Many people have called Triple H the best boss they have worked for. According to Scarlett, he is someone who is very accessible and a boss that she is very comfortable sharing ideas with.
When asked about working for Triple H, Scarlett explained that he is someone who actually loves wrestling. With him, you always feel like you’re in great hands:
“Sometimes you feel, as a woman you feel very shut down, you don’t feel comfortable talking to boss about certain ideas. Hunter is always there a text away. We just messaged him yesterday with certain ideas and certain character arcs and storylines, things like that.
It feels great to be able to have that kind of relationship with a boss who is accessible that way. You actually feel like he loves wrestling.” said Scarlett, “He actually loves wrestling. He wants to make the best show possible. So you just feel like you’re in great hands all the times.”
The former NXT duo were split up when they were brought up to the main roster during their initial run. Vince McMahon changed the gimmick of Kross and released the duo in November last year, only a few months after their call-up.
Triple H brought the two back not long after taking over the WWE creative earlier this month. Karrion Kross and Scarlett have been paired back, and they are now feuding with Drew McIntyre.
In 2008, Ric Flair was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, marking the first-time an active Superstar had received the honor.
Flair retired (the first time) the next night, losing to Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 24, but wasn’t finished being inducted.
Four years later, Flair was inducted yet again, this time as part of the Four Horsemen faction, becoming the first-ever two-time inductee into WWE’s Hall of Fame.
Doesn’t Belong
At this time, there are a total 234 entries into the WWE Hall of Fame, consisting of individual Superstars, Tag-Teams, Stables, Celebrity inductees, and Warrior Award recipients.
The Warrior Award is in honor of the Ultimate Warrior, who during his 2014 induction, addressed the idea of an award for the unsung heroes working within WWE.
On the latest edition of his ‘To Be The Man’ podcast, however, Flair addressed the Warrior’s legacy, and why he feels he doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame (via WrestleTalk.)
“You hold up the company, then you sue them – which he [The Ultimate Warrior] did, and then you end up in the Hall of Fame… There’s a lot of people in the Hall of Fame that are there for – I can’t figure out any rhyme or reason why they would be other than political stuff.”
Suing the Company
Flair is referencing Warrior’s lawsuits against WWE in 1996 and 1998, when the two sides fought for ownership of the Ultimate Warrior character.
The courts ruled that Warrior was legally entitled to use the gimmick, costuming, face paint designs, and mannerisms of the WWE character.
In January 2006, Warrior would again sue WWE, this time for libel following the release of the ‘The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior’ DVD.
The documentary saw several Superstars have unflattering comments about Warrior, though his libel case was thrown out in September 2009.
AEW has confirmed that the Casino Ladder match will be returning at the upcoming All Out PPV from Now Arena in Chicago, Illinois.
The unique match combines the elements of the Money In The Bank ladder match with the Casino Battle Royal, with the winner receiving a future world title shot.
The bout sees two competitors entering the ring every 90 seconds. Whoever retrieves the casino chip suspended above the ring is declared the winner. The match can end before all the participants have entered.
AEW confirmed during the August 19 Rampage that this match will be returning for All Out 2022. Though no participants for it were announced.
The company has held two Casino Ladder matches till now. The concept was originally introduced during the Double or Nothing PPV in 2020. Lance Archer won the first Casino ladder match but he was unsuccessful in winning the world title.
Hangman Page then won the second Casino Ladder match held during the October 6, 2021 episode of Dynamite. Page went on to defeat Kenny Omega for the AEW championship at Full Gear 2021.
Apart from this, the upcoming PPV will feature the finals of the trios title tournament, Thunder Rosa vs. Toni Storm for the AEW Women’s title, and The Pinnacle vs. The Lethal Connection.
WWE then confirmed on this week’s episode of SmackDown that Stratus will also be making an appearance on Monday’s Raw. The former champion took on her Twitter after this announcement to share her excitement:
AEW Rampage was taped Wednesday night following Dynamite in West Virginia.
Rampage Results (8/19)
Swerve in our Glory def. Private Party to retain the AEW Tag Team Championships
Buddy Matthews def. Serpentico
Athena def. Penelope Ford
Best Friends & Orange Cassidy def. Trustbusters in the Trios Tournament
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Claudio Castagnoli Issued An Open Challenge
Claudio pointed out Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat in the front row and said it feels great to be standing in front of his mentor. He issued an Open Challange and Dustin Rhodes’ music hit. Dustin said he’s dreamt of being in Claudio’s spot for the last 30 years. Dustin claimed that the match was a dream of his and vowed to bring the best version of himself. Claudio accepted and shook his hand. The ROH Championship match will happen next week.
Swerve in our Glory Retained The AEW Tag Team Championships
Swerve in our Glory (Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland) defended the AEW Tag Team Championships against Private Party (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen). Private Party controlled the action early and sent Swerve out of the ring. Kassidy caught Strickland with a Suicide Dive through the ropes as Rampage went to a commercial break.
When Rampage returned, Swerve battled back and was able to tag in the big guy. Keith Lee launched Isiah across the ring before following it up with a Splash in the corner. Lee followed it up with a Clothesline for a two count. Marq Quen tagged in and Keith beat him down in the corner of the ring. Swerve got the tag and connected with the JML Driver for the pinfall victory.
Reality TV star Zack Clayton battled Hook for the FTW Championship. This went how everyone expected and Hook applied Redrum right away for the submission victory. Hook retained the FTW Championship.
After the match, Matt Menard and Angelo Parker were interviewed. It was reported earlier today that the tag team has recently signed contract extensions with All Elite Wrestling. They claimed that it was time for the FTW Championship to be held by a sports entertainer.
Buddy Matthews battled Serpentico on this week’s edition of Rampage. The House of Black member dominated Serpentico for a quick victory after connecting with a Pump-Handle Slam.. House of Black will battle Dark Order in the Trios Tournament next week. After the match, Miro made his way to the ring with Malakai Black’s mask. Miro brawls with Buddy and beat him down.
Tony Schiavone interviewedBritt Baker backstage with Jamie Hayter and Rebel. Britt claimed that ThunderStorm is a “shit show” and AEW Women’s Champion cannot defeat Toni Storm, and that is why she teamed up with her.
DMD may not have a #1 Contender on their team but they will be carefully watching as #AEW Women’s World Champ Thunder Rosa defends her title against tag team partner & #1 contender #ToniStorm at #AEWAllOut Sun 9/4 LIVE on PPV!
Penelope Ford battled Athena tonight on Rampage in a singles match. Kip Sabian is still wearing a box over his head and was shown in the crowd cheering for his wife Penelope. Athena controlled the action early but Penelope caught her with a Dropkick. Athena battled back and hit the O-Face (Eclipse) for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Jade Cargill destroyed part of Athena’s ring gear with a sledgehammer. The TBS Champion and The Baddies then attacked Athena.
It was announced that Billy Gunn will face his son Colten next week on Dynamite.
TBS Champion and the Baddies, with Stokely Hathaway, are here at #AEWRampage sending a message to Athena in the most despicable way possible. Watch TNT right now. pic.twitter.com/JR2MhCT24e
The Trustbusters battled Orange Cassidy & Best Friends in the first round of the Trios Tournament. Before the main event, Mark Henry interviewed both teams. Orange Cassidy tried to steal Mark Henry’s. “it’s time for the main event line” during the interview.
Daivari and Trent started off the match and Ari hit a Neckbreaker before applying a headlock. Slim J tagged in and got into a staring contest with Orange Cassidy. Best Fiends beat down Slim J and Daivari. Parker Boudreaux and battled with Trent in the ring. Chuck Taylor and Orange Cassidy joined in and leveled Parker with a triple Dropkick in the corner of the ring.
Trent connected with a Spear that sent Parker into the barricade. Cassidy followed it up with an Orange Punch to knock Parker over the barricade. Orange climbed to the top turnbuckle but Orange tripped him up. Danhausen showed up to put a curse on Daivari. Sonny was getting in the way and but Danhausen stepped aside. Best Friends and Orange Cassidy isolated Slim J in the middle of the ring. Cassidy connected with a Splash of Best Friends shoulders for the pinfall victory.
#BestFriends and Orange Cassidy score the victory, with a little help from Danhausen, to advance into the semifinals of the #AEW World Trios Championship Tournament! What a night of action it’s been on #AEWRampage on TNT! pic.twitter.com/qQQ6sTyXd9
Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens got to share a touching moment after this week’s episode of SmackDown from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
The final segment of this week’s show featured a confrontation between the WWE Universal champion Roman Reigns and the #1 contender for the title Drew McIntyre.
The promo segment turned into a brawl towards the end. When McIntyre first tried to hit Reigns with a Claymore Kick, Sami Zayn interrupted and took the hit instead.
Roman Reigns then tried to hit a Spear on his opponent but the Scottish Warrior managed to counter. He hit a Claymore this time, and the show ended with McIntyre holding up the titles.
After the show went off air, Kevin Owens came out and shared a moment with his longtime best friend. Owens said that he is proud of Sami and that Zayn is finally getting the recognition he deserves.
Though Kevin also mentioned that the former El Generico is too good to be ‘Roman’s bitch.’ Riddle then came out and got the two stars to hug.
The fans then got to see a tag team match where Kevin Owens teamed up with Riddle. They defeated the team of Butch and Ridge Holland. You can check out photos and videos from the dark segment below:
After SmackDown went off air, Kevin Owens came out & said that he's proud of Sami Zayn
Kevin Owens and Riddle beat Butch and Ridge Holland.
Before that, Owens & Zayn shared a cool moment in the ring. Owens praised Sami, but said he's too good to be Roman's b!tch. Riddle then came out and got Owens & Sami Zayn to hug#WrestlingIsLifepic.twitter.com/yZC3Tx9iYx
The 1,200th edition of WWE SmackDown aired live from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre will meet face-to-face tonight ahead of their title match at Clash at the Castle on September 3rd. In addition to the takeaways below, Trish Stratus was announced for Monday’s episode of RAW in Toronto.
Toxic Attraction def. Natalya & Shayna Baszler to advance in the Women’s Tag Team Tournament
Sheamus won the Fatal 5-Way to become #1 contender for the Intercontinental Championship
Liv Morgan def. Shotzi
Here are the takeaways from this week’s WWE SmackDown:
Ronda Rousey Arrested, Roman Reigns Arrives
Ronda Rousey kicked off the show and entered the ring through the crowd to great reaction. Rousey said she is not leaving the ring until she is reinstated. She was suspended following her attack on Liv Morgan and the referee at SummerSlam.
WWE official Adam Pearce interrupted and stated that he just cannot lift Ronda’s suspension because he wants her to do so. Security entered the ring and Ronda beat them down. Rousey locked in an Armbar on one of the guards before she was arrested and escorted out of the arena. Roman Reigns then arrived to the arena and got a big pop from the crowd.
Toxic Attraction Advanced In The Women’s Tag Tournament
Sonya Deville and Natalya battled Gigi Dolin & Jayce Jayne of Toxic Attraction in the Women’s Tag Team Tournament tonight on SmackDown. Shayna beat Gigi down in the corner to start off the action. Toxic Attraction battled back and launched Natalya into the steel steps outside the ring. Bayley, IYO SKY, and Dakota Kai were shown in the front row as SmackDown went to a break.
When SmackDown returned, Jayne and Deville were battling in the ring. Sonya knocked Gigi off the ring apron and but turned around into an elbow to the face from Jayce. Jayne mocked Natalya and went for the Sharpshooter but Sonya blocked it. Natalya tagged in and went for the Sharpshooter but Jayce booted her away.
Gigi tripped Natalya up and followed it up with a Clothesline but Sonya broke it up. Jayne and Deville battled to the outside of the ring. Jayce threw Sonya into the barricade right in front of Bayley, IYO SKY, and Dakota Kai. Back in the ring, Gigi rolled up Natalya for a near fall. Natalya responded with a Clothesline and some punches in the corner of the ring.
Natalya locked the Sharpshooter on Dolin but didn’t realize Jayce Jayne tagged in. Jayce broke it up and rolled up Natalya for the pinfall victory. Toxic Attraction have advanced in the Women’s Tag Team Championship Tournament.
Sami Zayn approached Roman Reigns’ locker room. His security guard said that Roman wanted to see Sami. Roman asked Sami to take a seat next to him and Roman wondered how everything has been going. Zayn ranted about Jey Uso always being on him about “having to level up”.
Sami noted that he took a Claymore from Drew McIntyre and called Jey ungrateful. Roman agreed and joked that Jey doesn’t care about anything. Roman exited but left his phone behind. Reigns asked him to answer and Jey was shouting. Sami told Roman that The Usos are stuck at the border and are not going to be here tonight. Zayn brought up the Fatal 5-Way later and Roman told him the IC title would look good in The Bloodline. Roman brought up Kevin Owens shouting at The Usos that Roman owes him one on RAW. Reigns told Sami that he doesn’t owe Kevin Owens anything.
Max & Maxiine Dupri made their way to the ring with Mace and Mansoor. Hit Row interrupted and beat the hell out of them before cutting rapping for a bit. Hit Row got a good reaction from the crowd and Maximum Male Models were made to look like fools in the segment.
Karrion Kross and Scarlett had a vignette about Drew McIntyre. They brought up him being “The Chosen One” in the past and claimed that WWE were wrong in doing so.
Ricochet, Sheamus, Happy Corbin, Madcap Moss, and hometown hero Sami Zayn competed in a Fatal 5-Way to crown the #1 contender for the Intercontinental Championship. Ricochet hit Sami with a Hurricanrana and knocked him out of the ring. Corbin planted Ricochet with a Chokeslam and went for the cover but it was quickly broken up as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Corbin launched his former tag team partner Madcap Moss into the turnbuckle. Happy did the same to Ricochet and sent him out of the ring. Ricochet battled back and planted Happy with a Tornado DDT and followed it up with a Shooting Star Press for a near fall.
Sheamus hit Madcap and Sami with a couple of Irish Curse Backbreakers in the middle of the ring. The Celtic Warrior then mocked Gunther’s pose before delivering the 10 Beats of the Bodhran to Moss as the crowd chanted along at each impact. Sami Zayn hit a flip onto Sheamus and Ricochet outside the ring.
Back in the ring, Sami went for the Blue Thunder Bomb but Ricochet blocked it. Sami responded with a Michinoku Driver for a close two count. Moss went for a Fallaway Slam but Sami escaped and hit him with the Blue Thunder Bomb for a close two count. Zayn made his way to the top rope but Ricochet joined him up there.
Sami shoved him down but then Sheamus joined him on the turnbuckle. Sheamus lifted Sami up on hit White Noise off the middle turnbuckle. Zayn grabbed his arm in pain and rolled out of the ring immediately. Sheamus planted Ricochet with a Powerslam but Corbin hit him with Deep Six. Ricochet hit a Crossbody and everyone was down on the canvas. Sami was being helped backstage as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Madcap sent Sheamus flying across the ring with a Fallaway Slam. Moss went for the cover but Sheamus kicked out. Ricochet hit a springboard Moonsault for another near fall. Happy Corbin unloaded some punches on Ricochet but got sent out of the ring. Back in the ring, Corbin leveled Ricochet with a big boot and followed it up with a Torture Rack Neckbreaker for a near fall.
Sheamus set up for the Brogue Kick but Moss dodged it. Moss slammed Sheamus to the mat but turned around into a Recoil from Ricochet. Ricochet made his way to the top rope and hit a Splash on Sheamus but Corbin broke it up at two. He sent Corbin out of the ring as Sami Zayn hobbled back down the entrance ramp while holding his arm.
The crowd erupted into a “Sami!” chant as he entered the ring. Sami planted Ricochet with an Exploder Suplex and followed it up with the Helluva Kick. Zayn went for the cover but Happy Corbin broke it up at two. Corbin then launched Sami shoulder-first into the ring post. Sheamus hit a Brogue Kick on Happy Corbin for the pinfall victory.
Viking Raiders held a “Viking Funeral” for The New Day. Erik and Ivar warned Kofi and Xavier. It appeared that Sarah Logan was in the promo as well but she was only shown from behind.
SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan battled Shotzi tonight in a non-title match. Liv sent Shotzi to the corner and hit her with a Splash. Shotzi responded with a Bronco Buster against the ropes and went for the cover but the champ kicked out at two.
When SmackDown returned, Shotzi lifted Liv up but she escaped with a few elbows to the head. Shotzi planted the champion with a Northern Lights Suplex and went for the cover but Liv kicked out at two. Liv hit Oblivion for the pinfall victory and celebrated in the ring.
Shayna Baszler attacked from behind and made it seem like she was going to stomp on Liv’s arm. Shayna booted her in the face instead and exited the ring. Liv Morgan will defend the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Shayna Baszler at Clash at the Castle.
Roman and Drew were shown getting ready backstage. McIntyre picked up his jacket to reveal that Karrion and Scarlett had placed an hourglass in his locker room. Reigns got a massive reaction from the crowd as he made his way to the ring. Roman held out his hand and a WWE employee handed it to him.
Reigns noted that he’s not here every week anymore and sometimes people say stupid stuff. Reigns said that there is only one man that can claim he’s the face of the company and that is him. Drew interrupted and said that Roman Reigns doesn’t represent the titles the way they deserve to be represented.
McIntyre claimed that Roman doesn’t deserve to be champion because he’s got Paul Heyman and The Bloodline working for him. Drew claimed to see fear and concern in Roman’s eyes. McIntyre claimed that there isn’t a man that he can’t tear apart with his bare hands. McIntyre vowed to take the titles from him at Clash at the Castle and suggested a fight tonight.
The two stars traded punches in the middle of the ring. McIntyre got the better of the exchange and set up for the Claymore. Sami Zayn leaped in the way and Roman capitalized with the Superman Punch. Reigns went for a Spear but McIntyre countered with a Claymore. Michael Cole said Drew is right and Roman Reigns is vulnerable when The Usos aren’t here. McIntyre posed with the WWE and Universal Championships over Reigns to close the show. Roman will defend the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against McIntyre at Clash at the Castle on September 3rd.
Two key members of the Jericho Appreciation Society have been signed to new deals and that’s 2point0 (Angelo Parker and Matt Menard).
Fightful Select reported today that Parker and Menard signed contract extensions. No terms were disclosed.
The Rise of 2point0
They made a name for themselves in WWE NXT Ever-Rise, but were released in the summer of 2021, less than two weeks after signing new deals. They went to AEW in early August in a trios match with Daniel Garcia. The announcement of their full-time deals came shortly after.
The tag team became part of Chris Jericho’s new JAS faction in March following Jericho turning on Santana and Ortiz, which officially ended the Inner Circle.
Menard, who hasn’t been in action since June’s Blood & Guts cage match, has been doing commentary work for the Dark series as of late. He’s been sidelined with a torn labrum, rotator cuff, and partial shoulder tear in the gimmick match.
For Parker, he has worked just two matches since – once in July for a dark Dark match and on a Canadian indie show in August.
WWE is making a change to the Women’s Tag Team Title tournament.
NXT stars Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne of Toxic Attrraction will replace Nikkita Lyons & Zoey Stark in the first round match against Natalya and Sonya Deville.
WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels has the official word below. According to the Heartbreak Kid, Stark sustained an injury at Tuesday’s NXT Heatwave event and is unable to compete.
Dolin & Jayne are former NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions, while Mandy Rose is the reigning NXT Women’s Champion.
Rose successfully beat Stark to retain her title on Tuesday’s episode of NXT 2.0: Heatwave after targeting the knee of Stark throughout the match and pinning her with a running knee strike while having Stark’s knee brace.
Stark was sidelined from October 2021 to July with a torn ACL/Meniscus.
Two segments were previously announced for tonight’s SmackDown, including The Viking Raiders holding a ‘viking funeral’ for The New Day and a face-to-face between Drew McIntyre and Roman Reigns ahead of their Undisputed WWE Universal Title bout at Clash at the Castle next month.
During this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, CM Punk challenged ‘Hangman’ Adam Page to a title match, which was not accepted by the Cowboy.
It has since been reported that Punk’s actions were not part of the plans for the show, and that the AEW World Champion knew that Page was not scheduled to appear on the show.
Seemingly going into business for himself, Punk’s promo has sparked a discussion among fans about reported real-life beef between himself and the man he dethroned as AEW World Champion in May.
Backstage Drama
Punk and Page appear to have some issues, but they are not the only ones who are causing things to be tense behind the scenes.
Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that “a ton of backstage drama involving many of the top guys that has gotten much worse in recent weeks.”
Meltzer added that AEW President Tony Khan may have no other choice but to arrange a meeting with everyone to “air everything out” before things get any worse.
“It feels like a number of people are close to their breaking point if things don’t get settled.”
Dave Meltzer on the tensions within AEW right now.
Unhappy Talent
Punk may have a problem with ‘Hangman’ Adam Page, but the reigning AEW World Champion isn’t the only unhappy talent right now.
Earlier this month, Miro liked a tweet suggesting that he had it better in WWE, where he became a three-time United States Champion as ‘Rusev.’
A separate tweet, that argued that Miro was being wasted in AEW, and the same went for Andrade El Idolo, was liked by the former NXT Champion.
WWE looks to be locking in on their location for SummerSlam 2023 already.
WrestleVotes has reported that the company was so happy with how this year’s SummerSlam from Nashville turned out that the city is already on the short list to host the event yet again next year.
A decision is expected to be made by early 2023. This year’s SummerSlam was certainly a big one for the company. It was the first premium live event under Triple H after Vince McMahon’s retirement.
It certainly delivered in regards to the in-ring product. Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch showed out in an amazing curtain jerker of a RAW Women’s Title match. Logan Paul impressed with quite the in-ring performance in his win over The Miz.
Pat McAfee was entertaining as ever in a big one-on-one victory over Happy Corbin. And of course, the main event saw Roman Reigns successfully retain his WWE Undisputed Championship against Brock Lesnar in a Last Man Standing match.
(via WWE)
The match saw several big spots, including the ring nearly getting tipped over with Reigns inside, Theory teasing cashing-in his Money In The Bank, and The Usos assisting their Tribal Chief in the win by stacking several objects on top of him, preventing him from getting up.
Regardless of where SummerSlam takes place next year, it will have quite a show to follow after this year’s in Nashville, which saw an attendance of a reported 48,000.
Kenny Omega finally made his much-anticipated AEW return during this week’s episode of Dynamite after staying out of action for 9 months. He teamed up with The Young Bucks to compete in a first-round trios title tournament match.
The former AEW champion however, wrestled in a compression shirt instead of his usual ring attire. He also appeared to be in pain during the bout.
This led to speculations about his health and many wondered if Kenny Omega has been brought back prematurely. The AEW star only further fuelled these speculations with a Tweet after his return match where he talked about being a burden to the Bucks:
“The pieces aren’t all there yet but I refuse to burden the Bucks with my limitations. We have a real chance at this. I’ll be even stronger in round 2. I’ll surpass where I was at. I’ll surpass everyone.”
The pieces aren’t all there yet but I refuse to burden the Bucks with my limitations.
We have a real chance at this. I’ll be even stronger in round 2. I’ll surpass where I was at.
Dave Meltzer of F4Wonline provided some updates on The Cleaner’s health recently. He confirmed that Omega hasn’t been brought back before he was supposed to.
Per Meltzer, the whole thing where Kenny Omega seemed to be in pain was a work. It was part of a long-term storyline that will see the former champion eventually transform into the competitor fans expect him to be.
The team of Omega and Bucks have advanced to the semi-finals of the trios title tournament after their victory on Dynamite. They will now face the winners of the match between United Empire and Death Triangle.
WWE star Ciampa has offered up what he believes is the “craziest, funniest” part of Vince McMahon’s retirement.
Ciampa was recently interviewed on “Out Of Character” with Ryan Satin, where he gave his thoughts on the entire situation. The Monday Night RAW star noted that he believes the “craziest, funniest” part of it all was the fact that the 77-year-old McMahon retired via Twitter.
“The craziest, funniest part of it all was, of course the most powerful man in the history of professional wrestling tweeted out his retirement. One tweet, doesn’t need more than a 160 characters, no problem.
“It blew my mind. I heard a couple of texts before I saw it, and I looked and was like, ‘This is real.’ Aside from that, I’m not kidding you at all when I say that I just didn’t put much more thought into it.
“I’m just in such a different place in my life that I think my initial thing was, ‘I hope he’s happy. I hope he stops waking up at 3 AM to work out before his meetings. Dude, you deserve a retirement. You’re 77, go enjoy retirement.’
As we’ve noted, Vince McMahon was forced to step down as WWE CEO once allegations of sexual misconduct were levied against him. His daughter Stephanie McMahon and Nick Kahn then stepped in as co-CEOs in Vince’s place.
(via WWE)
Soon after, investigations began into the allegations into McMahon. As a result, McMahon then announced his retirement from WWE altogether, leaving his post as head of creative in WWE.
His son-in-law and multiple-time WWE World Champion Triple H would step up to fill the void. Although Ciampa has a great relationship with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, it’s a bittersweet ending to his working under McMahon.
“Of course, Hunter coming off all the health stuff, you’re like, ‘Well, I hope you’re ready for the deep end.’ But obviously, I have a good relationship with him and Steph, and their energy – it’s very positive.
“But I was also very much enjoying my time with Vince. I think everybody who gets into this, especially from our generation, wants that Vince pat on the back and bearhug and all that.
“He was giving me great feedback, and I was really happy with how things were developing. I’m still excited because when you give me an opportunity, I will take it and run.”
Sasha Banks has been an arch enemy for Charlotte Flair inside the ring and one of the best friends outside it for long. They started together at the bottom in NXT and have served as the faces of the Women’s Revolution alongside the other Horsewomen. That’s why Flair can’t even imagine never getting to wrestle the former champion again.
The Queen was the most recent guest of Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions. Among other things, she was asked for her thoughts on the situation with Sasha Banks and Naomi walking out of WWE.
Charlotte Flair mentioned how she has been away from WWE since WrestleMania Backlash, so she doesn’t really know the real story behind their walkout. Flair did admit that she cannot imagine never getting to wrestle Banks again:
“One, I haven’t been there because I left after Backlash. I know what it’s like to jump on social media and read these headlines that are so far from the truth. So I don’t know what happened but what I can say is – ‘I can’t imagine never wrestling Sasha again.'”
– Charlotte Flair
‘She Is My Ricky Steamboat’: Charlotte Flair
Charlotte Flair then claimed that Banks is her Ricky Steamboat. She explained that she is not in the position to speak on behalf of the company or the competitors:
“That would be hard for me to compartmentalize. Cause we started together. She is my Ricky Steamboat. My dad always tells her that. Then with Trin [Naomi], we just had hell of a match on SmackDown. And I’m like ‘Oh there is unfinished business there because of circumstances and storyline, whatever.’
So for me, I just can’t imagine not working with them, but in terms of what they are going through, it’s not my place to speak on behalf of the company or them because I am not there right now.”
The good news for both Flair and the fans of Banks and Naomi is that a lot of things have changed in WWE recently. The regime change has led to much positive environment being established between the talent and the management. The result of it is that both the former champions have reportedly agreed to a new agreement with the promotion.
If you use any quotes from the article, please creditSEScoops with an H/t for transcription
During this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, in a promo that was supposed to be angled at Jon Moxley, Punk instead started it off by taking a shot at Page, calling him a “coward.”
Initial reports indicate this was not part of the script. Wade Keller of PWTorch reports that there are, in fact, issues between Punk and Page.
However, he added that some wrestlers backstage in AEW wouldn’t put it past AEW president Tony Khan to do a work-shoot type of thing with it.
AEW
Keller did add, however, he doesn’t think that’s the case here. He also stated that Punk met with Khan in his locker room before Dynamite went on-air for a “decent amount of time.”
Despite the drama that unfolded on Dynamite (and all the subsequent fallout), Punk was acting fine backstage before the show with no signs of being disgruntled.
Punk has returned from a foot injury that required surgery to repair. He’s still the AEW World Champion, but in his absence, an interim champion in Jon Moxley was crowned.
Now, Punk will shift his focus to unifying his title with Moxley’s to determine the undisputed AEW World Champion.
Charlotte Flair is Steve Austin’s latest guest on The Broken Skull Sessions.
The two wrestling legends covered a lot of ground during the 90+ minute discussion. Topics discussed included breaking into the business, how her brother’s death changed the course of her life, coming up with the Four Horsewomen and much more.
The following are the main takeaways of what we learned from Charlotte Flair on Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions.
They started off talking about her recent wedding to Andrade, which was held in his hometown in Mexico. They honeymooned in Costa Rica and were grateful to have a full 7-day break from wrestling, which is rare these days.
Charlotte said it can be difficult being married to someone in the business, especially someone who works for a different company. At the end of the day, they’re best friends. It can be tough being married in the business, but it would be even harder being a woman in the business being married to someone on the outside. Few people can understand what a woman goes through as a pro wrestler and spouses who are not in the business would have a very tough time understanding that life.
Breaking into the Business
Charlotte Flair on Steve Austin’s The Broken Skull Sessions (via WWE)
She’s done it all at this stage of her career, but becoming a pro wrestler was not a childhood dream of hers. Even at 25 years old, she had no aspirations of being a wrestler. She got emotional talking about her brother Reid’s passing and carrying out his dream.
Before she got into wrestling, she remembers going backstage at WWE shows with her father and being intimidated by how beautiful all the Divas were.
She attended the Four Horsemen’s WWE Hall of Fame induction in 2012, along with her father and brother. They were sitting at dinner and a WWE producer came up to them and asked her, “Why aren’t you doing this?”
Got to FCW, didn’t know what she was doing, felt resentment because she didn’t need to do a tryout. Her brother passing away put her on a completely different path. It propelled her to the highest heights, but she still hasn’t fully processed it.
The Four Horsewomen vs. WWE Divas
Charlotte said she learned the most from the women who she came up with, Sasha Banks, Bayley and Becky Lynch. Together, they were dubbed the Four Horsewomen, an homage to her father and the legendary Four Horsemen faction. That was her group, that’s who she learned from and that’s who she felt the need to keep up with. She looked up the other women and they all got better by competing with each other.
During the time that the Four Horsewomen were getting buzz in NXT, WWE’s Divas division took notice. There was a sense of competition between the two rosters. She doesn’t know if they were making the women on the main roster nervous, but it definitely bred competition.
She remembers the Divas being fired up as the Four Horsewomen were getting called up. Charlotte, Sasha, Becky and Bayley were getting time in NXT, while the WWE Divas were not.
“We were getting the time in NXT, they weren’t, so it was like, being territorial,” she said. “We were hungry, they were hungry, but its not like the four of us [the Four Horsewomen] sat in a room and were like, ‘We’re going to change the game.’ We just didnt know how to look at it any different. We thought we were just as good.”
When she got to the main roster, she feuded with Nikki Bella. She remembers Nikki being very hungry to prove herself, which she saw as a good thing overall. She was still pretty green at the time, but felt confident in what they had been doing in NXT.
WrestleMania 32
WrestleMania 32 was a turning point for her career. She was Divas Champion at the time and competed against Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch in a match to crown the new WWE Women’s Champion.
She admits, “I still at this point don’t know what I’m doing.” Charlotte carries herself with an aura of confidence, which has helped her during times when she wasn’t so confident.
They felt a lot of pressure going into this match. After the reputation they had built for themselves, they absolutely had to deliver. They were nervous, but knew they had to knock it out of the park to get more opportunities. “If they trust us, they’ll give us more.”
Anyone could have won that night, but in the end, she was the victor. She said, when she won the Divas Championship at Hell in Cell 2015, she didn’t feel ready. When she won the Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 32, she felt ready.
Ric Flair
Steve Austin asked about Charlotte’s father, Ric, and how consistent their views about the business are. How often are they on the same page?
“It’s up and down,” she said. Sometimes she thinks he’s spot on, sometimes, she thinks he’s way off. She has a stronger athletic background than her father did. Sometimes, he encourages her to show off more of her athletic abilities, like moonsaults, but she understands and knows he’s just proud of her abilities
Austin asked what she learned about life on the road, having grown up with a father who was always making towns. She said, she learned what not to do. Ric Flair had so much fun during his wrestling career, she’s found herself on the opposite side of the spectrum, encouraging herself to loosen up more. She joked that she’s kept all her robes, laughed and left it at that.
Charlotte admits that she craves approval, but still feels like she’s a natural heel. Her father is Ric Flair, which is not exactly a relatable trait. Over time, she learned that heel heat is just as valuable, if not more valuable, than babyface pops.
She credits her match against Natalya at the first NXT Takeover (2014) as the moment she truly arrived. It put her on the map and established her in the eyes of the fans. She attained great success on the main roster, but it wasn’t until her match with Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series 2018 that she felt that she could perform 100% on instinct.
Charlotte Flair also played the “Word Association” game, a regular feature on Broken Skull Sessions. Here’s the first thing that came to mind for Charlotte when presented with the following topics:
Bayley: Role model
Ronda Rousey: Legit
Becky Lynch: Character
Trish Stratus: Queen
Lita: Teacher
Nikki Bella: Star
Asuka: Iron
Liv Morgan: Future
Rhea Ripley: Unfinished business
Watch Charlotte Flair’s appearance on Steve Austin’s The Broken Skull Sessions on Peacock.
MJF is expected to be back with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) “somewhat soon.”
A new report from Wrestling Observer Newsletter notes that MJF is expected back with the company soon after several months away from television. AEW seems hell-bent on bringing MJF back at this time given their upcoming TV deal negotiations.
Negotiations for a new TV deal will begin in a few months, so ratings from September up until whenever the deal gets done are more important now than ever. AEW has had a recent drop in ratings, which couldn’t have come at a worst time.
Bringing MJF back into the fold would certainly help things in that regard. MJF hasn’t been since on AEW TV since the post-AEW Double Or Nothing episode of Dynamite, in which he cut a scathing promo on AEW and president Tony Khan.
When Will MJF Return to AEW?
MJF has essentially vanished from professional wrestling since his ‘pipe bomb’ promo. His last match at Double Or Nothing saw MJF finally get what was coming to him against Wardlow, who laid waste to his former storyline employer.
Over the course of his run with AEW, Friedman has established himself as one of professional wrestling’s biggest young stars, turning heads with his amazing ability on the microphone. He has had some of the best feuds in AEW thus far, most notably against current World Champion CM Punk.
When he finally makes his return to AEW TV, it will be interesting to see if he jumps into the World Title conversation, as he’s yet to win the AEW World Title thus far.
WWE has a busy weekend ahead, with the Raw and SmackDown crews touring Canada, while NXT has two shows in Florida.
Here are a few interesting notes for what’s ahead:
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns will be making a rare live event appearance at Saturday’s SmackDown house show from Ottawa. He’ll be wrestling in the main event against his Clash at the Castle opponent, Drew McIntyre.
Reigns has been working a greatly reduced schedule over the past several months. He’s been kept off a few premium live events and does not work many non-televised shows.
Ronda Rousey, who is currently serving ‘suspended’ due to her attacking a referee at SummerSlam, is also back on the road for SmackDown She’ll be competing in 3-way matches with SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan and Natalya.
On the Raw side, WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus will be hosting the events from Kingston, Ontario and London, Ontario. This weekend’s Raw brand main events will see Theory vs. Dolph Ziggler in a Street Fight. Rollins vs. Riddle is also advertised.
WWE Weekend Schedule
Friday, August 19
Friday Night SmackDown (Montreal, QC)
NXT Live (Lakeland, FL)
Saturday, August 20
NXT Live (Venice, FL)
Saturday Night’s Main Event – SmackDown (Ottowa, ON)
CM Punk’s UFC opponent Mike Jackson has taken a dig at the controversy surrounding the AEW star’s recent Dynamite promo.
The AEW world champion had a promo battle with Jon Moxley on this week’s Dynamite. Before this confrontation, he went off script and called out Hangman Page.
Reports that have since come out reveal that there has been real life tension between Punk and Page. It started with a promo Hangman cut during their feud earlier this year.
It’s also been said that CM Punk is not happy in AEW. He has expressed his displeasure so blatantly that some even thought he might quit the company.
Mike Jackson Jokes About CM Punk
Mike Jackson reacted to one such report, which stated that Punk had made it clear that he won’t be losing to Page. The MMA star posted a photo of him beating Punk and joked that he could help with the situation:
CM Punk made his UFC debut against Mickey Gall at UFC 203 in September 2016. The former WWE star was taken down by his opponent immediately and he lost the match via a rear naked choke submission in the first round.
His second match came at UFC 225 two years later in June 2018. Punk managed offense in the first round in the bout against Jackson. However, he became fatigued in the second round and lost the bout by unanimous decision after being dominated by Mike.
Karrion Kross had strived to become a WWE star from the moment he stepped foot in a wrestling ring. So it was a heart-breaking experience for him when he finally got the opportunity but it didn’t turn out the way he expected. Thankfully for Kross, things have changed very quickly. According to the former NXT champion, finally getting the chance to showcase his talent in WWE is pretty incredible.
Both Kross and Scarlett recently appeared on Corey Graves’ After The Bell podcast. Among other things they talked about their WWE release and return. When asked how he felt upon his comeback, Karrion Kross said that it’s hard to put in words:
“It’s really hard to find the words man. To want something so bad and then to have to accept that that’s not a reality anymore. Then to get a call one day out of the blue, and to be offered everything you were striving for. It’s pretty incredible.”
– Karrion Kross
Karrion Kross had a successful NXT career after signing with the company in February 2020. Unfortunately for him, it didn’t translate into a successful main roster run. Vince McMahon did not see potential in his NXT gimmick. Both him and Scarlett were released in November 2021 after a lackluster run on Raw.
Things have changed since then. He is one of the first people Triple H has brought back after taking over creative. Kross has not only gotten his old gimmick back but he has been presented as a monster since day 1.
This week’s episode of Dynamite featured an explosive CM Punk promo and the much-anticipated return of former AEW champion Kenny Omega, but it doesn’t seem to have helped the TV ratings of the show.
The August 17 episode of the show featuring Omega’s return and the first match of the Trios Title Tournament in the main event drew 957,000 viewers on TBS, according to ShowBuzzDaily.
This is a 1.5% decrease from last week’s episode of the show and the second lowest Dynamite viewership since July 20.
In comparison, last week’s Quake by the Lake special featuring the Jon Moxley vs Chris Jericho AEW World Title match in the main event and the surprise return of CM Punk had averaged 972,000 viewers.
The show finished second on the cable charts for the 18-49 demo. The episode drew a 0.30 rating. This is a 9.1% decline compared to last week’s 0.33 rating and the second lowest key demo rating the show has garnered since moving to TBS.
AEW has announced a big title unification match between CM Punk and Jon Moxley for next week’s Dynamite from Cleveland, OH.
This, coupled with the drama that has followed Punk’s controversial promo on the show may help the Wednesday night program regain some viewers next week.
Brian Pillman Jr. and Griff Garrison collectively known as Varsity Blondes in AEW have joined the list of stars who seem to be frustrated with their position in the promotion.
During the August 17 episode of Dynamite, the two AEW stars were squashed in a match by The Gun Club. This bout lasted for only about 30 seconds.
The match ended so quickly that Pillman Jr. never even got to tag in. He was jumped by Colten Gunn. Colten went on to hit a Colt 45 on Garrison and picked up a pinfall victory.
This short match was a way to set up a heel turn for The Gun Club. They turned on their father Billy Gunn after this bout and joined forces with Stokely Hathaway.
The Varsity Blondes Are Not Happy
The Varsity Blondes seemed to be unhappy with the fact that they were used as enhancement talents on the show. Griff Garrison took on his Twitter after this bout and wrote ‘Frustrated’:
AEW surprised everyone when they announced a AEW world championship unification match between CM Punk and Jon Moxley for next week’s episode of Dynamite.
Latest reports have now revealed some more details on the bout. They suggest that this wasn’t part of a long term plan the company had for the title.
According to reports from Fightful Select, the Mox vs Punk match for the August 24 Dynamite was ‘a late decision.’ Though they couldn’t elaborate on when exactly the decision was made.
CM Punk made his return from the foot injury at last week’s episode of Dynamite. He saved the interim AEW champion Jon Moxley from a beatdown at the hands of the Jericho Appreciation Society.
The two title holders then had a confrontation. Many expected this face off to lead into a title unification match at the upcoming All Out PPV on September 4.
However, this week’s episode of Dynamite featured a promo battle between the two AEW stars. Punk went into business for himself during the segment, calling out Hangman Page. He later had a brawl with Mox.
Everyone was left surprised when AEW announced after this segment that the title unification match between the former WWE stars will take place on next week’s episode of the show instead of the PPV event.
Diamond Dallas Page or DDP was part of the Ric Flair’s Last Match event. The 66-year-old got physical during the show but it appears that Flair wanted him to do even more.
The former WCW champion was the most recent guest of Renée Paquette’s The Sessions podcast. He talked about things such as helping veteran wrestlers with his Yoga program and more.
Speaking about the grand spectacle that was Ric Flair’s Last Match, DDP revealed that the 16-time world champion actually wanted him to be part of the main event:
“Ric actually called me and asked me if I would be in the match with him, do a six-man. At first he said, ‘D, how old are you?’ [I replied] ’66.’
[He said] ‘I’ve seen you, you’re in great shape. I’d really love to have you be in this match.’ I said, ‘Ric, I can’t do it. I feel so good, I can’t take a chance on hurting myself.'”
After DDP refused to join Flair for the match, the two-time WWE Hall of Famer convinced him to take part in his roast instead.
Page made an appearance at the event as well and he delivered a diamond cutter to Matt Cardona. Ric Flair on the other hand, teamed up with Andrade to face Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal.
Shawn Michaels have received a brand new title in WWE. The Hall of Famer is now recognized as WWE Vice President of Talent Development Creative by the promotion officially.
After uneasiness over the future of NXT UK in the last several weeks, the company finally revealed what’s next for the development brand yesterday.
The promotion sent out a press release and confirmed that the UK brand will be expanding its scope and will be relaunching as NXT Europe in 2023.
Another curious thing in the press release was that Shawn Michaels, who had been working without an official title so far was listed as a Vince President now.
HBK retired from in ring action back in 2010 to spend more time with family. He returned to the company in a backstage role at the Performance Center in 2016.
The former world champion initially only helped train recruits at the PC but he started helping with the creative side of things for NXT in 2018.
Shawn Michaels stepped up and became the godfather of NXT when his best friend Triple H had to take time away due to his health issues in September 2021.
Now this new title suggests that Michaels’ responsibilities have increased further, and he might be overseeing the NXT Europe brand as well as any other development brands the promotion may be planning to launch in future.
