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Bully Ray Reveals He Felt ‘Stifled’ On WWE Return in 2015

Jake Skudder
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Former WWE Superstar and Hall of Famer Bully Ray recently appeared on Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw. The Dudley Boy discussed several topics during the show, including when he returned to WWE in 2015.

When Bully and D-Von made their return, they hadn’t been in the company since 2006, so it was a culture shock for the ECW legend when he saw how different the industry was.

“When D-Von and I left in 2006, I remember what WWE was like,” Bully Ray began. “So when we went back in 2015, I remember feeling so stifled as a performer. Because you had to run almost everything by the agent, and being told that two guys don’t bump and feed for a comeback anymore, or that you can’t do this behind the ref’s back.

Bully Ray on WWE Culture

“Everything that worked in the Attitude Era that made all of us a lot of money, now you couldn’t do anymore” Bully added. “And there was not really a good reason why they didn’t want it done anymore. It’s just that they’d not want it done.

“I remember dealing with an agent one time where I came up with something different and I felt passionate about it. I asked my agent to please go run it by Vince. My agent said, ‘Okay, I will’” Bully recalled.

“Then I followed my agent for an hour, he never spoke with Vince, then he came back and said, ‘Yeah, Vince doesn’t want to do that’. I lose all the respect in the world for you. So I would much rather you tell me to my face, ‘You know what, Bubba? I don’t want to talk with Vince right now. You go do it’.”

WWE SmackDown: Final Half Hour To Run Commercial-Free Against AEW Rampage

Jake Skudder
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It was confirmed during Saturday’s Iowa vs. Penn State college football game on FOX that next week’s episode of SmackDown will see the final half-hour go commercial-free.

Next week’s episode will be a ‘Supersized’ episode of the show airing on FS1, with the final half-hour running head-to-head with AEW Rampage on TNT.

This will be a massive night for both WWE and All Elite, with the SmackDown and Rampage overlapping for the very first time.

With SmackDown airing on FS1, it is clear that WWE realises they have a fight on their hands.

Rampage has not been holding steady on the ratings for the past few weeks, but it’s clear that WWE knows they have competition on the night with SmackDown being bumped from FOX to FS1.

WWE SmackDown vs AEW Rampage

The lineup for the show on FOX is absolutely stacked, with Becky Lynch vs Sasha Banks likely to be taking place in that non-commercial final half an hour.

WWE is not taking any chances with Rampage potentially beating them head-to-head on their biggest show; but it certainly means that we’re in for an exciting night of action on both programmes.

Here’s the current lineup for the Supersized version of WWE SmackDown:

  • SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks (Non-title Main Event)
  • King of the Ring Tournament Semi-final: Finn Balor vs. Sami Zayn
  • Queen’s Crown Tournament Semi-finals: Carmella vs. Zelina Vega
  • Sonya Deville makes her in-ring return against Naomi
  • Brock Lesnar will be appearing

Court Bauer Confirms MLW Had Talks With WWE

Jake Skudder
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Major League Wrestling/MLW owner Court Bauer has confirmed that he and the company were in talks with WWE earlier this year.

That had been rumors of talks between the two parties after the ‘Forbidden Door’ concept really took off with AEW, IMPACT, New Japan, AAA, GCW and more all working together.

Bauer confirmed the rumors during a media call for MLW Fightland:

“We’re talking with different offices about bringing their talent in and doing some international title matches. As for domestic partnerships, that’s where it gets a little tricky.

Court Bauer on WWE Conversations

“We’ve had talks, people are probably aware, we talked with WWE earlier this year. You have these conversations, try to see how it would work, and the biggest concern you have, at least for me, is you’re kind of inviting tortious interference and allowing it to happen if you go down that road and if you don’t feel like you’re getting enough in return to even take that risk, what are you doing? What’s the strategy there?

“It can be very complicated, whether it’s WWE or another company. It can be risky because often the talent, when they come through, you’re not going to now be able to control the creative for.

“These guys you spent a lot of time building up are now not in your system and now they are main event stars in MLW, but they go over there for a cameo and they’re not treated like top guys, you’re doing a disservice to them and your fans that have invested in their journey.

“It’s a really delicate thing and every conversation with every company is different. It’s a bit of a dance and sometimes it’s the forbidden dance.“

Brie Bella Can’t Believe How Much WWE Has Dropped The Women’s Division Creatively

Jake Skudder
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Former WWE Superstar Brie Bella recently appeared on Sippin’ the Tea TV Show with Ariane Andrew. The former WWE Divas Champion and Hall of Famer discussed several topics during the interview, including how WWE are handling the current crop of Women’s Superstars.

“It’s weird because I feel like lately, you’ve seen a little bit of a drop. Now that Becky is back, there’s going to be momentum with stories, but there for a while, I thought the girls were getting so much, and then all of a sudden, it went back to so little.

“You would watch either RAW or SmackDown and the stories just didn’t feel like they were getting as much depth as they should have, and not as much time.

“Look at the tag division. I’m just like, wait – we went from having some many tag teams to now it doesn’t feel like a lot. I like how women can be such vibrant, fun characters.

“If I look back in the day, the Glamour Girls, when Jimmy Hart would walk them out, how do we not have a women tag team that has a male manager? There’s so many things that WWE is great at but that, for some reason, misses the boat with me. You can have an incredible tag division.

“But I’m blown away at some of the ones they got rid of. Riott Squad? I’ll never understand it. Even like Mandy and Dana Brooke looked like a great tag team walking down.

“The IIconics? I just try to wrap my head around it, like did they threaten somebody backstage? Because other than that, I don’t understand.”

It was recently confirmed that The IIconics, now the IInspiration, have signed with IMPACT Wrestling.

Do you agree with Brie? Let us know in the comments

Rey Mysterio Reveals If He Regretted Losing His Mask in WCW

Jake Skudder
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WWE Superstar and WCW legend Rey Mysterio recently appeared on Kurt Angle’s The Kurt Angle Show podcast on AdFreeShows.com.

The former World Heavyweight Champion discussed several topics during his time on the show, including when he lost his mask in WCW and if he ever regrets that happening.

Mysterio confirmed a few years ago that Scott Hall was the one to say he should lose the mask and wrestle for World Championship Wrestling as a babyface without his face covered.

“It all started as a rumor for me to wrestle without the mask and, if I’m not mistaken, Scott Hall was the one that kept on saying ‘you gotta baby face’, ‘you’re a pretty mf’. He goes ‘you don’t need the mask, look that face sells’, so that began to get bigger and bigger and escalated up until Halloween Havoc in 1997 where Eric [Bischoff] had me thinking that I was going to lose the mask that night.”

REY MYSTERIO

Many agree that in hindsight it was not a great move by the company, but Rey Mysterio himself thinks it may have actually helped his career.

“I don’t think so, Kurt” Mysterio began when discussing losing his mask back in WCW. “I think when I lost the mask, the next night I faced Kevin Nash, and that’s when the giant killer [storyline] came up.

“Sometimes, I think to myself, if I wouldn’t have lost the mask, would I have had the push that I got against all these bigger guys?

“I don’t know. But because it happened, there was a positive side to it. And that’s when I started working with the bigger guys, which eventually opened up the doors for me in WWE.”

Malakai Black Heaps Praise On Rosario Dawson For AEW Appearance

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Malakai Black enjoyed the experience of doing a segment on AEW TV with Rosario Dawson.

Black and Cody Rhodes had been involved in a personal rivalry. Black had decimated Rhodes on an episode of AEW Dynamite. With Rhodes looking to get revenge, he enlisted the help of his Go Big Show co-host, Rosario Dawson. Dawson was quite active, jumping on Malakai’s back to distract him.

Appearing on the AEW Unrestricted Podcast, Black said Dawson was “ecstatic” to be involved in the angle. “She had a great time backstage, had a great time on TV,” said Black.

Black has been embroiled in a feud with Cody Rhodes’ Nightmare Family since joining All Elite Wrestling. He was pleasantly surprised by Dawson’s first brush with pro wrestling.

“Me and Cody really beat the sh*t out of each other. That definitely one of the hardest brawls I’ve ever had, as short as it was. Me and Cody, despite the interaction so far at this point being limited, every time we got physical, we got physical, and Rosario jumped right into that because I had to tuck my chin, but she came in and just cinched it in.”

Black continued, “I was like, oh, okay, that’s what we’re doing today. But it’s the excitement of TV, and obviously, it’s new, but she did really well. And she was very thankful. She was very appreciative, and she had a great time.”

He added that it was an incredibly cool experience to be involved in an angle with such an esteemed American actress.

AEW hasn’t been shy in bringing in celebrities. We’ve seen the likes of Mike Tyson, Shaquille O’Neal, and now Dawson be involved in some capacity.

Malakai Black and Cody Rhodes ended up having a rematch on the AEW Grand Slam edition of Dynamite in New York City. Rhodes was far more competitive in the rematch, but Black spat mist in Rhodes’ eyes and rolled him up for the win.

Damian Priest Reveals Hilarious Reaction To Learning About Team Up With Bad Bunny

Anutosh Bajpai
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Damian Priest had a great run with Bad Bunny after his main roster call-up. Though his first reaction to learning about his tag team with the rap star was not something you would expect.

The US champion recently had an interview with Superluchas.com. He discussed things such as the first WWE Heavyweight Champion of Puerto Rican descent, Pedro Morales being a major inspiration from him.

Speaking of his first reaction to being told about his tag team with Bunny, Priest revealed that he didn’t even realize the officials were talking about the rapping star:

“They told me that I was going to be promoted to Raw and that I was going to be part of a team because Bad Bunny was going to enter, the first thing I said was, ‘How are they going to give the name Bad Bunny to a wrestler when there is already a singer named Bad Bunny? You don’t use your brain?! ‘And they looked at me and said, “THAT’S the Bad Bunny!” It was a surprise to know that he was going to wrestle.

Damian Priest & Bad Bunny

Damian priest bad bunny 1
Damian Priest and Bad Bunny at Latin Billboard Awards

Damian Priest also said that he met Bad Bunny for the first time on the day of the 2021 Royal Rumble itself. The Archer of Infamy says they hit it off immediately. He taught Bunny some wrestling stuff on the first day itself. It was a producer who gave the idea of the Puerto Rican rapper throwing himself over Miz and Morrison and Bunny was all for it.

Damian Priest made a surprise appearance at the 2021 Royal Rumble after three years in NXT. He entered the match at #14 and eliminated people such as John Morrison, The Miz, Elias, and Kane before being eliminated by Bobby Lashley himself. Priest teamed up with Bad Bunny for his first WrestleMania match and the duo defeated The Miz and Morrison in a tag match.

Damian Priest Claims He Was Nearly Pulled From Bad Bunny Angle

Karrion Kross Admits Significant Differences Between NXT & Raw

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Karrion Kross admits there are some big changes in the transition from NXT to the main roster.

Kross is the former two-time NXT Champion. Following a title loss to Samoa Joe at TakeOver 36, Kross become a full-time member of the Monday Night Raw roster. He has been without Scarlett Bordeaux since making the move and his new entrance gear has been criticized.

Karrion Kross is rolling with the punches, however, and he is optimistic. During a chat with the folks at Table Talk, Kross detailed the differences between NXT and the main roster.

“It’s a completely different experience in the way that the show runs. The CWC, the day felt, in terms of how the show was laid out, felt very premeditated in terms of the direction we knew we were going to be going and everything was spaced out with time allotted. It just felt more concrete whereas with Raw, there are so many moving parts and a lot of things that are changing moment to moment. Being able to adapt and change on the fly, I don’t want to necessarily say it was hard, it’s more fun. I enjoy stuff like that and don’t mind pressure whatsoever.”

Kross has also explained Scarlett’s absence without getting into personal details. He told D-Von Dudley that the two are simply waiting for “things to run its course.” Kross insisted that Scarlett is healthy and is training every day for when she’s ready to return to TV.

Desmond Troy On His Experience After WWE Release

Anutosh Bajpai
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Desmond Troy realized the hard way that the talk about former WWE stars getting attention from bookers was not all true after his own release from the company.

The former NXT star was recently interviewed by Antonio Thomas on Left My Wallet. He discussed things such as how hard his tryout was, his future, and more.

Discussing his experience after his release from WWE, Troy mentioned how a lot of people say that former WWE stars are booked like crazy but it’s not the case:

“A lot of people said, even before I got released, it was always a conversation like, ‘You go to the Indies and you’re going to be a shoo-in. People are going to book you like crazy because you’re from WWE and NXT; you got that tag on you.’

You get told that you got the stamp. So, I’m thinking when I got released that people are going to be trying to knock down my door.” said Desmond Troy, “That’s not the case. I have to go out there and sell myself.”

The former NXT star was signed to a development contract back in July 2018. He made his debut for the black and yellow brand in October the same year.

Troy also wrestled several matches as an enhancement talent. He competed against stars such as Seth Rollins and Sheamus. He was released alongside people like Bobby Fish and Mercedes Martinez on August 6.

News On Upcoming Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar Crown Jewel Match

Anutosh Bajpai
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It seems that the announced Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns Universal Championship match at Crown Jewel won’t be the concluding bout for their rivalry.

Lesnar and Reigns’ program is expected to extend beyond this upcoming match, according to Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

“From what we understand, and what makes sense, is this is not a one-and-done program,” said Meltzer. “For one, unless Dwayne Johnson is wrestling Reigns at next year’s WrestleMania, this would appear to be the biggest possible Mania match.”

He added, “So the idea here is to build to a return, whether that means Lesnar wins to build to a rematch or some disputed decision takes place.”

Paul Heyman’s loyalty will be a big part of how this story unfolds. Heyman has guided both men to the top of WWE and we don’t know which side he will take when the time comes.

Lesnar made his surprise return at SummerSlam after more than a year away from WWE programming. He confronted Reigns, who had just beaten John Cena in the main event.

Heyman has been the centerpiece of the storyline between these two. Just last week, Brock Lesnar announced that he had become a free agent thanks to his advocate. WWE has announced that Roman Reigns will have to defend his championship against the Beast at the upcoming Crown Jewel PPV.

It will be interesting to see which man Heyman sides with, when the inevitable choice is presented.

New WWE Performance Center Coach Was Trained By CM Punk

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE has hired former indie wrestling star Allison Danger to work as a coach in the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, according to reports from Wrestling Observer.

The female star previously worked as a guest coach at the PC in mid-May. She was then brought to the SummerSlam week tryout in Las Vegas.

Danger was apparently brought in for the tryout from Vegas in August because she lived in the area. She worked with the talents giving their auditions at the event.

The SummerSlam week appearance, alongside her guest coaching gig earlier this year seems to have served as the catalyst for her full-time signing with the company.

The 44-year-old Allison Danger is the younger sister of ECW original Steve Corino. Corino currently works as a producer and trainer for WWE behind the scenes as well.

It’s interesting to note that the former wrestling star was trained by the current AEW star CM Punk, among others including her brother and the Chikara wrestle factory.

Allison Danger is not the only star to have been hired by WWE as a Performance Center coach recently. It was revealed earlier this week that former Spirit Squad member Kenny Dykstra has also been working at the PC the last few weeks.

Hell In A Cell Match Announced For Crown Jewel, Updated Card

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE has announced that Seth Rollins will be facing Edge in a Hell In A Cell match at the upcoming Crown Jewel PPV from Saudi Arabia.

These two have been feuding since the Money In The Bank PPV. The Rated R Superstar challenged the Universal champion Roman Reigns for his title at the show.

However, Edge couldn’t win the title due to interference from Rollins. This led to a few weeks of confrontations between the two before WWE announced that they will be meeting in a match at SummerSlam.

The Attitude Era star managed to win this match against the Architect via submission. Though their rivalry continued and last week’s episode of SmackDown saw Rollins invading the home of Edge.

Edge then proposed a Hell In A Cell stipulation for their rematch during the final segment of this week’s episode of the blue brand. The match was made official after Seth accepted the challenge.

WWE Crown Jewel Updated Match Card

This is the sixth match which has been confirmed for the show from the Middle Eastern country. After the announcement, here is the updated card for the event:

  • Universal Championship Match: Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns
  • WWE Championship Match: Drew McIntyre vs. Big E
  • Triple Threat SmackDown Women’s Championship Match: Sasha Banks vs. Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch
  • Raw Tag Team Championship Match: AJ Styles and Omos vs. Randy Orton and Riddle
  • No Holds Barred Match: Bobby Lashley vs. WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg
  • Hell In A Cell Match: Edge vs. Seth Rollins

WWE Crown Jewel will take place on October 21 from the Mohammed Abdu Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

WWE SmackDown Results (10/8): KOTR & Queen’s Crown, Reigns & Heyman

Xavier Woods Reacts To King Of The Ring Bracket Reveal

Anutosh Bajpai
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Xavier Woods is super excited that he will finally be getting the chance to realize his dream after being named one of the participants in the King Of The Ring tournament during the bracket reveal on SmackDown.

The New Day member took on his Twitter. He posted a video and revealed that he didn’t know he was gonna be in the tournament. He then commented on his first-round match against Ricochet:

“I was watching SmackDown and that’s how I found out that I was in the tournament.” said Woods, “Me and Ricochet, that’s my friend. We are cool. You know. He is a good dude. This is different. This is tournament play. These are tournament rules.

This is a tournament match. Fantastic guy, one of the most entertaining and fantastic entertainers that I have ever seen in my life, [but] I gotta run through you dude. I got to run through you. I am sorry, actually I am not sorry, I need this crown. You get it; because you are gonna come at me with the same energy.”

Xavier Woods has been talking about his desire to win the King Of The Ring for a while now. Many fans are behind him for winning the tournament this time.

Big E also recently discussed how the high-flying star is very underrated. He explained that winning the King Of The Ring tournament can help him change the perspective of people and convince everyone that he is a main event worthy talent.

Do you think Xavier Woods should win the King Of The Ring tournament this year? Let us know your thoughts on the matter in the comment section below.

Watch Shinsuke Nakamura Abdicate His Crown Ahead Of King Of The Ring

Watch Shinsuke Nakamura Abdicate His Crown Ahead Of King Of The Ring

Anutosh Bajpai
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Shinsuke Nakamura has abdicated his crown and dropped ‘King’ from his name ahead of the crowing of a new King Of The Ring later this month.

WWE posted a backstage video on their YouTube before this week’s episode of SmackDown. In the post as seen below, the Intercontinental champion claimed that he respects the tournament. So he is giving up his crown:

“A new King of the Ring being crowned in a few weeks. I respect the King of the Ring Tournament and I’ve proven myself as The King. Because of that, I am giving up my crown. So you will not call me ‘King’ Nakamura, but you can call me the Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura!”

The last King of The Ring tournament took place in 2019. Baron Corbin won this competition and became the king after defeating Chad Gable in the finals.

Shinsuke Nakamura started a feud with the then King Corbin in May this year. This led to Nakamura beating Corbin to earn the title in a “Battle For The Crown” match during the June 18 episode of SmackDown.

WWE announced the return of the tournament, along with the creation of a similar tournament for women named Queen’s Crown earlier this month.

The tournaments began this Friday on SmackDown and the finals are set to take place at the upcoming Crown Jewel event on October 21. You can check out the brackets for the competition here.

WWE SmackDown Results (10/8): KOTR & Queen’s Crown, Reigns & Heyman

WWE Announces Return To Canada For The First Time Since Coronavirus Pandemic

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE confirmed that they will be returning to Canada later this year. The company announced the news during the SmackDown broadcast, confirming that they will be holding a couple of live events there later this year.

The first event will be on Wednesday, December, 29 from the Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto. The second will be on Thursday, December 30 at Place Bell in Laval, Quebec.

These will be the first WWE shows in Canada since the coronavirus pandemic forced them to halt touring last year. The last WWE event in the country was a Raw episode on February 24, 2020.

The event from Winnipeg was the final WWE show before their last Saudi Arabia event in Super Showdown that took place on February 27.

The show saw an appearance from the Beast Incarnate himself, Brock Lesnar. It also featured a number of WWE stars which have since been released.

The list of stars that were on the show but are no longer with the promotion includes names such as Aleister Black, Buddy Murphy, Erick Rowan, and more.

It’s unknown whether these events will be under the Raw or SmackDown brand so it’s hard to say which stars may make an appearance. We will keep you posted on the lineup for the show.

AEW Rampage Results (10/8): Street Fight, Tag Title Match, CM Punk vs. Daniel Garcia

Robert Lentini
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AEW Rampage aired tonight on TNT and featured two title matches. CM Punk faced Daniel Garcia tonight on the show. Lucha Bros defended the tag titles against The Acclaimed and Ricky Starks put the FTW Championship on the line against Brian Cage in a Street Fight. It was announced that the AEW World Title Eliminator Tournament is returning with the finals taking place at Full Gear.

Rampage Results

  1. CM Punk def. Daniel Garcia via submission
  2. Lucha Bros def. The Acclaimed to retain the AEW Tag Team Championships
  3. Jade Cargill def. Skye Blue
  4. Ricky Starks def. Brian Cage in a Street Fight to retain the FTW Title

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

CM Punk Tapped Out Daniel Garcia, Will Face Matt Sydal Next Week

CM Punk squared off against Daniel Garcia in the first match of the night. Punk and Garcia locked up in the middle of the ring to begin the action. Punk applied a Heel Hook but Garcia worked his way to the bottom rope to break the hold. Garcia and Punk traded chops before Punk connected with a Body Slam. Punk hit another one and went for a third but Garcia was able to escape. Punk set up for the GTS but 2point0 dragged Garcial out of the ring. They then slammed Punk’s leg into the ring post as the referee was distracted.

When Rampage returned, Garcia focused his attack on Punk’s knee. Punk battled back and went for the GTS again but Garcia countered into a Sharpshooter. Punk escaped and sent Garcia to the outside. CM Punk made his way to the top rope and hit 2point0 with a Crossbody. Back in the ring, Punk connected with a Piledriver and applied the Anaconda Vice for the submission victory. After the match, Lio Rush was backstage with Dante Marin and Matt Sydal. Lio claimed that he was going to get Sydal a match against CM Punk next week and it was then made official.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1446661559221112840?s=20

Lucha Bros Retained The AEW Tag Titles

Lucha Bros (Pentagon Jr. & Rey Fenix) defended the AEW Tag Team Championships against The Acclaimed (Max Caster & Anthony Bowens). The Acclaimed controlled the match early and went after the Lucha Bros. Fenix connected with a Jawbreaker on Bowens and Lucha Bros followed it up with a couple Dropkicks.

Pentagon connected with a DDT on Caster and tagged in Fenix. Rey hit The Acclaimed with a double Cutter and Penta hit Bowens with a double stomp. Lucha Bros then hit a Piledriver for the pinfall victory. Lucha Bros are still the AEW Tag Team Champions.

Jade Cargill Remains Undefeated

Jade Cargill squared off against Skye Blue tonight on Rampage. Mark Sterling accompanied Jade Cargill to the ring. This was another squash match for Cargill as she picked up the quick pinfall victory after hitting Jaded. After the match, Jade continued to beat Skye down until Thunder Rosa made the save. Thunder Rosa rushed the ring with a steel chair and Cargill retreated. It was announced that Ruby Soho will face The Bunny on next week’s episode of Rampage.

Ricky Starks Retained The FTW Title

Ricky Starks put the FTW Championship on the line against Brian Cage in a Street Fight in this week’s main event. Cage dominated early and bashed Starks over the back with a steel chair. Ricky rolled out of the ring and Cage followed him.

Brian launched Cage over the barricade and into the first row of the crowd. Cage brought Starks back to the apron and hit him with a chop to the chest. Brian launched Starks into the barricade and posed for the crowd. Cage slammed Starks onto the ring apron with a Back Drop. Cage threw a trash can and some pipes into the ring. Ricky escaped a Suplex and hit Cage in the ribs with a pool cue. Starks hit a Tornado DDT as Rampage went to a commercial break.

When Rampage returned, Starks was beating down Brian Cage in the corner of the ring. Starks grabbed a pipe and choked Cage against the ropes. Ricky played the pipe like an air guitar and delivered a running kick to Cage’s face. Cage planted Starks with a big Fallaway Slam and followed it up with a punch to the face.

Cage hit Starks with a knee to the face and went for a Powerbomb. Starks escaped and connected with a forearm to the face. Starks grabbed a trash can lid and used it with a Leg Drop for a two count. Starks paced around the ring and grabbed the trash can as Cage pulled himself up in the corner.

Ricky set up the trash can in front of Cage and charged but wound up running into a Superkick. Cage bashed Starks over the head with the trash can and followed it up with a slam for a two count. Hook rushed the ring with the FTW Championship but Cage leveled him with a Clothesline. Powerhouse Hobbs interfered but Cage knocked him to the floor as well. Ricky hit Cage in the face with the FTW title and followed it up with a Spear. Starks went for the cover but Cage was able to kick out at the last moment.

Starks went for another Spear but Cage got out of the way. Cage launched Starks into the steel cage in the corner and followed it up with a Clothesline. Brian went for the cover but Powerhouse Hobbs broke it up. Hook hit Cage with a low blow and Starks capitalized with a Roshambo for the pinfall victory. Ricky Starks celebrated with Team Taz after the match

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1446669263813627911?s=20

WWE King Of The Ring & Queen’s Crown Brackets Revealed

Andrew Ravens
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WWE has released the brackets for King of the Ring and the inaugural Queen’s Crown tournament. 

The finals of both royal competitions will take place at WWE Crown Jewel on Thursday, October 21st from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at the King Fahd International Stadium.

King of the Ring Brackets

King of the Ring 2021 kicked off on Friday WWE SmackDown. Sami Zayn defeated Rey Mysterio in a first-round match. Zayn has advanced to face the winner of Cesaro vs. Finn Balor.

The remaining first-round matches include Kofi Kingston vs. Jinder Mahal, Xavier Woods vs.Ricochet and Cesaro vs. Finn Balor.

FBN2 yaXEAAMtcn?format=jpg&name=medium

Queen’s Crown Brackets

Queen’s Crown also kicked off on SmackDown. Zelina Vega defeated Toni Storm and Carmella defeated Liv Morgan in first-round matches.

The other first-round matches will take place on Raw with Doudrop vs. Natalya and Dana Brooke vs. Shayna Baszler. 

For SmackDown, Vega and Carmella will wrestle each other next while the winners of the Raw matches will square off. 

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WWE SmackDown Results (10/8): KOTR & Queen’s Crown, Reigns & Heyman

Robert Lentini
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WWE SmackDown aired live from the SAP Center in San Jose, California. The first rounds of the King of the Ring and Queen’s Crown tournaments began tonight. Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, and Sasha Banks signed the contract for their SmackDown Women’s Triple Threat match at Crown Jewel. In addition to the takeaways below, Sonya Deville told Naomi that she finally has a match but it is against her next week.

SmackDown Results

  1. Sami Zayn def. Rey Mysterio to advance in the KOTR Tournament
  2. Zelina Vega def. Toni Storm to advance in the Queen’s Crown Tournament
  3. Carmella def. Liv Morgan to advance in the Queen’s Crown Tournament
  4. Finn Balor def. Cesaro to advance in the KOTR Tournament

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Bianca Belair Sent A Message To Becky Lynch & Sasha Banks

Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville were already in the ring when the season premiere of SmackDown began. Bianca Belair made her entrance as highlights of her feud with Banks and Lynch were shown. Sasha Banks was on the announce table and posed as more highlights were shown. Becky Lynch was seated at her own table set up on the entrance ramp. Banks boasted about her spotlight being bigger and Belair claimed that Becky Lynch was lucky at SummerSlam. Bianca added that she has her name on every big moment in 2021 and challenged Becky to get into the ring.

Lynch joked that Bianca was acting pretty tough for someone she beat in 26 seconds. Becky flipped the table and walked towards the ring. Banks capitalized and attacked Belair from behind. Becky then tried to attack Sasha from behind but Banks battled back. Bianca sent them both to the corner and lifted them up for a KOD. Banks escaped but Bianca booted her onto the table. Belair then hit the KOD on Becky Lynch on top of Banks through the table.

Sami Zayn Advanced In The KOTR Tournament

Rey Mysterio faced Sami Zayn in the 1st round of the King of the Ring Tournament. Rey controlled the action early and set up Sami for the 619 but he rolled away as the crowd booed. Mysterio hit a Splash off the top rope and went for the cover but Sami kicked out at two. Sami slid Rey across the mat and Mysterio crashed into the ring post. Dominik made his way down the entrance ramp as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Sami went for the Helluva Kick but Rey countered into a Frankensteiner for a two count. Rey connected with another Frankensteiner off the middle turnbuckle but couldn’t put Sami away. Sami hit the Blue Thunder Bomb for a two count. Sami untied the turnbuckle pad but Dominik saw it. Dominik started to put it back on and Rey got distracted. Sami rolled Rey up for the pinfall victory and advanced in the KOTR tournament.

Zelina Vega Advanced In The Queen’s Crown Tournament

Zelina Vega faced Toni Storm in the 1st round of the Queen’s Crown tournament. Storm sent Vega to the corner and hit a Hip Attack. Storm lifted Zelina up but she countered into a Code Red for the pinfall victory. Zelina Vega advanced in the Queen’s Crown tournament.

Paul Heyman Pledged His Allegiance To The Tribal Chief

Universal Champion Roman Reigns, SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos, and Paul Heyman made their way to the ring to begin the 2nd hour of this week’s SmackDown. Heyman held the Universal Championship as Reigns took a look into the crowd. Roman asked the crowd to acknowledge him before turning his attention to Heyman.

Reigns told the crowd to acknowledge Heyman too because he got The Usos drafted to SmackDown. Roman put his arm around Heyman’s shoulder and told him he loved him. Heyman said “I love you, my Tribal Chief”. Reigns added that The Usos love Heyman too because he is the Wise Man to The Bloodline.

Roman told Heyman that he wanted him to be wise and come clean. The crowd chanted “Suplex City” and Reigns joked that this is the Island of Relevancy. Reigns told Paul to admit that he is responsible for Brock Lesnar’s free agency. Heyman stuttered and rambled before Reigns pulled his head up.

Paul stated that he has been accused of many things, and is guilty of even more, but has never been accused of being stupid. Heyman said that it would be stupid to pull the trigger before Crown Jewel if he were to do anything. Paul added that he thinks highly of the Tribal Chief and knows he wouldn’t hire someone stupid as his special council.

Heyman hyped up Reigns and claimed he was going to conquer The Beast at Crown Jewel. Reigns told Heyman to look into the camera and say it to Brock. Roman vowed to protect Heyman as well. Heyman hyped up the fact that Lesnar defeated The Undertaker but claimed Brock has met his match and his name is Roman Reigns.

Paul said that Reigns will walk out of Crown Jewel still the Universal Champion and added “that is not just a prediction, it is a spoiler Brock Lesnar, and you can believe that”. Heyman got on his knees and handed the Universal Championship to Roman Reigns. Roman raised the title before handing it back to Heyman to end the segment.

Carmella Advanced In The Queen’s Crown Tournament

Carmella faced Liv Morgan in the first round of the Queen’s Crown Tournament. Carmella locked in the Code of Silence but Liv ripped away at Carmella’s protective mask to break it up. Liv connected with a Codebreaker and went for the cover but Carmella got her foot on the bottom rope to break it up. Carmella then hit a Superkick for the pinfall victory.

Happy Corbin & Madcap Moss Beat Up Kevin Owens Again

Happy Corbin came to the ring with Madcap Moss. Corbin said Moss makes him happy and Moss told a dumb joke. “What instrument do you find in the bathroom? A tuba toothpaste”. Kevin Owens mercifully interrupted and rushed the ring. Owens attacked Corbin but Moss hit him with a Neckbreaker.

Finn Balor def. Cesaro To Advance In The KOTR Tournament

Finn Balor faced Cesaro in the 1st round of the KOTR tournament. Cesaro connected with a Backbreaker and went for the cover but Balor kicked out at two. Balor sent Cesaro out of the ring with a Back Body Drop as SmackDown went to a break.

When SmackDown returned, Balor connected with a Slingblade and both superstars crashed to the canvas. Cesaro battled back and hit a Superplex but somehow Balor kicked out at two. Cesaro hit a few uppercuts but Balor ducked and rolled him up for a two count. Balor dodged a running uppercut and hit a Dropkick into the corner. Finn climbed to the top rope and connected with the Coup de Grace for the pinfall victory. Balor has advanced in the KOTR tournament.

Edge Challenged Rollins To A Hell In A Cell Match

Seth Rollins made his way to the ring at the end of the show to challenge Edge again. Rollins suggested that they have another match in Edge’s living room so his family could cheer him on. Seth demanded that Edge come to the ring and started wondering what happened to the Ultimate Opportunist. Rollins cackled and claimed that he ended that guy with one Stomp in Madison Square Garden.

Rollins said that Edge not being here is admission from Edge that he is better than him in every possible way. Seth claimed that Edge is disappointing his friends and family. He brought up Edge’s little girls and said it must be tough to know their daddy is a coward. Edge pulled up and marched to the entrance ramp. Rollins grabbed a steel chair but Edge caught him with the Spear. Edge sent Seth into the steel steps and choked him with a headset. Edge broke off a piece of the chair and went for a Crossface but Seth escaped. Edge shouted that he wants a Hell in a Cell match against Rollins and Seth looked shocked.

WWE Caused MLW Streaming Deal To Get Nixed (Report)

Andrew Ravens
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WWE had a negative reaction to a streaming deal that MLW was trying to secure and reportedly had a part in getting the deal nixed. 

Fightful Select reported today that Major League Wrestling was working on a deal with the Tubi streaming service, which is owned by FOX. The plan was to announce the deal publicly in August, but WWE learned about it before the contract was signed and a source close to FOX stated WWE did not respond favorably to the deal. 

Because of WWE’s response to the deal, it was put into question and WWE, as well as FOX, nixed the streaming deal. A comment from WWE, MLW, and FOX was not made. While MLW had archived content on Tubi at one time, it appears they are no longer on the service.

Speaking of streaming services, it has been previously reported FOX wasn’t happy with NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service being promoted on their network. One source stated that FOX wanted to pay for the rights to WWE pay-per-views to turn the tables with the idea of putting WWE programming on Tubi. 

It was reiterated by FOX sources that while there were some in the company who likely shared that same frustration, they were happy to help promote major events on FOX platforms. The reason for that is due to them thinking that what is “good for the goose is good for the gander.”

A source at Peacock stated WWE’s performance on the streaming service appears to be exceptional and more eyes on WWE pay-per-view events than ever before.

The Undertaker Tells Tyson Fury To Smash Deontay Wilder (Video)

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WWE legend The Undertaker has a message for Tyson Fury ahead of fight night.

This Saturday night (Oct. 9), Fury will be defending his WBC and The Ring Heavyweight Titles. He’ll be going one-on-one with Deontay Wilder in a trilogy fight. The action will be held inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Fury received the following video from The Undertaker.

“You smash this guy and when you’re looking over him, just for me, look down at him and say, “‘Rest In Peace!'”

Fury was quick to respond and he honored “The Phenom” by wearing his hat.

“This one’s for The Undertaker. I’m here today in your hat, sir. I’m gonna smash him and I’m gonna say, ‘Rest In Peace.'”

This isn’t the first time Tyson Fury and The Undertaker have had kind words for one another. Back when “The Deadman” was celebrating 30 years in WWE, Fury had the following video sent to The Undertaker.

“Hi, this is Tyson Fury and this is a special message to The Undertaker celebrating 30 years in the WWE. Fantastic, thank you very much for all the great nights you’ve given us over the years. God bless ya, see ya around.”

Fury got the meme treatment following his first fight with Deontay Wilder back in Dec. 2018. After being knocked down in the 12th round, “The Gypsy King” looked all but done. Somehow, he got back to his feet and survived until the final bell. The way Fury sat up reminded people of The Undertaker.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH8Z9BYusDc

Karrion Kross Speaks On Not Being With Scarlett Bordeaux On WWE TV

Andrew Ravens
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Many fans are waiting to see Scarlett Bordeaux back on television after she disappeared from being with Karrion Kross when he lost the NXT Title to Samoa Joe shortly after being moved to the WWE main roster. 

It was previously reported that WWE was planning to have Kross go on a losing streak in order for them to bring her back to television as a way to help him turn things around. 

Kross was asked about this when he was on a recent edition of D-Von Dudley’s “Table Talk” podcast. 

“This is what I can say. I mean without being deliberately cryptic, we’re waiting for something to finish taking its course. So, she is very good and she has been training like a maniac. Just like she always does. You can expect to see her any time or any place.”

It should be noted that in recent weeks, WWE has been airing vignettes for Kross. So perhaps she could return with Kross when he works his next match. Scarlett and Kross announced their engagement last month.

Before Kross was called up to the main roster, WWE did have Scarlett work dark matches without Kross as she previously wrestled in Impact Wrestling, AAA in Mexico, Ring Of Honor, and Ohio Valley Wrestling before signing with WWE.

ROH Commentator Calls For AAA & CMLL To Make Amends

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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ROH play-by-play commentator, Ian Riccaboni, hopes that there will be a truce between top Mexican promotions AAA and CMLL.

The landscape of pro wrestling outside of WWE has drastically changed over the years. As of late, we’ve been seeing the “Forbidden Door” become busted open. There is a slew of cross-promotion going on. ROH is no stranger to inter-promotional dealings and has been doing it for years.

It’s gotten to the point where Ian Riccaboni just wants to see two promotions get along. Those companies are AAA and CMLL. Here’s what the ROH play-by-play ace told Sportskeeda.

“I’m gonna go with an off-the-beaten-path one. I think Ring of Honor has a good relationship with everybody. Those doors are open and I think there might be some light in some doors that were closed before, cracks of light. But I’d like to see AAA, CMLL finally just have some sort of truce.

“The scene in Mexico right now is so exciting. Bandido just did an event with his gym, Bandido’s Gym, for Big Lucha. There were so many talented luchadors that I never seen before including his brother, whose name is Gravity. Gravity did this crazy move off the balcony and he was really awesome in the battle royale. Just talent after talent. If you look at the lineup of Crash or if you look at the lineup of Big Lucha at Bandido’s Gym or anything like that, you’ll see these inter-promotional dream matches. You’ll see guys from AAA, you’ll see guys from CMLL, you’ll see guys from Ring of Honor, from AEW.”

As Riccaboni mentioned, there are plenty of other shows that have featured talent from various promotions including AAA and CMLL. While many wouldn’t hold their breath in terms of a partnership between the two companies, never say never in this industry.

If you use the quotes in this article for your website, please drop a h/t to SEScoops with a link back to this article.

Update On Gable Steveson’s WWE Debut

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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The WWE debut of Gable Steveson may not be a long wait.

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that the plan is for Steveson to become a regular on WWE TV once his collegiate sports career wraps up at the end of March. The company reportedly wants the Olympic gold medalist to be featured prominently at WrestleMania 38 in April 2022.

Gable Stevenson was drafted to WWE’s Raw brand earlier this month. Over the next few months, WWE will be looking to keep Gable Steveson fresh in the minds of WWE fans.

Naturally, there’s been a top of hype surrounding the blue chip prospect. Following Gable Stveson’s Olympic gold medal victory over Geno Petriashvili in freestyle wrestling, speculation began about his future. He helped stir the pot, speaking openly about his options. In addition to professional wrestling, Stevenson also considered going pro with the NFL and also the UFC.

Steveson hasn’t wrestled a match or even cut a promo for WWE, but people are already comparing him to fellow Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle.

Steveson is expected to graduate from college in May 2022. He will defend his NCAA Division I national championship at the University of Minnesota in his final year with the college.

Drew McIntyre Shares Who Has His Attention On NXT 2.0

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Drew McIntyre has his eyes on a potential main eventer and a tag team on NXT 2.0.

McIntyre knows what it’s like to compete on the NXT brand. In fact, he’s a former NXT Champion. The brand has recently undergone a change and is being treated more as a developmental brand than a major third show.

During a media scrum, Drew McIntyre revealed who has his attention on NXT 2.0.

“Yeah, I was watching the first show and live tweeting along as I was paying close attention. I was curious how the new format would look. There are some talents that really caught my eye. Steiner’s kid, Bron Breakker caught my attention right away. He is clearly an athlete of a high level. He looks great, talks like his uncle, which is awesome. I see a big future for him. If he stays on the right path [and] keeps working hard like he’s clearly doing.”

The former two-time WWE Champion also said that he’s been impressed by the Creed Brothers. For some of the new talent surfacing on NXT 2.0, it hasn’t taken long for them to be thrust into the spotlight. Bron Breakker will be getting an NXT Championship opportunity against Tommaso Ciampa at Halloween Havoc on Oct. 26.

When the decision was made to change the direction of NXT, the reception was a mixed bag. Many criticized the promotion for it as NXT felt like an alternative brand for those who wanted something different from Raw and SmackDown. Those in favor of the change say it’s best to ensure talent is following the Vince McMahon and Bruce Prichard playbook in order to be ready for the main roster.

Bianca Belair Reveals Who She’d Start A Faction With

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In the perfect world, Bianca Belair would put her differences aside to create a faction.

Belair is the former SmackDown Women’s Champion. She defeated Sasha Banks for the gold at WrestleMania 37. Belair ended up losing the championship to Becky Lynch at the SummerSlam PPV back in August. During an interview with the Hindustan Times, Belair revealed who she’d start a faction with.

“I think, if we can all get along – me, Sasha and Naomi will be a great faction,” said Belair. “We would mesh really well. We could work really work together. I just can’t trust Sasha right now. So, we cannot create this faction right now.”

She continued, “But I have seen on social media as well, that they want this faction. I think it would be cool. But I don’t know if it would ever be possible, because we just cannot seem to get on the same page.”

Belair, Sasha & Naomi

Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks haven’t exactly been chummy over the past few months. Banks took a break from in-ring action following WrestleMania but returned and unleashed a series of cheat shots on Bianca. The two will meet again in a triple threat match along with Becky Lynch at WWE Crown Jewel on Oct. 21.

As for Naomi, right now she finds herself at odds with Sonya Deville. Deville serves as an authority figure on Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown. Naomi believes Deville has been disrespecting and ignoring her for weeks. Many believe this is building towards a match between the two.

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