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NXT On SyFy Draws Lowest Viewership Since TV Premiere

Anutosh Bajpai
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While AEW’s audience is on a steady increase since the end of Wednesday night wars, NXT doesn’t seem to be attracting a lot of new viewers. This week’s episode of it has recorded the lowest audience since the show’s premiere.

This Tuesday’s edition of the Black and Yellow brand on SyFy drew a total of 520,000 viewers according to Nielsen which is the lowest TV viewership in the show’s history.

Last week’s episode of NXT drew 709,000 viewers. The numbers this week saw a big 20.5% decline compared to last week’s average audience.

The episode drew a 0.12 rating in the much talked 18-49 demographic which is a 40% decline from last week’s 0.20 ratings in the same demo.

USA Network was airing the Olympics this week due to which NXT was moved to SyFy. This change and the competition from the Olympics seem to have been important factors in the big rating drop.

The show will air on SyFy next week as well so the ratings aren’t expected to improve much. NXT will return to USA Network for the August 10 episode and we will have to see how the viewership rebounds for that episode.

AEW Dynamite Fight For The Fallen Results: Jericho vs. Nick Gage, The Elite vs. Dark Order

Robert Lentini
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AEW Dynamite Fight for the Fallen aired live from the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte. The Elite faced Dark Order in a 10-man Elimination match. Hiroshi Tanahashi appeared during tonight’s show and said he wants to face the winner of tonight’s IWGP US Title match in NJPW.

Fight For The Fallen Results

  1. The Elite def. Hangman Page & Dark Order
  2. FTR def. Santana & Ortiz
  3. Lance Archer def. HIKULEO to retain the IWGP US Title
  4. Jurassic Express & Christian Cage def. Private Party & Angelico
  5. Thunder Rosa def. Julia Hart
  6. Chris Jericho def. Nick Gage

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

The Elite def. Hangman Page & Dark Order

Dark Order & Hangman Page faced The Elite in a 10-man Elimination match. If Dark Order & Hangman Page won the match, Page would get a shot at the AEW Championship and Dark Order would get a AEW Tag Title match.

Hangman planted Anderson with a Fallaway Slam to start off the action. Dark Order battled back and knocked The Elite out of the ring. Alex Reynolds hit a Superplex onto everyone outside the ring. Dark Order hit Gallows with a bunch of Clotheslines in the corner. Reynolds planted Anderson with a German Suplex and went for the cover but Gallows broke it up. Anderson rolled up Reynolds and grabbed his trunks for leverage to eliminate him.

Karl Anderson quickly got eliminated and Matt Jackson got into the ring. John Silver made his return to the ring and launched Matt to the corner. Brandon Cutler sprayed Matt down but the Young Buck got launched across the ring again as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, the action spilled into the crowd as the crowd chanted “this is awesome!”. Grayson flipped onto everyone and landed hard outside the ring. Kenny Omega and Evil Uno battled in the ring. Uno hit a slam and went for the cover but Omega kicked out at two. Omega battled back and hit the One Winged Angel to eliminate Evil Uno.

It was down to Omega and the Young Bucks against John Silver and Hangman Page. John Silver took control and planted Matt Jackson with an Airplane Spin for a two count. The Young Bucks hit Hangman Page with a Powerbomb on the ring apron during the commercial break.

Young Bucks botched an Indie Taker dunk spot and the crowd mocked Nick Jackson for missing. Young Bucks eliminated John Silver and it was now 3 vs. 1. Young Bucks leveled Hangman with a few super kicks and Omega went for the cover but Hangman kicked out. Hangman went for the Buckshot Lariat but Matt blocked it.

Page booted Nick in the face and then delivered a double Buckshot Lariat on the Young Bucks to eliminate Matt & Nick. Omega grabbed the AEW Championship but the referee ripped it away. Kenny tried to hit him with another title but Page blocked it. Page got hit with a cheap shot with a title and Omega planted Hangman with the One Winged Angel for the pinfall victory. Hangman and Dark Order lost their title shots.

Ricky Starks Celebrated Winning The FTW Title

FTW Champion Ricky Starks said he is the glue that holds Team Taz together and it was time to get rid of Brian Cage. Ricky Starks complained that Brian Cage didn’t check up on him when he broke his neck. Starks joked that Brian Cage has no charisma and finally Cage interrupted. Cage rushed the ring and beat down the band that was playing as Ricky retreated.

FTR def. Santana & Ortiz

FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) faced Santana & Ortiz. Tully Blanchard and Konnan were ringside for the match. Santana and Dax traded punches to start off the action. The two began to trade chops as the crowd chanted “woo!”.

When Dynamite returned from a break, Dax connected with a Dropkick. Ortiz battled back and tagged in Santana. Santana slammed Harwood into the ring post and followed it up with a Suicide Dive to Wheeler outside the ring.

Back in. the ring, Ortiz tagged in and hit wheeler with a Splash of his own. Ortiz Powerbombed Harwood and tagged in Santana. Santana hit a Frog Splash off the top rope and went for the cover but Dax kicked out at two.

Harwood and Santana then traded Clotheslines in the middle of the ring. Santana hit a German Suplex and followed it up with a Powerbomb for a near fall. Dax hit a Superplex and went for the cover but Ortiz kicked out at two. Harwood hit a Brainbuster on Santana for the pinfall victory. Wheeler apparently injured his arm or cut his arm on the post during the match and spent most of the end of it outside the ring.

Rampage Will Be At The United Center, Darby Allin Dropped A CM Punk Tease

Tony Schiavone announced that 2nd episode of Rampage will be live from the United Center. The crowd broke out in a CM Punk chant as the camera cut to Darby Allin and Sting backstage. Darby Allin said he will be in Chicago and ready to fight. Allin added that AEW is the place to prove you are great, even if you think you are the “Best in the World”.

Lance Archer Retained

Lance Archer defended the IWGP Championship against Hikuleo tonight on Dynamite. Haku accompanied Hikuleo to the ring. Hikuleo controlled the match early as Dynamite went to a break. When Dynamite returned, Archer battled back and hit Hikuleo with a Splash.

Archer perched Hikuleo up on the top turnbuckle and went for the Blackout but Hikuleo blocked it. Lance then connected with a massive Superplex for a two count. Archer followed it up with the Blackout for the pinfall victory. Archer will travel to NJPW to face Tanashi.

Malakai Black Attacked Cody

Cody Rhodes was interviewed backstage but was immediately attacked by Malakai Black. Malakai and Cody battled to the entrance ramp as the crowd went nuts. Malakai caught Cody with a knee to the face and knocked him to the floor. Malakai kneeled over Cody and said “welcome to the House of Black” to end the segment. Malakai Black will face Cody next week at Dynamite Homecoming at Daily’s Place. Malakai leveled Fuego del Sol with the Black Mass as well.

Christian Cage & Jurassic Express Picked Up A Win

Private Party and Angelico faced Christian Cage, Luchasaurus, and Jungle Boy tonight. Marko Stunt and Matt Hardy were ringside for the match. Angelico and Christian started off the action. Angelico hit an Arm Drag and Jungle Boy tagged in. Jungle Boy connected with a Dropkick and then sent Kassidy into the barricade outside the ring.

Matt Hardy hit Jungle Boy with a cheap shot and got chased backstage by Christian and Marko Stunt. Kassidy tagged in and started choking Jungle Boy. Luchasaurus tagged in and slammed Kassidy to the mat. Luchasaurus leveled Marq Quen with a Clothesline and beat Angelico down in the corner of the ring.

Lucharsaurus planted Private Party and Angelico with a triple German Suplex as Christian Cage returned to the ring apron. Private Party hit Luchasaurus with a couple Superkicks and then knocked Cage off the apron. Jungle Boy hit Kassidy with a Clothesline and then flipped onto Angelico. Christian tagged in and hit Quen with a Frog Splash for the pinfall victory. After the match, The Blade hit Christian Cage with brass knuckles and celebrated with Matt Hardy on the entrance ramp. It was later announced that Christian will face The Blade next week on Dynamite Homecoming.

Thunder Rosa def. Julia Hart

Thunder Rosa faced Julia Hart tonight on Dynamite. Thunder Rosa sent Julia to the corner of the ring and hit her some with chops. Rosa connected with a Clothesline and followed it up with Double Knees to the midsection. Thunder Rosa applied a Knee Bar but Julia was able to get to the bottom rope to break the hold.

Hart hit an elbow to the face but Thunder Rosa shrugged it off. Thunder Rosa hit a big Dropkick in the corner of the ring and followed it up with the Thunder Driver for the pinfall victory.

Jericho def. Nick Gage

Chris Jericho battled Nick Gage in a No Rules match. It was the 2nd of the five Labours of Jericho. Jericho will earn another match against MJF is he completes the five Labours. MJF joined commentary for the match. Before the match, Jon Moxley cut a backstage promo. Moxley was holding a flask and was pissed that he couldn’t get into Japan as he was watching the Olympics. Jon claimed that Tanahashi was dodging him for months and that he is dead to him now. Moxley added that the Forbidden Door might be open but there is nothing good waiting for them on the other side.

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Gage came to the ring with a pizza cutter and slashed Jericho’s arm. The action spilled out of the ring and Jericho sent Gage into the barricade. Back in the ring, Jericho made his way to the top rope but Nick tripped him up. Gage bounced Jericho’s face off the ring post and grabbed some light tubes form under the ring.

Jericho grabbed a baseball bat and brought it into the ring. Gage busted Jericho open and brought out the pizza cutter again. When Dynamite returned, Gage brought glass into the ring and set it up in between two chairs. Gage climbed to the top rope but Jericho hit him with a jab.

Jericho unloaded several punches to Gage’s face and then slammed him through the glass for a near fall. Chris went for the Codebreaker but Gage caught him and slammed Jericho onto the glass. Nick then broke a light tube over Jericho’s back and Chris screamed in pain as MJF celebrated. Gage then broke one over Jericho’s face and followed it up with a Pilediver on the glass.

Gage went for the cover but Jericho kicked out at two. Gage broke off a piece of the tube and started scraping Jericho in the eye. Jericho sprayed myst into Gage’s eyes and broke a light tube over his head. Jericho followed it up with the Judas Effect for the pinfall victory.

After the match, MJF demanded the music be cut and told the crowd to shut up. MJF announced that Jericho has to move off the top rope to win. MJF announced that Jericho will face Juventud Guerrera next week.

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Eric Bischoff Believes That Nick Gage’s Wrestling Style is “Bad for The Business”

Jake Skudder
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Former WCW President and co-host of the 83 Weeks Podcast Eric Bischoff recently discussed the deathmatch style of wrestling on the show.

Specifically, Bischoff would bring up Nick Gage and his style, referencing the recently Dark Side of The Ring episode focusing on the Deathmatch King.

“I just don’t think that kind of thing [works],” Bischoff began. “Number one, it doesn’t interest me, that style of wrestling. I think it’s bad for the industry in general, I think it appeals to such a small portion of the audience that a larger portion of the audience is turned off by it.”

“Those guys that love that, we saw it the other night with [Jon] Moxley and whatever his name was [Lance Archer]” Bischoff added. “They were digging at each other with a fork. Alright, cool, whatever. For me, I won’t watch that kind of stuff. Number one it’s not entertaining, there’s nothing magic about it.”

Eric Bischoff on Deathmatches

“When Dark Side of the Ring focuses too much on that story, I think it gives the entire industry a bad name,” Bischoff continued, discussing Nick Gage and his deathmatch style. “Passive wrestling audience, the advertising community, the television network executive community, when people see that kind of thing they walk away with a perception of what wrestling is. That perception becomes harmful in the long run.”

“I get it, I love the storytelling I see out of the Dark Side for the most part, but when you get too dark like that, I just think it’s not good for the business long term overall” Eric Bischoffc concluded. “The Jake Roberts story for example was dark, that was hard to watch but I don’t think it hurt the business.”

AEW Stars Contacting Journalists About CM Punk and Bryan Danielson

Jake Skudder
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The rumors surrounding CM Punk and Bryan Danielson have reached boiling point over the past few weeks.

Whilst the news of both Punk and Bryan negotiating with All Elite took fans by surprise, it also appears to have taken some of the wrestlers themselves have been contacting journalists to get more information on the situation.

Louis Dangoor of GiveMeSport and formerly WrestleTalk confirmed that he had been contacted by wrestlers at All Elite wondering what exactly is going on with Punk and Bryan.

AEW stars on CM Punk and Bryan

“Despite knowing nothing about this before Sean broke the news last week, I had more than one AEW wrestle reach out to me last week to ask about CM Punk and Daniel Bryan/Bryan Danielson coming in” Dangoor wrote on Twitter. “So it looks like it caught wrestlers by surprise too.”

https://twitter.com/TheLouisDangoor/status/1420465871437324289

Right now there is no official confirmation either way as to whether or not CM Punk and Daniel Bryan/Bryan Danielson will be heading to All Elite Wrestling. Tony Khan recently refused to comment on the situation, purely saying that the rumors are ‘exciting.’

Tony Khan Refutes Story About AEW EVPs Travelling To Chicago

Chris Stephens
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Recent reports suggested that AEW President Tony Khan and AEW’s EVPs recently traveled to Chicago. The report speculated that this could have something to do with AEW eyeing a bigger venue in the city. According to comments made by Tony Khan on Busted Open Radio, however, the report was “pure fiction.”

“There’s been a lot of false rumors out there, that’s the other thing, there are people chasing these things and trying to connect the dots,” Khan said on the show. “I know a lot of the stuff that has been reported in the last week has been totally false.”

“There’s this website BodySlam, for example, I saw them put a report out that myself and all the EVPs had traveled this past weekend and it was total BS. None of us were even in the same state,” Khan said.

Khan continued to say that he was in Florida for Paige VanZant’s bare-knuckled boxing fight when he saw the report. He continued to say that his family’s private jet had been tracked but it was his parents who were on it at the time.

“It was total fiction. They tracked my family’s plane, it was my parents on the plane! And then the guy claimed ‘oh, I know which tail number is yours and which one’s your parents,’ it was total fiction and this guy got totally bamboozled by a fake source and it was embarrassing and there’s been a lot of fake reporting like that the last couple of weeks,” Khan continued.

Khan’s comments were posted to Twitter below:

https://twitter.com/Machobeard4life/status/1420419551427276800

Queen of the Ring Finals Planned For Saudi Arabia Show (Report)

Chris Stephens
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Recent reports have suggested that WWE is planning a single-elimination Queen of the Ring tournament in October. According to a recent report from Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men podcast, the current plan is for the finals of the tournament to take place in Saudi Arabia.

“Hearing that the current plan is to hold the Queen of the Ring finals in Saudi Arabia in October,” Zarian Tweeted.

The tournament is scheduled to begin on the October 8th edition of Smackdown and the October 11th edition of RAW. The next Saudi Arabia show is planned for October 21st, although this has yet to be officially announced.

There have only ever been two women’s matches on WWE shows from Saudia Arabia. The first was at Crown Jewel in 2019 when Natalya and Lacey Evans wrestled. The second came at Super ShowDown on February 27th, 2020 when Bayley wrestled Naomi.

Provided the event in October takes place as planned, it will be the 6th event WWE has run in Saudi Arabia as part of its agreement with the Saudi Sports Authority. 2 SuperShowdowns, 2 Crown Jewels, and 1 Greatest Royal Rumble event have taken place. WWE’s deal with the Saudi Sports Authority runs until 2027.

Tony Khan: “There Are Certainly A Lot Of Exciting Rumors Right Now”

Chris Stephens
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Tony Khan was recently interviewed by the NY Post and did a solid job of not answering questions relating to CM Punk and Daniel Bryan. The AEW President would state, however, that “there are certainly a lot of exciting rumors right now.”

When asked if he had “signed and/or talked to any former WWE champions” lately, Khan was quick to say there were some things he would not be commenting on during the interivew.

“I have no comment on those, but those are good questions but I can’t comment on those,” Khan said.

Khan was then asked what it would mean if another wrestling promotion were to sign CM Punk and/or Daniel Bryan.

“I can’t comment on those two guys, but I think there are certainly a lot of exciting rumors right now,” Khan said.

Tony Khan on Fight for the Fallen

Tony Khan would comment on what Fight for the Fallen has come to mean for AEW over the last few years. This will be the 3rd event in its history.

“I think it’s one of our major events — the charitable component really makes it stand out — and an important event on the calendar, and it’s something we’ve done from the beginning. It predates even ‘Dynamite.’ We always load it up with big matches, I always try to put a lot of great matches on a “Fight for the Fallen” card, but also now it will have an extra special touch to it because the event is also about helping people.”

6 matches and 2 segments have been announced for tonight. In addition to the matches below, Tony Khan will announce a new AEW live event and Ricky Starks will have a celebration segment for winning the FTW title.

  1. Christian Cage & The Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus) vs. The Hardy Family Office(Angelico, Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen)
  2. Julia Hart vs Thunder Rosa
  3. Five Labours Of Jericho #2 No Disqualification Match
    Chris Jericho vs. Nick Gage
  4. FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) (w/Tully Blanchard) vs. The Inner Circle (Ortiz & Santana) (w/Konnan)
  5. IWGP United States Championship
    Lance Archer (c) vs. Hikuleo
  6. 10-Man Elimination Match
    Adam Page & The Dark Order (Alex Reynolds, Evil Uno, John Silver & Stu Grayson) vs. The Elite (Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson, Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson)

Natalya Comments On Injury She Suffered On RAW

Chris Stephens
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Natalya had to be helped to the back after her match on RAW this week. Her and Tamina defeated the team of Eva Marie and Doudrop, but Natalya appeared to hurt her ankle or knee during the bout.

There is no update as to the severity of the injury but Natalya took to Twitter today to thank fans for their concern and well wishes.

“Thank you to everyone for the kind words about what happened on WWE Raw,” she Tweeted. “There are the beatings you can plan for, and the ones you can’t. That’s the job. But I’m willing to give whatever bones, muscles and tendons I have to continue doing what I love. Good thing I’m UNBREAKABLE.”

You can see footage of Natalya’s injury here:

Natalya’s Injury

Natalya’s injury was addressed this week on Wrestling Observer Radio.

“It was not evident watching the match but what happened was essentially Doudrop, Piper Niven, when she did the takedown she kind of rolled and the ankle was twisted in a very ugly way,” said Dave Meltzer.

“We don’t know right now how serious it is but it’s probably serious.”

The 39-year-old Natalya has been with WWE for 14 years. She first signed with the promotion in 2007. Natalya is a 1x Divas Champion, 1x Smackdown Women’s Champion, and 1x WWE Tag Team Champion.

Nikki A.S.H. On Inspiration For Her New Superhero Character

Chris Stephens
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New RAW Women’s Champion Nikki A.S.H. recently took part in an interview with Ryan Satin on the “Out of Character” podcast. During the discussion, Nikki spoke about her new “Almost a Superhero” character and what influenced the gimmick.

“When we started to explore it, it was going to be a super positive role model for children and the younger audience,” Nikki said during the interview (transcriptions via 411Mania).

She would then talk about how superhero characters from Marvel and D.C helped influence the character.

“We did a concept cartoon and then I looked into the research,” Nikki continued. “For Wonder Woman, what were the numbers like at the box office? It was successful, but how much money did it make? How much money did Captain Marvel make? Looking at the success, especially with female-led superhero movies and television shows. The female-led franchises and female-led movies are what I wanted to really focus on and show that there has been a huge success and it’s inspirational.”

Nikki continued to talk about how she sees how much superhero characters can touch people’s lives. She wanted to bring the same feeling to her new character on RAW.

“I have younger nephews and they are obsessed with superheroes. You see how much it can touch people’s lives and at WWE, we also want to touch people’s lives and connect with families and people with all ages. Superheroes and WWE, we want to unite people.”

Nikki A.S.H became the 10th wrestler in history to win the RAW Women’s Championship when she cashed in on Charlotte Flair. Her reign is currently the 21st in the title’s lineage.

AEW Making Contingency Plans Amid Rising COVID Rates

Chris Stephens
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With COVID-19 cases rising in the United States and new mask and virus testing mandates being made in some areas, there is reportedly concern within AEW about upcoming shows being disrupted.

According to a report from Cassidy Haynes of BodySlam.net, AEW has begun to have conversations regarding contingency plans should shows in Chicago, New York, St. Louis and elsewhere not be able to run as planned. These discussions are said to have increased over the last week. The concern is that there could eventually be limits on large gatherings in addition to the new mask and virus testing mandates being made.

Amongst the contingency plans being discussed is returning to shows from Daily’s Place. AEW will be back in the Jacksonville, Florida venue next week regardless for the AEW Dynamite: Homecoming show. Malakai Black vs Cody Rhodes, and Miro defending the TNT title against Lee Johnson have been scheduled for that card.

Tonight’s AEW will emanate from the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte. The August 11th edition of Dynamite will be from Pittsburgh. AEW closes out August with trips to Houston on the 18th and Milwaukee on the 25th. AEW will then be in Chicago on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th of September. Dynamite on the 8th of September will be in Cincinnati before AEW closes out the month with shows from Newark, Queens and Rochester.

Ryo Mizunami Hospitalized After Testing Positive for COVID 19

Alex Laybourne
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The professional wrestling industry is starting to get on its feet following the pandemic. Live crowds are beginning to return to events around the world. However, Covid 19 is still around, and it is still a threat. AEW star Ryo Mizunami recently tested positive for Covid 19 and is currently receiving hospital treatment.

The news was confirmed by Ryo Mizunami on her Twitter account.

The statement confirms Mizunami going to the hospital on her doctor’s orders after undergoing a PCR test. Doctors admitted Ryo Mizunami with an initial diagnosis of Pneumonia.

For AEW fans, this news brings back memories of Brodie Lee, after his passing in December 2020. While his illness was non-covid related, comparisons will always be made. Mizunami last competed for AEW in April before returning to Japan in June.

Ryo Mizunami Just One Joshi Star to Test Positive in New Spate of Infections

The world of Joshi wrestling is different to many American organizations. The women of Japanese wrestling often compete on multiple promotions, travelling and mixing with many different stars. The news of Ryo Mizunami testing positive is just one in a recent spate of positive results in the Joshi world.

Since returning to Japan, Mizunami has competed for several different promotions including SEAdLINNNG, Gatoh Move, and Sendai Girls. Her most recent appearance for SEAdLINNNG on 22nd July. It was a 6-person tag match. Two others involved have also tested positive following the event.

The pandemic is still rife in Japan, and with the close proximity within which the stars all work, the spread of infections is higher.

Everybody at SESCOOPS wishes Ryo Mizunami a healthy and speedy recovery. She cut a popular figure during her AEW run, and will be a welcome name on any roster in the future.

Hurricane Helms Has Ideas for Potential Storyline with Nikki A.S.H.

Alex Laybourne
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Nikki A.S.H. might almost be one, but WWE does have a bona fide superhero as part of their history. Gregory ‘Hurricane’ Helms.  The Hurricane as he was known for part of his WWE run, recently made a surprise appearance on WWE’s The Bump. His appearance was a shock for scheduled guest Nikki.

Talking on the show, Helms was full of praise for Nikki A.S.H. who approached him for permission to become a superhero, just like him.

“It’s been amazing. I try to be there in gorilla every time she comes back. For the big moments, I’ve been there,” Shane Helms began. “She’s been polite and humble. Not that she had to ask for permission, but you know, I’m not wrestling as The Hurricane anymore. I just turned 47, and that window might be closing. She took the respectful route and asked me about it, and from day one, I told her, whatever you need, I’m here for you. It’s been fun watching her grow. Nobody was happier for her than me that night.”

The newfound confidence Nikki has gained under her almost a superhero disguise saw her capture her first WWE title after a successful Money in the Bank cash in.

Helms Has Ideas for Nikki A.S.H.

During the conversation, Nikki A.S.H. said that she would love to one day work an angle alongside the Hurricane. To which Helms replied positively.

“Uh, let me say, I have ideas, but I don’t want to give them out now,” Helms replied with a grin. “It would have to be something that highlights Nikki. That’s something I want to make sure of ’cause I’ve had a lot of great moments myself. However, if I could find a way to highlight Nikki, 100 per cent, I’m in.”

In true superhero fashion, Helms is thinking about others before himself. It is true, he has been there, done that and picked up the battle scars along the way. While age is catching him up, and injuries might limit him in the ring, there is something oddly magical about Nikki A.S.H. and The Hurricane joining forces.

American Wolves Reuniting for Upcoming Indie Show

Alex Laybourne
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In professional wrestling, teams and groups always come and go. Some fail, some succeed and some create a legacy that remains with the fans long after they go their separate ways. One such team are the American Wolves. Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards got together as a tad team in December 2008 and began writing tag team history.

It is not possible to have a conversation about the best tag teams without including the American Wolves. Seven-time TNA(IMPACT) champions and Two-time ROH champions, in a run that lasted until 2017.

It has been four years since the American Wolves have been in the ring together, but that is changing. The wolves are reuniting for an upcoming Pro Wrestling Revolver event. The indie promotion took to Twitter to announce the return of the tag team for their upcoming event on October 30th.

The Wolves had a special relationship with the fans, and despite the years, both men are still going strong. Eddie Edwards is still active in IMPACT wrestling while Davey Richards recently returned to action with MLW.

Could the American Wolves Really be Back?

The breakup of the American Wolves came as a shock. The returning Richards turning on his partner during his match up with Bobby Lashley. Costing him the title in the process. However, as everybody knows, what happens in one storyline doesn’t necessarily carry over to others.

With the way the wrestling landscape has changed, with people working for multiple promotions, the idea of having tag team champions where each member wrestles for a different promotion could be intriguing indeed.

As of right now, the American Wolves are back for a one night only event. However, with both men still active as singles competitors, there is every chance we could see the team reunite for another run at tag team glory.

WWE NXT Results (7/27): Cole vs. Reed, Star Returns From Injury, Joe’s Decision

Andrew Ravens
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The July 27, 2021 episode of WWE NXT aired live on Syfy from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center. 

WWE NXT Results 

  • Pete Dunne and Oney Lorcan def. Timothy Thatcher and Tommaso Ciampa. 
  • NXT Breakout Tournament, First Round: Carmelo Hayes def. Josh Briggs.
  • Kayden Carter and Kacy Catanzaro def. Jessi Kamea and Franky Monet.
  • Imperium’s Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner def. Hit Row
  • Adam Cole def. Bronson Reed. 

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Tag Team Match Action

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Pete Dunne and Oney Lorcan defeated Timothy Thatcher and Tommaso Ciampa in a tag team match on this show. 

The match opened the show. Ridge Holland returned from injury to help Dunne and Lorcan beat Thatcher and Ciampa with a distraction. Post-match, the heels beat down the babyfaces. 

Holland was involved in the main event angle of NXT TakeOver 31 last year when he attacked Cole backstage as a way of a storyline where it was said that Pat McAfee hired Holland to attack Cole.

Plans were put on hold when Holland got injured and had to undergo surgery after being injured when catching Oney Lorcan on a dive. Holland suffered a left ankle dislocation and fracture and a right knee patellar dislocation and patellar tendon rupture.

TakeOver Main Event

0NXT

Last week, NXT Champion Karrion Kross continued his feud with Samoa Joe by attacking NXT General Manager William Regal. Two weeks ago, Kross retained the title over Johnny Gargano but choked out Joe, who was the referee for the match, afterward. 

Joe came out to the ring. He set up a table and a chair. He said that he could bark about Kross, but he knows Kross is too much of a coward to be in the building tonight. He asked Regal to come out to the ring. Joe said that he can see Regal’s anger and what Kross did was wrong. He knew Regal would fire Kross, but he had a better solution. 

Joe said that he has a way to help all of their needs. Joe quit his position as the enforcer for Regal. He wanted Regal to reinstate him as part of the active roster in NXT. Regal signed both papers. Joe had a third contract and that was for himself vs. Kross at TakeOver 36. Regal signed that as well. 

Raquel Gonzalez & Dakota Kai Split

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There was a segment with NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai. This opened the second hour. Raquel said all of the challengers have come and fallen. Kai said Raquel is the most dominant woman in NXT history. Kai said Raquel has beaten former champions and the list will go on and on. 

The segment ended when Kai turned on her and laid her out from behind with a kick. Kai threw the title on Raquel and left the ring. 

Gonzalez had just beaten Xia Li on last week’s episode of NXT in the main event to retain her title. She’s been paired with Kai for the majority of her time on the main roster. It is looking like a match between these two stars will be booked for TakeOver. 

More Tag Action

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There was a tag team match that saw Imperium’s Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner defeat Hit Row’s “Top Dolla” AJ Francis and Ashante “Thee” Adonis when Legado del Fantasma distracted Hit Row.

Marcel and Fabian had the majority of the offense. Adonis sold throughout until Top Dolla got the hot tag. Dolla hit a big elbow drop to Fabian for a near fall. 

Towards the end of the match, El Hijo del Fantasma came out, but Top Dolla took them out. This led to Imperium hitting a powerbomb to Adonis. Post-match, El Hijo del Fantasma took out the babyfaces. Isaiah Scott cleared the ring with a chair. 

Main Event

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WWE saved a big match for last as Adam Cole battled Bronson Reed in a match between two former North American Champions. 

In the end, it was Cole going over in about a 10 minute match. Post-match, Kyle O’Reilly attacked Cole with a steel chair.

Cole and O’Reilly have been feuding for the past several months with all indications that they will settle the score at TakeOver 36 in August. 

Samoa Joe vs. Karrion Kross Confirmed For WWE NXT TakeOver 36

Andrew Ravens
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As expected, the main event of NXT TakeOver 36 will be Samoa Joe challenging NXT Champion Karrion Kross for the title on Sunday, August 22, 2021.

On Tuesday’s episode of NXT, Joe offered his resignation as an enforcer to NXT General Manager William Regal. 

This was done as a way for Joe to be able to fight Kross. Per the stipulation of the original agreement he had with Regal when he made his return about a month ago, Joe couldn’t get physical unless provoked. Well, after last week’s attack by Kross to Regal, he couldn’t let that stand. 

He also wanted Regal to sign a contract to have him back as an active in-ring performer in NXT and sign another contract for the match at TakeOver. Regal agreed to what Joe was offering and made the match official. 

It will be an interesting booking decision made by WWE as Joe will likely be favored to win the championship considering Kross made his main roster debut earlier this month and entered into a program with Jeff Hardy. Kross is also slated to be on the Raw roster going forward, but without Scarlett. 

WWE NXT UK Champion WALTER vs. Ilja Dragunov is the only other match announced thus far.  

Ridge Holland Returns On WWE NXT

Andrew Ravens
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Highly touted prospect Ridge Holland made his return to WWE NXT TV on Tuesday’s episode. 

It happened when Pete Dunne and Oney Lorcan defeated Timothy Thatcher and Tommaso Ciampa as Holland caused a distraction. The heels beat down Thatcher and Ciampa after the match. 

Holland was put on the sidelines after suffering injuries on an episode of NXT last October during a match against Oney Lorcan. 

He suffered a left ankle dislocation and fracture, a patellar dislocation, and a ruptured patellar tendon. Holland underwent surgery to get this done. At the time, many people believed that he would be out for quite some time as the patellar tendon rupture alone can take anywhere from 6-12 months to heal. Thus, many people thought he would be out for a year, but that wasn’t the case. 

In June, it was reported that the NXT star had been seen daily at the WWE Performance Center to continue to rehab his leg and working towards getting cleared to return to the ring.

Next week, Holland will be in singles action against Ikemen Jiro.

John Cena On The Rock: “As A Fan Of WWE, I Really Hope He Returns”

Andrew Ravens
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John Cena is just like the majority of fans as they hope that The Rock makes a WWE return in the near future. 

It’s been reported that WWE has plans for The Rock to appear at the Survivor Series pay-per-view in November to set up a rumored match with WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns at either WrestleMania 38 or WrestleMania 39. 

Cena recently spoke with ET Tonight and had praise for the fellow WWE Champion. He noted that Rock is a star in his own universe and there’s no one like him and there won’t ever be like him. 

“For him to be gracious enough to return to WWE, it’s own global entertainment phenomenon, that’s great for WWE and it is great for The Rock. As a fan of WWE, I really hope he returns. I think it would be special for everyone.”

In this same article, The Rock was asked if there was anything to tease regarding a potential WWE return and the future WWE Hall of Famer said there’s nothing. 

The Rock is currently promoting his “Jungle Cruise” movie. Cena is back on WWE TV to promote his match with Reigns at SummerSlam. 

WWE Raw Ratings Dips From Last Week’s Surge (7/26)

Andrew Ravens
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Monday’s edition of WWE Raw averaged 1.814 million viewers with a 0.49 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic. This is down from last week’s 1.923 million viewers and the 0.57 rating. 

Last week’s show was the best viewership Raw has done since the post-Wrestlemania episode on April 12 as it was the post-show edition of Raw for Sunday’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view event.

Here’s the rest of the viewership breakdown for Monday Night Raw, courtesy of Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics:

P2+: 1814 ,000
P18-49: 635,000 
M18-49: 432 ,000
F18-49: 203,000 
P18-34: 215,000 
M18-34: 140,000 
F18-34: 75 ,000
P35-49: 419 ,000
M35-49: 292,000
F35-49: 127,000 
non-P18-49: 1179,000

This episode featured Bobby Lashley responding to Goldberg’s challenge, Raw Tag Team Champions Omos & AJ Styles vs. The Viking Raiders, Mustafa Ali & Mansoor in action, and Raw Women’s Champion Nikki A.S.H.addressing the fans following her title win.

SmackDown Viewership

The episode drew an average of 2.04 million viewers in the overnight ratings, down from the previous week that did 2.185 million viewers. In the 18-49 demographic, it did a 0.55 rating, which was down from the 0.66 rating the week before.  The final ratings were 2.137 million viewers, down from last week’s 2.310 million viewers.

Vickie Guerrero Pushing For AEW To Sign Ruby Soho (Ruby Riott)

Tyriece Simon
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All Elite Wrestling talent Vickie Guerrero has expressed interest in seeing former WWE superstar Ruby Riot sign with AEW. Since leaving WWE, Riot’s last name changed to Soho.

Guerrero appeared on the Thoughts Count Anywhere Podcast with Aaron Philips, Thomas Glenn, and Matthew Mullan to discuss various topics regarding AEW. When asked what unsigned talent she’d like to see signed to AEW, Guerrero said Soho.

“I think the one that comes to mind is Ruby. You know she was formerly with WWE; I would love to have Ruby on the roster for AEW,” said Guerrero.

Guerrero also said, “She was really underutilized, and I love her. She was on my podcast and just a great talent and a good wholesome human being.”

Former WWE Talent in AEW

AEW has signed a couple of former WWE superstars in the last couple of months. Malakia Black, formerly known as Alistair Black, made his debut two weeks ago. WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry also signed with AEW in June to a multi-year deal. While WWE has chosen not to resign or is unable to retain talent, AEW has boosted their roster.

AEW also made news last week on rumors that former WWE superstars Daniel Bryan and CM Punk have signed to the company. Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp reported that CM Punk is in talks for an in-ring return, likely with AEW. BodySlam.net’s Cassidy Haynes reported that Daniel Bryan has “100 % already signed a contract with AEW.”

Ruby Soho WWE Release

Soho was released from WWE on June 2nd. Her career in the company lasted 5 years after being signed in 2016. Soho’s last match in WWE was in a tag team match with Liv Morgan against Tamina and Natalya on May 28th’s Smackdown. She lost the match and was pinned by Tamina.

Since her release, Soho hasn’t made an appearance for another wrestling promotion. It’s unclear with Guerrero’s comments if Soho has caught the attention of AEW.

Update On WWE’s Queen of the Ring Tournament Plans

Chris Stephens
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Last week, reports came out that WWE was looking at holding a single-elimination tournament dubbed The Queen of the Ring.

In an update to this story, Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men podcast is reporting that the current plan is to start the tournament in October. The October 8th edition of Smackdown and the October 11th edition of RAW is when the tournament is currently scheduled to begin.

Queen of the Ring Tournament

Multiple female Superstars have expressed an interest in WWE holding a Queen of the Ring tournament.

Sasha Banks said a Queen of the Ring tournament would be “really freaking cool” during a 2020 interview with ProSieben MAXX. commented on WWE possibly hosting a Queen of the Ring tournament during an interview last year.

“A Queen of the Ring tournament on a whole PPV for itself would be really freaking cool,” said Banks. “But I’ve been waiting for Evolution 2 for a very long time. So maybe we can do that first, and maybe we can start off little bit [with] matches at Evolution for the Queen of the Ring Tournament. Maybe something like that can happen. But that’s up to you guys, you have to tweet Vince [McMahon]. Make sure you keep on tweeting him so we can have that in 2021.”

In 2019, Bayley also spoke publicly about hoping for such a tournament. 

“We kinda want a Queen of the Ring,” Bayley said on the KSFY Morning Show. “If you guys could make that happen, I would love that.”

Update On When Randy Orton Will Return To WWE

Chris Stephens
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Randy Orton hasn’t been on WWE RAW in over a month. This has greatly impacted his RK-Bro teammate Matt Riddle, who continues to point toward the ceiling any time he mentions the Viper. According to local advertising in the Chicago market, however, Orton is expected to return to RAW on next week’s show.

The Viper is expected back on WWE as early as next week. He will be resuming his partnership with Riddle in the lead-up to SummerSlam on August 21st. Riddle has been hinting at Orton’s return on Raw Talk and social media.

Randy Orton’s last performance in WWE was on the June 21st edition of RAW. He lost a Money in the Bank Qualifying match to John Morrison and has been gone ever since.

Riddle lost a singles match to John Morrison on Monday’s Raw after being distracted by Omos, who broke his scooter. This could be WWE’s way to set up a tag title feud, with RK-Bro chasing Omos and AJ Styles for the tag titles.

Randy Orton is no stranger to tag team gold. He’s a 2-time WWE tag-team champion. He previously held titles with Edge as Rated RKO and with the Wyatt Family in 2016.

Big E Comments On Scrapped Angle With Aleister Black

Chris Stephens
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On the May 21st, 2021 edition of Smackdown, Big E was attacked by Aleister Black. What looked like the start of a big angle turned out to be Black’s last performance in a WWE ring. Now known as Malakai Black, he’ll face Cody Rhodes in his first AEW match at AEW Homecoming next week.

Big E recently spoke about the angle he was supposed to work with Black during an interview with GiveMeSport.

“I don’t know the plans, I had no idea,” Big E said (transcriptions via Fightful). “Obviously, we had seen the vignettes for weeks and weeks. He comes out at the end of the main event and kicks me in the face. I’m thinking, ‘Alright, it’s him and I, we’re going to run for a bit.'”

Black wasn’t on the show the following week. He was then released from WWE on June 2nd, 2021. Meanwhile, Big E continued to feud with Apollo Crews.

“I was definitely surprised (when Black was released),” Big E continued. “I think he’s extremely talented and has a ton to offer. People were excited to see us because there is such a difference in the way we carry ourselves and our characters. We’re polar opposites and I think it would have made for a lot of fun.”

E would also say that he wasn’t worried about Black, noting he was pretty sure someone would pick him up after his release.

“The Aleister thing was an opportunity to do something different and a nice break from that. It ended up fizzling. He’s very good at what he does and I wish him well.”

E’s comments can be heard in the player below:

Mickie James Invites Gail Kim To NWA Empowerrr

Chris Stephens
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Mickie James invited Impact Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo to the NWA Empowerrr PPV at Slammiversary. On Impact this week, Gail Kim revealed that she is the one who sent James out to offer the invite to the Virtuosa. In a video posted to Impact’s social media, James has now invited Gail Kim to be a part of NWA Empowerrr as well.

It’s not clear what role Gail Kim will play for the show. James only asks her for her help with the show, not necessarily to wrestle. Kim came out of retirement for one match in 2019. She wrestled Tessa Blanchard at the Impact Rebellion PPV from her hometown of Toronto that year.

NWA Empowerrr will take place from the Khorassan Ballroom At The Chase Park Plaza Hotel in St. Louis on August 28th. The NWA will present its 73rd Anniversary show from the same venue the following night.

“It’s pretty amazing because we’re going to we’re going to kick it off and we’re going to set the bar and hopefully for the rest of the weekend,” James said at a press conference in St. Louis earlier this month.

“There’s so much stuff, happening from Fan Fest, to the women’s show empowered, to NWA 73, and the two television tapings. It’s going to be an incredible four days.”

Injury Update On Natalya

Chris Stephens
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Natalya was injured and had to be helped to the back on RAW last night. Natalya and Tamina were wrestling Eva Marie and Doudrop. While in the ring with Doudrop, Natalya started favoring her leg. The injury was addressed recently on Wrestling Observer Radio.

“It was not evident watching the match but what happened was essentially Doudrop, Piper Niven, when she did the takedown she kind of rolled and the ankle was twisted in a very ugly way,” said Dave Meltzer. Unfortunately, he would continue to say the belief right now is that the injury is likely serious.

“We don’t know right now how serious it is but it’s probably serious.”

“Without a doubt, it’s probably something pretty serious because if it wasn’t she would have just walked out on it, that’s the reality,” Meltzer continued.

Natalya and Tamina have been WWE tag team champions dating back to the May 14th Smackdown. They defeated Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax to win the belts on that show. They have defended the titles twice since winning them against the former champions.

This is the 3rd title run for 39-year-old Natalya. She is a 1x former Divas Champion, 1x Smackdown Women’s Champion as well.

Mexican Legend Brazo de Plata ‘Super Porky’ Passes Away Aged 58

Alex Laybourne
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Comedic wrestlers play a very large part in professional wrestling. Often, they fail to get the respect and recognition that they deserve. However, those who work in the industry understand. The sad news was circulated yesterday that Mexican wrestler Brazo de Plata has passed away. Better known for the latter stages of his career as the comedic wrestler Super Porky. He was just 58 years old.

The news was broken by Mexican talk show Mas Lucha and was later confirmed by multiple other sources including Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer.

Brazo de Plata is better known in the US for his time with WWE where he wrestled under the name Super Porky. While he never really had a real match, he was part of the Smackdown juniors’ roster. Appearing predominantly in backstage segments.

A small man with a very large physique, it only served to make his oddly athletic moves more impressive.

Super Porky Came from a Legendary Luchador Family

While his accomplishments in the ring might not be as legendary as others, Super Porky came from the legendary luchador family. The Alvarado family runs multiple generations deep in the ring. Super Porky fought alongside his brothers for a lot of his career before eventually fully embracing the comedic side of his catching personality.

Despite failing health in later years, Super Pork continued to wrestle and work the independent scene in Mexico.

Following the news of his passing, several prominent wrestling names tweeted out their respects, including NXT star Santos Escobar.

 ‘I LOVE YOU Pepito. Rest in Peace Silver Arm “Super Porky” my condolences to the entire Alvarado family. Today the Celestial Arena receives a legend.”

A serious wrestler in his youth, his expanding waistline saw him gain the Super Porky moniker in the mid-1990s. His real legacy began once he embraced this side of himself. However, despite his bulging waistline and seeming ineptitude, he was a talented wrestler and a man who loved the business. 

Condolences go to the Alvarado family.

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