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AEW Planning A Major Rematch Between Thunder Rosa And Britt Baker (Report)

Anutosh Bajpai
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AEW women’s champion Britt Baker and Thunder Rosa received a lot of praise for their lights-out unsanctioned match earlier this year. It appears AEW is looking to capitalize on that buzz with a rematch between the two.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the company officials are planning a ‘major’ rematch between these two female stars.

AEW has discussed various potential stipulations for this bout between Rosa and Baker. Discussion range from a cage match to a hair vs. hair match with the idea to build it as the biggest women’s match in the promotion’s history.

Though the rematch is not expected to take place anytime this year. Per the report, this mega rematch will likely take place sometime in early 2022.

Thunder Rosa and Britt Baker were the first female stars to main event AEW Dynamite when they competed in the unsanctioned lights out match during the St. Patrick’s Day Slam special of the show on March 17, 2021.

Their match was every bit as extreme as any other unsanctioned match in AEW history. The bout was universally praised and both the stars were given credit for breaking down sexist assumptions about women in hardcore matches.

Franky Monet Is ‘Excited’ About NXT’s Change In Direction

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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NXT star Franky Monet is embracing the changes being made to the brand.

There has been a lot of talk surrounding NXT’s new direction. The brand will have a new set and an overall different look and feel. WWE already revealed the new logo for the brand.

First Look At The New WWE NXT Logo

Many NXT talents such as Samoa Joe and Tommaso Ciampa have weighed in on the changes. Now it’s Monet’s turn to chime in. Here’s what she said during an appearance on El Brunch de WWE.

“I am excited about this! I know that people don’t like change, but I feel that this will be a good change and we are going to see a new evolution on the NXT brand. We have a ton of talent that are working on the daily in order to be prepared to be in NXT TV, so I think that the change will be good for the brand. I love the new colors on the logo and everyone should be excited for this Tuesday. We will see a new era.”

Franky Monet is set to challenge Raquel Gonzalez for the NXT Women’s Championship on the Sept. 14 episode of NXT. This will be the first NXT show that is reportedly a Vince McMahon and Bruce Prichard production.

Details On When Gable Steveson Will Be On WWE Main Roster

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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0

Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson may not have to wait long for his full-time run in WWE.

Steveson had the wrestling and combat sports world buzzing following his dramatic come-from-behind victory in freestyle wrestling at the Tokyo Summer Games over Geno Petriashvili. Following the victory, Steveson teased trying his hand in either sports entertainment or MMA. It became quite clear, however, that the Olympic gold medalist always had WWE in his sights.

Earlier this month, it was reported by Dave Meltzer that Steveson signed with WWE. ESPN followed that up with their own report, which was confirmed by WWE.

During an edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer revealed when Steveson could potentially make his main roster debut (h/t Reddit user Marth5454).

“They are big behind him for a lot of reasons, but it doesn’t mean he’s going to be a success, either. I mean, it’s like he’s going to have the microscope on him and he’s gonna be up there [on the WWE main roster] too soon, for sure. He’s gonna be in matches too soon as far as to be a good worker, because they’re gonna try to capitalize on it although I think he goes full-time in May 2022 and, you know at that point they’re gonna be grooming him to the top spots, and they signed him to a deal that pretty much wants him there.”

Many have said Gable Steveson has the potential to be WWE’s next Kurt Angle if he has the charisma. Steveson himself said he’s the modern-day Kurt Angle but appeared to walk that back in a later social media post.

Do you think Gable Steveson can be a success in WWE or is it far too early to tell?

Samoa Joe Relinquishes NXT Championship Due To Injury

Michael Reichlin
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The NXT Championship has been vacated.

Samoa Joe has relinquished the title just days before the black and gold brand is set to undergo an image overhaul.

According to a video he posted on social media, Samoa Joe recently met with WWE’s medical team. They informed him that “certain injuries” will prevent him from wrestling any time soon.

“Effective immediately, I relinquish the NXT Championship.”

– Samoa Joe

Joe sounds optimistic that he’ll be back soon, saying he’d be out for “a brief, yet still indeterminate amount of time.”

Samoa Joe returned to NXT in June to ensure NXT and its championship received the respect and integrity they are due. He won the title just a few weeks ago at Takeover 36 during SummerSlam weekend.

Joe wishes luck to whoever vies for the prize and warned that he’ll be seeking it again when he’s cleared.

Samoa Joe On How Vince McMahon Sees NXT

Kenny Omega reportedly wants to face two major NJPW stars

Jake Skudder
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AEW Champion Kenny Omega reportedly wants to face two major New Japan Pro Wrestling stars in Jay White and Will Ospreay.

This news was reported in the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter amid both Ospreay and Omega going back and forth on social media.

Although AEW does not actually have any plans to have the Kenny Omega vs Will Ospreay match in the company at this time, both men are eager to get the ball rolling and get the contest confirmed.

“There are no plans at this writing for such a match, but no doubt both guys want it and with Ospreay coming to the U.S. every month going forward, it’s more feasible now than at any time. We do know that Omega would love to have matches with both Ospreay and Jay White, who both brought up AEW at the recent New Japan Resurgence show in Los Angeles. Their top ten were Omega, Reigns, Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, Kota Ibushi, Jon Moxley, Ospreay, Finn Balor, Shingo Takagi and Rich Swann”

WRESTLING OBSERVER NEWSLETTER

It remains to be seen if All Elite decides to bring in Ospreay, as clearly there is a want from the EVP and Champion of the promotion to have the match.

Jay White is also an intriguing proposition, as the leader of Bullet Club has more of a storyline intertwined with The Elite ‘leader.’

White has also been working for IMPACT Wrestling over the past couple of months, so there is potentially scope for him to make the move to All Elite based on the ‘Forbidden Door’ concept bringing AEW, IMPACT and NJPW together in a working relationship.

Mojo Rawley: AEW Is ‘Dominating’ Thanks To Big Talent Signings

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Mojo Rawley believes AEW is knocking it out of the park when it comes to talent acquisitions.

AEW has been making some significant moves when it comes to signing big names. The company has inked deals with the likes of CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, and Adam Cole. It’s an exciting time for fans and the performers as well.

Wrestling Inc. spoke to Rawley, who said he believes AEW has been making all the right moves.

“The talent they’re getting over there have been awesome. I think they have a great combination of creating their own stars. They got some guys over there that are wildly entertaining to watch,” Mojo said. “They’re capturing the top free agents in the game and bringing them all together. It’s going well for them. I’m just thrilled to see how they’re doing. They’re killing it. They’re dominating. It’s good for everybody.”

Rawley saw his WWE run come to an end back in April. He was released by the promotion. Rawley had been with WWE since 2012. At the moment, Rawley is a part of projects outside of the wrestling business. With that said, he does plan to get back inside the ring at some point.

Kenny King wants ROH and WWE to work together

Jake Skudder
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Ring of Honor star Kenny King recently spoke to Inside The Ropes’ Liam Alexander-Stewart. King discussed several topics during the interview, including the concept of the Forbidden Door and how he feels the time is right for WWE and ROH to work together.

“Well, I mean there’s a lot of guys that I would like to see come into Ring Of Honor. I mean, if we’re just fantasy booking I’d like love to do LFI versus The New Day, I think that would be an amazing match” Kenny King began.

“I’d love to step in the ring with Kofi Kingston. I Would like to see a guy like Eddie Edwards come home, you know. Eddie Edwards vs Kenny King, and Eddie Edwards Jay Lethal, and Eddie Edwards vs Jay Briscoe match I mean, those would be outrageous.

Kenny King would then discuss how Ring of Honor and WWE are the only two major promotions that aren’t ‘taking part’ in the Forbidden Door policy/concept currently, and how they should do so together.

Kenny King on WWE x ROH

“I mean, to be fair, the only two teams that aren’t participating as much as they should are us and WWE and I feel like maybe it’s about time, right?” King remarked. “Maybe it’s about time to bridge over to start working with NXT or working with some of the guys on SmackDown because, you know, it’s just time, right? It’s just time for all of these things to kind of switch up and I feel it feels like we’re entering into a new era of pro wrestling.”

Kenny King would finish by listing some of the names from WWE that he would like to see make their way over to Ring of Honor, including some returning faces.

“I mean, think about what the buzz would be, you know, just what the reciprocation would be, you know, AJ Styles shows up to challenge Jay Lethal if you know what I mean?” King stated.

“Or MVP comes, you know to rescue me from getting beat down from Shane Taylor. I mean, Bobby Lashley against SOS, you know? So these are just things that that that make people go ‘wow,’ that would be amazing and realistically it’s possible, there’s nothing that would stop it other than the regular old pro wrestling BS, which I feel like the people that want to survive we’re gonna have to get over.”

Would you like to see WWE and ROH working together? Do you think that it would work having Sinclair partnering with WWE? Let us know in the comments.

New Wave Of NXT Production Cuts Made Ahead Of Sept. 14 Show

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Yet another round of cuts have impacted WWE’s NXT brand, and this time it’s on the production side.

NXT is undergoing significant changes. PWInsider was the first to report the changes. This includes new lighting, a new logo, and an overall different look and feel.

Bryan Alvarez of Figure Four Weekly then reported that he’s been told that NXT will be a Vince McMahon and Bruce Prichard production going forward.

Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam.net is now reporting that there has been a new wave of NXT production cuts. It’s been said that the team in NXT is down to a “skeleton crew.”

We’ve already seen a slew of NXT talent receive their releases. WWE released 12 wrestlers including Bronson Reed, Bobby Fish, Mercedes Martinez, and Leon Ruff.

The talent releases fall in line with reports claiming that WWE is looking into signing younger and bigger talent as opposed to indie wrestlers. An updated report added that while WWE will still look at some independent performers, the company will not place emphasis on it.

SEScoops.com will be providing coverage of the Sept. 14 NXT show. Be sure to check out the homepage once the event has wrapped up for full results. We’ll be sure to keep you posted if anything noteworthy happens on the upcoming episode as well.

Drew McIntyre: Triple H Deserves Credit For WWE Return

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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0

Former two-time WWE Champion Drew McIntyre says his WWE return wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for Triple H.

McIntyre signed with WWE back in late 2007. After some time in developmental, McIntyre was given a push as the Intercontinental Champion. WWE chairman Vince McMahon even called him “The Chosen One.”

Despite the hot start, McIntyre would soon fall into obscurity. He went from being a serious heel to being a joke character in the 3MB faction. In 2014, McIntyre was released by WWE.

McIntyre built up a ton of momentum outside of WWE. He returned to ICW and made his mark in Impact Wrestling. McIntyre was leaning towards making his way to Japan when Triple H got in touch with him. Here’s what McIntyre told Inside The Ropes.

“I wouldn’t be back in WWE if it wasn’t for Triple H, it’s as simple as that. William Regal put me on the phone with him, we talked for 40 minutes, within that conversation at the beginning I wasn’t sure if I was going to come back, I was honestly leaning more towards Japan and by the end of it, I was 100% coming back. The thing that meant the most to me was not just how far I’d come professionally but how far I’d come as a man and how proud he was of me, and that kind of meant a lot because I have so much respect for him and that’s grown into a friendship today, and he really is somebody who is not just a friend to a lot of people but a father figure to a lot of people, and again the news caught everybody off guard but he’s got a lot of positive energy coming his way right now and he’s going to be fine, which I’m very happy to hear.”

Since making his return to WWE, McIntyre has realized his true potential. First, Drew McIntyre became the NXT Champion. He then transitioned back to the main roster and defeated Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 36 to capture the WWE Championship.

PROGRESS Chapter 121 Results and Highlights

Jake Skudder
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PROGRESS Wrestling held their Chapter 121 event this weekend on Peacock, WWE Network and demandPROGRESS.

The show featured three title matches, with Cara Noir defending his PROGRESS World Championship against Chris Ridgeway in a 30-minute Iron Man match as the main event.

Gisele Shaw also defended her Women’s Championship against Alexxis Falcon and Lykos Gym defended their PROGRESS Tag Team Championships against Charlie Sterling & Nick Riley (Smokin’ Aces).

Former TNA X-Division Champion Doug Williams was also back in action on the card, facing the young up and comer Danny Black in the opening contest of the night.

PROGRESS Chapter 121 Results

Here are the full results from Chapter 121: in twenty years this will all be orange:

  • Doug Williams b. Danny Black
  • The Sunshine Machine (Chuck Mambo & TK Cooper) b. Elijah &Charles Crowley
  • Luke Jacobs b. Spike Trivet – via disqualification
  • PROGRESS Tag Team Championship Match – Smokin’ Aces (Nick Riley & Charlie Sterling) b. Lykos Gym (Kid Lykos & Kid Lykos II) (c) – New Champions!
  • PROGRESS Women’s Championship Match – Gisele Shaw (c) b. Alexxis Falcon
  • PROGRESS World Championship 30-Minute Iron-Man Match – Cara Noir (c) and Chris Ridgeway – tied at 3-3, Noir retains his Championship

Here are some highlights from the show that were uploaded to the company’s YouTube channel:

The company will be presenting Chapter 122: Salsa Shark next Saturday, September 18th again on Peacock, WWE Network and demandPROGRESS.

Will Ospreay teases new members of United Empire Faction

Jake Skudder
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IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay has teased that there will potentially be more members added to his United Empire stable.

The Revolution Pro Heavyweight Champion appeared on a card today in London for the promotion, teaming with the tag team of the Young Guns to take on Sunshine Machine and Ricky Knight Jr.

“These Young Guns better be the real deal,” Will Ospreay wrote on social media ahead of the match. “They have an opportunity to join me and the UE if they impress enough. Today at the 229 Next Week, York Hall!!!”

Will Ospreay on Young Guns

It has not been confirmed if Ethan Allen and Luke Jacobs of Young Guns and NorthWest Strong will be joining the United Empire, or if they will be making their way to New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Young Guns are regarded as one of the best up and coming tag teams on the British scene, with the duo having appeared for Rev Pro as well as Futureshock and PROGRESS Wrestling on Peacock and WWE Network.

Ospreay is due to return to the United States shortly for NJPW STRONG tapings ahead of a potential return to Japan for a unification bout against Shingo Takagi to crown the ‘true’ IWGP World Champion.

That match will hopefully be taking place at Wrestle Kingdom in January, which is set to be a three-day event for the first time in New Japan Pro Wrestling history.

Jeff Hardy On WWE Using His Personal Struggles For Storyline

Anutosh Bajpai
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The personal struggles of Jeff Hardy have been a topic of discussion among fans recently, even more so after WWE used his real-life issues into his feud with Sheamus. Though if the former world champion is to be believed, then he is not bothered by the publicity of his personal battles and instead it feels like therapy to him.

Hardy talked about this during a recent interview on Wrestling Inside the Ropes with James Stewart. He revealed that the officials asked him if he was comfortable with the storyline beforehand:

“It was just an idea. It all starts as an inkling, a concept, and then naturally, they ask if you’re comfortable with that, for me, all that stuff is like therapy. It’s like being honest with the world. The people that have pretty much provided me with an incredible living, you know, over the years, my fans, the WWE Universe.

I’m open minded to anything, and if I feel comfortable with it, I roll with it.” said Jeff Hardy, “I’ve never felt uncomfortable with anything they’ve ever pitched to me.”

The charismatic enigma then discussed the use of cinematic matches in recent times. He mentioned the Final Deletion and claimed that they had a lot of fun shooting that. Jeff also shared the idea of a cinematic match with The Usos. He said that it was one of his biggest dream matches and it’s one of the things he would still love to do.

Jim Ross Claims Vince McMahon Wasn’t High On Hiring Randy Orton

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Jim Ross says he had to convince Vince McMahon to give Randy Orton a shot with WWE.

Orton is a surefire future WWE Hall of Famer. “The Viper” has grown throughout the years to become one of the most renowned performers in the wrestling industry. There was a time, however, when it looked like Orton wasn’t going to even get a shot at fame.

On a recent edition of the Grilling JR Podcast, Ross explained why Vince McMahon needed to be convinced to hire Orton despite the fact that he was a third-generation talent.

“Every recruiting story is different. I had a hard sell to get Randy Orton hired because of his negative exit from the Marines, and Vince, being a strong patriot, didn’t like how that worked out with Randy in the military. I said, ‘Didn’t you get a second chance, [Vince]? Well, what’s the difference with this kid? He’s third generation. If he hits, look what we have. If he doesn’t hit, I can get rid of him in 90 days notice. What do we have to lose?’”

“He’s going to end his career as one of the greatest talents. Hall of Famer, no doubt, but also going to be regarded by his peers as one of the greatest in-ring workers. It worked out well.”

It’s safe to say that McMahon made the right move to ultimately drop his concern over “The Viper’s” military history. While Orton was said to have not matured right away in his WWE run, he eventually settled down and realized his responsibilities in representing the company.

ROH Death Before Dishonor: Final PPV Card, Order Here

Andrew Ravens
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Ring of Honor presents Death Before Dishonor live pay-per-view tonight from the famous 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA.

The main event will see ROH Champion Bandido vs. Demonic Flamita vs. Brody King vs. EC3. Other title matches include Pure Champion Jonathan Gresham vs. Josh Woods and ROH Six-Man Tag Team Champions Shane Taylor Promotions vs. La Faccion Ingoblernable.

Death Before Dishonor can be purchased via traditional pay-per-view and the FITE streaming service. The action kicks off at 7pm (Eastern) with a 1-hour pre-show that is free to watch. At 8pm, the main card begins on PPV.

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Order ROH Death Before Dishonor

ROH Death Before Dishonor Card

The following is a full rundown of tonight’s matches:

  • ROH Champion Bandido vs. Demonic Flamita vs. Brody King vs. EC3 – Elimination Match
  • ROH Women’s World Championship Tournament Final: Rok-C vs. Miranda Alize.
  • ROH Pure Champion Jonathan Gresham vs. Josh Woods.
  • ROH Six-Man Tag Team Champions Shane Taylor Promotions vs. La Faccion Ingoblernable.
  • The OGK vs. The Briscoes.
  • Jake Atlas vs. Taylor Rust.
  • Violence Unlimited’s Tony Deppen & Homicide & Chris Dickinson vs. LSG & Lee Moriarty & John Walters.
  • Dalton Castle vs. Eli Isom.
  • Free in Hour One: Danhausen, The Beer City Bruiser, PJ Black, Dak Draper, Rey Horus, Brian Johnson, Joe Keys, Brian Milonas, Sledge, Silas Young and five more competitors to be named – Honor Rumble

Damian Priest Details Backstage Interaction With Goldberg At SummerSlam

Anutosh Bajpai
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Damian Priest picked up a big win at the SummerSlam PPV. He was not only congratulated by fans on his victory but by a couple of wrestling veterans as well.

The current US champion talked about defeating Sheamus for the title at the SummerSlam event during a recent interview with ViBe & Wrestling.

Priest revealed that Goldberg interacted with him backstage at the show after his victory and the former Universal champion congratulated him on his big win:

“Goldberg, the last time I saw him, he came to greet me when I won the championship. And before his match, he gave me a hug and congratulated me. He told me that he was happy for me and all that, and we did not know each other.”

Goldberg was not the only big name to congratulate Damian Priest at the event. He revealed that Edge also reached out to congratulate him and gave him a hug:

“Edge also congratulated me, and gave me a hug, and told me that he was happy for me. They are people that I saw on TV when I was young, and now, I have them there and they give me advice and help me. And it is incredible for me.”

Priest went on to say that he doesn’t know how he got to this place. Though he claimed that he is very happy to be able to share conversations with these legends.

Damian Priest Says WWE Allowed Him To Use Punisher Martinez Name

Ruby Soho Says She Became An AEW Fan ‘Long Before’ Leaving WWE

Anutosh Bajpai
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Ruby Soho made her spectacular AEW debut during the All Out PPV last Sunday. According to the female star, the decision to sign with the company was not very difficult. The former WWE star recently had an interview with Sports Illustrated. She talked about things such as her journey in professional wrestling, and more.

Speaking of her time in WWE, Soho explained that she was able to experience a lot in the company and make lifelong friends. So she is grateful for her time there:

“I was able to experience a lot in WWE and make lifelong friends, so I’m very grateful for my time there, but that chapter is closed, And I knew there had to be a new place for me. This is a chance to experience a side of professional wrestling I haven’t experienced yet.”

Ruby Soho On Choosing AEW

Talking about her decision to choose AEW as her next destination, Ruby Soho revealed that she had been a fan of the promotion long before her WWE departure. According to her, she has started feeling like at home in AEW in the short time she has spent in the company:

“Choosing AEW wasn’t a difficult decision, I had been a fan of AEW long before I left WWE. I could sense there was something very special and very different about this company. Now that I’m here, I am beginning to realize it was the home I have always been searching for. This is where I belong.

Ruby Soho was released from her WWE contract back in June this year. After months of rumors, she finally made her AEW debut during the All Out PPV.

Tony Khan Offers Praise To Ruby Soho For Her Debut Match

Big E Thinks Brock Lesnar Does Stuff Because He Is Bored

Anutosh Bajpai
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The return of Brock Lesnar has changed the dynamic of the Universal title picture to a great extent but Big E is not too worried about this change. The Money In The Bank holder appeared on the latest episode of Talking Smack. He was asked if The Beast’s return affects his plans for the championship contract he is holding.

Replying to it, E claimed that Brock Lesnar has reached a level of wealth where you do stuff because you are bored. Though he claimed that Lesnar’s return is not going to deter him from his plans:

“Well, the hair was a choice. It really was a choice, but I don’t have Brock money. You know, you get to a level of wealth where you just do stuff because you’re bored, I think he’s at that level of wealth. So congrats to him.” said Big E, “He’s still a very large and massive man, but that’s not going to deter me from my plans here.”

Brock Lesnar made his return to WWE programming during the SummerSlam PPV after over a year of absence. He confronted Roman Reigns upon his comeback. The Beast Incarnate then challenged the Universal champion for his title during the September 10 SmackDown. Reigns accepted this challenge but said that the match will take place after his bout with Finn Balor at Extreme Rules.

Big E Says AJ Lee Could Have a ‘Brock Lesnar Schedule’ If She Returned To WWE

Heyman On His Dream Survivor Series Team Of ‘Paul Heyman Guys’

Anutosh Bajpai
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With the Survivor Series PPV being around the corner, people have started talking about their dream teams. Paul Heyman listed his own recently as well.

The former ECW owner recently had an interview with Josh Martinez from Z100. He talked about many things such as The Street Profits being one of the top tag teams currently and more.

Heyman also discussed the list of the guys he has managed in his career. When asked about his dream Survivor Series team of ‘Paul Heyman guys’, he named members of the Bloodline faction:

“Roman Reigns, The Usos and I will even through myself in there because I will never need to tag in. The three of them can handle any four beings on the face of the planet,”

Paul went on to credit Jimmy and Jey as the best tag team in the world today. Though he acknowledged The Street Profits, saying that after The Usos, they are the best tag team of the past 20 years.

Survivor Series this year will take place from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on November 21. There is no word yet on what The Bloodline or Brock Lesnar will be doing at the show.

Paul Heyman On Adding Naomi To The Bloodline

Super SmackDown From Madison Square Garden Notes: Vince McMahon, Nick Khan And More

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE chairman Vince McMahon was in attendance for the Super SmackDown from Madison Square Garden this Friday. He was running the show from the gorilla position, according to PWInsider.

President Nick Khan was in the arena as well. He was on the floor talking to fans all night. Both Khan and Stephanie McMahon also greeted fans before the show.

WWE officially announced a 14,425 sellout for the special SmackDown episode. Both Peter Rosenberg and author Keith Elliot Greenberg were in attendance for the show.

Edge was pretty emotional for his return to Madison Square Garden after many years. He got down on his knees and kissed the mat during the commercial break after his entrance and before the match with Seth Rollins.

Apart from the canceled women’s tag team match which got the company a lot of heat online, a Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch dark match was also advertised for SmackDown which didn’t take place.

There were three dark matches, however, that did take place during the night. The dark matches saw several Raw brand stars and John Cena competing in different matches before and after the show. You can check out a detailed report of the dark matches and watch videos of them here.

More On Nixed Zelina Vega Match From SmackDown, Mick Foley Comments

Sami Zayn’s WWE Contract Expiring This Year (Report)

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Kevin Owens has been hinting at leaving WWE when his contract expires. Latest reports suggest that Sami Zayn will get a chance to join him around the same time.

According to the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the former NXT champion’s contract is set to expire before the end of this year as well.

While the exact date when Zayn’s contract ends is unknown, the news is still interesting considering his friendship with the Elite among others in AEW.

News about Kevin Owens’ contract expiring earlier than originally thought excited fans this week. The buzz started when Owens made and then quickly deleted a tweet teasing a reunion with some of the AEW stars.

Reports later revealed that Kevin’s deal expires in January next year instead of 2023 as originally believed. The Observer notes that the exact date for the expiry of his contract is January 31, 2022.

Now this new report about Sami Zayn makes things more interesting. It opens the door for another major acquisition for AEW after recent signings such as Bryan Danielson and CM Punk.

Whether these two make the move or decide to stay with their current promotion will be revealed in future. This news is certainly expected to fuel the chatter about their future among fans in the coming times.

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

More On Nixed Zelina Vega Match From SmackDown, Mick Foley Comments

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

WWE nixed a tag team match from this week’s episode of SmackDown due to time restraints. People like Zelina Vega, Carmella, and Liv Morgan who were supposed to compete in this bout had later reacted to the news on Twitter.

When reports about this tag match being canceled from the Madison Square Garden show first came out, the name of the fourth participant for this bout was not known.

Now Post Wrestling’s John Pollock has provided some update on the situation. He revealed that Toni Storm was the wrestler originally scheduled to team with Liv Morgan for this SmackDown match.

WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley who has recently been very vocal about the company’s mistreatment of talents commented on this situation as well. He noted how it was unfortunate that Zelina Vega didn’t get to compete on the show:

https://twitter.com/RealMickFoley/status/1436844772795224064

For those who don’t know, WWE had dedicated the super SmackDown episode to the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the 20th anniversary of the unfortunate incident.

Zelina Vega, who lost her father in the attack, was a big part of the promotion for this episode. Fans have since expressed their displeasure with the way WWE handled this situation and nixed her match.

Toni Storm made her official main roster debut during the July 23 episode of SmackDown. Though the former NXT UK women’s champion has not been seen on WWE programming since.

Mick Foley: WWE Is No Longer The Place For Talent To Aspire To

Eric Bischoff: Ric Flair Can Be A Very Valuable Asset To AEW

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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0

Eric Bischoff believes AEW can benefit from signing Ric Flair.

Flair is a legend in the wrestling business. He has won world titles in NWA, WCW, and WWE. “The Nature Boy” saw his run with WWE come to an end citing creative differences. Flair appeared for AAA, accompanying Andrade “El Idolo” to the ring for his match with Kenny Omega at Triplemania.

During the latest episode of the 83 Weeks Podcast, Bischoff discussed Flair potentially making his way to AEW and why it would be good for both parties.

“I’m not sure if that’s going to happen or not. I did spend quite a bit of time with Ric both Friday night and Saturday night, and we talked a lot about AEW. I didn’t ask Ric specifically if he was going to go. I figured if Ric wanted to share that information, he’d volunteer it. I didn’t want to ask. I know Ric. I’ve known Ric a long time, 25-30 years, and Ric loves the business today as much as he did 20 years ago. I think if there’s an opportunity there, I would be surprised if Ric didn’t jump on board. I’d be equally as surprised if Tony Khan and the folks over at AEW didn’t find a reason to not extend an offer to him. Ric is a very valuable asset.

“I said this to Kevin Nash and Scott Hall and they both agreed with me. From where we sit, which is on the outside for the most part, but all of us pay pretty close attention and have a decent feel for things. We all agreed without hesitation that, in many respects, Ric Flair is as over today as he’s ever been. I’d go as far as to say Ric Flair is more over today than he’s ever been as a personality.”

During the Sept. 10 episode of AEW Rampage, Andrade defeated PAC. After the match, Andrade nailed Chavo Guerrero, who had been serving as his manager for a few weeks. This has led many to speculate that Andrade will bring in Ric Flair to be his new manager. Of course, nothing has been made official at this time.

WWE Sees Boost In Backstage Morale Following SmackDown Supershow (Report)

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It appears there has been a boost to backstage morale in WWE.

The SmackDown Supershow was held inside Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sept. 10. The crowd was red hot for the show, in particular, the opening segment. Roman Reigns and The Bloodline were interrupted by Brock Lesnar. Reigns saved Paul Heyman from an F5 but Lesnar got the last laugh by sending The Usos to “Suplex City.”

Fightful Select is reporting that many within WWE are thrilled with how the show played out despite having a match and a segment cut out. The success of the show has led to a much-needed shot in the arm for many within the company.

“One WWE source near creative said that they fully believe the company is capable of putting on these kinds of shows regularly, it’s just a matter of getting through to those of influence that this is the type of event that the audience wants to see regularly.”

The timing of WWE’s return to MSG couldn’t have been better. Much has been made about Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole leaving WWE in favor of AEW. With reports of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn seeing their contracts come to an end soon, a boost in morale seems much-needed.

WWE Raw Star Doudrop Gets Married

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Doudrop has now entered married life.

Doudrop performs on WWE’s Monday Night Raw brand. She is currently involved in a feud with Eva Marie. The two were once aligned but Marie felt Doudrop never held up her end of the bargain. Doudrop believed Marie was just using her for her own benefit.

When the cameras go off and Doudrop returns to being Kimberly Benson, she isn’t alone. The former Stardom SWA World Champion has announced that she is now married. Take a look at some pictures from the wedding.

https://twitter.com/DoudropWWE/status/1436658538802204682

Doudrop appears to be having the time of her life. She was brought up from NXT UK to the main roster back in June. She looked dominant in her debut, pinning former SmackDown Women’s Champion Naomi. Later that month, she pinned Asuka in a tag team match without any assistance from Eva Marie.

When she first appeared on the main roster, some criticized Doudrop’s gimmick and name. Those who knew her as Viper and Piper Niven were taken aback by the Doudrop character. It seems Doudrop herself is having fun with it despite initial reservations.

Here’s what she told Metro about her first meeting with Vince McMahon.

“I met him on the first day that I got to Raw and I was super scared because obviously I’ve been a wrestling fan for the majority of my life,” she said. “He was super cool, he just said, ‘Welcome to Raw, so glad that you could come over, we’re gonna have a lot of fun with your character.’ I was like, ‘Oh good, I like to have fun, I consider myself a professional play fighter’, and he was just [laughing and applauding].

‘So that was a really cool experience! He’s always super happy with me when I come back and seems to absolutely love it when I kill people so I’m just gonna keep doing that!”

Name Changes For Two WWE NXT Talents Revealed

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Two NXT developmental talents have received name changes.

First, Parker Boudreaux has taken to his Instagram account to reveal his new name. He will be competing as Gunnar Harland.

“Soul Reaper… NEW NAME. ‘GUNNAR HARLAND.’”

Next up is Bronson Rechsteiner, who changed his name on Twitter as well as his handle. He is going by Rex Steiner from here on. He is the son of Rick Steiner.

Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reported that many have been impressed by Steiner.

“People are heavily praising the potential of the ‘real athletes’ in camp right now, notably Bronson Rechsteiner, the son of Rick Steiner, and the Kasper Brothers, who were great college wrestlers, as well as Bobby Steveson, the older brother of Gable Steveson.”

Meltzer’s report falls in line with WWE’s renewed focus on bigger and younger talent as opposed to independent wrestlers. NXT is also said to be returning to its roots as a developmental brand rather than being in the same league as Raw and SmackDown.

WWE recently signed a new crop of developmental talent. It wouldn’t come as much of a surprise if some of these athletes also undergo name changes in the coming weeks. We’ll be sure to keep you posted.

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