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PCO Responds To Reports Of Him Leaving ROH

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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PCO has given his response to reports that he’s expected to leave ROH soon.

A report from Wrestling Observer Radio claimed that PCO’s contract with ROH is up at the end of November. The report also notes that the former ROH World Champion gave the company notice that he will not be signing a new deal.

During an appearance on Sean Waltman’s Pro Wrestling 4 Life podcast, PCO revealed whether or not he will become a free agent before 2021 comes to a close.

“On December 1st, that would be my third year with Ring of Honor. It will be 3 full years, and 3 great years. I have been treated really super good. They are great people over there, but coming December 1st, I will be a free agent. It will be interesting to see where everything is going, either with Ring of Honor or wherever.

The indies could be a great place to start things up. There’s not a day that I’m not getting hit by someone for shows, if not a couple of shows. I’m under an exclusive contract right now. I’m fully Ring of Honor. I couldn’t take any work for the last 3 years for any indie companies other than the ones that we were doing business with which were New Japan Pro Wrestling, or at that time it was CMLL, and that got broken, and the PWG, but I don’t know where we stand with them right now.”

PCO was seen in action in the Honor Rumble at the Death Before Dishonor PPV. That match ended up being won by Alex Zayne. PCO has been with ROH since 2018. He captured the world title back in Dec. 2019 and held onto the gold for 78 days.

Announce Team Revealed For Impact Knockouts Knockdown

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Impact Wrestling has unveiled the announce team for Knockouts Knockdown.

The special all-women’s event is scheduled to take place on Oct. 9. This will be the first time the event will be held since 2017. It used to run annually beginning in 2013.

Gail Kim made the announcement that the event is making a comeback. The show will feature the likes of Impact Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo, Mercedes Martinez, Lady Frost, Renee Michelle, and more.

Now, Impact has revealed the announce team.

“BREAKING: Here is your Knockouts Knockdown announce team!

Ring Announcer:
Melissa Santos

Color Analyst:
Mickie James

Play-By-Play:
Veda Scott”

In addition to the announce team and the wrestlers revealed for the show, there will also be a Monster’s Ball match in honor of the late Daffney. Here’s what Impact had to say about the memorial match.

“Knockouts Knockdown will feature the Daffney Memorial Monster’s Ball match – a tribute to Daffney, who competed in the first Knockouts Monster’s Ball alongside Taylor Wilde in 2009.”

Keep it locked on SEScoops.com as more details of the Impact Knockouts Knockdown event become available. We’ll be sure to keep you posted on additions to the show as well as any potential changes.

Updated Card For AEW Grand Slam: Omega vs. Danielson Confirmed

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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We have an updated look at the AEW Grand Slam card and it is looking stacked.

The Grand Slam edition of Dynamite will emanate from Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, NY. Many fans expected the show to be loaded and they’re getting those expectations met. On the Sept. 15 edition of Dynamite, more matches were announced.

Kenny Omega vs. Bryan Danielson will take place at the show. This will not be for Omega’s AEW World Championship. Also set for the show will be a women’s title match between champion Britt Baker and Ruby Soho.

There were also matches announced for the Rampage episode inside that same building. CM Punk will take on Powerhouse Hobbs of Team Taz. Adam Cole and The Young Bucks will meet Christian Cage and Jurassic Express. Plus, Chris Jericho and Jake Hager will meet Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page.

It was announced that the Sept. 24 edition of Rampage will be two hours, so expect more matches to be revealed.

Here’s a look at the updated card for AEW Grand Slam.

AEW Dynamite (Live On Sept. 22)

  • Kenny Omega vs. Bryan Danielson (Non-Title Match)
  • Britt Baker (c) vs. Ruby Soho (AEW Women’s World Championship)
  • Malakai Black vs. Cody Rhodes
  • Jon Moxley & Eddie Kingston vs. Minoru Suzuki & Lance Archer
  • Sting and Darby Allin vs. FTR
  • MJF vs. Brian Pillman Jr.

AEW Rampage (Airs On Sept. 24)

  • Adam Cole & The Young Bucks vs. Christian Cage & Jurassic Express
  • Powerhouse Hobbs vs. CM Punk
  • Chris Jericho & Jake Hager vs. Scorpio Sky & Ethan Page

AEW Dynamite Results (9/15): Bryan Danielson & Kenny Omega, Adam Cole vs. Kazarian

Robert Lentini
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AEW Dynamite aired live from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Adam Cole made his AEW in ring debut against Frankie Kazarian. CM Punk joined commentary for the show. Fuego Del Sol put his new car on the line and challenged Miro to a TNT Championship match at Rampage this Friday. Miro later accepted in a backstage promo.

Dynamite Results (9/15)

  1. Adam Cole def. Frankie Kazarian
  2. FTR def. Dante Martin & Matt Sydal
  3. Jade Cargill def. Leyla Hirsch
  4. Darby Allin def. Shawn Spears
  5. Jon Moxley & Eddie Kingston def. 2point0

Here are the takeaways from the show:

Adam Cole Won His First Match In AEW

Adam Cole battled Frankie Kazarian in the first match of the night. Cole sent Frankie out of the ring with a Back Body Drop and followed him out there. Cole beat him down some more and then bowed for the crowd. That allowed Frankie to regroup and he slammed Cole to the mat.

Cole popped up and leveled Kazarian with a boot to the face. Kazarian rolled up Cole for a two count. and then applied a submission hold in the middle of the ring. Cole break free but Kazarian connected with a Northern Lights Suplex for a two count. Adam Cole connected with a kick to the face and climbed to the top turnbuckle.

Frankie countered the Panama Sunrise into an Alabama Slam and followed it up with a springboard Leg Drop for a two count. Cole hit a Ushigoroshi and went for the cover but Frankie kicked out at two. Cole hit the Panama Sunrise and followed it up with the Last Shot for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Adam Cole said hope is a dangerous thing and that the locker room hopes that they can keep up with The Elite but that will not happen. Cole said that Christian Cage, Luchasaurus, and Jungle Boy have already gotten under his skin. Cole challenged the three of them to a 6-man tag against The Elite at Rampage Grand Slam next week. Next week’s episode of Rampage will be a two hour show.

Brian Pillman Jr. Interrupted MJF

MJF came to the ring to with Wardlow and scolded the crowd for being sympathetic towards Brian Pillman. MJF added that they should show him sympathy because he is currently in the arm pit of America (New Jersey). The crowd chanted “shut the f*ck up!” as MJF claimed to not care if he offends anyone.

Maxwell said he is a very religious man and decided to have a conversation with the late great Brian Pillman. MJF joked that Pillman is in hell and his widow created the worst excuse for a 2nd generation wrestler.

MJF vowed to embarrass Pillman if he shows up next week in Queens. Pillman’s theme hit and MJF sent Wardlow up the ramp to meet Brian up there. Pillman Jr. snuck into the ring from behind and went after MJF with a chair. Wardlow broke it up but Pillman Jr. sent him out of the ring to end the segment.

FTR Picked Up A Win

FTR faced Dante Martin & Matt Sydal tonight on Dynamite. Sydal and Martin sent FTR to the outside and connected with a couple Suicide Dives as Dynamite went a break. When Dynamite returned, Harwood had a submission hold applied but Sydal escaped with an Arm Drag.

Cash Wheeler and Dante Martin tagged in. Dante hit a Dropkick and followed it up with a Senton for a near fall. FTR isolated Dante Martin in the ring and connected with the Big Rig for the pinfall victory.

Cody Returned & Attacked Malakai Black

Malakai Black made his way to the ring and asked the members of the House of Black to please rise. Rosario Dawson (actress, judge the Big Show with Cody) jumped the barricade and hopped on Malakai’s back. Cody made his way through the crowd and attacked Malakai. The two then battled into the crowd as Dynamite went to a break.

Inner Circle Will Face Men Of The Year Next Week

Dan Lambert came to the ring with American Top Team and Men of the Year. Chris Jericho quickly interrupted with Jake Hager. Lambert ranted as the crowd sang along to Judas even after the song stopped playing. Jericho said it sounds like 15k people here love that sound and started singing “I’m a fat face dip shit” in reference to Lambert and CM Punk jokingly wondered if that was a Fozzy song.

Jericho quoted Mike Tyson and said that everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. Jericho referenced his past battles backstage with Goldberg and Lesnar as evidence that he can fight after. Lambert said that the Men of the Year will take out the “Inner Circlejerk” next week in the Big Apple at Rampage Grand Slam.

Jade Cargill def. Leyla Hirsch

Jade Cargill faced Leyla Hirsch tonight on Dynamite. Leyla got in some offense early and kept Jade grounded. However, Jade’s power was too much and Cargill unloaded on Hirsch in the corner. Cargill hit a Pump Handle Slam that sent Hirsch face first to the canvas. Cargill followed it up with the Jaded for the pinfall.

Team Taz Attacked CM Punk

Taz and Hook interrupted CM Punk on commentary and got in his face. Powerhouse Hobbs attacked Punk from behind as Hook cleared off the announce table. Hobbs Chokeslammed CM Punk on the table but it didn’t break and he fell to the floor. It was later announced that CM Punk will have his first TV match next Friday on Rampage Grand Slam against Powerhouse Hobbs.

Sting & Darby Allin Will Face FTR Next Week

Darby Allin faced Shawn Spears tonight with Tully Blanchard and Sting. The two battled to the outside and Allin sent Spears into the steel steps. Spears tripped Allin on the ring apron and it looked like he landed on his head as Dynamite went to a break.

Spears started wiping Allin’s face paint off in the ring. Allin battled back and connected with a Sunset Bomb. Allin sent Spears out of the ring and into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Allin connected with the Coffin Drop for the pinfall victory.

After the match, FTR rushed the ring and beat down Sting and Darby Allin. Harwood and Wheeler planted Sting with a Piledriver and wiped off his face paint. It was later announced that FTR will face Sting & Darby Allin.

Omega Will Face Bryan Danielson Next Week On Dynamite

Bryan Danielson was about to be interviewed by Tony Schiavone but the AEW Champion Kenny Omega interrupted with Don Callis. Callis started ranting and said that Danielson cannot just demand title shots and that The Elite runs AEW. Danielson told Callis to shut up and that this is not about the title. Danielson added that one day it will be about the title but it is just about seeing who is better right now. Callins interrupted again and Bryan called him a piece of shit.

Danielson said he came here to fight the Best Bout Machine but all he sees is a guy who hangs out with a bunch of stooges and lets this piece of shit (Don Callins) talk for him. Bryan added that he has heard the rumors that Omega has lost a step but he just thinks Kenny has lost his balls. Kenny accepted the challenge and Callis was distraught as the crowd chanted “yes!”. Omega and Bryan had a stare down in the ring to end the segment.

Archer & Suzuki Attacked Moxley & Kingston

Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston faced 2point0 (Jeff Parker & Matt Lee) in the main event. 2point0 isolated Moxley in the ring and took turns beating him down as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, Kingston tagged in and hit the Backfist to the future and followed it up with a DDT. Moxley and Kingston teamed up on Parker and connected with a Half Nelson Suplex/Lariat combo for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Minoru Suzuki’s theme hit as Moxley got angry in the ring. Suzuki smirked and made his way down the entrance ramp. Lance Archer dragged Eddie Kingston out of the ring and beat him down against the barricade. Suzuki and Moxley battled to the outside. Suzuki went for a Gotch Style Piledriver through a table but Moxley escaped. Jon then unloaded some more punches to Minoru’s face and the battle continued through the crowd as Dynamite went off the air. Suzuki & Archer will face Moxley & Kingston at Dynamite Grand Slam next week.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1438322343688945672?s=20

Matches Announced For Next Week

Dynamite Grand Slam (9/22)

  1. Brian Pillman Jr. vs. MJF
  2. Cody Rhodes vs. Malakai Black
  3. Sting & Darby Allin vs. FTR
  4. AEW Women’s Championship: Britt Baker (c) vs. Ruby Soho
  5. Kenny Omega vs. Bryan Danielson (non-title match)

Rampage Grand Slam (9/24)

  1. CM Punk vs. Powerhouse Hobbs
  2. Jurassic Express & Christian Cage vs. The Young Bucks & Adam Cole
  3. Men of the Year vs. Jericho & Hager

Matt Hardy Hopes Jeff Hardy Makes His Way To AEW One Day

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Matt Hardy would like to see his brother Jeff eventually make the jump to AEW.

Matt and Jeff have been a part of some of the most memorable moments in wrestling. The two took the tag team world by storm as The Hardy Boyz. While they have been on singles runs, they seem to always get back together as a team. As it stands now, Matt competes in AEW, while Jeff is in WWE.

Matt spoke to Adam’s Apple and said that he’s enjoying his time in AEW at the moment.

“Tony Khan is great. I think he’s really on the pulse of pro wrestling in 2021, and he knows how to utilize everyone from top to bottom.

“They’re keeping older guys, or veterans so to say, and utilizing them right while also building up talent. And wins and losses matter and they’re really taking a sports-centered approach that even I had to get used to.”

When asked if Jeff Hardy will ever make his way to AEW, Matt made it clear that it’s something he’d like to see.

“Fingers crossed, man!”

Back in Sept. 2020, Matt explained to Chris Van Vliet why Jeff wasn’t free of his WWE contract as soon as he was.

“Jeff had two major surgeries during his deal. He had shoulder surgery and then he had the knee surgery. He also had some personal time off he needed to take. Altogether it was about a year and eight months,” Hardy explained. “Once that happens in WWE if they still continue to pay you, they can extend his contract so he had a year and eight months tacked on to his deal as opposed to my deal. I worked all the way through without ever being injured, so that is why Jeff is still working there now.”

Jeff ended up signing a new contract with WWE. Fightful Select reported that the deal runs through either the end of 2022 or early 2023.

MLW Middleweight Title Match Added to MLW Fightland

Tyriece Simon
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Major League Wrestling Middleweight Champion Myron Reed is defending his title at MLW Fightland. The event will take place on October 2nd at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

On today’s episode of Busted Open on SiriusXM, MLW CEO Court Bauer shared the news. Reed will defend the MLW Middleweight Championship against Tajiri, Arez, and Aramis in a Four-way match.

Myron Reed’s Difficult Second MLW Middleweight Title Reign

Reed will be making his first title defense since winning the MLW Middleweight Championship against Lio Rush. The match happened during the season finale of MLW Fusion on May 5th. The win also earned Reed the accomplishment of being the only two-time Middleweight Champion in MLW history. Unfortunately for Reed, he could not defend it due to MLW being on hiatus.

The company returned for MLW Battle Riot III on July 10th, where Reed competed in a losing effort in the 40 men battle royal match. He spoke with SEScoops’ Samira about possible opponents he’d like to face after Battle Riot III. In the interview, Reed said, “I see they got Lee Moriarty here. I want the smoke man.”

However, the company is taking a second hiatus until MLW Fightland. Reed will look to defend the MLW Middleweight Championship against three other competitors successfully.

MLW FightLand Card

The main event for MLW Fightland will be MLW Heavyweight Champion Jacob Fatu vs. MLW National Openweight Champion Alexander Hammerstone. The match was made official on September 1st when Hammerstone announced he’d challenge Fatu. The winner of the main event will take the other’s championship.

Besides the two title matches, MLW hasn’t revealed the complete MLW Fightland Card. The Opera Cup tournament will also start at the event. The participates so far are Moriarty, Tom Lawlor, Bobby Fish, Davey Richards, TJP, Matt Cross, and Calvin Tankman. MLW has shared that they will reveal more information regarding the Opera Cup and the Fightland card soon.

Becky Lynch: Big E’s WWE Title Reign Brings Hope To The World

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Becky Lynch thinks quite highly of Big E winning the WWE Championship.

Big E captured the gold when he cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on the Sept. 13 episode of Monday Night Raw. The previous champion, Bobby Lashley, had successfully defended his title against Randy Orton. Big E capitalized on his opportunity and hit the Big Ending for the victory.

Appearing on WWE’s The Bump, Lynch discussed the significance of Big E’s title victory.

“E is the best. He has talked me off many a ledge, many a ledge when I was down and couldn’t get my foot in WWE, E was always there to make me laugh because he’s one of the funniest dudes you’ll ever meet, and be so kind and patient. He’s got this calming energy that when you sit beside him, he just makes you feel better and calm and hopeful. This new era of E in WWE brings a lot of hope to not only the company, the business, but the world.”

Becky Lynch is the current SmackDown Women’s Champion. She made her surprise return at SummerSlam, defeating Bianca Belair for the gold. After Big E’s victory, Lynch hopped on Twitter to congratulate the new king of Raw.

Big E likely isn’t done with Lashley. On Sept. 26, Extreme Rules will take place inside the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. While nothing has been made official, many expect the two to meet again at the PPV.

Alex Shelley Joins MLW, Set for The Opera Cup (10/2)

Chris Stephens
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Alex Shelley is the latest wrestler to sign with MLW. He’ll take part in the Opera Cup tournament on October 2nd when MLW presents Fightland from the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.

“Alex is a true fighting artist,” said Court Bauer in a press release. “He’s someone I’ve been dying to bring into MLW and the timing is perfect as the Opera Cup is the definitive stage for the grappling genius that is Alex Shelley.”

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1438161820146098180

Already confirmed for the Opera Cup will be Tom Lawlor, Bobby Fish, Lee Moriarty Davey Richards, TJP, Matt Cross, and Calvin Tankman. Also confirmed for the October 2nd MLW Fightland show will be Tajiri.

Fightland will be MLW’s first show since Battle Riot in July. They had a scheduled event in Texas for September but it was cancelled due to rising COVID cases in the state.

This will be the 3rd time MLW has run a tournament for the Opera Cup trophy. In 2019, Davey Boy Smith Jr. won the cup that had been in the Hart family for decades. In 2020, Tom Lawlor won the trophy.

Shelley recently returned to the ring for the first time in 2021 at the GCW/Black Label Pro show on September 3rd. He dropped the BLP Midwest title to Tom Lawlor on the show.

Update On When Sami Zayn’s WWE Contract Expires

Anutosh Bajpai
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It appears that fans may have to wait a bit longer to see Sami Zayn reuniting with his friends at All Elite Wrestling than originally expected.

Author Pat Laprade recently provided some update on the WWE star’s contract. He recalled how the former NXT champion told him back in June 2018 that he had signed a three years deal with the company.

This means that Zayn’s deal would have already expired if it wasn’t for the time that was added to his contract for the period he spent on the shelf after his shoulder injuries in 2018.

The former champion missed around 10 months of action from June 2018 to April 2019 back then after tearing both of his rotator cuffs. So his contract will likely expire sometime in March or at the beginning of April next year.

This is excluding the time Sami Zayn missed while sitting out at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic from April to August 2020. WWE officials had allowed wrestlers to stay home at the time without any penalty.

The original report on his status said that the former IC champion’s deal expires sometime this year. Kevin Owens’ contract is set to expire in January 2022.

This means KO will be able to join his friends of the Elite at least a couple months earlier. Zayn, on the other hand, will likely have to wait a few extra months before being able to jump ships if he chooses to.

Sami Zayn Is Not a Fan of The “You Deserve It” Chant

Big E Wants The New Day To Feud With The Hurt Business

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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WWE Champion Big E (that has a nice ring to it) is itching for a feud with The Hurt Business. Following his big win on Monday’s Raw, Cedric Alexander posted a message on Twitter about how things would have unfolded had The Hurt Business been in Lashley’s corner.

The Hurt Business was a group led by Lashley and MVP. The two added Shelton Benjamin and Alexander to the faction. Despite widespread praise for the group, Lashley turned on Shelton and Cedric just before WrestleMania 37.

During an interview with Complex, Big E said he’s hoping that The Hurt Business makes a comeback so they can mix it up with The New Day.

“I want to see them back. I want to see them together. Man, just the opportunity to go out there. The story is already there. The history is there, but I beat Bobby, and now Bobby needs to back up and [get] his two cast-off brothers back again. I got two brothers of my own. There are so many opportunities.”

Big E said the prospect of feuding with Roman Reigns & The Bloodline is also appealing. However, his real interest appears to be a feud with MVP’s crew.

“Imagine The Hurt Business coming back together to do battle with The New Day. All kinds of incarnations; singles matches, tag matches. Man, there’s so much that we can do there.

“So that’s the first order of business. I saw Cedric’s tweet, too, and I sent him the ‘mount up.’ Let him know: bring your boys, get the troop together, because that’s what I want. And I don’t think Bobby is ready to go quietly into that good night. I think he’s got some more fighting. So I want to see him with his troop, and let’s get this thing cracking again.”

MVP took to his Instagram page to hint at a reunion for The Hurt Business. He was seen traveling with Benjamin and alluded to “discussing business with an old acquaintance.” More on that below:

MVP Drops Hurt Business Reunion Tease

Franky Monet & Robert Stone Brand React To Nixed Title Match

Chris Stephens
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Franky Monet was scheduled to challenge Raquel Gonzalez for the NXT Women’s Championship on last night’s show. The match was cancelled with no reason given for the change, however. In a video posted exclusively to NXT’s social media, Monet and the Robert Stone Brand reacted to the nixed title match.

“The match was confirmed,” Stone can be heard saying as the video begins.

“Listen, I thought we had a little bit of trust growing here but clearly that’s false,” Monet said to Stone in the video. “Cause you’re right because you Robert Stone are a liar.”

“I’ve never lied to anyone in my life,” Stone then responded.

“Let’s not focus on the negative,” Monet continued. “Let’s just think about it this way, it just means Raquel Gonzalez is going to have her NXT championship moment longer than expected.”

Monet then instructed Stone to get on the phone with William Regal and fix the problem. Stone then leaves the room as Kamea reassures Monet she will be champion soon.

The video can be viewed in the player below:

Gonzalez has successfully defended the title 4 times since winning it at Stand and Deliver in April. She’s fended off challenges from Mercedes Martinez, Ember Moon, Xia Li and Dakota Kai in that time.

Killian Dain Comments On Visa Issues Following WWE Release

Chris Stephens
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Being released from WWE can be more difficult for non-Americans living in the United States. The former Iiconcis (now known as the Iinspiration), Bronson Reed and others have all commented on the legal challenges they have faced following their release. The former Killian Dain, now known as Big Damo, mentioned in a recent interview with WrestleZone that he is dealing with the same challenges.

“I’ve been making sure to be as active as possible and then obviously with the world about to reopen again, touch wood as best I can, then it’ll be a lot easier for me. But my main issue is I’m a foreigner living in the USA so there’s still legal hurdles I have to make before I can get anywhere,” Damo said. “That could be sorted within a week, it could be sorted within a couple of months and sadly that’s the reality of the situation. I’m here legally, but I won’t be able to work legally just for a little time yet, and that is something that we’re hoping to get sorted ASAP….I’m really excited for what’s next.”

Big Damo On Re-Inventing His Character

When Damo does return to the ring, however, his character will be different. He continued to talk about re-inventing his persona and coming up with something that fans are interested in seeing.

“In so far as what my character’s gonna be after this, it’s gonna be my invention. And that’s gonna be fun because one of the hardest parts about being in this is, we’re characters in their soap opera,” said Damo.

“The emphasis is gonna be on me to come up with something that people are gonna be interested in seeing,” he continued. “And that’s what I’m excited about the challenge.”

Bronson Reed & The Iinspiration Also Dealing With Visa Issues

The Iinspiration have also mentioned that Visa issues delayed their return to the ring following their WWE departures.

“The difficult thing for us is, we still don’t have our green cards, so we’re not allowed to work until we get those or until we find sponsorship anywhere else” Cassie Lee said on Oral Sessions. “We’re so excited; we have all this freedom and so many ideas, but pump the brakes because we can’t do any of it.”

The Iinspiration have since announced bookings in the United States, however.

Bronson Reed has also spoken about legal challenges following his release from WWE earlier this year. He sent out the below Tweet this spring.

Jim Ross On Reports About Stepping Away From AEW Commentary

Anutosh Bajpai
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Some recent reports claimed that Jim Ross will be stepping away from full-time AEW commentary in coming times but the wrestling veteran is ready to continue his run for as long as he can.

The AEW star talked about things such as the recent debut of CM Punk that created a lot of buzz among other things on the latest episode of his Grilling JR podcast.

Ross claimed that he felt the emotional side of Punk’s return in Chicago. He then referenced the reports about his future, saying that he will keep doing what he is doing until he decides he has had enough:

“I got the best job in the world. I’m in the business that I love. I want to do this as long as I can. I don’t know how long that is, but until I or somebody including me decides I’ve had enough, then I’m going to keep doing it.

I couldn’t have that feeling with half a house, or three, or four hundred people, or an empty audience in Daily’s Place.” said Jim Ross, “Life is good. I don’t know it could be much better.”

JR also discussed how he made a mental note on a flight and realized there are at least a year’s worth of opponents ready for CM Punk in AEW right now.

He explained how the former WWE champion will not be wrestling every week for the company before claiming that nobody should be wrestling every week.

Jim Ross Got WrestleMania X-7 Vibes From AEW All Out

MVP Drops Hurt Business Reunion Tease

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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MVP may have something planned involving a Hurt Business reunion.

Back in May 2020, MVP aligned himself with Bobby Lashley. In July of that same year, Shelton Benjamin joined MVP and Lashley to form The Hurt Business. Eventually, Cedric Alexander joined the group.

While the faction garnered praise from fans, it came to an abrupt end on the March 29, 2021 episode of Monday Night Raw. Lashley attacked both Benjamin and Alexander, kicking them out of the group.

After Lashley lost the WWE Championship to Big E this past Monday (Sept. 13), he may be in need of some backup again. MVP recently met up with Shelton Benjamin, potentially to discuss that matter.

“Discussing business with an old acquaintance…”

Cedric Alexander reacted to Lashley’s title loss with the following.

“If only you had some backup.”

Before Lashley lost the WWE Title, he discussed his initial reaction when the decision was made to split Hurt Business up. Here’s what he told Metro.

“I’m comfortable with staying in my lane. In the wrestling business, I think too many people start worrying about so many other things and then they don’t focus on their career. Ultimately, we have to make sure our career is great before trying to do anybody else’s stuff.

“There’s lots of guys on the roster that I look and I’m like, man, he looks good – he’s tough, he’s that and he’s that. Once we have that opportunity, we might open up the Hurt Business and bring some people in and help fuel their career. But it’s one of those things where I have to focus on me for a little while, and I gotta make sure I’m defending the world title.”

Do you think The Hurt Business will reunite?

Kofi Kingston Found Out What He Was Doing At Raw From Social Media

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE superstars have so little communication with the management that they often find out what they are doing on the show through social media, according to Kofi Kingston. The former WWE champion recently had an interview with 106 KMWL. Among other things, he also talked about his match on this week’s Raw.

During the interview, Kofi explained how as performers, they are usually the last ones to find out what they are doing. He gave the example of his tag team match on this Monday’s episode of Raw:

“You would be surprised. Usually, as performers, we are the last one’s to find things out. This week and last week, I found out on Twitter what I was doing on Raw. It was announced I would be in an eight-man tag team match and I was like, ‘Oh, good to know. I gotta prepare.’

Same thing last week when we had the tag team turmoil, I had no idea until I looked on social media and I saw it.” said Kofi Kingston, “If I didn’t look on social media, I wouldn’t have known until I got to the building.”

The New Day member went on to say that oftentimes they have no idea what the show is going to entail. Even when they do know sometimes, it always gets changed. Though Kingston explained that it’s the bittersweet part of being a WWE star. According to him, it’s a good thing because it keeps everyone on their toes.

Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods teamed up with Mansoor and Mustafa Ali to face the team of AJ Styles, Omos, MACE and T-BAR on this week’s Raw in a losing effort.

Kofi Kingston Says Vince McMahon Won’t Let New Day Turn Heel

The IInspiration To Be Featured On New Song By Harley Cameron

Chris Stephens
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Jessie McKay & Cassie Lee, the former Iiconics now known as The Iinspiration, have announced they will partner with singer Harley Cameron on a new song to be released on Spotify next month. The track will be released on October 20th.

Late last month, Lee and McKay announced their returns to pro-wrestling. After dealing with Visa issues following their WWE release this spring, the Iinspiration have since announced The IInspiration Tour, with cities and dates to be released soon.

Harley Cameron Works With Shotzi Blackheart & Tegan Nox

This is not the first time Harley Cameron has worked with women from the wrestling world. Earlier this year, a music video of hers featured Smackdown tag-team Shotzi Blackheart and Tegan Nox.

“Tonight we are releasing something we put a lot of heart into,” Blackheart wrote about the video. “This project and these 2 women remind me that I’m INDESTRUCTIBLE even when I feel weak.”

“Scarlett Shotzi and I are excited to announce we have officially released our song #indestructible,” Cameron wrote on Instagram. “This song means so much to us and everyone involved has worked so hard on this and we are ready to share with the world!”

Lee hasn’t wrestled since March 22nd when she lost a match to Asuka on WWE RAW. Billie Kay hasn’t wrestled since WrestleMania when she teamed with Carmella in the women’s tag team turmoil match.

Samoa Joe Approves Of NXT’s New Direction: ‘Just Another Era’

Chris Stephens
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Before he vacated the NXT Championship over the weekend, Samoa Joe spoke to Sportsnet, the home of NXT in Canada. Joe was asked about the new direction for NXT and said that the brand has always been a place of change, NXT 2.0 is just the latest continuation of that.

“It’ll just be a continuation of what NXT has always been,” said Joe. “It’s always been a place of change, it’s always been a place of flux. I’m a little shocked that everybody is as surprised about the change because it’s never been the same from one year to the next.”

The 3-time NXT Champion says NXT has a history of defined eras. NXT 2.0 will just be yet another era for the developmental brand.

“With change always comes a little bit of uncertainty, but I’m looking forward to it.”

– Samoa Joe

Samoa Joe’s In-Ring Future

When Joe vacated the NXT title over the weekend he did not mention what his specific injury was or how long he will be out.

He spoke with Sportsnet about getting back in the ring after dealing with concussion injuries, however. According to Joe, he was not going to resume his in-ring career if there were lingering issues doctors felt were serious.

“If there were some lingering issues that I felt were serious (and) the doctors felt were serious … then I wasn’t going to get back in the ring,” Joe said.

“I was going to take the time, all the time that I needed, and I was going to come back feeling stronger, and 100-percent. I wasn’t really concerning myself with career moves (like), ‘oh is it over, is it this or is it that?’” 

Joe returned to NXT shortly after being released from WWE this spring. At first, he was not in a wrestling role but was positioned as William Regal’s enforcer. This led to a feud with Karrion Kross and him winning the NXT title for a third time.

Joe is the only wrestler to have won the title on 3 occasions. He’s held the title for a combined 156 days, good for 8th all-time.

Shawn Michaels Appeared After NXT 2.0 Went Off The Air

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Shawn Michaels made a surprise appearance once cameras stopped rolling for NXT 2.0.

The revamp of NXT got underway this past Tuesday night (Sept. 14). The show featured a fatal four-way match to determine the new NXT Champion as well as the wedding of Indi Hartwell and Dexter Lumis.

The show also featured a slew of debuts. One of them was Rick Steiner’s son, Bronson Rechsteiner. His ring name is Bron Breakker. He opened the show by getting an upset win over LA Knight. Breakker then closed the show by confronting newly-minted NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa.

Once the show went off the air, fans in attendance were in for a treat. WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels appeared.

Michaels has played a pivotal role behind the scenes in NXT. After the revamp episode, Michaels helped Johnny Gargano put over the NXT talent. Gargano said the future is bright for NXT. Gargano had appeared at the wedding of Hartwell and Lumis.

While Triple H has been known to make surprise appearances for the NXT audience, he had been dealing with a cardiac event. The good news is, “The Game” is expected to make a full recovery. Triple H serves as the WWE Executive Vice President, Global Talent Strategy & Development.

Here are more photos of Shawn Michaels appearing after NXT 2.0:

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Big E Opens Up About His WWE Title Win

Anutosh Bajpai
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After years and years of hard work, Big E finally got the success he deserves when he cashed in his Money In The Bank contract and became the WWE champion on this week’s episode of Raw. The new champion spoke to Sports Illustrated to talk about his emotions after the big win.

The former NXT champion first detailed the minutes leading up to his victory. He recalled how he was lost in space for a moment during his match with Bobby Lashley but then he refound his focus:

“At first, I couldn’t find the hard camera, I lost where I was in space when Bobby grabbed me for the Dominator. This is the single biggest night of my career, so I wanted to get that moment right. Then, as I was going for the Big Ending, I had a very big man in my hands so I was only focused on the task at hand. After that, all I could hear was that reaction from the crowd.”

“It Was A Spiritual Experience”

Opening up about how he felt in the moment when he finally got the pin and was handed the WWE championship, Big E said that it was a spiritual experience for him:

“It was a spiritual experience, I connected with this massive group of people that all wanted the same thing. To have that support and the people behind me, it’s a moment I’ll never forget.”

E then discussed how many people have helped him get to this point. Apart from his tag team partners of the New Day, he credited names such as Michael Tarver, Curt Hawkins and Mike Doughty for his success.

Concluding the talk was Big E’s statement that it is only the beginning of things. He said that he will stay as he is before promising to put his own spin on his title run:

“This is only the beginning, I’m still going to be myself. I’m still going to be fun. I’m going to put my own spin on this run, and I’m here with purpose and drive. I can’t wait to show everyone what I’ve got.”

Original Plans For Big E’s WWE Championship Win

Bron Breakker Warns Tommaso Ciampa After NXT 2.0 Goes Off Air (Video)

Anutosh Bajpai
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The first episode of NXT 2.0 ended with the new NXT champion Tommaso Ciampa and one of the debutants of the night Bron Breakker congratulating each other and shaking hands in a backstage segment.

However, the young star stared Ciampa’s hand down for a bit before shaking it. He also kept the NXT champion’s hand held for a while, seething and staring, resulting in Tommaso staring back at him as well.

WWE later released a post-show video after the NXT 2.0 episode went off air. In the video as seen below, Breakker warned the new champion to keep his head on a swivel:

“I’m here to make a statement. Ciampa, congratulations on the win. I respect ya, I got mad respect for you and what you’ve done here in NXT, but know this – I got my eye on ya now. Keep your head on a swivel, brother.”

Bron Breakker made his debut on WWE TV during the opening segment of this week’s episode of NXT. He defeated LA Knight via a power slam in the first match of the night.

Real name Bronson Rechsteiner, the 23-year-old star is the son of former WWF and WCW star Rick Steiner. The NXT episode makes it seem like he is in line for a push.

WWE NXT 2.0 Results (9/14): Fatal 4-Way Title Match, Wedding Ceremony

How Was AEW Dynamite Viewership This Week Compared To Raw

Anutosh Bajpai
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Despite WWE’s effort to attract young viewers with the world title match and Big E’s Money In The Bank cash in, AEW Dynamite managed to beat this week’s episode of Raw in the key 18-49 demographic once again.

The September 15 episode of the Wednesday night show featuring the in-ring debut of Adam Cole and CM Punk doing commentary did a total of 1.175 million viewers, according to Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics.com.

This is a 10.91% decline in average viewership compared to last week. Last week’s episode of the show featuring the first Dynamite appearances of debutants such as Bryan Danielson and Ruby Soho had drawn 1.319 million viewers.

When it comes to the key 18-49 demographic which has been a matter of discussion among fans since last week, AEW Dynamite drew a 0.44 rating. This represents a total of 574,000 viewers of the age group.

A 0.44 rating means that AEW managed to beat this week’s episode of Raw in the key demo once again. Though Raw drew a 0.43 rating in the same demo so the margin for this victory was very narrow.

AEW has already announced a stacked card for next week’s Grand Slam special of Dynamite. It will feature matches such as Bryan Danielson’s AEW in-ring debut against Kenny Omega and more. So it’s very much possible that they will be able to extend their winning streak to the third week.

Booker T On What Changes He Would Push For In NXT

Anutosh Bajpai
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The new direction for NXT has been a buzzing topic of discussion among wrestling fans. Though Booker T has a different idea of what changes they should make.

The former WCW champion discussed this topic on the latest episode of his Hall Of Fame podcast. He revealed his thoughts on things such as the new logo.

Booker also explained what change he thinks should be made. He said that the thing he would push for will be to send some of the talents to different camps around the world. It will help them understand what territory wrestling is about:

“My thing is this man, I love that NXT system but the one thing I would push for is, for instance, let some of those guys go to Reality of Wrestling, Let some of those guys go to some of these really good camps around the world.

Send them there for a month, just so they can understand that territory wrestling is really about wrestling in front of different crowds,” said Booker T, “As opposed to just being under that NXT system at the Capitol [Wrestling] Center.”

The former US champion continued by saying that he doesn’t think the officials will have to spend any more money on this than they are already doing on talent development and it wouldn’t hurt the guys either.

A former world champion in his own right, Booker T not only has the experience of being a main event talent, but also running a wrestling promotion in his Reality Of Wrestling indie as well.

Booker T On Concerns That Adam Cole Will Be Lost In Shuffle In AEW

How Was Raw Viewership With WWE Championship Main Event

Anutosh Bajpai
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It appears that the WWE championship main event between Randy Orton and Bobby Lashley and the promise of Big E cashing in his Money In The Bank contract did not help the ratings for the September 13 Raw.

This week’s episode of the red branded show with the championship main event got an average of 1.670 million viewers according to Wrestlenomics. This a big 9.68% decline from last week’s episode of the brand.

Last week’s episode with the tag team turmoil match to determine the new #1 contenders for the Raw tag team championships had drawn 1.849 million viewers.

As far as the numbers for the 18-49 demographic goes, the show garnered a 0.43 rating. This is also a massive decline from last week’s episode which had a 0.52 rating.

In terms of actual numbers, a 0.43 ratings with 1.670 million viewers represents 556,000 viewers of the 18-49 demo. This is a big 17.01% decline compared to the 670,000 viewers of the same demo based on the ratings and viewership of last week’s episode.

Reports suggest that losing to AEW Dynamite in the 18-49 demo last week prompted WWE to move the championship match from Extreme Rules to this week’s episode.

Now it would be interesting to see how the Dynamite episode performs this week and what strategy the WWE officials devise to bounce back from this decline.

Original Plans For Big E’s WWE Championship Win

Who Is The Debuting NXT Star Tony D’Angelo?

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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If you were wondering about the identity of Tony D’Angelo, now we know.

Fans who tuned in to the debut of NXT 2.0 witnessed a promo video featuring D’Angelo. He was one of the many debuting talents featured on the show. D’Angelo had the following to say in the promo.

“You see, I was born and raised in the streets of Chicago. And I come from a long line of businessmen. See my family has interests in waste management, the fish market, the meat market, you name it. But I found success in my own way – amateur wrestling at the University of Buffalo. I was even named All-American for the Greco-Roman style. My family, they smartened me up because let’s face it, there’s no real money to be made in amateur wrestling, but you know where the real money is? NXT.”

As it turns out, D’Angelo is Joe Ariola, a former NCAA wrestler. Ariola attended the University of Buffalo. In his freshman year, he had an overall record of 5-3. In his 2014-2015 season, he went 14-11. Then in the 2015-2016 season, he had a record of 14-17.

D’Angelo’s debut was on the same night that Bron Breakker (Bronson Rechsteiner) and Brooks Jensen (Ben Buchanan) also made their way to the NXT brand. There was also a slew of other fresh talent for the first NXT 2.0 episode.

Diamond Mine Gets Female Member, Multiple New Stars Debut On NXT 2.0

Anutosh Bajpai
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The first episode of the revamped NXT dubbed as NXT 2.0 saw multiple new debuts including the newest and first female member of the Diamond Mine – Ivynile.

The female star was introduced after The Creed Brothers defeated Dan Jarmon and Trevor Skelly in a tag team match. She signed with WWE back in January 2020.

Ivynile, real name Emily Andzulis first gained fame after winning NBC’s sports game show Titan Games. She became the first female titan champion in the game show hosted by The Rock.

Other debuts of the night included Von Wagoner who was added to the NXT championship match. Real name Cal Bloom, Wagoner is the son of former WWF and WCW star Beau Beverly of the Beverly Brothers. He was signed in March 2019.

Tony D’Angelo, who was introduced via a vignette teasing a mafia character, is Joe Ariola. He has a background in collegiate wrestling. He was undefeated state and national champion and also qualified for the NCAA tournament in 2016.

Trick Williams, who debuted accompanying Carmelo Hayes to the ring during NXT was signed in February 2021. The 27-year-old, whose real name is Matrick Belton trained at the CZW wrestling academy in New Jersey

The star who debuted under the ring name Bron Breaker is Bronson Rechsteiner. He is another second-generation talent and the son of former WWF and WCW star Rick Steiner. ‘Big Poppa Pump’ Scott Steiner is his uncle.

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