals of the Tournament of Champions to determine the new AEW champion on Dynamite this week.

Before the big bout, Guevara vented his frustrations on the latest episode of his vlog. He first noted that he has been part of the promotion since the very beginning:

“I’ve been here since day 1 and I don’t get the respect I deserve. Not from anybody back there in the back. Not anyone in the locker room, nowhere. Not from these fans, these ungrateful fans. So let’s screw it. I don’t need anyone.”

Sammy Guevara claimed that he is going to beat Moxley in the match this Wednesday night. It will earn him the recognization he deserves:

“I’m gonna get what I always should have got. The recognition. I should have got everything I deserve. I’m not here because I got fired from somewhere else. I am here because I wanna be. I’m not asking for my release. I wanna be here.”

Apart from Guevara vs Moxley, the episode this Wednesday night will feature matches such as Chris Jericho vs. Bryan Danielson and Toni Storm & Hikaru Shida vs. Dr. Britt Baker & Serena Deeb.

“It Was An Uphill Battle” – Roman Reigns Discusses His Leukemia Diagnosis

Robert Lentini
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Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns joined Logan Paul on the latest edition of the Impaulsive podcast.

He discussed the rumored matchup against The Rock at WrestleMania 39 in Hollywood during the podcast and many other topics. During the conversation, The Tribal Chief discussed his battle with cancer that forced him to step away from WWE for some time.

Roman was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in 2007 and he had to take a hiatus for treament in 2018. Reigns made the announcement in October 2018 and returned to the company on RAW in February 2019.

Roman Reigns Discusses His Leukemia Diagnosis

The Head of the Table recalled being diagnosed with Leukemia during his brief stint in the NFL and said it was a shock to hear the word “cancer” at such a young age. Roman noted that the health issue put an asterisk next to his NFL career and it was an uphill battle following his diagnosis.

Technically we weren’t quite sure, this is where we saw the blood lapse that showed the elevated white blood cells which clearly says your body is attacking something, it’s fighting off something. So they were like yeah it could be anything Venereal disease, infection, cancer and all I heard was cancer, I’m like ‘Woah,’ it got super heavy.

So I compartmentalize emotions sometimes so I think it was just so overwhelming that it wasn’t even believable and even then it was like this was back in ’07 so this was years ago. So you hear about younger people with blood cancers more often now but back then a 21-year-old come straight out of college, a division one football player supposed to be kinda peak health right?

You never would expect that. So it put a huge asterisk next to my name when it came to the NFL. So it was just an uphill battle from there man.

H/T: Sportskeeda

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