Vince McMahon sent an internal message to WWE talent informing them of his retirement from the company, in addition to his tweet and WWE’s press release.
The memo was shared by an Reddit insider and confirmed by F4Wonline.com. McMahon noted that he enjoyed sharing his passion with talent and encouraged them to be everything they can be as a person and a performer.
“To all WWE Superstars: as I approach 77 years old (OMG am I really that old?), I feel it’s time for me to retire. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed sharing my passion, wisdom, and love of the business with you. No longer will you see the smiling, docile, level-headed, calm presence at Gorilla every week.
Your dedication to WWE will ensure that our company will continue to grow and prosper. Our organization is nothing without you. You are WWE’s only natural resource, chosen to perform in front of a global audience.
You are all WWE Global Ambassadors. Carry the WWE flag wherever you go. Wave it high and proud. And bust your ass to be all you can be as a person and as a performer.
One other thing-I won’t be with you, but I’ll be watching. Remember to keep your hands up, grab a hold, and sell. Btw, SmackDown airs live tonight at 8pm Eastern/7pm Central on FOX.
Vince”
Although McMahon is retiring as WWE’s Chairman and CEO and is no longer in charge of creative, he will continue to be WWE’s majority shareholder. Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan are WWE’s new co-CEOs.
All of this comes after the reports from the Wall Street Journal about the WWE Board of Directors investigating McMahon over a $3 million settlement that McMahon had agreed to pay a former employee who he allegedly had an affair with and him paying more than $12 million to four women formerly with the company to “suppress allegations of sexual misconduct and infidelity.”
It looks like WWE will be looking to add a big star to the SummerSlam card amid uncertainty with Brock Lesnar.
July 22, 2022 will forever go down in wrestling history. Vince McMahon, the former longtime Chairman and CEO of WWE, announced his retirement.
He not only leaves behind those two roles, but he won’t have anything to do with creative or any other executive role within the company goring forward.
The news apparently did not sit well with Brock Lesnar, who essentially told WWE brass that if Vince is out then so is he.
Enter Goldberg?
(via WWE)
Cultaholic is reporting that WWE could be making overtures to Goldberg for a WWE Undisputed Universal Title match against Roman Reigns if Brock Lesnar ditches SummerSlam.
Lesnar was scheduled to be featured on the July 22 episode of WWE SmackDown but he exited the TD Garden in Boston, MA hours before the show was scheduled to go on air.
Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline has reported that WWE does have someone in place should Lesnar not make it to the show but the company is trying to keep the original plans intact. Bryan has NOT confirmed whether or not the replacement is indeed Goldberg.
Pretty much everyone is in agreement that Vince McMahon didn’t retire due to old age. He has come under fire after two Wall Street Journal reports uncovered alleged million-dollar hush pacts with former employees.
The second WSJ report claimed that Vince has paid millions in NDAs over the course of 16 years.
McMahon’s decision to step down as Chairman and CEO came after the Wall Street Journal stories about him paying out $12 million in hush money to cover up alleged sexual misconduct with former talent and employees.
Vince will no longer be involved with the WWE creative process. It remains to be seen how Vince’s retirement affects the day-to-day operations, especially with the weekly TV shows. He still owns the majority of WWE stock, but will no longer be seen backstage at WWE shows. Nick Khan and Stephanie McMahon will serve as co-CEOs going forward now that Vince is out.
AEW President Tony Khan wrote an interesting tweet shortly after the news was made where he noted that he is “grateful to now be the longest-tenured CEO in pro wrestling.”
You can see the reactions below:
Thank you sir. For all I have, for your guidance and dare I say friendship (at times) lol #THXVKM
You changed the entire entertainment world and how we view that entertainment. From Iraq, to Afghanistan, to the first group to visit the Twin Towers and all the charity work you have funded/supported-you also changed the world for the better. Thank you for everything! #legendhttps://t.co/K30qNmQI4N
After winning a gold medal in 1996, I found my 2nd calling because of @VinceMcMahon … thank you for believing in me and giving me the opportunity of a lifetime. I Love you Vince. P.S. I’m still Vince’s favorite @steveaustinBSR ? pic.twitter.com/H8vVF91lwn
Fightful Select reports there were immediate internal rumors that Lesnar was “very pissed off” about the news and left SmackDown. They’ve also heard this rumor.
WWE had been promoting Lesnar for this show since last week to further build to his match at SummerSlam where he will challenge Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns for the title in a last man standing match.
WWE is still advertising Lesnar for the show along with the following:
Maximum Male Models debut Maxine Dupri & their beachwear collection
Liv Morgan & Ronda Rousey have a face-to-face confrontation
– Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Ludwig Kaiser
WWE had a talent meeting with everyone backstage at SmackDown. Triple H, Nick Khan, and Stephanie McMahon are there for it. There will be more fallout throughout the evening.
On Friday afternoon just hours before WWE SmackDown, Vince McMahon announced his retirement as the Chairman and CEO of WWE. His daughter, Stephanie, had taken his place in interim roles amid an investigation into alleged million-dollar pacts with former employees.
The statement issued by WWE announcing Vince’s retirement has now listed Stephanie as the Chairwoman and co-CEO of WWE. She now shares the CEO title with Nick Khan.
Here is the official statement from Vince McMahon:
“As I approach 77 years old, I feel it’s time for me to retire as Chairman and CEO of WWE.“
Vince McMahon announces retirement
“Throughout the years, it’s been a privilege to help WWE bring you joy, inspire you, thrill you, surprise you, and always entertain you. I would like to thank my family for mightily contributing to our success, and I would also like to thank all of our past and present Superstars and employees for their dedication and passion for our brand. Most importantly, I would like to thank our fans for allowing us into your homes every week and being your choice of entertainment. I hold the deepest appreciation and admiration for our generations of fans all over the world who have liked, currently like, and sometimes even love our form of Sports Entertainment.
“Our global audience can take comfort in knowing WWE will continue to entertain you with the same fervor, dedication, and passion as always. I am extremely confident in the continued success of WWE, and I leave our company in the capable hands of an extraordinary group of Superstars, employees, and executives – in particular, both Chairwoman and Co-CEO Stephanie McMahon and Co-CEO Nick Khan. As the majority shareholder, I will continue to support WWE in any way I can. My personal thanks to our community and business partners, shareholders, and Board of Directors for their guidance and support through the years. Then. Now. Forever. Together.”
Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline has since reported that Vince sent out a message to the talent saying that while they will no longer be seeing him, he will be watching them.
Vince sent out a message to talent confirming his departure, noting they wouldn't be seeing him but he'd be watching them, and then concluding with a plug for Smackdown tonight.
“Vince sent out a message to talent confirming his departure, noting they wouldn’t be seeing him but he’d be watching them, and then concluding with a plug for Smackdown tonight.”
Bryan Alvarez’s report on Vince McMahon’s message to WWE talent
For those wondering if the language in Vince’s statement means he’s retaining his role as the Head of Creative, that isn’t the case. Vince McMahon is out for good.
Vince McMahon is fully gone from WWE as an executive. This includes his role as Head of Creative in addition to the CEO role. $WWE
Vince had come under fire after several hush pacts were reported by The Wall Street Journal. The reports claimed McMahon paid millions in NDAs over the course of 16 years in hopes that former employees involved wouldn’t air out his sexual advances.
One former female talent claims that the company demoted her once she stopped sexual relations with Vince and the company decided against re-signing her.
The belief is that even more details will soon emerge and it’s all led to McMahon finally leaving the WWE empire.
Athena reflected on her feud with Jade Cargill, how it began, and some new details around it.
Athena & Jade Cargill’s History
Back in March of 2022, Athena and Jade Cargill teased a match between the two through a fiery Twitter exchange. It now appears that this exchange happened before Athena’s AEW plans were set in stone.
This exchange was a catalyst for Athena’s first feud in AEW against Jade Cargill and The Baddies. Athena made her AEW debut at AEW Double or Nothing following Jade’s TBS Title defense against Anna Jay. Since then, the two have been in a deep rivalry.
In recent weeks, Athena has been partnering with Willow Nightingale and Kris Statlander to take on Jade and The Baddies. Athena recently teamed with Willow Nightingale on the July 20 episode of Dynamite to take on Jade Cargill and Keira Hogan.
“Well, yeah, for sure. But I look at this as an opportunity to kind of go into something massive to show people not only what I can do as a high flyer, a technician a strong man at times. And I look at like the collaborative effort that could be there. Right? Jade Cargill is a megastar. You just look at this woman, and you see her on the TV, and you’re like, ‘Hold on, let me flip back a couple more channels. What was- what was this Amazon woman I just saw right here?’ And she looks great doing it. And she owns that persona, which is even more fantastic. Because she has a character. Right? A lot of women they’re like, Oh, I’m the good girl. I’m the bad girl. Right? I’m all attitude. I am. I don’t know if I’m supposed to be a good guy different. So that dies. I just gotta say what I say do what I do, and just kind of wait people like me. It’s weird. But when you look at someone like Jade Cargill, it’s just like, ‘Oh, that’s a challenge.’ That’s something I need in my life, right?,” Athena said
How Their Feud Began
The 15-year veteran continued, “And it started on Twitter. Before I even like, before we even got into the final talks of me coming officially to AEW. And it was just like, ‘Ou, there’s something here.’ And like, just me going, ‘Hmm?’ With a little face responding to who’s next just went viral and then she responded. Then I responded. And it just blew out of the water. So it kind of started on Twitter. So thank you blue bird, you did the swimming. But like I think people were so interested in that feud.
And they’re like, ‘Oh, when is this happening?’ Then the Joker thing happened and I kind of I already knew I was going when the Joker happened. So, me and my husband we got on free. We’re like, ‘This is pretape.’ because we knew that weekend I was going. So, we’re like, ‘Oh no, still in Texas.'”
How Much The Feud Means To Athena
And so it was it was just really cool to just be able to go into a main feud right away because I feel like it’s been so long since one I got a singles run. Like not like a singles run, like when the other undefeated streak was alive. Telling stories are so important to what we do in pro wrestling, right, because that’s what gets people invested and coming into this story with Jade Cargill. Like, that means a lot to me.
Athena: I’m Gonna Knock Her Flat On Her Ass
So I want to put all of my effort, all of my emotion, all of my physical well-being into this, to make it good to make people relate to, ‘Hey, like, I’m 5’1. I don’t care that she’s six foot.’ Whatever, like, I don’t care, I’m gonna knock her flat on her ass. That’s what I do. You know. And like, the one thing that has stayed true throughout my entire career is that, like, if there’s a challenge there, it doesn’t matter how many times I get knocked down, I’m going to beat that challenge. And I don’t think people really know that about me as a person. Like, I’ve had so many tryouts in the former life. That like, I was like, ‘Nah, I’m kicking this door down, baby. We’re gonna get there, right? We’re gonna get there and though.’ I finally got there, so like, that’s just the type of person I am.
Maybe it’s because I’m a massive gamer, that I will sit here and rage play every game until I till I have a mental breakdown. But like, that’s me. It’s like, I’m going to beat the big monster. I’m going to beat the big bad at the end of the adventure. I like to win. That’s what I do. You know? And it’s just like an alpha mentality of just like, I gotta be the best. I’m gonna beat the best to be the best. You gotta beat this Hussy here. I’m gotta say the (unintelligible) because I don’t want someone to come after me with DNCAs and all that stuff.
Athena Imagines Epic Battle With Jade
But you guys get what I’m saying is that like, this person who has made a career out of nothing in the pro wrestling world, because she was very accomplishable before she got here. Out of nothing in the pro wrestling world, who is at the top of the mountain right now. And I’m like, ‘I want to kick her off this mountain.’ Even then, even if I don’t kick her off the mountain because we all know it’s pro wrestling, right? Like, I want people to remember what I did at the top of that mountain that we had this epic battle on top of Olympus and lightning was striking and angels were weeping and fire from Hell was blazing up and I want it to be that I want to do this epic, like rock battle, if you will.”
Athena’s AEW Record
Athena received her first loss in AEW this past week on AEW Dynamite. Her current AEW 2022 record is 3-1 and she is not yet ranked. However, due to this feud, it is more than likely that Athena will become ranked and will challenge Jade Cargill for the TBS Championship.
WWE Hall of Famers Edge and Beth Phoenix are expected to be back on television soon.
As previously reported, WWE is bringing Edge to Monday’s Raw from Madison Square Garden. It’s been rumored Edge will return to resume his feud with Damian Priest and Finn Balor of The Judgment Day after they attacked him several weeks ago as a way to write him off television.
The Judgment Day has promised to crash Rey’s 20th-anniversary celebration when they take on The Mysterios
Pwinsider.com reported today that WWE is also bringing Phoenix to Raw as well. The married couple is booked to be at WWE SummerSlam. It’s still not confirmed whether they will be wrestling at SummerSlam, but this will be Raw’s go-home edition for SummerSlam so it’s likely.
With Phoenix in the mix, it’s possible WWE does a mixed tag team match with Edge & Beth against Priest or Balor & Rhea Ripley. The former Raw Women’s Champion has been out of action since mid-June with a brain injury.
The married couple last teamed together at the WWE Royal Rumble back in January when they defeated The Miz and Maryse. It also marked Beth’s first match since the 2020 Royal Rumble Match and her first tag team match since WrestleMania 35 in 2019.
Early plans for the July 22 episode of WWE SmackDown have been revealed.
Tonight’s show for the blue brand will emanate from the TD Garden in Boston, MA.
Advertised for the show is the return of Brock Lesnar, Liv Morgan and Ronda Rousey having a face-to-face meeting, Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Ludwig Kaiser, and Maximum Male Models unveiling the 2022 beachwear collection.
Here is what WWE reportedly has cooked up behind the scenes going into tonight’s show.
Early SmackDown Plans
(via WWE)
Fightful is reporting that Brock Lesnar, Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, Theory, Adam Pearce, Street Profits, New Day, and Maximum Male Models have all been written into the show as of this afternoon.
The report notes that Roman Reigns’ locker room has been prepped for a segment. There’s no word on if Roman will show up tonight.
It’s also been said that the beachwear collection segment set for tonight could have some SummerSlam merch incorporated.
It’s also been reported that Drew McIntyre is set to “smash some tables.”
In an off-air backstage note, Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, and Nick Khan will be making the trip to Boston for tonight’s show.
Keep in mind that things change within WWE at a rapid pace, so these tentative plans could be modified or scrapped altogether.
Keep it locked on the SEScoops homepage for live coverage of WWE SmackDown tonight.
Fightful has reported that WWE announcing that Triple H was back signaled ‘widely expected’ confirmation that Laurinaitis has effectively finished up with the company.
It was also noted that many expected John to be a ‘fall guy’ with all the ‘hush pact’ investigations. The report also said that several sources had stated that the Head of Talent Relations position had ‘long passed Laurinaitis by’.
In John Laurinaitis’ absence, Bruce Prichard has been acting as interim Head of Talent Relations.
Allegations Fallout
Following the initial allegations surfacing, Vince McMahon stepped away from his positions as WWE CEO and Chairman. Stephanie McMahon has filled in and become the Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chairwoman of WWE.
Since then, another report from the Wall Street Journal indicated that Vince McMahon has paid over $12 million in ‘hush money’ over the past 16 years to ‘suppress allegations of sexual misconduct and infidelity. This includes a $7.5 million payment to a former WWE wrestler.
An update has surfaced on an injury Chris Jericho recently sustained.
Jericho was featured on the main event of Fyter Fest night three. This was a special edition of AEW Dynamite.
Jericho went one-on-one with Eddie Kingston in a Barbed Wire Everywhere match. The Jericho Appreciation Society was suspended above the ring in a shark cage.
Jericho ended up winning the match thanks to the interference but Kingston got the last laugh.
Eddie threw Jericho into a barbed wire board to end the broadcast. When Dynamite went off the air, Jericho was stretched out.
(Photo: AEW)
Chris Jericho Suffers Broken Nose
There was a spot in the match where Eddie Kingston was holding up a chair covered in barbed wire. Jericho countered with the Code Breaker but as Kingston went down for the move, the chair caught Jericho right on the bridge of the nose.
Both AEW and Jericho have revealed the injury status. It is indeed a broken nose.
With the angle after the match and having sustained a legit injury, it appears Chris Jericho will spend a brief period of time off TV. At the very least, he’ll probably take a few weeks off from having matches.
Time will tell if the feud between Jericho and Kingston is over. At the end of the Fyter Fest night three broadcast, commentator Excalibur did say Eddie Kingston finally delivered what he promised despite losing the match.
In 2013, WWE and E! launched ‘Total Divas’ a reality show focused on the lives of WWE’s female Superstars.
The two central figures of the show, Brie and Nikki Bella, would go on to have their own spin-off series, ‘Total Bellas’ focusing on their lives, injuries, and later the birth of their children.
Total Divas ran from July 2013 to December 2019 while Total Bellas lasted from October 2016 to January 2021.
A Possible Return?
Like many reality shows, Total Divas was criticized for what viewers believed were scripted scenes and not reflective of the day-to-day work of a WWE Superstar.
Speaking to TV Insider, Nikki Bella told SEScoops correspondent Scott Fishman that the show did have a positive influence on WWE audiences.
“It doesn’t get enough credit. I believe it was also a reason why we had more girls showing up. Here were these reality fans that believed in us and our stories inside and outside the ring. They wanted to come to watch it live and grew into fans. It changed the game so much for us. It made people believe in women’s wrestling.”
“It was also a reason why we had more girls showing up [to WWE events.]”
Nikki Bella on the impact of Total Divas.
Nikki added that while she believes the show should come back, it should only do so under the right circumstances.
“it has to be the right people behind it. We started to go in a direction where it became more to do with bad girls’ club drama. It’s why we walked away.”
Nikki Bella on what a Total Divas return should be.
In that same interview, Brie Bella said that a new cast of Superstars would be perfect for a revived show.
“It would be awesome to see A bECKY lYNCH ON there. Does she cry after a match? Does she kiss her daughter before she comes out? I
Brie Bella on a possible new cast for Total Divas.
Brie also suggested that the show could “make stars” if it was brought back.
WWE has given no indication that they plan on reviving either Total Divas or Total Bellas.
Vince McMahon wasn’t in the backstage area for a recent WWE TV taping.
McMahon may have stepped back as the CEO and Chairman of WWE but he still very much runs the show. When Stephanie McMahon was announced as the interim CEO and Chairwoman, WWE made it clear in a statement that Vince remains at the helm of creative.
Vince has stepped back from the role amid an investigation into his alleged million-dollar pacts with former female employees.
Despite the situation, Vince hasn’t really missed a beat in terms of being fully entrenched in the gorilla position for Raw and SmackDown.
It appears he wasn’t seen for a recent taping, however.
Vince McMahon Missed SmackDown
WWE.com
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Vince McMahon was not present for the July 15 episode of SmackDown. In addition, Kevin Dunn wasn’t seen in the backstage area either.
At this time, there is no word on why Vince McMahon and Kevin Dunn weren’t in attendance for the show.
It had been reported that Vince’s planned trip to Canada to visit John Cena had been pushed back a week. Cena recently had an official wedding ceremony but it’s unknown if Vince attended.
It’ll be interesting to see if it’ll be business as usual for the July 22 episode of WWE SmackDown, which will be held inside TD Garden in Boston, MA.
Major League Wrestling is headed to the greater Atlanta area for the first time later this summer.
MLW: SUPER SERIES is presented by MLA and is scheduled for Sunday, September 18th at the Space Event Center in Norcross, Georgia.
Super Series will be co-presented by MLW and several international promotions. Matches from this FUSION TV taping will air on beIN SPORTS nationwide on cable and dish and in over 20 countries around the world.
MLW Super Series Matches
Here’s what we know about the MLW Super Series ’22 card:
The main event will see Bandido (presenting AAA) challenging Alex Hammerstone for the MLW World Heavyweight Championship.
Shun Skywalker will be in action (representing DRAGONGATE).
MLW talent also signed to appear includes:
World Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone
World Women’s Champion Taya Valkyrie
Jacob Fatu and the Samoan SWAT Team
Mads Krugger
Mance Warner
Alex Kane and the BOMAYE Fight Club
Additional matches will be announced in the weeks ahead.
If you’re in the Atlanta area, tickets for MLW Super Series are now on sale at LuchaTickets.com.
Last night, the July 21 episode of IMPACT Wrestling aired. The episode was recorded on July 15 at Old Forester’s Paristown Hall in Louisville, Kentucky.
Quick Results
VXT (Deonna Purrazzo & Chelsea Green) def. Jordynne Grace & Mia Yim
X-Division Championship Match: Mike Bailey (c) def. Deaner (w/ Joe Doering)
Masha Slamovich def. Madison Rayne (w/ Gisele Shaw)
Ace Austin & Chris Bey def. OGK (Matt Taven & Mike Bennett) (w/ Maria Kanellis)
No. 1 Contender’s Match for IMPACT World Heavyweight Championship: Alex Shelley def. Chris Sabin
IMPACT News
Last night, many notable pieces of news emerged from the July 21 episode. We have collected some of the news and updates from last night’s episode.
VXT (Chelsea Green & Deonna Purrazzo)
VXT (Chelsea Green & Deonna Purrazzo) will be challenging Taya Valkyrie & Rosemary for their Knockouts Tag Team Championships.
KUSHIDA is set to make his IMPACT in-ring debut on the next week’s edition of IMPACT. The former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion is set to take on Rich Swann in singles action.
In the main event of IMPACT Wrestling, Alex Shelley took on his long-time tag partner Chris Sabin. The match was a No. 1 Contender’s Match for IMPACT World Heavyweight Championship. Alex Shelley would go on and defeat Sabin after a hard-fought bout. ,
Alex Shelley will be challenging Josh Alexander for the IMPACT World Championship. This will be Shelley and Alexander’s first ever one-on-one encounter.
WWE’s Cody Rhodes recently revealed that he was told by WWE to save the reveal of his torn pec for the Hell In A Cell premium live event.
Performing Through The Injury
At Hell in a Cell, Cody Rhodes entered the cell with a torn pectoral muscle. The injury was announced before the show, but Cody fought through and still wrestled against Seth Rollins.
While making his entrance, Rhodes covered up the injury with his American Nightmare ring jacket. He made the big reveal when he was in the ring with Rollins. Rollins, and the crowd, were stunned when they saw the intense bruising on Cody’s chest.
Cody Rhodes shows off more of his gnarly pec injury after match with Seth Rollins
Cody Was Told To Save The Reveal
When speaking to ComicBook, Cody talked about the big reveal:
“No one saw it, other than, I think Vince (McMahon) saw it. I was going to take my robe off for cameras, and the voice of God, whoever is head of production in that moment, I remember them saying, ‘Don’t.’ Stu, the camera operator, told me we were going to save it for the show. Very few people had actually seen it and how bad it was.
Through the day, it was getting worse because there was so much blood, so much blood under my skin. I’m almost anemic, so if you chop me or squeeze me, you can see it instantly. Just the perfect person to have their body ripped in half for that moment.”
A new report has revealed the possible reason that Liv Morgan has finally received a push by WWE.
Many were surprised when WWE decided to give Liv Morgan a major push over the last few weeks. Earlier this month, Liv won the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match. Later that night, she cashed in the briefcase on Ronda Rousey to become the SmackDown Women’s Champion.
Liv Benefits From Sasha & Naomi?
In the most recent edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer revealed that “part of the reason, if not the key reason, for the recent push of Morgan was the walking out of Sasha Banks and Naomi.”
Meltzer noted that when they left WWE needed a top-tier babyface for the SmackDown women’s division. Now we see that Morgan was the one who got the pick of the draw, which has worked out because fans have always been strongly behind her.
As previously reported, Banks and Naomi are still under contract with WWE. However, Banks’ lawyer is reportedly working on her release. Banks has been making non-wrestling bookings and reportedly won’t make any wrestling-related bookings until next year. It was also reported that Sasha Banks has an asking price of $30,000 for non-wrestling appearances.
There are reports that WWE Raw will be ditching the PG rating in favor of the TV-14 rating. According to The Undertaker, it’s a good move because it will allow talents to integrate more mature aspects into storylines instead of using a cuss word here and there to get a cheap pop.
The Dead Man was asked about this potential change during his most recent appearance at the San Diego Comic-Con. Taker said that it’s a good move, mentioning how the Attitude Era produced some of the best TV content in the history of wrestling:
“I think it’s a good move. With their main demographic being 18-34 year old males. Done the way that WWE will do it, it will mean much more than just a random, ‘Okay, we’re gonna use a cuss word because it’s gonna get a cheap pop.’
WWE is smart and hopefully, when they do. Maybe it’s a chance to touch that Attitude Era. right? because I mean, the Attitude Era was out of control but it was such great, great TV.” said The Undertaker, “And we’re finally starting to get a talent roster now that knows how to use those kinds of tools.”
The WWE legend also recalled the TV debut of Raw. He discussed how it changed the wrestling world forever by being a live show in the era of taped wrestling programs.
According to the police report, Atlas, whose real name is Kenny Sanchez, was out drinking on May 22 and called his partner to come pick him up. Atlas wanted his partner to drink with him and then wanted his partner to go with him back to a female friend’s house to take part in sexual activities.
His partner said in the report, “he [the partner] showed the female half more attention than Atlas, which upset Atlas. This started a huge verbal argument between him and Atlas.”
Atlas reportedly became physically aggressive and charged his partner. A witness stepped in to prevent an attack. Atlas’ partner left, but Atlas followed, continued to yell, and again attempted to attack.
Atlas scratched the victim and tore his tank top before the witness separated them, putting Atlas in a car.
Atlas’ Statement
On July 22, Atlas took to social media to issue a statement on the incident. He said that he has completed an intensive outpatient program at LiveWell Behavioral Health in Florida.
I want to thank those of you who will take the time to read this statement.
I'm issuing a formal apology for my wrongdoing and any hurt, disappointment and complications I may have caused to my colleagues and fans.
As incredibly difficult it is for me to publicly disclose very personal and private information, it is Imperative that admit to my alcohol abuse and provide transparency about my deteriorating mental health. I have accepted that my anxiety and depression led me to detrimentally self-medicate for the last 7 years. In addition, a lot of unresolved trauma resurfaced for me recently that was fundamental to the development of some extremely negative core beliefs and I was inadequately able to manage.
An incident occurred a couple or months ago that I am 100% not proud or; I take complete responsibility and accountability for the situation and my actions, I recognize that the state of being intoxicated does not excuse my behavior. I made a terrible mistake. I hurt people I love and it's something I deeply regret.
The only clarity I wish to provide specifically about what circulated online is this: the relationship is not abusive in any way, shape, or form and this events certainly not a reflection of my character. One can read a report and choose to take the information for what it is, but to speculate, draw conclusions, and create a narrative that has no merit only adds further damage to those involved. This was a situation that was already being, and continues to be dealt with privately, so it is with great humility that I ask the respect of that privacy going forward.
I would like to share that I have successfully completed an intensive outpatient program at LiveWell Behavioral Health in Florida. I self admitted with a dual diagnosis in substance abuse and mental health. The treatment consisted of 10 hours of group and individualized therapy every week for 5 weeks. The next step in the program is to attend 1 group session a week for 3 weeks and continue individual outpatient therapy thereafter. My time there has been nothing short of extraordinary and life changing - a phenomenal first step in my recovery.
I am human and that makes me flawed. I believe in second chances, I believe in redemption, and in turn. I believe in personal growth. express mv gratitude to those who have reached out to me. I have made exceptional progress and I am excited for my future. I have full faith for a positive outcome from this journey as I continue my sobriety and the process of healing with the support of my friends, my family, and my partner.
"Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am Changing myself" -Rumi
Atlas is currently recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered during an AEW Rampage taping in January. He underwent surgery in February. It was reported that Atlas is not expected back in AEW as he was on a per-appearance deal.
According to a new report, one of AEW’s key superstars is currently out and dealing with a minor injury, but will return in “a few weeks.”
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, Matt Jackson suffered a “stinger”on the July 13 episode of AEW Dynamite Fyter Fest week one. However, Meltzer says that Matt is doing better. During this match, Matt competed with his brother Nick in a triple threat tag team match against Team Taz (Ricky Starks & Powerhouse Hobbs) and Swerve in Our Glory (Swerve Strickland & Keith Lee) for their AEW Tag Team Championships.
Update On Matt Jackson
Meltzer says:
“Matt described it as like bad whiplash. He’s had no loss of strength, and his mobility and range of motion is already back to normal. He passed a strength test right after the injury.”
Matt is expected to be out of in-ring action for “a few weeks.” On Twitter, the Young Bucks current bio reads “R&R.”
Swerve in our Glory won this triple threat tag team match, and captured the AEW Tag Team Titles in the process.
Monday Night Raw revolutionized the wrestling business. Before the show came along, all wrestling programs used to be taped in advance with studio voiceovers. Raw changed this formula in favor of a live wrestling show every week with its debut back in January 1993. The Undertaker, who witnessed this change as part of the WWE roster, admits that it’s the greatest things to happen in the modern era of wrestling.
The Dead Man made a surprise appearance at the San Diego Comics Con. During the Q&A session, he was asked if he knew that Raw would become the Television phenomena it turned out to be. The former world champion replied to it negatively, saying that they were just excited to be going live at the time:
“No. We were actually just; we were excited that we were going to be live and all that but we had no idea that this was about to revolutionize the wrestling business. Because at that point, we would do three weeks of TV, three days in a row and then we would be out touring.” recalled The Undertkaer, “At that point all we worked [with] basically we worked with extras. That’s how we did business.
He continued, “Then Monday Night Raw comes along and we’re gonna be live every Monday night. That really did just change the scope of the wrestling business. [Before you] would have Undertaker vs. somebody else in an enhancement match. Now you had top guys going against top guys every Monday night because you have to had ratings. If you were to keep a live show. You had to put the best out that you could. [It was] probably one of the greatest things to happen in the modern era of wrestling is going on live [with] Monday Night Raw.”
STAMFORD, Conn., July 22, 2022 – WWE today announced that effective immediately, Paul Levesque will resume his executive position as EVP, Talent Relations.
“I look forward to returning to my prior position as head of Talent Relations. I’m healthy, fired up, and ready to take charge,” said Levesque.
Triple H’s Time Away
In the fall of 2021, Triple H left his duties as NXT producer to take care of his health issues. This included undergoing a successful procedure following a cardiac event.
During his time away, NXT rebranded to NXT 2.0 with more focus on newer talent and a brighter display. He did make on-screen appearances at NXT Stand & Deliver and night two of WrestleMania 38.
In March, Triple H announced his in-ring retirement and detailed his health scare from viral pneumonia.
According to a new report, one of AEW’s injured wrestlers is already on the way to recovering.
A few weeks ago, during the Blood & Guts match on AEW Dynamite, AEW star Santana suffered an injury. He injured his left knee during a spot with Daniel Garcia just minutes after he entered the match. It was a non-contact injury.
Update & Timetable
Dave Meltzer reported, in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, that Santana had “reconstructive knee surgery and looks to be out about eight months.”
This confirms what Chris Jericho said on the True Gordie Podcast. Jericho said that Santana injured his knee doing a simple rock bottom and that he would be out for eight months.
It was previously reported that Santana attended a live event in Puerto Rico last weekend to relinquish a championship that he was holding. He was also seen walking on crutches at the indie wrestling event.
Konnan recently confirmed reports of there being a rift between Proud & Powerful or Santana & Ortiz. They had not worked a normal tag team match together in 2022. Before he was injured, Santana had been working as a singles star on the indie scene this year.
According to a new report, one of WWE SmackDown’s key superstars is currently out and dealing with an injury.
During last week’s episode of WWE SmackDown, Sami Zayn was seen with his arm in a sling. It now seems that Zayn is dealing with a legitimate injury.
On this episode of SmacDown, Sami confronted Theory, Mr. Money in the Bank, on behalf of the Bloodline. During the segment, it was not clear if the injury was real or a storyline injury.
The Injury
In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer wrote that the injury is “legit, but it’s not major, and they are hopeful of him being able to wrestle in a few weeks.”
Judging by Zayn’s activity, it seems that the injury happened on July 2nd in the Money in the Bank ladder match at the 2022 Money in the Bank event. Since Zayn hasn’t wrestled since then, it would appear that that match is when the injury happened.
Mick Foley is a legend in the world of professional wrestling after decades of competing in various promotions.
A three-time former World Champion, Foley also held gold in WCW and ECW and is also a best-selling author.
After Life
Foley has achieved plenty throughout his wrestling career, and has plans for after his time on earth is over.
Speaking on his own podcast ‘Foley is Pod,’ the former World Champion spoke about his post-life plans and what he hopes WWE will allow.
“I believe I’m going to be cremated when the time comes. We’ll see if Vince would let [my family] drop the ashes in the ring before the main event of WrestleMania. Wouldn’t that be great?”
Mick Foley on what he plans for his remains after he dies.
WWE has to date, not had an ashes-scattering during a WrestleMania Premium Live Event.
Foley and WrestleMania
After joining the WWF in 1996, Foley would make his WrestleMania debut the following year, teaming with Vader to face the British Bulldog and Owen Hart.
In 1998, Foley, competing as Cactus Jack would team with Chainsaw Charlie (his mentor Terry Funk) to become WWF Tag Team Champions.
At WrestleMania 15, Foley would compete against the Big Show, with the winner becoming the guest referee in the main event between WWF Champion The Rock and Steve Austin.
For WrestleMania 2000, Foley would have his only main event, but failed to dethrone WWF Champion Triple H in the fatal four-way match also involving Rock and Big Show.
Mick would wait four years before competing at WrestleMania 20, where he and The Rock lost to Evolution, and his last Mania match would be a loss to Edge at WrestleMania 22 in 2006.
The WWE is the unquestionable biggest wrestling promotion on the planet and has hosted some of the biggest, best-paid wrestlers of all time.
Hulk Hogan, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, John Cena, and Roman Reigns have all made their fortunes working for a man with a $2.3 billion net worth: Vince McMahon.
In recent years, the company has posted record profits, thanks in part to its lucrative broadcasting rights deals with FOX and the USA Network.
Getting Underpaid
WWE may have a ton of money, but not everyone associated with the promotion is well-off.
“The pay, the pay is a big issue. I’ve never earned as little money as I did in WWE. I never thought I’d say that because I thought that would be my full-time job, that was going to be it. It was great. I took a massive pay cut from being a teacher to being a referee which is weird considering you’re on TV every week in several countries.”
“I’ve never earned as little money as I did in WWE.”
Artemis.
Artemis also spoke about being offered a two-year new deal when her contract was coming to an end, but was told the pay would be the same.
“I said, ‘I can’t do it.’ I’ve got a mortgage and I’ve got to take care of my mom. I can’t stay on that little money. And it’s a shame, but I need to take care of my family. So they extended my contract for two months, hoping to be able to negotiate, and then they came back to me. I was supposed to do one last camp back in April. They called me just a few days before to say, ‘Okay, so you don’t want to accept that contract? We have nothing better for you, so there’s no need for you to come back next week.’”
Artemis finished with WWE in April 2022 and has announced that she will be taking bookings around the world.
