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.
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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.
Three members of Hit Row returned tonight during WWE Friday Night SmackDown.
It was reported that Top Dolla and Ashante “Thee” Adonis were on their way back as they were scheduled to be backstage at the show. Also joining them is B-Fab.
At the end of the first hour of the broadcast, there were 2 enhancement wrestlers standing in the ring. SmackDown commentator Pat McAfee noted that they didn’t know who they would be facing until Hit Row’s music played. They quickly beat enhancement wrestlers in a quick squash match.
There is one person missing this time: Swerve Strickland, who is currently under an AEW contract. Following the squash match, all three members of Hit Row cut promos to remind fans who they are.
Hit Row quickly became a favorite group after they debuted in NXT, and they would quickly make their way to the main roster in the WWE Draft. Soon after B-Fab was released then the rest of the group was let go.
This marked their first appearance on WWE television since they were released last November. This wouldn’t have happened if Vince McMahon was still in charge, but with Triple H in charge, he has brought back several former stars.
WWE SmackDown aired live this week from the PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. Gunther defended the Intercontinental Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura in the main event.
SmackDown Results (8/12)
Raquel Rodriguez & Aliyah advanced to the 2nd round of the Women’s Tag Team Tournament
Hit Row def. enhancement talent
Drew McIntyre & Madcap Moss def. The Usos
Gunther def. Shinsuke Nakamura to retain the Intercontinental Championship
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Raquel Rodriguez & Aliyah Advanced In The Women’s Tag Tournament
Shotzi & Xia Li battled Raquel Rodriguez & Aliyah in the first round of the Women’s Tag Team Tournament. Raquel dominated the action early and sent Shotzi flying across the ring. Natalya and Sonya Deville were shown watching from ringside as Aliyah tagged in. Aliyah hit a Dropkick and went for the cover on Xia Li but Shotzi broke it up. The action spilled out of the ring and Aliyah hit a Crossbody onto Xia off the ring apron. Raquel and Shotzi then traded punches outside the ring as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Shotzi and Xia Li were in control and had Aliyah isolated in the corner of the ring. Aliyah battled back and booted Xia in the face. Rodriguez tagged in and got in some offense. Aliyah leveled Shotzi with a Blockbuster as Raquel connected with the Texana Bomb on Xia Li for the pinfall victory. Raquel and Aliyah advanced to the 2nd round of the Women’s Tag Team Tournament.
Karrion Kross Promo, The Usos Attack Drew McIntyre
Karrion Kross cut a backstage promo with Scarlett by his side. Kross said that they were cast out of paradise, but they wanted for the perfect time to strike with vengeance. Karrion added that everybody knows about The Bloodline, but in the end, everybody pays the toll. Kross then looked around the corner and stared at Drew McIntyre. Drew then made his entrance as SmackDown went to a break.
Drew McIntyre cut a promo and brought up Kross jumping him from behind last week on SmackDown. McIntyre noted that he plans to do horrible things to Kross, but noted that he made an impact by attacking the #1 contender and staring down the champion. He told Karrion that he will three options when they have a match, a knockout, a hospital, or the graveyard.
McIntyre announced that Roman Reigns is not here tonight and the crowd booed. Drew noted that it took the entire Bloodline and Paul Heyman to get the job done against Brock Lesnar. McIntyre boasted about his WrestleMania victory over Lesnar before Kross’ theme hit. Scarlett made her way to the ring as Drew smirked. The Usos then attacked Drew from behind as Scarlett watched on the ring apron. Jimmy and Jey hit McIntyre with the 1D and trash-talked with Scarlett to end the segment.
Kofi Kingston tried to attack the Viking Raiders with a kendo stick once again this week but it backfired. Erik and Ivar used their shields to block the kendo stick strikes and beat down the former WWE Champion. Ivar launched Kofi in the air into Erik’s shield. Ivar climbed on top of the barricade and hit Kofi with a Splash.
Sami Zayn knocked on Roman Reigns’ door once again and The Usos answered. Drew beat Jimmy and Jey down as Sami retreated. McIntyre vowed to beat The Usos’ asses every week if they keep getting involved.
B-Fab accompanied Ashante The Adonis and AJ ‘Top Dolla’ Francis to the ring for a tag team match against two jobbers. Top Dolla hit a running knee strike in the corner as Ashante hit a slam. Hit Row hit a Dropkick/Suplex combo for the pinfall victory. Hit Row cut a brief promo following their win.
Liv Morgan and Shayna Baszler were set to have a contract signing for their SmackDown Women’s Championship match at Clash at the Castle. Suspended WWE Superstar Ronda Rousey showed up with a bag of money and said it was double the amount of her fine.
Ronda was about to attack security again but walked away. Shayna Baszler then confronted Ronda on the entrance ramp and told her that this isn’t how you get what you want. Rousey told Shayna that she used to be a killer and stormed off.
Baszler made her way to the ring and noted that she won the Gauntlet match last week and vowed to win the title at Clash at the Castle. Shayna signed the contract to make the match official on her end and asked Liv Morgan to come to the ring.
Liv came tot he ring and claimed that Shayna is a discount Ronda Rousey and signed the contract. Baszler took Liv down and stomped on her elbow. She went for another stomp but Liv dodged it. Liv then put Shayna through the table with a bulldog.
Drew McIntyre and Madcap Moss battled the Undisputed Tag Team Champions tonight in a non-title match. Sami Zayn was ringside in his “The Bloodline” shirt for support. The match started off with The Usos versus McIntyre but Madcap rushed the ring to even the odds. Sami provided a distraction and The Usos looked for the 1D.
Madcap dragged Jey out of the ring and sent him over the barricade. Drew leveled Jimmy with the Claymore for the pinfall victory. After the match, Drew hit Jey with the Future Shock DDT and leveled Sami with another Claymore.
Backstage, Los Lotharios tried to join Maximum Male Models but Max Dupri said that they were not worthy. Los Lotharios decided to contract Maxxine Dupri.
Gunther Retained The Intercontinental Championship
Gunther defended the Intercontinental Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura in the main event of tonight’s SmackDown. Ludwig Kaiser was in Gunther’s corner for the match. Nakamura targeted Gunther’s legs early with a flurry of kicks that hobbled the champion.
Shinsuke kept control and caught Gunther with an Enziguri to the side of the head for a near fall. When SmackDown returned from a break, Gunther caught Shinsuke with a big boot. The Intercontinental Champion climbed to the top turnbuckle and went for a Splash but the challenger got his knees up.
Gunther planted Shinsuke with a Suplex before unloading some knee strikes to his midsection. Shinsuke responded with a knee to the face and went for the cover but Gunther kicked out at two and the match continued.
Nakamura got distracted outside the ring by Ludwig and Gunther capitalized with a Dropkick. Gunther went for a Powerbomb but Shinsuke escaped and set up in the corner. Nakamura went for the Kinshasa but Gunther was ready for it. Gunther absolutely leveled the challenger with a Clothesline and went for the cover but somehow Shinsuke kicked out at two. Gunther caught Nakamura with another Dropkick and then a Powerbomb for the pinfall victory. Gunther remains the Intercontinental Champion.
The next WWE Draft is expected to take place in the near future. As Vince McMahon used to say, it’s [almost] “time to shake things up!”
Over the past several weeks, we’ve seen Triple H (WWE’s new head of talent relations and creative) make several changes to the rosters of Raw and SmackDown. We’ve already seen the returns of Bayley, Dakota Kai, Io Sky and Hit Row.
WWE’s internal scheduling for upcoming live events has Superstars feeling that the next Draft is happening sooner than later, according to Fightful Select.
WWE Roster Shakeup
Several Raw wrestlers are scheduled for the first Smackdown following Clash at the Castle on September 9, while SmackDown talent is internally scheduled for Raw episodes on September 4 and 11. This has led to wrestlers speculating that the WWE Draft will be shortly following the Clash at the Castle PPV, scheduled for September 3rd.
According to the Fightful, talent has indicated “there have been other things” that have tipped of the locker room that more changes are coming.
WWE is planning to ‘repackage’ a few wrestlers and the belief is that the character changes will take place once the Draft takes place.
The talent has yet to be “informed explicitly about a draft, much less what brand they’ll end up on if and when it happens.”
Last year’s WWE Draft took place in October. Since bringing it back a few years ago, the Draft has been held on two nights so that way both Raw on the USA Network and SmackDown on FOX get a bump in the ratings.
Konosuke Takeshita is leaving America to return to Japan after working in the United States for the last four months.
He announced the news on Twitter: “Today I am leaving America. I have so many great memories of the last 4 months. Thank you all for being so nice to me. @AEW.”
Today I am leaving America. I have so many great memories of the last 4 months. Thank you all for being so nice to me. @AEWpic.twitter.com/XQwkNlI6oo
Takeshita made his pro wrestling debut in August 2012 for DDT and, since then, has found a lot of success, including being a four-time Ironman Heavymetalweight Champion and five-time KO-D Openweight Champion five times.
The 27-year-old has also been crowned the winner of the King of DDT Tournament on two different occasions and won the D’Oh Grand Prix twice. He’s also held the KO-D Six-Man Tag Team Championship five times and the KO-D Tag Team Championship.
He has impressed American fans since working in the country in April with notable performances, including when he challenged ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli at AEW’s Battle of the Belts III.
Dave Meltzer previously reported that it would be a seamless process to bring him back over to the United States due to AEW’s “good relationship” with DDT Pro-Wrestling. Meltzer noted that Takeshita doesn’t have a full-time deal with any promotion and may be on Triple H’s radar to sign him to a WWE contract.
AEW is starting to have some wrestlers return from injury, which has impacted the promotion over the last few months.
Adam Cole, CM Punk, and Bryan Danielson were all on the shelf with injuries throughout the summer, while Kenny Omega has been gone since last November. Cole is expected to return to in-ring action soon. AEW made an Interim Championship while the actual champion (Punk) recovered from foot surgery.
Danielson and Punk have since returned as Danielson came back a few weeks ago and lost to Daniel Garcia, while Punk was back this week when he confronted Jon Moxley to seemingly set up their match at All Out on September 4th.
PWinsider.com reports that while Punk appeared to be ready to fight on Wednesday night, he is still rehabbing his repaired foot and was reportedly still in pain as of a few weeks ago. Punk will likely not wrestle before All Out.
Regarding Omega, he is still likely the mystery partner of The Young Bucks in the upcoming AEW Trios Titles tournament to crown the inaugural champions.
The Young Bucks and their mystery partner are set to face Dragon Lee, Andrade El Idolo & Rush on Wednesday’s Dynamite.
WWE has canceled two of the next set of NXT UK television tapings, which has led to “a lot of uneasiness” among the crew.
Dave Meltzer reported the news in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. BT Sport Studios is said to have been unavailable for the tapings due to football/soccer coverage.
“There is a lot of uneasiness within the NXT U.K. crew. The next two sets of television tapings were canceled on 8/9,” Meltzer wrote.
“The reason given was that BT Sports Studios, where they tape, had to be used for football/soccer coverage. But as you can imagine with the talent how the reaction is, given you could tape somewhere else and shutting down tapings is never a good sign. Nobody really has been told anything”
NXT UK Future Uncertain
Since the NXT UK relaunch after being on a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the brand has held tapings at the BT Sports Studios.
WWE will keep some NXT UK wrestlers busy as there are talents slated to travel to Florida to participate in NXT programming shortly. Joe & Mark Coffey and Charlie Dempsey (son of William Regal) are expected to make the trip.
WWE has been using regular NXT stars for the NXT UK brand in recent months, including Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen, who are the current NXT UK Tag Team Champions.
You can check out the complete NXT UK roster on our WWE Roster page.
When WWE relaunched NXT 2.0 last September, it was reported that Bruce Prichard worked with the NXT creative team while Vince McMahon had the final say on the product and Shawn Michaels was in charge of the day-to-day operations.
Although it may have seemed like McMahon had his fingerprints over the reimagining of NXT, Michaels suggested that McMahon didn’t play much of a role.
While speaking with Graham “GSM” Matthews of Bleacher Report, Michaels discussed the development of NXT 2.0.
“When Hunter first left, it became all me, and certainly from a television standpoint. Matt Bloom is the head coach and takes care of everything from the PC training standpoint, but when it came to NXT 2.0 television, that’s something myself and my team took over creatively. I know a lot of people thought Vince and Bruce were doing that. I can promise you, they did not have the time to do NXT television. If it’s good or if it’s bad, that’s on me.”
Michaels continued by stating it’s been a huge joy to run the show and work with the young wrestlers. He said the show always goes on, and it’s trial by fire for many of them. Michaels added that “it’s been an absolutely fantastic experience.”
Sasha Banks and Naomi have yet to make their return to WWE television. As previously reported, the two sides reached an agreement to return two weeks ago, but nothing has yet to be signed. However, with it being an agreement in principle, it’s believed to be as good as done.
WWE recently started the tournament to crown new Women’s Tag Team Champions. Many fans expect to see Banks and Naomi involved with the tournament in some way.
In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer also speculated that they’re likely to return in the Women’s Tag Team Title tournament as well.
Returning after the Women’s Tag Title Tournament?
Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah will battle Shotzi and Xia Li on tonight’s episode of SmackDown. Io Shirai and Dakota Kai are the favorites to win the tournament.
Meltzer wrote, “If they make the finals, it presumably won’t be on PPV since they already announced Sky & Kai for a trios match on 9/3. This being announced right as Naomi & Banks are expected back is probably not a coincidence and I guess the idea is for them not to be in the tournament and have them surprise appear later.”
When Banks and Naomi return, they will be the latest and biggest stars to be brought back by Triple H since he took over as the head of creative and talent relations.
The pro-wrestling industry is still reeling from the news of Vince McMahon’s WWE retirement, a decision that many have yet to fully buy-into as 100% truth.
One of those deniers is WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle, who told Renee Dupree on his Cafe de Rene podcast that he still believes the 76-year old McMahon is pulling the strings behind-the scenes.
“I personally don’t think he’s fully retired. You know Vince, he’s gonna be behind-the-scenes [laughs]. Vince is not letting go of that company, he will not let it go until his hands are dead cold and they pry it out of his cold, dead hands. He’s not letting go of that company until he dies. And that’s just it.”
The Olympic Hero has a right to believe that as McMahon’s grip on the industry has been felt since the 1980s and will continue to be felt long after he is gone. Angle adds that the placement of Stephanie McMahon and Triple H in key positions is further proof that he is continuing to run the show.
“I’m not trying to cause any problems for WWE or for Vince McMahon, because I love Vince to death. But there is no way he is going to let it go. He already set up, you know, Stephanie [McMahon] being in charge and Triple H being in charge of talent relations. He’s got everybody in the right positions so that he could continue to run the show.”
Angle has bee one of the many former WWE superstars who have defended McMahon as allegations and hush money evidence continues to surface against the former chairman.
Since debuting on WWE’s main roster, Roman Reigns has faced, and defeated some of the company’s biggest stars.
Triple H, John Cena, Brock Lesnar, and AJ Styles are just some of the names to fall to Reigns, and that’s before his heel turn in August 2020.
Since adopting the moniker as the ‘Tribal Chief,’ Reigns has kept an iron grip on the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship which he holds to this day.
For the First Time Ever
Reigns has defeated some of WWE’s biggest names, but there are a select few that the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion is yet to take on one-on-one.
During last Friday’s SmackDown, Karrion Kross returned to WWE attacking Drew McIntyre, and made it clear that he has Roman Reigns in his sights.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter has reported that a plan between Kross and Reigns is in the works, and could be at this November’s Survivor Series Premium Live Event (via Sportskeeda.)
“Reigns is not booked on Extreme Rules in Philadelphia at this point. If they go with Reigns vs. Kross, as things stand right now, it would either be TV or the earliest would be Survivor Series barring the weekly circumstances involved in wrestling.”
Survivor Series will mark a decade of Reigns on the main roster, as he debuted at the event in 2012 as part of The Shield.
Before Survivor Series, Reigns will defend the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Drew McIntyre at next month’s Clash at the Castle event.
WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg will forever be remembered for his devastating one-two punch move-set that secured him 173 straight victories in WCW and won him numerous matchups and titles during his run in WWE. The moves: the spear and the jackhammer.
The spear in particular has grown in popularity since Goldberg’s rise to superstardom back in the 90s, and is also used by the likes of Edge, Roman Reigns, Charlotte Flair, Ricky Starks, and many more throughout the industry.
However, fans and analysts have always labeled Goldberg’s version one of the best in the business due to the high-impact nature of how he delivers it.
Goldberg’s Spear
The former two-time Universal champion spoke about the origin of the spear during his appearance on the Talk Is Jericho podcast, recalling that he came up with the move in a matchup against Manny Fernandez.
“Walking out against Manny Fernandez, Jamie says ‘What’s your finish?’ I said ‘Finish? What is that, I don’t have a finish.’ He goes whatever you do, do something impactful that people are gonna remember. “
Once the move was actually executed it became clear to everyone backstage that they had just witnessed something special.
Goldberg continued, “So I get to the ring. Manny and I are circling. I say, ‘Manny, do you trust me?’ He goes, ‘Yeah’, I said ‘Then at the finish, tuck your head, spread your legs and kiss your ass goodbye.’ I did it, to me it was a natural move. I went in the back, and everybody’s mouths were open, hitting the floor, [they were] going, ‘Whatever you do, do that every single time.'”
Goldberg’s influence on the wrestling business is still felt to this day. He last competed against Roman Reigns at the Elimination Chamber special in Saudi Arabia back in February.
(Please credit Talk Is Jericho for the quote and SEScoops for the transcription)
Tonight, WWE SmackDown on FOX will descend on the PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina for the latest installment of the show.
After some monumental changes to WWE’s management and several returns, fans are interested in what will happen on the show in this post-Vince McMahon era of the company.
WWE’s Head of Creative Triple H will be running things behind the scenes, and thanks to a report, we have an idea of what will be taking place during tonight’s two hours of the blue brand.
Karrion Kross’ Return
On last week’s SmackDown, Karrion Kross and Scarlett returned to WWE, with the former NXT Champion attacking Drew McIntyre.
Kross’ abrupt appearance at the end of last week’s show also saw him stare down with Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns, making it clear he wants to be champion.
According to Fightful, Kross will be on tonight’s show, “with full presentation” including his hourglass entrance.
The Contract Signing
Tonight’s SmackDown will continue the build to WWE Clash at the Castle, which will see SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan defend against Shayna Baszler.
The pair will have a contract signing tonight, where Morgan will still wear a sling, selling her kayfabe injury from Baszler earlier this month.
Ronda Rousey has been scheduled to get involved with the contract signing in some way.
And More
Fightful also reports that there is a table spot planned for tonight’s SmackDown on FOX.
Sheamus, Drew McIntyre, the Street Profits, and Roman Reigns are all tentatively scheduled for the show, though the card as always is subject to change.
WWE’s creative reshuffling continues, as a pair of former tag team champions are going their separate ways.
This week’s edition of WWE Main Event, taped Monday before Monday Night Raw, featured former tag team champions squaring off against one another.
Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander competed against one another on the show. This is the latest sign that their team, and the Hurt Business faction, are dead and buried.
Alexander got the victory in this battle of former partners. After the match, they embraced one another in a mutual sign of respect.
Shelton Benjamin & Cedric Alexander
Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander were formerly part of the Hurt Business faction, along with Bobby Lahley and MVP.
The faction achieved a great deal of success during its limited run. Benjamin and Alexander were a big part of that success, capturing the Raw tag team championships from the New Day back in 2020 at the Tables, Ladders and Chairs (TLC) premium live event.
The Hurt Business has dissolved, with each member going its separate way. MVP turned on Bobby Lashley and sided with Omos, while Benjamin and Alexander are no longer teaming up together. Omos and MVP have since broken up, as well.
The Hurt Business
Despite the group breaking up, Bobby Lashley recently expressed interest in a Hurt Business reunion. During a recent appearance on WWE’s Out of Character podcast, Lashley said he might call on Alexander, Benjamin or MVP to help take down Omos.
When asked about a potential Hurt Business reunion, Lashley said, “You know what, I was thinking about what could happen to actually bring us together, and I thought about this the other day. I was like, if [MVP] made Omos too dangerous where he couldn’t contain him anymore, and Omos turned on him, he would need somebody to help him. There’s only one person that can beat Omos. I may need some help. You’ve got Cedric, you’ve got Shelton, you have MVP. We could take him down and we’re babyfaces again. [Fans] would love us.”
Lashley is the reigning WWE United States Champion. As part of his quest to find worthy challengers, he recently named Benjamin and Alexander as men he’d like to see step up and take a shot at him.
Watch the Top 10 Beset Moments of the Hurt Business:
WWE fans are no strangers to seeing romance on their screen, with huge stars like Triple H and Edge being involved in romantic angles throughout their careers.
While WWE Superstars often have on-screen relationships, many on the roster enjoy happy relationships with other wrestlers when the cameras aren’t rolling.
Budding Romance
With Superstars spending so much time together, it’s natural that some wrestlers will fall for each other while at work.
On Instagram, Cora Jade took to her Stories to reveal that she is seeing reigning NXT Champion Bron Breakker.
Jade shared a picture of the second-generation Superstar over a pastel background and included a heart, showing her emotions for the NXT Champion.
Jade also tagged Breakker in the post.
Bron Breakker
Cora Jade is certainly smitten with Bron Breakker, and WWE higher-ups are also fond of the second-generation Superstar.
Since NXT’s relaunch as NXT 2.0, Breakker has been the brand’s biggest star, defeating some of NXT’s veteran performers.
It took Breakker 112 days from debuting to becoming NXT Champion, dethroning Ciampa at the NXT: New Year’s Evil event in January 2022.
Breakker’s second title win came over another WWE veteran, Dolph Ziggler on the Raw after WrestleMania 38.
It has been reported that WWE wishes to fast-track Breakker to the main roster, but it is unclear if that is still the plan following the recent management changes.
Cora Jade
Joining WWE in early 2021, Jade had previously appeared for both AEW and Impact Wrestling before reaching the McMahon/Khan promotion.
At last month’s Great American Bash special, Jade and Roxanne Perez captured the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championships, marking both women’s first titles in WWE.
The following week, Jade turned heel and attacked Perez, costing her the NXT Women’s Championship match against Mandy Rose, and would later throw her own title in the trash.
Ever since the unfortunate kick that ended Hart’s career in 1999, the wrestling veteran has blamed the heavyweight star for costing him millions. While Goldberg has apologized to Hart many times since then, Bret has chosen not to forgive the former world champion even two decades after the incident.
On Talk Is Jericho, the former Universal champion was asked if Hart’s continued animosity toward him has hurt his feelings. He claimed that he understands Bret’s sentiment to a point. However, after so many years of trying to make peace, he is done apologizing now:
‘I Am Done’: Goldberg
“Yeah, but I get it. I mean, I understand to a point. But I’m like yeah, 100%. Bret Hart is still up here, man. He’s an idol to anybody and everybody who would have ever been in this business. I’m a human being like everybody else. There was absolutely no malicious intent whatsoever. None. Zero. So does it bother me? Yeah. I’ll take it to my grave.
But also, I gotta say, man. I am kinda at a turning point. I am done saying I’m sorry. I have said it a million times. I am not gonna continue to tear myself down. I’m done. I said I’m sorry. If he can’t accept my apology, it is what it is. You gotta move on. And I’ve moved on. So I won’t be breaching this subject too much more.”
This week, WWE hosted its WrestleMania 39 tickets launch event, with a star-studded show in Los Angeles, California.
Snoop Dogg was at the event, and presented Becky Lynch and Bianca Belair with some Death Row chains as a gift, but the pair also had something special for him.
Snoop’s Title
A WWE Hall of Famer, rap legend Snoop Dogg already has plenty of accolades to his name, but now has his own custom championship title.
During the event, Lynch and Belair were on hand to present Snoop with the title, with the help from some of the LA Lakers Cheerleaders team.
Belair said it was a one-of-a-kind custom WWE Championship, which is white and gold with green accents.
Snoop was clearly thrilled by the gift, which he proudly held over his head.
The self-professed ‘Dogg-father of WrestleMania’ has made multiple appearances for WWE over the years.
At WrestleMania 24 in 2008, Snoop was the master of ceremonies for the Lumberjill tag-team match between Maria & Ashley and Melina & Beth Phoenix.
After being confronted by Santino Marella, Snoop leveled the former Intercontinental Champion before sharing a kiss with Maria.
In 2009, Snoop was the guest host of Monday Night Raw and again got physical, tackling Chavo Guerrero with a spear during a segment including Hornswoggle.
In 2016, Snoop performed at WrestleMania, providing a track for his cousin Sasha Banks, who challenged for the WWE Women’s Championship.
That same year, he would enter the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the celebrity wing.
