Two-time WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair shared that several WWE superstars will attend his last match.
Wrestling fans are looking forward to seeing Flair have the final professional wrestling match of his career. Starrcast shared on Twitter on July 18 that Flair will team with his son-in-law Andrade El Idolo vs. Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal for his last match.
Flair appeared on Busted Open on Sirius XM with Bully Ray and Dave LaGreca on July 19 to promote the event. During the interview, Ray asked Flair if Charlotte Flair would be at his show. Flair responded that she will but that he wasn’t sure if she would appear on camera. He also revealed that more WWE talent would attend the show.
“She’ll be there, but I don’t know whether she will be on camera or not, said Flair. He continued, “…If it weren’t for me, I mean, I don’t think she’ll miss it even if Andrade wasn’t involved. She just might not be on camera. A lot of the guys are coming, (Rey)Mysterio is coming, Apollo(Crews) is coming, Pat McAfee is coming.”
(via WWE)
Is it Possible That More WWE Superstar Will Attend Ric Flair’s Last Match?
After Flair revealed that some of WWE’s talent would attend his show, wrestling fans may speculate who else may appear. His event would take place on Jul. 31 at The Fairgrounds Nashville in Nashville, Tennessee. WWE will have SummerSlam at the Nissan Stadium in Nashville on Jul. 30.
It’s possible more WWE talent could attend Flair’s last match. However, it may be difficult for some wrestlers because Monday Night Raw takes place on Aug. 1 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
The only name Flair mentioned that is booked to wrestle at SummerSlam as of this writing is McAfee. While it’s likely that other WWE talent may show up, fans shouldn’t expect to see people like Charlotte Flair appear on camera. However, WWE could make some exceptions for the two-time Hall of Famer’s final performance.
You can watch Flair’s last match live on FITE for $34.99.
While fans may have split opinions on Goldberg due to matches in recent years, the WWE Hall of Famer is an unquestionable success.
Debuting in WCW in September 1997 with a win over Hugh Morrus, Goldberg would rack up a 173-0 winning streak, capturing both the WCW United States and WCW World Heavyweight Titles in the process.
Goldberg wowed fans with his intensity and raw power in the ring, and that continued upon joining WWE in 2003.
The Next Goldberg
Goldberg may be one of wrestling’s most iconic powerhouses, but he is fully aware that he can’t continue in the ring forever.
When speaking in an interview with CBS Sports’ Shakiel Mahjouri on Shak Wrestling, the two-time former Universal Champion was asked who he believes could be the ‘next’ Goldberg.
Deciding which current Superstar can match his level of strength, power, and intensity, Goldberg didn’t hesitate to give one name from WWE NXT 2.0: reigning NXT Champion Bron Breakker.
Bron Breakker
Goldberg certainly holds a high opinion of Bron Breakker and he isn’t the only one fond of the two-time and reigning NXT Champion.
In April, it was reported that WWE is very high on Breakker, with then-CEO Vince McMahon wanting Bron to be called up to the main roster this year.
Breakker has certainly been dominant since joining WWE NXT 2.0 in September 2021.
It took Breakker 112 days from his debut to becoming NXT Champion, dethroning NXT veteran Tommaso Ciampa at the NXT: New Years Evil event in January 2022.
Next Saturday, Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns will defend his title against Brock Lesnar.
The two will meet in a Last Man Standing match, which WWE is promoting as the final showdown between the two main eventers.
This will also mark Lesnar’s first match since WrestleMania 38, where he lost the WWE Championship to Reigns in their Winner Takes All Title Unification match.
The Spoiler
Reigns Vs. Lesnar at Summerslam will no doubt be the main event, but the match may have already been spoiled for fans.
Reddit user u/BigUllie has shared a photo of a new Ringside Collectibles WWE action figure which displays Lesnar in his most recent ponytail look.
What’s interesting however is that the figure comes with both the WWE and Universal Championships, both of which displaying “The Beast’s” sideplates.
While Lesnar is a former Universal Champion, that was the red version of the title, and many are seeing this as a spoiler that it will be Brock who walks away as the champion at Summerslam.
If so, Reigns’ tenure on top will have ended just one month short of two years, at 699 days.
Reigns Vs. Lesnar
If this is the last match between the two as WWE has promised, then it’ll mark the end of a seven-year rivalry between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar.
The pair first faced off at WrestleMania 31, where Seth Rollins would cash in to win Brock’s WWE Championship.
The pair would go on to headline two more WrestleManias (34, 38) Summerslam 2018, the Greatest Royal Rumble, and Crown Jewel 2021.
AEW could be getting even more good news soon as two popular stars seem to be on the verge of returning.
Kenny Omega has been out of action since Nov. 2021. Following his AEW World Title loss to Hangman Page at Full Gear, Kenny was shelved to heal from injuries that had been lingering for quite some time.
Bryan Danielson hasn’t been performing since the Anarchy in the Arena match at Double or Nothing back in May. It’s been reported that he suffered a concussion and while he feels fine, Tony Khan isn’t taking any chances.
Meltzer also noted that this is probably the target return date for Bryan Danielson as well. Danielson missed his scheduled Forbidden Door match with NJPW technical master Zack Sabre Jr.
Danielson also missed the Blood & Guts match.
In addition, All Out could also mark the return of AEW World Champion CM Punk. The question remains, can his foot heal in time for the event, which will take place in his home city of Chicago.
AEW has been hit hard with injuries but the tide seems to be turning. During the July 20 episode of Dynamite, Jungle Boy made his return. He had been dealing with an injury following a ladder match at Road Rager.
Natalia Markova spoke to Steve Fall of SEScoops about her claims of Carmella stealing her catchphrase.
The History
On July 18, Natalia Markova sent out a tweet addressing WWE superstar Carmella. On Monday Night Raw, Carmella had just labeled herself as “A Bad Ass with a Great Ass” while cutting a promo.
NWA’s Natalia Markova had been branding herself under that title for some time, and even has had t-shirts with the title printed. The catchphrase is also in her bio.
Many fans on Twitter began to call out Carmella for using the catchphrase.
This is not the first time Carmella has been called out for using someone else’s gimmick as Jersey Shore star Angelina Pivarnick also publicly called out Carmella and accused her of gimmick infringement.
Carmella just called herself "A Bad Ass with a Great Ass"
Carmella is still using the title, and recently sent out a tweet with the caption, “A badass with a great ass??” Natalia responded to the tweet with a quote tweet asking, “I mean…. Who did it better? Let her know?”
Natalia Markova sat down with Steve Fall of SEScoops to talk about these claims and her feelings on them.
Natalia said:
“Well, it’s similar to this Walmart [getting her purse stolen from her] situation. Somebody’s just stealing my stuff. And I don’t think it matters if it’s intellectual property or physical properties, still stealing.
“So, that’s how I look at that. And obviously, those people they know that it’s my catchphrase, the wrestling world is small. You know, everybody knows everything. And the way I feel about it, I think it’s wrong.”
Natalia Markova on Carmella allegedly stealing her line
“Like, if you said once, like the first time it said it last week, and I was like, ‘okay, whatever.’ I guess they just didn’t know, somehow, maybe, I don’t know.
“But then people were tagging like crazy amounts of people were tweeting, like, ‘Oh, my God, come on, that’s Natalia. That’s her catchphrase. Everybody knows that.’
“It’s actually one of my fans, like this supporter at FN wrestling podcast came up with this phrase for me. And I was like, ‘Oh, I’ll just use it. It’s amazing.’ So that was my thing.
“Everybody knew that people tweeted on them and showed them. I mean, I feel like it’s a little disrespectful. But I’m not really mad about it. I just think it’s wrong. You know, when somebody steals, it’s not good. I don’t approve of that, you know?”
“A Bad Ass with a Great Ass” Branding
The NWA wrestler continued and talked more about how the catchphrase has become a part of her branding.
She said:
“I actually have T-shirts, my fans, were buying those T-shirts, they have those T-shirts is like a brand catchphrase. And so I know that I mean, I’m not like trying to talk law right now. But I know that if you have an item for sale with this, that means that belongs to you.
“So and again, some people would be like, ‘Oh, you know, she’s way more popular.’ So? Why are you saying that?
“But again, so it’s trying to tell me if some rich person will steal from a poor poor person, for example, that makes it not a crime. That’s still the same crime. I’m for equal rights. I think it doesn’t matter.
“If you have a million followers or you have 40,000 followers on Twitter, you’re still the same person, and it’s your property and that property got stolen. That’s the same level of crime.
“That’s how I see that. So I feel like still stealing because I have a T-shirt that says that it’s not just me at home, saying, ‘Hey, I’m a badass with a great ass. This is my T-shirt. I wear it at home.’ No, that’s an actual product that people buy.
“Everybody knows me for that and I am in wrestling. I’m on NWA. I’m actually on WWE Network, my matches are on there. I’ve done AEW, I’ve wrestled in over 20 countries all over the world.
“I’m about to go to AAA this week. I’m not just you know, like some I’m not known wrestler; I’m a known wrestler. And people know that and it was so many tweets.
“I want to actually thank you guys, It was nice to see your support. Everybody was like, ‘Come on, don’t do this. It’s just not good. It’s not nice.’ And why would you do that? We’re all wrestlers who do the same thing. Come up with your own stuff. It’s not that hard. Come up with your own.”
Was it WWE or Carmella?
Steve Fall then asked Markova who she believed came up with the idea to use the phrase.
“Well, obviously, I don’t know how it works in WWE, or how they do that. And again, I mean, I know that it can be either somebody gave her the phrase, and she’d be like, ‘Whatever. That’s my job. I do my job.’ Either those people stole it or maybe she came up with the idea and told people and they’re like, ‘Okay, let’s do that.’
“But whoever, I think doesn’t really matter who came up with the idea. It’s still stealing because it’s on TV and her saying that. So it doesn’t really change the results, who’s guilty, you know,” Markova responded.
Natalia is currently performing in the NWA regularly, but she is also working many independent dates. In the rest of the interview, Markova talks about her story of coming from Moscow, training in Japan, her match with Mickie James, and so much more.
Watch Natalia Markova’s interview with Steve Fall for SEScoops:
When Veer’s repackaged gimmick debuted on the main roster, he was presented as a dominant force. He was booked as a rising monster who put many performers in the hospital, including Dominik Mysterio.
Suddenly, however, Veer disappeared from WWE TV. He ended up resurfacing on the July 18 episode of Monday Night Raw and what followed was quite unexpected.
Backstage interviewer Sarah Schreiber was set to speak with The Miz when Veer interrupted her. He looked at the camera smiling, then looked at Schreiber.
Veer then said, “Boo!” in a lighthearted manner. He walked off happily and Schreiber looked confused. When The Miz showed up, he suggested that Veer has a crush on Sarah.
Veer Confirms Change
(via WWE)
During an interview with The Daily Star, Veer Mahaan confirmed that WWE is showing a different side of his character.
“Why say so much when you can get it done saying so little, right?” he went on to say, having loomed over Schreiber before saying ‘Boo!’ and making an exit.
“If that works, what else do we need? The reaction and support has been great [and] has created a buzz around the world.
“The world hasn’t seen my other side yet. Yes, we’re trying to show the world that Veer Mahaan isn’t just a scary guy that walks around in the ring.
“We’re trying to show our audience that Veer Mahaan is not just a beast and an angry man, he has other sides.
“That’s why the world has got to tune in more to see what’s going to happen next!”
Veer on his character change
Time will tell where this goes but it seems the lighthearted nature that this character change is likely to bring had been expected by WWE fans back in April.
Veer became a meme online after WWE continued promising that he was “coming.” Word in the backstage area was that WWE knew that it became a running joke and stretched it out a bit longer.
This had many believing Veer would debut as a babyface but WWE went with the dominant heel role initially.
Two weeks ago, Wardlow captured the AEW TNT Championship, winning the title from Scorpio Sky in dominant fashion.
The title win marks Wardlow’s first championship since joining AEW, and “Mr. Mayhem” retained against Orange Cassidy on last week’s Fyter Fest: Night One edition of AEW Dynamite.
Road Dogg’s Comments
Wardlow may have won over a lot of people with his work in AEW, but WWE Hall of Famer ‘Road Dogg’ Jesse James isn’t impressed.
“I wasn’t a fan. It took him 18 minutes. First, they give him the jabroni title. It doesn’t mean nothing when he was a guy that seemed like he was The guy, and maybe he is in the future. I just don’t think you needed to give him that other than the best title and then it took him 18 minutes to beat the jokey guy.”
“They give him the jabroni title. It doesn’t mean nothing.”
Road Dogg Jesse James on Wardlow winning the AEW TNT Championship.
Future Plans for Wardlow
Wardlow has had just one title defense so far, but he plans on having many more very soon.
Wardlow has said that he does not plan on changing the design for the TNT Championship, unlike previous holders of the title including Scorpio Sky and Sammy Guevara.
At WrestleMania 38, Cody Rhodes returned to WWE after a six-year absence, defeating Seth Rollins on the show.
In his time away, Rhodes had established himself as a top-tier star across the world and co-founded AEW in 2019.
Fans had assumed that Rhodes would remain with AEW for the rest of his career, making his return to WWE all the more shocking.
Cody’s Big Win
Cody Rhodes’ return to WWE at WrestleMania 38: Night One was certainly a huge moment for both him and the company, and has now been celebrated at the ESPY Awards.
At this week’s ceremony, Rhodes took home the award for WWE Moment of the Year, beating 15 other nominees in a fan-voted poll.
The three other finalists included ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin having his first match in 19 years, defeating Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38: Night One.
The Undertaker’s Hall of Fame speech in April 2022 was also a finalist, as was Big E’s Money in the Bank cash-in and WWE Championship win during the September 13, 2021, edition of Monday Night Raw.
In a red-carpet interview, Cody, who attended the event with his wife Brandi, said it was an honor to be nominated and extra special to win.
Cody is just the latest Superstar to win the ESPY Award for WWE Moment of the Year.
Last year, Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair won the award for their WrestleMania 37: Night One main event which saw Belair win the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
In July 2019, Roman Reigns won the inaugural award for his return to WWE earlier that year, following his battle with Leukemia.
AEW star and current Ring of Honor Women’s Champion Mercedes Martinez recently spoke with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston about how her match against Serena Deeb on July 23rd at Death Before Dishonor has the potential to be a match of the year candidate.
“Why not? I mean you’re looking at two of the best women wrestlers out there right now in this industry we have the experience we’ve been everywhere we’ve done it all. We’ve had our struggles we’ve sacrificed a lot for what we have to do to where we are now and with Ring of Honor it’s a full circle, it’s almost like hey we’ve been here before, but there was no women’s division we have a chance to propel this woman’s division to go forward for the future of Ring of Honor.
In the future what can this division bring to also AEW because if you look at it you have to look at AEW and ring of Honor we have to be able to mix the talents so those that may not be able to get the opportunity in AEW for whatever reason because story lines this is a chance for them to get into Ring of Honor and actually showcase their skills and their talents it’s a different platform so we’re just here to build and we’re here to capitalize and yeah me and Serena Deeb are going to go in there we’re going to kill it we’re going to throw out the banger we’re going to throw out something that no one has ever seen before that they haven’t seen on mainstream and just prove to everyone that women’s wrestling is here to stay and just let us just roll with it let us just take the bar and you know bring the opportunities and bring everything to what it can be… you know women’s wrestling’s on a high right now and I’m just glad to help lead the charge.”
The special Fyter Fest night three edition of AEW Dynamite is over with and something went down with Chris Jericho after the show.
This week’s episode of Dynamite ended with a Barbed Wire Everywhere match between Jericho and Eddie Kingston. While Jericho won the match, Kingston got the last laugh on this night (July 20).
Jericho got some assistance from his fellow JAS members after they were let out of the shark cage thanks to Anna Jay turning heel. Anna attacked Ruby Soho and took control of the cage to let the JAS members out.
Eventually, Jericho scored the win over Kingston but he paid the price for it afterward.
Chris Jericho Helped to The Back After Fyter Fest
After the match, Kingston got a hold of Jericho and threw him onto a board covered in barbed wire. Jericho was trapped in the barbed wire as Dynamite ended.
Once Fyter Fest went off the air, Dr. Sampson went to check on Jericho. AEW staff then cut the wire to free Jericho. He was then stretchered out of the building.
The shark cage was then raised as the AEW production team prepared for the July 22 Rampage taping.
Excalibur mentioned on commentary that Eddie Kingston delivered what he had promised despite losing the match.
Time will tell if this feud will continue or if Jericho and Kingston will move on.
Another AEW personality has turned over to the dark side.
Wrestlers in the industry are constantly switching things up. Whether it’s a total gimmick overhaul or a change in personality, switch-ups in the business are nothing new.
In the latest turn of events, an AEW talent has turned heel after being a babyface since the faction she had been a part of started to embrace fans for a very special reason.
As time goes on, however, changes are made.
Anna Jay Turns Heel
Anna Jay & Tay Conti
During the main event of the Barbed Wire Everywhere match to close out night three of Fyter Fest, Tay Conti attacked Ruby Soho. Ruby had been in charge of keeping the Jericho Appreciation Society locked in a Shark Cage during the Eddie Kingston vs. Chris Jericho match.
Anna made her way out and pretended to scold Tay for her actions. Instead, she ended up attacking Ruby and allowed the JAS members to escape the cage.
This heel turn had been teased following a Dynamite match last week between Anna Jay and Serena Deeb. Anna lost the match despite turning in one of the best performances of her career.
In the backstage area, Tay Conti, who is Anna Jay’s close friend, suggested that she joins her in the JAS to turn her misfortune around.
It’s clear that Anna has heeded Tay’s advice.
Anna had been a member of The Dark Order but that is clearly in the rearview mirror now.
AEW star and current Ring of Honor Women’s Champion Mercedes Martinez recently spoke with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston about how All Elite Wrestling offered her a contract.
“AEW reached out to me actually. I was actually booking myself crazy for like the last six months before that and just going all out and literally within a week before that show I was contacted and basically they just said it’s probably going to be a quick in and out with Thunder Rosa. I was like oh that’s a great that’s a great program let’s see what we can do. We already wrestled previously like maybe a month or two months ago anyways so this was just something for me to be back in the mix on something really big.
From there the conversation kind of just escalated and they just said hey you know what we want to bring you in full time. We want you to be All Elite, it was that quick there was no talking to Tony Khan at that moment it was just like here you go. Here’s your contract get it back to us when you can and that’s it wow it was.
Yeah it was kind of really really fast within days, so it was like do I sign this do I not, but of course me I want to be on mainstream tv right …. I want to make sure my legacy still continues so I had no hesitation on that part.”
The misfortunate for AEW may be turning a corner as a major star has made his return.
This week’s episode of Dynamite is taking place inside Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia. The main event will be a Barbed Wire Everywhere match between Eddie Kingston and Chris Jericho.
The Jericho Appreciation Society will be suspended above the ring inside a shark cage.
Also featured on the show at the end of the opening hour of Dynamite was an unannounced return.
Jungle Boy is Back
Since Jungle Boy was put out of commission after suffering an injury at Road Rager, Christian Cage seemed to have manipulated Luchasaurus.
In storyline, Christian injured Jungle Boy with a post-match attack that ended in a Conchairto.
The reality is, Jungle Boy suffered a legit injury during his AEW World Tag Team Title ladder match against The Young Bucks.
While Christian thought he had Luchasaurus under control, it was all a ruse. Jungle Boy returned on the July 20 episode of Dynamite to confront Christian Cage and Luchasaurus did not stand in his way.
A former WWE superstar made an appearance during the July 20 episode of AEW Dynamite.
It’s no secret that Tony Khan hasn’t been afraid to sign ex-WWE talent if he sees value. This ranges from part-time deals to one-offs, and of course full-time deals.
When it comes to the latest former WWE star to enter the fray, this performer was trying to cut his teeth under the NXT banner before being released.
It seems he’s quickly gotten back on his feet.
Cole Karter Appears on Dynamite
(via WWE)
Cole Karter, who had been competing on WWE’s NXT brand as Troy “Two Dimes” Donovan, has surfaced on AEW programming through the Dark show on YouTube.
He has made his way to Dynamite in a pretty big spot.
During a backstage interview, Karter was interrupted by FTW Champion Ricky Starks and Powerhouse Hobbs.
Starks issued an open challenge with his FTW gold at stake. Karter accepted the challenge and will challenge Ricky Starks later tonight.
Karter was released by WWE after a policy violation. It was reported that he tested positive for PEDs.
AEW Dynamite aired live from the Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia. It was week 2 of Fyter Fest. In addition to the takeaways below, Swerve in our Glory celebrated becoming the new AEW Tag Team Champions during tonight’s show.
Chris Jericho def. Eddie Kingston in a Barbed Wire Everywhere match
Here are the takeaways from this week’s Dynamite:
Brody King def. Darby Allin
Brody King battled Darby Allin in the first match of the night. King connected with a slam and followed it up with a Senton for a two count. Allin battled back and went for a Crossbody but Brody swatted him away. King whipped Allin around like he was nothing and Allin fell out of the ring. Brody dominated the next few minutes before Dynamite went to a commercial break.
When Dynamite returned, Allin caught Brody with a Suicide Dive and knocked the big man down. Back in the ring, Allin hit a Splash in the corner and went for another one but Brody locked in a Sleeper. King then got Allin in the Tree of Woe and delivered a couple of chops.
King followed it up with a massive Powerslam into the turnbuckle. Allin escaped to the apron and went for a Stunner but Brody choked him out before dropping him to the floor. The referee began counting but Darby made it back into the ring at the last moment. Brody immediately planted him with the Gonzo Bomb for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Brody started choking Darby until Sting made his way down the entrance ramp. The lights went out and Malakai Black was in the ring with Sting. The two had a stare down before Brody King choked him out from behind. Miro then joined the party and came down the entrance ramp with a pair of shades on. Miro stopped halfway and stared at House of Black in the ring to end the segment.
Best Friends (Trent & Chuck Taylor) battled AEW Interim Champion Jon Moxley and ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta of Blackpool Combat Club. William Regal and Orange Cassidy joined commentary for the match.
Moxley and Trent started off the action. Jon connected with a Dragon Screw and then tagged in Wheeler. Yuta and Chuck then battled in the ring. Chuck leveled Wheeler with a shoulder tackle and Best Friends were in control as Dynamite went to a commercial break.
When Dynamite returned, Trent went for a springboard move but the Interim AEW Champion was ready and countered into a Cutter for a near fall. Chuck and Wheeler tagged in and Taylor whipped Yuta into the turnbuckle. Wheeler bounced off and then got Taylor into a cradle for the pinfall victory.
Rapper Kevin Gates was confronted by Tony Nese and Mark Sterling in the front row. Sterling got a pie to the face after interrupting the tag champs.
Jungle Boy Returned & Chased Christian Cage Through The Crowd
Christian Cage & Luchasaurus battled Varsity Blonds (Brian Pillman Jr. & Griff Garrison) tonight on Dynamite. Luchasaurus beat Pillman Jr. down to start off the action. Griff tagged in and hit a couple of forearms to the face. Pillman Jr. delivered a Superkick but Lucharaurus shrugged it off and responded with a shoulder tackle. Luchasaurus hit Varsity Blonds with a couple of Chokeslams but Cage asked to be tagged in. Cage then got the cover and posed by himself over Varsity Blonds.
After the match, Jungle Boy returned and made his way down the entrance ramp with a steel chair. Luchasaurus stood in the way and then steppped aside. Jungle Boy got in the ring but Cage sprinted away. Cage sprinted through the crowd and up the stairs. Jungle Boy got close but Christian was able to slip away.
Ricky Starks defended the FTW Championship against Cole Karter tonight on Dynamite. The FTW Champion dominated the action early as Dynamite went to a commercial break. Cole was recently known as Troy “Two Dimes” Donovan in NXT. Karter connected with a Cutter and climbed to the top rope. Cole went for a 450 Splash but Starks got out of the way. Ricky then leveled Karter with a Spear for the pinfall victory. Ricky Starks is still the FTW Champion.
After the match, Ricky Starks said he has a little bit more in the tank and wanted another challenger for the FTW Championship. Danhaunsen accepted the challenge but it will happen at a future date.
Tony Schiavone interviewed ROH, AAA, and IWGP Tag Team Champions FTR tonight in the ring. FTR will be defending the ROH Tag Team Championships against The Briscoes this Saturday at Death Before Dishonor in a 2 out of 3 falls match. They got a tremendous reaction from the crowd. They vowed to retain the titles and said that The Briscoes will not be able to take the titles away from them. Dax vowed to win the match for a young girl that had a hole in her heart but three years later it has closed. He revealed that girl is his daughter and vowed to fight like an eight-year-old girl at Saturday’s PPV.
Athena and Willow Nightingale battled Kiera Hogan and TBS Champion Jade Cargill. Leila Grey couldn’t make the match and Kris Statlander was barred from ringside according to Stokely Hathaway. Willow and Kiera started off the action. Nightingale dodged a Dropkick and connected with a Crossbody for a two count. The action spilled out of the ring and Willow took out Cargill and Hogan with a Senton. Athena climbed to the top rope and followed it up with a Splash as Dynamite went to a commercial break.
When Dynamite returned, Willow planted Kiera with a Spinebuster and went for the cover. Jade broke it up and launched Willow out of the ring. Athena and Jade traded forearm shots in the ring. Athena dodged a pump kick but Jade caught with a big boot to the face. Jade went for a Corkscrew Splash but Athena blocked it.
Athena went for a Crossbody but Jade caught her. Jade hit a Fallaway Slam but Athena hopped right back up. Athena hit Double Knees and Jade rolled out of the ring to regroup. Athena delivered a Powerbomb to Hogan on the ring apron and started arguing with Stokely. Jade capitalized on the distracted and booted Athena into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Cargill tagged in and Willow rolled her up for a near fall. Cargill then hit a Spinebuster for a two count and followed it up with Jaded for the pinfall victory.
Chris Jericho faced Eddie Kingston in a Barbed Wire Everywhere match in the main event of tonight’s Dynamite. Jericho Appreciation Society was locked in a shark cage and suspended above the ring. AEW was promoting Shark Week on Discovery throughout the show and had an advertisement for it on the ring skirt. Jericho was portraying The Painmaker and popped out of the old Cody-vator during his entrance. Eddie marched to the ring with a smirk on his face.
Kingston hit Jericho with a barbed wire microphone and busted him open to start the match. He got in a quick plug for Shark Week before battling with Jericho outside the ring. Chris battled back and tried to slam Eddie onto a barbed wire table. Kingston blocked it and brought Chris back into the ring.
Eddie launched Jericho into the barbed wire ropes and laughed in the ring. Kingston grabbed a barbed wire chair and bashed Chris over the back with it a few times. Jericho escaped a Piledriver and unloaded some punches to Eddie’s face. Jericho connected with a Hurricanrana off the top rope and onto a barbed wire table as Dynamite went to the final commercial break of the show.
When Dynamite returned, Eddie sent Chris into the barbed wire ropes again as JAS was shown in the shark cage above. Kingston brought a barbed wire table over and battled with Chris on the ring apron. Kingston planted Jericho with a Suplex through barbed wire table as Ruby Soho gasped ringside. Tay Conti ran down the entrance ramp and tackled Ruby Soho. Tay Conti hit a flurry of punches before Anna Jay showed up. Anna broke it up before attacking Ruby Soho as well.
Anna and Tay laughed before hurling Ruby into the ring post. Anna then pressed a button to lower the shark cage. Conti took a bit to finally get the cage open and JAS rushed the ring. JAS stomped on Kingston several times before Blackpool Combat Club and Ortiz made the save. Ortiz hit Jericho with the madball and Eddie followed it up with an Exploder Suplex through a table for a two count. Kingston went to hit Jericho with a barbed wire chair but he countered into a Codebreaker. Chris went for the cover but Eddie kicked out at the last moment.
Chris bashed Kingston with the barbed wire chair over the knee and then put it on his chest. Jericho went for a Lionsault but Eddie launched the chair at him. Eddie then hit Jericho with the Backfist to the Future for a two count. Kingston applied a submission hold with barbed wire but Sammy broke it up with a Superkick. Jericho hit the Judas Effect as the crowd booed. After the match, Jericho went for an attack but Eddie fought them off. Eddie then threw Jericho into a barbed wire platform to end the show.
Tonight AEW kicks off week two of Fyter Fest with a special edition of Dynamite, which will feature Chris Jericho battling Eddie Kingston in a barbed wire everywhere matchup, with the Jericho Appreciation Society hovering above inside of a shark cage.
Top company superstar Bryan Danielson took to Twitter to comment on the matchup, where the American Dragon take shots at both men, and warns them for his impending return. He writes:
“One of these men takes credit for injuring me and the other one is the man I actually blame for it. Excited to see them destroy each other… and when I get back I’ll kick both their heads in.”
One of these men takes credit for injuring me and the other one is the man I actually blame for it. Excited to see them destroy each other… and when I get back I’ll kick both their heads in #AEWDynamitepic.twitter.com/78Zd6zXOUv
Danielson has been out of action with a concussion since May’s Double or Nothing pay-per-view in Las Vegas. The injury forced the former WWE champion to miss the critically acclaimed Forbidden Door event, as well as Blood & Guts show the Wednesday after. He would handpick his replacement, new AEW signee Claudio Castagnoli.
Edge is reportedly slated to return to WWE television on next week’s episode of Raw.
On Today’s episode of Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez was asked whether Edge appearing on the show will end up being a swerve with the WWE Hall Of Famer re-joining The Judgment Day stable.
Alvarez said that Rated-R merchandise has already been made for his return.
“I think they’ve already got Rated-R Superstar merch, so I’m pretty sure he’s returning as the Rated-R Superstar. Now what that means as a babyface [or as] a heel, I don’t know. I don’t think he’s coming back to Judgment Day. Especially because he left Judgment Day, he left because he didn’t want to be involved with anything spooky, but then they haven’t done anything spooky [with Judgment Day].”
WWE has been airing vignettes for Edge’s return to TV for weeks, featuring old memorabilia from past rivals such as Randy Orton, John Cena, The Dudley Boyz, and others.
Edge was written off after being attacked by The Judgment Day and replaced by Finn Balor. Considering Edge is returning with his old gimmick, it looks like he will also have his “Metalingus” song instead of continuing to use “The Other Side.”
It’s been a big year for Wardlow as he won his freedom from MJF at AEW Double or Nothing before becoming the new TNT Champion after defeating Scorpio Sky a few weeks ago on Dynamite.
Wardlow wants to be a fighting champion like original TNT champ Cody Rhodes was in 2020. His number one goal right now is to bring back the open challenge gimmick that Rhodes did.
He also stated that he doesn’t plan on changing the design of the TNT Championship belt, similar to what past champions Scorpio Sky and Sammy Guevara did.
“That’s actually my number one priority. I want to bring back the open challenge,” Wardlow said in a recent interview with Telegram & Gazette. “I’m not sure if that’s what we’re going to do, but I would definitely like to bring that back. Right now, I have the original design, which I love, and I don’t have any plans to customize it. If they give me the opportunity, maybe I will, but I do love the original.”
Wardlow made his first defense of the TNT Championship a week ago when he took on Orange Cassidy and successfully retained the title.
Wardlow’s next challenger has yet to be determined, and he has not been announced for tonight’s AEW Dynamite.
Next Saturday, WWE will host their annual Summerslam Premium Live Event, marking the first time the show has happened outside of the month of August.
The show will be headlined by a Last Man Standing match between Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, in what WWE is billing as their final match.
Both Raw and SmackDown Women’s Titles will also be defended, as well as Logan Paul’s singles debut when he faces The Miz.
The Rating
A lot has been said about WWE ratings over the past week, ever since it was reported that there are plans in place for Monday Night Raw to become a TV-14 show.
While that hasn’t happened yet, the Peacock streaming app lists next weekend’s Summerslam premium live event carrying a TV-14 rating.
TV-14
The impending TV-14 rating has excited WWE fans, who believe the show will push the envelope, but the change did not come from WWE.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that the decision for Raw to change came from WWE’s broadcast partners at the USA Network.
The belief is that the new rating will not see the return of blading, as WWE is against blood except in exceptionally rare circumstances.
It is believed that the rating will allow for more profanity on Monday Night Raw but little else will be changed.
Earlier this month, it was reported by PWInsider that an NXT tag team would be undergoing a major change. This team, in particular, was due for name changes.
While it wasn’t confirmed at the time, the speculation was that both men would also be receiving significant adjustments to their character as a duo.
There was also speculation that they would be joining a faction.
As it turns out, the report and speculation were correct.
Grizzled Young Veterans The Dyad
(via WWE)
During the July 19 episode of WWE NXT, Joe Gacy revealed members of The Dyad for his new stable. Gacy had long been teasing this formation with two druids.
The team is indeed the former Grizzled Young Veterans. The Dyad consists of Jagger Reid (formerly known as James Drake) and Rip Fowler (formerly known as Zack Gibson).
Gacy revealed the new gimmick during a backstage segment.
What this new faction will have in store for the NXT roster remains to be seen but it won’t be long before fans get the answer.
At WrestleMania 38, Cody Rhodes returned to WWE following a six-year hiatus from the company.
During his time away from WWE, Rhodes became a major star outside the promotion and co-founded AEW in 2019.
Rhodes returned to WWE by defeating Seth Rollins and would go on to defeat the former Universal Champion at the following two Premium Live Events.
Given his time away and association with AEW, Rhodes’ return has been one of the biggest WWE comebacks in years.
The Big Project
Rhodes had previously said in interviews that he would stay with AEW forever, and fans will soon learn more about his shocking return to the McMahon-led company.
In a surprise appearance on Busted Open Radio, Cody rung in and revealed that WWE is working on a documentary covering his return (via Wrestling Inc.)
“Little spoiler. For the past year, I don’t know if it was a year, but since WrestleMania, WWE has been doing a documentary on me potentially for Peacock. They’ve been filming this documentary, and then my titty explodes and the documentary changed greatly.”
Rhodes added that he has made a list of essential people in his life which he hopes are included on the documentary.
Cody did not reveal any names who are on the list he has given to WWE.
It is unclear if any names from AEW are on that list, or if WWE will reach out to them if they are.
WWE has allowed AEW talent on their shows in the past, with several AEW stars appearing via videos on the June 27, 2022 Raw, to praise John Cena.
Seth Rollins has issued an apology for a recent “harsh” interaction he had with some fans at his gym.
Over the years many professional wrestlers have been very open about their expectations for how fans should conduct themselves should they see them in person. Some welcome fans coming up to them and asking for autographs and/or pictures, while others remind fans to be mindful of the respective situations.
Others also would rather keep to themselves altogether. This can lead to some pretty negative blowback on social media, especially after a bad interaction gets leaked out online to the public.
Seth Rollins Apologizes
Recently, Seth Rollins took to Instagram to get out in front of a recent negative fan interaction he had at his gym. Rollins admitted he was frustrated during a workout and was harsh to some fans that approached him and Becky Lynch.
Check out his full apology below.
“Hello fine folks! I love interacting with my fans. You guys are the best. Your continued support of me and the @blackandbravewrestling enterprise is what keeps our collective heart beating strong.
“Today a couple of young cats saw my wife and me training in the back of the brick and mortar and stopped by to say hello. Unfortunately, I was right in the middle of a loooooong workout. I was very harsh and abrupt in my candor. For that, I apologize. There’s no excuse for that.
“If either you folks who I was short with today are reading this, please come back another time. I’d love to apologize in person. That open invite is all inclusive too! Feel free to pop by the school. If I happen to be here, please just be conscious of what’s going on around you! Don’t be deterred if I’m teaching a class or deep in the sweat game.
“It may take a few extra minutes, but I promise I’m down to take a pic or have a quick chat. In closing, thank you again to all of you who’ve had our backs over the years! Here’s to many more! Our door is always open (during business hours) so come on by!”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CgNkHoRJjI2/
Rollins is currently gearing up for a big one-on-one matchup with Riddle at SummerSlam later this month. The match was set up on RAW this week after he attacked Riddle during a “KO Show” segment.
Riddle has provided an injury update on his tag team partner Randy Orton.
Orton has been dealing with a back injury and hasn’t been seen on WWE TV since he and Riddle lost a Winner Takes All WWE Undisputed Tag Team Title bout to The Usos on SmackDown Live back in May.
He’s expected to miss the remainder of 2022 with the injury. Recently, Riddle was a guest on ProSieben MAXX, where he provided an injury update on his tag team partner.
“Randy (Orton) is still recovering from his injuries and hopefully he’ll be back sooner than later. I can’t give more of an update because I’m not a doctor and I don’t have one so, but I know Randy’s in high spirits for sure and he’s doing well.”
Riddle In Singles Competition
As for Riddle, he’s currently slated for a big one-on-one matchup with Seth Rollins at SummerSlam. Riddle has been able to get his career as a singles star kickstarted since Orton’s absence.
He even got a shot at Roman Reigns and the Undisputed WWE Championship, although he came up just short. It will be interesting to see if Riddle and Orton reform RK-Bro should “The Viper” return to in-ring action after his back injury heals up.
One WWE NXT star was scheduled to be in action on July 19 but it didn’t happen.
As they say in the wrestling business, “card subject to change.” The recent episode of NXT 2.0 certainly took that approach as a talent had been advertised for the main event but never appeared.
This week’s edition of the developmental show featured a 20-women battle royal match. The winner, who ended up being the returning Zoey Stark, receives an NXT Women’s Championship match down the road.
Fans who expected Sarray to be a part of the match were left disappointed.
Sarray Doesn’t Make Advertised Appearance
(via WWE)
WWE had advertised many participants in the battle royal. Zoey Stark wasn’t revealed ahead of the match as she was the big surprise entrant.
One talent who had been advertised but never showed up was Sarray.
There’s no word on whether or not something happened to Sarray at the last minute or if WWE simply changed plans before the match took place.
Sarray has been a key part of the NXT brand. While many have questioned her current character on the show, she is crucial given that her in-ring skills far exceeded that of most of the talent on NXT.
She is vital in helping her fellow prospects get better inside the ring given her experience working at a high level in Japan.
