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Update on Kevin Owens’ Absence From WWE

Jaychele Nicole
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There is a new update regarding Kevin Owen’s WWE absence over the last two weeks.

Owens strikingly missed the go-home episode of RAW for Money in the Bank. He was supposed to participate in a qualifying match for the Money in the Bank ladder match between him and Ezekiel.

Owens wasn’t on last week’s Raw, and now it seems like we may have to wait a bit longer for his return.

This week, a video of Owens saying it’s “in their hands right now” circulated. The video led fans to believe that he’s personally ready to return, it’s just a case of WWE making it happen.

Owens Update

Dave Meltzer, on the Sunday Night’s Main Event podcast, reported that Kevin is “fine,” but he’ll likely be back in a few more weeks.

It was previously reported that the former WWE Universal Champion had been out of action due to a minor injury.

NHL Draft Appearance

Kevin Owens recently made an appearance at the NHL Draft to surprise a high-profile fan, Bruce Boudreau, the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks.

Weekend Wrestling Results (7/8-7/10): WCPW, REVOLVER, STARDOM, TJPW, GCW & More

Jaychele Nicole
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Various wrestling promotions hosted Friday, Saturday & Sunday night shows this weekend. West Coast Pro Wrestling, On Point Wrestling, STARDOM, National Wrestling Alliance, Wrestling REVOLVER, Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling, NJPW STRONG, Pro Wrestling NOAH, Game Changer Wrestling, Revolution Pro Wrestling, and Jersey Championship Wrestling all presented events from 7/8-7/10. 

We have compiled results for the independent shows below along with ways to stream them, if possible.

7/8

West Coast Pro Wrestling

West Coast Pro Wrestling hosted its Cruel Summer event in San Fransisco, California. The event took place on July 8 at the United Irish Cultural Center. The event aired on IWTV.

WCPW Cruel Summer Results (7/8)

  • The Conglomerate (D-Rouge, Alpha Zo & Midas Kreed) def. Manders, Levi Shapiro & Michael Hopkins
  • Masha Slamovich def. Zeda Zheng
  • Vinnie Massaro def. Alan Angels
  • Nick Wayne def. ACH
  • Kevin Blackwood def. Jordan Cruz
  • Titus Alexander def. Jack Cartwheel
  • Speedball Mike Bailey def. Starboy Charlie
  • West Coast Pro Wrestling Championship: Jacob Fatu (c) def. Tom Lawlor 
  • Motor City Machine Guns def. West Coast Wrecking Crew
https://twitter.com/PuroresuFlow/status/1546196345987416064?s=20&t=p_3QIgRCFWvAwyRZncFjUw

On Point Wrestling

On Point Wrestling hosted its Nightmare in Westville event in Westville, New Jersey. The event took place on July 8 at the Skidrow Academy. The event aired on IWTV.

OPW Nightmare in Westville Results (7/8)

  • On Point Wrestling Championship: Kit Osbourne (c) def. BLK Jeez
  • AKIRA def. Blanco Loco (w/ Dream Girl Ellie)
  • Fantastic Four Way: Steve Scott def. Jay Curcio, Azrieal, & Billy Tipton
  • Jordan Oliver def. Jason Kincaid
  • TSF (Rosario Grillo & Hunter Knott) def. YDNB (Ellis Taylor & Charlie Tiger)
  • Axton Ray def. Action Andretti
  • Matt Tremont def. Mike Law
  • Dog Collar Match: Marcus Mathers def. Brandon Kirk by Referee Stoppage

STARDOM

STARDOM hosted its New Blood 3 event on July 8. The event took place at the Shinagawa Intercity Hall in Tokyo, Japan. The pay-per-view can be ordered here.

STARDOM New Blood 3 Results (7/8)

  • Mai Sakurai def. YuuRI
  • Ami Sourei def. Nanami
  • STARS (Hanan, Saya Iida & Momo Kohgo) def. JUST TAP OUT (Tomoka Inaba, Aoi & Misa Kagura)
  • MIRAI vs. Suzu Suzuki ended in a 15-minute draw
    • After the physical draw between these two, Suzuki called out Giulia. Giulia challenged Suzuki to a tag team Hardcore Match. Mai Sakurai will team with Giulia while Risa Sera will team with Suzuki for the match.
  • Ram Kaichow def. Waka Tsukiyama
    • Oedo Tai’s Rina will team with Kaichow at the new NEW BLOOD show to face Waka Tsukiyama and a partner of her choosing.
  • Young OED (Starlight Kid, Ruaka & Rina) & Haruka Umesaki def. Cosmic Angels (Unagi Sayaka & Mina Shirakawa) & COLOR’S (Rina Amikura & Yuko Sakurai)
  • Giulia def. Miyu Amasaki

7/9

National Wrestling Alliance

The most recent episode of NWA USA debuted on July 9. The episode is available on their YouTube here.

NWA USA Stream And Results (7/9)

  • NWA Junior Heavyweight Champion Homicide def. VSK
  • Jennacide def. Angelina Love
  • NWA National Champion Jax Dane def. Anthony Andrews

Wrestling REVOLVER

Wrestling REVOLVER hosted its Cage of Horrors event in Clive, Iowa. The event took place on July 9 at the Horizon Events Center. The event aired on FITE.

Wrestling REVOLVER Cage of Horrors Results (7/9)

  • IMPACT X-Division Championship: ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey (c) def. Steve Manders
  • Gail Kim comes out to introduce the next match
  • Allie Katch def. Jessica Havok
  • Fatal 4-Way: Blake Christian def. Gringo Loco, Crash Jaxon & Zachary Wentz
  • PWR Tag Team Championship: OGK (Matt Taven & Mike Bennett) def. Prisoners of Society (Steve Maclin & Westin Blake) (c)
  • Bunkhouse Brawl: Jake Christ def. Mance Warner
  • Dan The Dad def. Jake Manning
  • Ruby Soho def. Billie Starkz
  • Switchblades (Jon Moxley & Sami Callihan) def. The Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards)
  • Cage of Horrors: The Unit (JT Dunn, Logan James, & Tyler Matrix) def. The Crew (Matthew Palmer, Rich Swann, & SW3RVE)
  • Following the main event, it was announced that Killer Kross would be returning to Wrestling REVOLVER on September 17th.

STARDOM

STARDOM hosted their MidSummer Champions event on July 9. The event took place at the Tachikawa Stage Garden in Tokyo, Japan. The pay-per-view can be ordered here.

STARDOM MidSummer Champions Results (7/9)

  • Lady C def. Hina and Yuko Sakurai
  • Future of Stardom Championship: Hanan (c) def. Waka Tsukiyama
    • This was V8 in Hanan’s Future of Stardom Championship reign, extending her record.
  • STARS (Mayu Iwatani, Hazuki, Koguma & Saya Iida) def. Oedo Tai (Saki Kashima, Ruaka, Rina & Fukigen Death)
  • High-Speed Championship: AZM (c) def. Momo Kohgo
    • This was V5 in AZM’s High-Speed Championship reign.
    • After the match ended, Rina attacked AZM to make a challenge for the championship.
  • Cosmic Angels (Tam Nakano, Unagi Sayaka & Mina Shirakawa) & COLOR’S (SAKI & Hikari Shimizu) def. Donna del Mondo (Giulia, Mai Sakurai, Himeka, Maika & Natsupoi) in an Elimination Match
    • Mai Sakurai eliminated Himeka and Mina Shirakawa via over-the-top-rope
    • Hikari Shimizu eliminated Mai Sakurai via Spinning Buzzsaw Kick
    • Maika eliminated Unagi Sayaka via Michinoku Driver II
    • Maika eliminated Hikari Shimizu via Michinoku Driver II
    • SAKI eliminated Maika via flash pin
    • Giulia eliminated SAKI over-the-top-rope
    • Natsupoi turns on Giulia, eliminating her via German Suplex on the Apron, forcing her over-the-top-rope
    • Natsupoi rolls off the apron and joins Cosmic Angels after the match
  • Wonder of Stardom Championship: Saya Kamitani (c) def. Starlight Kid
    • This was V7 in Kamitani’s Wonder of Stardom Championship reign.
    • SAKI challenged Kamitani to a Wonder of Stardom Championship match.
    • Nanae Takahashi revealed she would be KAIRI’s partner against Saya Kamitani. Lady C stepped up as Kamitani’s partner.
  • World of Stardom Championship: Syuri (c) def. Momo Watanabe
    • This was V6 in Syuri’s World of Stardom Championship reign.
    • Tam Nakano challenged Syuri to a World of Stardom Championship match.

Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling

Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling hosted its Summer Sun Princess event in Tokyo, Japan. The event occurred on July 9 at the Ota City General Gymnasium. The event aired on Wrestle Universe.

TJPW Summer Sun Princess Results (7/9)

  • Moka Miyamoto def. Juria Nagano
  • Aja Kong, Pom Harajuku, Raku & Yuki Aino def. Hyper Misao, Kaya Toribami, Haruna Neko & Nao Kakuta
  • Ryo Mizunami def. Miu Watanabe
  • Hikaru Shida & Hikari Noa def. Yuki Kamifuku & Mahiro Kiryu
  • Mei Suruga & Suzume def. Riho & Arisu Endo
  • International Princess Championship: Alex Windsor def. Maki Itoh (c) to become the new champion
  • Miyu Yamashita def. Thunder Rosa
    • After the match, Rosa said Yamashita has an AEW Women’s World Championship match waiting for her when she wants it.
  • Princess Tag Team Championship: Saki Akai & Yuki Arai def. Magical Sugar Rabbits (Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki) (c) to become the new champions
  • Princess of Princess Championship: Shoko Nakajima (c) def. Rika Tatsumi

NJPW STRONG

NJPW aired their newest episode of NJPW Strong on July 9 on NJPW World. The tapings took place on June 19 at the Vermont Hollywood in Los Angeles, California.

NJPW STRONG Results (7/9)

  • NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Title Tournament First Round: Christopher Daniels & Yuya Uemura def. The Factory (Aaron Solo & Nick Comoroto)
  • JONAH def. Taylor Rust
  • NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Title Tournament First Round: TMDK (Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste) def. West Coast Wrecking Crew (Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs)
https://twitter.com/njpwglobal/status/1545926435185262592

7/10

Pro Wrestling NOAH

Pro Wrestling NOAH hosted its Sunny Voyage Day 5 in Fuji, Shizuoka, Japan. The event took place on July 10 at the Fujisan Messe. 

NOAH Sunny Voyage Day 5 Results (7/10)

  • Rene Dupree def. Kinya Okada
  • Extreme Tiger def. Alejandro
  • Anthony Greene def. Stallion Rogers
  • Simon Gotch & HAYATA def. Kai Fujimura & Seiki Yoshioka
  • 8-Man Tag: Akitoshi Saito, Daisuke Harada, YO-HEY & Go Shiozaki def. Hi69, Manabu Soya, Katsuhiko Nakajima & Tadasuke
  • 6-Man Tag: Kaito Kiyomiya, Yuya Susumu & Yoshinari Ogawa def. Los Perros Del Mal de Japon (Katoro Suzuki, Super Crazy & NOSAWA Rongai)
  • 8-Man Tag: Timothy Thatcher, Hideki Suzuki, El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. & Takashi Sugiura def. Daiki Inaba, Yoshiki Inamura, Masa Kitamiya & Shuhei Taniguchi
  • Kongo (Hajime Ohara & Kenoh) def. Satoshi Kojima & Atsushi Kotoge

Game Changer Wrestling

Game Change Wrestling hosted the first part of their Settlement Series events in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey. The event took place on July 10 at the Knights of Columbus. The event aired on IWTV.

GCW Settlement Series Part 1 Results (7/10)

  • Nick Wayne def. Dyln McKay
  • Big Vin def. Austin Luke
  • Ellis Taylor def. Charlie Tiger
  • 2 Hot Steve Scott def. Brandon Kirk
  • Alec Price def. Marcus Mathers
  • Axton Ray def. Azrieal
  • Akira def. Janai Kai
  • Best of 7 Series: Griff Reefer (4) def. Deklan Grant (2)
  • Yoya def. Charles Mason after BUSSYPREMECOURT reversed the decision.
https://twitter.com/bigwillieisms/status/1546183856126140417?s=20&t=dapkSNz0b14Pb8hVKfsGeA
https://twitter.com/ashdabbath/status/1546196036926017537?s=20&t=dapkSNz0b14Pb8hVKfsGeA

Revolution Pro Wrestling

Revolution Pro Wrestling hosted its event titled Live in Sheffield in Sheffield, England. The event took place on July 10 at The Network. 

RevPro Live in Sheffield Results (7/10)

  • Sunshine Machine (Chuck Mambo & TK Cooper) def. Greedy Souls (Brendan White & Danny Jones)
  • Yota Tsuji def. Joshua James
  • The VeloCities (Jude London & Paris de Silva) def. JJ Gale & Callum Newman
  • Luke Jacobs def. Nico Angelo
  • Ricky Knight Jr. def. David Francisco
  • RevPro Great British Tag League Block A Match: Aussie Open (Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher) def. Destination Everywhere (Connor Mills & Michael Oku)
  • AEW All-Atlantic Championship Match: Pac (c) def. Shoto Umino
https://twitter.com/AllEliteAsh/status/1546213476556742657
https://twitter.com/AllEliteAsh/status/1546215050670653441

Jersey Championship Wrestling

Jersey Championship Wrestling hosted their Great American Birthday Bash event in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey. The event took place on July 10 at the Phil Sheridan Building. The event aired on their YouTube channel.

JCW Great American Birthday Bash Results (7/10)

  • ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey def. Axton Ray
  • GCW Tag Championship: Bussy (Effy & Allie Katch) (c) def. Edith Surreal & Delirious
  • Billie Starkz def. Nick Wayne
  • Triple Threat: Masha Slamovich def. Lindsay Snow and Janai Kai
  • Homicide def. Alec Price
  • YOYA wins Bunkhouse Stampede by eliminating Charles Mason
  • Hermanos Lee (Dragon Lee & Dralistico) def. Space Godz (Gringo Loco & ASF)
  • Konosuke Takeshita def. Cole Radrick
https://twitter.com/ashdabbath/status/1546299040584941568

Who Came up with The Undertaker’s WrestleMania Streak?

Thomas Lowson
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The Undertaker’s mythical WrestleMania streak began with a quick win over the late ‘Superfly’ Jimmy Snuka at WrestleMania 7

The 260-second win over the controversial WWE Hall of Famer was, at the time, just another win for the undefeated rookie. Over the next twenty years, the Undertaker would rack up win after win at WWE’s biggest event of the year.

The phenomenon would grow to be known simply as, ‘The Streak.’

The Streak

The Undertaker had always won at WrestleMania, but it wasn’t until much later in his career that the concept of a winning streak gained traction.

In a recent interview with Peter Rosenberg on A&E Biography: WWE Legends, “The Phenom” revealed that the idea of the streak only came around after Michael Hayes checked the records.

“It was WrestleMania [18] against Flair actually in Toronto that I think it was Michael Hayes that figured it out that I had not, I hadn’t lost. And that’s the first time that I acknowledged it is at the end of that route. I’m on the apron and I throw up all the fingers. And from that point on, it really kind of got the gas thrown on it and every year it just continued to get bigger and bigger and bigger.”

“It was Michael Hayes that figured it out that I had not, I hadn’t lost. And that’s the first time that I acknowledged it.”

The Undertaker on the origins of ‘The Streak.’

Breaking the Streak

The Undertaker’s winning streak would reach 21-0, with “The Phenom” dispatching of legends including Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Kane, and Edge.

In 2014, Brock Lesnar seemed the next to fall victim, but in a true shock to fans, Lesnar broke the Streak.

The match is not fondly remembered, as during the bout, The Undertaker suffered a concussion and was barely able to compete.

Now retired, The Undertaker’s record at WrestleMania remains an impressive 25-2.

The Undertaker Explains “Never Say Never” Line During WWE Hall Of Fame Speech

A Huge Name was Backstage at a Recent WWE Live Event

Thomas Lowson
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Last night, WWE hosted their Sunday Stunner event at the Reno Events Center in Reno, Nevada, with eight matches (three of them title matches) on the card.

The show saw Gunther retain his Intercontinental Championship against Ricochet while new SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan held off both Ronda Rousey and Natalya to keep the gold.

The Usos defeated The New Day to retain the WWE Undisputed Tag team Championships while in the main event it was Drew McIntyre who bested Sheamus.

The Rattlesnake Slithers into Town

While the Reno, Nevada event had a stacked card, perhaps the biggest name at the show didn’t appear in the ring.

On Twitter, Natalya revealed that ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin was backstage at the event, calling it the coolest part of the event.

“The coolest part of tonight in Reno was having @steveaustinBSR at our show watching every match backstage… Steve is the best. Truly. ??”

Austin replied to Natalya’s comments, calling the Reno untelevised “a helluva show.”

“Reno was a damn good crowd. In it from start to finish. Y’all gave em a helluva show and that’s the bottom line.”

Austin in 2022

This year has been a huge year for Stone Cold Steve Austin, who competed at WrestleMania 38.

In his first match in 19 years, the Rattlesnake defeated Kevin Owens in the main event of Night One, a moment fans for years thought would never happen.

Despite his near two-decades spent not as a wrestler, Austin looked very impressive and held his own against the former Universal Champion.

Austin has said that he has no plans to wrestle ever again after being able to end his in-ring career in his native Texas.

Pat McAfee Didn’t Know Stone Cold Stunner Was Going to Happen

Natalya Responds To Claims Of Breaking Kayfabe At House Show, Deletes Tweet

Anutosh Bajpai
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Natalya has fuelled the speculations of being angry with the SmackDown women’s champion Liv Morgan and breaking kayfabe at a recent WWE House Show.

WWE held a Live Event from Sacramento, California on July 9. The show featured the first match of Roman Reigns since the June 17 SmackDown.

The event also saw the newly crowned SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan successfully defending her title against Natalya in a one-on-one match.

A video of the bout that surfaced after the show saw Natalya getting up moments after being pinned. She left the ring after saying something to Morgan.

https://twitter.com/WrestlingNewsCo/status/1546362507647918080

Natalya’s Response

The video made it look like the wrestling veteran wasn’t happy with Liv and the anger led her to break kayfabe after the bout.

Natalya responded to these rumors on Twitter claiming that she was actually thanking the SmackDown women’s champion. Though she has interestingly deleted the tweet since then which you can see in the screenshot below:

natalya tweet 2

There is no word yet on if anything happened during the bout that could have angered the former Hart Dynasty member. The deletion of the tweet has led to further speculations on the whole incident.

Liv Morgan has not yet responded to the claims in any way. We will keep you posted on any further development in the story.

Chris Jericho Reveals Shocking Details Regarding Backstage Confrontation With Brock Lesnar

Anutosh Bajpai
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Chris Jericho has revealed some shocking details on his shoot confrontation with Brock Lesnar.

Brock Lesnar had a gruesome match with Randy Orton at SummerSlam 2016. The Beast won this match via TKO after busting The Viper open with his elbows. This match blurred the lines between reality and kayfabe. Many were worried about the health of Orton coming out of the bout.

Jericho recently made an appearance on True Geordie Podcast. Talking about the bout, Y2J who was in the arena, mentioned how Lesnar could have killed Randy:

“He was doing a match with Randy Orton. He was basically like just butchering him with elbows to the head. I didn’t know if it was planned or not, and nobody would tell me. But elbows, to the side of the head can kill you. If you get hit hard enough in the temple, you die. I was in gorilla and I was fucking angry about it.”

Things That Will Get You Canceled

Chris Jericho then detailed his confrontation with The Beast Incarnate backstage after the bout. He claimed that Lesnar actually said some homophobic terms that would get him canceled:

“He was actually saying things that would probably get him canceled, like homophobic terms that you shouldn’t be saying.”

– Chris Jericho

“Brock came through and he saw me angry about it and decided he wanted to come challenge me. We had gotten into a little bit of an issue. I was like, ‘fuck this guy. I don’t give a shit how big he is. I don’t fucking care, It’s fucking wrong. I will fight to the death. I will stand up for what I believe in to the death.’ I remember being literally nose to nose with the guy. He’s laughing. He was actually saying things that would probably get him canceled, like homophobic terms that you shouldn’t be saying.”

Jericho later noted how he was ready to bite Lesnar’s nose off even if Brock killed him. Thankfully, Vince McMahon interfered. The boss broke up the fight before it could lead to serious consequences.

WWE And AEW Stars Attend NASCAR Event (Photos)

Anutosh Bajpai
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A number of wrestling personalities were in attendance for the beginning of the second half of the NASCAR Cup Series season with Quaker State 400.

The Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair shared some photos from the show. The pictures also featured Montez Ford and WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella.

From AEW’s side, the TBS Champion Jade Cargill made an appearance. The company shared photos of her at Atlanta Motor Speedway, noting that she was the guest of honor for the race:

This is not the first-time wrestling personalities have made appearances during the NASCAR Cup Series event. Suspended star Sasha Banks was named the grand marshal for Daytona 500 last year.

The Street Profits have been feuding with The Usos in recent times. They had an impressive match at Money In The Bank and a rematch for the unified tag titles has been announced for SummerSlam.

Bianca Belair similarly defended her title against Carmella at Money In The Bank. Nikki Bella on the other hand is enjoying her life as a mother and retired WWE star with no immediate plans for a return.

Jade Cargill is on the run of a lifetime since winning the TBS championship in January. She has been a dominant champion and impressed everyone with her title reign despite very little experience in the ring.

Watch: AEW Wrestlers Brawl at Seattle Autograph Signing

Thomas Lowson
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For wrestlers, meeting and greeting fans around the world is just one perk of the job.

It can be a deeply rewarding experience for wrestlers to meet the people who admire them and give fans an experience they’ll remember.

Darby Allin has a ton of fans, some of whom came to meet him this weekend, but one person arrived looking to cause trouble.

The Attack

Allin appeared at the Southcenter Mall in Seattle for what he had planned on being a standard meet and greet session.

Before Allin began with what would be a four-hour autograph signing, he was ambushed by Brody King, who put him in a sleeper hold.

Not finished with the former AEW TNT Champion, King proceeded to powerbomb the young wrestler through a table before leaving the area.

After a brief window of time, Allin eventually recovered and completed the event as planned much to the surprise and delight of the fans who had paid to see him.

King Vs. Allin

This attack follows on from the recent Royal Rampage, where Allin and King were the last two in a match to determine the number one contender for the Interim AEW World Championship.

King put Allin to sleep and threw him over the rope to win the match but failed to dethrone Jon Moxley.

After Malakai Black came out to check on King, Sting did the same with Allin, telling King he belonged in AEW and asking for a handshake, an offer that King would refuse.

Watch Booker T Return to the Ring at 57 Years Old

Joey Galizia
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Former five-time world champion Booker T made his grand return to the squared circle at last night’s ROW (Reality of Wrestling) event in Texas, his first in-ring competition in roughly two years.

The WWE Hall of Famer wrestled in a 10-man tag team contest alongside of Bryan Keith, Blake Cortez, Gaspar Hernadez, and Mysterious Q, who all competed as the Team Booker group. They faced off against the pairing of Edge Stone, Ryan Davidson, Stephen Wolf, Will Allory, and MLW star Gino Medina.

That’s not all. Booker also gave fans at the event a treat by wearing a throwback outfit of his days in WCW, where he became one of the companies biggest standout stars. The 57-year old has remained a prominent figure in pro-wrestling due to his panel work with WWE, and his hit weekly “Hall of Fame” podcast.

Booker took to Twitter to give his thoughts on wrestling for ROW, which he founded in 2005. He writes, “Got to step back in the ring last night at Reality of Wrestling and it felt GOODT!”

You can see photos and video of his return in the tweets below.

https://twitter.com/king_screens/status/1545961990031564800

Here are some additional photos of Booker T’s return to the ring for Reality of Wrestling:

https://twitter.com/bdphotography88/status/1546022498080378881?s=21&t=Fo-UValV2fF-ysp3aOwagQ

Watch Roman Reigns’ Return at Saturday’s WWE Live Event

Thomas Lowson
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0

Roman Reigns is WWE’s reigning Undisputed Universal Championship, and has decimated the competition over the past two years.

Reigns’ list of victims is a who’s who of WWE, with names including John Cena, Bray Wyatt, and Goldberg all falling to the “Tribal Chief.”

As the unquestionable top star of WWE, matches featuring Reigns have become rarer and rarer but he returned to the ring this weekend.

Reigns Back in the Ring

Earlier this year, Roman Reigns signed a lucrative new deal with WWE, one that has seen him compete in far fewer matches.

Reigns’ most recent televised match was nearly a month ago, where he defeated Riddle on the June 17, 2022 SmackDown to retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

The Champ broke his hiatus from the ring last night, competing at the July 9, WWE Live Event in Sacramento, California. Unsurprisingly, Reigns headlined the event, successfully defending his title against Drew McIntyre.

Roman Reigns is the top heel in all of pro wrestling, but he once again broke character and delivered a heartfelt message to the fans in attendance after his match.

Below, you can see footage of Reigns addressing the audience at WWE Sacrameno:

What Else Happened?

Having the “Head of the Table” was a rarity, but it wasn’t all that happened on the show.

The show opened with Intercontinental Champion Gunther retaining his title against Ricochet, followed by a Triple Threat in which Raquel Rodriguez defeated Shayna Baszler and Lacey Evans.

The Viking Raiders defeated Jinder Mahal and Shanky while Happy Corbin got a win over Drew Gulak.

SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan retained against Natalya and Ronda Rousey and Madcap Moss defeated Humberto.

In the penultimate match, there was a triple threat for the Undisptued Tag Team Titles that saw the current champions The Usos take on The New Day and The Brawling Brutes, with The Usos retaining.

(Exclusive) Killer Kelly Details ‘Exhausting’ WWE Experience

Anutosh Bajpai
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Impact Wrestling star Killer Kelly had a short (and strange) experience working for WWE. She was offered a contract during her rookie year in the wrestling industry. She made her debut at the inaugural NXT UK event. Kelly also took part in the 2018 Mae Young Classic where she lost in the first round.

Unfortunately, WWE did not use her much beyond that. The young star was occasionally used to put some other talents over before being released from her contract in January 2020.

Killer Kelly spoke with SEScoops this past week to discuss her absence from Impact for the past 2 years, her new persona and more. She also opened up about her time in the Vince McMahon owned promotion.

Watch Killer Kelly’s interview with Steve Fall for SEScoops below, followed by highlights from the conversation.

Why Killer Kelly said yes to a WWE contract with very little experience:

“So I had a good and somewhat bad experience [in WWE]. As soon as I got offered that contract. I said ‘Yes, like 100% Yes, because WWE is the dream.’ It was what I grew up watching. I was like ‘Ok, this is the thing that I want to do.’ But at the same time, I was just coming up as a professional wrestler. Basically, within the year that I decided to take a chance on myself and move to Germany to train to become professional wrestler, do this professionally. I got offered the contract. It was like everything at the same time. I had no time to read, to think, to do anything. So I felt like that came too soon to me. Because WWE was the dream. I didn’t even think about anything. I just said yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. I never stood up for myself. I was afraid to give ideas. I was afraid of doing basically anything. I was walking on eggshells all the time because I was afraid of messing that up.”

Her exhausting WWE experience due to mental health issues:

“The whole experience being like that, and now knowing of my mental issues that I have. Anxiety, depression, ADHD, all of that exhausted me mentally, to the point that I wasn’t enjoying my time in WWE. I didn’t enjoy it at all. Because I was so stressed. I was so anxious all the time. I had everything. I could have had a blast there. But I didn’t because of my brain. So that kind of sucks. It sucks that I wasn’t on medication early. It sucks that I didn’t know about that. So that whole experience was very exhausting for me. But other than that, I have nothing bad to say about WWE. It was just my brain. It was my brain. I didn’t have the spotlight on me but I enjoyed my position. They basically gave me matches to make the other people shine. So that means that they have the stress on me that I can help them shine, help them achieve whatever they need to. That was kind of an honor.”

If Killer Kelly had any problems with her WWE spot:

“I was happy with my place there. But then brain didn’t let me enjoy anything. I didn’t have the, I don’t want to say the guts, the mental capacity of saying what I wanted to do. [To share] any ideas. [To] actually have fun with it, which is what I’m currently doing with impact. My brain, it’s not 100% good, but it’s good. I am still anxious all the time. I’m still nervous, but that’s because I love wrestling. Now I feel like I could show my full potential and enjoy. Really, really enjoy what I’m doing and just be myself. I’m so excited about it.”

Details on Ava Raine’s First Live Promo at Saturday’s NXT Live Event

Michael Reichlin
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Ava Raine appeared at Saturday night’s NXT 2.0 live event from Orlando, Florida and cut her first promo in front of a live crowd.

Raine, the daughter of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, impressed fans who were in attendance for this historic moment in her young career.

Raine came to the ring exuding confidence and immediately put the NXT women’s roster on notice. She dubbed herself “The Final Girl” and ran down Cora Jade and the other female competitors in WWE’s developmental program.

Here are some photos from Ava Raine’s first live promo in NXT 2.0:

The Rock is considered one of the best trash talkers in wrestling history, so it should come as no surprise that Raine can hold her own on the mic.

We will update this article if video from Ava Raine’s first promo gets posted online.

In addition to cutting her first live promo on Saturday night, Raine also appeared at Friday’s NXT show from Citrus Springs, FL. She came down to ringside during one of the women’s matches, apparently scouting her competition.

Raine is a 4th generation Superstar and has big shoes to fill. It will be interesting to track her progress in the months ahead.

Rhea Ripley Reveals She’s Now Wearing a Heart Monitor

Thomas Lowson
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WWE has been plagued with a series of injuries in recent weeks which has kept a lot of top stars out of action.

Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton are just two names who are hurt, and it’s not just the men’s division missing out.

Rhea Ripley is also on the shelf, having suffered a brain injury, but the former Raw Women’s Champion may be dealing with another medical issue.

The Heart Monitor

On Instagram, Ripley showed off the new heart monitor she is now wearing but did not specify the reason.

Typically, heart monitors are used to detect and record any irregularities in the heart.

Seeing the funny side of things, Ripley joked that she’s now Iron Man, the MARVEL Comics character who uses a device on his chest to keep himself alive.

Bad Timing for Rhea Ripley

Ripley’s injury could arguably not come at a worse time for her character.

Mere weeks before her injury, the Australian Superstar had been revealed as a new member of The Judgment Day, which turned on Edge shortly before her injury.

Despite an initial strong start, The Judgment Day has struggled on WWE TV since Ripley’s absence, with Finn Balor and Damian Priest losing both matches since Rhea’s injury, albeit by disqualification.

Ripley had also been next in line for a Raw Women’s Championship match, but was pulled from the Money in the Bank Premium Live Event due to her injury.

Is Rhea Ripley This Generation’s Lita?

Naomi Says She is Tired of Being Taken Advantage Of

Thomas Lowson
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It’s been nearly two months now since Sasha Banks and Naomi walked out of WWE Raw over a creative difference with the planned main event.

The then-WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions believed that the main event, which would have seen Naomi earn a Raw Women’s Title match, lessened the importance of their tag titles.

Since then, the duo has been suspended without pay, and WWE has done all they can to distance themselves from the pair.

Naomi’s Comment

Naomi worked for WWE for over a decade on TV before her suspension and has seemingly grown tired of the way talent are being treated.

In an Instagram Story, the former SmackDown Women’s Champion didn’t mention WWE by name but had some choice comments about being taken advantage of.

“The moment you stop people from taking advantage of you and disrespecting you is when they define you as tough, selfish or crazy. Manipulators hate boundaries.”

Naomi.

Fans were quick to assume that Naomi was speaking about WWE given how the company has treated her in recent months.

Will Naomi go?

While it has been reported that Sasha Banks has been released by WWE, Naomi is seemingly still with the company.

The big question now is will she go, as her contract is reportedly set to expire later this year.

It’s always worth considering that Naomi is married to Jimmy Uso, and that being part (albeit indirectly) of the Bloodline carries some significant influence.

The last thing WWE wants to do is draw the ire of Roman Reigns should they release his cousin’s wife.

Naomi is Spreading Positive Vibes During WWE Suspension

(Exclusive) Killer Kelly Reveals Why She’s Been Missing From Impact For 2 Years

Anutosh Bajpai
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The wrestling career of Killer Kelly has been a roller coaster ride. She was offered a WWE contract not long after she decided to pursue a career in wrestling in her mid-20s. She competed in NXT UK. She also took part in the 2018 Mae Young Classic before getting released in 2020.

Kelly then made her debut for Impact Wrestling. It looked like she was finally ready to make her mark but she then disappeared from Impact for two years. The former wXw Women’s Championship recently spoke to SEScoops about her contractual status and more.

Watch Killer Kelly’s interview with Steve Fall for SEScoops:

Under Contract with Impact for Past 2 Years

Kelly revealed that she was offered an Impact contract on the day she made her debut on November 24, 2020. Furthermore, she revealed that she has been contracted for the past two years:

“Well, it was exactly on that day. On that same day that I wrestled, I got offered a deal. So I’ve been contracted for the past two years.”

When Fall inquired about the reason for her absence from Impact programming, Killer Kelly revealed that it was due to Visa issues. She had to go back to her home country of Portugal shortly after her Impact debut. Unfortunately for Kelly, this is when the Coronavirus struck and she got stuck there:

“Well, you have to ask the good ol’ United States of America (why she hasn’t been wrestling). Its legalities, legalities, legalities…It was a very tedious process, which impact dealt with wonderfully. They took care of everything, but it was a horrible process. They were wonderful about it. After they offered the contract, I had to go back to Portugal. Then I was stuck in Portugal.

They did everything in their power to get me out of Portugal. It was a visa process that started in Portugal, and then it didn’t pan out. Then I had to come to the United States and start all over again. It was a whole process. But finally, I can say that I’m part of Impact. I can finally work and I am excited.”

Killer Kelly’s Struggle With Mental Health Issues

killer kelly 2

Being stuck at home and not being able to compete was a horrible experience for Killer Kelly. It was during this time she found out that she had ADHD, in addition to being diagnosed with severe anxiety and depression:

“It was terrible. It was horrible. Well, at least I sought some help. I finally found out that I had severe depression, severe anxiety. Most recently, I found out that I have ADHD. So that really helped me to finally seek out mental health help. But the whole waiting, the whole being locked. It was a very horrible experience.

It really put me down. I was in lower than rock bottom. It was just awful. Without my husband, without his help and without impact, I don’t know what I would do. Impact was beyond professional, beyond professional… They were amazing, dealing with everything.”

The good news is that Killer Kelly is now back in the United States and she is ready to compete in Impact again. The July 7 episode of the show featured a vignette teasing her return with a new persona.

Tony Khan Promises AEW’s Next Media Rights Deal Will Be “Historic”

Joey Galizia
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Tony Khan hints that AEW is on the verge of a historic media rights deal.

The AEW President sat down with the New York Post to hype the promotion’s success since their inception in 2019, which saw Khan secure a massive deal with Warner Media, one that helped them survive during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

When speaking about his current broadcast relationship, which now includes Warner Bros. and Discovery, Khan had the following to say:

“I’m incredibly grateful every day that AEW has this great relationship with Warner Bros. Discovery and we’ve done well for TBS and TNT with “Dynamite” and “Rampage” where we’re a strong performer for Warner Bros. Discovery on a weekly basis.”

However, Khan is always looking towards the future as his company continues to grow in scope. He states that AEW’s supportive fanbase are to thank for potentially securing them a new deal down the line.

“I do believe our future media rights will be important and frankly a very large revenue stream for AEW going forward, and I think that’s because of the great support we’ve had from the fans and the hard work of everybody backstage and the wrestlers every Wednesday and Friday, pulling it together and delivering great shows.”

Regarding a new media rights deal…Khan promises that history will be made in the pro-wrestling circuit once again.

“Whenever our next media right deal, the next one does kick in, it will be historic. It will be recorded in history because everything in wrestling is recorded in history into posterity. It will make history however it goes. Right now, everyone would expect very, very well. We expect it’s going to go very well for us based on how strong we’ve been performing.”

Khan will continue to do interviews to promote AEW’s upcoming Fyter Fest television special. Stay tuned.

Kofi Kingston is Ready to Walk Through the Forbidden Door

Thomas Lowson
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Having debuted on the main roster in 2008, Kofi Kingston is one of WWE’s most veteran Superstars and has faced several big names.

Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, and Roman Reigns are just some of the Superstars Kingston has faced throughout his highly-successful 14-year career with WWE.

Kingston is both a WWE triple-crown and Grand Slam champion, but there’s a lot that Kofi hasn’t done in his career yet.

Kingston through the Forbidden Door

Kofi Kingston may have faced some of WWE’s biggest stars of the modern era, but there are plenty of names the former World Champion has never faced.

MJF, Will Ospreay, and Kenny Omega are just some of the big names Kingston has never stepped foot in the ring with.

While speaking with Sebastian Hackl for WWE Deutschland, Kofi was asked about the ‘Forbidden Door’ which has allowed wrestlers to compete for other companies, and whether he’d be interested in stepping through (via Sportskeeda.)

“Yeah, I mean there’s a lot, I think more so now. Well, you know, since Mickie James came to the Rumble right, the quote-on-quote ‘Forbidden Door, that was never to be talked about, was opened. So, there’s a lot of different people from a lot of different promotions that are incredibly talented that I would love to mix it up with and have matches with for sure.”

“There’s a lot of different people from a lot of different promotions that are incredibly talented that I would love to mix it up with.”

Kofi Kingston

While WWE did allow Mickie James, an Impact Wrestling star to compete at this year’s Royal Rumble Premium Live Event, there’s been no word of a fully-fledged event featuring WWE talent wrestling those from another company.

Kofi Kingston On Big E’s Neck Injury: “It Was The Scariest Night Of My Career”

Notable Debut Teased At NXT Live Event

Jaychele Nicole
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The debut of a long-awaited NXT wrestler was teased at the July 8 NXT house show.

Debut Teased

During Friday’s NXT live event, Ava Raine, aka Simone Johnson, daughter of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, made an appearance. The show took place in Citrus Springs, Florida.

Ava was spotted scouting out the talent during a women’s match. She emerged from the bak, walked around the ring, and promptly left. It wasn’t specified or revealed what match Raine was scouting or the talent involved.

https://twitter.com/mbensette77/status/1545598070297165825

Ava has not yet made her WWE in-ring debut. She received her new WWE ring name in late May. Last month, she showed off a new look that led to fans speculating about her wrestling debut.

Two women’s matches took place at the Citrus Springs live event. Tiffany Stratton defeated Amari Miller in a singles match. The NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Roxanne Perez & Cora Jade got a win over Jacy Jayne & Gigi Dolin of Toxic Attraction.

Live Event Results

Below, you can find the results from the house show:

  • Joe Gacy def. Roderick Strong
  • NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship Match: Roxanne Perez & Cora Jade (c) def. Jacy Jayne & Gigi Dolin 
  • Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen def. Pretty Deadly
  • NXT North American Championship Match: Carmelo Hayes(c) def. Ikemen Jiro and Wes Lee 
  • Tiffany Stratton def. Amari Miller
  • Apollo Crews def. Xyon Quinn
  • Solo Sikoa def. Von Wagner
  • NXT Championship Match: Bron Breakker (c) def. JD McDonagh

The Undertaker Explains “Never Say Never” Line During WWE Hall Of Fame Speech

Joey Galizia
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Earlier this year WWE inducted one of their biggest superstars of all-time into their Hall of Fame , the Undertaker. The Deadman has provided fans with some of the most memorable moments in the company’s long history, and his induction was a fitting cap on what was a legendary career.

Undertaker recently sat-down with Bleacher Report to discuss his speech, and address some certain questions and criticisms that came because of it.

At one point the former multi-time world champion dropped the line “never say never” when talking about whether he would ever step into the ring again after his appropriate cinematic send off with AJ Styles back at WrestleMania 36. Taker explains that while he has no aspiration of returning he believes that WWE is a place where anything can happen.

“Just the fact you asked that question, mission accomplished. You never say never. I don’t have aspirations of ever stepping into the ring again, but this is the WWE, man. You never say never. You just never say never.”

One person who thought the line was a little too much was Taker’s longtime fried and boss, Vince McMahon

“I thought it was a great button that I can put on that and for that very reason. That was a little bit for Vince, too.”

Taker would then go on to discuss the minor backlash he received for omitting a few names during his speech, particularly Mick Foley, whom he has had many iconic moments and matches with.

“ I did get a little bit of, ‘I can’t believe you didn’t mention Mick Foley.’ I’ve talked about Mick Foley until I’m blue in the gills. I love Mick Foley. I think what we did will outlive the test of time as far as our angle.”

He would explain that he didn’t purposefully leave certain names out, but that he was just conveying his 30-plus year journey to the WWE Universe. However, he knows how it could seem like a jab so he does apologize to those he forgot to mention.

“But then I can talk about Edge and so on. I haven’t talked to any of those guys. I hope they didn’t get their feelings hurt, but it wasn’t about all that. It was about my journey and the things I’ve learned through those 30-plus years that I was trying to share and help people in their lives and thank the WWE Universe. That’s what it was all about. If anyone was offended, I’m sorry.”

Finally…Taker discusses why he make a large portion of the speech about Shawn Michaels and Triple H.

“It was more about those three pillars I referenced back when I’m talking about Shawn [Michaels], that had a direct meaning to never being content. That’s why I talked so much about Shawn then, Triple H.”

Undertaker was also promoting his upcoming biography special on A&E.

Independent Wrestling News Wrap-Up (7/2-7/9): Defy, BLP, BattleSlam, Terminus, Prestige, West Coast Pro, Garden State Pro & More

Jaychele Nicole
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We have wrapped up some of the major news from this week from the independent scene of professional wrestling. We have news from Garden State Pro Wrestling, Battle Slam, NJPW Strong, Terminus, Black Label Pro, West Coast Pro Wrestling, Prestige Wrestling, the pro wrestler AKIRA, and Defy Wrestling.

Garden State Pro Wrestling

GSPW Welcome To Eden News

Garden State Pro Wrestling and FITE recently announced the pricepoint of GSPW’s debut event titled Welcome To Eden. The show is being priced at $12.99. The show is already available for pre-order on FITE TV. The event is available for pre-order at this link.

The event is scheduled to take place on July 23 at 7PM EST at The Heart Ballroom in Newark, NJ. Tickets for the event are limited. On Friday, the promotion noted that they have the following amount of tickets left: 7 VIP 2nd Row, 5 VIP Balcony, and 3 VIP General Admission (STANDING ROOM ONLY).

The card is as follows:

  • Dark Sheik & Jai Vidal vs Edith Surreal & Heather Monroe
  • Team YDNB (Jordan Oliver, Charlie Tiger & Griffin McCoy) vs Team H20 (Marcus Mathers, Austin Luke & Reid Walker)
  • First Round of the Garden State Openweight Championship Tournament: Effy vs Bryan Keith
  • First Round of the Garden State Openweight Championship Tournament: Robert Martyr vs Davey Richards
  • First Round of the Garden State Openweight Championship Tournament: Kevin Blackwood vs Alan Angels
  • First Round of the Garden State Openweight Championship Tournament: Calvin Tankman vs Titus Alexander
  • Miyu Yamashita vs Billie Starkz vs Janai Kai
  • Taya Valkyrie vs Trish Adora
  • Josh Alexander vs Konosuke Takeshita

On July 5, it was announced that Tony Deepen would be pulling out of the show due to unforeseen circumstances. GSPW immediately announced that Titus Alexander will be replacing Deepen on the show. Titus Alexander will now be facing Calvin Tankman in the first round of the Garden State Openweight Championship Tournament.

On June 30, Garden State Pro Wrestling announced that they will be hosting a Konosuke Takeshita seminar. In the announcement, they state that Takeshita is doing his ‘first and equity possibly only seminar in the US.’ 

On July 7, GSPW posted an update that said that there are only two or three spots left for the seminar. The seminar will take place on July 23 in Newark, NJ from 3:30-5:00 EST. According to the post, all experience levels are welcome.

There are limited spots open and the price is $40 per person. In a second tweet, the promotion added that you can pay at the door or pay in advance via PayPal. To join the webinar, you can DM Garden State Pro Wrestling on Twitter or email [email protected].

GSPW Thy Kingdom Come News

Garden State Pro Wrestling has begun to announce talent for their second live event titled ‘Thy Kingdom Come.’ The event will take place on August 27 at 7PM EST in the Monroe Sports Center in Monroe, NJ. Tickets to the event are available here.

On July 6, the promotion announced that Starboy Charlie vs Yoya will take place at the August 27 event. On July 3, GSPW also announced that one of Mexico’s fastest rising stars, Arez, would be making his debut for the promotion at their Thy Kingdom Come event. 

As of right now, the following matches have been announced:

  • Michael Oku vs Titus Alexander
  • LuFisto vs Willow Nightingale
  • Sonny Kiss vs Kidd Bandit
  • Starboy Charlie vs Yoya
  • Semi-Finals of the Garden State Openweight Championship Tournament: Effy or Bryan Keith vs. Tony Deppen or Calvin Tankman
  • Semi-Finals of the Garden State Openweight Championship Tournament: Kevin Blackwood or Alan Angels vs. Robert Martyr or Davey Richards

The following wrestlers have also been announced for the event:

  • Komander
  • Arez
  • Black Generation (El Bendito & El Elemental)
  • Matt Sydal
  • Anthony Henry

Battle Slam

Battle Slam Takeover

On June 28, BattleSlam announced their third event titled ‘The Takeover.’ The event will take place on July 28 in Atlanta, GA at 8PM EST. The event will be held at The Oasis Event Center. According to the Eventbrite page, the event will feature both a live show and a TV taping. BattleSlam’s shows are a combination of hip-hop and pro wrestling. 

On July 3, BattleSlam announced that this event will include qualifying matches to determine entry into an upcoming World Championship Tournament. So far, Richard King, Lee Moriarty, and JDX have qualified.

On July 7, the promotion announced that Baron Black will take on Lil Scrappy at BattleSlam Takeover on July 28. The match is set to headline the show. This is set to be Lil Scrappy’s debut match.

Tickets for the event are available here. On their Eventbrite page, it says artist announcements will be made on July 10. On both July 9 and 11, according to their Eventbrite posting, other wrestlers and matches will be announced. You can follow BattleSlam on Twitter for updates on the event.

As of right now, the card is as follows:

  • World Championship Tournament Qualifying Matches (Lee Moriarty, Richard King, JDX have qualified)
  • Baron Black vs. Lil Scrappy

NJPW Strong

NJPW STRONG: Fighting Spirit Unleashed

On July 6, New Japan Pro Wrestling announced their event titled ‘NJPW STRONG: Fighting Spirit Unleashed.’ The event will take place on August 21 at The Vermont Hollywood in Los Angeles, California at 7PM EST.

This is a TV taping so all content will air on future episodes of NJPW STRONG. No talent announcements have been made, but Jay White and Fred Rosser are both featured on promotional material. Tickets are on sale here. 

From NJPW:

Fighting Spirit Unleashed hits the Vermont August 21! ?NJoA?

NJPW STRONG returns to our Hollywood home

On August 21, NJPW STRONG makes its bimonthly return to our Hollywood home in the Vermont for Fighting Spirit Unleashed.

Just days after G1 Climax comes to a close, the summer stays hot in the US, and IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Jay White will join STRONG Openweight Champion Fred Rosser and many more for STRONG’s fallout from the tournament of tournaments. Plus, after the first ever STRONG Openweight Tag Team Champions are crowned in Charlotte at High Alert, what will the new shape of STRONG be as we celebrate one full year of hot crowds at STRONG tapings?

Find out live in person on August 21! Tickets go on sale FRIDAY July 8 at 10 AM PST- don’t miss out!

NJPW STRONG Tapings: Fighting Spirit Unleashed

Sunday August 21 2022 DOORS: 4PM BELL: 5PM

First row $90

Second row $60

Third row $50

Balcony Seating $60

Ringside Standing $30

Balcony Standing $25

Tickets on sale Friday July 8

Terminus

Terminus 3

On June 23, Terminus announced their third event titled ‘Terminus 3.’ The event will take place on July 21 in Atlanta, GA at 8PM EST. The event will be held at The Oasis Event Center. 

On July 6, Terminus announced that The Factory (Aaron Solo & QT Marshall) will take on the tag team C4. On July 4, the promotion announced the rematch of Baron Black vs Jay Lethal. Their first match took place at Terminus 2 on February 24, 2022. Terminus announced on July 2 that Mike Bennett will take on Invictus Khash.

Tickets for the event are available here. The show will also be available on FITE TV at this link. The show is currently priced at $16.99.

On both July 9 and 10, according to their Eventbrite posting, other wrestlers and matches will be announced. You can follow Terminus on Twitter for updates on the event.

As of right now, the card is as follows:

  • Baron Black vs. Jay Lethal
  • The Factory (Aaron Solo & QT Marshall) vs C4
  • Jonathan Gresham vs Konosuke Takeshita
  • Queen Aminata vs Masha Slamovich
  • Invictus Khash vs Mike Bennett

Black Label Pro

The Gang Crosses The Line

On July 4, Black Label Pro announced that Billie Starkz will take on Steph De Lander (fka Persia Pirotta) in a first-time match at “The Gang Crosses The Line.” 

Black Label Pro is hosting the event as a part of Starrcast. The Gang Crosses The Line takes place on Friday, July 29th from the Nashville Fairgrounds in Nashville, TN. Tickets for the event are available here. 

The event will take place at 6PM EST, right before ‘The Roast of Ric Flair.’ This is just one of the big live wrestling shows scheduled for Starrcast V during WWE SummerSlam weekend.

As of right now, the card is as follows:

  • Steph De Lander vs Billie Starkz
  • Josh Alexander vs Kevin Blackwood
  • Konosuke Takehsita vs Nick Wayne
  • James Storm vs Bryan Keith
  • Shark Boy & Dan The Dad vs Violence is Forever (Dominic Garrini & Kevin Ku)
  • Monster’s Ball for the Black Label Pro Championship: PCO (c) vs Levi Everett vs Calvin Tankman vs Joshua Bishop

AKIRA

Car Crash

On July 3, a professional wrestler on the independent scene, AKIRA, posted about the state of his car. Unfortunately, on Twitter, AKIRA shared the saddening shape of his car. He added that he ‘just bought’ the car as well.

AKIRA posted his Cash App tag and Paypal for those looking to help him out. 

Cash App: $PaytheSamurai

Paypal: [email protected] 

West Coast Pro Wrestling 

King Of Indies 2022

On July 8, West Coast Pro Wrestling announced that the Japanese promotion Pro Wrestling Noah will be taking part in the King of Indies 2022 event. King of Indies is a collaborative event between West Coast Pro and Pro Wrestling Revolution set to take place in San Francisco on November 19th, 2022.

Another Japanese promotion, Dragon Gate, is set to take part in the collaborative event as well. Tickets for the event are not yet available, but you can follow West Coast Pro on Twitter for updates on ticket and event info.

Ride The Lightning 

On July 6, West Coast Pro Wrestling announced that they will be hosting their four year anniversary show titled ‘Ride The Lightning.’ The event will take place on October 8 at The United Irish Cultural Center in San Francisco, CA. In the tweet, they stated that tickets will be on sale soon and to check out their Eventbrite link.

The West Coast Cup

On July 6, WCPW began to announce matches for their two-night tournament live event titled The West Coast Cup. The event will take place on August 18 and 19 at The State Room in South San Francisco. Tickets to the event are available here. 

The following matches have been announced for the event:

  • Lee Moriarty vs Titus Alexander
  • Jorel Nelson vs Vinnie Massaro
  • Gravity vs Viento
  • Starboy Charlie vs D-Rogue
  • Nick Wayne vs Bryan Keith
  • Masha Slamovich vs Alpha Zo
  • Davey Richards vs Levi Shapiro
  • Kommander vs Midas Kreed

Prestige Wrestling

Perseverance

On July 7, Prestige Wrestling announced that Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling’s Miya Yamashita will be making her return to the promotion in September. Maki Itoh has already been announced for the event as well.

Miyu will be returning at Prestige’s Perseverance event on September 17th at The Glass House in Pomona, California. The show was announced on June 29.

The event will be streaming live on IWTV at 10PM EST. You can follow Prestige Wrestling on Twitter for updates. Tickets are available on their website here.

The following wrestlers have been announced for the event:

  • Miyu Yamashita
  • Maki Itoh
  • Robert Martyr
  • Prestige Wrestling Champion: Alex Shelley

Nonstop Feeling

Prestige also has their Nonstop Feeling event coming up on July 22 in Portland, Oregon. The event will take place at the Hawthorne Theater at 7PM EST. The event will be streaming live on IWTV. All seats are sold out, and only limited standing room tickets are left. Those tickets can be purchased here.

As of right now, the following matches have been announced:

  • Konosuke Takeshita vs Kevin Blackwood
  • Alan Angels vs Frankie Kazarian
  • Prestige Wrestling Tag Team Championships: c4 (c) vs The Midnight Heat
  • Devil’s Playground Match: DreXL vs Kidd Bandit
  • ETHAN HD vs ACH
  • Adriel Noctis vs Sonico

Defy Wrestling

Death From Above

On July 8, Defy Wrestling announced that they will be returning to Tacoma, WA for their event titled Death From Above on July 29. Defy says that the event will feature Christopher Daniels, C4, Ortiz, and many more. The event will take place at ALMA in Tacoma, WA at 11PM EST. The event is 21+, but tickets for the event are available here.

The World Is Yours

On July 1, Defy Wrestling announced that tickets for the second night of their two-night event titled The World Is Yours were available. The event is headlined by AEW’s Swerve Strickland and will take on July 16 and 17. The event will take place at Washington Hall in Seattle, WA at 11PM EST. Tickets for the event are available here.

As of now, the following matches have been announced for the event:

Night 1

  • Christopher Daniels & Swerve Strickland vs C4
  • Vert Vixen vs Danika Della Rogue
  • Big Damo vs Kaun
  • Konosuke Taskeshita vs Davey Richards
  • Defy Worldwide Tag Team Championship Match: Bollywood Boyz (c) The Midnight Heat vs Eddie Kingston & Schaff 

Night 2

  • Eddie Kingston vs Cody Chunn
  • Defy To Survive: Team A (Ethan HD, TBA, TBA & TBA) vs Team B (Big Damo, TBA, TBA & TBA)

Vince McMahon’s demeanor at SmackDown, WWE budget cuts & more

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Some backstage notes from the July 8 episode of WWE SmackDown have surfaced.

The latest edition of the blue brand’s show emanated from Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, TX. Fans got to see the return of WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns, who received quite the pep talk from his Special Counsel Paul Heyman.

Also featured on the show was a rematch between Ronda Rousey and Natalya. Shinsuke Nakamura took on Ludwig Kaiser, while Drew McIntyre mixed it up with Butch.

There were some key things to note behind the scenes.

Vince McMahon Avoids Controversial Topic

Vince McMahon
(via WWE)

Hours before SmackDown went on the air, The Wall Street Journal reported more hush pacts involving Vince McMahon and four other women.

One female is allegedly a former WWE talent who was coerced into giving Vince oral sex, demoted, and then wasn’t re-signed in 2005 once she declined further sexual advances.

PWInsider reports that while backstage at SmackDown this week, Vince didn’t address the latest report. Sources told PWInsider that the feeling behind the scenes was Vince avoiding the “elephant in the room.”

Budget Cuts Negatively Impact SmackDown

WWE producer Jason Jordan wasn’t backstage for SmackDown as he and his wife are expecting a baby any moment now. Adam Pearce filled in for him.

Budget cuts have also made it difficult for producers. Joe Hennig (Curtis Axel) and Ariya Daivari haven’t been brought in for work due to the budget cuts. They had been appearing on a probationary basis.

This has caused a lot of strain on producers as the workload is mounting.

Other Notes

Triple H and Stephanie McMahon were not backstage for SmackDown this week. Bruce Prichard returned after spending some time away to recover from surgery.

Tony Khan Provides Update On AEW Star’s Status

Jaychele Nicole
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AEW Founder and Owner Tony Khan took to Twitter to address the status of a popular AEW roster member.

The July 8 episode of AEW Rampage saw Eddie Kingston take on Konosuke Takeshita, featured a major Ring of Honor heel turn, set up a feature championship match, and had a great main event with Tony Nese vs Orange Cassidy.

Tony Khan Claps Back

Last night, following an eventually episode of AEW Rampage, one fan on Twitter responded to one of Khan’s tweets. The fan responded to inquire about the absence of Penelope Ford by claiming that Tony and AEW had “given up on Penelope Ford.”

Tony shut down the claim by providing an update on her status. Khan wrote:

“Not at all, total opposite in fact; she’s a great wrestler, and I can’t wait until she’s medically cleared to come back. She’s been in some classic @AEW matches, and hopefully she’ll be in many more!”

2022 Record

Penelope Ford has competed in two matches in 2022. She is currently 2-0 for the year 2022. Both of her matches took place in January. Her last match took place on January 15, 2022 at a set of AEW Dark tapings. She also competed on the January 14 edition of Rampage when she teamed with The Bunny and Nyla Rose to defeat Kris Statlander, Leyla Hirsch & Red Velvet.

We at SEScoops wish Penelope Ford a healthy and speedy recovery!

Tony Khan Rules out Location for Future AEWxNJPW Forbidden Door Events

Thomas Lowson
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Last month, AEW and New Japan Pro Wrestling hosted their Forbidden Door Pay Per View, which proved to be a hit with fans.

The show saw Jay White retain his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, while Jon Moxley captured the Interim AEW World Championship.

Unsurprisingly, the show’s success has led to talks of subsequent Forbidden Door shows,

Location, Location, Location

Forbidden Door took place at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, despite a ton of talent coming from New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Of course, only one country could host Forbidden Door, and on this occasion, that was the U.S.

While speaking to the New York Post about the future of the show, Tony Khan vowed that despite New Japan’s influence, Forbidden Door will never go overseas.

“The idea of doing an event over there with AEW stars and New Japan stars is very potentially interesting, but if it happens it won’t be Forbidden Door. Forbidden Door is gonna stay in North America. It wouldn’t make sense with the time zones, the revenue.”

Khan has vowed that Forbidden Door will become an annual event.

Exceeding Expectations

It should come as no surprise that Khan is already making plans for a second Forbidden Door Pay Per View.

Speaking on the post-Forbidden Door media scrum, Khan said the show was a financial hit, exceeding over $1.1 million in ticket sales.

Khan also said that surpassing 100,000 Pay Per View buys, which he believes happened, is a success for the show.

What Did Bray Wyatt tell Alexa Bliss Before his WWE Release?

Thomas Lowson
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In July 2021, WWE shocked fans by releasing Bray Wyatt, bringing the three-time former World Champion’s lengthy run with the company to an end.

Since returning as the leader of the Firefly Fun House in 2019, Wyatt had become one of the company’s most popular stars, and that support only grew after the debut of his ‘The Fiend’ alter-ego.

Prior to his release, Wyatt worked closely with Alexa Bliss on-screen, who had been corrupted by his dark character.

Bliss would ultimately turn on Wyatt, costing him his match against Randy Orton at WrestleMania 37, Bray’s most recent match to date.

Bray’s Last Words

After Wyatt was released, many fans got angry at Alexa Bliss, who they accused of having ‘stolen’ The Fiend character from him.

While Bliss did keep using her ‘Dark Alexa’ persona, this wasn’t a dig at Wyatt.

Instead, the former Raw Women’s Champion explained to Metro UK how Wyatt gave her some sage words of wisdom prior to his release (via Wrestling Inc.)

“Before he left, he just said, ‘Keep it alive, keep it going’, so I took that to heart and tried to keep it alive and going.”

Alexa Bliss shares Bray Wyatt’s last words to her,

Bliss has since ditched the ‘Dark Alexa’ persona but still carries Lilly to the ring.

Bray’s Next Move

Bray Wyatt hasn’t wrestled or even appeared for any other company since his WWE release which took place nearly one year ago.

However, Wyatt has said he “often” thinks about his return to wrestling, and has insisted that he’s not done in the ring yet.

Alexa Bliss ‘Didn’t Care’ About The Negative Reaction To Her Dark Persona

Shawn Michaels Explains How Bret Hart Rivalry Turned Into Shoot

Anutosh Bajpai
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Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels is one of the most infamous rivalries of the wrestling world. What started as a kayfabe feud between two of WWE’s top stars, quickly turned into a shoot. It ultimately led to the Montreal Screwjob, which is still talked about to this day.

Michaels recently had an interview with 98.7 ESPN where he opened up about his feud with The Hitman. HBK first claimed that it was not fun for him before admitting that he was very immature at the time:

“Oh, well, I will say this. Going through it was absolutely no fun. Because even in the world of sports entertainment, there’s real life rivalries. Certainly Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels was real both on and off the screen. I was very young and very stupid, very immature. [I] was as cocky as the day is long and that did not get over well. Let’s just put it that way.”

‘Working Ourselves Into A Shoot’: Shawn Michaels

micheals hart

Shawn Michaels then explained how this on-screen feud led to real-life tensions between him and his greatest rival. The former world champion claimed that they were friendly at first. When they started feuding, they decided to make it feel real. However, before they knew it, Michaels and Hart had worked themselves into a shoot:

“So honestly, we started out I would say friendly. We never hung out. But when we were in tag teams, we worked really well with each other, admired one another. Bret and I both felt that one day that we would be able to go singles. I can remember Bret went singles, and I went singles shortly after that. I can remember him telling me one time. He’s like, ‘look, I see you being the guy that I could eventually drop this title to.’

I just think it came sooner than maybe he expected and certainly sooner than I expected. That’s honestly when it happened. It first started out as just sincerely us talking about just trying to make it feel real. It just slowly got to be that way to where I don’t know, I guess both of us were taking jabs that were real but we then started to really be offended by it. It’s a hard thing to describe, we call it working ourselves into a shoot.”

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