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Johnny Gargano Shows Off Incredible Body Transformation

Andrew Ravens
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Johnny Gargano stepped back inside the squared circle for the first time in several months on Monday night. 

Gargano ended his tenure in WWE NXT in December of last year as he decided not to re-sign with the company. Ahead of the birth of his first child, Quill, Gargano took time off to be with his wife, Candice LeRae. 

Gargano made his return to WWE last month. Between the two stints, Gargano didn’t work a single match and got out of shape a bit to let his body recover. On Raw, Gargano beat Chad Gable in a singles match. 

Johnny Gargano Opens up on the Body Transformation

In a post on Instagram, Gargano shared photos and discussed his body transformation.

image

Here is an excerpt from the lengthy post that you can see below: 

“When I left wrestling in December I decided I wanted a complete mental and physical break from everything that I correlated with wrestling. Diet and training goes hand in hand with that to me. It’s unfortunately a cosmetic business and a part of the job. I’ve been “dieting and training” (probably horribly wrong my first 10 years) for my entire wrestling career. That’s almost 18 years. I grew incredibly tired of it and didn’t enjoy it. My inner fat kid missed being able to eat whatever I wanted without counting macros or “planning a cheat day” and then feeling guilty and feeling gross half naked on TV. It was a vicious cycle that gave me a horrible relationship with food. The thing I looked forward to the most being off.. was being able to eat and not being judged.

In the same way I wanted to miss wrestling.. I wanted to miss diet and exercise. In hopes that my passion would reignite and when I was ready to come back I could be completely re-energized and attack this thing with everything I got. To be the best version of myself possible. From December to April.. I ate anything I wanted daily! Me and Candice (pregnant for a few of those months) tore up Uber Eats! It was great! I wanted to go full “Dad Bod” and I did! I trained here and there but with no rhyme or reason. As the months went on though.. it turned out like I hoped.. Food wasn’t special anymore. I missed being dialed in.. and having abs.

So in April I decided I wanted to get to work. I didn’t know where or when I was coming back but I wanted to get ready and I knew it would take time given the damage I did. How my career ended up was out of my control but the thing I could control is the work I put in and how I looked when the time came..”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CidQUCkpIGw/?hl=en

Wardlow Ready To Display A “Hungrier” Version Of Himself In AEW

Joey Galizia
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Wardlow continues to adap.

The AEW superstar and current TNT champion has been one of the promotion’s greatest success stories since they launched back in 2019, with his rise to the top being a years-long storyline that has paid off big for Mr. Mayhem in 2022.

This was the topic of conversation during Wardlow’s recent phone interview with the Daily Gazette. He even remembers one of the first instances that the loyal AEW fanbase finally started to chant his name, which began his ascension towards being one of their top babyfaces.

“It was in Austin, Texas. That’ll be burned in my memory forever,” he said. “I just had one of my normal squash matches that I had been having, and for the first time, I heard a decent portion of the crowd chanting ‘Wardlow.’ I’ll never forget that.”

Wardlow’s not done adapting just yet

The champ has been the muscle for the company’s top heel, MJF, since he debuted back in 2019. However, he slowly morphed away from that persona and into one that is now seen on weekly programming. However, Wardlow promises that there are still more changes for his on-screen persona to come.

“I’m just entering a new era in my life. I’m evolving, things are changing. I’ve just become a hungrier, more intense version of myself, and I’m ready to display that and I’m ready to let the rest of the world feel that.”

Wardlow successfully defended the TNT title one week ago against Tony Nese. He has not been pinned or submitted since the beginning of the year. He cut an impassioned promo after the match and told the live crowd that he’s a threat to take seriously.

Cody Rhodes Speaks Highly Of His Run In ROH

Joey Galizia
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Cody Rhodes says he had a “lovely time” during his run with Ring of Honor.

When the American Nightmare departed WWE for the first time in 2016 he set out to change his image completely, eventually teaming up with top talents like Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks, as well as a successful run in NJPW and indies all across the world.

One of those spots was at Ring of Honor, with Rhodes capturing the promotion’s top prize, the Ring of Honor world championship. Rhodes shared a photo of himself carrying the belt recently on Twitter as he was celebrating his anniversary with Brandi Rhodes and decided to use a throwback. His tweet reads:

“Happy Anniversary @TheBrandiRhodes. Today is the best day. Thank you for the endless unspoken sacrifices you’ve made for me, for being the best mom, and being the ultimate confidant (oldie but a goodie pic).”

Rhodes says competing in ROH helped shaped him into the competitor he is today

A fan would see Rhodes’ photo and compliment him for his time with ROH, calling it the beginning of the eventual revolution that would eventually form AEW. Rhodes agreed, and wrote the following back to the fan.

“Lovely time – ROH was so good for me. Got to work w/the Bucks, big Frank, Lethal, Hunter/CD, Joe & Greg, Chrissy, and a super underrated production team that allowed me to play my music uninterrupted. We got to legit change the wrestling world and shaped me as a competitor/person.”

You can see their exchange below.

Aside from the ROH world title Rhodes captured the IWGP United States championship, and the NWA world’s championship. His involvement at ROH, along with the Bucks and Omega, helped bring the promotion to their greatest financial heights before they would eventually sell to Tony Khan.

Watch: Austin Theory Responds to Kevin Owens’ Raw Promo

Andrew Ravens
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Kevin Owens cut what many fans consider one of the best promos of 2022 in WWE during this week’s episode of Raw while calling out Austin Theory for having a bad attitude. 

Owens tried to fire up Theory and wanted him to prove he wasn’t like the many promising young stars who have flamed out.

“Prove me wrong. Prove all of these people wrong. You know how to do it? You know how to do it? I’ll tell you. You stop thinking about the moments that were handed to you, and you start making your own moments. You know how to do that? You check your ego at the door, you look at yourself in the mirror, and you realize you’re not as good as you think you are, but you let your passion drive you to get better. 

Owens continued, “More importantly, you leave everything you have in this ring every time you step foot in front of these people. That, that’s how you prove me wrong. That’s how you become the future. That’s how you become the face of WWE,” he concluded.

Theory Reacts

Austin Theory
(via WWE)

Owens’ strong words didn’t connect with Theory, who flexed his bicep and told him that he’ll never look like the youngest United States Champion in company history.  However, while speaking with WWE.com, Theory did a promo listing his accomplishments after the show. 

“I’m tired of people trying to downplay my achievements like I haven’t busted my a**,” Theory said. “I’m the future, and the future is right in front of you.”

Owens and Theory will wrestle on next week’s Raw, two weeks after Owens beat Theory in just under 17 minutes during a match on Raw. 

Transcription courtesy of ComicBook

Update on Jinny’s Status with WWE

Andrew Ravens
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After WWE announced that NXT UK would be going away ahead of the launch of NXT Europe, the company sent several top stars to NXT and released everyone else. 

When Jinny appeared in the alumni section of WWE.com, it had many fans worried after the huge layoffs at NXT UK.

Fightful Select reported today that they asked a WWE official if Jinny had departed the company, and who they spoke to said they hadn’t been informed of such a move.

Jinny’s Injury

Jinny Progress

This source did note that Jinny had been dealing with an injury and hadn’t been in the United States the last few weeks. This lines up as she has mentioned on social media this is the case because she’s waiting for her supporting documents and old passport, which also contains her US visa.

However, she is set to travel to the United States for medical treatment for an injury this week. It was added that there wasn’t any major consideration for Jinny to fill the Maxxine Dupri role because she has been dealing with an undisclosed injury.

Although Jinny hasn’t wrestled at all since November 2021, she has been doing work with BT Sport during her time off.

Steve Austin Praises ‘Charismatic Force Of Nature’ Brock Lesnar

Jon Fuentes
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WWE Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin has praised Brock Lesnar as a “charismatic force of nature.”

Austin was recently interviewed by Sportskeeda, where he praised Lesnar’s legendary career in, not only professional wrestling, but sports. Lesnar has competed at the top levels in college wrestling, professional wrestling, mixed martial arts, and even a stint in the NFL.

“The Rattlesnake” praised Lesnar as a “charismatic force of nature,” touching on “The Beast’s” most recent run as a babyface in WWE.

“Love Brock Lesnar. That guy’s been in the game forever. He tried to make pro football. He never really played a whole lot of football. A couple times All-American in wrestling.

“Almost makes the football team, the Minnesota Vikings. Then he says hey, I’m gonna go fight in the UFC and becomes the UFC Heavyweight Champion and then gets back into the business.

“He’s still, after over 20 years, the biggest draw, him in Roman [Reigns], in the business today.

“So Brock Lesnar has had one of the most amazing, different runs, in the history of the business and no one will ever do it like Brock Lesnar has done it, whether it’s Suplex City or in the Octagon, or whatever it is Brock is doing.

“That baby face run he had right before Wrestlemania 38, when you have this big mass of an alpha male and he shows that vulnerability and people just clamor to him. So just a charismatic force of nature.”

Brock Lesnar
(via WWE)

Lesnar was last seen at SummerSlam when he was unsuccessful in capturing the Undisputed WWE Championship from Roman Reigns. Prior, Lesnar was defeated by Reigns at WrestleMania 38.

Reigns topped Lesnar to take home the WWE Championship, unifying the title with his own WWE Universal Title – establishing himself as the Undisputed Champion of WWE. It remains unclear if or when Lesnar will make his return to WWE.

Ex-WWE Referee Thinks AEW Should Stop Mentioning WWE In Promos

Jon Fuentes
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Ex-WWE referee Jimmy Korderas believes that All Elite Wrestling (AEW) should stop mentioning WWE in their promos.

Korderas took to Twitter to release his latest “ReffinRant” in which he discussed MJF’s promo on AEW last week. In the promo, MJF made several references to WWE and the likes of Triple H.

In fact, MJF seemingly painted WWE as being far superior to AEW, which came off a bit odd given they were on AEW TV. He also teased signing with WWE in 2024 when his AEW contract is up.

MJF Promo

Korderas, having seen WCW meet its downfall making similar choices, advices AEW stop mentioning WWE.

“I know I’ve talked about this in the past, but you don’t want to repeat the mistakes that others made previously going forward into the future trying to grow your business…

“Look, a big debate about the promo from MJF on Wednesday night: yes he was fantastic on the mic, and he hit home, but all those references to the other company, and The Game and all that sort of stuff.

“It draws big time attention to the other company. Especially coming from one of your biggest stars, who that audience knows all the inside ‘behind-the-curtain’ goings on about him, and possibly reaching out to the other side or them reaching out to him, and all this sort of stuff.

“Look, ignore the other team, because that was the biggest downfall for this company right here [WCW] when they were in competition with the WWE, they didn’t ignore them, they kept referencing them. Ignore them, stick to your business, and grow your audience that way.”

MJF isn’t the only star who has mentioned WWE in promos. There have been several other stars, such as CM Punk, who have made references to the rival promotion and its stars. It will be interesting to see if AEW heeds Korderas’ advice moving forward.

Roman Reigns Dual Title Situation Described As ‘Complex’

Jon Fuentes
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Roman Reigns currently holds both the WWE Championship and WWE Universal Title – a situation reportedly being described as “complex.”

While Reigns holds both of WWE’s World Titles, that means he occupies duties as “top guy” on both Monday Night RAW and SmackDown Live. However, Reigns is “officially” a member of the SmackDown Live roster.

Not to mention he’s working on a reduced schedule these days. Therefore, the champion’s presence is absent from both brands for a good amount of time – but mostly RAW.

roman reigns

This certainly poses some questions heading into WrestleMania season, as fans begin to wonder if the titles will be separated, kept together, or officially unified to one singular belt.

According to a report from WrestleVotes on Twitter, the current situation with Reigns and the dual titles is described as “complex.” The report suggests WWE wants to go into WrestleMania with two champions.

The trouble is, WWE also doesn’t want Reigns to lose “AT ALL” prior to “The Show Of Shows.” Triple H and other creative heads are open to all ideas in this regard.

Roman Reigns has certainly been built up as one of WWE’s most dominant stars and champions of all time. He’s now gone over 1,000 days without having been pinned.

As the months pass and we approach WrestleMania season, it’s likely his opponent at the event could be tapped with the responsibility of dethroning “The Tribal Chief.”

The question remains, however, if it will be for one title, or two?

Eric Bischoff Wants to Write the Retirement of a Former WWE Champion

Thomas Lowson
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From his decades in wrestling, working in WCW, WWE and TNA/Impact Wrestling, Eric Bischoff knows about coming up with creative ideas.

It was Bischoff who played a pivotal role in the forming of the New World Order in WCW, the effects of the group still being felt to this day.

Years later, Bischoff would be credited as the mind behind the Elimination Chamber: a cross of several stipulation matches including Hell in a Cell and War Games.

Ending the Viper

Bischoff isn’t tied to any one promotion at the moment but is ready to return to WWE if he gets the call.

During an episode of his 83 Weeks podcast, Bischoff was asked about which Superstar he’d like to write for and didn’t hesitate in choosing Randy Orton (via Sportskeeda.)

“I would like to be on the team to write Randy Orton’s retirement story, like there’s going to be a point in time when Randy’s ready to cash it in.

“I’d love to be on the team to write that one Randy Orton you know we haven’t seen a lot of them lately, you know he kind of comes in and comes out.”

Orton has been out since May recovering from an injury, and is expected to be out for the rest of the year.

The End of Orton’s Career

Earlier this year, Randy Orton reached 20 years since his main roster debut on the April 25, 2002 SmackDown.

In that time, Orton has become a multi-time World Champion, Grand Slam winner, two-time Royal Rumble winner, and Money in the Bank winner.

Orton has said he hopes to wrestle for another ten years before retiring from the ring for good.

Riddle Offers Injury Update On Randy Orton

Claudio Castagnoli Opens Up About WrestleMania 34 Loss To Nicholas

Anutosh Bajpai
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Claudio Castagnoli was part of many great as well as embarrassing moments during his WWE run. One such moment people don’t remember very fondly is when Castagnoli and Sheamus known as The Bar lost the Raw Tag Team Championships to Braun Strowman and 10-year-old Nicholas at WrestleMania 34.

Castagnoli opened up about this loss during his recent appearance on Insight. However, while a lot of people hated WWE for putting the tag team in the situation, the former WWE star explained why he thought the moment to be cool:

“I thought it was really cool. [It’s] what I love about wrestling, right? All the kinds of different matches. The roller coaster ride it takes you on. That WrestleMania needed a match like that where it’s just fun. Every show needs fun matches. WrestleMania, everybody is nervous, everybody’s hyped. It’s WrestleMania.”

‘That Was Very Cool’: Claudio Castagnoli

Claudio Castagnoli claimed that the match was fun for them too. It’s something that people remember till this date:

“Once everything was figured out, that match was so much fun. We were just able to go out there and enjoy it. We had the float, it’s called the thing, right? With all the guys with the big head coming out with us. So it was a crazy, awesome entrance. The match was just fun. Like I said earlier, it’s all about moments. If you’re a kid, and you’re watching WrestleMania, that could be you, right?

So that was very cool to be in that match for that matter and the fact that people still talk about it to that day. Because there was some bangers on that card. A lot of people always ask like, ‘So Nicholas?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, I know right?’ So I’m very proud to be part of that match.”

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Kenny Omega Spotted in Japan Amid AEW Suspension

Thomas Lowson
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Kenny Omega won’t be appearing on AEW programming anytime soon, but the former World Champion can be found in Japan.

Omega is currently off AEW TV serving a suspension for his involvement with the All Out media scrum post-show fight.

Tokyo

Prior to his suspension, Omega had been announced as one of the names set to appear at the Tokyo Games Show.

Omega may be barred from AEW programming, but it appears that the Cleaner is still set to appear at the event.

In a tweet from HAOMING, a Japanese wrestling apparel company, Omega can be seen having fun at their offices.

Yuka Sakazaki, the AEW/Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling star who was recruited to the promotion by Omega when AEW was formed in 2019, was happy to see the Canadian wrestler, tweeting “Yeah yeah yeah yeah!?”

The Tokyo Game Show convention is scheduled to begin this Thursday and will feature a presentation on AEW: Fight Forever.

AEW: Fight Forever

AEW: Fight Forever will be the promotion’s first console video game, following the release of AEW: Elite GM and AEW Casino: Double or Nothing for mobile devices.

The game was recently featured at the Gamescon in Cologne, Germany, where it won an award for being the Best Sports/Racing game featured at the event.

With AEW investing an eight-figure amount in their gaming department (at least $10 million) a lot is riding on the new game, which may explain why they’re allowing the suspended Omega to appear in Tokyo.

Omega’s appearance also implies that his punishment will not be severe, especially compared to CM Punk, who’s future with AEW remains uncertain.

Claudio Castagnoli Saved A WWE Superstar’s Job With An Uppercut

Anutosh Bajpai
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Claudio Castagnoli did a lot of amazing things in WWE, including saving the job of Tyler Breeze with an uppercut.

The AEW star recently appeared on the Insight podcast. During the Q&A session of the show, Tyler Breeze sent a video message. He asked Castagnoli to tell the story of how an uppercut saved his job. Revealing the story behind it, the former US champion recalled how his first match in FCW was against Breeze:

“Oh, I think what he’s talking about, he makes this joke. He was there in FCW when I just got there. I wrestled my first match against him ever on FCW TV. It was just kind of supposed to be a get over match. Because I don’t think they were very high on him at that time, which I didn’t know.

The uppercut he was talking about is when I popped the guy up and uppercut him on the way down. He just took it like a madman and went super high in the sky. I took his head off.”

‘Showed Everybody How Good He Actually Was’: Claudio Castagnoli

Claudio Castagnoli explained that after the match, people asked him how Tyler Breeze was to work with. The praise Castagnoli gave him helped change the perspective about Breeze and saved his job:

“But after that match, everybody was like, ‘How’s it to work with him.’ I’m like, ‘He’s great’, They all [are] like ‘Hey, he’s really good. he’s really good.’ Then fast forward three months and he was FCW champ or something.

What that’s alluding to is [that] I uppercutted his head off, but saved his job in the process. Because they were not high on him before and then afterwards, they were rightfully so very high on him after. So I don’t think I did anything. I think he did everything. He just showed everybody how good he actually was.”

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Drew McIntyre Names Where WWE Should go Next After Clash at the Castle

Thomas Lowson
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Since returning to WWE in 2017, Drew McIntyre spoke of plans for a Premium Live Event in the UK.

The last PLE in the UK that was broadcast internationally was Summerslam 2022, but McIntyre’s years of work paid off.

Earlier this month, WWE hosted Clash at the Castle, which was a huge success for the company.

Where Next?

Drew McIntyre headlined WWE Clash at the Castle, but the Scottish Warrior isn’t taking things easy now that he’s had his UK show.

Speaking to Sportskeeda, McIntyre praised the Indian fans, and hopes to bring WWE back to the sub-continent soon.

“I talked about the UK show for a long time. It’s happening right now and I’m telling you I’m going to keep talking to people to bring it back to India.”

Drew McIntyre

Professional wrestling, especially WWE, is immensely popular in India, which boasts a popular of over one billion people.

In 2021, WWE hosted their ‘Superstar Spectacle’ to coincide with India’s Republic Day, but the event took place inside the WWE Thunderdome in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Record Breaker

WWE Clash at the Castle was a huge event for the promotion, breaking several records.

In a graphic shared by WWE’s Head of Creative & Talent Relations Triple H, it was reported that the show had the highest gate of any European WWE event.

In terms of merchandise, the Cardiff show sold the most of any non-WrestleMania event by WWE, while the post-show press conference had the highest concurrent views on YouTube of any non-pre-show event.

Drew McIntyre Reveals Why He Brought His ‘Broken Dreams’ Theme Back at WWE Clash at the Castle

AEW has Malakai Black-Related Trademark Despite Release

Thomas Lowson
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Malakai Black may be gone from AEW, but the influence of the former NXT Champion isn’t going with him.

The Dutch wrestler parted ways with AEW earlier this month, after being granted a conditional release from the promotion.

The Trademark

On September 8, AEW filed a new trademark for the term ‘House of Black.’

The group that Black led until his AEW departure now consists of Brody King, Buddy Matthews, and Julia Hart.

There have been no words on what AEW has planned for the faction, other than this trademark filing.

The filing allows AEW the use of the term for merchandise for “beanies; Hats; Shirts; T-shirts.”

Black’s final match came at AEW All Out 2022, where he, King and Matthews lost to Darby Allin, Sting, and Miro.

Black’s Departure

Malakai Black joined AEW last year, but his tenure with the company has been short-lived.

Black requested his release earlier this year, which was reportedly denied by Tony Khan.

Despite talks between the two going well, Khan has agreed to the release, though with conditions that are believed to be similar to WWE’s non-compete clause.

It has been reported that a personal issue has been having a toll on Black’s mental health, and that he has been considering a lengthy, possibly permanent break from wrestling.

Black is the latest prominent name to leave AEW, after Cody Rhodes departed in February and Bobby Fish decided recently not to renew his contract.

Malakai Black Pulled From Upcoming Appearance Due To ‘Health Issues’

Being the Elite on Hiatus Until Further Notice

Thomas Lowson
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0

Fans of AEW won’t be seeing the likes of Kenny Omega or the Young Bucks in the ring, and they won’t be seeing the trio on the popular Being the Elite YouTube series either.

The hit series follows the Elite, among other wrestlers in their lives outside of the ring, which often includes skits related to the world of pro wrestling.

The YouTube channel boasts over half a million subscribers and close to 100 million views.

The Hiatus

Being the Elite has proven to be a hit with fans for years, but now the show is on an indefinite break.

In a tweet from the official Being the Elite Twitter account, it was confirmed that there will be no new episode this week, and that the show is on a hiatus until further notice.

The Suspension

While no reason was given as to why the show is on an indefinite break, it is believed to be related to the ongoing suspension the Elite are dealing with.

The Young Bucks and Omega have been suspended due to their involvement in the All Out media scrum fight, which came after explosive comments by then-World Champion CM Punk.

While the Bucks and Omega have been suspended, it is unclear what Punk’s status is with AEW, with rumors that he could be fired, or possibly has already been fired, along with his trainer Ace Steel.

The Elite have been stripped of the AEW Trios Tag Titles won at All Out, with the Death Triangle winning the vacant championships on last week’s Dynamite.

Kenny Omega Interview Postponed due to ‘Unfortunate Circumstances’

“One Of The Best Promos In Wrestling” – Jim Cornette Praises Jon Moxley For Speech On AEW Dynamite

Robert Lentini
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0

Jon Moxley delivered a passionate promo on last week’s Dynamite about what it means to be AEW Champion.

The AEW Championship, along with the newly introduced Trios Championship, had to be vacated by Tony Khan following an embarrassing brawl between CM Punk, The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, and Ace Steel at the media scrum for All Out.

Tony kicked off Dynamite by announcing that the titles were vacated and there will be a tournament to crown a new AEW Champion. The finals will take place at Dynamite: Grand Slam at Arthur Asche Stadium on September 21st. Death Triangle defeated Best Friends & Orange Cassidy to capture the Trios Championships on last week’s Dynamite.

MJF cut a babyface promo only to reveal that he still has WWE on his mind and the bidding war of 2024 is right around the corner. Jon Moxley interrupted and stormed to the ring after losing the AEW Championship to CM Punk at All Out. He demanded that MJF exit the ring and let him know that his theme music sucks on his way out.

Moxley then spoke about what it means to him to be AEW Champion and the passion in his voice was undeniable. After saying that he was embarrassed and pissed off about what happened,Jon reminded everyone that winners take the last shot and he wants the ball. Moxley is set to battle former TNT Champion Sammy Guevara in the semifinals of the Tournament of Champions this week. You can check out Jon’s entire promo below.

Jim Cornette Praises Jon Moxley For His Promo On AEW Dynamite

Jim Cornette has offered many criticisms of Jon Moxley in the past but offered nothing but praise on his podcast following the passionate promo. Cornette suggested that Moxley has peaked and will not be able to top the promo the rest of his career. Co-host Brian asked Cornette if he liked the promo and he gave the following response:

I cannot believe that I am gonna say this, but this promo was brilliant. This promo was not only the best, I mean in one way Moxley ought to quit now. He ain’t gonna top this. This was not only the best Jon Moxley promo I’ve ever heard, this was actually one of the best promos in wrestling, period, that I’ve ever heard for a particular situation.

For the sticky wicket that they have found themselves in and he was speaking to the smart fans. And the people that are aware of everything going on, it was good regardless. But this was exactly what that fanbase needed to hear and wanted to hear. It was great material, and again I can’t believe I’m saying this, brilliantly delivered.

Not only as a babyface, he took responsibility for losing. He put the tournament and the guys in it over, he made himself the underdog, and then vowed to take the shot, and bring home the gold. You can tell he really wants to be the champion. He wants to be the guy in that company.

What did you think of Jon Moxley’s promo on AEW Dynamite? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit The Jim Cornette Experience and give a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.

“It Was Very Satisfying” – Bianca Belair On Her Year-Long Rivalry With Becky Lynch In WWE

Robert Lentini
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0

Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch had a year-long rivalry that culminated at WWE SummerSlam.

At last year’s SummerSlam, Becky Lynch shockingly defeated Bianca Belair in 26-seconds. The EST got her revenge twice this year, defeating Big Time Becks at WrestleMania 38 and once again at SummerSlam in front of her hometown crowd in Nashville.

The RAW Women’s Champion spoke with Inside the Ropes while WWE was in Cardiff for Clash at the Castle. She said that it was very satisfying for their rivalry to begin and end with a handshake.

“It was so satisfying,” said Belair. “It was a long road, a very long and unpredictable road. From SummerSlam, the 26-second SummerSlam, very unpredictable, and out of nowhere, you never know where things are going to go. So for us to be able to get back to it at WrestleMania and then to get back to it again at SummerSlam, I feel like that is something that isn’t really done a whole lot, especially for the women and our feuds.

So to be able to get with Becky Lynch and have this memorable feud with her and be able to bring it back full circle to where now it started with a handshake and ended with a handshake,” she added. “The whole redemption story for me to be able to walk out with the title again after losing it in such a controversial way, it was very satisfying.”

Becky Lynch On Her Rivalry With Bianca Belair

Becky Lynch was a guest on Ryan Satin’s Out of Character podcast recently and said the exact same thing about her rivalry with Belair. She noted how their feud began and ended with a handshake and called it a beautiful story.

“I’m really happy with what we did because I do think that it was a beautiful end to the story. It began with a handshake at SummerSlam, it ended with a handshake at SummerSlam.”

H/T: Sportskeeda

Sasha Banks Says Modeling Debut Felt Like Her ‘First Wrestling Match All Over Again’

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Sasha Banks is using her time away from wrestling to fulfil her other dreams, including walking down the runway at the New York Fashion week.

The Boss spoke to Page Six about her modeling debut. She first mentioned how she grew up watching all Victoria’s Secret girls and she always dreamt of being on a runaway.

Speaking about her experience on the ramp, Banks compared it to her first wrestling match. She claimed that she was back to being the new girl again:

“It felt chaotic. It felt like my first wrestling match all over again! I’m back to being the new girl. It felt like everyone was like, ‘Who’s this? Who’s taking my spot?’

But I just had to walk in with confidence like I knew what I was doing” said Sasha Banks, “Because this has been a dream of mine for such a long time, to be in the modeling space.”

The former women’s champion claimed that she was very nervous before going out but she called her guardian angles. She then felt like she had her own personal wings.

Sasha Banks was believed to have agreed to a new WWE deal as of a few weeks ago. There hasn’t been any update on her WWE status since.

What Happened With Bobby Lashley After Raw Went Off Air

Robert Lentini
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Bobby Lashley appeared on tonight’s episode of RAW in a backstage segment with Seth Rollins.

Seth cut a promo about his victory over Matt Riddle at Clash at the Castle and claimed he had no interest in a rematch. Riddle interrupted the promo and chased Seth through the crowd.

The Judgment Day joined the party and tried to recruit Riddle to the faction but Matt declined. This led to a singles match between Finn Balor and Matt Riddle. Seth interfered and the distraction allowed Balor to hit Riddle with a slingshot DDT for the pinfall victory. After the match, The Visionary got into the ring and delivered a Stomp to Riddle.

Seth was interviewed backstage following the attack but was quickly interrupted by United States Champion Bobby Lashley. Rollins said he was the face of RAW and Lashley disagreed. Bobby claimed that having the United States Championship makes him the face of the show. Seth challenged Bobby to a match for the title and it was made official for next week’s RAW.

Bobby Lashley Retains The United States Championship After WWE RAW

United States Champion Bobby Lashley put the title on the line against The Judgment Day’s Damian Priest. The finish to the match saw the champion planting Damian with a Neckbreaker in the middle of the ring.

Damian struggled to his feet and Lashley went for the Hurt Lock. Priest was able to block the submission move and caught Bobby with a boot to the face. The challenger went for a Chokeslam but Lashley escaped and connected with the Spear for the pinfall victory. You can check out the finish of the title match in the video below.

https://twitter.com/EbonicPlagueBB/status/1569523583160061953?s=20&t=V6QIVfBNhvVnKVPDbElIwA

Matt Cardona vs. Bully Ray Announced For Legendary Arena

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

A match between Bully Ray and Matt Cardona has finally been announced. It will be taking place from a legendary arena.

The two wrestling stars have been trading shots on Twitter and other places for the last few weeks, teasing a match between them.

Cardona had claimed that he is an ECW original and the Deathmatch King, a title he earned by defeating Nick Gage for the GCW championship at Homecoming 2021.

Bully Ray fired back at the former WWE star saying that Cardona wouldn’t have lasted a day in the original ECW.

Matt Cardona vs. Bully Ray

Matt Cardona then confirmed earlier today on Twitter that he will be facing the Attitude Era star at an upcoming event of Battleground Championship.

The event, dubbed as ‘A Tribute to the Extreme’ will be held at the former home of ECW in the 2300 Arena in December this year. Ray’s legendary tag team partner D-Von Dudley will be in his corner for this bout:

Matt Cardona had been on the shelf with a torn bicep for a few months. He returned to the ring at NWA 74. Since then, he seems to be on the mission to once again become the hottest free agent in the indie circuit.

Watch: Johnny Gargano Makes In-Ring Debut On Raw

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Johnny Gargano wrestled his first match in 9 months on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw from Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.

The former NXT champion made his triumphant return to WWE during the August 22 episode of the show. He was then announced for a match against Chad Gable this week.

This week’s episode of the Red Branded Show saw Gargano putting on a great wrestling match against the former American Alpha member.

The ending of this bout saw Gable reversing a crossface into an ankle lock. However, Johnny managed to escape. He sent Chad out of the ring and delivered a taupe suicida through the middle rope.

Johnny Gargano then hit a DDT on Chad Gable to pick up his first victory in 9 months since the WarGames match back in December.

Gabel’s tag team partner Otis tried to attack Gargano after the match but he escaped. Though before he could reach the entrance ramp, Theory attacked Gargano from behind using the Money In The Bank briefcase. Theory then took a selfie with him.

The segment with Gargano ended here but Theory stayed in the ring and took some shots at the former NXT star. Kevin Owens then came out to confront the Mr Money In The Banks.

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

Robert Lentini
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WWE RAW aired live from the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon this week. Aliyah and Raquel Rodriguez defended the Women’s Tag Team Championships against Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky tonight. Johnny Gargano made his return to the ring against Chad Gable.

RAW Results (9/12)

  • Finn Balor def. Riddle
  • Damage CTRL def. Raquel Rodriguez & Aliyah to become the new Women’s Tag Team Champions
  • Johnny Gargano def. Chad Gable
  • Bianca Belair def. Sonya Deville to retain the RAW Women’s Championship
  • Omos def. enhancement talent
  • Edge def. Dominik Mysterio via DQ

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Seth Rollins Doesn’t Want A Rematch With Riddle

Seth Rollins kicked off this week’s RAW and got a tremendous reaction from the crowd. Rollins asked if the crowd believes in karma and boasted about his victory over Riddle at Clash at the Castle. The audience sang his theme song before Seth brought up Riddle requesting a rematch. He stated that he’s not too interested in a rematch and crowd started chanting for it.

Rollins got pissed and told the crowd to shut up. The Visionary said that it has been far too long since he’s held championship gold but Riddle interrupted. Riddle marched down the entrance ramp, said “bro”, and attacked Rollins. The two traded punches in the ring until Riddle dumped Seth over the top rope. Seth bounced Riddle’s head off the announce table and tried to escape through the crowd.

Riddle chased after Seth and caught up to him. Rollins struck Riddle again and sprinted backstage. The lights went out and The Judment Day showed up. Finn Balor and Damian Priest offered Riddle a spot in the faction. Balor claimed that they’ve taken care of Rey Mysterio and Dominik is going to take care of Edge tonight.

The audience started chanting “no!” as Damian asked Riddle to join Judgment Day or fall against them. Riddle declined and said that right now he’s focused on Rollins. Balor joked that Portland has less laws and Riddle’s brain might be a little foggy (because of all the weed). Riddle knocked Balor down with a punch to the face as RAW went to a break.

Finn Balor def. Riddle, Seth Rollins Attacked

Riddle battled Finn Balor in a singles match. Damian Priest was ringside for the match. Finn dominated the action early and connected with a Neckbreaker for a near fall. Riddle tried to battle back but Balor hit him with another Neckbreaker on the ring apron as RAW went to a break.

When RAW returned, Riddle connected with an overhead kick and followed it up with a forearm to the face. Riddle hit an Exploder Suplex and Balor rolled out of the ring to regroup. Riddle caught him with a kick and then a springboard Floating Bro onto Judgment Day below.

Rey Mysterio then showed up through the crowd and jumped onto Damian Priest ringside. Seth Rollins tried to attack Riddle but he was ready for it. Riddle was about to hit Seth with a DDT when Balor planted him with a slam. Finn followed it up with the Coup de Grace for the pinfall victory. After the match, Seth attacked and hit Riddle with the Stomp.

Damage CTRL Captured The Women’s Tag Titles

Aliyah & Raquel Rodriguez defended the Women’s Tag Team Championships against Dakota Kai & Iyo Sky (Damage CTRL) tonight on RAW. Bayley was ringside for the match. Damage CTRL controlled the action early and isolated Aliyah in the ring. Aliyah battled back and had the match won but Bayley put Iyo’s boot on the rope.

Raquel attacked Bayley but turned around into a Moonsault from Iyo. Back in the ring, Dakota Kai hit a Destroyer on Aliyah for the pinfall victory. Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky are the new Women’s Tag Team Champions.

Opinion: One has to wonder if Aliyah and Raquel Rodriguez simply won the tournament just because everyone expected Damage CTRL to win. They served as transitional champions after the title was vacant for months. I have no idea what the point of that was.

Johnny Gargano Returned To the Ring, Theory Attacked

Johnny Gargano returned to the ring after 9 months away tonight on WWE RAW. He battled Chad Gable and Otis was ringside for the match. Chad got in some offense early but Johnny Wrestling battled back with a Hurricanrana. Johnny followed it up with a Dropkick and went for the Gargano Escape but Gable blocked it.

Gable was in control when RAW returned from a break and focused his attack on Johnny’s knee. Gargano connected with the slingshot Spear for a near fall. Chad connected with a slam and climbed to the top rope. Gargano rolled out of the way of a Moonsault but Gable caught him with a German Suplex for another two count.

Chad climbed back to the top turnbuckle and went for a Splash but Gargano got out of the way. Johnny quickly locked in the Gargano Escape but Gable broke free. Chad got Gargano in an Ankle Lock in the middle of the ring but he broke free. Johnny took Gable down with a Clothesline and both superstars fell to the canvas.

Gargano sent Gable out of the ring but Otis caught him. Johnny hit them both with a Suicide Dive and rolled Gable back into the ring. Johnny booted Otis away and planted Gable with a One Final Beat DDT for the pinfall victory. After the match, Otis went for an attack but Gargano was able to avoid him. Johnny posed on the entrance ramp but Theory attacked from behind. Theory hit him with the Money in the Bank briefcase and took a selfie with Alpha Academy.

Kevin Owens Confronted Austin Theory In A Great Promo

Theory cut a promo after the attack and claimed that Johnny Gargano was at the bottom of the food chain. The crowd kept chanting “what?!” and Theory shouted at them. Kevin Owens interrupted and Theory called him an idiot. Theory said he’s sick of his moments being ruined by Owens, Tyson Fury, etc. He vowed to take over the entire industry as the youngest MITB winner in history.

KO stated that Theory was the handpicked talent of the future but that is not the case anymore. Owens noted that guys like him and Gargano don’t look anything like Theory. Austin interrupted and said that Owens was right about that. Austin claimed that he’s done more in the past 5 months than KO and Gargano combined in the past five years.

Kevin called Austin a delusional jackass and claimed that Austin accomplished everything because he was handed a ton of opportunities. Owens noted that he doesn’t blame Theory, because the Universal Championship was handed to him back in the day. KO added that he is the complete opposite of Theory and he’s proud of that.

Owens wondered how many guys have passed through WWE just like Austin and fizzled out after going nowhere. KO then wondered how many guys like him and Gargano and made it to the top. Owens told Theory that people like him are a dime a dozen, while people like him and Gargano are the heart of this business.

He told Austin that he doesn’t believe he has what it takes to be the future. KO dared Theory to prove him wrong and start making moments for himself. Kevin smacked Theory in the face and shouted “that is how you become the face of WWE!”. Austin flexed and told KO that he’ll never be like him.

Owens then slapped Austin in the face even harder and the two traded punches before WWE officials broke it up. Theory was busted open in the brawl. KO versus Austin Theory was later announced for next week’s episode of WWE RAW.

Bianca Retained, Damage CTRL Interrupted

Bianca Belair issued an Open Challenge for the RAW Women’s Championship tonight. The EST stood in the ring for a bit when Sonya Deville’s music hit. Sonya said she didn’t forget about their past and blamed Bianca for costing her the job as WWE official. Belair then defended the RAW Women’s Championship against Sonya Deville.

Sonya got in some offense early and beat the champ down against the turnbuckle. Belair responded with a Clothesline and then a Dropkick. Bianca connected with a Suplex and a standing Moonsault for a two count. The action spilled out of the ring and Deville slammed Belair on the floor as RAW went to a break.

When RAW returned, Deville was still in control and the action returned to the ring. The champion battled back and planted Sonya with a Suplex. Bianca bashed Deville into the turnbuckle and hit her with some knee strikes. Bianca followed it up with the KOD for the pinfall victory. Bianca Belair is still the RAW Women’s Champion.

After the match, Bayley interrupted Bianca’s celebration and wondered if she was inspired by Damage CTRL’s victory earlier. Bayley stated that they are going to take control of this whole division and tonight is just the beginning. She told Bianca that she should be embarrassed about getting pinned by her at Clash at the Castle because she hadn’t wrestled in over a year.

Bianca dared Bayley to get into the ring but Damage CTRL attacked from behind. Asuka and Alexa Bliss made the save and the heels retreated leaving Bayley alone in the ring. Bianca planted Bayley with a Spinebuster and booted her out of the ring.

Omos Dominated

Omos dominated two jobbers tonight on RAW as MVP was ringside. Omos won with ease and posed for the crowd after the match. There were technical difficulties with the broadcast before the match began.

Opinion: We’ve already seen Omos lose matches, arm wrestling contests, etc. It feels a little late to go back to squash matches at this point.

Bobby Lashley Will Defend US Title Against Seth Rollins Next Week On RAW

Lashley interrupted an interview with Seth Rollins backstage. Rollins claimed that he was the face of Monday Night RAW and Lashley disagreed. Bobby said he’s the United States Champion and “he who has the gold is the face of RAW”. Seth suggested a match against Lashley next week for the United States Championship and to find out who the face of RAW really is. Bobby accepted and stared at Rollins for a bit before leaving.

Dexter Lumis Got Inside The Miz’s House

While promoting Miz & Mrs., The Miz claimed that Dexter Lumis somehow got inside of his house. The interviewer asked what Dexter did to him and Miz got angry. He said he didn’t want to talk about it and left his house. Miz and Maryse drove away and Dexter Lumis was shown inside The Miz’s house. Dexter held up a weird Miz & Mrs. drawing to end the segment.

Judgment Day Attacked Edge

Edge battled Dominik Mysterio in tonight’s main event. Earlier on RAW, Dominik cut a backstage promo about stepping out of the shadow of his father. Rhea Ripley whispered something in Dominink’s ear and then accompanied him to the ring for the match.

Edge controlled the action early and bashed Dominik’s face off the barricade outside the ring. The Rated-R Superstar cleared off the announce table before launching Mysterio into the steel steps. Edge booted Dominik in the face and rolled him back into the ring. Rhea Ripley hit Edge with a cheap shot and laughed ringside. Dominik capitalized by shoving Edge into the steel steps as RAW went to the final commercial break of the night.

When RAW returned, Dominik was in control and connected with a Frog Splash off the top rope for a near fall. Edge booted Dominik and sent him flying into the ring post. Edge connected with the Edgecution for a near fall. The Rated-R Superstar followed it up with an Impaler DDT and both superstars were down on the canvas.

Edge got up first to a big pop from the crowd. Dominik dodged a Spear and locked in a Half Crab in the middle of the ring. Edge countered into an inside cradle for a two count. Edge tied Dominik’s arms in the top rope and started unloading punches to his face as the crowd chanted along.

The referee pushed Dominik away at a five count and Edge returned to punch him in the face some more. Once again, the referee backed Edge away. Edge was about to hit Dominik with a Spear but Rey got in the way. Edge shoved Rey Mysterio out of the ring and Damian Priest attacked. Judgment Day beat Edge down and gave Dominik a steel chair. Dominik then started bashing Edge over and over in the knee with the steel chair as the crowd booed. Balor then hit the Coup de Grace on Edge’s knee. Judgment Day posed in the ring to a chorus of boos as RAW went off the air.

Final Thoughts: It is odd that security was so quick to rush the ring while Owens and Theory were trading punches but allowed Edge to get brutally attacked for several minutes. Overall, RAW wasn’t anything special this week but the card for next week’s show looks strong.

What did you think of this week’s WWE RAW? Let us know in the comments section below.

New Champions Crowned During Raw

Anutosh Bajpai
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Damage CTRL is your new Women’s Tag Team Champions.

A lot of people criticized WWE’s decision of putting the women’s tag titles on Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah instead of Damage CTRL in the tournament they held to crown new champion. The company seems to have rectified this mistake.

This week’s episode of Monday Night Raw from Moda Center in Portland, Oregon saw the newly crowned champions defending their titles for the first time.

The ending of the bout saw Rodriguez putting Dakota Kai down with a couple of lariats. She also hit a twisting splash before letting Aliyah tag in.

Rodriguez sent her tag partner onto Kai before being attacked by IO Sky.  Aliyah tried rolling up Dakota Kai but Kai kicked out.

Aliyah hit a jawbreaker on Kai. She went for the pin again but Bayley put Kai’s foot on the rope, forcing the break.

This led to Aliyah delivering a baseball kick to Bayley before Sky took her out. Dakota Kai then delivered the Kai-ropractor for the win.

Apart from this, the show featured matches such as Finn Balor vs Riddle and a match between Dominik Mysterio and Edge that is yet to come. You can check out the full results on SEScoops after the show.

Backstage Update on The Young Bucks Sending “Feelers” to WWE

Andrew Ravens
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AEW lost one of its founders earlier this year to WWE in the way of Cody Rhodes and reports last week indicated that two more founders could follow suit as The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) had reportedly “sent out feelers” to people within WWE. 

The Bucks are contracted to AEW until 2024 and the feelers were sent out to gauge potential interest. 

Fightful Select reported today that this is said to have been a rumor among many of its sources “dating back to August.” Sources close to the tag team noted that they “haven’t been given that indication whatsoever” in regards to them sending out feelers to WWE. 

An anonymous source is said to “likely be in a good position to relay that information” and added that they “aren’t sure who the Young Bucks would even reach out to” regarding contacting WWE. 

The top AEW tag team talking with WWE would likely be considered contract tampering, but utilizing a third party to relay interest falls in a gray area. Fightful did confirm they had heard of people who worked in talent relations “outright” reaching out to AEW talent in August, but it wasn’t specified if these talent relations people were actively working for WWE.

Past Talks

Young Bucks
(AEW)

Another source who worked with WWE in 2018 noted that they had heard the feelers rumor but neglected to ask WWE higher-ups about it because “they weren’t sure how that would be received.” 

The Bucks did have talks with WWE in 2018 before signing with AEW the following year. 

Because there was such a strong interest in the Bucks joining WWE in the past, and because their stock has only risen since then, this source thinks that the Bucks “wouldn’t even need to assess interest.” Before AEW All Out, the Bucks reportedly gave “no indication” that they planned to leave the organization, according to Fightful.

Details on Changes at WWE Headquarters After Vince McMahon Stepped Down

Andrew Ravens
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Many fans have noticed the changes to the product now that Vince McMahon is gone from the company and Triple H is in charge of creative. There have also been changes made behind the scenes in the company. 

PWInsider reports that the management (Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan serving as co-CEOs) change has energized the locker room and the production team. The energy at WWE Headquarters in Stamford is said to be much better for a very different reason.

Working Under Vince McMahon

vince

When Vince was in charge, people had to walk on eggshells and there was always a fear that if you put your personal life before the company then you may be expendable because Vince lived and breathed WWE every day and his work hours were insane. As a result, Vince expected employees to work those same hours. 

With the new management team, the level of stress has decreased, and people no longer feel guilty about leaving work at a normal hour. The work/life balance is said to be much better these days.

Also, the feeling of keeping your head down that people had when Vince was around is no longer there. They also feel they can converse with management if they run into them, unlike when Vince was in charge. 

One staffer noted that people “knew running into Vince was like running into the T-Rex from Jurassic Park. You didn’t want to call attention to yourself.”

Regarding the creative team, there is no longer the feeling that everyone must “hurry up to wait” for hours so Vince can finish his meetings. 

Meetings in the company are said to be more streamlined and regimented and the feeling is by not wasting so much time, there is less worry about being “worn out by the grind.”

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