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Details on WWE’s Involvement in Vice TV’s New Wrestling Project

Michael Reichlin
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We have some new information about Vice TV’s new wrestling series.

Dark Side of the Ring is on hold after three controversial seasons. Despite its popularity, the show was considered toxic due to the negative attention it generated, as well as questionable editing that had participants such as Jim Ross swearing off future involvement.

During the planning stages of a fourth season of Dark Side, several legends who were contacted passed on doing on-camera work. Understandably, the explosive Plane Ride From Hell episode is seen as a turning point for the show.

Vice understands the need to go in a different direction. Dark Side creators Evan Husney and Jason Eisener are involved with the new project, which will have a much softer, “sanitized” tone.

According to a source involved with production, the format of the new show has been described as “campfire talks” about the old days of wrestling.

We’ve heard the network is discussing a mid-September premiere.

WWE Involvement

Unlike Dark Side of the Ring, WWE will be heavily involved with the new series. Vice will have access to the company’s vast archives, as well as WWE-contracted talent.

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin recently participated in filming that’s underway in Los Angeles. Additional WWE legends are scheduled to film in the weeks ahead.

WWE has a lucrative relationship with A&E, a company that has an ownership stake in Vice. Expect to see a show that resembles WWE’s “softball” programming on A&E, instead of the exposé format of Dark Side that explored some of wrestling’s most disturbing urban legends.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGgYahBuZi4

Kane Praises Vince McMahon For Perfecting PPV Model

Jon Fuentes
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WWE Hall Of Famer Kane praises Vince McMahon for perfecting the pay-per-view (PPV) model.

Kane was recently a guest on the Honest Offense podcast and praised his longtime boss for his impact on the business. “The Big Red Machine” noted, while McMahon didn’t invent the PPV model, he certainly perfected it.

“You look at pay-per-view, if you go to www.payperview.com, you get redirected to WWE. Vince did not invent pay-per-view, but you can make an argument that he was the guy that perfected it.

“He was ahead of the curve there. We had a huge presence on the internet in 1995, before anyone really knew what the internet was. We were doing chat rooms and all sorts of stuff.

“Then, you look at the app that came out, which was kind of not great, but he recognized before a lot of people did that folks were migrating away from their TV and to their computer and now they are migrating from their computer to a handheld device.

“When the app came out, we were like, ‘we’re behind the curve.’ The reason for that was, they were thinking about WWE Network, which originally was going to be a cable network, and then he decided ‘we’re going put it online, move all the pay-per-views to a monthly subscription,’ we all thought he was crazy for that because pay-per-view made up half the companies revenue.

“He was completely changing the business model. I remember, the stock sunk, ‘Vince McMahon is an idiot,’ people were talking about suing. Now, the company is making more money than ever.

“Vince is not a huge technophile, I don’t even know if he can login to his own email, but he doesn’t have to. All he has to do is see where the trends are going and he gets ahead of them, everyone thinks he’s crazy, sure enough, he’s making all the money.

“That’s his true brilliance. He can figure out where entertainment, technology, and delivery is going and he ends up getting there first. It’s like he has a weird ESP about it.“

Kane has worked alongside McMahon since 1995 when he signed with WWE. He was ushered into the company in one of the biggest storylines of all time, portraying the Kane character in 1997, who was introduced as The Undertaker’s brother.

The rest, as they say, was history. Kane is a two-time World Champion in WWE, a two-time Intercontinental Champion, and an 11-time Tag Team Champion with partners such as The Undertaker, Daniel Bryan, X-Pac, and more.

Now, Kane, real name Glenn Jacobs, is in the political ring, currently serving as the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee.

Quotes via Fightful

WWE Superstar’s Character Change Made Official

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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It had long been speculated and reported but one WWE superstar’s gimmick change is now official.

WWE certainly isn’t shy when it comes to shaking things up with characters. We’ve seen it quite often for talent who have been called up to the main roster from the NXT brand.

Sometimes, a main roster callup isn’t even necessary like in this case.

Fabian Aichner’s Gimmick Change Official

It had been reported that Fabian Aichner would be transitioning to the Giovanni Vinci character on the NXT brand.

WWE made things official on the June 7 episode of NXT 2.0.

It’s a total change from the role he played as a member of The Imperium. Aichner split from the group before Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser made their SmackDown debuts.

In a vignette aired this week, it was revealed that the Giovanni Vinci character will be debuting on the June 14 episode of NXT.

Kenny Omega Undergoing Plasma Treatment on Shoulder & Knee (Video)

Jon Fuentes
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Kenny Omega is undergoing special treatment on his shoulder and knee as he continues his road to recovery.

The LifeMed institute in Lutherville-Timonium, Maryland shared a video on their Instagram showing Omega take part in Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) on his shoulder and knee.

The treatment is described as an amazing alternative to surgery and pain medication with very little down time. PRP utilizes the body’s plasma to stimulate growth cells to help repair damage.

You can check out the LifeMed institute’s video featuring Omega here:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ceg9gEUF4Pp/

Kenny Omega hasn’t appeared on All Elite Wrestling (AEW) TV since the Dynamite after Full Gear. He just dropped the AEW World Title to Hangman Page. He then informed The Young Bucks and Adam Cole of The Elite that he’d be taking time off, asking them to “hold down the fort.”

In his absence the title has found itself in an interesting position. CM Punk recently topped Page at Double Or Nothing to take the World Title. However, he suffered an injury that will force him to be sidelined for some time.

Now, an interim champion will need to be crowned in Punk’s absence. We’ll keep you updated as more information becomes available on Omega’s return.

Kenny Omega Update: Injury, Surgery & Return

First “Black Adam” Trailer Released starring The Rock

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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The Rock is laying the SmackDown as “Black Adam.”

The big DC film has a brand new trailer and “The Great One” got to unveil it on social media. “Black Adam” is set to be released in movie theaters on Oct. 21, 2022.

The Rock stars in the film and he will be joined by the likes of Aldis Hodge, Noah Centineo, and Sarah Shahi to name a few. He’s also helping produce the movie along with his ex-wife Dany Garcia.

“The world needed a hero. It got BLACK ADAM.”

In a new tweet, The Rock shared his excitement with the trailer finally dropping:

Dwayne Johnson has been a busy man in the world of Hollywood but it goes beyond that. He and Garcia are set to relaunch the XFL, an American football league that was once owned by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.

Lots of speculation has been swirling that “The People’s Champion” might want to take time off from his movie schedule to heavily promote the XFL in early 2023.

That could leave the door open for a WrestleMania 39 match but again, it’s all speculation at this time.

Recently, the XFL scored TV deals with ABC, ESPN, and FX.

Randy Orton Lookalike Makes WWE Debut

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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One WWE prospect has many thinking Randy Orton stepped into a time machine.

Randy Orton has become a legend in the wrestling business. He is a surefire WWE Hall of Famer once he decides to call it a career.

Much like Edge and Chris Jericho, Orton is one of the best at adapting as time goes along. No matter what year it is, Orton always remains a top-level performer.

With that said, there’s a new WWE talent who pretty much looks like a 2004 version of Orton.

David Bostian 1

His name is David Bostian and he recently made his in-ring debut for WWE.

Bostian performed at the June 7 taping for this week’s NXT Level Up episode, which will air this Friday. Bostian went by the name, “Myles Borne” and he took on Guru Raaj.

Time will tell if Bostian can develop quick enough for WWE’s liking.

There is reportedly a new edict where if NXT talents aren’t improving enough within a six-month window, they will be released.

The company is already expected to have a new wave of talent releases in the near future.

Damien Priest Eyeing NXT Star to Join Judgment Day

Michael Reichlin
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WWE’s Judgment Day faction underwent a significant shakeup this week. At the conclusion of Monday’s Raw, we saw Finn Balor align himself with Edge, Damien Priest and Rhea Ripley. Balor is a strong addition, but they would not remain a foursome for long.

Within moments, Balor, Priest and Ripley turned on Edge and kicked him out of the group he founded. It was a swerve that fans, nor Edge, saw coming.

Damien Priest spoke with TV Insider this week about the rise of Judgment Day, how he’s changed since joining and an NXT star he could see joining their ranks.

Coming into His Own

Damien Priest has enjoyed success in WWE, including in NXT and on the main roster. However, he feels that he’s now doing his best work and can truly realize his potential.

“The best stories are when they come from reality,” said Priest. “I was frustrated. I was doing what I was asked to do. I was this overly babyface good guy coming out smiling, happy, saying all the right things. It just didn’t click. I was doing everything everyone wanted me to do.”

Fans would cheer him whenever he was helping out WWE’s top babyface wrestlers, but that wasn’t satisfying him. Judgment Day has given him the opportunity to embrace his darker side and express himself creatively.

“I’m more comfortable now than I’ve been since joining the Raw roster.”

– Damien Priest on his role in Judgment Day

Priest was the first Superstar to embrace Edge’s dark vision. Rhea Ripley and Finn Balor would soon follow. Edge no longer fit the group’s direction, but Priest sees one NXT star in particular who would.

“If I had to pick anyone from NXT, the first person I would pick is Santos [Escobar]. I’ve always been a fan of his stuff. Just carries himself so well. Great in the ring, well-spoken. When you look at him, the guy doesn’t look like a random person. He looks like a star.”

Santos Escobar is a second-generation luchador and a former NXT Cruiserweight champion. He currently leads the Legado Del Fantasma faction. Prior to joining WWE he competed as King Cuerno in Lucha Underground.

Visit TV Insider to read their full interview with Damien Priest.

WWE Expected to Release More Talent Soon

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Some more WWE talent will be on the chopping block in the near future.

WWE has been known for its wave of superstar releases. These days, the company almost always cites budget cuts as the reason.

It’s led many to believe that WWE President Nick Khan is propping up the company for a potential sale.

Main roster talent certainly isn’t an exception. We’ve seen a slew of significant names such as Bray Wyatt receive walking papers.

With WWE’s new reported edict, however, NXT talent is constantly walking on eggshells.

Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer was the first to report that WWE’s new edict is that if certain NXT talents don’t show noticeable improvement in six months, they will be released.

In a new report, Bryan said that while he doesn’t have all the details, more NXT releases are expected to take place soon.

The way Bryan described it was that NXT 2.0 won’t be getting canceled but certain people definitely will.

The last wave of NXT cuts happened back in April. In total, 10 stars on the developmental brand were released. Among those names were Dakota Kai and Malcolm Bivens.

Cody Rhodes Shares Photos of the Bruising Progression of his Torn Pectoral

Thomas Lowson
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WWE Raw Superstar Cody Rhodes has kept fans informed about his torn pectoral muscle which will require surgery.

Hours before last weekend’s WWE Hell in a Cell 2022 Premium Live Event, Rhodes tore the muscle off the bone during a training session.

Despite the injury, Rhodes fought through the pain to compete at the show, defeating Seth Rollins in the main event.

WWE allowed Cody to wrestle despite his injury, believing he could not do more damage to the torn muscle.

Rhodes has taken to Instagram stories to share several photos of the bruising progression of the injury prior to Hell in a Cell.

cody story
cody story 1
cody story 2
cody story 3
cody story 4
cody story 5

The Road to Recovery

After defeating Rollins in a match that WWE was “thrilled” with, Rhodes was attacked by the former Universal Champion on this week’s Raw.

It was initially reported that an injury like the one Cody suffered could take six months to a year to recover from.

Cody is expected to make a full recovery if the surgery on his pectoral goes well.

Former WWE medic Dr. Chao has said that Cody should be healed up within four to six months, and could even do some stuff within just over three months if it was carefully scripted.

Rhodes’ injury has forced WWE to change plans given that he was being established as the top babyface in the company.

On Raw, “The American Nightmare” expressed a desire to compete at Money in the Bank on July 2, but that seems highly unlikely now.

John Cena Flies to the Netherlands to Meet Ukrainian Superfan Fleeing Invasion

Thomas Lowson
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John Cena has proven why he is considered one of the all-time greats by going the (literal) extra mile to meet with a fan.

The 16-time WWE World Champion and Hollywood actor traveled to the Netherlands to meet 19-year-old fan Misha Rohozhyn who fled Mariupol in March due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Misha, who has Down Syndrome and is non-verbal was encouraged by his mother to keep going, promising that Cena would be there to greet them when they were safe.

After seeing the family’s story in the Wall Street Journal, Cena made the trip to keep the mother’s promise.

“When I read about Misha’s story it reached out to me – not just Misha‘s story but his mom’s as well.”

John Cena to the Wall Street Journal.

Cena met with Misha and his family in Amsterdam and presented the young fan with a championship, t-shirt, and hat.

The Peacemaker star compared muscles with Misha and thanked the superfan for giving him strength before sharing one of several embraces.

 “I think Misha’s a great example and Misha’s mom, there’s two great examples about how persistence can lead to joy, even through the toughest of times.”

John Cena.

WWE’s camera crew was on hand to catch the heartfelt meet-up.

Return to the ring

Cena has been confirmed for the June 27, 2022 Raw, which will mark 20 years since his debut on WWE’s main roster.

WWE hasn’t confirmed what Cena will do on the show, though a Summerslam match with United States Champion Theory has been teased on social media.

Thanks to Metro UK for the transcription.

WWE NXT 2.0 Results (6/7): Women’s Breakout Tournament Finals, Apollo Crews Appears

Andrew Ravens
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The June 7, 2022 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center. 

WWE NXT Results 

  •  

Josh Briggs (w/Brooks Jensen & Fallon Henley) def. Von Wagner (w/ Mr. Stone & Sofia Cromwell).

Roxanne Perez def. Tiffany Stratton to win Women’s Breakout Tournament

Nathan Frazer def. Santos Escobar.

Alba Fyre def. Tatum Paxley.

Apollo Crews & Solo Sikoa def. Carmelo Hayes & Grayson Waller.

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Roxanne Perez vs. Tiffany Stratton 

0NXT 1

Roxanne Perez vs. Tiffany Stratton in the NXT Women’s Breakout Tournament finals took place with the winner receiving a contract for a future NXT Women’s Championship shot.

Perez defeated Kiana James in the first round of the tournament and Lash Legend in the semifinals while Stratton was a late addition to the tournament as she replaced Nikkita Lyons in the semifinals because of Lyons being out of action with an injury. Stratton defeated Fallon Henley to advance to the finals.

The match took place in the middle of the show and was back and forth. Tiffany botched a moonsault and Perez hit a sunset flip powerbomb for the win. 

Post-match, Toxic Attraction came out. Mandy Rose said that Perez needs to enjoy this moment and it’s all downhill from here. She said that Perez will fail if she challenges her. Rose talked trash about Cora Jade and a brawl broke out. Indie Hartwell came out to even the odds and the babyfaces stood tall.

Josh Briggs vs. Von Wagner

1 nxt

Josh Briggs vs. Von Wagner in a singles match took place. 

This match was set up when Wagner caused a distraction that allowed Grayson Waller to defeat Briggs in a singles match last week. Post-match, Wagner attacked Briggs, but was eventually called off by Sofia Cromwell.

This was the first match of the night. Briggs went over after taking Brooks Jensen’s cast and hitting Wagner in the face before hitting a clothesline. 

Tatum Paxley vs. Alba Fyre

2 nxt

Tatum Paxley vs. Alba Fyre was booked. The match 

At Saturday’s In Your House, there was a video package shown about Fyre. Backstage, Lash Legend didn’t seem impressed by Fyre and didn’t want to face her. However, Paxley disagreed and said that she would be the one to step up and challenge Fyre.

Fyre went over with a swantom bomb off the top rope for the win. Post-match, Lash Legend laid out Fyre. 

What’s Next For Bron? 

04NXT

WWE NXT Champion Bron Breakker retained the title over Joe Gacy at Saturday’s In Your House special. So what was next for him on this show? 

Breakker said Gacy was a tough challenge, but no matter what he did to test him, Gacy wasn’t going to take the title from him. He said NXT is special. He said everyone wants a shot at the title and the question is who is going to step up. Apollo Crews came out. Crews said he’s here for as long as he wants to be. He said Bron is one of the best athletes in all of WWE and he loves NXT. He said he left NXT way too soon and he wants to accomplish those things. He’s back to change history and to make it by becoming NXT Champion. Crews said he would see him down the road. They shook hands. 

In the main event, Apollo teamed with Solo Sikoa to take on Cameron Grimes and Grayson Waller.

WWE Raw Superstar Returns to NXT

Andrew Ravens
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Apollo Crews is back in WWE NXT for now. 

Bron Breakker appeared on tonight’s NXT 2.0 after successfully defending the NXT Championship at In Your House this past Saturday night over Joe Gacy. Breakker cut a promo about it before asking who is next to challenge him for the title. Answering the call was the Raw star. 

Crews thanked the crowd for their warm welcome and put over Breakker for his rise in NXT. He said they’ll cross paths for the title soon, but until then, Crews will see him around.

Crews also noted that left NXT way too soon in his first stint and left many goals unaccomplished. He plans to change history by becoming NXT Champion. 

Crews spent several years on the NXT brand before being called up to the main roster in 2016. In 2021, he went to a ‘Nigerian Royalty’ character that kicked off his reign as Intercontinental Champion, but he eventually lost the title this past August. 

Last October, he was moved from SmackDown to Monday Night Raw as a part of the WWE Draft. Crews had been paired with Commander Azeez. 

Crews previously stated he would love an NXT return and felt his first run was cut short. Now, that wish has been granted. 

Edge Wasn’t Happy With The Judgment Day Change (Report)

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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It appears Edge was none too pleased with the direction of The Judgment Day.

The seeds had been planted for a new faction led by Edge at WrestleMania 38. Damian Priest cost AJ Styles his match against Edge after interfering.

Eventually, Edge added Rhea Ripley to the group. Finn Balor ended up joining as well on the June 6 episode of WWE Raw but The Judgment Day turned on Edge and took him out of commission.

Edge Opposed Change in Direction

Fightful is reporting that WWE began to go in the direction of turning the faction into something “supernatural.” It’s been said that Edge did not like this idea at all.

WWE ultimately decided to go in this direction shortly before this week’s Raw went on the air.

The report also noted that there were discussions to turn Finn Balor heel before Hell in a Cell. At that point, there hadn’t been any mention of The Judgment Day turning on Edge.

Edge will be a babyface going forward according to PWInsider.

CM Punk Reveals Tony Khan’s Initial Reaction to his Foot Injury

Andrew Ravens
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CM Punk provided additional comments about his injury during the latest AEW Road To video that was done to promote Wednesday’s Dynamite from Kansas City.

The AEW World Heavyweight Champion announced on last Friday’s AEW Rampage that he suffered an injury, and will be out of action for some time as he recovers from surgery.

Punk stated that although he offered to give up the title, AEW President Tony Khan nixed that idea. 

“I probably wasn’t as clear as I should have been. I offered to relinquish the title, but Tony told me that under no circumstances was I allowed to do that.”

He added, “It means a lot to me that this place as a whole believes in me enough to let me just go get fixed.” 

There’s still no word yet on exactly when Punk will be getting surgery, but it will be very soon, possibly as soon as this week.

Crowning an Interim AEW World Champion

Interim AEW World Champion

Tony Schiavone talked about how it impacts not only Punk but also the promotion as he is one of their biggest stars. 

“The injury to CM Punk was horrible not only because it took him out of action, but of course what it did to us in AEW because he’s one of the biggest stars in pro wrestling in the world.”

Punk will not be relinquishing the title. Instead, an Interim World Champion will be crowned at the June 26th AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door PPV event. An Eliminator Series was created by Khan that will see battle royal be held at the top of Dynamite this week. In the main event of this same show, the winner will take on Jon Moxley.

The winner of the AEW side of the tournament will face the winner of the NJPW Dominion match this Sunday between Hiroshi Tanahashi and Hirooki Goto in the finals at Forbidden Door. 

Schiavone praised Khan for coming up with this tournament so quickly and it makes the matches happening on Wednesday’s Dynamite that more special as it’s part of history. 

Watch CM Punk’s comments on AEW Road to KC:

The Truth Behind William Regal’s Arrest

Andrew Ravens
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William Regal has opened up on a situation during a plane flight in 1997 that resulted in him being arrested. This was at a time when he was working for WCW and was battling addictions to drugs and alcohol. The flight was from Tokyo, Japan to Detroit Michigan.

During the latest episode of his “Gentleman Villain,” Regal described the incident. He noted that the story has been blown out of proportion to what actually happened. 

Regal admitted he took some pills before everything happened. He went to the toilet and there was a concertina door so he stood there and his foot was stopping the door from shutting.

“I hadn’t locked the door. A stewardess came behind me and said, ‘Excuse me, sir.’ I turned around and nothing funny or clever about it, I peed on the lady’s foot. They landed the plane and I woke up in a jail cell in Alaska. I wasn’t the only person on that plane. I wasn’t the reason that they landed that plane.”

Regal continued, “There was a paparazzi guy in the back who flipped out and started punching people. That was the reason they landed that and they just threw me off. I’m not going to incriminate anyone, but they threw a couple of other wrestlers off because they were doing things as well. They were like me. They won’t have any idea what they were doing. But I do know what they were doing because WCW investigated this and I found out what they were doing. They got away with it. I didn’t. Soon as this went to court, this lady said, ‘No, he wasn’t doing anything malicious. It was just a drunken incident.”

After being let go by WWE last year following 21 years with the company, he signed with AEW this past March where he has since managed The Black Pool Fight Club. 

H/T to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription

Ryback Claims WWE Tried Bringing Him Back After Cody Rhodes Injury

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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0

Former WWE superstar Ryback has a new claim regarding the company.

WWE is set to be without its top babyface on Raw for a while. Cody Rhodes has suffered a complete tear of his right pectoral muscle. He ended up gutting it out and performed at Hell in a Cell despite the fact that most of his pec and arm was bruised.

Cody ended up defeating Seth Rollins but he’ll be undergoing surgery this week. The recovery period usually takes four to six months.

Ryback At It Again

In a recent post on his Twitter account, Ryback claimed he received a call from WWE regarding a potential return to the company.

“@WWE presents a sh**ty settlement and has @JohnLaurinaitis call after @CodyRhodes
gets injured. No thank you! All wrongs of the past must be made right. I’m going to win the RYBACK TM and can wrestle as RYBACK legally anyways. You know what you have to do
@VinceMcMahon.”

Ryback and WWE have been in a legal battle over name rights. It’s led to the former WWE superstar lashing out at Vince McMahon and his empire. He’s even taken personal digs at the WWE Chairman.

Despite a red hot start to the “Ryback” character in WWE, things fizzled out and the two sides parted ways back in August 2016.

WWE Superstar Demoted to Main Event Show

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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One WWE superstar is back in familiar territory and that may not be a good thing.

It’s become a running joke that those who regularly perform on the WWE Main Event show are in main roster purgatory. The show usually features either upcoming superstars beating aging veterans, or two veterans squaring off with no purpose.

For one superstar, the demotion comes right after a championship match.

Mustafa Ali Returns to Main Event

Before the June 6 episode of Monday Night Raw aired, Mustafa Ali took on T-Bar for the Main Event show taping.

Ali actually promoted the match on his Twitter account.

Ali asked for his WWE release earlier this year. His request was denied and WWE ended up bringing him back on TV months later. Ali told Corey Graves that he went public with his request because private conversations went nowhere.

He received a shot at Theory’s WWE United States Championship but was pinned clean at Hell in a Cell on June 5.

His opponent on Main Event, T-Bar, recently expressed frustration with how WWE has been using him. He has been asking for an opportunity to show what he can do.

Nick Aldis Defends Being Pulled from NWA’s Crockett Cup Tournament

Thomas Lowson
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Nick Aldis has said it was necessary for him to be pulled from the NWA Crockett Cup Tournament and put in the main event with Matt Cardona.

The fifth-annual NWA Crockett Cup event took place in March this year and the original plan was for Aldis to reunite with his British Invasion tag-team partner Doug Williams.

Instead, Williams teamed with Harry Smith while Aldis headlined the second night by challenging NWA World Heavyweight Champion Matt Cardona.

Speaking exclusively to SEScoops correspondent Ella Jay, Aldis explained the decision.

“There was no main event”

“The prevailing thought was that, while the British Invasion reunion had been well-received, the main event, in my opinion, is the most important thing on the show. There was no main event. There was no marquee match, there was no anchor to this event.

“A few weeks out, I got a phone call that said, ‘we need you back in the main event pictures.’ That’s wrestling, sometimes things have to change. I took a lot of pride in the fact that I was needed to kick that event into fifth gear. I’m glad that it worked. It’s hard to sell tickets to two shows back-to-back.”

The main event saw Cardona retain his title by disqualification, setting up a rematch between the two at NWA Alwayz Ready.

That match is now under question as Cardona has suffered a bicep injury that will require surgery.

Cardona has promised to show up to NWA Alwayz Ready which will take place on June 11.

Matt Cardona: “I Want To Have Ric Flair’s Last Match for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship”

Joey Galizia
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Matt Cardona has a dream match in mind.

The current NWA world’s champion recently spoke with Phil Strum on his Under The Ring program about a potential showdown with the Nature Boy, one that Cardona not only wants, but is willing to put the Ten Pounds of Gold on the line.

“Would it be too cheap to say that I want to have Ric Flair’s last match for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship? I mean that’s the talk of the wrestling business right now, Ric Flair having one more match.”

News broke last month that Flair, at 73, would be returning to the ring for one final matchup on July 31st in Nashville, Tennessee. His opponent has yet to be revealed. Speaking on that…Cardona states that while that bout will be great, a title match with him would be better, especially since Flair’s name is forever linked to the NWA.

“I’ve heard the rumors of what the match will be. I’m sure it’s gonna be a great match. I’m sure it’s gonna be fun for everybody. But don’t you think his last match ever should be for the Ten Pounds of Gold. You think of NWA, you think of the Ten Pounds of Gold, you think of Ric Flair, ‘The Nature Boy.”

Cardona later adds that Flair has the opportunity to become a 17-time world champion, and that because of that, their matchup is likely to sell-out an arena.

“Does he want to be a 17-time champ? If he does, I got the Ten Pounds of Gold. I could put Sweet Charlotte on the line. Think about it. ‘The Nature Boy’ Ric Flair vs. ‘Always Ready’ Matt Cardona for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship. Tell me that does not sell out an arena.”

Unfortunately for Cardona, he is currently dealing with an injury and will be out of action for up to five months. He was scheduled to face Nick Aldis for the NWA championship at the June 11th Alwayz Ready pay-per-view, but it has not been determined how the promotion will move forward due to the injury.

(Thanks to WrestleZone for the quotes)

Kairi Sane Explains her Decision to go to WWE & her Decision to Leave

Thomas Lowson
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0

Former WWE Superstar KAIRI (Kairi Sane) has opened up about joining and leaving Vince McMahon’s promotion.

KAIRI began wrestling for WWE in 2017 and captured the NXT Women’s Championship and WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships, the latter with Asuka.

In an interview with ENTAME Next, KAIRI recalled her reasons for leaving Japan and signing with WWE.

“I decided to go to WWE because I wanted to experience the top level and grow… I often traveled to the United States and Europe with Mayu (Iwatani) and Io (Shirai). When I saw how excited the audience was there, it made me want to compete overseas. I also had a fundamental sense of urgency that I could not just maintain the status quo.”

Speaking about her formative years in NXT, KAIRI said she struggled with promo class which was done entirely in English, but appreciated the language classes given twice a week to her by WWE.

In 2020, KAIRI requested to return to Japan and WWE granted her request, writing her off TV with a backstage attack by Bayley.

The former Superstar explained that a promise made upon her departure from Japan fueled her reason to return.

“When I left Japan in 2017, I promised my fans that I would go on a long journey, but that I would come back grown up. I told that to President Rossy Ogawa (now Executive Producer). In the first place, my goal was to learn first-class professional wrestling, and I didn’t really intend to live permanently in the US.”

The COVID-19 Pandemic also proved to be a pivotal point in KAIRI’s decision.

“[When the Pandemic hit] I thought, “Where am I going to go from here? I had a sense of accomplishment that I had fulfilled my promise to my best friend and that I had done everything I could in my three years with WWE, and after several consultations with WWE, I decided to leave.”

KAIRI remained with WWE, serving as an ambassador for the company in Japan until her contract expired in December 2021.

Thanks to Reddit User DamieN62 for the transcription and translation from Japanese into English.

Jeff Jarrett Claims AJ Styles Was ‘Essentially Forced Out’ of IMPACT

Jon Fuentes
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WWE Hall Of Famer Jeff Jarrett claims AJ Styles was essentially “forced out” of IMPACT Wrestling before joining WWE.

Jarrett recently took to his podcast, “My World” and touched on Styles departing from IMPACT in 2014. This was just as Jarrett was making his exit from the company towards the end of 2013.

The WWE Hall of Famer notes Styles’ money was being cut, but the promotion didn’t want to cut his dates. IMPACT also began treating Styles, one of the founding pillars of the promotion, rather harshly, essentially forcing him to make the move to leave.

“I resigned December 21, 2013. In early December is when the Carter’s put the nail in the coffin for me and Toby (Keith) to acquire majority interest. We knew it was game, set, match.

“It was not happening. I knew I had to go. I knew Dixie’s position on all of it because of the, for lack of a better word, the financial de-spiral the company was in.

“AJ’s money was getting cut. They wanted to cut AJ’s money but not dates. He said, ‘If you cut my money, I’m cutting my dates.’ It was not just AJ’s contract. It was everybody’s. He was a complete, utter mess.

“AJ was so willing to commit to the product that he was willing to re-sign. I found this out later. They said some awful things and had devalued AJ. They basically forced AJ against his will to leave.

“That’s how committed AJ Styles was to the brand. He was TNA through and through. He had to be essentially forced out.”

Styles had been with IMPACT since 2002. Over the course of his career with the promotion, he racked up a plethora of titles and accolades, including two TNA World Heavyweight Championship runs, six X Division Title wins, and a three-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion.

After departing from IMPACT in 2014, Styles made appearances for Ring Of Honor (ROH), New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), and various independent promotions. However, in January of 2016, Styles finally made his WWE debut at the Royal Rumble.

“Road Dogg was very instrumental in bringing AJ into WWE because of his position at the time with the company.

“AJ was such a tried and true, and committed to his core. He was going to go back to IMPACT with Doc and Karl before he signed with WWE. He was that committed to the brand.”

Quotes via WrestlingNews.co

Major WWE Superstar Reportedly Turns Babyface

Jon Fuentes
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One major WWE Superstar has reportedly turned babyface after this week’s Monday Night RAW.

As seen yesterday on RAW, WWE Hall Of Famer Edge is out of The Judgement Day Faction. Finn Balor was introduced as the newest member of the group, before the trio attacked Edge and kicked him out.

Balor has seemingly been positioned as the faction’s new leader. PWInsider reports that the attack on Edge has led WWE to move Edge over to the “babyface” side of their internal roster.

This comes quite close to the announcement that Cody Rhodes, previously the top babyface on RAW, was announced to need surgery, and will be sidelined for some time. Rhodes will undergo surgery Wednesday, and his recovery time is expected to be around six months.

As for The Judgement Day, the faction of Edge, Damian Priest, and Rhea Ripley defeated Balor, AJ Styles, and Liv Morgan at the Hell In A Cell premium event over the weekend, with Balor taking the pinfall.

However, Balor joined the faction the following night, before joining Priest in attacking Edge and kicking him out of the group. To close out RAW, Rhea Ripley picked up a Fatal Four-Way win to earn the next shot at the RAW Women’s Title against Bianca Belair at Money In The Bank.

Since kicking out Edge, Balor and Priest have been taunting “The Rated-R Superstar” on social media. Edge has yet to comment on the betrayal as of this writing.

The Judgement Day started at WrestleMania 38 when Damian Priest assisted Edge in picking up a win over AJ Styles at “The Show Of Shows.”

WWE Teases New Tag Team on Monday Night Raw

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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WWE may be forming a new tag team on the Raw brand.

It’s no secret that the WWE women’s tag team division is lacking. This was evident even before Sasha Banks and Naomi made their abrupt exit from the May 16 episode of Raw.

Now that the tag titles are vacant and WWE plans to run a tournament, the lack of depth is even more prevalent.

Alexa Bliss & Liv Morgan Forming Team?

Alexa Bliss Liv Morgan

During the June 6 episode of WWE Raw, Alexa Bliss and Liv Morgan competed in a fatal four-way to determine the number one contender for Bianca Belair’s Raw Women’s Championship. Also involved in the match were Rhea Ripley and Doudrop.

Ripley ultimately won the match but fans took notice of potential team chemistry brewing between Alexa and Liv.

The two were working together quite often throughout the match and appeared to enjoy the success they were having.

Late last month, it was reported by Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer that the WWE Women’s Tag Team Title tournament was essentially “dead in the water” due to a lack of teams.

If the teamwork from Alexa and Liv is any indication, the company may be looking to add depth to the division.

Cody Rhodes Expected to Make Full Recovery if Surgery Goes Well

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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There’s some good news for fans of Cody Rhodes and WWE officials.

Cody has taken the wrestling world by storm since making his return to WWE. Rhodes left AEW back in February and served as Seth Rollins’ mystery opponent at WrestleMania 38 back in April.

Since his return to WWE, the company has treated him as a top star but “The American Nightmare” has hit a bump in the road.

Full Recovery Expected

Ahead of his Hell in a Cell match with Rollins, Cody Rhodes completely tore his pectoral tendon off the bone while training. Despite his pec and arm almost being completely bruised, Rhodes toughed it out and defeated Rollins a third time.

Cody is set to undergo surgery this week and the recovery time could be anywhere from four to six months.

Former WWE surgeon, Dr. Chao recently appeared on Busted Open Radio. During his appearance, he revealed that Cody should be able to fully recover if the surgery goes well.

“I expect a full 100% recovery. For him to get as good as he can be, it might be six months. By four months, I think it’s realistic he could do some wrestling and maybe even three months a little bit of careful scripted stuff.”

Quotes via SportsKeeda.

Toni Storm Says WWE Didn’t “Give a Sh*t” About Her Before Quitting

Thomas Lowson
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Toni Storm is speaking out about her departure from WWE, claiming that the company did not “give a sh*t” about her prior to her decision to leave.

Storm debuted for WWE in 2017 and in January 2019, won the NXT UK Women’s Championship from Rhea Ripley.

After being called up to SmackDown in 2021, Storm requested her release last December which was granted immediately.

“I’m not going to succeed here”

Toni Storm Pie Face
Toni Storm did not last long in WWE after getting called up to the main roster

Speaking on The Sessions, Storm told Renee Paquette on her thought-process the day she decided to leave.

“It wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. A lot of people don’t enjoy it at all. For some people it just works out and for others, it just makes them miserable, and I guess I just fell into that category. I guess it just wasn’t for me at that point.

Storm continued, “They don’t give a shit, so why should I? This isn’t going to work. I know what’s going to happen here. I’m just going to be sent back to catering again. I’m not going to succeed here. I can just see.”

Storm debuted for AEW in March 2022, defeating The Bunny to qualify for the Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament.

Immediately after, Tony Khan confirmed that the former Superstar was All-Elite in a tweet.

The New Zealand-born wrestler defeated Jamie Hayter in the quarter-finals but lost to eventual winner Dr. Britt Baker in the semi-finals.

Watch Toni Storm on The Sessions with Renee Paquette:

Quotes via WrestlingNews

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