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Lee Moriarty Is The Latest Signing To Bolster AEW’s Growing Roster

Michael Reichlin
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Lee Moriarty is All Elite. The popular independent wrestler competed at the AEW Dark: Elevation tapings that took place prior to the live Dynamite broadcast. He faced Daniel Garcia in a match that will air on AEW’s Youtube channel in the days ahead.

After the match, Moriarty made his way to the backstage area. AEW President Tony Khan greeted him on the stage.

https://twitter.com/ConfirmedShoot/status/1435754111031513088

Lee Moriarty is All Elite

Tony Khan said he’s been so impressed with Moriarty’s appearances on Dark that he wanted to offer him a full-time contract with AEW. Of course, he accepted. You can see footage of Tony Khan presenting Lee Moriarty with his AEW contract here:

AEW’s talent acquisition efforts show no signs of slowing down. The varied ages of their recent signings show the company is investing in the present and future:

  • CM Punk (42)
  • Bryan Danielson (40)
  • Adam Cole (32)
  • Ruby Soho (30)
  • Daniel Garcia (22)
  • Jamie Hayter (26)
  • Lee Moriarty (24)

Ricky Starks Says He’d Like To See Sasha Banks In Team Taz

Chris Stephens
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FTW Champion Ricky Starks recently took part in an “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) session for Reddit Talk. During the Q&A, Starks was asked who he would like to see join Team Taz. Starks responded that he’d like to see Sasha Banks in the heel faction.

“Sasha Banks. They’re gonna run with that one, boys. Sasha Banks, y’all, in Team Taz,” Starks said during the discussion.

He also mentioned Andrade as someone who he would like to see in Team Taz.

Where Is Sasha Banks?

It has been over a month since Sasha Banks wrestled. She was pulled from some house show events in mid-August and then did not appear on SummerSlam for her scheduled match against Bianca Belair. The reason for her absence has not been revealed.

WWE is hopeful that Banks will return tomorrow for WWE’s Super Smackdown event at Madison Square Garden, according to PWInsider. The Boss was reportedly backstage at last week’s Smackdown.

“Sasha was at SmackDown last week, she did not appear on camera,” Mike Johnson wrote. “I was told the plan was for her initially to be at SmackDown this week at the Garden, so I don’t know if she’ll return, but I expect her to be on the road for the company full time this week.”

Previews for Friday’s AEW Rampage, Next Week’s Dynamite

Michael Reichlin
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Following Wednesday’s edition of AEW Dynamite (Results), we have updated previews for Friday’s AEW Rampage and next week’s Dynamite from Newark, NJ.

AEW Rampage Preview (9/10)

  • Andrade El Idolo vs. PAC
  • Brian Pillman Jr. vs. Max Caster
  • Britt Baker, Rebel, & Jamie Hayter vs. Riho, Ruby Soho, & Kris Statlander

Plus, Darby Allin and Sting will respond to Tully Blanchard’s challenge from Dynamite.

AEW Dynamite Preview (9/22)

The following items are set for next week’s Dynamite from Newark, New Jersey. This will be a big night for AEW, as the company has already sold over 11,600 tickets for the Prudential Center.

  • Adam Cole vs. Frankie Kazarian
  • Darby Allin (w/Sting) vs. Shawn Spears (w/ Tully Blanchard)
  • Jade Cargill vs. Leyla Hirsch
WWE’s Pitch To Keep Adam Cole Made His Call To Leave A No Brainer

WWE’s Pitch To Keep Adam Cole Made His Call To Leave A No Brainer

Chris Stephens
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Adam Cole debuted for AEW at All Out on Sunday, aligning with members of the Elite. Cole reportedly met with Vince McMahon regarding a potential move to the main roster in the weeks leading to his departure. What WWE had planned for him on the main roster was recently addressed on Wrestling Observer Radio.

Evidently, WWE’s pitch to keep him in the company was to have him become a manager. “They were going to bring him up, the idea was to turn Keith Lee heel, have Adam Cole be his manager, probably with a different name because of the last name Cole and its main roster and Michael Cole, and you know how that goes,” said Dave Meltzer.

Meltzer then compared what they wanted from Adam Cole and Keith Lee to a Lio Rush/Bobby Lashley dynamic.

“That was kind of the dynamic they were looking for from him. More of a manager than a wrestler,” Meltzer continued. He would then say that these ideas were coming from either Vince McMahon or Bruce Prichard and not necessarily the creative team.

https://twitter.com/davidbix/status/1436028448535982081

WWE’s Idea To Have Adam Cole Manage Keith Lee

Mick Foley recently commented on social media that WWE is no longer the place that wrestlers aspire to be. WWE’s pitch to have Adam Cole be more of a manager than a wrestler may illustrate some of Foley’s points.

“I think younger talent sees the way that developmental characters are cut or left by the wayside or in the case of Karion Kross, greatly watered down and even made a joke of when they debut on the main roster,” Foley said in the video. “

“I’m not sure that I would trust WWE creative to do the right thing with my career,” Foley continued. Perhaps Adam Cole began to feel the same.

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

Update On Bryan Danielson’s Reasons For Signing With AEW

Chris Stephens
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At the post-event media scrum from All Out this weekend, Bryan Danielson mentioned that WWE had made a very gracious offer to him. Danielson said their offer included him being able to work for other companies.

There had been rumors that part of Danielson’s negotiations with WWE involved being able to work with NJPW. This is said to have been a key reason why Nick Khan was looking to develop an exclusive relationship with the promotion. Danielson’s negotiations with WWE and AEW were addressed recently on Wrestling Observer Radio.

“New Japan was a big thing. The key aspect of this was whether Nick Khan could pull of the exclusive deal between New Japan and WWE which obviously did not happen,” said Dave Meltzer. “Because if that happened, maybe he would have gone in the other direction and maybe he wouldn’t have.”

WWE Was Going To Let Bryan Danielson Go To NJPW

Meltzer continued to say that WWE was going to let Danielson work for NJPW. He also said that both offers from WWE and AEW were similar from a financial perspective.

“Both offers were money-wise similar. And both would have allowed him to do New Japan. WWE was going to allow him to do New Japan and he was trying to open the door for other people in WWE that wanted to go to New Japan to be able to do that but that seems to be a dead issue right now from a WWE standpoint.”

Danielson’s decision is also said to have been influenced by what he felt was best for the wrestling industry as a whole.

“He may have felt like Mick Foley did many years ago when he went to TNA, that the best thing for the industry is competition at a high level,” Meltzer continued. “Mick Foley went to TNA years ago for that reason.”

“For the industry as a whole, if competition is one of the key things then going to AEW would obviously be a big part of that as well. So, that was a factor.”

Kenny Omega Thinks He Will Cross Paths With Kota Ibushi Again

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Kenny Omega believes there is unfinished business with Kota Ibushi.

Omega left NJPW following his Wrestle Kingdom 13 match against Hiroshi Tanahashi back in January 2019. He ended up signing with AEW and is the promotion’s current world champion. Before he left NJPW, Kenny realigned with Ibushi as the Golden Lovers back in 2018.

During an interview with Pro Wrestling Illustrated, Omega said he doubts that he’s crossed paths with Ibushi for the final time.

“If I were a betting man, I would say, it’s safe to say…when real life is involved and it’s more than just the wrestling in the ring and now, as time goes by and promotions and fans are listening more and responding more to what they want to see in professional wrestling — we talk about the ‘forbidden door’ and this concept that if you wrestle for one promotion, there’s no way you get to mingle with another, slowly but surely those borders are evaporating. We’ve seen IMPACT talent and New Japan talent on AEW. We’ve seen our talent go elsewhere as well. Who knows where the future lies. There may be more special guests and surprises in the future.

“For me, I’m a storyteller. Way more than I like professional wrestling, I like telling stories. I love stories that have an ending. I love stories that have a beginning, middle, and end. I have a lot of stories that have yet to have a final chapter. That story is yet to close. I would love, with however long my health allows me to, I would love to have that book have the final chapter written. That goes for not only that but for quite a few other stories as well. I would love to close the book and look back and be proud that these stories that I pictured in my wacky little brain, they had a beginning, middle, and end and that I could close that book happily. For someone as influential as Ibushi was to my career, inside and outside, I feel it would be an injustice for it to die.”

Ibushi recently challenged for the IWGP United States Championship. He went one-on-one with titleholder Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome. Ibushi fell short in the match. Meanwhile, Omega had a successful AEW World Title defense against Christian Cage at All Out.

AEW Dynamite Results (9/8): Bryan Danielson & Kenny Omega, Moxley vs. Suzuki

Robert Lentini
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AEW Dynamite aired live from the Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the first episode of Dynamite following AEW All Out. Jon Moxley battled Minoru Suzuki tonight. It was announced that Cody Rhodes will face Malakai Black on the September 22nd edition of Dynamite from Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Dynamite Results (9/8)

  1. Malakai Black def. Dustin Rhodes
  2. Powerhouse Hobbs def. Dante Martin
  3. Ruby Soho def. Jamie Hayter
  4. The Pinnacle def. Dark Order
  5. Jon Moxley def. Minoru Suzuki

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Malakai Black def. Dustin Rhodes

Dustin Rhodes battled Malakai Black in the first match of the night. Rhodes connected with a couple Clotheslines and an Atomic Drop to begin the action. Malakai hit a kick to the face but Rhodes shrugged it off. Dustin sent Malakai across the ring with a release German Suplex.

Rhodes threw Malakai to the outside and followed him out there. Malakai shoved Rhodes into the ring post and then slammed him through a table. Malakai removed the turnbuckle padding and brought Rhodes back into the ring.

Malakai kept Rhodes grounded for a bit and booted him in the face as he tried to get up. Dustin battled to his feet and leveled Malakai with a Clothesline. Dustin Rhodes went for a Powerslam but Malakai held onto the ropes. Rhodes still did the Powerslam motion for whatever reason and then got up into a running kick to the face from Malakai. Dustin connected with a Canadian Destroyer and went for the cover but Malakai kicked out at two. Malakai brought Cody’s boot into the ring but Rhodes attacked him. Black sent Dustin into the exposed turnbuckle and hit Fade to Black for the pinfall victory.

Team Taz Interrupted CM Punk

CM Punk made his way to the ring to a great reaction from the crowd. Punk defeated Darby Allin this past weekend at All Out. Punk thanked Darby Allin, Sting, and all the fans. CM Punk thanked the crowd for the “you still got it!” chants and hyped the main event between Suzuki and Moxley. Punk also gave a shout out to Ruby Soho, Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole. The crowd responded with a loud “Moxley!” chant and Punk pointed out Aunt Linda Pillman in the crowd and called her an angel.

Punk noted that his wife asked him what is next for him and that he didn’t know. CM Punk asked the crowd and then Taz interrupted. The crowd booed and Punk told Taz to never interrupt him again. Taz said he was sick of this bullshit love fest and told CM to never mention anyone from Team Taz. Punk dared Taz to send the whole team and CM added “beat me if you can, survive if I let you” to end the promo and mock Taz some more.

Powerhouse Hobbs def. Dante Martin

Powerhouse Hobbs squared off against Dante Martin tonight on Dynamite. Dante got in some offense early but Hobbs quickly put a stop to it. Hobbs beat Dante down and connected with a Suplex as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, Hobbs went for a Knee Drop but Dante got out of the way at the last moment. Martin hit a massive Dropkick and followed it up with a Senton for a two count. Dante hit a running kick to Hobbs’ face and set up for a Suicide Dive but Hook hopped on the apron. Dante flipped over Hook and onto Hobbs outside the ring. Back in the ring, Martin tried to capitalize but Hobbs caught him with a big Spinebuster for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Dan Lambert cut a promo in the crowd with Men of the Year (Scorpio Sky & Ethan Page) beside him. Lambert said that AEW was hiring every skinny dork to hide the truth. Lambert claimed that the Men of the Year are the best in the company and challenged anyone in the locker room to try and take them out.

MJF & Wardlow Sent A Message To Varsity Blonds

MJF claimed that he beat Jericho clean at All Out but the match was restarted due to extreme bias against him. MJF said that there is a bias against him because everyone in the back wants to be him. He then complained about how much of a dumpster fire Cincinnati is and dared anyone from the crowd to jump the barricade. MJF added that it is called the midwest because everything from the chili to the people are mid.

MJF mocked Pillman’s family in the front row and eventually Brian Pillman Jr. interrupted wearing a Bengals jersey. Pillman said he doesn’t appreciate MJF mocking his hometown and his family. Pillman noted that MJF grew up with a silver spoon but Cincinnati breeds badasses like Jon Moxley and his father.

Pillman made his way to the ring Wardlow got in his face. MJF mocked Wardlow for not being any help at All Out and told him to stand in the corner and look pretty. MJF said he was going to do something Pillman’s mother should have done 28 years ago and abort him. Pillman tackled MJF and unloaded some strikes as Wardlow watched in the corner. Eventually, Wardlow helped out and sent Pillman across the ring with a release German Suplex. Griff Garrison rushed the ring but MJF put the Dynamite Diamond Ring on and punched Griff in the face.

Ruby Soho def. Jamie Hayter

Ruby Soho squared off against Jamie Hayter tonight on Dynamite. AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker and Rebel were ringside for the match. Earlier on the show, Baker and Ruby Soho had a conversation backstage. Soho vowed to win the title and Baker joked that she was going to send Ruby back to where she has spent the past four years of her career, catering. Hayter connected with a shoulder tackle but Ruby responded with a knee to the face. Jamie then booted Ruby to the outside as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

Hayter got Soho up in the Electric Chair but Ruby countered into a slam for a near fall. Soho caught Hayter with the Riot Kick (overhead kick) for the pinfall victory. After the match, Baker, Rebelt and Hayter attacked Ruby Soho. Riho and Kris Statlander rushed the ring for the save. Britt retreated and raised the AEW Women’s Championship to end the segment.

The Pinnacle Picked Up A Win

FTR & Shawn Spears faced Dark Order’s Evil Uno, Stu Grayson, John Silver in a Trios Match. Dark Order controlled the action early but things quickly broke down. John Silver got trapped in the ring alone and Spears hit him with a Death Valley Driver for the pinfall victory. After the match, Dark Order started shoving each other as Tay Conti & Anna Jay watched on the entrance ramp.

Bryan Danielson Confronted Kenny Omega, Adam Cole’s First AEW Match Announced

Tony Schiavone was supposed to interview The Elite but Don Callis took the microphone from him. Callis noted that Omega was voted #1 in the PWI Top 500 and thanked the fans for their votes & money. Don shouted that the AEW Tag Team Championships were stolen from the Young Bucks and gave the microphone to Nick Jackson.

Nick announced that they have their best friend back and Adam Cole made his way to the ring. Cole got in Tony’s face and told him that he will slap his stupid glasses off if he ever looks at Britt Baker again. Cole called Schiavone a nerd and continued to mock him as he got out of the ring.

Cole said AEW is the greatest professional wrestling company in the world because of the guys in the ring right now. Adam added that he is a once in a generation professional wrestler and now he is with the very best. Cole referred to the Young Bucks as the greatest tag team of all time and Kenny Omega as another once in a lifetime talent. Cole announced that he will make his in-ring debut next week on Dynamite. It was later revealed that his opponent will be Frankie Kazarian.

AEW Champion Kenny Omega grabbed the microphone and said he hated interruptions. Bryan Danielson immediately interrupted and made his way to the ring as the crowd chanted “yes!”. Omega asked the rest of The Elite to get out of the ring and invited Danielson into the ring. Bryan ripped the microphone away from Omega and asked the crowd if they wanted to see him fight Kenny. The crowd erupted in a “yes!” chant but Omega said that isn’t how it works here.

Danielson told Omega that he was afraid to take this match because Kenny knows that he is not on his level. Omega tried to attack Danielson but he took him down and applied a Yes Lock. The Elite hopped back into the ring and beat down Danielson until Jurassic Express and Frankie Kazarian made the save. Danielson hit Cutler with the running knee to end the segment.

Jon Moxley def. Minoru Suzuki

Moxley battled Minoru Suzuki in the main event. Suzuki and Moxley traded chops and strikes in the middle of the ring. Moxley hit a forearm to the face that knocked Minoru to the ropes. Jon beat Suzuki down some more in the corner of the ring as Dynamite went to a final commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, Suzuki went for a kick but Moxley caught his leg. Moxley bit Minoru’s head and then Suzuki returned the favor. They then traded headbutts in the middle of the ring but neither would go down. Moxley and Suzuki then headbutted each other at the same time and fell to the canvas. Jon went for a Clothesline but Suzuki countered into a Sleeper. Minoru went for the Gotch Piledriver but Jon countered with a Back Body Drop. Moxley hit Minoru with a Clothesline but he wouldn’t go down. Suzuki had blood pouring down his face and caught Moxley with a kick. Jon shrugged it off and hit the Paradigm Shift for the pinfall victory. Moxley celebrated with his hometown crowd to close the show.

Status Update On Kevin Owens’ Future With WWE

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Much has been made about the WWE future of Kevin Owens.

It was recently reported by Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select that Owens’ contract with WWE is running out sooner than expected. The current deal ends in January 2022.

Jon Alba has now revealed that some within WWE are of the belief that Owens will be making his exit from the promotion.

“In speaking with some WWE sources throughout the day, there is very much an internal belief Owens is gone at the end of his WWE deal. He has dropped multiple hints on social media in the last 24 hours that allude to him being AEW-bound.”

Alba added the following to his report in a Twitter post.

“Just for more context on this. I spoke with multiple people in #WWE today and this is just what they believe. Still plenty of time for things to change, as Sean Ross Sapp
noted, his deal is up in beginning of 2022. He’ll be an asset wherever he goes.”

Kevin Owens currently competes on the SmackDown brand. He has accomplished quite a bit in his WWE run. He’s a former WWE Universal Champion, a three-time United States Champion, a two-time Intercontinental Champion, and a former NXT Champion.

Kenny Omega & Will Ospreay Trash Talk Heating Up

Michael Reichlin
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Will Ospreay called out Kenny Omega on Wednesday after the AEW World Champion was named the #1 pro wrestler the world on this year’s PWI Top 500 list.

Omega topped the list, while Ospreay charted at the #7 spot (behind Roman Reigns, Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, Kota Ibushi and Jon Moxley.)

Ospreay was so put off by his placement on the list that he said, “I’d beat up number 1 any day of the week and twice on Wednesdays……just saying.”

This did not sit well with Kenny Omega. He replied by telling Ospreay that “his promotion” (New Japan Pro Wrestling) has been so “ice cold” since he left that not even Dave Meltzer can convince his followers that Ospreay should be in the conversation for Best in the World.”

“It hurts me, bruv,” said Omega. “One of you dorks should have been the guy. Turned out a bigger dog was my only competition.”

Will Opsreay vs. Kenny Omega

Will Ospreay wasn’t done. He followed up by tweeting a recent clip of himself threatening to walk through the ‘Forbidden Door.’

He also touted New Japan Pro Wrestling’s accomplishments since Omega left. “A pandemic put the breaks on & you know it. Open that door, let’s have this conversation.”

Needless to say, Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay would be a banger of a match. With NJPW talent already wrestling on AEW programming, this is high on the light for potential ‘Forbidden Door’ dream matches we could see in the months ahead.

Triple H Recovering After Cardiac Event, Expected To Make Full Recovery

Michael Reichlin
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WWE executive Paul Levesque (Triple H) is recovering from a recent ‘cardiac event.’

According to a statement sent in by WWE, he underwent a successful procedure last week at Yale New Haven Hospital. The episode was caused by a genetic heart issue.

“Paul Levesque, a.k.a. Triple H, underwent a successful procedure last week at Yale New Haven Hospital following a cardiac event. The episode was caused by a genetic heart issue and Paul is expected to make a full recovery.

– WWE Statement on Triple H’s health

Levesque serves as WWE Executive Vice President, Global Talent Strategy & Development.

SEScoops wishes Paul “Triple H” Levesque a full and speedy recovery.

WWE Raw Ratings Dip Against College Football Competition (9/6)

Andrew Ravens
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Monday’s edition of WWE Raw averaged 1.849 million viewers with a 0.52 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic. This is down from last week’s 1.907 million viewers and the 0.54 rating. 

Here’s the hourly viewership breakdown for Raw, courtesy of Showbuzzdaily.com:

  • Hour 1: 1.958 million, 0.54 in the 18-49 Demo
  • Hour 2: 1.842 million, 0.52 in the 18-49 Demo
  • Hour 3: 1.748 million, 0.50 in the 18-49 Demo

This show was expected to drop from last week’s Raw as it went up against a college football game on ESPN that did 3 million viewers.

This episode featured Akira Tozawa vs. 24/7 Champion Reggie in a non-title match, WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Natalya and Tamina vs. Rhea Ripley and Nikki A.S.H. in a non-title match, Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus with the winner facing Damian Priest for the United States Title at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view event, Charlotte Flair defended her Raw Women’s Title against Nia Jax, a Tag Team Turmoil match to determine the new #1 contenders to Raw Tag Team Champions Riddle and Randy Orton, and more.

SmackDown Viewership

The episode drew an average of 2.147 million viewers in the overnight ratings, down from the previous week that did 2.874 million viewers. In the 18-49 demographic, it did a 0.62 rating, which was up from the 0.59 rating the week before.  The final ratings were 2.220 million viewers, down from last week’s 2.250 million viewers.

Jeff Jarrett Says Low-Ki Never Got Out Of His Own Way

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Jeff Jarrett believes Low-Ki created his own roadblocks.

Low-Ki has long been one of the most highly-regarded talents in the wrestling industry. On the independent scene, fans grew to like Low-Ki’s in-ring style. He ended up competing for Ring of Honor, TNA Wrestling, and WWE. With TNA and WWE, things just didn’t feel right for the popular indie star.

Soon, stories began to circulate regarding Low-Ki’s reputation behind-the-scenes. Some believe that he is difficult to work with and has burned bridges.

Jarrett shared this belief during an episode of his “My World” podcast. Here’s what the TNA founder told Conrad Thompson.

“Low-Ki, especially as we sit here today, and it just wasn’t just in TNA, and in different promotions, he was always his worst enemy. His athletic ability and his believability in the ring, he knew how to work incredibly well so he wouldn’t hurt you. There would always be something when you get him right to the point that you’re going to push him to the next level, I don’t want to say self-destruct, but I read that about him and I’m like, yea. A lot of times he was his own worst enemy climbing that ladder. For whatever reason, he’s a guy that I think will go down in history and it’s like, ‘What if?’ because his skill set was there and he could talk as well. His stoic delivery was a unique presentation that I thought had a lot of money in it, but he never did quite get over that hump.”

More recently, Low-Ki has competed under the MLW banner. He is a former MLW World Heavyweight Champion. He held onto the title for 205 days.

Reggie: My Character On WWE TV Is 100% Me

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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0

Reggie, formerly known as Reginald, says that his persona on WWE TV is authentic.

Reggie is the current WWE 24/7 Champion. When you compare him to other 24/7 Champions, Reggie has had a rather lengthy reign with the title. While 50+ days with a championship may not seem like a lot, it feels liken an eternity with the 24/7 Title.

There have been several reports claiming that WWE chairman Vince McMahon is a big fan of the Reggie character. Speaking to Ryan Satin for the Out of Character podcast, Reggie said what fans see on television is who he really is.

“Actually, pretty much 100% of that character is me. It’s quite funny because I didn’t have much direction. When I first was introduced to SmackDown. I was just the sommelier and whatnot and they didn’t tell me how to act or what to do. There was just do certain things with Carmela and whatnot. But come to find out, I actually spoke French. So what’s the school in Montreal, I traveled around friends. I love fashion. I love suits. So, I just put all of those things into that character and it worked so well.”

Reggie went on to say that he isn’t interested in letting any type of success get to his head. He said he’s been given the freedom to do a lot of what people see on TV. Reggie also expressed his belief that staying humble will get him far in the wrestling business.

Bryan Danielson Won’t Dabble Into Business Side Of AEW

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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0

Don’t expect Bryan Danielson to be a part of the creative process with AEW.

Danielson has the wrestling industry buzzing. The “American Dragon” made his debut for AEW at the conclusion of the All Out PPV. He helped Christian Cage and Jurassic Express fight off The Elite.

During a media scrum, Danielson was asked if he has any interest in dabbling into some behind-the-scenes creative decisions for AEW. Danielson says that’s a hard pass.

“So I briefly took part in creative in WWE and I will say this, I like just wrestling, right? I’ll leave the business stuff and all that kind of stuff up to up to Tony. I mean, honestly, Tony’s the businessman. I couldn’t care less about the business. As far as the business I want him to make money so that he keeps doing this thing that is so much fun for me to do, right? So what I want more than anything else out of all this — I don’t know if you know this, I’m the richest man who’s ever lived.

“Yeah, pretty much I grew up without much so in comparison, I feel — as far as that kind of stuff, I just feel so blessed to be able to step into this position where you have a crowd that just loves this product and you saw it tonight. Every match, they’re just invested, you know? So for me, it’s not about like, ‘Oh, can we take it to this?’, or, ‘Can we take it to that?’ I would love to help Tony do that. But my goal is to produce excellent professional wrestling that people can watch because this is one of the things I truly believe: you show excellent professional wrestling to anybody and they will enjoy it because excellent professional wrestling is fucking awesome.”

Bryan Danielson has admitted that walking away from WWE was a hard decision to make. He says that while he has much love for Vince McMahon, he believes the WWE chairman is overly protective of him. Danielson also said there’s renewed excitement when it comes to joining the AEW roster.

Tony Khan Admits Adam Cole Scared Him During AEW-NXT ‘War’

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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0

AEW head honcho, Tony Khan, can now admit that Adam Cole had him worried when he was on WWE’s NXT brand.

Cole became the talk of the wrestling world when news broke that his WWE contract expired. Cole didn’t leave the company high and dry in the middle of a feud with Kyle O’Reilly. He ended up signing an extension in order to give O’Reilly the final victory in their rivalry.

It didn’t take long for Cole to sign on with AEW once his contract extension with WWE ended. He appeared at the end of the All Out PPV, realigning with The Elite.

At the height of the AEW vs. NXT “Wednesday Night War,” Cole was a key player. Speaking to the media following the All Out PPV, Khan explained why he feared going up against Cole when he was on NXT.

“I’d just like to say a statement, which is that, the Wednesday Night War is over and in the demo, I believe, out of 75 episodes, we went 74-1. [Adam Cole] is the one in 74-1. When there was a Wednesday Night War, this is the man that used to strike fear into my heart every Wednesday. This guy scared the sh*t out of me every Wednesday. There is nobody I would rather have here and it means the world that he came.”

It shouldn’t take long to find out exactly what’s in-store for Cole under the AEW banner. He has already gotten physical, taking part in a brawl that involved Bryan Danielson before All Out went off the air.

Kenny Omega Named #1 Ranked Wrestler On PWI Top-500

Chris Stephens
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It was revealed on Busted Open Radio this morning that Kenny Omega is the #1 ranked wrestler in the Pro Wrestling Illustrated top-500 this year. Omega last earned the top spot in the rankings in 2018.

Omega earned the spot after spending much of the last year holding the AEW World Championship, AAA Mega Championship, and Impact World Championship. Omega ranked in at #13 in 2020.

Omega now joins Bret Hart, Steve Austin, Triple H, John Cena, and Seth Rollins as the only wrestlers to top the list on multiple occasions. 

https://twitter.com/OfficialPWI/status/1435611376148533256

The annual edition of the magazine is available for pre-order here.

PWI Top-10 2021

The top-10 ranked wrestlers from this list year are as follows:

1) Kenny Omega
2) Roman Reigns
3) Bobby Lashley
4) Drew McIntyre
5) Kota Ibushi
6) Jon Moxley
7) Will Ospreay
8) Finn Balor
9) Shingo Takagi
10) Rich Swann

Kenny Omega Tops PWI Top-500 For 2nd Time

Omega joins a small list of wrestlers who have topped the list more than once.

  • 1991: Hulk Hogan
  • 1992: Sting
  • 1993: Bret Hart
  • 1994: Bret Hart (2)
  • 1995: Diesel
  • 1996: Shawn Michaels
  • 1997: Dean Malenko
  • 1998: Steve Austin
  • 1999: Steve Austin (2)
  • 2000: Triple H
  • 2001: Kurt Angle
  • 2002: Rob Van Dam
  • 2003: Brock Lesnar
  • 2004: Chris Benoit
  • 2005: Batista
  • 2006: John Cena
  • 2007: John Cena (2)
  • 2008: Randy Orton
  • 2009: Triple H (2)
  • 2010: AJ Styles
  • 2011: The Miz
  • 2012: CM Punk
  • 2013: John Cena (3)
  • 2014: Daniel Bryan
  • 2015: Seth Rollins
  • 2016: Roman Reigns
  • 2017: Kazuchika Okada
  • 2018: Kenny Omega
  • 2019: Seth Rollins (2)
  • 2020: Jon Moxley
  • 2021: Kenny Omega (2)

Chris Jericho Reflects On Having The Longest Storyline Of His Career With MJF

Chris Stephens
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The rivalry between Chris Jericho and Maxwell Jacob Friedman had many twists and turns. At one point the two delivered a song and dance routine over dinner. Then MJF defeated Chris Jericho to earn a spot in the Inner Circle. Then MJF formed the Pinnacle to feud with Jericho’s faction. Eventually, there was the 5 Labors of Jericho and then The Final Fight at All Out.

Jericho recently reflected on the longest storyline of his career in a post to Instagram.

Screen Shot 2021 09 08 at 10.28.18 AM

“Jericho vs MJF was THE longest storyline of my career…and one of the best,” Jericho wrote. “The angle started in Sept of 2020 and it ended last night at one of the greatest PPVs of all time, with the good guy making the bad guy tap out.”

“The angle between the The Inner Circle and The Pinnacle was full of twists and turns, comedy, tragedy, friendship, betrayal, blood, bubbly and genuine animosity. But overall, I feel it was a brilliant, expertly told tale that was one of the best in the business from the last 20 years. I hope all of you enjoyed watching this pro wrestling magnum opus as much we did telling it!!! On to the next challenge….”

Chris Jericho vs Maxwell Jacob Friedman Statistics

The first singles match between Jericho and MJF took place at Full Gear on November 7th, 2020. MJF won that match, as well as the Fifth Labor of Jericho before Jericho won at Final Fight, giving MJF a 2-1 lead in the head-to-head series in singles matches.

Jericho and MJF teamed together 7x throughout the storyline as well. They went a perfect 6-0 in these matches before losing a title match to the Young Bucks At AEW Revolution 2021.

MJF and Jericho were also on opposing sides of 2 different tag-team matches during the angle. The Pinnacle won the Blood and Cuts double-cage match while the Inner Circle won the Stadium Stampede match at Double or Nothing.

Damian Priest Says He Tried To Convince Triple H To Face Him At WrestleMania

Chris Stephens
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At WrestleMania this year, Damian Priest teamed up with Bad Bunny and defeated John Morrison and The Miz. According to comments he made recently during an interview with Metro, however, Priest attempted to goad Triple H into a match on the show.

 “Mania – Hunter didn’t have a match, and that was the first time all these legends, none of them [on the show],” Priest said. ‘I was like, ‘I mean, did you bring your gear? Because you can have a match, I’m right here!’ He started laughing and said, “You’re on a list of people that have asked me that”.

“I was like, I bet, I can imagine – he gets it all the time by guys being like, ‘Hey you wanna work? You wanna wrestle?'”

Priest would continue to talk about other wrestling legends he would like to face. Since he’s returned, Priest specifically mentioned working with Edge as something he would like to do. He also noted Kane as someone he’d like to wrestle.

“I think the closest one that I know that there’s a chance – and we’ve already kind of had an interaction at the Rumble – is Edge,” Priest said. “Obviously Kane, we had a little bit of an interaction. But I’m not satisfied, I need a lot more of that! Those feelings, just standing across from those guys – super cool, super, super cool.”

Damian Priest At Extreme Rules

Priest is scheduled to face Sheamus at Extreme Rules. Sheamus earned a shot at Priest’s United States Championship on RAW this week after defeating Drew McIntyre. Priest defeated Sheamus for the title at SummerSlam. He’s since defended it once in a triple threat match against both Drew McIntyre and Sheamus on the August 30th episode of WWE RAW.

Jake Atlas & Taylor Rust Return To ROH At Death Before Dishonor

Chris Stephens
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Jake Atlas and Taylor Rust (FKA Tyler Rust in WWE) will return to Ring of Honor at Death Before Dishonor this weekend. Both wrestlers have had previous stints with the promotion, albeit brief ones. Rust was released from WWE on August 6th after having just been introduced as a member of the Diamond Mine. Atlas was also released from the NXT brand on August 6th and has since been announced for shows with New Japan Pro Wrestling as well.

Rust had a brief stint with ROH last October. He competed in the ROH Pure title tournament and was defeated by Tracy Williams in the 1st round. He then signed with WWE in December. Atlas competed for ROH briefly in 2019, wrestling one match on the Death Before Dishonor Fallout tour that September.

ROH has announced that Atlas and Rust will face each other on the September 12th PPV from Baltimore. The full lineup for the show is below.

image 100125452 15035246

Death Before Dishonor Lineup

  • ROH World Championship
    Bandido (c) vs. Brody King vs. EC3 vs. Demonic Flamita
  • ROH Pure Championship
    Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. Josh Woods
  • ROH Women’s World Championship
    Rok-C vs. Miranda Alize
  • ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship
    Shane Taylor, Moses, & Kaun vs. Dragon Lee, Bestia del Ring, & Kenny King
  • Homicide, Chris Dickinson, & Tony Deppen vs. John Walters, LSG, & Lee Moriarty
  • Matt Taven & Mike Bennett vs. The Briscoes
  • Eli Isom vs. Dalton Castle
  • Jake Atlas vs. Taylor Rust

The Acclaimed Returned On AEW Dark & Acknowledged Their Hiatus (Video)

Michael Reichlin
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AEW tag team The Acclaimed returned to action on this week’s AEW Dark.

The team of Max Caster and Anthony Bowens were last seen on the August 28th episode of the AEW Youtube series. Caster found himself in hot water after one of his pre-match freestyle raps received major blowback from fans.

Caster is known for walking the line of tastefulness, but his references to US Olympian Simone Biles’ mental health and the Duke Lacrosse 2006 sexual assault scandal crossed that line for many. He was sent to sensitivity training as a disciplinary measure.

During their entrance on Dark this week, the duo joked about their hiatus from AEW programing. Instead of lacing into their opponents with well-crafted biting insults, they jokingly read from a script approved by AEW management. See below:

The Acclaim picked up a victory in their return match. They defeated the team of Robert Anthony and CPT Shawn Dean.

Tony Khan Addresses Max Caster’s “Terrible” Rap On AEW Dark

Ivelisse Places Blame On Thunder Rosa For Infamous AEW Match

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Ivelisse insists that Thunder Rosa is to blame for their AEW match going off the rails.

On the Sept. 16, 2020 edition of Dynamite, Ivelisse and Rosa went one-on-one. It was clear that something was off between the two. The match was rough as the two threw stiff strikes and to many, Ivelisse appeared to be uncooperative. For Ivelisse, however, the notion that she was the problem doesn’t sit well with her.

Appearing on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet, Ivelisse said that it was Thunder Rosa who didn’t want to cooperate.

“When the day came, she didn’t want to do anything. I’m like, what? No, this match will be awesome. But I’m also trying to knock it out of the park. Even at the start, with the slap, we went over that 1 million times, we knew. She forgets what comes after. I had no choice but to nudge her face. That’s when the shoot stuff happened. I’ve trained in MMA. You can’t pull that on me. I just didn’t want to allow that negativity. I didn’t want to be pulled into that.  She tried and tried though. Also, I was already signed. Why would I do that? Somehow I was made into the bad guy though. There’s nothing that can be done about that, but the bigger issue is not understanding what kind of an asset I could be.”

Ivelisse would soon find herself out of a job. She ended up being released from AEW and claims it came as a surprise to her.

Ivelisse ‘Shocked’ By AEW Release, Cites Politics

Robbie Eagles Set For NJPW Strong Autumn Attack

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, Robbie Eagles, is making his way to NJPW Strong Autumn Attack.

NJPW has announced that Eagles will be a part of their Autumn Attack shows in Garland, Texas. These shows will be held inside the Curtis Culwell Center on Sept. 25 and 26.

Here’s what NJPW said in a statement regarding the addition of Eagles.

“An already stacked lineup for NJPW STRONG’s first matches at the Curtis Culwell Center in DFW Texas have allowed for dream matches including Lio Rush vs Taiji Ishimori, Suzuki-Gun versus Team Filthy and Jay White vs Daniel Garcia across two cards on September 25 & 26. That lineup is getting even more of a boost though, as fresh off his first defense at the MetLife Dome against Hiromu Takahashi this weekend, IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Robbie Eagles is joining the Autumn Attack. 

“With a wealth of junior heavyweight talent on STRONG and across the US, the ‘Sniper of the Skies’ heads into Texas with a target of his own on his back. Who will take aim at the champion? Find out in person later this month!”

Eagles is fresh off a successful title defense against Hiromu Takahashi at NJPW’s Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome. Eagles defeated Hiromu via submission.

This is yet another solid name added to NJPW’s Autumn Attack shows this month. The promotion has already announced Will Ospreay, Minoru Suzuki, and Lance Archer for the shows. NEVER Openweight Champion Jay White is also set to take on Daniel Garcia, who has been appearing on AEW television in prominent spots.

AEW Makes UBS Arena Debut Official, Will Host Dynamite & Rampage

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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The reports are correct, AEW will indeed be making its way to the UBS Arena.

Andrew Zarian was the first to report that AEW was heading to the arena in Long Island, NY on Dec. 8. Earlier today (Sept. 7), AEW made it official. This will be for a live Dynamite show as well as a Rampage taping.

Here’s what was said in a press release sent out by AEW.

“All Elite Wrestling (AEW) brings its wildly popular shows ‘AEW: Dynamite’ and ‘AEW: Rampage’ to the brand-new UBS Arena on Wednesday, December 8, for a spectacular night of bell-to-bell action. Located on the border of Queens and Nassau County in Belmont Park, NY, the state-of-the-art UBS Arena will host the world-class wrestlers of AEW as they take the squared circle in the stunning new venue.

“Tickets will go on-sale to the general public on Friday, Sept. 10, at 10 a.m. ET via AEWTix.com and Ticketmaster.com. Tickets start at $30 plus fees.

“UBS Arena at Belmont Park is a $1.1 billion multi-purpose venue that is finishing construction adjacent to the Belmont Park racetrack. The world-class entertainment venue, with its timeless and classic design, will bridge its iconic past with today’s advanced technology and amenities. In addition to being the new home to the famed New York Islanders Hockey Club, the state-of-the-art arena, opening in the fall, will deliver an unmatched live entertainment experience with clear sightlines and premier acoustics.”

This will likely be AEW’s final stop in New York for 2021. The promotion is set to have its “Grand Slam” edition of Dynamite take place inside Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, NY on Sept. 22.

WWE NXT Results (9/7): Two Title Matches, Mei Ying’s In-Ring Debut

Andrew Ravens
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The September 7, 2021 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center. 

WWE NXT Results 

  • Kay Lee Ray def. Ember Moon.
  • Santos Escobar def. Carmelo Hayes.
  • Diamond Mine (Brutus Creed & Julius Creed) def. Chuckie Viola & Paxton Averill.
  • Zoey Stark & Io Shirai def. Kayden Carter & Kacy Catanzaro
  • Mei Ying def. Virginia (aka Dreamgirl Ellie).
  • MSK (Wes Lee & Nash Carter) def. Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Mei Ying’s In-Ring Debut

05 nxt

Mei Ying made her in-ring debut. She took on Virginia Ferry, who is also known as Dream Girl Ellie. It was a quick match with Mei hitting some strikes then locking on a choke for the win. 

Karen Q portrays the character. Before signing with WWE, she worked for ROH and Impact Wrestling. Karen made her WWE debut in August 2018 by competing in the second annual Mae Young Classic.

In December 2020, Karen was repackaged as Mei Ying as the mysterious leader of Tian Sha with Xia Li and Big Boa. The group debuted on January 6, 2021.

Kay Lee Ray vs. Ember Moon

Kay Lee Ray vs. Ember Moon in a singles match was booked.  

The match opened the show and was a grappling heavy bout. Ray hit her finisher for the win. 

Ray made her NXT debut at TakeOVer 36 after being on hiatus after dropping the NXT UK Women’s Title. Moon has been trying to find her way after losing Shotzi Blackheart as her tag team partner. 

Santos Escobar vs. Carmelo Hayes

Santos Escobar vs. Carmelo Hayes in a singles match took place.   

The match was back and forth. Hayes looked good in his outing, but of course, Santos went over thanks to outside interference before hitting his finisher for the win. 

Entering this match, Escobar had been in a feud with Hit Row. On the flip side, On the August 24 episode of NXT, Hayes defeated Odyssey Jones to win the 2021 NXT Breakout Tournament.

NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship Match

NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Io Shirai and Zoey Stark defended against Kayden Carter and Kacy Catanzaro. 

This marked the first defense for Io and Stark. Just last week, Catanzaro and Carter defeated Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne.

The match was pretty good with the challengers looking decent yet the champions were kept strong. Post=match, Mandy Rose, Jayne, and Dolin laid out the challengers. 

NXT Tag Team Championship Match

0NXT

NXT Tag Team Champions MSK defended against Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch.

WWE set up the match last week when the champs noted they’d like to give Lorcan & Burch a shot at the titles.

Lorcan and Burch had to give up the titles this past March when urch suffered a separated shoulder. Fast forward to April, MSK won the vacant titles by defeating The Grizzled Young Veterans and Legado del Fantasma’s Raul Mendoza & Joaquín Wilde in a triple threat match at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver

Burch made his big return last week as he joined Lorcan, Pete Dunne and Ridge Holland in beating down Tommaso Ciampa only for MSK to make the save. 

The match was dominated by the challengers until MSK made their comeback at the end and won with their finisher. A very solid match. Post-match, Holland and Dunne attacked Burch and Lorcan.

Adam Cole Reveals How Britt Baker Made His AEW Debut Special

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Adam Cole relished in his AEW debut but Britt Baker made things even more special.

Cole appeared at All Out following the main event world title match between Kenny Omega and Christian Cage. Cole initially appeared to make the save for Cage and Jurassic Express following a post-match beatdown. Instead, he delivered a kick to the jaw of Jungle Boy.

Cole’s reunion with The Elite was spoiled when Bryan Danielson also made his promotional debut. Bryan aligned himself with Cage and Jurassic Express to fight off The Elite.

During his post-show media scrum, Cole explained how his girlfriend, AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker, was able to make his AEW debut that much sweeter.

“I’m so excited for the future. Sunday was one of the greatest nights of my life. It was my favorite night of my career. It’s such an exciting time. I knew last minute, Britt (Baker) knew last minute, and Britt made sure she got Momma Chugs and B-Fresh [Adam Cole’s brother] there. It made it even cooler. Britt deserves a ton of credit for that. She surprised me, she didn’t even tell me she was going to do that.”

Adam Cole had plenty of options on the table once his WWE contract expired. Cole, himself, admitted that even he thought his deal would take longer to end before signing a brief extension to finish his feud on NXT with Kyle O’Reilly. Cole didn’t have a non-compete clause, so he was free to appear at All Out.

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