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MLW Announces The Return Of The Blue Meanie

Joey Galizia
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MLW sent out a press release announcing that the Blue Meanie will be returning to the promotion.

The ECW alumni is set to appear at the May 13th Kings of Colosseum event, which will also serve as a set of tapings for MLW’s weekly episodic, Fusion. The show takes place from the legendary 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. Full details on the Meanie’s appearance, as well as what the show’s card is looking like, below.

Major League Wrestling (MLW®) today announced the return of The Blue Meanie for Kings of Colosseum ’22 on Friday, May 13 at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, featuring an MLW Fusion TV taping.

Grab your tickets at http://www.MLW2300.com and the 2300 Arena box office.

One of Philly’s most beloved (and bluest) will return to South Philadelphia this Friday when the Blue Meanie returns.

What will The Blue World Order’s jovial and mischievous be up to?

Find out LIVE Friday night, May 13 in Philadelphia at MLW Kings of Colosseum!
Major League Wrestling returns to Philadelphia’s 2300 Arena on Friday, May 13. Buy tickets at http://MLW2300.com.
 
CARD

World Heavyweight Championship
Alex Hammerstone (c) vs. Richard Holliday (with Alicia Atout)

Weapons of Mass Destruction Match
Jacob Fatu vs. Mads Krugger

Inaugural Women’s World Featherweight Championship
Taya Valkyrie vs. Holidead

nZo vs. Lince Dorado

Microman vs. Mini Abismo Negro

World Tag Team Championship 3-Way:
Hustle & Power vs. Von Erichs vs. 5150

THE THRILLA IN PHILA
National Openweight Championship
Alex Kane vs. TBD Victim

Matt Cross vs. ACH

World Middleweight Championship:
Myron Reed (c) vs. Arez vs. KC Navarro

The return of Los Maximos!Some of the athletes and talent signed to compete and appear include: Davey RichardsCesar DuranGangrelThe SandmanThe Blue MeanieSavio VegaPlus MORE wrestlers will be announced soon. More athletes and matches will be announced at MLW.com.

Buy tickets at MLW2300.com. Tickets start at $15. Tickets will also be available day of show at the box office unless the event sales out in advance.
 
DAY OF EVENT INFO
The schedule is as follows:

6:00 p.m.: Early entry for First Row Ticket Holders
6:30 p.m.: Doors open for general public (all ticket holders)
7:25 p.m.: Showtime

MORE ABOUT THE VENUE
2300 Arena (previously named Viking Hall, ECW Arena, New Alhambra Arena, Asylum Arena and The Arena) is a multipurpose indoor arena used primarily for professional wrestling, boxing, mixed martial arts, and concert events.

Potential Spoiler On Major IMPACT Wrestling Return

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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An IMPACT Wrestling return is imminent and it could come much sooner than you think.

For weeks, IMPACT has been rolling out teaser trailers hyping up a mystery competitor. It comes across as a hit list with numerous IMPACT stars such as Moose and Eric Young being wiped off the screen.

As many had suspected, it looks like those vignettes are for Sami Callihan. Fightful reports that Callihan could be returning as soon as the Under Siege event tonight (May 7).

If he doesn’t appear tonight, it’s possible he could show up on TV soon as IMPACT has a set of tapings scheduled for May 8.

Last year, Sami Callihan suffered a broken ankle during a TV taping. He underwent successful surgery and was expected to be back this spring.

It looks like the process went according to plan.

Young Fan Jumps Barricade To Get Photo With Cody Rhodes After WWE SmackDown

Thomas Lowson
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A young fan jumped the barricade this week in the hopes of getting a photo with Cody Rhodes after WWE SmackDown went off the air.

After last night’s episode, Rhodes defeated Seth Rollins in a dark main event ahead of their match this Sunday at WrestleMania Backlash.

In a clip shared online, Rhodes can be seen taking a selfie with fans at ringside when he is approached by a child.

Cody speaks to the fan, who points at where he was sitting, while security gently leads the kid back to his seat.

Responding to the video in a tweet, Cody said that he was “popped” to see the young fan ask for a photo, and said that he did take a picture with him later in the night.

Jumping The Barricade

Fans jumping the barricade is a staple of professional wrestling but almost never goes well for anyone involved.

Last November, a fan jumped the barricade to attack Seth Rollins, believing the former Universal Champion had conned him out of gift cards.

Instead, it was a scammer posing as Rollins on social media, who had tricked 24-year-old Elisah Spencer out of gift cards and his money.

In 2019, Zachary Madsen jumped the barricade during the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony to attack Bret Hart, saying that it “felt like it was the right moment,” during a court appearance. The man ended up being dropped by a punch courtesy of Cash Wheeler.

Fans caught jumping the barricade are usually kicked out of the venue and banned from future WWE events, but the company made an obvious exception this week.

Bret Hart Advises AEW Talent, But is Happy at Home

Michael Reichlin
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Bret Hart says he enjoys mentoring members of the AEW roster, but considers himself happily retired from the wrestling world.

The Excellence of Execution spoke with Mike Dagger for Lucha Libre Online earlier this week. During the conversation, Hart spoke about rumors of him coming out of retirement to appear for All Elite Wrestling.

Hart says he has no plans to appear on television any time soon. After a decades-long career that kept him on the road several hundred days per year, he’s making up for lost time and spending as much time at home as possible.

As he’s said before, he wants to be remembered as a wrestler and is not interested in being a manager or authority figure.

“I’m happy retired,” said Hart. “I’m a ‘home’ guy now. There’s not a lot I can do in wrestling. People say, ‘What are you going to do? What would you do in AEW?’ It’s like, what would I do? Referee? Manage? Be a chairman? I don’t want to be remembered that way. I want to be remembered as a wrestler.”

Bret Hart & AEW

Bret Hart remains a hero to countless wrestlers throughout the industry. He’s considered one of the greatest performers of all time and his legacy is still celebrated to this day.

Hart says he keeps in touch with several wrestlers on the AEW roster. They call him and text him asking for advice about their matches and their careers.He enjoys giving back to the business in this way, but enjoys his time at home.

“I’d be happy to help a lot of them,” he said about AEW talent. “.. and I know a lot of them, and I talk to them, a lot of them sometimes, by text or on the phone, and people call me up and I always got advice and I can always pinpoint little things that can make a difference in a guy’s match or something he’s doing but, I’m a guy that likes being home. So, they’re gonna have to call me on the phone.”

He wishes he could still travel like he used to, but it’s getting harder for him to fly around the country at this stage in life. That said, he respects AEW as an organization and will continue mentoring people remotley.

“There’s a lot of things I would love to be part of with AEW and what they’re doing. I know they’ve got some great wrestlers there and I have a lot of respect for the organization and all that but right now, I’m happy at home.”

Watch Bret Hart’s interview with Lucha Libre Online:

WWE Smackdown Reactions (5/6/22): Getting Blue Ep. 3

Michael Reichlin
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Steve Fall returns for another edition of Getting Blue, recapping the May 6, 2022 edition of WWE SmackDown in a strange and unique way.

We run down SmackDown’s Good, Bad and What The Heck?! moments.

Plus, we’ll name the show’s MVE (Most Valuable Entertainer).

Subscribe to the SEScoops YouTube Channel and comment below to let us know what you think!

Tammy Sytch (Sunny) Arrested & Charged With DUI Manslaughter

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Tammy Sytch, formerly known as Sunny in WWE, has been arrested in connection to a fatal three-car crash.

Sytch was arrested again on Friday, May 6 in Ormond Beach, Florida, per PWInsider. She has been hit with nine charges, including DUI manslaughter.

Here are the charges against Sunny:

  • DUI Manslaughter (DUI causing the death of a person)
  • Driving with a suspended or revoked license (causing death or serious injury)
  • Seven counts of DUI causing damage to a person or property

Sunny’s Latest Vehicular Incident

Back on March 25, Tammy Sytch was allegedly driving southbound on U.S. 1 at around 8:28 p.m. and failed to stop. This caused her to crash into a stopped vehicle, which ended up crashing into another car.

Julian Lafrancis Lasseter, a driver allegedly struck by Sytch, died due to injuries suffered in the crash.

Ormond Beach Police were allowed to collect a blood sample once granted a search warrant. This was done to determine whether or not Sytch was driving under the influence.

If convicted of DUI manslaughter, which is a felony in the state of Florida, Sunny could face up to 30 years in prison. The minimum would be a four-year sentence and a fine of up to $10,000.

Sytch has been booked into Volusia County Branch Jail. Her bond is set at $227,500.

Tammy Sytch Mugshot
Tammy Sytch (May 6, 2022)

Max Caster Among AEW Stars In Action On Tuesday’s Battle Slam Vendetta

Andrew Ravens
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Battle Slam will air its Vendetta special this Tuesday on FITE at 10p ET with several AEW stars in action. 

The show took place on April 24th in front of a sold-out crowd from Oasis Event Center in Morrow, GA. There were performances by Pastor Troy, Josiah Williams, and Johnny x Apollo. 

Those from AEW that wrestled included Leon Ruff, Darius Martin, Lee Moriarty, Baron Black, Max Caster, and Fuego Del Sol. MLW’s Myron Reed also competed. 

Battle Slam Vendetta Card

  • Leon Ruff vs Darius Martin
  • Baron Black vs Lee Moriarty
  • Myron Reed – vs – Max Caster
  • The Infantry – vs – C4 *Prestige Tag Championship 
  • Fuego Del Sol vs Alex Kane
  • Queen Aminata vs Janai Kai vs RobyMax Caster Among AEW Stars In Action On Tuesday’s Battle Slam Vendetta n Renegade vs Angelica Risk
  • Shazza McKenzie vs Ashley D’Amboise
  • Austin Green Open Challenge
  • Adam Priest vs JDX vs Zenshi vs Chad Skywalker

The match took place before Darius Martin was sidelined again as the Top Flight member recently sustained a leg injury.

He had recently returned from a torn ACL that left him out of action for over a year, but will now miss a lengthy amount of time in the ring with a leg injury. Malakai Black confirmed in an interview with The Universal Wrestling Podcast that Martin suffered the injury in a bad car accident.

WWE SmackDown Results (5/6/22): WrestleMania Backlash Go-Home Show, The Bloodline

Robert Lentini
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WWE SmackDown aired live from the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. It was the final episode of SmackDown before WrestleMania Backlash this Sunday night.

Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns & SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos (The Bloodline) met face-to-face with Drew McIntyre & RAW Tag Team Champions The Usos ahead of their 6-Man Tag Team match at WrestleMania Backlash. New Day battled Sheamus & Ridge Holland in a Tables match on tonight’s show as well.

SmackDown Results

  • Shayna Baszler def. Sasha Banks
  • Gunther def. Drew Gulak
  • Sheamus & Ridge Holland def. New Day in a Tables Match
  • Sami Zayn def. Shinsuke Nakamura via count out

Here are the takeaways from the WrestleMania Backlash go-home edition of SmackDown:

Charlotte Flair & Ronda Rousey Brawled

SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair fwas set to face Aliyah to begin the show. Charlotte claimed everyone here paid their hard-earned money to see her and thanked them. Flair claimed that Aliyah clearly tapped out during the Beat the Clock Challenge last week and blamed timekeeper Drew Gulak for not ringing the bell. Flair vowed to make Rousey quit and cry in their I Quit match at WrestleMania Backlash.

Flair hit Aliyah with a cheap shot to start off the action. Flair just beat Aliyah down until Ronda Rousey rushed the ring. Rousey and Flair brawled to the outside and Charlotte sent Ronda into the barricade. They keep brawling until WWE security broke it up. Charlotte will defend the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Ronda Rousey in an I Quit match in two days at WrestleMania Backlash.

Shayna Baszler def. Sasha Banks

Sasha Banks battled Shayna Baszler tonight on SmackDown. Natalya and Naomi were ringside for the match. Shayna controlled the action early and hit a Gutwrench Suplex for a near fall. Banks battled back and sent Baszler into the turnbuckle. Baszler responded with a Side Slam as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Baszler was on the outside and Sasha hit a Dropkick through the ropes. Banks hit Double Knees back in the ring and went for the cover but Shayna kicked out at two. Sasha hit Natalya with a Hurricanrana on the outside and returned to the ring. Shayna caught Banks with a knee to the face for a near fall. Baszler rolled Sasha up and Natalya grabbed her leg for leverage and Banks couldn’t kick out.

After the match, Natalya and Shayna Baszler attacked the Women’s Tag Team Champions and beat them down. Baszler went to stomp on Sasha’s elbow but Naomi broke it up to end the segment. Banks & Naomi will defend the Women’s Tag Team Championships against Natalya & Baszler next week on SmackDown.

Madcap Moss Interrupted Happy Corbin

Happy Corbin made his way to the ring for another edition of Happy Talk as SmackDon went to a commercial break. Madcap Moss immediately interrupted on the jumbotron and started cracking jokes about Corbin’s outfit. Madcap Moss then made his way to the ring and suggested that Corbin become “Entertaining Corbin”. Moss added that Corbin used to be called the “Lone Wolf” but unfortunately wolves have hair. Madcap started a “Big Bald Wolf” chant and Corbin left the ring. Corbin will face Moss this Sunday at WrestleMania Backlash.

Gunther Dominated

Drew Gulak faced Gunther tonight on SmackDown. Ludwig Kaiser introduced Gunther and was ringside for the match. Gulak did not know who his opponent was before the match. Gunther immediately took control of the match and went to work on Gulak’s shoulder. Drew tried to battle back but Gunther sent him to the canvas with a thunderous chop.

Gunther followed it up with another loud chop and then bounced Gulak’s face off the turnbuckle. Gunther stretched Drew out over the top turnbuckle as Ludwig cheered him on. Gunther brought Gulak into the ring and applied the Sleeper Hold before hitting a Powerbomb for the pinfall victory.

Sheamus & Ridge Holland Won The Tables Match, Butch Returned

New Day (Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston) faced Ridge Holland & Sheamus in a Tables match. Sheamus and Woods started off the match and Xavier connected with a Tornado DDT. Sheamus hit an Atomic Drop but Woods responded with a Dropkick that sent the Celtic Warrior out of the ring.

Holland attacked Woods from behind but Xavier escaped and tagged in Kofi. Kingston hit a leaping Clothesline off the top rope but Sheamus dragged him out of the ring. Woods hit Sheamus with a Crossbody and New Day posed for the crowd. New Day bashed Sheamus with a table a couple times and brought it into the ring.

Woods and Kofi set up the table before unloading some punches on Holland in the corner of the ring. New Day went for a Suplex but Sheamus got the table out of the way and the match continued. Sheamus hit a couple Clotheslines and then a Backbreaker on Kofi.

Sheamus set up a table and went for a Powerbomb but Woods broke it up. Holland charged at Woods but Xavier got out of way. Holland crashed into the steps as Kofi caught Sheamus with a Superkick. Kingston climbed to the top rope and connected with a Splash that sent both superstars through the barricade as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Sheamus hit Woods with the 10 Beats of the Bodhran as Holland did the same against the barricade. Kingston planted Ridge with SOS and sent Sheamus to the ring apron. Sheamus hit Kingston with White Noise on the ring apron. Woods caught Sheamus with a Dropkick and then battled with Ridge Holland in the ring.

Woods hit Holland with a Neckbreaker and then a boot to the face. Xavier set up a table hut Holland caught him with a headbutt. Woods responded with a Superkick and put Ridge on top of the table. Woods made his way to the top rope but Sheamus tripped him up.

Sheamus slammed Woods’ head off the turnbuckle but turned around into a Dropkick from Kofi. Kingston followed it up with a Splash and started clearing off the announce table. Kofi put Sheamus on top of the announce table as Woods started climbing. Butch made his triumphant return from under the ring and attacked Kofi. Sheamus hit Woods with a Brogue Kick and rolled him in the ring. Sheamus and Holland then Powerbombed Woods through the table for the victory. Butch attacked Xavier Woods after the match until Sheamus & Ridge pulled him away.

Lacey Evans Returned

Lacey Evans returned tonight after another vignette about her struggles. Evans then returned with a bizarre introduction. The announcer asked the crowd to show respect and applaud the returning superstar. Evans then got a great reaction, posed, and that was the segment. There wasn’t a promo, just a wave from Lacey Evans. A hype video was then shown for Raquel Rodriguez to immediately move on from the return as well.

Sami Zayn def. Shinsuke Nakamura via Count Out

Shinsuke Nakamura was interviewed backstage and vowed to get revenge on Roman Reigns. Sami Zayn told Paul Heyman that Nakamura is out for revenge. Sami vowed to handle Shinsuke Nakamura on Reigns’ behalf as long as Paul tells Reigns what is going on. Paul told Sami that the Tribal Chief respects Sami’s initiative and promised to tell Reigns about this.

Sami Zayn battled Shinsuke Nakamura tonight on SmackDown. Sami controlled the match early but Shinsuke responded with an Enziguri. Nakamura followed it up with the sliding German Suplex for a two count. Sami hit a Michinoku Driver as SmackDown went to a break.

Nakamura got Sami in an armbar when SmackDown returned. Sami escaped and rolled to the outside but Shinsuke followed him out there. Nakamura hit a boot to the face and Sami tried to hide behind the announce table. Sami caught Nakamura with a Helluva Kick and rolled back into the ring to win the match via count out.

Drew McIntyre & RK-Bro Sent A Message To The Bloodline

RAW Tag Team Champions RK-Bro made their entrance as SmackDown went to a break. Riddle acknowledged Orton as his best friend. Orton acknowledged that he took the title from McIntyre in the past and Drew acknowledged that he then took the title back. They continued to mock the Tribal Chief’s catchphrase until Roman Reigns’ theme hit.

The Bloodline got into the ring and started brawling with RK-Bro and Drew McIntyre. Roman caught Drew McIntyre with a Superman Punch and The Usos held Drew up. Reigns unloaded some punches until Riddle broke it up. Ridde hit an RKO and then Orton connected with an RKO as well. McIntyre leveled Roman Reigns with a Claymore and The Bloodline retreated to close the show. The Bloodline will battle RK-Bro & Drew McIntyre in a 6-man tag team match at WrestleMania Backlash.

Owen Hart Tournament Brackets Finalized (Men’s & Women’s)

Thomas Lowson
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The brackets have been finalized for the AEW Owen Hart Foundation Men’s and Women’s tournaments.

The final qualifying matches of both tournaments took place on this week’s AEW television (Dynamite and Rampage).

Men’s Brackets

Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Brackets (Men's)

Here are the opening round matches for the Men’s Tournament:

  • Rey Fenix vs. Kyle O’Reilly
  • Samoa Joe vs. A mystery ‘Joker’ opponent
  • Jeff Hardy vs. Darby Allin
  • Adam Cole vs. Dax Harwood

SEScoops correspondent Joey G wrote a column looking at 4 possibilities for the mystery Joker in the Owen Hart men’s tournament.

Women’s Brackets

Owen Women's Tournament Brackets

Here are the opening round matches for the Women’s Tournament:

  • Toni Storm vs. Jamie Hayter
  • Britt Baker vs. A mystery ‘Joker’ opponent
  • Riho vs. Ruby Soho
  • Red Velvet vs. Hikaru Shida

The Owen Hart Foundation Men’s tournament kicks off next week on AEW Dynamite with two first round matches. We will see Darby Allin vs. Jeff Hardy and Dax Harwood vs. Adam Cole.

Tournament competition continues throughout the month of May. The finals of both the men’s and women’s tournaments take pace at AEW Double or Nothing on May 29th.

Drew McIntyre Discusses His Frustration With WWE Creative In 2021

Andrew Ravens
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Despite being one of WWE’s top stars, Drew McIntyre dealt with frustration regarding some of his creative in 2021. 

He found himself in an odd place last year as WWE went from holding empty ThunderDome shows to right back in front of live fans. He had a hard time navigating himself through what he called not so interesting storylines. 

“It got to a point where things went off track, in my opinion a little bit,” McIntyre told New York Newsday. “And it was hard to tell, without the live fans there, if it would have been okay. Right about the time where I fought Lashley a couple of times, I was telling these interesting—or, not so interesting—Scottish stories. That period maybe was not one of my favorites. But, hey, send me a challenge and I’m going to try and pull it off.”

McIntyre stated there was a period where he felt it wasn’t working right and pointed out how he got a mixed reaction during a promo segment at Money in the Bank. 

“I would not do something that I’m convinced is not going to work, unless I’m told by the man himself [WWE chairman Vince McMahon], ‘You’re doing this,’ — which, he’s not going to do,” proclaimed McIntyre. “A lot of people would just take the paper and complain privately to people in the locker room, perhaps, or to themselves, and then, maybe down the line if they’re not with the company anymore, in interviews, rather than trying to work together with the creative writer you’re with and saying, ‘It doesn’t feel like me.’ And if you really feel strongly about it, go to the boss himself. I know a lot of people are intimidated to go to Mr. McMahon. But, in the end, he’s the boss of the company where you work.”

He said in an office if you get a promotion or have a question you would go to the manager of the office. In their world, they got to Vince McMahon who has the final say. McIntyre said that McMahon has an open door and will listen to what you think because he wants the best show possible. 

AEW Rampage Results (5/6/22) Hook & Danhausen, Owen Hart Qualifier, Toni Storm

Robert Lentini
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AEW Rampage was taped from the Chesapeake Employer’s Insurance Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. This week’s show had an early start time due to the NBA Playoffs on TNT. Riho returned to the ring and battled Yuka Sakazaki in an Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Qualifier. Britt Baker & Jamie Hayter squared off against Ruby Soho & Toni Storm. Hook was in action tonight against JD Drake.

Rampage Results

  • Ruby Soho & Toni Storm def. Britt Baker & Jamie Hayter
  • Hook def. JD Drake via submission
  • Riho def. Yuka Sakazaki to qualify for the women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament
  • Jay Lethal def. Konosuke Takeshita

Here are the takeaways from this week’s Rampage:

Ruby Soho & Toni Storm Picked Up A Win, Eddie Kingston Called In

Britt Baker & Jamie Hayter battled Toni Storm & Ruby Soho in the first match of the night. Storm and Hayter started off the match and locked up in the middle of the ring. Hayter hit a couple shoulder tackles but Toni wouldn’t go down. Storm connected with a shoulder tackle of her own and knocked Hayter to the mat.

Ruby Soho got the tag and Hayter drove her to the corner. Britt Baker tagged in and beat Soho down with several strikes to the face. Ruby rolled Baker up for a near fall and tagged in Storm. Toni beat Baker down in the corner but Britt battled back and bounced Storm’s face off the middle turnbuckle as Rampage went to a break.

When Rampage returned, Soho tagged in and hit Baker with a Pele Kick. Storm tagged in and hit Baker with a Splash. Hayter hit Storm with a big boot and then delivered a Backbreaker to Soho. Storm slammed Baker on top of Hayter and then went for Storm Zero but Britt broke it up.

Storm and Baker traded punches in the middle of the ring. Britt awkwardly took Toni down and went for Lockjaw but Toni escaped. Storm planted Baker with a German Suplex and then perched her up on the top turnbuckle. Rebel hopped on the ring apron for a distraction and Baker capitalized. Britt hit a Suerplex and the Stomp but Ruby broke up the cover. Toni Storm rolled up Britt Baker for the pinfall victory after Soho launched Hayter to the outside.

Eddie Kingston apparently called into the broadcast and spoke to Jericho on commentary. Kingston warned Jericho that he is going to make him feel the same fear that his wife felt when she saw him last week. In case you missed it, Chris Jericho shot a fireball at Eddie Kingston in a parking lot attack a couple weeks ago on Dynamite.

Danhausen Made Hook An Offer

Hook faced JD Drake tonight on Rampage. Before the match, Tony Nese challenged Danhausen to a bout next week in his hometown.

Hook and Drake circled each other before locking up. Hook got the advantage and wrestled JD to the mat. Drake grabbed the ropes to break it up and hit Hook with a chop to the chest. JD went for another chop but Hook headbutted his arm. Hook planted JD Drake with a Suplex and posed for the crowd. Hook then quickly applied the Redrum for the submission victory.

After the match, Danhausen interrupted and made his way to the ring. The crowd chanted “Hookhausen!” as Danhausen asked Hook to be in his corner for the match against Nese. Hook shoved Danhausen over and Danhausen left him a bag of chips. Hook looked at the chips but left them in the ring and exited.

Dax Harwood cut a backstage promo about his upcoming first-round matchup against Adam Cole in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament.

Riho Qualified For The Owen Hart Tournament

Riho faced Yuka Sakazaki in an Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Qualifying match. The action started off back and forth before both wrestlers locked up in the middle of the ring. Yuka sent Riho to the ropes and hit an Arm Drag. Yuka hit a Clothesline but Riho responded with a Dropkick.

Riho climbed to the top turnbuckle but Yuka sent her to the floor. Yuka hit a Cannonball off the ring apron and posed for the crowd as Rampage went to a commercial break.

When Rampage returned, Riho was back in control and connected with a Snap Dragon Suplex. Riho went for Double Knees but Yuka ducked. Riho hit a knee to the face for a near fall. Yuka hit a Uranage off the top rope for a near fall. Riho battled back and rolled up Yuka for the pinfall victory. Riho has qualified for the women’s Owen Hart Foundation tournament and will face Ruby Soho in the first round.

Scorpio Sky Will Defend The TNT Title Against Frankie Kazarian, Jungle Boy Attacked Ricky Starks

Men of the Year (Ethan Page and TNT Champion Scorpio Sky) and Dan Lambert came to the ring for a promo. Page said the mixed tag team match he agreed to is off because he didn’t want his daughter to see Sammy and Tay Conti’s public displays off affection.

Frankie Kazarian interrupted and told Ethan & Dan Lambert that he doesn’t care about them. Kazarian challenged Scorpio Sky to a match for the TNT Championship and Ethan Page noted that Frankie is dressed for a funeral because SCU is dead, dude!”. Scorpio Sky said he wants to be a fighting champion and told Dan Lambert to put the interim TNT title in his trophy case. Sky accepted Frankie’s challenge for the title match.

Jungle Boy attacked Ricky Starks on commentary ahead of their FTW Championship match on next week’s Dynamite.

Jay Lethal Picked Up A Victory, Samoa Joe & Satnam Singh

Konosuke Takeshita faced Jay Lethal in the main event of this week’s episode of Rampage. Mark Henry interviewed the competitors backstage before the match. Sonjay Dutt and Satnam Singh were with Jay Lethal for the interview and accompanied to the ring for the match.

Jay Lethal controlled the action early and did the Ric Flair strut. Konosuke battled back with some chops and did the strut as well followed by a “woo!”. Konosuke sent Jay out of the ring and hit a Crossbody. Satnam towered over Takeshita and distracted him. Lethal hit a Suicide Dive and posed with Dutt & Singh as Rampage went to the final commercial break of the night.

When Rampage returned, Lethal and Takeshita battled on the top turnbuckle. Takeshita hit a big Clothesline and went for the cover but Jay kicked out at two. Lethal went for a Figure Four but Takeshita countered into a crade for a near fall. Konosuke followed it up with a Suplex for another two count.

Jay went for Lethal Injection but Takeshita dodged it. Takeshita hit the jumping knee but Sonjay distracted the referee. Jay then connected with Lethal Injection for the pinfall victory. Lethal, Dutt, and Singh attacked after the match until Best Friends broke it.

Satnam sent Trent across the ring and grabbed Chuck Taylor by the throat. Singh slammed him to the canvas a few times but got distracted by Orange Cassidy. ROH TV Champion Samoa Joe marched down the entrance ramp with a lead pipe but security held him back to close the show.

Stu Grayson Confirms That He Is Done With AEW

Joey Galizia
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A few days ago wrestling fans had noticed that AEW star and Dark Order member Stu Grayson had his profile removed from the company’s official website, with many speculating if that meant he was officially done with his run.

Unfortunately, that seems to be the case. Grayson revealed in a new tweet that his contract expired on April 30th, and that there is no sign he will be getting re-signed. Grayson takes the opportunity to thank his AEW colleagues, which include the production and medical team, as well as his friends in the Dark Order. His full statement reads:

“Update…On April 30th my contract with AEW expired. Best of luck to everyone working for AEW, our great production and medical team and of course every man and women who steps into the ring. And to my Dark Order family, I hope the world will soon see what you are truly capable of.”

Grayson debuted for AEW back in 2019 at the promotion’s first ever pay-per-view, Double or Nothing, along with longtime tag team partner, Evil Uno. Grayson was mainly featured as a tag team wrestler, and played a pivotal part on the AEW affiliated Youtube series, Being The Elite.

Grayson was also a factor in the Dark Order and Adam Page storyline arc that saw the Hangman eventually become AEW world champion. Grayson himself never won AEW gold, but did challenge for the tag team titles on multiple occasions.

Best of luck to Grayson on his future endeavors.

Impact Wrestling Star Becomes Free Agent After Declining Contract Offer

Andrew Ravens
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Willie Mack announced today that he is now a free agent after his Impact Wrestling contract expired. He also noted that he declined their offer for him to return.

Mack is now accepting indie dates and is slated to take on Jeff Cobb at next Sunday’s New Japan Strong TV taping in Philadelphia. He wrote the following on Twitter: 

“After last night’s Impact episode I am no longer with @IMPACTWRESTLING. My contract has expired and I decided to decline their new offer. So now I’m gonna be doing my thing on the independents. Hit up [email protected] if you want to see me in ya city or town. #MackMode.”

Mack has been wrestling across the United States since 2016 including for promotions such as PWG and NWA Championship Wrestling. He worked in  Lucha Underground as The Mack where he won the Trios titles and held them for almost two years with Killshot (Swerve Strickland), Dante Fox (AR Fox), and Son of Havoc (Matt Cross) as partners.

He made his Impact debut in 2018 and continued to work there until now in addition to other indies. In April 2020, he won the X-Division Title and defended it three times before losing the title to Chris Bey at Slammiversary that year.

His final Impact match came on Thursday’s show where he teamed with Rich Swann against Bullet Club’s Jay White and Chris Bey.

NJPW Superstar Jay White Gets Married

Joey Galizia
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The Switchblade has tied the knot.

NJPW superstar Jay White was married earlier today (May 6th) to his partner, whose name we cannot confirm at this time. The new was revealed by pro-wrestling historian Ciarán on Twitter. You can see the image below.

White returned to NJPW at the promotion’s recent Wrestling Dontaku event in Japan after a lengthy run in the United States, which included stints with NJPW STRONG, IMPACT Wrestling, and AEW. He is set to challenge Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP World Heavyweight championship at the June 12th Dominion pay-per-view.

White has had an extensive rivalry with the Rainmaker, having defeated him in the G1 Climax tournament, and in a marquee grudge match at WrestleKingdom 13. Okada would get his revenge on White at the G1 Supercard pay-per-view in 2018 from the famous Madison Square Garden arena in New York, where he dethroned the Switchblade to begin another reign as world champion.

White has also played a key part in the Undisputed Elite/Bullet Club rivalry that has been brewing in AEW in the absence of Kenny Omega. Both NJPW and AEW are set to square off against one another at the Forbidden Door pay-per-view this June from Chicago.

Congrats to White and his beautiful bride.

(Special thanks to photographer Taylor Gonzales for sharing the photo)

Dana White Recalls Vince McMahon Berating Him By Text Message

Joey Galizia
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Dana White has shared a very interesting story about WWE Chairman, Vince McMahon.

The UFC President appeared on the Pivot Podcast to discuss the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak, and how the president at the time, Donald Trump, wanted to hold a conference call with all the heads of the major sports leagues in the United States to determine how they would move forward with events.

When talking about the call…White recalls feeling like everyone one of the league owners were not actually going to achieve the plan they laid out for Trump, noting that he felt only one person would actually push forward.

“So we were on the call with the President one time and I remember I was listening to everybody get on there and talk and I was like, these guys are all full of sht. None of these guys are gonna fcking roll or really wanna do what they’re saying they’re gonna do except for one and when we hung up the phone, he fcking texts me…Vince McMahon.”

That man as mentioned above was McMahon, who later texted White and berated him for not asking enough questions during the conference call. He reveals that McMahon wanted him to back him up on the call, but White remained quiet.

“Vince McMahon starts texting me and basically berating me after the call like, ‘Why didn’t you talk? Why didn’t you back up what I was saying? ‘Because I think everybody’s full of sht, that’s why, except for you. You’re definitely not full of sht Vince,’ you know? Vince is a fcking killer. Vince was putting on his events down in Florida at the time too.”

UFC and WWE both kept events going during the height of the pandemic. WWE specifically were able to run shows from their Performance Center before later landing a deal to launch the ThunderDome at the Amway Center, and later Tropicana Field.

(Quotes via Post Wrestling)

Bianca Belair: “Never Imagined Myself Being WWE Superstar”

Rayan Sayyed
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Bianca Belair became the WWE Raw Women’s Champion by defeating Becky Lynch at WWE WrestleMania 38 event in Dallas, Texas on April 2.

“The EST of WWE” also made history by becoming the second African-American star after The Rock to win a Royal Rumble Match. She also won the SmackDown Women’s Championship in WrestleMania 37, becoming the first woman to successfully challenge for both titles in consecutive WrestleManias.

Even though Belair has created history in her young career so far, she didn’t plan to be a WWE superstar. In fact, she didn’t even imagine she would ever be one.

In a recent interview with NBC Sports, Belair spoke about being an athlete and transitioning to wrestling for WWE. She said that the biggest transition for her was starting from scratch. She has a lot of experience with different sports, from gymnastics, tumbling, track and field, cheerleading, basketball, and soccer. Belair was an all-American hurdler too.

Belair was able to use something from each sport with every new sport she’s ever done. It wasn’t the same with WWE.

“With every sport that I’ve done — even CrossFit and powerlifting — I’ve been able to pull something from each sport (I did before). But with WWE, I walked in not really knowing anything. I didn’t really grow up watching wrestling. I watched when my brother watched it. I never imagined myself being a WWE superstar. So it was really starting from scratch. The athletic and physical part of it came to me very easily and quickly, but it was the performing part of WWE (that was more challenging),” Belair said.

She continued, “You know, it’s sports entertainment, so you get the best of both worlds. It’s like watching your favorite action-packed, superhero soap opera mixed with an NFL football game. So, for me the most challenging part was just the performance part and learning how to — not just compete — but perform at the same time.”

Belair said that wrestling is the most demanding sport she’s ever done: “It’s very, very demanding physically, probably more demanding than almost any sport that I did. I’m in the gym usually Tuesday through Friday doing cardio training, CrossFit-type of training. And then Saturday through Tuesday is when I’m traveling and having wrestling matches inside the ring. But on those traveling days, I’m still in the gym at eight o’clock in the morning. Then I’m at the show, having a wrestling match at eight o’clock at night, and then I’m driving to the next show until about 2am. And then I’m doing it all over again the next day. So it’s a grind, not just mentally, but physically as well.”

Bianca Belair also spoke about women main-eventing WWE. According to her, not only is seeing women in the limelight important for young girls, but it’s even more important for boys to see.

WarnerMedia-Discovery Merger Unlikely To Affect AEW (Report)

Rayan Sayyed
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WarnerMedia and Discovery completed their merger on April 8 as Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.

There was speculation that this could affect All Elite Wrestling programming as the company may not carry wrestling content as part of its repertoire.

This speculation stemmed from a recent announcement that TBS and TNT will no longer develop new scripted content to cut costs.

Earlier reports suggested that it all depends on how the company views AEW since it is going after major sports leagues. If the company sees the wrestling promotion as a sports property, chances are it will be unaffected.

A new report from Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter says that according to a key executive from WarnerMedia, “it would take someone who just hates wrestling” for AEW to be no longer part of WarnerMedia.

The report says (as transcribed by WrestlePurists): “Regarding AEW’s status, this is basically from a key executive in WarnerMedia, the feeling is as far as AEW not being canceled, which was and still is a very low percentage chance of happening due to the ratings. It would take someone who just hates wrestling for that to happen.”

Dynamite performs well when it comes to ratings, and is inexpensive to run. The show performs better than other TBS and TNT programming, except for NBA.

Before the merger took place, AEW’s new reality series was already greenlit which will premiere later this year.

AEW’s TV deal with WarnerMedia will expire at the end of 2023. There’s no information about the contract’s future after that, but it wouldn’t be too surprising if AEW continues to be a mainstay in the company.

Athena (Ember Moon) Open To Talks With AEW, IMPACT, & Stardom

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Athena, formerly known as Ember Moon in WWE, isn’t limiting her options.

Back in Nov. 2021, Athena was released from her WWE contract. She was part of a wave of talent cuts that included Keith Lee, Nia Jax, Karrion Kross, Scarlett Bordeaux, and more.

Now that a few months have passed, the former Ember Moon is free to sign with another promotion.

Athena Sends Messages To Promoters

If there’s one thing Athena wants to make clear, it’s that she isn’t opposed to truly testing the market.

She took to Virtual M&G/Asylum Wrestling Store and said she’s ready for the call from AEW, IMPACT, and Stardom (h/t DraVen).

“If I knew [I would be going to AEW], I wouldn’t tell you.

“If they came a ringing, if IMPACT came a ringing, heck, if STARDOM came a ringing, I would answer the phone and I would be there in a heartbeat.”

Current AEW Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa expressed her desire in facing Athena back in 2021.

Earlier this year, Athena and reigning TBS Champion Jade Cargill traded barbs on social media, leading many to believe that eventually, the two would clash in the ring.

WWE Plans to Expand & Improve Performance Centers

Thomas Lowson
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WWE has plans to increase the size of its Performance Centers, according to company President Nick Khan.

The Orlando Performance Center opened its doors in 2013 and serves as WWE’s state-of-the-art facility that offers in-ring training, promo classes as well as gym facilities.

In 2020, the Center became the home of WWE NXT which had previously been filmed at Full Sail University.

It was briefly called the ‘Capitol Wrestling Center’ a reference to the Capitol Wrestling Corporation that was run by Vincent J. McMahon, but that name was dropped with the launch of NXT 2.0.

WWE also has a Performance Center in the UK located in Enfield, London, England.

Expand & Improve

During this week’s Q1 2022 financial call to investors, WWE President Nick Khan told those on the call that they’re looking at “expanding and improving on” the Performance Centers.

The comment about ‘global expansion’ is in reference to WWE trying to set up NXT brands across the world, with NXT Japan being one of the ideas floated around.

In 2020, Dave Meltzer reported that the plans for NXT Japan were “dead in the water.”

WWE also plans on launching a Performance Center in India in 2022 as part of the NXT India brand but little has been confirmed about the show.

AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door Tickets Sell Out Within Minutes

Rayan Sayyed
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AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door is a supershow that All Elite Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling will present together next month. Fans have been waiting for the two promotions to collaborate ever since AEW launched three years ago.

On Thursday, pre-sale tickets went live for purchase which saw 11,000 tickets sold under 40 minutes. The remaining 3,000 tickets available for sale today sold out almost instantly.

20,000 people were in the cue when the 11,000 pre-sale tickets went live. A limited amount of tickets, which we now know were 3,000 in number, went for sale and sold out today. This means that Forbidden Door will at least have 14,000 fans in attendance.

AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door will take place at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois on June 26. The event will be available live on PPV, the B/R app, and FITE.

During the April 20 episode of Dynamite, Tony Khan and NJPW President Takami Ohbari announced the event together.

READ MORE: AEWxNJPW Forbidden Door: What The Card Could Look Like

Ohbari even said that he isn’t opposed to having a second crossover event with AEW like Forbidden Door in Japan.

Since Japan is now open to international workers and is even hinting at opening its borders to tourists, Ohbari said that there is potential for another event like Forbidden Door to take place in Japan.

“Traveling between Japan and the U.S. is no longer a significant problem,” Ohbari said. “If Japanese fans are invested in this event and the demand is there, then there will absolutely be the impetus for us to take the next step of holding an event in Japan.”

Malcolm Bivens’ WWE Release Blindsided NXT Creative (Report)

Jon Fuentes
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The WWE release of Malcolm Bivens reportedly took NXT creative by surprise.

As we’ve noted, Bivens was let go from the company late last month as part of several names that were also handed their walking papers. Other names released included; Dakota Kai, Malcolm Bivens, Dexter Lumis, Harland, Blair Baldwin, Draco Anthony, Mila Malani, Persia Pirotta, Sanjana George, and Raelyn Divine.

According to a report from Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the NXT creative team was caught off guard by Bivens being amongst the names that were cut. Bivens was in the midst of a storyline with his Diamond Mine stable, who had some tension with Roderick Strong.

NXT creative was working on ways to further the angle upon Bivens’ release. Bivens broke into the professional wrestling industry back in 2014 for Ring Of Honor (ROH). He worked the independent circuit for the next several years, including appearances for EVOLVE, and Major League Wrestling (MLW).

Bivens addressed his WWE exit during a recent comedy show (via POST Wrestling):

“All right, so here’s the truth: There’s a lot of rumors, a lot of speculation. Was I offered a contract in February? Yes. Did I say no to said contract? Yes. Was I offered to be with Omos? No. No one said a word to me about managing Omos. Was I told about the main roster? Yes, and people, they think I’m crazy. Like, ‘Malcolm, you threw away millions potentially, you walked away.’ Yeah, I did, because I didn’t wanna do it anymore and unfortunately, I wasn’t happy.“

In 2019, Bivens inked a WWE deal and joined the Performance Center before making his NXT TV debut soon after. Now, it will be interesting to see where Bivens lands next after departing from the company. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more about what Bivens plans to do next.

W. Morrissey Impressed WWE With His AEW Dynamite Performance

Joey Galizia
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Apparently WWE was very impressed with W. Morrissey’s performance on last Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite.

The IMPACT star took on top AEW prospect Wardlow in singles-action as a favor to Wardlow’s current rival, MJF. The two behemoths had a competitive encounter, with Morrissey dominating most of the action early, but would eventually fall victim to a Wardlow powerbomb.

According to Andrew Zarian from the Mat Men podcast, Morrissey caught the eye of his former employer WWE was curious to know when Morrissey’s contract will come to an end with IMPACT, adding that there was no guarantee that they would take him back, but that there was interest.

Morrissey joined WWE in 2011 and joined Florida Championship Wrestling, the company’s former developmental territory. He was paired with Enzo Amore in NXT and the duo eventually made it to the main roster.

Morrissey battled his demons during his run with WWE and was eventually released in 2018.

He signed with IMPACT back in 2021 and wrestled his first matchup at Rebellion 2021.

Morrissey has publicly detailed his battle with substance abuse, depression, and attitude issues in the past, but has done a great job at rebuilding his personal brand, which includes getting into tremendous shape.

Moose Reveals What Kept Him From Signing with WWE

Thomas Lowson
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Former Impact World Champion Moose says he was incredibly close to signing with WWE last year. His previous contract with Impact was set to expire in June 2021. At the time, it was rumored that WWE was interested in his services.

During a recent interview with Fightful, Moose reveals that he was extremely close to jumping ship.

“I was pretty much about to walk into WWE,” he said. “I was literally gone. The last talk I had with Scott D’Amore really showed me how much they wanted me. I talked to my wife about it. I was like, ‘You know what? I still have a lot of things I haven’t accomplished at Impact. So leaving to go to WWE right now would not be fair to myself and not fair to Scott.”

Moose on Impact Morale

Moose compared his current deal with Impact to the one he joined the company with in 2016.

“I’ve been there since when people weren’t getting paid. I remember my first contract I signed with Impact under the Dixie Carter era. I got paid when I first signed and I didn’t see another paycheck until like four or five months later.

“Scott taking over has really turned the locker room and turned Impact around. He’s made it an actual company people want to come work for.”

In addition to being a former Impact World Champion, Moose is a former TNA World Heavyweight Champion and two-time Impact Grand Champion.

WWE Never Planned For Tag Team Title Unification At WrestleMania Backlash (Report)

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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WWE reportedly never had plans for a tag team title unification match at WrestleMania Backlash.

When The Usos first started their feud with RK-Bro, it was centered around trying to unify the Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Championships. Roman Reigns specifically gave Jimmy and Jey an order to lay claim to the Raw tag team gold.

While the stage was set for The Usos vs. RK-Bro at WrestleMania Backlash, Reigns interrupted the contract signing. Randy Orton and Riddle were ambushed, and the contract was destroyed. Drew McIntyre then hit the ring and sent Reigns packing with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex.

Now, it’ll be a non-title six-man tag team match. The Bloodline will take on McIntyre and RK-Bro.

Title Unification Never In The Cards

  • Tag Title Unification

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that WWE never had the intent of booking a tag team title unification match. Simply put, WWE didn’t have a challenger lined up for Reigns at the WrestleMania Backlash event.

It had been reported previously that WWE didn’t want to rush a Reigns vs. McIntyre program.

WrestleMania Backlash will take place inside the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island on May 8. Here is what the lineup looks like just a couple of days away from the event:

  • The Bloodline vs. Drew McIntyre & RK-Bro
  • WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship: Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey (“I Quit” Match)
  • Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins
  • Edge vs. AJ Styles
  • Bobby Lashley vs. Omos
  • Happy Corbin vs. Madcap Moss

Candice LeRae is a Free Agent After WWE Contract Expires

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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0

Candice LeRae is a free agent after her WWE contract expired, as first reported by Fightful.

LeRae’s husband, Johnny Gargano, also left the company when his deal expired in late 2021. He has been free to sign elsewhere for months but hasn’t done so as he’s been more focused on being a father. LaRae gave birth to the child back in February.

Candice LeRae’s WWE Run

During her time with WWE, Candice LeRae performed under the NXT brand. She captured the NXT Tag Team Championship with Indi Hartwell.

LeRae made her NXT TV debut back in May 2017. She was unsuccessful in a battle royale to determine the number one contender for the NXT Women’s Championship, which was held by Asuka.

She then competed in the Mae Young Classic just two months later. At that point, she hadn’t signed a contract with WWE. LaRae put pen to paper for Vince McMahon’s empire in Jan. 2018.

Eventually, Candice became a part of The Way. The faction featured LeRae, Gargano, Hartwell, and Austin Theory. With LeRae’s pregnancy, Gargano’s WWE departure, and Theory’s callup to the main roster, the stable disbanded.

SEScoops will keep you posted on the future of LeRae and Gargano as that information becomes available.

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