One month ago the AEW star was arrested in Orlando Florida for domestic assault on his partner. Atlas was out drinking and asked his partner to come pick him up. At some point in the evening an argument took place between the two and Atlas lashed out, scratching his partner’s face and ripping his tank-top. The story went viral once it broke.
However according to TMZ, the case has been officially dropped and Atlas is free and clear. A statement from the court documents reads, “From the investigation which has been made, it is the opinion of the writer that this case is not suitable for prosecution. The court records show that there was a hearing scheduled for 6/28.”
Atlas has been out of action since signing with AEW back in January due to suffering a torn ACL in his very first match with the company, which was against Adam Cole. He had successful surgery to repair the damage in February.
Prior to signing with AEW Atlas had a run in WWE’s NXT brand, and was a prominent figure on the independent scene before going there. He regularly appeared at the popular indie federation PWG in Los Angeles, as well as numerous other promotions throughout the U.S.
More numbers continue to come out for AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door.
AEW President Tony Khan took to Twitter to thank fans for supporting AEW and NJPW by investing their money into Sunday’s pay-per-view event. He noted they did over $5 million on pay-per-view and put over the show doing over $1 million in ticket sales.
Khan previously stated the show did a 1.1 million gate. Either way, it’s behind the second biggest gate in AEW history behind Double or Nothing 2022. He wrote the following:
“Thank you to everyone, especially wrestling fans around the world, who made last Sunday’s #ForbiddenDoor event a hit, with >$1 million in ticket sales+ >$5 million on ppv! We’re back for Wednesday Night #AEWDynamite on @TBSNetwork @ 8pm ET/7pm CT/8pm PT #BloodAndGuts TOMORROW!”
Khan said in the post-show press conference that early estimates have Forbidden Door at over 100,000 buys on digital pay-per-view. There’s still no word yet on what they did on traditional PPV providers.
Jon Moxley became the interim AEW World Heavyweight Champion when he beat Hiroshi Tanahashi in the main event.
To make it more impressive, the show had a card that was filled with talent that many fans in the United States might not be as familiar with.
A WWE superstar on the Raw brand was involved in a car accident but fans can breathe a sigh of relief.
WWE often presents its talent as being larger than life. Sometimes, fans forget that behind the characters who come across as superheroes and villains are real people who aren’t immune to some scary situations in real life.
That’s what has happened in the case of one current Raw star and thankfully, she is okay.
Dana Brooke’s Car Accident
(Photo: WWE)
Dana Brooke, the current WWE 24/7 Champion, took to social media to reveal that she was involved in a “bad car accident.”
“The reason why I was not on RAW last night was bc I got into a bad car accident the past week.”
– Dana Brooke
The good news is she says she’s doing well and expects to be back in the ring soon.
Much ?? to the #wweuniverse for the support & love, standing up for me! The reason why I was not on RAW last night was bc I got into a bad car accident the past week, I am doing good & will be back in no time! I really appreciate the love & couldn’t ask for better Fan support ??
Dana Brooke has become a regular on WWE TV with her 24/7 segments. She along with Akira Tozawa, Reggie, R-Truth, and Tamina have essentially taken over the WWE 24/7 Title picture.
As mentioned in her Twitter post, the car accident is to blame for Dana missing the June 27 episode of Monday Night Raw in Laredo, Texas. This edition of Raw celebrated the 20th anniversary of John Cena.
We’ll keep you posted on this situation when more details become available.
Kurt Angle does not feel WWE fully appreciates his contributions to the industry, but he thinks he knows why that is.
Angle is the only man to have won the WWE Championship, the (retired) WWE World Heavyweight Championship, the WCW Championship, the TNA World Heavyweight Championship and the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
Kurt has held the WWE Championship four times, the WCW Championship once, and the World Heavyweight Championship once. Angle is the tenth Triple Crown Champion and the fifth Grand Slam Champion.
He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on March 31, 2017. His retirement match, a losing effort against Baron Corbin, took place at WrestleMania 35 in 2019.
Lack of Recognition
Kurt Angle spoke with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston earlier this week. During their discussion, Angle explained why he believes WWE does not give him the red carpet treatment reserve for stars like Steve Austin, The Rock, John Cena and Shawn Michaels.
“No I don’t [get the recognition he deserves], but there’s a reason for that. I left the company high and dry in 2006, and didn’t come back for 11 years. When you leave a company like that, and they wanted me to stay, you’re going to pay the price eventually.”
During his 11-year hiatus from WWE, Kurt Angle “crossed the line” and became a franchise star for rival organization, TNA Wrestling (Impact Wrestling).
“So, I was in TNA longer than I was in WWE,” he continued. “I think that that has a bearing on it as well. So, I feel like even though I’m a WWE product, it’s where I started, it’s where I ended, I think the WWE looks at me as a TNA product. And I think that’s the reason why.”
Kurt’s first run in WWE lasted for 8 years. Angle was on the TNA/Impact Wrestling roster for ten years, making his original WWE run shorter. Angle had been on somewhat of a legends run from 2018-2019. During this run, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame, was RAW General Manager, teamed up with The Shield, and had his retirement match against Baron Corbin.
Highlight-Reel Moments
“For my first two world titles I beat The Rock and I beat ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin. So, those are two formidable names. It is surprising I’m not in a lot of the highlight reels. Like I told you, there’s nothing I can do about it,” he added.
Watch Kurt Angle’s discussion with Steve Fall:
If you use the quotes above, please credit the original course with a h/t and link back to SEScoops for the transcription.
WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T would “love” to see Paige in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) if she doesn’t return for WWE.
The two-time WWE Hall Of Famer recently took to his podcast, “The Hall Of Fame,” to offer his thoughts on Paige’s pending WWE departure and where he’d like to see her end up.
If she doesn’t ultimately return to WWE, Booker would love to see her in AEW.
“Yeah, I would. I would love to see Paige on a big stage if she’s going to do it here. If she’s not going to be in WWE, definitely, I could see Paige doing some really, really good stuff there [AEW], I really can. … I don’t look at Sasha the way I look at Paige, I look at those two totally different.”
Paige signed with WWE in 2011 and had a big impact on the women’s evolution within the company. She’s a two-time Divas Champion and a former NXT Women’s Champion. However, unfortunately, the 29-year-old’s career has bee plagued by injuries.
She has been out-of-action for the past several years due to not being medically cleared to compete, but still under contract with WWE.
Paige was used for a few non-physical roles on WWE TV, such as a manager and General Manager, but those soon fizzled out.
Now, Paige has already booked her first non-WWE appearance following her contract expiring in July. It’s not certain where she’ll ultimately end up, but wherever it is, Booker T is a firm believer that Paige is a star, and has all the makings to be huge for whoever signs her.
“She’s a star, bonafide. Just that smile alone, I am serious, dog, that little dimple in between her chin … She’s money, so she could definitely make impact.”
Kevin Owens was noticeably absent from last night’s episode of WWE Monday Night RAW.
Owens was scheduled and advertised for the show, as he was to face off against one of the three brothers; Ezekiel, Elias, or Elrod in a Money In The Bank qualifying match. However, the match never happened, with the commentary team noting that it had to be “rescheduled.”
Instead, WWE held a Battle Royal, where the winner would qualify for the Men’s Money In The Bank Ladder match, which was won by Riddle.
With that being said, the match likely needed to be rescheduled as Owens wasn’t on the program at all, while Ezekiel did make a backstage appearance with John Cena.
Wrestling Observer Radio‘s Dave Meltzer noted that, whatever the situation is with Owens, it’s “minor.”
Meltzer didn’t check if Owens would be ready to go Friday Night on SmackDown, but he wasn’t ready to go Monday night, but it was “nothing serious.”
Kevin Owens did take to Twitter to acknowledge his absence, saying he didn’t go because he didn’t want to go to Texas, where the show was taking place.
This was a reference to his story line with Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania 38 earlier this year, where Austin defeated Owens in an impromptu No Holds Barred match – Austin’s first match in over 17 years.
John Cena made a triumphant return to WWE television on Monday’s edition of Raw. Cena was on hand to commemorate the 20th anniversary of his debut. As he put it on Raw, his 20th “Birthday” with WWE.
Cena has been a divisive figure throughout the majority of his WWE run. Cena has been polarizing, with some fans loving him and some fans rejecting him as the squeaky-clean, almost corny, hand-picked corporate champion.
On Raw, it was nothing but love. Cena gave an impassioned speech about how much the support from fans as meant to him. The main theme of his address is that we’re all in this together. Everything he’s accomplished has been with the support of the WWE Universe. His accomplishments are OUR accomplishments.
Cena said he haven’t seen the last of him, but he’s not sure when he’ll be back in a WWE ring. It’s been rumored that Cena will return at SummerSlam to battle Theory. The two had a brief interaction backstage:
On Tuesday, Cena posted a message on social media expressing his gratitude. Cena says he’s “overwhelmed” by all the outreach he’s received from people recognizing his milestone.
Overwhelmed with ALL the messages thru this month. Being at #WWERaw last night gave me an opportunity to show you how much YOU mean to me. Thank you @WWE for every chance you’ve taken on me, so I will continue to always give my best for my home, for my family, for US.
WWE’s Cena tribute edition of Raw featured video clips of Cena’s greatest rivals touting as a leader not only in the professional sense, but also as a man and role model. We even saw cameos from AEW talent, including Chris Jericho, Bryan Danielson and Paul Wight.
Click here for details on how the “AEW stars appear on Raw” situation came about.
Watch John Cena’s address to the WWE Universe on Monday’s Raw right here:
There’s an update on Jon Moxley’s status following Forbidden Door.
Moxley went one-on-one with NJPW’s “Ace” Hiroshi Tanahashi on June 26. The match was contested for the interim AEW World Championship. In the end, it was Moxley who scored the win to capture the interim gold.
When the PPV went off the air, Moxley told fans inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois that he may have had a concussion.
Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer is reporting that Jon Moxley does not have a concussion.
The report notes that Moxley saying he has a concussion was becoming a bit of a shtick with him after a bloody match but he’s likely going to stop doing it so people don’t get worried.
Injuries have derailed a ton of plans for AEW, so this latest bit of news surely comes as a sigh of relief to fans and those within the company.
Moxley is scheduled to compete at Blood & Guts on the June 29 episode of AEW Dynamite.
When Shayna Baszler made the transition from MMA to wrestling, she didn’t have very high hopes of joining WWE. It was before the Women’s Revolution and the company wasn’t interested in signing competitors like her. The indie scene in US was also popularized by high-flying wrestlers. Her old-school style was not what fans looked for and at first, Baszler didn’t feel very good about her chances.
The former NXT women’s champion recently recalled this time during her appearance on Out of Character. She mentioned how the first time she felt confident was in Japan because the people there loved her style.
She still had a tryout with WWE before the inaugural Mae Young Classic. Though after not hearing back from officials for six months, Shayna had given up the hope of ever signing with the company. This is when the unexpected happened:
‘I’ll Probably Never Get Signed’
“I had my tryout, didn’t hear anything back. I went to Japan and I remember, we had gone on a dojo I was with. We had gone on a vacation.” recalled Shayna Baszler, “I was sitting in a hot tub at this spa. I remember being like, ‘You know what? This is pretty awesome. I’ll probably never get signed.’ I haven’t heard back from them.
She continued: “This is cool though. I’m traveling all over the world and I was like, ‘This is awesome. I’m living a pretty sweet life.’ So I had kind of like decided ‘Okay I did it, it’s not a big deal [that] I didn’t make it’ Then almost within the week that I got home from Japan, I got a call about the Mae Young Classic. So [it’s] kind of wild.”
This past weekend, various wrestling promotions hosted Friday, Saturday & Sunday night shows.
Blitzkrieg! Pro, Sean Henderson Presents, DEFY Wrestling, House of Glory, National Wrestling Alliance, STARDOM, H2O Wrestling, NJPW, ICW No Holds Barred, Xtreme Pro Wrestling, Women’s Wrestling Revolution, and Warrior Wrestling all presented events on June 27.
We have compiled results for the independent shows below along with ways to stream them, if possible.
6/24
Blitzkrieg! Pro
Blitzkrieg! Pro hosted its 4th Annual Luau event in Enfield, Connecticut The event took place on June 24 at Old Country Banquet Hall. The event aired on IWTV.
B!P The 4th Annual Luau Results (6/24)
The CDC (Devantes & Juba) def. Locked And Loaded (50 Cal & Dan Barry)
Bobby Orlando def. Allie Katch
Dog Collar Match: Kirby Wackerman def. Bryce Donovan
The Haven (Jay Onyx & Shawn Knyte) def. A Message To You (Leary & Perry Von Vicious)
Anthony Greene def. Dirty Dango
Fans Bring Pool Toys: Logan Black def. Chris Benne (w/ Alex Cypher)
B!P Tag Team Championships: MSP (Aiden Aggro & The DangerKid) (c) def. Miracle Generation (Dustin Waller & Kylon King)
B!P Bedlam Championship: VSK (c) def. Alec Price
B!P Bedlam Championship #1 Contendership Ten Way Scramble Match: CPA def. Andy Brown, Angelo Carter, Evil Kip, Ichiban, Jeff Cannonball, Manders, Riley Shepard, Sammy Diaz & Travis Huckabee
Sean Henderson Presents hosted its I’d Do Anything event in Williamstown, New Jersey. The event took place on June 24 at H2O Wrestling Center. The event aired on IWTV.
SHP I’d Do Anything Results (6/24)
Marcus Mathers def. Reid Walker
Hardcore Match: Deklan Grant def. Chris Bradley
Cole Radrick & Jimmy Lloyd def. Dyln McKay & Ryan Radix
NWA Rules: Colby Corino def. Joel Bateman by referee’s decision
Death Match: Otis Cogar def. Louie Ramos
Scramble Match: Stan Stylez def. Casey Carrington and Mouse and Nick Grande and Riley Rose and Ryan Redfield
Giulia and Mai Sakurai dominate Utami, while @_Maika0324 uses all that power to hold back Kamitani AND AZM, from earlier today in Kyoto! pic.twitter.com/qoEfzjWwv4
H2O Wrestling hosted a two-part 6 F’N Years event. The event in Williamstown, New Jersey. The first event took place on June 25 at H2O Wrestling Center. The event aired on IWTV.
H2O 6 F’N Years – Night One Results (6/25)
H2O World Championship Match: Colby Corino defeated Deklan Grant (c)
Death Match: Matt Tremont vs. EFFY ended in a no contest
H2O Hybrid Championship Match: Billie Starkz defeated Adonis Valerio (c), Reid Walker, Steve Sanders, and Dyln McKay
Alex Stretch & Anthraxx defeated Kennedi Copeland & Mouse
Mitch Valley defeated Jeff Cannonball
H2O Danny Havoc Hardcore Championship: Lucky 13 (c) defeated Bam Sullivan and Cole Radrick
Fans Bring The Weapons Match: Jimmy Lyon Chondo & Mickie Knuckles defeated Chris Bradley & Kristian Ross
NJPW aired their newest episode of NJPW Strong on June 25 on NJPW World. The tapings took place on May 15 as a part of the NJPW STRONG Collision tapings.
NJPW STRONG Results
David Finlay defeated Danny Limelight
Minoru Suzuki defeated Tony Deppen
STRONG Openweight Championship: Fred Rosser defeated Tom Lawlor (c)
Rosser fights back with a massive Tombstone on the concrete floor!
Xtreme Pro Wrestling hosted its Beautiful Disaster Event in Pomona, California. The event took place on June 25 at The Derby Room. The event aired on FITE TV.
XPW Women’s Championship Tournament First Round: Sage Sin Supreme def. Chelsea Green
XPW Women’s Championship Tournament First Round: Taya Valkyrie def. Steph De Lander
XPW Women’s Championship Tournament Final – Ladder Match: Taya Valkyrie def. Kamille Brickhouse and Ludark Shaitan and Sage Sin Supreme to win the vacant title.
XPW King Of The Death Matches Championship #1 Contendership Death Match: Alex Colon def. Ciclope
Death Match: MASADA def. Miedo Extremo
XPW King Of The Death Matches Championship: SHLAK (c) def. Big Joe
Women’s Wrestling Revolution hosted its Aces High event in Worcester, Massachusetts. The event took place on June 26 at White Eagle. The event aired on IWTV.
WWR+ Aces High Results (6/26)
Armani Kayos def. Gal Barkay
Willow Nightingale def. Little Mean Kathleen
Davienne def. Paris Van Dale
Ashley D’Amboise def. Tiara James
The Administration (Damian Adams, Pedro Dones & Tina San Antonio) def. Clara Carreras & The Hispanic Mechanics (Jos A & Jos B)
H2O Wrestling hosted a two-part 6 F’N Years event. The event in Williamstown, New Jersey. The second event took place on June 26 at H2O Wrestling Center. The event aired on IWTV.
H2O 6 F’N Years – Night Two Results (6/26)
Three Way Match: Anthraxx def. Bam Sullivan and Ron Mathis
Three Way Tag Match for the H2O Tag Team Championships: The End Game (Darien Hardway & Leroy Robinson) (c) def. Kaos Control (Cecilio Vega & Rocket) and WTF (Bruce Grey & Tyler Voxx) to retain the H2O Tag Team Championships
Mouse defeats Aiden Baal
Four Way Death Match: Brandon Kirk def. Cole Radrick, Drew Blood and Jimmy Lloyd
Death Match: Joel Bateman def. Louie Ramos
Death Match: Mickie Knuckles def. Jess Moss
H2O Hybrid Championship Match: Reid Walker def. Billie Starkz (c) to become the new H2O Hybrid Champion
Anything Goes Match: Matt Tremont def. Deklan Grant
Last Man Standing Match: GG Everson def. Chuck Payne
Warrior Wrestling hosted its Warrior Wrestling 24 event in Chicago, Illinois. The event took place on June 26 at the Malcolm X College. The event aired on FITE TV.
Warrior Wrestling 24 Results (6/26)
Miranda Alize def. Heather Reckless
Mike Bennett def. Beast Man
Six-Way Lucha Scramble Match For The Warrior Wrestling Lucha Medallion: Gringo Loco def. Ninja Mack, Alpha Wolf, Dragon Bane, Golden Dragon and ASF
Frank The Clown interrupted Denise Salcedo, who was set to crown a Homecoming King and Queen. Maria Kanellis made the save.
Davey Richards def. ‘Filthy’ Tom Lawlor
Zachary Wentz, Myron Reed & Dante Leon def. Blake Christian, Nick Wayne & Fuego del Sol
Warrior Wrestling Championship: KC Navarro (c) def. Brian Pillman Jr
Forbidden Door has been the trending topic of discussion among fans the last few days. Xavier Woods has now used it to retrieve the UpUpDownDown Championship from a released WWE superstar.
Tyler Breeze had held the YouTube brand’s top title for over 500 days until last year. However, Mia Yim defeated him in April 2021.
The gaming channel then went through an inactive phase. The content creators of the channel went on a strike in solidarity with Woods to get him a better deal for running the whole operation.
Unfortunately for the brand, it was during this time that many of their regulars were released from their WWE contracts due to budget cuts. This included Yim.
Xavier Woods announced the return of UUDD in May this year but the status of the championship remained in question.
Finally yesterday the New Day member noted that he had been trying to get through the Forbidden Door to retrieve the belt. Now Shayna Baszler has gotten the job done:
Woods and company are set to hold a tournament to crown a new UUDD champion on July 2. Baszler has earned herself a spot in it by getting the belt back.
This isn’t the only time the Forbidden Door has been opened by WWE this week. A number of AEW stars appeared on Monday’s Raw. You can check out the reason behind it here.
Many expected Miro to be presented as a monster from day 1 on the AEW roster. However, it wasn’t the case and the former WWE star debuted as The Best Man for Kip Sabian. This idea didn’t sit well with many fans.
Speaking about his disappointing AEW debut, Miro admitted that he knew that his initial gimmick wasn’t who he really was. He claimed that he gave Tony Khan a discount because the AEW president was signing him based on his Twitch persona:
“I gave Tony Khan a discount. I gave him a discount and said, ‘Tony, I will sign for this money because it’s the pandemic, but after that year and a half, we’re coming strong.’
I knew that he was signing the wrong guy. He was signing the Twitch guy.” said Miro, “He’s basing his opinions on my Twitch and that’s where the whole thing with Kip started. I knew that wasn’t me. That’s just not who I am.”
Though the former US champion has since broken out of that image. He has proven himself to be a worthy main eventer and signed a new deal with AEW for more money.
Speaking about his decision to re-sign, Miro said that AEW is a place where you can be creatively free. He explained that the freedom Khan allows him played a big part in his call to continue with the company.
The Hardy Boyz, Edge & Christian, and The Dudley Boyz all made history when they competed in the first-ever Tables, Ladders and Chairs match during the SummerSlam 2000 event.
However, even though all three of these teams put their bodies on the line in this extreme bout, they were paid very little for their effort.
Hall of Famer Mick Foley, who was serving as the on-screen commissioner for WWE at the time recently revealed how much the three teams were paid for the match:
“I was still one of the guys. They fully understood that I wasn’t the commissioner, I’m not actually [in the] office, and I said, ‘How bad was it?’
And when they said $10,000, I was like, ‘You got $10,000 for that?’” recalled Mick Foley, “So I went to Jim [Ross, Head of Talent Relations at the time] on their behalf and petitioned for more money.”
The Hardcore Star revealed that he mentioned the match between The Undertaker and Big Boss Man to Ross. He protested against the fact that Taker made much more for the bout that wasn’t as good.
According to Foley, it felt ‘like a slap’ in the face of the three teams to be paid so little for their hard work. His petition did get them bumped up from there.
This week’s episode of WWE Raw is history but did anything go down after the show?
The June 27 edition of Monday Night Raw was a special one. John Cena made his return to a WWE ring in Laredo, Texas. He was in several segments backstage and cut one heck of a promo when he addressed the WWE Universe.
Fans also got to witness two qualifying matches for Money in the Bank. Riddle has been added to the men’s MITB, while Becky Lynch earned her spot in the women’s ladder match.
Following The Broadcast
There was no post-event dark match. After the show, Becky Lynch addressed the WWE Universe, posed,and was taking selfies with some fans in the crowd.
Logan Paul is slated to make his in-ring return soon as The Miz stated during tonight’s Raw that he and Paul were returning as a team at SummerSlam.
The Miz cut a promo where he talked about how he was the one who set up pictures of Paul training and at SummerSlam, it would be him and Paul returning together. Kevin Patrick, who conducted the interview, brought up that it was The Miz who laid out Paul after their tag team match at WrestleMania 38 back in April.
The Miz said they talked after the match and how Paul understood that it was simply a teaching moment, and seemingly smoothed things over. Following the interview, Miz worked a singles match where he lost to AJ Styles.
This bout was said up earlier in the evening when Miz grabbed Styles’ leg, yanking him off the apron and eliminating him in a last chance Money in the Bank qualifier battle royal.
Paul recently posted photos of himself training and tagging WWE on Twitter:
As advertised, John Cena made his return to Monday Night Raw this week to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his main roster in-ring debut against Kurt Angle on a 2002 episode of SmackDown.
The segment saw Vince McMahon introduce him. Cena cut a promo about how it’s his WWE birthday. He said he is someone who does not celebrate milestones because he wants to look forward. Tonight is different though because it’s about the fans as it means they let him do this for two decades.
He said WWE has prepared him for anything due to the reactions from the fans and they made him a better human being. He said he doesn’t know when the fans will see him again in the ring. Cena said that everything he does he has the fans with him and it’s about “us.” He said if you want some come get some then left the ring.
"For 20 years, you have created an environment for me to be my true self. You've also been brave enough to tell me when I suck and you've also been kind enough to tell me when I don't."@JohnCena#WWERawpic.twitter.com/h6y2jp1dAb
"Anything I do outside of this is never JUST me. It's about US coming together. This is all about WE. You have made me who I am today."@JohnCena#WWERawpic.twitter.com/tbHDt67e3S
Cena made his previous return at the WWE Money in the Bank pay-per-view event last year, which led to Cena losing to Reigns at SummerSlam.
Despite speculation of this appearance setting up a match at SummerSlam against Theory, it didn’t happen tonight. However, they did have a confrontation backstage earlier in the broadcast.
Three AEW stars made appearances via video on this week’s WWE Monday Night Raw including Chris Jericho, Bryan Danielson, and Paul Wight.
Danielson was billed as Daniel Bryan, Paul Wight as Big Show. This was done to help celebrate John Cena’s 20 years in WWE as he made his main roster in-ring debut in 2002 on an episode of SmackDown against Kurt Angle.
Cena made his first appearance on Raw since last year’s SummerSlam where he lost to Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
Fightful reports the situation was very straightforward in making it happen as the idea was pitched and signed off on so WWE contacted AEW founder Tony Khan in order to see if he’d be okay with it.
Because of the circumstances, Khan was said to be okay with the videos and provided approval. One WWE source said they were able to land virtually everyone they hoped to for the “congrats” videos.
Since All Elite Wrestling launched in 2019, these types of instances have been few and far between. Most notably, Jericho appeared on Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions show on Peacock last year.
Could a new member be making his way to The Judgment Day?
Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley made waves when they turned on Edge in order to align themselves with Finn Balor. All three of them kicked Edge out of the group he created.
Ever since Priest laid out Edge with a Conchairto, the “Rated-R Superstar” hasn’t been seen on WWE TV.
While Balor, Priest, and Rhea appear to be formidable on their own, they may be adding a new member.
Money In The Bank will always be a piece of WWE’s history. 2022 brings the 13th edition of MITB as a standalone show.
A newer piece of said history is that of the few women’s Money In The Bank matches we’ve seen. Due to the women’s revolution, the female performers in WWE got the opportunity to fight for the Money In The Bank contract like men.
So far, there have been six Women’s Money In The Bank matches, all but one being on under the pay-per-view titled after the match. Charlotte Flair has been included in 3/5 of the cash-ins with Carmella, Bayley, and Nikki A.S.H. cashing in on Charlotte. Natalya has been in the most matches with her participating in 5/6 of the Women’s Money In The Bank matches.
Throughout the years, the women’s MITB match has always been one that many look forward to. Sadly, fans have come to not expect much of the run that the winner would have with the briefcase.
Carmella is the only woman to hold the briefcase for more than one day. Carmella held the briefcase longer than Alexa Bliss, Bayley, Asuka, and Nikki A.S.H. with both of her reigns with the case being more than a day. The briefcase and the contract inside of it can do many things to help boost the character and star power of the person holding it. We even saw this in the case of Carmella, but stars like Big E, Dolph Ziggler, Sheamus, and other have benefitted from their time with the contract immensely.
Women’s Money In The Bank Reigns
Women’s MITB #1 & 2: Carmella (2 Days & 287 Days)
Carmella is the first, and somehow second, Women’s Money In The Bank match winner. The first-ever Women’s Money In The Bank match took place at Money In The Bank 2017. In the infamous match, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Natalya, Tamina and Carmella competed for the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship Money In The Bank contract. Carmella became the inaugural WWE Women’s Money In The Bank winner because James Ellsworth retrieved the briefcase for Carmella and dropped it to her.
Carmella was stripped of the briefcase because of the interference. A rematch was scheduled for two days later on the June 27, 2017 episode of SmackDown Live. Carmella won the match herself this time. She held the contract for 287 days, which is the longest of any wrestler, male or female, to hold the contract. Carmella would go on to cash in her contract on Charlotte Flair. This would lead to Carmella becoming the SmackDown Women’s Champion on the April 10, 2018 episode of SmackDown.
Women’s MITB #3: Alexa Bliss (1 Hour, 10 Minutes)
Alexa Bliss is the third Women’s Money In The Bank match winner. Alexa won the Women’s Money In The Bank match at Money In The Bank 2018. She defeated Ember Moon, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Natalya, Lana, Naomi, and Sasha Banks to get the contract. The match included stars from both brands, so the winner would be able to cash-in on the champion of their own brand. This started the trend of allowing stars of different brands to fight for the same MITB contract.
Alexa was the first woman to cash in the briefcase on the same day she won it. Later in the night, Nia Jax was defending the RAW Women’s Championship against Ronda Rousey, when Bliss decided to make her move. Bliss attacked both women before cashing in. This cash in lead to a SummerSlam 2018 match with Bliss and Rousey.
Women’s MITB #4: Bayley (39 Minutes)
Bayley was the fourth Women’s Money In The Bank match winner. She won the Women’s Money In The Bank match at Money In The Bank 2019. In the match were the following: Natalya, Dana Brooke, Naomi, Nikki Cross, Mandy Rose, Ember Moon, Carmella, and Bayley.
Bayley cashed in her Money In The Bank contract only 39 minutes later. She attacked Charlotte Flair who had just won the SmackDown Women’s Title from Becky Lynch seconds before. This victory over Charlotte came after she hit the elbow drop on her to win her first SmackDown Women’s Championship.
Women’s MITB #5: Asuka (1 Day)
Asuka became the fifth Women’s Money In The Bank contract winner at the Money In The Bank 2020 pay-per-view. She defeated Shayna Baszler, Nia Jax, Dana Brooke, Lacey Evans, and Carmella to win the contract.
Asuka was the one of the winners of the most unique Money In the Bank match ever. Due to COVID-19, WWE was forced to get creative with what 2020’s Money In The Bank matches would look like. The company decided to hold the women’s and men’s ladder matches simultaneously at the WWE HQ in Stamford, CT. The rest of the matches on the show took place at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
The next night on RAW, the Raw Women’s Champion, Becky Lynch, came out with the women’s Money in the Bank briefcase and announced that she was going on hiatus. Asuka came out very confused after Becky’s announcement. Lynch stated that by Asuka winning the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match, she had actually won the Raw Women’s Championship. The RAW Women’s Championship belt was inside of the MITB briefcase. Lynch then revealed that she was going on hiatus because she was pregnant. Due to this, Asuka became WWE’s second Women’s Grand Slam Champion and third Women’s Triple Crown Champion.
Women’s MITB #6: Nikki A.S.H. (1 Day)
Nikki A.S.H is the sixth Women’s Money In The Bank match winner. She won the Women’s Money In The Bank match at Money In The Bank 2021. In the match were the following: Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Liv Morgan, Naomi, Natalya, Tamina, Zelina Vega, and Nikki A.S.H. Money in the Bank was the first WWE pay-per-view with a full crowd following the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the PPV, Charlotte Flair defeated Rhea Ripley for the Raw Women’s Championship. The following night on RAW, a rematch between the two women for the title was scheduled to take place that same night. The match ended after Charlotte was disqualified, but Ripley still hit the Riptide on Flair after the match.
The lead to Nikki A.S.H. running down to the ring and cashing in her Money in the Bank contract and defeating Flair to win the Raw Women’s Championship.The next week, it was announced that Nikki was going to defend the title against Flair and Ripley in a triple threat match at SummerSlam. Nikki went on to have an infamous title reign where she lost constantly and only held the title for 33 days.
Men Vs. Women MITB Statistics
If you were to run the statistics, on average, male Money In The Bank contract winners hold their briefcase for almost two times as long as the female contact winners do. Honestly, these statistics are a bit wonky due to a few of the women’s contract reigns lasting hours, not even days. If you were to find the average of the reigns of the last six Men’s Money In The Bank contract winners, it would come to 92 days. On the other hand, the average of the reigns of the last six Women’s Money In The Bank contract winners comes to 48 days. The statistics of the Women’s contract reigns are heavily supported by the lengthy reign of Carmella.
It is yet another indictment of how the women’s division is treated by creative that all but one women’s Money In the Bank contract cashed their briefcase within a day. It is an obvious sign of the amount of investment that is put into not only the title reigns within the division, but also the women in general. Many of the women heading into this year’s Women’s Money In The Bank match are deserving of holding the briefcase for more than just one day.
As of right now, there are still two spots remaining in the Women’s Money In The Bank match this year. So far, Lacey Evans, Raquel Rodriguez, Liv Morgan, Alexa Bliss, Asuka and Shotzi have qualified to compete in the match. Two of these stars have already won the MITB contract, so many are hopeful one of the newer talents will win. Liv Morgan seems to be the fan-favorite heading into the match. Liv, for example, is one of the talents who could really benefit from the elevation that the MITB contract can tend to bring.
WWE RAW airs live tonight from the Sames Auto Arena in Laredo, Texas. John Cena is scheduled to make his return to WWE to celebrate his 20th Anniversary with the promotion. Kevin Owens vs. Ezekiel was scheduled for tonight but it was postponed. In addition to the takeaways below, Cody Rhodes was interviewed in his gym and he said Money in the Bank will be bittersweet for him this year.
Riddle won a Battle Royal to qualify for the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match
Montez Ford def. Jey Uso
AJ Styles def. The Miz via count out
Liv Morgan def. Alexa Bliss
Lashley def. American Alpha in a Handicap match
Becky Lynch def. Xia Li, Doudrop, Nikki A.S.H., Shayna Baszler, and Tamina Snuka to qualify for the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match
Share your thoughts in the comment section below and refresh the page during RAW for live updates!
John Cena Arrives
John Cena was shown getting a round of applause backstage and he shook every superstar’s hand. Cena turned down a drink from the Street Profits and shared a moment with Ziggler. Cena hugged Michael Cole, Adam Pearce, and even shook The Miz’s hand.
Riddle Won A Battle Royal To Qualify For Money in the Bank
A Battle Royal kicked off the show to determine the final superstar in the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match. Veer Mahaan sent Akira Tozawa over the top rope for the first elimination. Veer then eliminated Shelton Benjamin before The Mysterios attacked him from behind.
Mustafa Ali hit Veer with a Dropkick and the Mysterios followed it up with a double 619. Ali and The Mysterios sent Veer over the top rope for the elimination. Shanky and Jinder Mahal eliminated R-Truth. Mahal then turned his back on Shanky and eliminated him. AJ Styles Clotheslined Mahal over the top rope to the former WWE Champion. T-Bar sent Reggie flying out of the ring for an elimination as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Rey Mysterio and Ziggler battled to the apron. The Miz tried to boot Rey to the floor but Mysterio blocked it. Rey brought Miz to the apron and launched Rey to the floor for the elimination. Ziggler and Miz tried to eliminate Riddle but he managed to hang onto the ropes.
Ricochet and T-Bar battled on the apron. T-Bar threw him off but Ricochet landed on a ladder. Ricochet hopped back on the apron and eliminated T-Bar with a Hurricanrana to the floor as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, AJ Styles eliminated Ricochet and Nakamura. It was just down to Styles & Riddle. AJ connected with an Enziguri and set up for the Phenomenal Forearm. The Miz wasn’t eliminated and snuck up from behind to eliminate AJ. Riddle caught Miz with a DDT and went for the RKO but Miz blocked it. The Miz planted Riddle with the Skull Crushing Finale and went for a Clothesline but Riddle dragged him over the top rope.
The two superstars were now battling on the apron for the final spot in the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match. The Miz charged and Riddle planted him with an RKO. The Miz fell to the floor and Riddle won the Battle Royal. Riddle is now in the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match. It should be noted that Riddle cannot get another title match against Roman Reigns as long as he is champion, as that was the stipulation for their title match a couple weeks ago on SmackDown.
Jey Uso battled Montez Ford tonight on RAW. The Usos will be defending the Undisputed Tag Team Championships against Street Profits at Money in the Bank. Jey tripped Montez up on the ring apron and sent him into the steel steps as RAW went to a break.
When RAW returned, Ford connected with an Enziguri but Jey stayed on his feet. Montez took him down with a Clothesline and followed it up with a standing Moonsault for a near fall. Montez connected with a slam and hit a giant Frog Splash for the pinfall victory.
Backstage, The Judgement Day ran into Dominik & Rey Mysterio. Damian Priest and Finn Balor wanted Dominik to join the faction and leave his father behind.
Kevin Patrick brought The Miz down to the ring to react to pictures of Logan Paul training. The Miz was wearing the same gear as he wore at WrestleMania. The Miz teamed with Logan Paul at WrestleMania but hit him with a Skull Crushing Finale after their victory.
Miz boasted about being on the Today Show and promoted his reality TV show Miz & Mrs. The Miz claimed that the Skull Crushing Finale was a lesson to Logan Paul and he understood that. Miz suggested that the duo could become WWE Tag Team Champions. Miz announced that he will team with Logan Paul again at WWE SummerSlam. AJ Styles made his way to the ring and leveled The Miz with a punch as RAW went to a break.
Styles then battled Miz in a singles match when RAW returned. AJ dominated the action early and kept The Miz on the mat. Miz battled back and caught Styles with a running kick to the face. Miz followed it up with a double axehandle off the top rope for a two count before applying a headlock. AJ escaped and threw Miz out of the ring as RAW went to a break.When RAW returned, Styles connected with a Brainbuster and set up for the Phenomenal Forearm but Miz rolled out of the ring. The Miz went backstage and the match ended in a count out.
RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair and Carmella had a face-to-face before their title match at Money in the Bank. Bianca claimed that Carmella has the potential to be great but she is too insecure. Belair vowed to win the match at Money in the Bank before Carmella’s music hit. She said that if she doesn’t get the respect she deserves, she will take it at Money in the Bank. Carmella vowed to win and said, “Mella is Money”. Carmella went for a sneak attack but Belair slammed her down to the mat. Carmella retreated to end the segment.
Alexa Bliss battled Liv Morgan tonight on RAW. Asuka joined commentary for the match. Alexa connected with a Moonsault early but both superstars caught each other with a Clothesline at the same time and fell to the mat.
Bliss connected with a Jawbreaker but Liv battled back with a Dropkick. Alexa tripped her up and pointed at the Money in the Bank briefcase. Bliss was about to hit a DDT but Liv countered into a roll-up for the pinfall victory.
John Cena Returned To Thank The Fans, Vince McMahon Appears
Vince McMahon made his way to the ring as RAW went to a commercial break. When RAW returned, Vince McMahon introduced John Cena to a big pop from the crowd. Cena made his way to the ring as the locker room applauded him on the entrance ramp.
John Cena came to the ring in his new merchandise and said today is his WWE birthday. Cena claimed that he couldn’t think of a better place to have his birthday. John thanked the fans for allowing him to do this for two decades and for being brave enough to tell him when he has sucked. The crowd chanted “thank you Cena!” and he thanked them again for making him who he is.
John said that he doesn’t know when he will come back but when he does, it won’t just be for one match. Cena told fans to speak their mind and say when something sucks. John closed the promo by saying “we are just getting started” and exited the ring. John posed for the crowd on the entrance ramp before making his way backstage.
Cena also interacting with several superstars backstage during the show. Seth Rollins caught up to John and cackled at him to the tune of Cena’s theme song. Omos and MVP appeared from behind and stared at Rollins. Omos and Rollins will compete in the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match this Saturday.
Several WWE legends including Stone Cold Steve Austin and Randy Orton sent in messages for John Cena that aired throughout the show. AEW stars Chris Jericho, Paul Wight (Big Show) and Bryan Danielson (Daniel Bryan) also appeared during the broadcast to send a message to Cena.
Lashley Won A Handicap Match & Sent A Message To Theory
Bobby Lashley faced Alpha Academy in a Handicap match. United States Champion Theory was the “special ring enforcer” and spent the beginning of the match distracting Lashley. Gable hit Theory with a Senton and Otis followed it up with a Splash as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Lashley knocked Otis out of the ring but Gable tripped him up from behind. Chad climbed to the top rope but Lashley caught him with a punch to the face. Otis planted Lashley with a Powerbomb and Gable followed it up with a Moonsault for a near fall.
Theory started pacing around the ring as Lashley battled back. Bobby booted Gable out of the ring and battled with Otis in the corner. Otis climbed to the top rope but Lashley got him up in the Electric Chair. Gable got into the ring and Lashley applied the Hurt Lock for the submission victory.
After the match, Theory attacked Lashley and beat him down. American Alpha joined in on the beatdown and Theory went for a selfie. Lashley booted him away and leveled Gable with a Spear. Bobby was about to hit Theory with a Spear but the United States Champion escaped out of the ring.
Becky Lynch, Xia Li, Doudrop, Nikki A.S.H., Shayna Baszler, and Tamina Snuka competed in a Last Chance qualifying match.
Becky Lynch eliminated Xia Li with the Man-Handle Slam early. Nikk rolled up Becky for a two count and Lynch countered into a Dis-Arm-Her for the submission elimination. Becky sent Shayna into the barricade with an Exploder Suplex.
Doudrop leveled her with a shoulder tackle and rolled Shayna into the ring. They all battled in the corner for and hit a Tower of Doom Spot. Doudrop Powerbombed Becky and Shayna as they delivered a Superplex to Tamina. Shayna got Doudrop in the Kirifuda Clutch but she escaped and hit a Splash. Doudrop then pinned Baszler for the elimination.
Tamina planted Becky with a Samoan Drop and climbed to the top rope. Tamina missed with the Splash as Becky rolled out of the ring. Doudrop hit Lynch with a Body Slam and battled with Tamina in the ring. Doudrop hit an Elbow Drop on Tamina for the pinfall elimination. Doudrop went for a Splash on Becky but she got out of the way. They battled to the top turnbuckle and Lynch hit the Man-Handle slam for pinfall elimination. Lynch has qualified for the women’s Money in the Bank.
Pat McAfee got some help from one of the greatest wrestlers in the history of the business – The Rock – for his promo about Happy Corbin on last week’s episode of WWE SmackDown.
McAfee referenced the “millions and millions” of WWE fans, which was a clear reference to The Rock’s catchphrase during the promo. That line, made famous by The Rock, was done with the blessing of “The Great One.”
On today’s edition of The Pat McAfee Show, the SmackDown commentator thanked The Rock for letting him use his classic line.
“Shoutout to The Rock, by the way, thanks, man. ” He continued by noting that he was going to use it during a promo while feuding with Theory earlier this year.
McAfee described reaching out to The Rock to make sure he was cool with it.
“Then I’ll send like a [message], ‘Okay, I’m thinking, hey is there any way I could potentially drop a…,’ and he actually responded and said, ‘Hey give me some context on how you’re gonna do this. Give me some context so we can really get this thing going.’ So he gave me an entire like, ‘Hey here we go here we go.’ So I’m very, very, very grateful and thankful for The Rock and I appreciate the hell out of him on the back side of it saying, ‘Hey, pretty good usage if it.’ So I’m very, very thankful for The Rock.
I’m very thankful,” McAfee continued. “I appreciate the hell out of you, man. I appreciate the opportunity to do it and then I finally got the opportunity to do so for saying, salu, I am very very thankful. Aloha, big Uce.”
Sunday’s AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door pay-per-view featured a loaded card that delivered with high-quality in-ring action that was praised by many fans despite a lackluster build due to injury bug hitting the AEW roster hard leading up to the event.
In the main event, Jon Moxley defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi to win the interim AEW World Championship. Post-match, there was a brawl between with Blackpool Combat Club (Moxley, Wheeler Yuta, Claudio Castagnoli, Eddie Kingston, Santana & Ortiz) and the Jericho Appreciation Society (Chris Jericho, Daniel Garcia, Matt Menard, Angelo Parker, Jake Hager & Sammy Guevara) ahead of their Blood & Guts match on Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite.
Moxley grabbed the microphone once the cameras stopped rolling and did a promo about how pro-wrestling is the ‘best f**king thing in the world.’
AEW President Tony Khan also addressed the fans in attendance before Negative One, son of the late Brodie Lee, was given the live mic.
The Jericho Appreciation Society earned the advantage in the Blood & Guts match during Forbidden Door when Minoru Suzuki, Jericho & Guevara defeated Kingston, Shota Umino & Yuta.
No other matches have yet to be confirmed for this upcoming episode of Dynamite.
An early estimate for the AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door buyrate has been revealed.
Forbidden Door went down inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois this past Sunday night (June 26). The event featured top AEW and New Japan Pro-Wrestling talent.
Jon Moxley defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi to become the interim AEW World Champion. Jay White successfully retained the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Kazuchika Okada, Hangman Page, and Adam Cole.
The show was heavily praised for the quality of the matches but how about the PPV buys?
Forbidden Door Exceeds Expectations
(via United Center)
AEW President Tony Khan spoke to media members during the Forbidden Door post-event scrum. He revealed that early numbers indicate that the PPV garnered over 100,000 buys.
“The show was a big success. We had ticket sales of over $1.1 million. I think it will be within literally thousands, just behind Double or Nothing, but right there, both over $1.1 million live ticket sales. The pay-per-view, I said if we hit 100,000 worldwide buys, I would feel it’s a big success and I feel very comfortable now, based on the early digital numbers, saying we did 100,000 buys and more. I feel great about that,” Khan said.
It’s quite the victory for AEW and NJPW if the final PPV numbers are indeed over 100,000. There were some on social media skeptical about the success of the PPV going in but early signs indicate the event did quite well.
Khan has said he hopes there are more Forbidden Door shows in the future. Given the success this event had, it’s hard to imagine AEW and NJPW passing up on another opportunity.
Angle knew that it was going to be a tough recovery process. During a recent discussion with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall, the Olympic gold medalist reveals the thought process that led him to have both knees fixed at the same time.
“Well, my knees were shot,” said Angle. “I had to have something done. I had a plan that I was going to have one knee done, and then wait about 6 months and have the other knee done, but they were both so bad, the doctors said let’s just get them out of the way.”
He added, “I’m glad I did because now I’m starting to come out of it a little bit, it’s been about a month. I was regretting having the surgeries up until now, but now I’m glad I did it.”
Athletic Ability Helped His Recovery
Angle explained that he was in constant pain before the procedure, “Yeah, it was very painful, when you get your knees replaced, you literally can’t walk at least for about a week, although I was walking the next day, I’m not going to lie to you.”
“Everybody’s different, you just have to go at your own pace. The doctor told me, the more active I was, the quicker my recovery time would be.”
It appears that Angle being an all-around athlete benefited him a lot in the recovery of this surgery.
‘He [the doctor] said, ‘You’re a world class athlete. Just go at your own pace, just don’t do anything too crazy,'” Kurt added.
Watch Steve Fall’s interview with Kurt Angle:
If you use the quotes above, please credit the original course with a h/t and link back to SEScoops for the transcription.
“He’s gonna be okay long term, but probably if he couldn’t continue wrestling it made sense [to end the match]. I think if you can’t keep fighting there’s discretion is a better part of valor. I think long term he’ll be okay.”
Okada’s Future in AEW
Kazuchika Okada at AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door
On Monday, Kazuchika Okada addressed his future with All Elite Wrestling.
The Rainmaker thanked AEW, as well as the city of Chicago. The rowdy crowd nearly lost it at the sight of Okada in an AEW ring and showered him with praise and appreciation.
Okada wrote, “The door is closed. But I’ll open the door again. See you next time.”
Thank you Chicago. Thank you AEW. The door is closed. But I’ll open the door again. See you next time.
It remains to be seen when we’ll see the likes of Okada, Tanahashi and White back in AEW. However, all indications are that Forbidden Door was a huge success We already know the event grossed over $1 million in ticket sales and sold over 100,000 PPV buys.
With so many of AEW’s top stars unable to compete at Forbidden Door, it’s just a matter of time before we Okada and more cross paths with the likes of Kenny Omega, CM Punk and Bryan Danielson.
