WWE rolls into Washington, D.C. tonight with a live edition of Monday Night Raw from the Capital One Arena.
We’re on the road to WWE’s next premium live event, Clash at the Castle, which takes place in less than three weeks (Sep. 4).
As of this writing, WWE is advertising three main items for Raw.
Lashley vs. Styles
Bobby Lashley defends the United States Championship against AJ Styles. Lashley has promised to be a fighting champion and he is backing up his words week after week.
Interestingly, this will be the first clash between Lashley and Styles inside a WWE ring. Lashley and Styles are two of WWE’s most talented performers, so we recommend fans go out of their way to watch this match.
Women’s Tag Tournament Continues
Alexa Bliss and Asuka will face Nikki A.S.H. and Doudrop in a first round match for the tournament to crown new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. The winners of this opening round contest will advance to face Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky next week.
Riddle Returns
Riddle returns to Raw. WWE’s resident ‘Bro’ will provide an update on his status after his altercation with Seth Rollins at SummerSlam.
Also Appearing
The Capital One Arena website is also hyping appearances by Bianca Belair, Bayley, Seth Rollins, Rhea Ripley, Damian Priest, Kevin Owens, Theory, Alpha Academy, and The Street Profits.
Join us here tonight for our weekly WWE Raw Results and Live Discussion. After the show, SEScoops corespondent Steve Fall checks in with his reactions.
This past weekend featured three GCW events. GCW presented Nights 1 and 2 of Homecoming 2022 from The Showboat in Atlantic City, New Jersey on August 13 and 14. Jersey Championship Wrestling also held its After Hours 2 event on August 13 from Carousel Room At Showboat Hotel Atlantic City in Atlantic City, NJ.
GCW Homecoming Night 1 can be streamed here on FITE TV for $13.99. GCW Homecoming Night 2 can be streamed here on FITE TV for $13.99. Both of the GCW Homecoming pay-per-views can be purchased in the GCW: Homecoming 2022 Combo on FITE TV for $19.99. JCW After Hours is available to watch for free on YouTube.
Full results and highlights can be seen below:
GCW Homecoming 2022 Part 1 Results (8/13)
Nick Wayne def. Starboy Charlie
Jordan Oliver def. Ninja Mack
Gringo Loco def. Grim Reefer, Jimmy Lloyd, Axton Ray, Joe Lando, Marcus Mathers
Blake Christian def. Tony Deppen
GCW Tag Team Championship: The Briscoes (Jay & Mark Briscoe) def. Los Macizos (Ciclope & Miedo Extremo) (c)
On August 13, IMPACT Wrestling hosted its latest set of TV tapings titled Second City Slamm from Cicero Stadium in Chicago, IL. The matches and segments will air in upcoming weeks as episodes of IMPACT TV.
These tapings follow IMPACT’s Emergence event that also took place atCicero Stadium in Cicero, Illinois on August 12, 2022.
Full spoilers are listed below.
IMPACT Wrestling Second City Slamm Spoilers (8/13)
Before The IMPACT
Giselle Shaw def. Rosemary
Ace Austin & Hikuleo def. Zicky Dice & Johnny Swinger
IMPACT Wrestling TV
“Speedball” Mike Bailey def. Chris Bey
Heath def. Kenny King
Honor No More attack Heath. PCO doubts Eddie Edwards as Heath escapes.
Killer Kelly def. Savannah Evans
IMPACT Title #1 Contendership: Eddie Edwards def. Steve Maclin, Moose, Rich Swann, Bandido, and Sami Callihan
Knockouts Tag Team Championships: VXT (Chelsea Green & Deonna Purrazzo) (c) def. Mia Yim & Jordynne Grace
Karl Anderson def. Mike Bennett
Jessicka Havok def. Alisha
Bhupinder Gujja def. unnamed talent
Curt Hawkins confronted Gujja and offered him a title match. The referee refuses to start the match until he’s bullied into it. Gujja pins Hawkins and leaves with the IMPACT Digital Media Championship, but no title change was announced.
Josh Alexander def. Vincent
Heath attacks Edwards as he confronts Alexander.
Black Taurus def. Trey Miguel, Laredo Kid, Rey Horus
Time Machine (KUSHIDA, Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) def. Violent By Design
The two-night NWA 74th Anniversary Show (also simply called NWA 74) is an upcoming professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).
This year marks the 74th installment of the NWA’s anniversary show. The show was first produced and presented by the company in 1948.
NWA 74 takes place after their Alwayz Ready pay-per-view.
NWA 74 – Night 1 Match Card
Pre-Show Match: Country Gentlemen vs. Gold Rushhh
Tables Match: Bully Ray vs. Mike Knox
NWA Women’s World Championship: Kamille (c) vs. Taya Valkyrie
NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship: Homicide (c) vs. Kerry Morton
Burke Invitational (Winner Receives NWA Women’s Championship Match On Night 2): Tootie Lynn, KiLynn King, Samantha Starr, Missa Kate, Madi, Angelina Love, Jennacide, Natalia Markova
NWA World Tag Team Championships: Commonwealth Connection (Harry Smith & Doug Williams) (c) vs. La Rebellion (Bestia 666 & Mecha Wolf)
Matt Cardona vs. Handpicked Opponent
EC3 vs. Mims
Luke Hawx vs. VSK
NWA 74 – Night 2 Match Card
NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship: Trevor Murdoch (c) vs. Tyrus
NWA Women’s World Championship: Kamille (c) vs. Burke Invitational winner
NWA United States Tag Team Championships 10-Team Battle Royale: Gold Rushhh (Jordan Clearwater and Marshe’ Rockett) vs. Miserably Faithful (Sal The Pal and Gaagz The Gymp) vs. The Now (Hale Collins and Vik Dalishus) vs. The Ill Begotten (Alex Taylor & Rush Freeman) vs. The Fixers (Wrecking Ball Legursky and Jay Bradley) vs. The Country Gentlemen (AJ Cazana and Anthony Andrews) vs. Hawx Aerie (Luke Hawx & PJ Hawx) vs. Team Ambition (Mike Outlaw & Camaro Jackson)
NWA Women’s Tag Team Championships – Street Fight: Pretty Empowered (Ella Envy & Kenzie Paige) (c) vs. The Hex (Allysin Kay & Marti Belle)
MLW National Openweight Championshp: Davey Richards (c) vs. Thrillbilly Silas
Mercurio vs. Magic Jake Dumas
Thom Latimer vs. Judais
Colby Corino vs. Caprice Coleman
??When is NWA 74?
NWA 74 takes place Saturday and Sunday, August 27th & 28th from St. Louis, Missouri at the Chase’s Khorassan Ballroom. The main card of this live event starts at 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT.
How to Watch
NWA 74 streams live on FITE TV internationally. The Night 1 & 2 Bundle is available for purchase for $39.99. Night 1 & Night 2 can also be purchased individually at $24.99.
While he appeared as Kim Chee and Abe ‘Knuckleball’ Schwartz, Lombardi is best known as the Brooklyn Brawler, arguably WWE’s most recognizable jobber.
The list of wrestlers who have picked up wins over the Brawler range from icons such as Kurt Angle and Triple H to lesser stars such as Tekno Team 2000.
Real Fights
Lombardi may have spent most of his career staring up at the lights, but is confident in his real fighting skills.
Speaking with Bill Apter in an interview for Sportskeeda Wrestling, Lombardi said that in a real fight, he’d easily dispatch the majority of his opponents.
“Every person I wrestled, every person that beat me, I would say 60 percent of them I could beat the hell out of.”
Steve Lombardi on how he’d fare in a real fight.
Lombardi did not name any of his opponents he is confident he could easily beat if they came to real blows.
Working with McMahon
Hired by the WWE in 1983, Lombardi spent decades working for Vince McMahon, who recently retired from all roles with the company.
McMahon’s retirement comes amid an investigation into the ex-Chairman over allegations of misconduct with female employees.
Addressing McMahon’s retirement, Lombardi said he had nothing but respect for his former boss.
“He made me a rich man. He made me a well-off man. He always did me right.”
Steve Lombardi reacts to Vince McMahon’s retirement.
As the title of his book ‘Controversy Creates Cash’ implies, Eric Bischoff knows all about being controversial in wrestling.
Bischoff was a huge driving force behind the NWO in WCW, and would later make his presence felt in WWE as the Raw General Manager.
In August 2020, Bischoff made his first TNT appearance in two decades by appearing on AEW Dynamite, officiating a debate between Orange Cassidy and Chris Jericho.
Throwing in the Towel.
Bischoff’s August 2020 appearance for AEW would be the first of a handful from the WWE Hall of Famer.
Over the past year, however, Bischoff has been very critical of AEW and Tony Khan, recently calling the promotion a ‘Mom & Pop Burger Stand‘ compared to WWE.
“I had a little bit of hope with AEW. I had some hope there. I thought, ‘Oh, man,’ I mean, up until probably six months ago, or eight months ago, I kind of threw in the towel because I started seeing the same pattern of whatever over and over again. I’d go, ‘Okay, something different, something different.’ But there’s been nothing different.”
” I kind of threw in the towel because I started seeing the same pattern.”
Eric Bischoff on giving up on AEW.
Bischoff and WWE
Eric Bischoff has thrown in the towel with AEW, but that doesn’t mean fans will see him on Raw or SmackDown anytime soon.
In the same interview, the WWE Hall of Famer addressed a possible WWE return, saying that the company doesn’t need him to come back.
He added that any changes he would look to implement are already being made as part of the post-Vince McMahon era of WWE.
Goldberg has vivid memories of his first year in WWE.
The WWE Hall of Famer and former multi-time world champion spoke about those early days on the latest edition of Talk Is Jericho, where he recalls it being one of the most stressful years of his entire life.
“It was not warm and fuzzy by any stretch of the imagination. No, it was not. The first year that I was at the WWE from what I can remember was one of the most stressful years of my entire life.”
Goldberg had come into WWE following the death of WCW, where he was one of the most popular talents. Despite his success, he felt like he had a target on his back coming in to WWE as he was now in enemy territory.
“Some of the things may have been fabricated in my own mind to lobotomize me but I felt as though I was still the enemy walking in the locker room. You know, everybody going What the hell is this guy doing here? And I’ve always felt like an outsider but never as much as I did then.”
Goldberg would eventually leave WWE in 2004, but made a grand return in 2016, where he was an inducted into the hall of fame. He also captured the WWE Universal championship twice.
A former WWE Superstar once told Vince McMahon to his face, “If you have a three-hour wrestling show and you can’t find five minutes for me to do anything, you’ve failed. You’re a failure.”
Eric Young was used as a top star as the leader of SAnitY in WWE NXT under the leadership of Triple H. However, once called up to the main roster, he was used sparingly. He was eventually let go in 2020.
Young believes that his run would have gone differently, had Triple H been in charge of creative as he is now.
Eric Young Stands up to Vince McMahon
Eric Young spoke about his frustrations in WWE while speaking with Jim Alexander of Reel Talker.
“I went to a meeting with Vince to pitch him some ideas and I told him to his face, if you have a three-hour wrestling show and you can’t find five minutes for me to do anything, you’ve failed. You’re a failure. I’d say that again to his face, because that’s what it is.”
Young then recalled producing as a favor to Triple H. At the time, he wasn’t being used and was being paid to be there, so he was thankful to have something to do.
With Vince McMahon out of power, Eric Young looks back and thinks he would have fared better in WWE if Triple H running creative/talent relations when he was there.
“Things would have been way different for me,” said Young. “I would do anything for him. I’d run through a wall. Help him hide a dead body (laughs), whatever he asked me to do. I respect him that much.”
Eric Young returned to Impact Wrestling in 2020 after leaving WWE. He still wrestles there today and actually held the Impact World Championship from August-October 2020.
The Broken One began by discussing how plugged in The Game is to pro-wrestling in 2022, comparing him to his current boss, AEW President Tony Khan.
“Triple H is much more tuned in to 2022 pro wrestling, much like Tony Khan is. So I think now you have two guys who really have their fingers on the pulse of pro wrestling. So I think that’s going to benefit everyone.”
Hardy does mention how Vince McMahon seemed to have an antiquated view of the industry as he got older, adding that he isn’t trashing the retired former chairman, but Triple H provides a much fresher look for the future.
“it is a positive thing and another huge positive to Triple H running WWE now, Vince, it is what it is, but his views and his mindset about pro wrestling, were a little bit antiquated, and that’s no slant on him, I’m not trash talking him. It’s just because he’s an older guy.”
Furthermore, Hardy calls Triple H taking over WWE creative a game-changer for the industry, one that will benefit talent, who he knows already has a better relationship with Hunter than they did with Vince.
“This deal with Triple H taking over WWE is a game-changer. I mean, on top of that, it also opens up the door for so many people to go back. There are so many more people that have a better relationship with Triple H than Vince, Triple H, I have already spoken to people that are there, Triple H has already been so much more accessible from the people I’ve talked to there with the current experience. So it’s great.”
Triple H’s run as head of creative is only a few weeks old but fans have already noticed improvements over the weekly television product. We will have to wait and see what long-term affects it has on WWE.
Longtime WWE photographer Tom Buchanan says he was shocked and offended at an idea Vince Russo had for a 1998 WWF Magazine cover shoot featuring DeGeneration-X (DX).
DX was at the forefront of the Attitude Era, a chapter in WWE history that was all about pushing the limits, testing boundaries and often times, crossing the line. WWE programming featured antics that were “edgy” to say the least and would no longer be socially acceptable.
According to Buchanan, Vince Russo came up with an idea for DX’s WWF Magazine cover shoot that he refused to carry out. In the end, Russo’s “out there” concept never saw the light of day, but we now know what he intended to do.
If you know anything about the Attitude Era and the type of humor that was popular at the time, you probably won’t be shocked to learn the proposed ‘punchline’ relates to the late WWE Hall of Famer Chyna’s gender identity.
DX, The American Flag & Chyna’s…
Here’s the full story Buchanan posted on Facebook:
“In life there are battles you win, battles you lose, and battles that are negotiated to an uncomfortable settlement.
In the late 1990’s WWF was getting very edgy, and that was especially so in the magazine division under the direction of Vince Russo. We started publishing RAW Magazine in 1996 with the general concept that it would be a “shoot” oriented publication for a mature audience seeking the edge of edginess, and the legacy WWF Magazine would be a “work” publication for a family-type readership.
So I was troubled, really troubled, when Russo said we would celebrate United States Independence Day by putting Degeneration-X (DX) on the cover of the July 1998 WWF Magazine, and then presented his creative vision for the image. In his mind the five members of DX would be positioned behind a big American Flag with Chyna dead center. The American flag would cover their midsections but leave their bare shoulders exposed, and they’d be wearing old style white judicial wigs. At the bottom we’d see their bare legs in goofy slippers. The center of the American Flag would be right bellow Chyna’s belly button, and we’d position a piece of wood poking against it from behind, giving the impression that Chyna was sporting a giant erection while surrounded by naked men.
I found the entire concept offensive, and told Russo straight up that I wouldn’t shoot it, which was an almost unheard of flat-refusal. That turned into an ugly shouting match in the second floor hallway of Titan Tower, and we both had to back off and let the temperature cool for a bit. Within a day or so I had calmed down and could articulate specific concerns about desecration of the American Flag and the grotesque insinuation that Chyna had a penis. Plus, this photo was planned as the cover of a family magazine that lived or died with newsstand sales, which required that big distributors be willing to carry the magazine, and that shopkeepers in the American heartland be willing to display it openly on their magazine racks.
We fought hard. Eventually Russo agreed that we didn’t need to use a current American Flag, and could substitute the Betsy Ross flag. That helped, but he still insisted on the simulated nudity and the erection gimmick. That was a no-go for me, but I agreed to ask freelancer Rich Freeda if he would be willing to shoot the picture.
I checked in with Rich and gave him a no-penalty option of refusal, with a commitment that I’d take the heat. Rich was also uncomfortable, but he was willing to do the shoot as long as I was there to negotiate with Russo and the talent. I quietly worked with our art directors to come up with softer alternatives in case the whole shebang blew up on set, and then we scheduled the shoot backstage at a TV event. My recollection is that none of the talent were bothered by the flag, but Chyna balked at the simulated nudity and the insinuation that she had a penis.
I grabbed Russo, and after talking it over with me and Chyna, and Rich Freeda, he reluctantly agreed that Chyna could be in front of the flag, dead center, looking tough, while the seemingly naked guys were being smug and goofy behind the flag. And that’s the way Rich shot the photo, as I looked on, still not happy with the image, but knowing I had at least softened it from the original plan and brought us to an uncomfortable settlement.”
The Final WWF Magazine Cover
Here is the WWF Magazine cover in question, which was a toned-down version from what Vince Russo originally envisioned:
In April 2020, as part of company-wide budget cuts, Matt Cardona was released from his WWE contract.
Cardona, a 15-year veteran of the company, had worked for much of his run as Zack Ryder, having captured the Intercontinental and United States Championships during his run.
Since his release, Cardona (now working under his real name) has reinvented himself as a dastardly heel, a far cry from his WWE character.
A Possible Return?
Since Vince McMahon retired from WWE, the company has seen a series of returns approved by WWE’s new Head of Talent Relations: Triple H.
Dakota Kai, Karrion Kross, Scarlett, Dexter Lumis and Hit Row have all returned to WWE so far, with more names expected.
“With Triple H is calling everybody back supposedly, if he called me back, of course I’d have a conversation. But, I don’t know if I’d go back. I don’t know. I mean, of course ‘never say never’ but I mean, my schedule now is pretty great, I’m making a lot of money and I’m having a lot of fun so it’s hard to trade that in for just to be a name on a roster. I already did that.
“I don’t know if I’d go back. I don’t know. I mean, of course ‘never say never.'”
Matt Cardona on whether he’d return to WWE.
Cardona suffered a torn biceps injury earlier this year that forced him to vacate the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.
He will return to the ring at NWA 74 on August 27.
In late-2021, Austin Theory, later just Theory, became the on-screen protege of Vince McMahon, in a series of rare TV appearances by WWE’s then-Chairman.
Theory’s alignment with McMahon would prove to be greatly beneficial for the young Superstar, who would be placed in the WWE Championship picture in February, and have a large role at WrestleMania 38.
Theory was also a last-minute entry into the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder match, which he would win, and it was alluded to on commentary that this was McMahon’s choice.
WWE Without McMahon
Theory appeared on-screen with Mr. McMahon for months, but the ex-Chairman won’t be seen anywhere in WWE anymore.
Last month, McMahon confirmed his retirement from WWE due to the ongoing investigation into alleged misconduct with female employees.
“Change can always scare people because it’s different and there’s not that comfort level of what you’re used to, but with change, and with somebody like Stephanie, Nick Khan, Triple H, and Bruce Prichard, there is so much creativity there that we haven’t seen. It’s time to have something fresher and newer. It’s a bunch of different minds now and I feel there is no better group of people to takeover.”
“It’s time to have something fresher and newer.”
Theory on the post-Vince McMahon era of WWE.
Lessons Learned
When asked, Theory said that the best lesson learned by McMahon was actually something said on an episode of Raw.
“The best thing I learned from Mr. McMahon, as funny as it was that we said it on TV, the mindset that he had and expect the unexpected. When he said that, it was like, ‘Wow, this is pretty much how it works.’ When we talk about my career, expect the unexpected. I wouldn’t have expected all of that to happen. With Mr. McMahon retiring, I think we all felt like we would never have seen that day.”
Since McMahon’s retirement, Theory has failed in his quest to regain the United States Championship and did not succeed in his cash-in attempt at Summerslam 2022.
For decades, Glenn Jacobs, aka Kane, dominated WWE, ever since his impactful debut at the 1997 In Your House: Bad Blood Pay Per View.
A multi-time WWE World Champion, Intercontinental and Tag Champion, Kane is also a former Mr. Money Money in the Bank, having held the SmackDown briefcase in 2010.
More recently, Kane has traded his seat in hell for a mayoral office, becoming Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee, and recently winning re-election.
No More Bumps
Kane’s age and work outside WWE has made his appearances for the company become more and more infrequent in recent years.
Now, the “Devil’s Favorite Demon” has given an update on his career, and has seemingly confirmed his retirement from wrestling.
Speaking on ‘The Right View,’ Jacobs addressed his future in wrestling, and doesn’t plan on wrestling again (via 411 Mania.)
” I don’t want to get into a wrestling ring and actually get knocked down because I don’t know if I could get back up at this point.”
Glenn ‘Kane’ Jacobs seemingly confirms his retirement from professional wrestling.
Other Roles
Kane’s days as a wrestler may be over, but the WWE Hall of Famer still has something to give to the industry.
In the interview, Kane spoke about his recent appearance at Summerslam, where he announced the attendance for the event in Nashville, Tennessee.
The former WWE World Champion said it was “awesome” that he can still have a role even if he is not wrestling anymore.
He added that being a WWE alum has given him an edge in Politics, as his fame often allows him to connect with people.
Current GCW world champion Jon Moxley will be competing in a title vs career match against hardcore veteran Nick Gage.
With the rise of Game Changer Wrestling as the modern era ECW, Gage has emerged as the face of Deathmatch wrestling. In the past year he has wrestled extreme matches against people like Matt Cardona and Chris Jericho.
However, the death match that seemed to have affected him the most was against Jon Moxley. These two competed in October last year where Mox defeated Gage.
The indie star hasn’t been very active in the ring since that match. He has only wrestled a handful of times since his big defeat, leading to speculations about an impending retirement.
Title vs Career
On night 1 of GCW homecoming this Saturday, Moxley successfully defended his title against Effy. Gage made his return after this bout and confronted the GCW champion.
— Tripping Balls is on Bluesky (@IsThisWrestling) August 14, 2022
Gage mentioned that his career might be coming to an end, but he has unfinished business with the Interim AEW champion. He then challenged Mox for a match.
Jon Moxley then cut a promo explaining that it might be the time to put the dog down. He said that Gage will have to put his career on the line for a shot at the GCW title, and Nick accepted this challenge:
— Tripping Balls is on Bluesky (@IsThisWrestling) August 14, 2022
There is no word yet on when this match will take place. With Nick Gage’s recent comments about his future, there is no surity that we’re going to see him wrestle after this bout.
GCW Homecoming Night 1 Quick Results
The following are quick results from Saturday night’s GCW Homecoming Weekend (Nigh 1) event from the Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ:
Nick Wayne def. Starboy Charlie
Jordan Oliver def. Ninja Mack
Gringo Loco def. Grim Reefer, Jimmy Lloyd, Axton Ray, Joe Lando, Marcus Mathers
Blake Christian def. Tony Deppen
The Briscoes def. Los Macizos to retain the GCW tag titles
Cole Radrick def. Charli Evans to retain the GCW Extreme title
John Wayne Murdoch def. Matt Tremont
Rina Yamashita def. Alex Colon to win the GCW Ultraviolent title
Jon Moxley def. EFFY to retain the GCW World title
Top WWE superstar Drew McIntyre will no longer be working this weekend’s live events.
According to ProWrestling.net the Scottish Warrior is dealing with some lower back soreness and was given the weekend off to properly recover. He is not expected to miss any weekly television, and is still slotted in to challenge Roman Reigns at the September 3rd Clash at the Castle premium live event.
McIntyre hasn’t clashed with Reigns since their Survivor Series 2020 champion vs champion showdown, which Reigns won after McIntyre passed out from the guillotine choke. Prior to that the two feuded at WrestleMania 35, but in that scenario the roles were reversed and McIntyre played the heel.
This past week’s SmackDown McIntyre teamed up with Madcap Moss to defeat Reigns’ cousins, The Usos, in tag team action. The match was made after the Usos attacked McIntyre during a promo segment at the top of the show, a segment that also featured Scarlett Bordeaux, who warned the Usos that Karrion Kross had Roman Reigns in his sights.
In April this year, Gunther (formerly WALTER) was called up to WWE’s main roster after a dominant run in NXT UK and NXT.
Just two months after his call-up, Gunther captured the Intercontinental Championship from Ricochet, his first title on the main roster.
Ricochet, Drew Gulak and Shinsuke Nakamura have all been beaten since Gunther arrived on the main roster.
Avoiding a Burial
From the outlook, it’d seem like Gunther has had a lot of support on WWE’s main roster, but that wasn’t the case up until recently.
Wrestle Votes reports that WWE’s previous regime had “soured” on the Austrian Superstar following his appearance on the July 4, 2022, edition of Monday Night Raw.
That episode saw Gunther, alongside Ludwig Kaiser, interrupt R-Truth during an independence day celebration and destroy the former 24/7 Champion.
Wrestle Votes adds that WWE had plans for Gunther to be buried on TV, and noted that the past month and change of regime has made a ton of difference.
Following his appearance on RAW on 7/4, those in power at the time really soured on Gunther for whatever ridiculous reason. To the point where a burial on TV was coming. Just a month later and quite the difference…
Thanks to WWE’s change of regime and Vince McMahon’s retirement, Gunther has remained booked well and has kept his Intercontinental Championship.
On this week’s SmackDown, the Austrian powerhouse retained his title against Shinsuke Nakamura.
At this time, Gunther hasn’t been booked for WWE’s next major event Clash at the Castle, which will air from Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales on September 3.
With Triple H taking over as head of the WWE creative team, we have already seen several stars make their way back to WWE. Another big name is expected back soon: Bray Wyatt.
As noted in a report from Fightful Select earlier this week, Triple H is said to be higher than Vince McMahon was on Wyatt, with a better working relationship. McMahon and his inner circle were very critical of Wyatt while he was part of the company, allegedly going so far as to spread the stories that Wyatt had a bad attitude and was hard to get along with. This is said to be something that talent themselves never experienced themselves with Wyatt.
Pro Wrestling Torch Editor Wade Keller backed up Fightful’s report this week during one of his audio shows. Keller said, “I can back up Fightful’s reporting that Bray is likely back in WWE soon.”
Upon Wyatt’s release from the company, there was reportedly a great amount of hard feelings on each side, with talent themselves feeling uneasy about the move as well. Fightful noted that some talent observed how much money Wyatt made WWE in merchandising, and despite that, he was still released. This made them feel like they could be expendable at any point too.
Bray Wyatt Was Critical of Vince McMahon
Wyatt was reportedly very verbal and critical of his use in WWE, leading to the deterioration of his relationship with McMahon.
“When things were shit, Wyatt would say they were shit, and Vince saw that as difficult to deal with,” a WWE source told Fightful.
As long as Vince was in charge of creative, a return by him seemed like a long shot as Vince seemed cold whenever the idea was brought up. However, with Triple H now taking over on the creative front, all bets are off.
While we don’t have a date to expect Wyatt back as of yet, Triple H has certainly relied upon television returns to create a buzz since he took over creative. Fightful’s reporting noted that Wyatt’s name has at least been brought up in WWE creative meetings of late, though that doesn’t mean a return is happening for sure. If Keller’s reporting is accurate, a return might not be too far off.
Make sure to check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.
WWE fans are still reeling from Cody Rhodes’ epic return at WrestleMania 38, and the incredible winning streak he has been on that have set him as one of the top stars in the company.
The American Nightmare unfortunately hit a setback in his quest for a WWE world title when he tore his pectoral muscle, and is expected to be out of action until next year.
Rhodes last wrestled against Seth Rollins in the main event of the Hell in a Cell premium live event, where he picked up a huge victory.
When Will Cody Rhodes Return?
Rhodes is (unsurprisingly) set for a big push whenever her returns, according to Andrew Zarian from the Mat Men Pro Wrestling podcast. Despite the big shakeup with WWE management, Rhodes is still slated to be a centerpiece act in the lead-up to WrestleMania 39.
Although we do not yet have a solid timeline for Rhodes’ recovery, the company is working under the assumption that he’ll be back in time for the 2023 Royal Rumble.
Since returning to WWE, Rhodes has made his intentions clear. He hopes to accomplish what his father Dusty never did: win the “big one” in WWE.
Despite being an AEW original, Rhodes never reached the top of the mounting there either. He did challenge for the AEW World Championship at Full Gear 2019, but lost to Chris Jericho. Per the stipulation of that match, he would never challenge for the AEW World title again.
Kayla Sparks recently spoke with SEScoops Correspondent Steve Fall about her work with AEW and WWE, and also reflected on appearing on SmackDown and Rampage in the same night.
Double Duty?
On February 23, 2022, AEW taped the February 25 episode of Rampage. That night of tapings featured two Kayla Sparks matches; one on Dark: Elevation and the other on Rampage.
Kayla competed against Serena Deeb in The Professor’s Five Minute Rookie Challenge Match. Kayla would go on to lose this match at the tapings, however, that Friday she would also pop up on SmackDown.
On the February 25, 2022 episode of SmackDown, Sparks was featured on the Los Lotharios kiss came. Later that night, the episode of Rampage that Sparks appeared on aired. This made Sparks the first person to ever appear on SmackDown and Rampage on the same night.
“See, that means a lot to me. Thank you. I mean, I’m still blown away. I’m still it’s so mind blowing that that even happened. Like I just, you know, ever since I came back to wrestling, my goal is like WWE, and you know, AEW, has been great to me too. So any opportunity that, you know, comes my way. I’m just always hustling and grinding and just, you know, take what I can. And so that actually was a that was all luck, I guess, or the universe if you believe in all that like the signs and stuff, which I’m like, I’m silly, I believe in all that stuff.
Filming Both Shows
But like it was, where was I? I was in Bridgeport, Connecticut for AEW Rampage that night. I actually had to two matches, I was on AEW Dark: Elevation with Nyla Rose, Diamante. And that was like a trios match, and that was earlier, and then later on. I you know, you saw on there I wrestled Serena Deb, who I was really excited to wrestle her because she’s, she actually was in like, the women’s revolution. Like I have so much like respect for her. And I, I mentioned that, like, you know, it’s just awesome to see her still in the ring and killing it. But yeah, that was crazy to be on Rampage.
So they filmed it that Wednesday. And then Friday, I knew I was going to WWE. I was invited there for extra work, not knowing what you know what to expect. And they said, ‘Hey, we want you to be in the crowd for that Los Lotharios kiss cam.’ And I was like, ‘Okay.’ And then in my mind, I knew I’m like, ‘Oh boy, this is gonna be crazy.’ Because Friday, you know, Smackdown airs live at 8pm on FOX, and then Rampage was going to air at 10. And I knew my heart was racing, because I remember leaving the arena that night. Like all giddy and excited.
Only a few people knew like to check, my wrestling dad knew. And he was really excited. So I remember rushing to the hotel after Smackdown to get there in time so I could watch the live or the Rampage match. And I remember my phone just blowing up, which is still surreal that that happened.”
Possible Fears With Working Both Shows
Kayla continued by talking about her fears regarding working both shows for two competing companies.
She said, “Yeah, I mean, everyone, both WWE and AEW have been so, you know, so awesome with me, and nobody I was actually scared of that. Like, ‘Oh my god, what are they gonna think.’ Like, you know, like, I’m just trying out like, whatever opportunity comes up.
You know, they totally respect that and it shows like that, you know, I have so much like love for wrestling that you know, it’s just it’s cool to see. You know, all my peers and stuff with WWE and AEW have been amazing. So I’m just happy I could make you know, have that moment happen.”
Continuing The Relationships
Since then, Kayla has continued to do extra work for WWE, along with doing some promotional work for them on her social media pages.
She reflected on being able to work for WWE and said it was like being a kid in the candy store because of her love of wrestling since a young age.
“I’m like, I’m just so excited to like be a part of WWE and every time they invited me back I was just like you said like a kid like kid in the candy store. Like that’s how I always am because I like I said I grew up watching wrestling. It’s been like my passion my dream. You know, I had wrestler posters on my wall.
I went, you know, to all the shows when they used to come to Albany, my hometown for the MVP arena, which I’m hoping that you know, I can’t believe I don’t know if you noticed, but MVP arena, WWE and AEW are both going to be there. Coming up soon, next month in September AEW’s coming there. And then WWE’s coming there in November. But that would be that’d be a full circle moment, if they invited me back to go to either one would be cool.
But yeah, As you mentioned Serena to and I actually I’m really looking forward to next month when AEW comes to the MVP Arena in my hometown. They haven’t announced it yet but I’m going to have a match with Serena Deeb for the Immortal Championship Wrestling Woman’s Title that I have so I can’t wait for that,” Sparks said.
On the IMPACT Emergence Countdown show, Taya Valkyrie & Rosemary put their titles on the line against VXT (Deonna Purrazzo & Chelsea Green) in a losing effort.
On the July 7 episode of Impact, Mia Yim defeated Deonna Purrazzo to become the number one contender for the Impact Knockouts World Championship. This led to Yim earning a title match against champion Jordynne Grace at Emergence.
However, Purrazzo and Chelsea Green, collectively known as VXT, defeated Grace and Yim two weeks later. This earned them a match for the Impact Knockouts World Tag Team Championship against champions Rosemary and Taya Valkyrie at the event.
Taya Isn’t Afraid of Deonna & Chelsea
Before the event, the current AAA Reinas de Reinas Champion had the following to say about her competitors:
“We are four absolute killers in the ring. And we all know each other extremely well, for years. And I just know that we’re going to let it all out there like Rosemary and I are Knockouts Tag Champions. We will defend these championships with our lives send people the undead realm. I don’t care like we are going to defend these championships and still retain the knockouts World Tag Team Champions championships on Emergence.
I don’t care what Deonna and Chelsea say or if they’re you know, VXT or V(e)XT whatever, you know. We have been doing and grinding as friends, as foes as you know as tag partners for a while and I hope they they bring their 110% on that day.”
This event was the 3rd installment of the Against All Odds live event. This event follows IMPACT’s Against All Odds event.
IMPACT Emergence 2022 (8/12)
IMPACT Digital Media Championship: Brian Myers (c) def. Bhupinder Gujjar
IMPACT Knockouts Tag Team Championship: Chelsea Green & Deonna Purrazzo def. Taya Valkyrie (c) & Rosemary (c)
IMPACT X-Division Championship: ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey (c) def. Jack Evans
Steve Maclin vs. Sami Callihan ends in a no contest but both men keep fighting
Violent By Design (Deaner & Eric Young) def. Kushida & Chris Sabin
AAA Attraction Match: Bandido def. Rey Horus
No DQ: Sami Callihan def. Steve Maclin after the match was later restarted by Scott D’Amore.
10-Man Tag: Honor No More (Eddie Edwards, Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, Kenny King and PCO) def. Bullet Club (The Good Brothers, Ace Austin, Chris Bey and Hikuleo)
IMPACT Knockouts Championship: Jordynne Grace (c) def. Mia Yim
IMPACT World Championship: Josh Alexander (c) def. Alex Shelley
Saraya, best known to fans as former WWE Superstar Paige, was hacked in 2017. Her personal photos and videos of her leaked online at a time when she was already experiencing personal hardships.
This hack occurred when she was serving a suspension for violating WWE’s wellness policy. She was also recovering from neck surgery.
The suspension, her health battle and the privacy violation pushed her deeper and deeper into a dark period in her life.
During a recent appearance on Renee Paquette’s The Sessions podcast, Paige recalled her reaction when she learned what had happened (via Wrestling Inc.).
“I felt so f***ing stupid and I felt so embarrassed, and I was already a cokehead at this time and loved to drink. That really got me to the point where I didn’t want to be alive anymore. It was f***ing awful. I was just so f***ing sad.”
“I didn’t want to be alive anymore.”
Paige on her thought process after the 2017 leak.
Paige said that immediately after finding out what had happened, she hid in a bush in fear of people recognizing her and judging her.
Family Help
It was while hiding in the bush that Paige rung her father, wrestler/promoter Ricky Knight to apologize for what had happened.
Knight made it clear that he was supportive of his daughter and there was nothing to be sorry about.
“I remember being like ‘If my dad is disappointed with me, I don’t think I could be here anymore. I was just crying my eyes out, and I was like, ‘I’m so sorry.’ My dad was like, ‘What are you sorry for?’ And I was just like, ‘I don’t know. I just don’t want to disappoint you.'”
“I just want you to know that I’m still proud of you and I’m not disappointed.”
Ricky Knight’s kind words to his daughter Paige after the leak.
“He was like, ‘It is what it is. You’ve got to suck it up. It’s going to hurt for a little bit and people are going to make fun of you for forever. But I just want you to know that I’m still proud of you and I’m not disappointed.’ He instantly changed the way I was feeling because I was very down. It was bad. I was ready to f***ing end it all.”
WWE’s Response
WWE did not publicly address the explicit videos and photos being leaked at the time.
In the interview, Paige explained that the company’s internal response earned her goodwill for years to come.
“I spoke on the phone with Mark Carrano, and I was like, ‘I’m going to lose my job. This is it too,'” Paige said. “But they were like, ‘Listen, it’s not your fault.’ That’s why I will never talk s**t about them, at least publicly.”
WWE also promised to work incredibly hard to get her images and videos off the internet as much as possible.
When Parker Boudreaux signed with WWE in February 2021, there was a lot of buzz about the young prospect.
With his imposing physique, many compared Boudreaux to Brock Lesnar, and Parker was endorsed by Lesnar’s former advocate Paul Heyman.
Rechristened Harland, Boudreaux was part of the revamped NXT 2.0 when the show launched in September 2021.
In April, Boudreaux was among ten Superstars released from NXT 2.0, and he would go on to compete in MLW and AEW.
All-Elite
During this week’s episode of AEW Rampage, Boudreaux made his in-ring TV debut for the promotion, after weeks of picking up wins on Dark and Dark: Elevation.
On the show, Boudreaux continued his winning ways, defeating Sonny Kiss in the latter’s first televised match in two years.
Following this week’s episode, AEW President Tony Khan took to Twitter to announce that Boudreaux has signed a deal with the company.
AEW Rampage Quake by the Lake was taped in the Target Center in Minneapolis following Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite
Rampage Results (8/12/22)
Sammy Guevara & Tay Conti def. Dante Martin & Skye Blue
Parker Boudreaux def. Sonny Kiss
Gunn Club def. Beardhausen
Orange Cassidy def. Ari Daivari
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Bryan Danielson Warned Daniel Garcia
Bryan Danielson kicked off the show to a great reaction from the crowd. Tony Schiavone interviewed Danielson and Bryan claimed that nothing makes him feel more alive than being in this ring. Bryan claimed that he will never stop wrestling and Daniel Garcia will not end his career next Wednesday on Dynamite.
Daniel Garcia interrupted and said that Danielson used to be his hero but now his hero is coming up with excuses. Daniel vowed to end Bryan’s career and referred to himself as the “greatest technical sports entertainer” on the planet.
Daniel shouted that he is sick of the sports entertainment bullsh*t and admitted that he wanted Daniel to be a part of the Blackpool Combat Club because of his wrestling technique. Bryan told Daniel to think about whether he wants to be the best sports entertainer or best wrestler in the world while he’s stomping his face in on Dynamite.
Sammy & Tay Retained The AAA Mixed Tag Team Championships
The recently married Sammy Guevara and Tay Melo (formerly known as Tay Conti) defended their AAA Mixed Tag Team Championships against Dante Martin and Skye Blue. Dante and Sammy started off the action and Guevara unloaded some chops to the chest. Skye tagged in and delivered a Crossbody to Tay for a near fall.
Sammy and Dante tagged back in and traded strikes. Dante leveled Sammy with a shoulder tackle and followed it up with a Dropkick. Dante hit a Suicide Dive and then a Canadian Destroyer for a two count. Tay planted Dante with a DDT as Skye hit Sammy with a Hurricanrana. Melo then connected with the Tay-KO on Skye for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Lucha Bros called out Andrade backstage. Rey Fenix and Pentagon Jr. then announced PAC will join them to reform Death Triangle for the AEW Trios Championship Tournament.
After a couple of explosive attacks, Tay was able to get the Tay K.O on Skye Blue to score the win for her and Sammy, retaining the AAA World Mixed Tag Team Championship! Watch #AEWRampage#QuakeByTheLake on TNT right now! pic.twitter.com/2JkolWSKAR
Parker Boudreaux faced Sonny Kiss tonight on Rampage. Before the match, Ari Daivari whispered something in Sonny’s ear. Parker then proceeded to dominate the match and won in quick fashion with a slam.
Erick Redbeard returned to AEW to team with Danhausen tonight on Rampage. Colten and Austin Gunn dominated early and isolated Danhausen in the ring. Redbeard got the tag and beat the hell out of the Gunn Club. Erick connected with a big boot and tagged Danhausen back into the match. Billy Gunn knocked Redbeard out of the ring and the Gunn Club capitalized with the Fameasser for the pinfall victory.
FTW Champion Hook made his way to the ring for an interview with Tony Schiavone. Hook said that he is always up for an Open Challenge. Zack Clayton (wrestler & reality TV star) interrupted and challenged the FTW Champion to a match. Hook dared him to get into the ring but Clayton wanted nothing to do with it. The FTW Championship match will happen next week on Rampage.
Orange Cassidy Picked Up A Win, Sonny Kiss Joined Trustbusters
Orange Cassidy battled Ari Daivari in tonight on AEW Rampage. Mark Henry interviewed both wrestlers before the Rampage main event. Trustbusters accompanied Daivari to the ring for the match. Best Friends were in Orange Cassidy’s corner for the main event.
Daivari offered Cassidy a spot in the Trustbusters after the bell rang. Orange laid in the ring and rolled around whenever Daivari approached him. Orange got out of the ring to share a hug with Best Friends. Back in the ring, Daivari slammed Cassidy to the mat for a two count.
Cassidy responded with a Dropkick but Ari shrugged it off. Ari hit Orange with a shoulder tackle and followed it up with a Neckbreaker. Ari then exited the ring and hugged Trustbusters as Rampage went to a commercial break.
When Rampage returned, Ari was in control and had Cassidy in a Sleeper Hold. Orange escaped with his hands in his pockets and connected with a Dropkick. Orange hopped up and got a pop from the crowd.
Cassidy went for the Orange Punch but Daivari was ready for it. Ari connected with a Uranage and went for the cover but Orange kicked out at the last moment. Cassidy ducked under a kick from Daivari and caught him with the Orange Punch for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Trustbusters rushed the ring and beat down Best Friends. Sonny Kiss has apparently accepted the offer and joined the faction. Sonny posed as Parker delivered a massive slam on Orange Cassidy to close the show.
