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Charlotte Flair Wants To Be The Female John Cena

Rayan Sayyed
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Charlotte Flair won the WWE Raw Women’s Championship for the 12th time in front of 51,000 people at SummerSlam this past week. She defeated the previous champion Nikki A.S.H. and Rhea Ripley in a Triple Threat match to regain her title.

Another star in the company who has more than a dozen reigns under their belt is John Cena. With his joint-record, he has the world championship 16 times under his name. Charlotte Flair said that she wants to be like John Cena and embody him, and have a work ethic that’s similar to him.

Charlotte stated that she believes that there will never be another John Cena. He means a lot to the industry and he is irreplaceable. But Charlotte said she knows that since the day she started and even to this day, she wants to mold herself after Cena and be like him.

“Unfortunately, I am a bad guy on camera, and Cena is the ultimate good guy. But I never lose that density or passion of wanting to embody WWE, wanting to do as much on the outside, for instance, media and the Special Olympics. There’s so many community events that we take part in,” Charlotte told DAZN News.

Charlotte continued saying that she wants to be considered to be in the same class as John Cena, in terms of in-ring success as well as the work they do outside the ring as well.

“I hope to be mentioned in the same sentence as him. He’s John Cena. I’m a talent in the same company as him. Not even a peer but as a co-worker, and I still say it like that. He’s John Cena. Yes, I want to be the female John Cena. And if people say that, then I’m going to continue, even if I don’t feel like I’ve gotten there yet, but I’m going to continue to work as hard and feel that I want to be that way with everything I do.”

Nia Jax and Charlotte Flair Match Breaks Down into Shoot Fight on RAW

Sheamus Considers Current WWE Run His Best

Rayan Sayyed
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Sheamus has done quite a bit over the past year after making his return from injury. He went back to his old hairstyle, won the United States Championship at WrestleMania 37 and had some great matches. He recently talked about his current run in the WWE and said that it’s the best one he’s had so far.

Sheamus also revealed that The Undertaker recently told him that Sheamus is “one of the old crew now.” Sheamus told ComicBook that it took him a second to process that he’s now considered one of the “seniors” in WWE, because the last 12 years have been like a blur to him.

Sheamus was asked if he thinks this has been the best run of his career. He absolutely agreed that he’s done his best in all aspects, whether it’s on the mic, or inside the ring. He’s finally able to be himself and not have second thoughts about what he’s doing.

“I guess sometimes it was in my interest to emulate this persona that wasn’t me. So for the last year and a half, I’ve really been able to just throw all that aside and just be me, and go out there and do what I do best. I’ve always been a physical competitor in the ring, and for me it’s never been the ‘Oh, you just want to take liberties’. You hear all that stuff in the past. It’s always about bringing the best out of my opponent, bringing the fight out of my opponent, because I know at the end of it all, whoever I’m in there with when the match is over, I’ve had that physical encounter,” Sheamus said.

Sheamus considers this year and a half his best. He stated that he loves working with the younger talent and others including Matt Riddle, Damien Priest, Keith lee, Humberto Carrillo, Drew McIntyre, etc. Sheamus said that it feels like he has started his career right all over again.

Pat McAfee Offers Adam Cole A “Legit Contract”

Chris Stephens
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Adam Cole is a free agent. His WWE contract is believed to have expired on Friday and it is not clear where he will end up next. While some expect Cole to sign with AEW, there are others hoping a chance still remains he re-signs with WWE.

One darkhorse contender to sign Adam Cole to a contract appears to be Pat McAfee, however. The Smackdown commentator sent out a Tweet recently to offer Cole a “legitimate contract” to work on the Pat McAfee Show.

What is the latest on Adam Cole?

According to a report from PW Insider, a memo was sent out to some WWE employees recently letting them know that Adam Cole is no longer with the company. He is expected to field offers from other promotions. It was also noted that he could still re-sign with WWE. Previous reports have suggested that Cole is likely done with the company, however.

Adam Cole Considered “Done Internally” By WWE

According to a report from Talk Sport, Cole does not have a 90-day no-compete clause that he would have to wait out before debuting in another company.

“As part of the extension, Cole also managed to ‘kill the non-compete clause’ he would have had to fulfill,” wrote Alex McCarthy earlier this month.

Tony Khan Compares AEW’s Roster To 1997 WCW

Chris Stephens
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Tony Khan was recently a guest on Busted Open Radio. During the discussion, he mentioned that he sometimes likes to compare AEW’s roster to the one WCW had in 1997.

“I like to compare our roster sometimes to what I think was the hallmark great roster, which was 1997 WCW,” Khan said on the show (transcriptions via Fightful).

While WCW in 1997 had many top names including Randy Savage, Ric Flair, Roddy Piper, Hollywood Hogan, Sting, Scott Hall, and Kevin Nash, Khan feels it was the young and underutilized talent that really could have helped the company in the long run.

“They had a lot of young talent that they didn’t realize and they could have built for the future to help make it a profitable company that they never want to shut down. They could have made it a money-printing machine if they developed the young talent in-house that they had like Chris Jericho, Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero, and Rey Mysterio.”

Khan would continue to say that those young names didn’t get an opportunity in WCW. In AEW, however, Khan says he’s proud of the young homegrown stars the company has been able to produce thus far.

“I do try to build stars for the future and that’s why you have so many great homegrown stars that are being featured at All Out. There are great opportunities here and I don’t think Jericho, Mysterio, and Guerrero got those same opportunities when they were on a roster with the all-time names like Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Randy Savage, and Roddy Piper.”

Chris Jericho was on the roster in WCW in 1997 and is currently a member of the AEW roster. The role he is in has swapped, however. Back in 1997, Jericho was one of those young and underutilized guys. In AEW today, Jericho is an established name and the company’s first-ever world champion.

“What a great TV business they built with that roster that unfortunately didn’t last, but I think would have lasted longer if they had built the young stars the way I try to do,” he said.

AEW May Have To Move Full Gear PPV Date Due To UFC, Boxing

Rayan Sayyed
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The upcoming AEW Full Gear pay-per-view is set for November 6 from the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri. However, the company could possibly move the date for the event as it will face some huge competition if it takes place on the scheduled date as another company has just announced a stack card for their combat sports event.

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AEW Full Gear

While AEW is set to hold All Out 2021 as scheduled this Sunday on September 5, the clashes with boxing and UFC events on the same night as Full Gear could be a problem for the pro-wrestling company.

UFC 268: Usman vs. Covington 2 will take place on November 6 at the Madison Square Garden. The card will feature the rematch between Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington which is much awaited amongst fans.

In addition to this UFC MSG card, Canelo Álvarez vs. Caleb Plant, billed as “On the Road to Undisputed” is a unification boxing match in the super middleweight class that’s also going to take place on November 6, from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Paradise, Nevada. The match is important because the winner will become the first undisputed super middleweight champion in boxing history as multiple titles are on the line.

AEW would probably not want to clash with events of such calibre, so it’s likely that we’d see a date change announcement for Full Gear soon.

This wouldn’t be the first time the company would do something like this either, as they previously moved AEW Revolution 2021’s date from February 27 to March 7. This was also because of a Canelo Alvarez match, which took place on February 27. So, AEW had to reschedule the event to avoid clashes with the match and we could see the same thing happening here with Full Gear.

MJF Reveals Roddy Piper Was His Wrestling Inspiration

Alex Laybourne
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AEW has built several wrestlers into home-grown stars since their inception. MJF is one such wrestler. He has flourished in the heel role, fast becoming one of the key members on the AEW roster.

MJF has the in-ring ability, a natural character and talent on the mic that means he can go toe-to-toe with the likes of Chris Jericho and no be overwhelmed or beaten down.

Talking during a recent appearance on Inside the Ropes, MJF talked about his inspirations growing up and which wrestler he would most like to go up against on the mic.

“Roddy Piper,” MJF said with no hint of hesitation. “Before me, I’m going to say the only person who would equal the ability to get a visceral reaction from the crowd was Piper. Piper made me fall in love with wrestling.”

MJF continued to talk about the influence Rowdy Roddy Piper had on him growing up, slipping effortlessly into character as he did so.

“And if I was able to have an opportunity to have promos back and forth with Roddy, and then a match that I know would be vicious as all hell. I think that would probably go down as the greatest match in the history of professional wrestling.”

MJF Stands on the Precipice of History

A match with Piper is impossible, and speculation is always easy. However, MJF does stand on the point of making history.

During the interview, MJF also reserved certain praise for his AEW arch-nemesis, Chris Jericho. Reserving special praise for the man whose career he hopes to end at AEW All-Out next week.

“Chris Jericho was up there [as a heel]. As much as I hate to admit it. I would say Chris Jericho is most certainly up there.”

Until now, MJF has had Chris Jericho’s number at every meeting. However, at All-Out the stakes are considerably higher. Maxwell Jacob Friedman has the chance to retire the leader of the Inner Circle if he can pick up a fourth consecutive win over Jericho.  

Nia Jax and Charlotte Flair Match Breaks Down into Shoot Fight on RAW

Alex Laybourne
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Social media was ablaze after Raw last night, and it wasn’t anything to do with the two different title matches that took place. It was the contest between Charlotte Flair and Nia Jax that had fingers whirring over the keyboard.

The pair faced off against each other in a brutally stiff match which saw Nia Jax pick up the win, hitting Charlotte with a powerbomb for the pinfall victory. However, it was not the victory that sparked rumours of heat between the pair. Rather the mid-match point just after the commercial break on the televised show. The match took a much stiffer route with a series of cumbersome exchanges that looked to pack a little extra heat than normal.

Nia Jax his Charlotte with a spinebuster and a back drop. Both of which looked a little rough. However, Charlotte kicked out after just a one count. The exchange continued with the pair trading stiff slaps and shoves.

https://twitter.com/skullsmedia/status/1432528503170162689?s=21

While the ending of the match was clear cut, there was a lot about the entire altercation that looked uncoordinated and uncooperative.

Nia Jax Picks Up a Big Win and then Makes a Bigger Statement

After the match Mick Foley even took to Twitter to comment on the affair, clearly noticing the tension shared by Nia Jax and Charlotte.

https://twitter.com/RealMickFoley/status/1432536105438617600

Later, Nia was a guest on Raw talk where she cut an angry promo about getting and taking her shot at the title.

“You know what, I’m sick of this,” Nia Jax said. “Yes, Charlotte is a 12-time champion, but I just beat, no I splattered, the RAW Women’s Champion. Do you know what? I think that gets me a title opportunity.”

At this point in time, it is not clear if there is any genuine heat between the pair, or if it was just a loss of temper and a couple of semi-botched moves. Nia Jax doesn’t have the reputation for being the smoothest worker out there. While Charlotte Flair has a lot of backstage sway in the company and may have taken umbrage to Nia’s mistakes.

WWE Changes Location Of Oct. 1 SmackDown Taping

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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WWE has announced they are moving the location of its planned Oct. 1 SmackDown taping.

The company initially scheduled a SmackDown taping on Oct. 1 for New Orleans. The event was going to be held inside the Smoothie King Center. WWE has revealed a change in plans.

“STAMFORD, Conn., August 30, 2021 – The WWE Friday Night SmackDown live event scheduled for October 1 at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans has been postponed. All original tickets will be honored for the new 2022 date.

Friday Night SmackDown on October 1 will now take place at Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore.

Additional ticket information on both events is forthcoming.”

WWE made the change due to Hurricane Ida.

WWE has been enjoying the ability to return to live crowds. The promotion created the ThunderDome in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Outside of WrestleMania 37, the company wasn’t running events in front of a live audience for over a year. That changed in July when SmackDown was held live inside the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

Time will tell when the company will return to the Smoothie King Center but for now, the live SmackDown action comes to the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, Maryland.

WWE RAW Results (8/30): US Title Open Challenge, Tag Title Match, Charlotte vs. Nia Jax

Robert Lentini
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WWE Raw aired live from the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK. Damian Priest held an Open Challenge for the United States Championship. RK-Bro defended the RAW Tag Team Championships against Lashley & MVP in the main event.

RAW Results (8/30)

  1. Rhea Ripley def. Shayna Baszler
  2. Viking Raiders def. Jinder Mahal & Veer
  3. Damian Priest def. Drew McIntyre & Sheamus to retain the US Title
  4. Karrion Kross def. Humberto Carrillo via submission
  5. Nia Jax def. Charlotte Flair
  6. Omos def. John Morrison
  7. AJ Styles def. Xavier Woods via submission
  8. RK-Bro def. MVP & Lashley to retain the RAW Tag Team Championships

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Two Title Matches Were Announced For Tonight

United States Champion Damian Priest held an Open Challenge for the United States Championship to begin this week’s show. Priest said he feels alive and welcomed everyone to Monday Night RAW. Damian noted that he became the US Champion at SummerSlam and thanked the crowd for chanting “you deserve it!”.

Priest said he was going to show the United States Championship it deserves like those before him like Rey Mysterio, Jeff Hardy, and John Cena. Damian called WWE Champion Bobby Lashley a coward for running away last week and promised that he wouldn’t do that.

Former United States Champion Sheamus interrupted and said that he actually agrees with Damian about Lashley running from a fight. Sheamus added that he likes that Damian is out here with a smile on his face offering an Open Challenge even if the people int his crowd don’t deserve it. Sheamus told Priest that he was going to give him a Brogue Kick and wipe the smile off of Damian’s face.

Drew McIntyre made his way to the entrance ramp and claimed that it was time for something fresh rather than Priest beating Sheamus’ ass for the 500th time. McIntyre noted that he has never been the United States Champion and said he wanted a title match tonight.

Sheamus and McIntyre started arguing before WWE Champion Bobby Lashley joined the party along with MVP. MVP asked the crowd to hold their applause for Lashley and a “Goldberg!” chant broke out. MVP said that they have already dealt with that problem and suggested that it would be good for business for Lashley to become a double champion.

RAW Tag Team Champions RK-Bro interrupted to a great reaction from the crowd. Orton called Lashley a greedy son of a bitch that wants something that he cannot have and that is a 2nd championship. Lashley told Orton that he was right about wanting a 2nd title but it could be the RAW Tag Team Championships. Riddle suggested that they defend the titles against Lashley and MVP.

Sonya Deville and Adam Pearce announced that Damian Priest will defend the US Title against Drew McIntyre and Sheamus tonight in a Triple Threat match. They also announced that RK-Bro will defend the RAW Tag Team Championships against MVP and Lashley tonight as well.

Rhea Ripley def. Shayna Baszler

Rhea Ripley squared off against Shayna Baszler in the first match of the night. Before the match, Rhea announced that Nikki A.S.H. will be in her corner tonight. Nia Jax said that she doesn’t know what Shayna will be able to do, but Nia vowed to splat Nikki and Rhea in the ring before the match is over. Nia added that she will do the same to Charlotte Flair later tonight.

Shayna dominated the action early and stomped on Ripley’s arm as RAW went to a break. When RAW returned, Shayna was still in control as Nikki cheered Ripley on. Ripley connected with a Dropkick and followed it up with a Northern Lights Suplex for a near fall. Baszler went for the Kirifuda Clutch as Nia sent Nikki through the barricade with a Samoan Drop. Rhea was able to counter the Kirifuda Clutch into a cover for the pinfall victory. After the match, Jax hit Ripley with a Samoan Drop in the middle of the ring.

Viking Raiders def. Mahal & Veer

Viking Raiders faced Veer and Jinder Mahal tonight on RAW. Veer beat down Ivar and tagged in Mahal. Jinder beat Ivar down some more in the corner and caught him with a knee to the midsection. Mahal leveled Ivar with a knee to the face and went for the cover but Ivar kicked out at two.

Ivar finally battled back and did a cartwheel before tagging in Erik. Erik hit Mahal with an elbow to the face and knocked Veer out of the ring. Erik launched Mahal to the outside and tagged in Ivar. Ivar hit a Cannonball off the apron onto Shanky and Veer. Back in the ring, Mahal went for a Clothesline but Ivar ducked. Erik tagged in and Viking Raiders planted Mahal with the Viking Express for the pinfall victory.

Damian Priest Retained In A Great Match

Damian Priest defended the United States Championship against Sheamus & Drew McIntyre in a Triple Threat match. Priest and McIntyre beat the hell out of Sheamus to start off the action. The Celtic Warrior retreated out of the ring and Priest hit him with a Senton off the apron. Sheamus launched Priest into the barricade and started trading punching with McIntyre on the outside. McIntyre threw Sheamus towards Priest and Damian sent him over the barricade as RAW went to a commercial break with McIntyre daring Damian to get in the ring.

When RAW returned, Priest and Sheamus were battling in the ring. Sheamus connected with a Backbreaker and flexed. Priest tried to rip off Sheamus’ face mask but Sheamus sent the US Champion to the corner. Sheamus went for the 10 Beats but Priest blocked it with an elbow to the face. Sheamus bashed Priest again and then hit him with the 10 Beats of the Bodhran. Drew McIntyre got in the ring and connected with a Neckbreaker on Sheamus.

Drew went for the Future Shock DDT but Sheamus countered into a cradle for a near fall. Sheamus knocked McIntyre out of the ring and turned around into a punch to the face from Damian. Priest connected with a kick to Sheamus’ face and then delivered a Splash to McIntyre. Damian connected with a Clothesline on Sheamus and unloaded some more kicks to McIntyre’s ribs. McIntyre launched Damian out of the ring and flipped onto them to a big pop from the crowd.

Back in the ring, McIntyre hit a Michinoku Driver and went for the cover but Damian was able to kick out at two. Sheamus tied up McIntyre in the Tree of Woe and set up for a Superplex. Sheamus connected but got hit with a German Suplex at the same time from McIntyre that sent all three superstars to the canvas as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Sheamus and McIntyre were trading punches in the middle of the ring. Sheamus hit an Alabama Slam and went for the cover but Drew kicked out at two. Sheamus locked in the Cloverleaf submission but Priest broke it up with a boot to the side of the head. Priest connected with a Chokeslam and went for the cover but McIntyre broke it up this time.

The United States Champion traded punches and chops with McIntyre in the middle of the ring. Priest was about to hit the Reckoning but Sheamus leveled him with a Brogue Kick. Damian fell to the outside and McIntyre hit Sheamus with the Future Shock DDT. Drew set up for the Claymore but Sheamus countered with the Brogue Kick for a near fall.

Sheamus brought McIntyre up to the middle turnbuckle and planted Drew with White Noise for another near fall. Damian Priest got back into the ring and hit Sheamus with some strikes. McIntyre hit Sheamus with the Claymore and delivered the Glasgow kiss to Priest. Damian battled back and hit the Reckoning for the pinfall victory. Damian Priest is still the United States Champion. After the match, Drew McIntyre and Damian Priest shook hands as the crowd applauded.

Doudrop vs. Eva Marie

Doudrop faced Eva Marie on this week’s episode of WWE RAW. Doudrop slapped Eva in the face and then hit a Senton. Doudrop followed it up with a Crossbody and went for the pin but the match had not started. Mike Rome announced that Eva Marie is unable to compete as the crowd booed. Dourdrop grabbed the mic and announced herself as the winner and celebrated.

Karrion Kross Tapped Out Humberto Carrillo

Karrion Kross faced Humberto Carrillo tonight. The crowd was painfully silent as Kross came to the ring with the same mask he had last week and his ring attire still included suspenders. Carrillo connected with a Crossbody early but Kross shrugged it off and sent Humberto to the corner. Kross stomped on him and then hit an elbow to the face for a two count. Carrillo battled back with a Dropkick but Karrion locked in the Kross Jacket shortly after the submission victory.

Nia Jax Pinned The RAW Women’s Champion

Nia Jax faced RAW Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair in a non-title match. Flair went for a Suplex but Jax easily blocked it and dropped Flair with a headbutt. Nia went for a Samoan Drop but Flair escaped. Charlotte bounced off the ropes but Nia met her there with a shoulder tackle.

Charlotte battled back and stomped on Nia in the corner of the ring. Flair applied a Headlock but Jax eventually broke free and hit another shoulder tackle. Charlotte went for a Headlock again but Nia slammed her to the mat. Charlotte kicked out of a cover and rolled out of the ring to regroup. Jax followed her out there and Charlotte connected with a Crossbody as RAW went to a break.

When RAW returned, Charlotte made her way to the top rope and went for the Moonsault but Jax got her knees up. Jax hit a slam and went for a Leg Drop but Flair got out of the way. Nia went for a Samoan Drop but Flair blocked it. Charlotte hit a Russian Leg Sweep and went for the cover but Jax kicked out at two.

Charlotte hit Jax with a chop block and went to work on her leg. Flair set up for the Figure Four but Jax booted her into the turnbuckle. Nia Jax then connected with a Powerbomb for the pinfall victory.

Omos def. John Morrison

John Morrison faced Omos on this week’s show. AJ Styles was ringside for the match. Morrison spent the beginning of the match avoiding Omos and catching him with kicks here and there. Omos eventually caught Morrison and sent him out of the ring. Morrison tried to leap off the steel steps but it got botched as Omos was nowhere near the steps. Morrison landed, stumbled around, and Omos awkwardly hit a Clothesline and then brought him back into the ring. Omos connected with a Chokeslam for the pinfall victory.

AJ Styles Tapped Out Xavier Woods

AJ Styles faced Xavier Woods tonight on RAW. Omos was ringside for the match. Styles backed Woods to the corner but Xavier responded with some chops to the chest. Woods bounced AJ’s face off the top turnbuckle but Styles responded with a chop of his own. Xavier planted Styles with a Russian Leg Sweep and went for a Dropkick but AJ got out of the way. Styles leaped onto Woods outside the ring but he caught him and slammed him off the barricade.

Back in the ring, Woods connected with a Senton and went for the cover but AJ kicked out at two. Styles set up for the Phenomenal Forearm but Woods rolled out of the ring. Styles caught him with a Dropkick through the ropes and the action returned to the ring. AJ went for a cover but Woods was able to kick out at two.

AJ focused his attack on Woods’ knee and stomped on it several times. Styles locked in a Heel Hook in the middle of the ring but Woods escaped by bashing AJ in the face until he broke the hold. Woods hit an Arm Drag and then a kick to the midsection. Xavier followed it up with a forearm to the face and an Exploder Suplex for a two count.

Xavier went for a Suplex but AJ blocked it and hit the Pele Kick. AJ set up for the Styles Clash but Woods escaped. Xavier got Styles in the Tree of Woe and delivered a Dropkick to the face for a near fall. AJ hit Woods with a kick to the injured knee and applied the Calf Crusher in the middle of the ring for the submission victory.

RK-Bro Retained

RK-Bro defended the RAW Tag Team Championships against WWE Champion Bobby Lashley and MVP in the main event. AJ Styles joined commentary and Omos stood behind him. Riddle and Lashley started the match off. Riddle got in some kicks on the WWE Champion but Lashley responded with a big Clothesline. Lashley showed off his strength and held up Riddle for a bit before planting him with a Vertical Suplex for a two count.

MVP tagged in and Riddle drove him to the corner. Orton tagged in and beat MVP down. Randy stomped on MVP’s hand and took a gander at Lashley before stomping on the hand again. Riddle hit a Floating Bro but couldn’t go for the cover because MVP rolled out of the ring. Lashley checked on MVP and Riddle flipped onto them as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Orton connected with a Clothesline on MVP in the corner. Orton fired up the crowd and unloaded some punches to MVP’s face. Orton connected with a Powerslam and set up for the RKO. Lashley tried to get in the ring but Orton saw it coming and hit the Draping DDT. Orton was about to hit Lashley with the RKO but MVP broke it up with a kick to the face. MVP sent Orton into the ring post and tagged in the WWE Champion.

Lashley beat Orton down in the corner with some powerful strikes before driving his shoulder into Randy’s ribs a few times. Lashley hit a Neckbreaker and set up for the Hurt Lock. Orton went for the RKO but Lashley blocked it. Riddle tagged in and booted Lashley in the face. Riddle went for an Exploder Suplex but Lashley blocked it. Riddle connected with a knee to the face and followed it up with the Floating Bro off the top rope. Riddle went for the cover but MVP broke it up at two. MVP sent Orton out of the ring and tagged in. Riddle booted MVP in the face and both superstars fell to the floor as Orton shoved Lashley into the ring post outside the ring.

Omos then grabbed Orton but Riddle broke it up with a Dropkick through the ropes. Riddle then hit MVP with the Floating Bro for the pinfall victory. Riddle and Orton are still the RAW Tag Team Champions. After the match, Lashley absolutely leveled Riddle with a Spear but turned around into an RKO out of nowhere from Orton. Randy then shouted for the titles and posed with Riddle on the entrance ramp to close the show.

NJPW Strong Moving To Saturday Nights Starting Sept. 18

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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0

NJPW Strong will have a new air date and time.

Strong has been airing on Friday nights at 10 p.m. ET. With AEW Rampage being introduced at that night and time slot, it appears NJPW has wasted little time making a move.

The company has announced that starting on Sept. 18, NJPW Strong will now be airing on Saturday nights at 8 p.m. ET.

“September 18 will see a brand new era for NJPW STRONG. After growing consistently on Friday nights at 10/9c, September will see weekends get even STRONGer, with a new timeslot on NJPW World and FITE of Saturdays at 8PM eastern, and 5PM Pacific. With a new day, a new time, and new crowds, we can’t wait to have you join us for a new STRONG starting on September 18!”

NJPW Strong has served as New Japan Pro Wrestling’s push for the United States market. The promotion got a good taste of success in America when Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, Cody Rhodes, and Hangman Page were under the NJPW banner. NJPW also had a successful event with Ring of Honor at Madison Square Garden in New York City back in April 2019.

NJPW has been making an effort to stay relevant in the U.S. The promotion planned to go solo with an MSG event in NYC in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic derailed that plan. Former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay will be a regular on Strong as his storyline friction with NJPW management over being stripped of the world title continues.

Tajiri To Debut at MLW Fightland On October 2nd From Philadelphia

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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0

MLW has made a big reveal for its upcoming Fightland event.

Fightland is scheduled to take place inside the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA on Oct. 2. The event was announced back in June.

MLW took to its Twitter account to reveal that Tajiri will be making his way to Fightland.

https://twitter.com/mlw/status/1432506647486861312?s=21

MLW Fightland

Here’s what is planned for the event according to the listing on the official 2300 Arena website.

  • Scheduled to appear:
  • World Heavyweight Champion Jacob Fatu
  • National Openweight Champion Alex Hammerstone
  • The Von Erichs
  • King Muertes
  • Azteca Underground
  • Alicia Atout
  • Mads Krügger
  • “Filthy” Tom Lawlor
  • Davey Richards
  • Richard Holliday
  • World Middleweight Champion Myron Reed
  • EJ Nduka
  • Calvin Tankman
  • Gino Medina
  • Ikuro Kwon
  • Jordan Oliver
  • And MORE!

Of course, you can now add Tajiri to that list.

Tajiri left WWE back in 2017. He returned to Japan to compete for All Japan Pro Wrestling. During his time with AJPW, Tajiri captured the Gaora TV Championship. He also won the AJPW TV Six-Man Tag Team Championship with Yusuke Kodama and Hokuto Omori. Tajiri is also a former two-time World Junior Heavyweight Championship in AJPW.

Stick with SEScoops.com for more information on the Oct. 2 MLW Fightland card as more details become available.

Original WWE Raw Plans Scrapped

Andrew Ravens
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Monday’s WWE Raw TV event was described as a “crazy” day backstage that saw some changes made to the original plans of the show. 

WWE had been advertising Bobby Lashley vs. Sheamus in a non-title match, but Vince McMahon scrapped plans for that match and instead, booked RKO Bro defending the Raw Tag Team Championships against Lashley and MVP.

Also, Damian Priest was scheduled to defend the United States Championship against Drew McIntyre in the first match on Raw after issuing an open challenge. However, that was changed to Priest defending in a Triple Threat Match against Sheamus and McIntyre.

All of these changes were made official during the opening segment of the show on the USA Network from Oklahoma City, OK at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. 

Pwinsider.com reported that a lot of things were switched around including where certain segments aired. Plans changing in WWE isn’t anything new, but it’s been quite some time since so many matches advertised in advance had been changed the day of the show.

As previously noted, the John Morrison vs. The Miz match that had also been advertised didn’t take place as scheduled and was pulled from the Raw preview article published on WWE’s website. 

WWE Adds New Wave Of PC Recruits Including Steveson & Joseph Fatu

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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WWE has announced a new wave of Performance Center recruits and there are a couple of key names.

United States Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson has been the talk of both the wrestling and MMA communities. Steveson appeared during the SummerSlam event. WWE honored him for winning gold for the U.S. in wrestling. Steveson has expressed his desire to step inside a WWE as a member of the roster.

Steveson is indeed a part of the new wave of PC recruits, but it isn’t Gable. Instead, it’s his brother, Bobby. Bobby Steveson has wrestled at the University of Minnesota. This is the same university that Brock Lesnar and Shelton Benjamin attended.

Another interesting name on the list is Joseph Fatu. Fatu is the younger brother of Jimmy and Jey Uso. Joseph stands at 6’2, 240 pounds, and has played football in college.

Ben Buchanan has also been recruited. He is the son of former WWE star Bull Buchanan. Bull Buchanan wrestled in WWE from 1997-2003, winning tag team gold along the way. Ben was a wrestling champion at an Alabama state high school.

Here’s a full list of the Performance Center recruits.

  • Bobby Steveson
  • Joseph Fatu
  • Ben Buchanan
  • Brady Booker
  • Jessica Woynilko
  • Joshua Dawkins

CM Punk: ‘Heels’ Character Is An Homage To Tracy Smothers

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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CM Punk says that his Ricky Rabies character on “Heels” is in honor of Tracy Smothers.

“Heels” airs on Starz. Its debut episode premiered on Aug. 15, just before Punk’s big AEW debut. The show stars Stephen Amell, who plays the role of heel Jack Spade. Alexander Ludwig plays the role of Spade’s brother, Ace.

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

Punk also plays a heel wrestler on the show, taking on the role of Ricky Rabies. During an interview with Sportskeeda, CM Punk revealed that Rabies is an homage to the late Tracy Smothers.

“Ricky Rabies is Tracy Smothers you know and we lost Tracy a couple of years ago and he was the first name I ever wrestled, maybe. I wrestled Tracy Smothers in a barn in Southern Indiana in 1999 or 2000, something like that. And he just walked up to me, he’s like, ‘hey man I seen you work, you’re good, listen, uh, I can’t remember sh*t you know, is it okay we just go out there and do it? I can’t memorize this and that, we can talk about it but I’ll just forget it.'”

Smothers passed away on Oct. 28, 2020. He was 58 years old. Smothers had been battling cancer and heart issues.

Damian Priest To Open Aug. 30 Episode Of Raw With Open Challenge

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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WWE United States Champion Damian Priest will open Monday Night Raw tonight (Aug. 30).

Tonight’s episode of Raw will take place inside the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Sheamus will be looking for revenge after WWE Champion Bobby Lashley left him high and dry during a tag team match last week.

After the tag match, Sheamus confronted Lashley face-to-face. The two had to be separated by MVP.

WWE has announced that Priest will be getting Monday Night Raw started. He’ll be putting his United States Championship on the line in an Open Challenge.

A matchup between The Miz and John Morrison had been set for tonight’s Raw, but that is no longer being advertised. The Miz recently turned his back on Morrison after the two had been hinting at a split.

Here’s a look at what’s been announced for tonight’s Raw thus far.

  • Eva Marie vs. Doudrop
  • WWE Champion Bobby Lashley vs. Sheamus in a non-title match
  • Damian Priest defends his WWE United States Title in an Open Challenge

Can’t catch the action live? Be sure to check out the homepage of SEScoops after tonight’s episode of Raw as we’ll be posting results, which will include video highlights.

Samoa Joe has huge praise for NXT cruiserweight

Jake Skudder
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WWE NXT Champion Samoa Joe recently spoke to Mediotiempo. The Samoan Submission Machine discussed several topics during the interview, including who he sees on the NXT roster as talents for the future.

“I open the doors to everyone, it’s time for them to stop looking and start acting” Samoa Joe responded when asked who should step up to him on the roster, including former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Santos Escobar.

“I didn’t see him show [what he has] when he should’ve done, but I always want to fight the best, regardless of whether they are Mexicans or of any nationality, [but only] if they worthy of challenging me for the championship. Of course I give the option to Santos, and all those who want to put themselves to the test,” Joe continued.

Samoa Joe on Santos Escobar

“He is an exceptional talent, comes from a family fighting legacy and knows perfectly well about this business” Joe added. “He is athletic, agile, he knows how to fly, but he has also understood what we are looking for in WWE, he shows personality and charisma, he is definitely one of the best in NXT. Not for nothing, but he has already held a championship.”

It remains to be seen if Santos Escobar will be used in a main event capacity on NXT going forward.

It will also be interesting to see how long Joe remains NXT Champion, as the company is reportedly looking to move away from ‘indie’ talents and develop more homegrown athletes to rise the ranks to the main roster.

Update On When Sasha Banks Could Return

Chris Stephens
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Sasha Banks hasn’t wrestled since an August 7th WWE house show in Fort Myers, Florida. Both Banks and Bianca Belair were pulled from house shows two weeks ago, and Banks did not perform on SummerSlam either. Belair lost in just 25 seconds to Lynch at SummerSlam.

Banks is not expected back for Friday’s Smackdown or this weekend’s house shows. According to PWInsider, WWE is hopeful she will be medically cleared to return in time for the Madison Square Garden Super Show on September 10th.

“The hope, should all go well, is that Banks will return to the road for the company the weekend of 9/10,” wrote Mike Johnson. It should be noted, this is not a definitive return date, but that is when the company expects her to be back.

Sasha Banks Hiatus

It is not clear what has led to Banks’ recent absence from WWE programming or Belair missing house shows earlier this month.

Following WrestleMania in April, Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks have wrestled four times on WWE house shows. Belair has won 3 of those matches and they once went to a double count-out. Belair is the only person to defeat Banks in a singles match so far in 2021.

Roman Reigns Completes A Year As Universal Champion

Rayan Sayyed
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Roman Reigns has hit a milestone in his career today. He officially completed one year as WWE Universal Champion after he won it from Bray Wyatt in a No Holds Barred Triple Threat match, in which he pinned the other participant, Braun Strowman. This match took place at Payback on August 30, 2020, marking 365 days officially since Reigns became champion.

This is Reigns’ second run with the Universal Championship, with a total of 429+ combined days as champion. It is also the second longest reign, ranking after Brock Lesnar’s combined reigns of 680+ days with a total number of 3 reigns.

Roman Reigns took to Twitter this morning to celebrate his career milestone. He asked fans to celebrate him as their Universal Heavyweight Champion. “365 days as Your Universal Heavyweight Champion… #CelebrateMe,” he posted.

Reigns recently was confronted by John Cena who made his return to the WWE at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view event on July 18 where Reigns had just gotten done successfully defending his title against Edge. Cena challenged Reigns for a title match at Summerslam, but Reigns initially rejected it. It was later made official and the two squared off in the ring again, and Reigns was able to defeat Cena to retain the title. However, Brock Lesnar’s entrance music played and he came out in a mohawk ponytail getup. He confronted him as the two stared down each other and traded some words. The special counsel for Reigns, Paul Heyman, also took to Twitter to mark one year of their partnership. Heyman said that he’s been “rescued” by Reigns. “EXACTLY 1 YEAR AGO, I was rescued by Roman Reigns. In the 52 weeks that have transpired since then, the #TribalChief has redefined the medium, disrupted the status quo and titled the axis of what it means to be THEE top superstar in WWE … and we’ve only just begun!”

Ric Flair Films Promotional Material For Tony Khan’s Jacksonville Jaguars

Chris Stephens
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Ric Flair wants to help Jacksonville Jaguar fans support their home team this year. Flair recently posted a video to his official YouTube page featuring backstage footage of him recording the “Wooooo Cam” to be played at Jags home games. In the video, Flair asks fans to give “2 claps and a Ric Flair” to support the team.

The Jaguars are owned by Shahid Khan, father of AEW President Tony Khan. While Flair’s involvement with the Jags could lead to speculation he’s on his way to AEW, it appears Flair is hoping to film “Wooooo Cams” for a variety of different sports teams.

“Look For The WOOOOOCam To Hit All Sporting Teams In 2022!” a description of Flair’s video reads.

Ric Flair & The Jacksonville Jaguars

This is not the first time the 16x World Champion has supported the team. Before the 2017 NFL season, Flair sent motivation t-shirts to the Jaguars as well.

Flair also helped the Jacksonville Jaguars welcome #1 Draft Pick Trevor Lawrence to the franchise this spring. He spoke to the media about Lawrence’s potential in Jacksonville.

“I don’t know Trevor Lawrence,” Flair said to Outkick. “But if he lives up to only half the hype, it’s going to be great. It gives that organization some notoriety.”

Ric Flair To AEW?

While his filming of the Wooooo Cam for the Jags might be unrelated to his future wrestling contracts, recent reports have stated that Flair is expected to sign with AEW. His free agency was addressed recently in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

“While nothing has been announced, the word going around is that it seems to be a lock Ric Flair will be headed here when he is legally able,” wrote Dave Meltzer. 

Ric Flair Expected To Sign With AEW

Charlotte Flair Not Interested In WWE Queen of the Ring Tournament

Michael Reichlin
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Charlotte Flair is the most decorated women’s champion in WWE history. She’s an 12-time Women’s Champion, a 2-time NXT Women’s Champion, she won the 2020 Women’s Royal Rumble and has achieved countless other accolades.

This fall, WWE will present the first-ever Queen of the Ring tournament. The finals are rumored to take place in October at WWE’s next live event from Saudi Arabia.

During a recent media call with Inside the Ropes, Charlotte said it’s great that WWE is holding a women’s tournament because it will bring opportunities for the participants.

Charlotte Flair “Motivated & Inspired” By Andrade’s WWE Departure

Charlotte Not Interested In QOTR

Charlotte says WWE should use the Queen of the Ring to elevate some NXT talent, in addition to women on the main roster. She also implies that she’s too big a star to be involved.

“Being that I’m already The Queen, if it was to happen, I believe whoever wins it has to face me, since I am The Queen of Queens, right?” asked Charlotte. “Like I don’t think I have to be in it. I already have the title. I think they should have the opportunity to face me if they win.”

The interviewer said that match could be billed as, Queen vs. Queen. However, Charlotte set the record straight and said she’s the only queen in WWE, no matter what they call this tournament.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” said Charlotte. “It won’t be Queen vs. Queen. It will be Queen vs. the Woman Who Won the Tournament. OK? Let’s get something right.”

Charlotte Flair Showered With “DMD” Chants During Live Interview

Shingo Takagi Cleared To Return At NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam

Chris Stephens
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IWGP World Champion Shingo Takagi and Los InGobernables member BUSHI have been cleared to return. Both wrestlers had tested positive for COVID-19 2 weeks ago and were removed from the recent NJPW tour.

On August 15th, both Takagi and BUSHI were found to have elevated temperatures and were given PCR tests. On August 18th, NJPW announced that they had both tested positive for COVID-19.

Both wrestlers will return at the Wrestle Grand Slam events scheduled for September 4th and 5th in Tokorozawa’s MetLife Dome.

NJPW has also released the lineups for those two shows.

Wrestle Grand Slam – MetLife Dome – Night 1 – September 4th, 2021

  • IWGP United States Championship
    Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Kota Ibushi
  • Kazuchika Okada vs. Jeff Cobb
  • Provisional KOPW 2021
    No DQ, I Quit Match
    Chase Owens (c) vs. Toru Yano
  • SHO vs. YOH
  • Robbie Eagles & Tiger Mask vs. Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI
  • STARDOM exhibition match (Pre-Show)

Wrestle Grand Slam – MetLife Dome – Night 2 – September 5th, 2021

  • IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
    Shingo Takagi (c) vs. EVIL
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
    Robbie Eagles (c) vs. Hiromu Takahashi
  • IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
    Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Tetsuya Naito & SANADA
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
    Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo (c) vs. El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii vs. Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan
  • STARDOM exhibition match (Pre-Show)

NWA 73: New Tag Champs Crowned

Rayan Sayyed
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At NWA’s 73rd Anniversary Show last night, new tag champs were crowned. La Rebelión, the team of Bestia 666 and Mecha Wolf 450, defeated the defending champions Aron Stevens and Kratos to successfully capture the NWA World Tag Team Championships.

La Rebelión ended Aron Stevens and JR Kratos’ ten-month reign when Bestia 666 got Kratos out of the way with a moonsault from the top rope, following which Bestia and Mecha Wolf hit Stevens with Mark of the Beast and won by pinfall. La Rebelión have become the first wrestlers born in Mexico and Puerto Rico to hold the NWA tag titles.

Konnan, who was at their corner, took the mic after their victory and said that he’s proud of the winners who became the new NWA World Tag Team Champions as well as the fact that they’re the first champs who are born in Mexico and Puerto Rico. He also gave a shout-out to the women wrestlers from the night prior at NWA EmPowerrr. Allysin Kay and Marti Belle (aka The Hex) became NWA’s first Women’s Tag Team Champions by defeating KiLynn King and Red Velvet in the finals of the tag title tournament.

This is not the first time that La Rebelión has captured tag title gold. In 2019, they won The Crash Tag Team Championships from AEW’s The Lucha Brothers. They would hold on to the titles until dropping it in February 2020 to the freelance tag team Los Traumas.

In the main event of the show, Trevor Murdoch defeated Nick Aldis to capture the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship for himself. The important week for NWA has ended with two back-to-back pay-per-view events, starting with the first-ever all-female event NWA Empowerr and then the 73rd Anniversary Show. Ric Flair also made an appearance on the anniversary show where he thanked many in the wrestling industry including WWE and Vince McMahon.

Kevin Owens Looks Back On His WWE Universal Championship Run

Rayan Sayyed
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Kevin Owens won the WWE Universal Championship on the August 29, 2016 edition of Raw, marking five years since his run as champion. The title was introduced in July of that year with Finn Balor becoming the inaugural champion. He had to relinquish the title the next night after becoming the champion though.

A fatal four-way elimination match was set involving Kevin Owens, Big Cass, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins with Owens winning the title when Triple H interrupted the match and turned on Rollins. Owens would go on to keep the title on his waist for 6 months until he would lose to Goldberg at Fastlane 2017.

Kevin Owens Remembers His Universal Title Win

To mark the fifth anniversary of his Universal title reign, Owens posted a video on Twitter this Sunday where he talked about this career milestone and also thanked his fans.

“Hey guys, my wife reminded me today that five years ago something really cool happened. I saw on Twitter that a lot of people were also reminding me what happened. Man, the last five years have been a roller coaster… Lots of highs, lots of lows. The highs are great, but the lows, sometimes, they’re really hard to take for somebody who cares a lot, and who is very passionate about this, like I am.”

“But I’ve been so lucky because I’ve had a really great career. I’ve had my wife, my kids, and my parents who are all fantastic at helping me navigate through this. It’s not just them, I have really great friends, really great colleagues to go on this ride with. And I have everybody watching this right now,” Owens stated.

“I’ve been lucky to have a loyal following along me for that ride. And that’s you guys, today, reminding me of what happened five years ago when I won the Universal Title. So I figured this was a good time to say thank you to all of you. For being there for the highs, for being there for the lows, just for being there for the whole ride.”

https://twitter.com/FightOwensFight/status/1432010423218343949

Kevin Owens has been in involved in title match programs as recently as early this year, however, he hasn’t been successful in capturing any championship. It would be interesting to when Owens will be able to break this dry spell and capture gold once again.

Related: Kevin Owens: WWE Crew Helped Me During ThunderDome Era

Billy Corgan Considers Ric Flair Biggest Legend In Wrestling

Rayan Sayyed
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Ric Flair made his appearance at the NWA’s 73rd Anniversary Show where he heaped praise for a bunch of wrestling personalities with Billy Corgan included. The Nature Boy thanked Billy Corgan for inviting him to the event and for contributing to the industry.

Billy Corgan is excited to work with Ric Flair and called him the biggest legend in wrestling. “Ric Flair, I don’t know if there’s a bigger legend in wrestling, right? You could say Vince McMahon but Vince McMahon, although he has wrestled, he’s an owner and a personality first and a professional wrestler second, and I think he would agree with that,” Corgan told Metro.

“Ric is the most decorated story and probably most mainstream thing, to this date, in professional wrestling which is pretty incredible considering how long he’s been in the business.”

Corgan said that Flair did a lot to promote the show, even beyond his contractual obligations. He also noted that Flair has a lot of opportunities now and he should explore all of them. Corgan added that he would love to have Flair on board to work with him.

“He has so many opportunities and I think he should explore all these opportunities. I’m glad to be in business with him on this, of course I would love to have him back.”

Corgan also told a story from his childhood when he would watch wrestling and wonder why Ric Flair’s on-screen persona made him care feel anger. “I remember watching RIc Flair on television and thinking, “Who is this guy?” Ten years old, you’re watching going, “Who is this guy? What’s he talking about, and why does he make me angry when he talks? Why do I care that he’s riding around in a jet?”

Corgan said that these attributes of Flair have stuck with him ever since he was a child, and he sees the same qualities in Trevor Murdoch, who just became the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion.

Ric Flair Thanks Vince McMahon & Triple H At NWA 73

Rayan Sayyed
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0

Ric Flair appeared on National Wrestling Alliance’s 73rd Anniversary Show on Sunday night where he cut an emotional promo and thanked Triple H, Vince McMahon, among others on the show. The 10-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion also thanked his wife, NWA president Billy Corgan, AEW president Tony Khan on the show among other WWE stars like Randy Orton, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho.

Ric Flair first thanked his wife Wendy and said that whenever he fell down, she was there to pick him up. Just like Triple H, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, Steve Austin, and everybody else were there to pick him up.

The Nature Boy thanked Vince McMahon by stating that he loves him, and McMahon is the reason why he’s here. Flair also added that McMahon is not going to watch this but he’s going to hear about it. Flair added that Vince would say, “Ric Flair’s back where he belongs, with anybody he wants to be with on a given night.”

https://twitter.com/SkullsMedia/status/1432154196711673861

Flair also thanked Billy Corgan for inviting him to the event and then also mentioned Tony Khan for changing the wrestling scene.

Flair continued, by thanking Hunter for reminding him every time that he’s Ric Flair and for not giving up on him. He also thanked Shawn Michaels for carrying him to a great retirement match at WrestleMania XXIV. The NWA Hall of Famer also added that he wanted Randy Orton to break hi record of capturing the World Title 16 times, though he thinks Charlotte Flair would be able to catch up eventually soon. He mentioned names like Hulk Hogan and Stone Cold who grew up on the NWA.

https://twitter.com/SkullsMedia/status/1432155662088167425

Related: Trevor Murdoch is the New NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion

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