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AEW Dark: Elevation Taping Altered Due To Power Failure

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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A recent taping for AEW Dark: Elevation was hindered due to issues with power.

Ahead of the May 4 episode of Dynamite, AEW taped matches for Dark: Elevation. The matches included Max Caster vs. Cheeseburger, Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland vs. QT Marshall & Nick Comoroto, Abandon vs. Emi Sakura, and Sonny Kiss vs. Peter Avalon. The Dark Order was also in action.

Power Struggles At AEW Dark: Elevation

There was one match on the Dark: Elevation tapings that won’t be airing on May 9. Nyla Rose took on Skye Blue but AEW couldn’t film the match due to a power failure.

Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline shared the details:

“The entrance and the announcing place all of a sudden went dark. So, they did the match, Max Caster won, and then they did another match that they announced which was Skye Blue and Nyla Rose and they just said, ‘This match is only for you fans in the arena, it will never air.’ Because they couldn’t tape it because they had the power failure, or whatever it was. Luckily, they got the thing fixed by eight o’clock and there was no problem with Dynamite.”

As Meltzer mentioned, you wouldn’t know there were power issues watching Dynamite live. The situation cleared up before the live airing.

Time will tell if AEW rebooks Nyla Rose vs. Skye Blue so that the match can air. For those wondering, Nyla won the match as one might’ve guessed.

The Lee & Strickland vs. QT & Comoroto match was taped after Dynamite.

CM Punk Responds To Hangman Page’s ‘Bret Hart Tribute’ Dig

Jon Fuentes
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CM Punk has responded to Hangman Page’s “Bret Hart tribute” dig during this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite.

Page cut a promo on Punk ahead of their match at Double Or Nothing, saying that their match isn’t going to be a “masturbatory Bret Hart tribute.” In fact, he plans to “destroy” the Straight Edge grappler once and for all. He also mocked Punk for missing this week’s Dynamite.

Punk later responded on Twitter, teasing he’s going to put Page in the Sharpshooter.

Over his past several matches, CM Punk has been paying homage to Bret Hart with various spots. His match against Darby Allin in his AEW debut was almost an exact remake of Hart’s match against The 1-2-3 Kid on a 1994 episode of RAW.

Also, during Punk’s dog-collar match with MJF at AEW Revolution, Punk used the same finish from Hart’s match with Roddy Piper at WrestleMania 8. Earlier this year, Punk’s match with Wardlow was also very similar to Hart’s match with Diesel at the 1995 Survivor Series.

Most recently, Punk’s match with Dustin Rhodes on Dynamite was very similar to Hart’s match with Goldust on an episode of RAW in 1997. It will be interesting to see if Punk does pay tribute to Hart again with some more cool spots during his match with Page at Double Or Nothing.

AEW Double Or Nothing will go down live on pay-per-view (PPV) from Las Vegas on May 29.

Tessa Blanchard Seemingly Responds To Reports Of Tension With WOW

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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It appears Tessa Blanchard has shared a post in response to a report regarding her future with Women of Wrestling.

On May 4, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported that the relationship between Tessa and WOW had gotten rocky ahead of the promotion’s return tapings. The report noted that many have been none too pleased with Tessa after she “tore apart” Samantha Sage verbally during an April workshop class.

As a result, it’s been said that the acting classes were canceled until further notice. Another source claimed that Tessa is no longer in charge of training talent and has been replaced by Selina Majors.

Standing Up for Your Beliefs

Tessa Blanchard took to her Instagram Stories shortly after the report surfaced. In the story, she shared a post with an interesting quote:

“When standing up for your beliefs becomes a matter of great inconvenience, will you stand anyway?”

  • Tessa Blanchard Instagram Stories

Tessa Blanchard: Lightning Rod for Controversy

Per the Fightful report, a source implied that Tessa will only be able to find work in Mexico going forward. One former WOW star is under the impression that Tessa is gone from the company but that isn’t a confirmation.

When WOW first announced its relaunch, Tessa was at the forefront as one of the promotion’s biggest stars. Having scored a deal with ViacomCBS, many questioned WOW for putting faith in Blanchard despite past accusations of her toxic behavior.

Blanchard has denied accusations of racism and bullying, which were brought about in early 2020. She also had a nasty split from Impact Wrestling while she was the promotion’s world champion.

Dolph Ziggler’s Hilarious Response To His Brother Getting AEW Merchandise

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Dolph Ziggler is having some fun after his brother, Ryan Nemeth, received AEW merchandise.

Dolph performs under the WWE banner, while Ryan works for AEW. The two have been known for roasting each other on social media and the antics certainly haven’t shown signs of slowing down.

Dolph Ziggler Roasts His Brother

AEW has rolled out some new merchandise for Ryan Nemeth and it’s available on ShopAEW. It’s a big deal for Ryan and he made sure he let Dolph know about it.

https://twitter.com/ryrynemnem/status/1521914433093648384

“Ha! @HEELZiggler you see this?”

Dolph responded and as expected, he had some fun with it.

“Wow!!! Big Patty Mayonnaise meets Don Martin, vibes.”

Dolph also had one more brotherly jab for the road.

“DESTROY IT!”

Dolph Ziggler has had a long career with WWE. He signed a contract with the company back in 2004, developing under Ohio Valley Wrestling. He made his main roster debut as Chavo Guerrero’s caddie. Chavo had undergone a gimmick change and was known as Kerwin White.

The ball started to get rolling with Dolph when he joined the Spirit Squad. Eventually, Dolph became a singles competitor and captured multiple championships in WWE. This included a brief World Heavyweight Title run.

More recently, Ziggler became the NXT Champion. The reign fell short of lasting a full month as Dolph was pinned by Bron Breakker on the post-WrestleMania episode of Raw.

(Spoilers) AEW Rampage Taping Results For May 6th

Thomas Lowson
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The May 6, edition of AEW Rampage was taped last night after Dynamite went off the air at the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena in Baltimore, Maryland.

Here are the results for that show, courtesy of Ryan Schultz:

Toni Storm and Ruby Soho defeated Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter. Storm pinned Baker for the finish, and post-match, a graphic was shown for the Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament match between Storm and Hayter.

Hook defeated JD Drake in a short bout. Post-match, Danhausen greeted Hook to loud ‘Hookhausen’ chants from the crowd. Hook is still not interested in aligning with Danhausen. Tony Nese appeared to challenge Danhausen to a match at a later date.

Shawn Spears came out carrying a steel chair with “Giant Killer” on it. Spears said Wardlow might be the real giant of pro wrestling, but he’s the Giant Killer.

AEW TNT Champion Scorpio Sky, Ethan Page, and Dan Lambert had an in-ring promo. Lambert insulted the Baltimore fans after talking about being from the area and said the fans ruined Baltimore so he moved to Miami. Page cut a babyface promo on Tay Conti and Sammy Guevara. Sky spoke about bringing prestige back to the TNT Championship so Lambert must return his version to the ATT trophy case. Frankie Kazarian appeared and challenged Sky to a title match next week.

Riho defeated Yuka Sakazaki to qualify for The Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament in a good match given plenty of time.

FTW Champion Ricky Starks and AEW World Tag Team Champion Jungle Boy brawled on the stage to build to their FTW Title match that’ll happen on next week’s Dynamite.

Jay Lethal defeated Konosuke Takeshita in the main event of the show. Post-match, Lethal, and Sonjay Dutt double-teamed Takeshita until Orange Cassidy, Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta made the save. Satnam Singh arrived and beat up Best Friends while Cassidy avoided him. Ring of Honor World Television Champion Samoa Joe ran down with a steel pipe but security and officials stopped him on the ramp.

AEW Star Says Triple H Refused To Let Him Follow Scripted Promos In NXT

Thomas Lowson
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AEW star Shane ‘Swerve’ Strickland has said that Triple H refused to let him follow scripted word-for-word promos as part of WWE NXT.

Strickland joined WWE’s third brand in 2019, becoming a one-time NXT North American Champion, but was released weeks into his main-roster call up in November 2021.

Speaking on Talk is Jericho this week, Strickland discussed working with the Game, saying:

“We did Great American Bash and we [Strickland and Leon Ruff] had a blow-off match. That’s when Hit Row was introduced. I was cutting promos in the studio backstage and Triple H was like ‘Nope – take away the script. Don’t let him use the script anymore.’ So I was like ‘cool’.”

WWE’s policy is for promos to be written ahead of time by the creative team and for Superstars to recite these promos verbatim.

The company has been heavily criticized for this approach, with fans and wrestlers alike arguing that this stifles the creativity of the Superstars.

Triple H ran NXT until the show’s rebrand as NXT 2.0 in September 2021 and has recently been recovering from a cardiac event.

Strickland joined AEW at Revolution 2022 in March and most recently faced Darby Allin on last week’s Rampage in a losing effort.

In addition to WWE and AEW, Strickland has worked for Lucha Underground and MLW, and is a former World Heavyweight Champion of the latter.

Randy Orton Opens Up About Having “Breakdowns” In Front Of Vince McMahon

Thomas Lowson
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WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Randy Orton has said he has experienced “meltdowns and breakdowns” in front of company Chairman Vince McMahon.

The 14-time WWE World Champion and McMahon have worked closely both behind the scenes and on-screen, even having a match on the April 6, 2009 Raw which ended in a no contest.

While speaking to Metro, Orton discussed his relationship with his boss:

”He’s seen me in dark periods where I’ve had meltdowns and breakdowns in front of him. I’ve beat my head against the wall in front of him, as a 25-year-old man just emotional f***** – ‘Arrrr!’ – not knowing how to express myself. He’s witnessed that in close quarters. I think he sees a little bit of my crazy in him – even if it’s just a little bit.

“From an early age when I was f****** up like that, I think it almost made him want to nurture that part of me. We’ve grown together in that regard, so now our conversations are a lot different. If I knock on his door, peek my head in, nine out of 10 times, no matter who’s in there he’ll tell them to f**** off so I can come in and talk to him. Which is pretty cool, you know?”

Last month, Orton celebrated the 20th anniversary of his WWE main roster debut on the April 25, 2022 Raw.

Orton will team with Riddle and Drew McIntyre to face Roman Reigns and The Usos at WrestleMania-Backlash.

WrestleMania-Backlash will take place this Sunday at the Dunkin Donuts Center, in Providence, Rhode Island.

Maria Kanellis-Bennett Compares WWE NXT 2.0 Superstar To Becky Lynch

Thomas Lowson
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Former WWE Superstar Maria Kanellis-Bennett has praised newly-signed talent Roxanne Perez, comparing her to Becky Lynch.

Perez, previously known as Rok-C, officially signed with WWE in March 2020, and is a former Ring of Honor Women’s World Champion.

Speaking to the Bleav in Pro Wrestling Podcast, Kanellis-Bennett said that Perez shares a lot of similarities with the former Raw Women’s Champion:

“I hesitate to say this because I don’t like anybody comparing anybody to anyone else, but the ability that you have in Becky Lynch, you have in Roxanne. I think that is only going to continue to grow. Of course, she’s still got things she has to work on but I think at some point, Roxanne will be on the same level as Becky.

“She has the technique down. She has the story, she has the heart. She used to ride the bus to go to wrestling training before she could drive a car or anything like that. She rode a bus so she could go to training.”

Roxanne Perez’s ROH Women’s World title win came when Kanellis-Bennett had a backstage role with Ring of Honor’s Women’s division.

Perez made her WWE in-ring debut on the April 12, 2022, episode of NXT LVL UP, defeating Sloane Jacobs.

In her most recent match, she faced NXT Women’s Champion Mandy Rose in a losing effort

Kanellis-Bennett recently announced the start of her own all-female promotion ‘Women’s Wrestling Army.’

Shad Gaspard & Muhammad Hassan Comic To Be Adapted Into Feature Film

Thomas Lowson
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A comic series created by Muhammad Hassan and the late-Shad Gaspard is to be adapted into a feature film.

The pair of former WWE Superstars worked together to create ‘Assassin & Son’ which focuses on the titular assassin, Donovan Braddock, who works with a team of covert killers known as ‘The Horsemen.’

When Braddock’s wife is killed in front of their son, the father-son duo set out on a quest of revenge and family ties.

Deadline reports that State Street Pictures have picked up the comic series to adapt into a movie but no release date has been confirmed.

State Street Creative Executive, Lawrence Mott told Deadline about his excitement to bring ‘Assassin & Son’ to the big screen:

“What excites us creatively is the balance of hard-hitting action and emotional themes presented in the source material.“

“We met Shad at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019. He was known for his brawn in the world of wrestling, but what we were taken by was his humor, intelligence and creative genius,” added Don Handfield of Scout Comics. “We were blown away by his and Marc’s comic, and we’re proud to bring it to the world.

State Street Pictures was founded in 1990 by filmmaker George Tillman Jr (The Hate U Give) and Robert Teitel.

Gaspard tragically passed away saving the life of his son Aryeh in May 2020, days before the publication of the first issue.

Last month he was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as a Warrior Award recipient, which was accepted by Aryeh and his wife Siliana.

Women’s Title Match Announced For AEW Double Or Nothing

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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AEW Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa’s next challenger has been revealed.

Rosa is approaching the two-month mark of her AEW Women’s Championship reign. She captured the title during the St. Patrick’s Day Slam edition of Dynamite, defeating Britt Baker.

Thunder Rosa made her way out to the stage during the May 4 episode of Dynamite. Serena Deeb saw it as a perfect opportunity to address the champion. We then learned that Rosa vs. Deeb is now official for the Double or Nothing PPV set for May 29 in Las Vegas.

Here is the confrontation between Rosa and Deeb:

Here is what the card is looking like for Double or Nothing so far:

  • Hangman Page (c) vs. CM Punk – AEW World Championship
  • Thunder Rosa (c) vs. Serena Deeb – AEW Women’s World Championship
  • Men’s Owen Hart Cup finals
  • Women’s Owen Hart Cup finals

Mercedes Martinez is the Undisputed ROH Women’s Champion

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Mercedes Martinez has ushered in a new era for ROH by unifying the women’s gold.

On the May 4 episode of AEW Dynamite, Martinez went toe-to-toe with Deonna Purrazzo. Going into the match, Martinez was the interim ROH Women’s Champion while Purrazzo was the main titleholder.

Something had to give in the main event of Dynamite. In the end, it was Mercedes Martinez who forced Purrazzo to tap out via Surfboard Dragon Sleeper. She is now the undisputed ROH Women’s Champion.

Peep the highlights below:

Former ROH COO Grateful After Sale Closes

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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The former COO of ROH, Joe Koff, has issued a statement expressing gratitude following the sale of Ring of Honor.

Back in March, AEW President Tony Khan announced he is the new owner of ROH. SEScoops first reported that the sale hadn’t officially closed but ROH staff members were expecting that to change as soon as April.

It may have taken a tad bit longer but Khan announced that the sale has finally closed.

Wrestling financial analyst, Lavie Margolin, added the following:

“Here we go, in the 8K filing: ‘In May, the Company sold certain assets of Ring of Honor Entertainment, including the wrestling promotion’s extensive video library dating back to 2002, brand assets, intellectual property, production equipment and more, to an affiliate of AEW.'”

Joe Koff Issues Statement

If there’s one person who fought tooth and nail for ROH over the years it was Joe Koff. He took to his LinkedIn page to respond to the ROH sale close.

“What started with a dinner with Cary Silkin some 12 years ago, ended with Episode 552 of Ring of Honor television, which aired recently across our Ring of Honor network, featuring all of the Sinclair Broadcast stations, Bally Sports Networks, Marquee, select stations across America, regional cable systems, international clearances, STIRR, and Honor Club.

“12 years. 552 weekly original hours. Over 1,000+ hours of additional match content. Close to 100 podcasts. YouTube specials. Honor Club. PPV’s. Live House shows on 3 continents. Merchandise. And let me not forget a SOLD OUT Madison Garden. That was our Ring of Honor and now, it is in the most capable hands of AEW and the brilliant Tony Kahn along with all of the stars that shone in our Ring and the new stars sure to glow as brightly in his Ring of Honor. Thank you again Tony.

“As I look back on this amazing journey, there are so many people who joined this journey with me, our staff, our brilliant athletes that you will always know as Ring of Honor, our partners in production and distribution, our vendors and most importantly, you, our fans. I want to thank you personally for your continuous support, belief in me and our product, what we could do, what we would do, what we did!

“It was the journey of a lifetime and I thank you for sharing it with me.”

AEW Dynamite Results (5/4/22): Wardlow vs. W. Morrissey, Title Match, Owen Hart Qualifiers

Robert Lentini
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AEW Dynamited aired live from the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. Jeff Hardy competed in his first singles match in AEW against Bobby Fish in an Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Qualifying Match. ROH Women’s Champion Deonna Purrazzo faced Interim ROH Women’s Champion Mercedes Martinez in the main event to crown the undisputed champion.

AEW Dynamite Results

  • Jeff Hardy def. Bobby Fish to qualify for the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament
  • Blackpool Combat Club def. Angelico, Butcher, Blade
  • Wardlow def. W. Morrissey (FKA as Big Cass in WWE)
  • Chris Jericho def. Santana
  • Rey Fenix def. Dante Martin to qualify for the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament
  • Mercedes Martinez def. Deonna Purrazzo via submission to become the Undisputed ROH Women’s Champion

Here are the takeaways from this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite:

Jeff Hardy Qualified For The Owen Hart Tournament

Jeff Hardy battled Bobby Fish in a qualifying match for the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament. Matt Hardy was ringside and Adam Cole joined commentary for the match. Excalibur announced that the tournament will officially begin next week on Dynamite.

Hardy hit a shoulder tackle but Fish battled back and whipped Jeff to the corner. Bobby connected with some strikes and beat Jeff down in the corner of the ring. The action spilled to the outside and Fish sent Hardy into the barricade with a Dragon Screw.

The action returned to the ring and Jeff rolled Fish up for a near fall. Hardy connected with a Jawbreaker and made his way to the top rope. Fish tripped him up and then planted him with a Falcon Arrow off the top for a close two count. Fish quickly applied a submission hold but Jeff was able to reach the ropes and the match continued. Jeff connected with an elbow to the face and followed it up with Whisper in the Wind. Hardy made his way to the top rope and connected with the Swanton Bomb for the pinfall victory. Jeff Hardy qualified for the Owen Hart Tournament and will face Darby Allin in the 1st round.

Blackpool Combat Club Picked Up Another Win

Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta) battled Angelico, The Butcher, and The Blade in a Trios Match tonight on Dynamite.

The Butcher attacked Moxley during his entrance ringside and slammed him into the barricade. Blade and Angelico attacked Danielson and Wheeler Yuta in the ring. Danielson battled back and connected with several kicks to Angelico. Wheeler Yuta tagged in and delivered some chops to Angelico’s chest.

Wheeler hit Butcher with a Dropkick but the big man shrugged it off. Butcher leveled Wheeler with a Crossbody and brought him to the corner. Blade and Angelico got in some cheap shots on Yuta while the referee was distracted. Wheeler finally escaped out of the corner and hit a massive release German Suplex on The Butcher.

Moxley tagged in and unloaded a couple of Clotheslines on The Blade. Jon brought Blade to the outside and sent him into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Blackpool Combat Club got Angelico, Butcher, and Blade in submission holds for the victory.

Wardlow def. W. Morrissey, Contract Signing With MJF Announced For Next Week’s Dynamite

Wardlow battled a mystery opponent of MJF’s choosing tonight on Dynamite. MJF announced that Wardlow’s opponent was Impact star W. Morrissey (FKA Big Cass in WWE). Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh was ringside for the match.

Morrissey absolutely dominated the action early and beat Wardlow down outside the ring. Back in the ring, Morrissey perched Wardlow up on the top turnbuckle and joined him up there. Wardlow battled back with some elbows to the head and Morrissey fell down to the mat. Wardlow connected with a Moonsault and followed it up with a Powerbomb for the pinfall victory. MJF threw a tantrum backstage as security entered the ring with Wardlow.

Wardlow beat the hell out of all of them and stood alone in the ring. MJF demanded more security and they all ran into shoulder tackles and lariats from Wardlow as the crowd went insane. Wardlow then Powerbombed a security guard onto everyone outside the ring. Wardlow grabbed a microphone and shouted that he will not stop until he gets his hands on MJF and he releases from the contract. MJF suggested that they have a match and asked the crowd if they wanted to see that match. They chanted “yeah!” and MJF told Wardlow that he is on under a couple of conditions. MJF said he would reveal the stipulations in a Contract Signing segment in Long Island, New York (Dynamite next week).

Hangman Page Had Strong Words For CM Punk

Tony Schiavone interviewed AEW World Champion Hangman Page tonight. Hangman missed last week’s episode due to covid. Page will be defending the title against CM Punk on May 29th at Double or Nothing. Hangman got a great reaction from the crowd as he made his way to the ring.

Hangman Page took the microphone away and said it would be real easy for him to come out here and say how much he loves CM Punk, and how much he looks forward to facing him at Double or Nothing. Page said that isn’t going to happen because at Double or Nothing there is not going to be a “masturbatory Bret Hart tribute match” and vowed to destroy CM Punk at the PPV.

Page called out a fan wearing a CM Punk shirt and told him he’s going to be asking for a refund if he hasn’t already burnt the damn thing. Hangman joked that Punk isn’t here tonight because he’s off filming another TV show. Page looked directly into the camera and vowed to embarrass Punk at Double or Nothing. Hangman added the Punk wanted a fight, he’s now got the fight of his life at the PPV.

Jericho def. Santana

Chris Jericho faced Santana tonight on Dynamite. Santana caught Jericho with a Suicide Dive during his entrance and followed it up with some chops to the chest. Santana booted Jericho in the face and bounced his head off the steel steps. They finally got into the ring and referee Aubrey Edwards called for the bell for the match to start.Ortiz and JAS traded words outside the ring and Santana was distracted. Jericho caught Santana with a Dropkick as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, Jericho leaped off the top rope and into a Dropkick from Santana. Jericho and Santana traded chops but Jericho got the better of the exchange. Jericho went for a Bulldog but Santana launched him into the turnbuckle. Santana hit Jericho with Three Amigos (suplexes) and climbed to the top turnbuckle. Jericho caught him with a forearm to the face and joined Santana up there.

Santana shoved him down and hit a Frog Splash for a near fall. Jericho got Santana in the Walls of Jericho in the middle of the ring but Santana fought through the pain and reached the bottom rope. Santana connected with a Cutter and went for the cover but Jericho kicked out at two. Ortiz fought up JAS as Santana hit a big Clothesline for another near fall. Daddy Magic hopped on the ring apron for a distraction and Jericho capitalized with a low blow. Jericho followed it up with the Judas Effect for the pinfall victory. After the match, Jericho Appreciation Society attacked with weapons and beat Santana & Ortiz some more.

House of Black Attacked

Varsity Blonds called House of Black out tonight on Dynamite. Pillman took the microphone and said he is a “humbled young man” after their encounter with House of Black. Pillman said that House of Black poisoned Julia Hart’s mind (this was months ago) and they have been driven apart. Pillman wanted a fight and House of Black made their way to the ring. Malakai Black, Buddy Matthews, and Brody King beat Pillman and Garrison down. Malakai ripped off Julia Hart’s eye patch until Death Triangle rushed the ring. House of Black retreated to end the bizarre segment.

Rey Fenix Qualified For The Owen Hart Tournament

Dante Martin battled Rey Fenix in a qualifying match for the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament. Fenix sent Dante out of the ring and flipped onto him as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, Dante battled back with a Suicide Dive and rolled Rey back inside the ring. Fenix hit an absurd Spanish Fly and went for the cover but Dante was somehow able to kick out at two.

Dante Martin battled back with a Crossbody for a near fall. Fenix hit a Hurricanrana for a two count and both wrestlers started trading strikes. Fenix connected with a Cutter but couldn’t keep Dante down. Dante hit a Superkick and climbed to the top rope but Fenix tripped him up. Fenix went for a Spanish Fly but the both landed on their feet to cheers from the crowd. Dante hit a Poisonrana for a near fall and Fenix responded with a Fire Thunder Driver for the pinfall victory. Rey Fenix qualified for the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament and will battle Kyle O’Reilly in the first round.

Mercedes Martinez Became The Undisputed ROH Women’s Champion, Title Match Announced For Double or Nothing

Before the main event, AEW Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa cut a promo from the entrance ramp but was quickly interrupted. Serena Deeb challenged Thunder Rosa to match and said that the best wrestler in the world needs to be champion. Thunder Rosa will defend the AEW Women’s Championship against Serena Deeb at Double or Nothing.

ROH Women’s Champion Deonna Purrazzo faced Interim ROH Women’s Champion Mercedes Martinez in the main event to determine the undisputed champion. Mercedes controlled the action early and beat Deonna down in the corner. Martinez hit a running big boot to the face and went for the cover but Purrazzo powered out at two.

Purrazzo battled back with a pump kick and followed it up with a standing Moonsault for a close two count. Purrazzo dragged Martinez to her feet but Martinez responded with a knee to the face. Martinez followed it up with a Fisherman’s Suplex and went for the cover but Deonna kicked out and the title match continued.

Deonna hit a shoulder tackle and then went for a submission hold but Martinez escaped. Both wrestlers connected with a Clothesline at the same time and fell to the canvas. Purrazzo pulled herself up in the corner as Martinez staggered to her feet. Deonna hit a boot to the face and climbed to the top rope. Mercedes caught her with a jab and connected with a Death Valley Driver. Martinez then tapped Deonna out with the Dragon Sleeper to become the official ROH Women’s Champion.

W. Morrissey Once Infuriated Triple H Over A Promo

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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W. Morrissey has reflected on the time Triple H was none too pleased with him over a promo that wasn’t in the script.

Morrissey performed as “Big Cass” under the WWE banner. He teamed with Enzo Amore and there was a time when the team received red hot crowd reactions. Eventually, the two were split and their WWE careers never quite took off like many were hoping.

W. Morrissey Leaves Triple H Fuming

During an appearance on The Sessions with Renee Paquette, W. Morrissey revealed that the decision he and Enzo made to sing a Frank Sinatra song at SummerSlam got them an earful from Triple H due to concerns of copyright (h/t Wrestling Inc).

“Creatively, it was just a new set of talent to work with, to do promos with. We got to do things with the New Day, which was awesome to kind of feed off of other tag teams and have fun with that. We did the one segment with the New Day overseas in the UK, and it’s just a totally different ballgame. NXT is, I guess it’s less worrisome, it’s less nervewracking, and it’s not as big of a deal. When you get to WWE, it’s kind of like everything you do is a big deal and it could have consequences. We messed up a few times.

“I can think of one time when we really messed up. We went off-script at Summerslam in Brooklyn and sang a Frank Sinatra song. You can’t sing or imitate things that are copyrighted. That was a stern talking too. He was furious, Hunter. We didn’t know. We didn’t know those sorts of things.

“I think everything is amplified and it’s so much bigger, and the magnitude of things you do and the consequences of the things you do are way bigger. That’s something that maybe, in the moment, I didn’t realize. But you’re on live television. If you mess up or do something that can cost the company, that’s on you. It’s way bigger, it comes with a lot more money and a lot more glory, whatever you want to call it, but you have to watch yourself a lot more.”

Morrissey currently works for Impact Wrestling. It has been heavily implied that Wardlow’s mystery opponent for the May 4 episode of AEW Dynamite will be Morrissey. Impact and AEW have worked together in the past, so this wouldn’t be surprising to many.

AEW Fight Forever: New Gameplay Footage, Characters Revealed

Thomas Lowson
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AEW has revealed more footage from their upcoming video game ‘AEW: Fight Forever‘ which is rumored to release later this year.

AEW: Fight Forever will be the promotion’s first console video game, and the third game overall, following on from mobile titles ‘AEW Elite GM‘ and ‘AEW Casino: Double or Nothing.‘

On social media, the official AEW Games account shared development footage, confirming that Nyla Rose and Kris Statlander will be in the game as playable characters.

This will mark both women’s first appearance in any console video game.

AEW Referee Aubrey Edwards was also confirmed in the videos, officiating a match between the two.

The AEW Games account also confirmed that AEW: Fight Forever will also be available on PC.

The audience character models have also been updated as confirmed by the AEW Games division.

Initially reported as a 2023 title, its since been noted that AEW plans on releasing the game this year, possibly as soon as September.

In June 2021, it was reported that AEW was operating ‘in the red’ due to an “eight-figure investment” (at least $10 million) into their games department.

All footage captured from the game is still in development and can be watched below.

Tessa Blanchard’s Future With WOW In Jeopardy Ahead of First Tapings

Joey Galizia
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It appears that there is more controversy surrounding pro-wrestling superstar and former IMPACT World Champion, Tessa Blanchard.

Blanchard signed with WOW (Women of Wrestling) last October and was one of the promotion’s hottest acts, so much so that her signing was announced alongside WOW’s newest syndication deal with ViacomCBS. However, it now appears that Blanchard’s stint with the company is in jeopardy.

According to Fightful Select, several names have come forward to reveal that once again there are allegations against Blanchard, and the two sides had a bit of a falling out after she deactivated all of her social media channels. This news comes only a day before WOW’s scheduled television tapings in Los Angeles.

A source told the publication that Blanchard got heat from the roster after she “tore apart” Samantha Sage during a workshop class this past April. Apparently, it was bad enough that several of the trainees had to speak up.

A different source revealed that Blanchard is no longer in charge of training talent and that Selina Majors now heads that department. This same source later implied that Blanchard may only get work in the Mexico wrestling circuit going forward due to the reputation she has built for herself in the U.S.

One former star of WOW told Fightful that they believe Blanchard is done with the company entirely, although that is not confirmed. However, it was teased that there has been a major shift from WOW’s original plan last fall.

As a reminder, Blanchard had a number of accusations over the last two years for problematic behavior, which included racially charged comments and causing issues with other established talents. This was right around the time that Blanchard had her ugly departure from IMPACT, where the promotion stripped her of their world championship.

SEScoops has reached out to WOW for further comment.

Jim Cornette Says AEW Knows The House Of Black Sucks

Thomas Lowson
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Wrestling personality Jim Cornette has blasted AEW’s House of Black, saying that the stable sucks and that the company knows it.

The House of Black debuted in January 2022 and originally consisted of Malakai Black and Brody King, with Buddy Matthews being added the following month.

While speaking on his podcast, Jim Cornette Experience, Cornette made the claim that AEW believes the stable sucks, but are pushing them regardless. He added:

“Maybe this is why they’re constantly in the dark, because they know that it sucks and they don’t want people to get a good close look at it so that’s why they’re always in the dark. Let’s cover that sh*t up, don’t. Here you’re trying to sell this sub-standard product, control the lighting, subdued lighting. Just do not let anyone get a close look at it.”

The House of Black is feuding with Death Triangle, with a six-man-tag match between the two stables expected for AEW Double or Nothing 2022.

Double or Nothing 2022 will take place on May 29, 2022 from the T-Mobile Arena, in Paradise, Nevada.

AEW Faces Legal Action Over Inaccessible Website For The Visually Impaired

Rayan Sayyed
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All Elite Wrestling is facing legal action over their AEW Shop website for being inaccessible to visually impaired people.

A plaintiff named Luigi Abreu has brought the class action complaint against the promotion on May 4 in the Southern District of New York. The plaintiff is visually impaired and legally blind who depends on screen reading software to browse the internet. According to the complaint, shopaew.com does not have any features to make it accessible to people with visual impairments.

“Plaintiff LUIGI ABREU (“Plaintiff”) brings this class action both on an individual basis and, on behalf of all others similarly situated, for declaratory relief, injunctive relief, and compensatory damages-including statutory and punitive damages-against defendant named herein, and alleges based upon the personal knowledge of Plaintiff, the investigation of counsel, and upon information and belief,” the complaint reads (via Brandon Thurston).

The complaint argues that AEW’s lack of accessibility features for visually impaired people violates their rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“Plaintiff is a visually-impaired and legally blind person who brings this civil rights class action against defendant ALL ELITE WRESTLING, LLC for its failure, design, construct, maintain, and operate its website to be fully accessible to-and independently used by-Plaintiff and other blind or visually-impaired people who use screen-reading software,” the lawsuit continues.

The lawsuit argues that due to the lack of these features, visually impaired and legally blind people are denied access to the “equal enjoyment of goods/and or services offered on the website during the past three years.”

Abreu is seeking a jury trial and is also asking for their legal costs to be covered.

In 2020, WWE also faced legal action for its WWEShop.com website for not being equally accessible to blind and visually-impaired consumers. WWE reportedly settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed amount.

Controversial Deathmatch Takes Place During Family-Friendly Show (Video)

Rayan Sayyed
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Deathmatch wrestling, or hardcore wrestling, has been a staple of the independent wrestling scene since it became successful in America with Extreme Championship Wrestling. Of course, deathmatches certainly made waves in Japan years prior.

While ECW went defunct in 2001, the promotion influenced a number of other wrestling organizations like Combat Zone Wrestling.

Deathmatches remain a controversial aspect of wrestling, due to their bloody and ultra-violent nature. Needless to say, this stuff is not suitable for children due to its destructive content. A UK-based wrestling organization called Colliery Championship Wrestling is inviting wrestling fans’ ire on social media after they decided to hold a show involving a bloody deathmatch with children present in the audience.

On April 29, the promotion held its “CCW Pits Of Punishment” event at the Seaham Conservative Club in Seaham, County Durham in England. The match between Blizzard and Ronnie Thatcher at the event saw the two wrestlers beat each other to a bloody mess in a “3 out of 5 Doors Match”.

Clips from the match are making the rounds on social media, in which children can be seen in the audience as the two bloodied wrestlers use a variety of weapons to inflict as much pain as possible on each other.

In one of the clips, Blizzard is using a string trimmer on Thatcher’s arm as he writhes in pain on the floor outside the ring.

In another, the wrestler is seen whacking a bundle of sticks on his opponent’s wound cavity on his head, as his head is drenched in blood.

A third clip shows Thatcher taking his turn to shatter a tube light on Blizzard’s back and then stabbing the shattered, pointy end on his head.

https://twitter.com/WrestlerBenji/status/1521427578149556225?s=20&t=tuVr1Sh5J0vLygwjbI0ofw

Expectedly, the promotion is getting flak from fans all around the world for having a deathmatch take place on a show advertized as family-friendly.

The promotion has stated on their Facebook group that their show will be strictly an adults-only affair moving forward:

“There will be no repeat of went down at PITS OF PUNISHMENT like what we saw between Ronnie and Blizzard again. It will only take place in over 18 shows ( yes you can screenshot this for twitter )The match was only supposed to be a doors match, where both men took it upon themselves to take things to another level. We apologise to everyone this may have upset and we will make sure this will never happen again. [sic]”

In another statement, the showrunners have asked people to stop harassing the venue where the show was held and apologized for their blunder. Bizarrely, the statement also mentions that they received a call from someone from North America pretending to be a promoter, threatening to shut down their promotion. As noted, CCW is located in the UK.

Scorpio Sky Lays Out Plan For Second TNT Title Run

Joey Galizia
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Last week’s AEW Dynamite concluded with Scorpio Sky recapturing the TNT championship from Sammy Guevara in a brutal ladder match that fittingly headlined the promotion’s flagship program.

This began Sky’s second run with the TNT title after his first reign only lasted 31 days. The former SCU member tells Miesha Tate and Renee Paquette on their Throwing Down podcast that his first goal is to get past that previous 31 day length.

“I didn’t get to do too much in my first run, I lost the title in like 31 days and only had one title defense, unfortunately, but I did regain the championship in the shortest period of time in AEW history; 12 days. Now, we have a new start and the first thing I want to do is hold on to it for at least 32 days [laughs].”

Sky later expands on his goals as champion, which he hopes includes some memorable matchups, ones that he remembers loving as a kid.

“If I can run with this title for six months, a year, or longer and really get in the ring with everyone and have some memorable championship matches that I used to like watching when I grew up, that was the goal.”

Sky has not been announced for this evening’s edition of AEW Dynamite, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t appear in some form to cut a promo. He did promise his old tag partner Frankie Kazarian a title shot at some point as the Elite Hunter stepped back as a challenger so Sky could reclaim the gold.

(Quotes via Fightful.)

Lady Frost Currently Dealing With ‘Stalker’ Situation

Jon Fuentes
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IMPACT Wrestling Knockout Lady Frost is currently dealing with a scary “stalker” situation.

Frost took to Twitter to warn fans not to send any money to any pages claiming to be Lady Frost. She has lost her Instagram account yet again and is working on getting re-verified across social media.

The situation really seems to be taking a toll on Frost mentally, as she also shared the following.

“Really being tested today. I’ve already lifted and had a giant cupcake. Meditation seems impossible. But I’m almost at the 30 day mark since I gave up drinking and this loser isn’t f*cking that up for me.”

Frost joined IMPACT Wrestling back in July of 2021. Since, she has established herself as a top contender in the Knockouts division. Frost has had a few opportunities at the IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts Title, but has been unsuccessful thus far.

Hopefully Frost can put this stalker situation behind her soon, as the issue seems to be one spreading more and more throughout the professional wrestling community – mainly against women. Other notable names in professional wrestling such as Paige, Sonya Deville, Liv Morgan, and more have had to deal with similar situations.

We’ll keep you updated as we learn more.

WWE Planning NXT Stand & Deliver Event Ahead Of Major Stadium Show This Summer

Joey Galizia
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A new report has surfaced regarding the next potential NXT 2.0 premium live event.

According to WrestleVotes, WWE is considering adding a Stand & Deliver special ahead of one of the three big stadium shows that are set to happen this summer/fall. As of right now the preference is for the weekend of the September 3rd Clash at the Castle supershow in Cardiff, which will be WWE’s first major PPV in the U.K. in over 30 years.

However, this year’s SummerSlam in Nashville is reported to be the more likely option, most likely due to the number of venues the city can offer the brand to hold the show. SummerSlam is scheduled for July 30th from Nissan Stadium, home of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans.

This would be the third Stand & Deliver show in NXT history, as previous incarnations of the special used to be referred to as NXT Takeover. The last Stand & Deliver event took place on April 2nd from the American Airlines Center in Dallas on WrestleMania 38 weekend, and featured Dolph Ziggler defeating Bron Breakker in the main event to retain the NXT championship.

Reports has surfaced last month that WWE was hoping to run more stadium shows going forward following the success of WrestleMania 38.

NJPW Capital Collision Announces Four-Way IWGP United States Title Bout

Jon Fuentes
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NJPW Capital Collision just added a big Four-Way IWGP United States Title bout to its card.

The official New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) Twitter account has announced that Hiroshi Tanahashi will defend the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship against Juice Robinson, Will Ospreay, and Jon Moxley. Tanahashi regained the title after SANADA was sidelined with an injury.

All three challengers have been stirring up the pot to get their name in the title picture. Ospreay challenged Tanahashi earlier this month. He was initially set to face Tanahashi at NJPW Wrestling Tontaku. However, he was pulled from the card due to COVID-19.

As for Moxley, he picked up a win over Ospreay at NJPW Windy City Riot, subsequently calling out Tanahashi. And finally, Robinson attacked Tanahashi right after his title win over Tomohiro Ishii at NJPW Wrestligng Dontaku.

Already announced for the card is a tag team match between Kazuchika Okada and Trent Beretta against Jay White and Hikuleo.

As noted, Moxley, an All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star will be competing at the match. AEW and NJPW continue to have a great working relationship with one another. So much so, in fact, that they are set to co-host a joint pay-per-view (PPV) event, Forbidden Door.

Stars from both AEW and NJPW have already expressed their desire to be on the card, including some of the very biggest names.

Brandi Lauren Wants To “Work Everywhere And Do Everything” (Exclusive)

Rayan Sayyed
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Brandi Lauren was signed to WWE NXT from 2020 to 2021 under the ring name Skyler Story, aside from also making a one-off appearance using her current ring name on the former black-and-yellow brand in May 2018 against Lacey Evans.

Though she only appeared for an NXT Women’s Title #1 contendership battle royal while she was signed to WWE, Lauren has been making her name in promotions like Impact Wrestling, Ring of Honor, and Warriors of Wrestling after getting her release.

As the 26-year-old is on her journey to make strides in the independent circuit, SEScoops’ correspondent Ella Jay caught up with Lauren during her appearance at WrestleCon in Dallas, Texas. Lauren discussed with us her future in wrestling, who she wants to face in the future, and more.

You can watch our exclusive interview with Brandi Lauren below:

Below are highlights from the interview:

What’s Next For Brandi Lauren’s Career

brandi lauren shine wrestling
Brandi Lauren during her time in Shine Wrestling.

Brandi Lauren says she’s someone who lets things happen, rather than try to control them. She was already appearing for multiple promotions in the first few years of taking up wrestling. Lauren says she doesn’t have any specific goals as such for her career and she takes it easy.

“This sounds crazy, but I’ve always just gone with the flow. My first year of wrestling, I didn’t have anything planned or anything like that. I got a lot of really cool opportunities. My first year of wrestling, my goal was to work for Shine on the pre-show and to work for them in one other state. And within my first year of wrestling, I was on the main show of Shine, like, insistently. I had a contract with Impact. I wrestled for Ring of Honor. I just did everything. So then after that, I was like, I don’t even know what goals I have because I’m like, I just want to see what I can do. So it’s more so just I don’t have any particular plans. I just go with the flow and take what happens and just see where it goes.

“I mean, with Impact and stuff like that too, they had messaged me right before one of the taping dates and they were like, ‘Hey, is your non-compete done? Yeah, cool. Are you available on all these dates?’ And I was just like, ‘Yeah sure!’ Because that was just a per-appearance deal. I didn’t sign a contract or anything like that, but it was really cool and it was doing something that I showed up and I didn’t know I was gonna be doing. Like, I did not know at all. I did not know I was going to be murdered [referring to playing one of Su Yung’s undead brides].

Getting Out Of Her Comfort Zone

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Brandi Lauren (left) as Su Yung’s Undead Bridesmaid with Kimber Lee.

Lauren played one of Su Yung’s Undead Bridesmaids along with Kimber Lee in Impact Wrestling. As Lauren was unable to claim enough souls for Yung as part of a storyline, she and Lee were struck down by lightning for good. Lauren said playing the supernatural role was out of her comfort zone but it helped her put her best performance forward.

“It was a surprise, but honestly, some of the most fun I’ve had in wrestling was doing a dead character, and creating just a whole new character, something that’s out of my comfort zone. Also, out of my comfort zone was working with Shotzi and that ended up being some of my best matches, you know, and her becoming my best friend, of course, so that’s really cool.

“I feel like getting out of my comfort zone is probably the best scenario for me and where I feel my best work comes from.”

Who’s Next On Lauren’s Radar

After having worked for Evolve Wrestling, Impact Wrestling, WWE, and the indies, Brandi Lauren is open to working everywhere and doing everything she can. Lauren will go wherever the path ahead leads her and will square off against anyone standing in her way.

“I think the main goal is, I just want to work everywhere and do everything, you know? I never thought that when I first started wrestling, I would make it to even Impact. I have contracts with Impact and I have contracts in general. It was insane thinking that.

“So I like seeing what comes and what opportunities come and if there’s an opportunity, I just take it.”

Lauren also discussed what she misses from her hometown of Buffalo, and what her favorites are as a big foodie. You can check out these parts of the interview on our YouTube channel.

Sasha Banks Names NXT Stars She ‘Would Love’ To Work With

Anutosh Bajpai
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The current WWE women’s tag team champions Sasha Banks and Naomi have the privilege of appearing on both Raw and SmackDown. Though if that’s not enough, they are not hesitant about going back to NXT and working with some of the development stars as well.

The current champions spoke to Give Me Sport in UK. Among other things, they were asked about the possibility of competing on NXT 2.0.

Naomi mentioned how she has history with Mandy Rose and said that she is ready to face Toxic Attraction anytime. Banks, on the other hand, named two stars she thinks have been working very hard:

“I really like Kayden and Kacy down there. They’ve been working really hard. I’ve trained with both of them at D-Von’s school. I love girls that want to do more.”

Sasha Banks continued by noting how she has seen the duo work hard for long. The Boss claimed that she ‘would love the opportunity’ to work with them:

“I’ve seen them work so hard for so long and would love the opportunity to go down there and tangle with them,”

Sasha Banks and Naomi are currently feuding with Shayna Baszler and Natalya. Banks is currently scheduled to face Baszler in a one-on-one match on this Friday’s SmackDown.

Quotes via Fightful

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