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Date For Next WWE PPV Event In Saudi Arabia

Andrew Ravens
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WWE is planning to return to Saudi Arabia this October for a pay-per-view event just as long as COVID-19 regulations allow for it.

Mat Men’s Andrew Zarian first reported the news on Monday. He noted that Thursday, October 21st was the targeted date. POST Wrestling’s John Pollock tweeted he had heard the same while Dave Meltzer confirmed the date. 

The name nor the location and venue of the show has yet to be revealed. WWE has also yet to confirm the show. 

WWE hasn’t held an event in the country since Super ShowDown in February 2020, which was headlined by Goldberg defeating “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt for the Universal Championship. Since 2018, WWE has held 5 total pay-per-view events in Saudi Arabia. 

In June 2019 at the Super Showdown event, WWE was slated to present a women’s match for the first time in the country as Alexa Bliss was set to take on Natalya, but that got nixed due to the local government. However, later that year, Natalya and Lacey Evans competed instead at Crown Jewel. 

After Crown Jewel, the infamous incident with a plane holding wrestlers, staff and other personnel stuck at the airport for several hours happened. 

After that event, WWE and the Saudi General Entertainment Authority signed a long-term partnership through 2027. That contract states WWE is obligated to hold two events per year in the country.

Natalya Injured During WWE Raw Match

Andrew Ravens
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Unfortunately, Natalya went down with an injury while working a match on Monday’s episode of WWE Raw. 

The Raw Tag Team Champions (Natalya and Tamina) wrestled Eva Marie and Doudrop in a Raw Women’s Tag Title Contenders match on the show from Kansas City, MO at the T-Mobile Center.

Late in the match, Natalya had to leave the ring and Tamina finished the match. The referee called for an audible as a pre-taped skit with Alexa Bliss’ doll aired that caused the distraction finish for Marie to get pinned by Tamina. 

After the match, Natalya was shown being helped out to the back by Tamina and a medical staff member. It’s unclear what the injury is, but it appears to do with her leg as she wasn’t able to walk on it. 

We wish Natalya a speedy recovery and hope the injury is not serious. 

Natalya and Tamina have held the titles since they beat Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler for them on the May 14th episode of SmackDown from the ThunderDome. Jax and Baszler had held the titles for 103 days. Thus far, Natalya and Tamina have held the titles for 72 days. 

Title Match Set For AEW Dynamite: Homecoming

Andrew Ravens
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All Elite Wrestling has announced a new match for the Dynamite episode with a “Homecoming” theme. 

On Monday’s episode of AEW Dark: Elevation, Lee Johnson defeated Luther to earn a chance at Miro’s TNT Championship on the August 4th episode. The match was booked by AEW Elite GM Invitational Tournament winner Pulse.

On the show, Miro confronted his next challenger and stated that while Johnson’s last opponent was picked by the fans, his next opponent is picked by God. 

This episode of Dynamite will take place from Daily’s Place at Jacksonville, FL, the home of the promotion throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Miro’s previous TNT Title defense came on the June 30 episode of Dynamite. He won the title from Darby Allin. 

Also confirmed for this upcoming Dynamite episode is Malakai Black vs. Cody Rhodes, which marks Black’s first match since being released by WWE.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1419815044783611906

Wednesday’s Dynamite: Fight For The Fallen Card

  • No Rules Match: Chris Jericho vs. Nick Gage
  • FTR with Tully Blanchard vs. Santana and Ortiz with Konnan
  • Christian Cage, Jungle Boy, and Luchasaurus vs. Private Party and Angelico
  • The Elite (Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, and The Good Brothers) vs. Hangman Page and Dark Order (Evil Uno, Stu Grayson, John Silver, and Alex Reynolds)
  • IWGP US Champion Lance Archer vs. Hikuleo 
  • QT Marshall and The Factory to apologize to Tony Schiavone
  • Celebration for FTW Champion Ricky Starks
  • Tony Khan to make major new live event announcement

Triple Threat Title Match Announced For WWE SummerSlam

Andrew Ravens
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With Money in the Bank in the rear-view, it’s time for WWE to shift gears towards its next pay-per-view event, SummerSlam. 

In the opening segment of Monday’s episode of Raw, newly crowned Raw Women’s Champion Nikki A.S.H did an in-ring promo about cashing in the Money in the Bank briefcase after she won the women’s ladder match.

She cashed in last week’s Raw to beat Charlotte Flair, who had beaten Rhea Ripley the night before at the PPV event to win the title. Yes, back-to-back title changes in back-to-back nights. 

This led to Flair and Ripley coming out to interrupt and this caused a back and forth promo exchange. Both Flair and Ripley made their cases for why they should get a title match at SummerSlam. 

Eventually, WWE authority figures Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville came out to announce a triple threat match at SummerSlam with the Raw Women’s Title on the line. 

WWE presents the SummerSlam pay-per-view event on Saturday, August 21 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada at Allegiant Stadium that will air on Peacock. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks. 

John Cena Advertised For WWE’s Return To MSG After SummerSlam

Michael Reichlin
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John Cena is currently on a collision course with Roman Reigns that will culminate at WWE SummerSlam on Saturday, August 21st. Reigns has yet to formally accept Cena’s challenge, but the showdown is a foregone conclusion.

Following Cena’s surprise return at Money in the Bank, WWE announced John Cena’s summer schedule. Many fans were delighted to see that Cena’s return included multiple episodes of Raw and SmackDown, as well as non-televised live events. In total, WWE announced Cena for 15 shows. We’ve now learned the “Summer of Cena” will continue beyond SummerSlam.

John Cena to the Rescue

WWE announced on Monday that the 16-time World Champion’s current run will include a stop at Madison Square Garden on Friday, September 10th.

Over the weekend, @Wrestletix reported that WWE had sold fewer than 9,000 tickets for the September 10th Smackdown from MSG.

Early ticket sales were less-than-stellar, which led WWE to make this a “Super Show” involving talent from the Raw brand. With John Cena now advertised, WWE should have no problem getting over that 9,000 mark and might be compelled to open additional sections of the Garden, if the demand is there.

Impact Announces Teams For Homecoming Tournament

Chris Stephens
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impact Wrestling will be running a mixed-gender tag-team tournament at Homecoming this weekend. The event will take place July 31st from Nashville’s Skyline Studios where Impact has been running its shows since the pandemic.

4 of the 8 scheduled teams for the Homecoming tournament have been announced. Those teams are:

  1. Tommy Dreamer and Rachael Ellering
  2. Petey Wiliams and Jordynne Grace
  3. Crazzy Steve & Rosemary
  4. Matt Cardona & Chelsea Green

Also, Brian Myers will be in the tournament but his partner has yet to be determined. Tenille Dashwood told Myers she would not be going to Homecoming with him on this week’s show. Myers then tasked Sam Beale with finding him another partner for the tournament.

The only other match announced thus far for this weekend’s Homecoming event is W. Morrissey vs Eddie Edwards in a hardcore match.

Impact has announced a few matches for this week’s television show on Thursday night as well:

  1. The Good Brothers vs Jay White & Chris Bey
  2. Violent by Design (Deaner and Rhino) vs. Willie Mack & Rich Swann 
  3. Moose vs Chris Sabin
  4. Kaleb Konley vs Taylor Wilde
  5. Steve Maclin vs Trey Miguel (Before the Impact)

Impact has also announced they will be back in the studio for tapings mid-August as well.

The Rock Says ‘There’s Nothing’ To Tease About WWE Return

Anutosh Bajpai
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We have seen a number of big WWE returns in the past couple of months including names such as John Cena and Edge. Though reports suggest that there is an even bigger return being planned for later this year in form of The Rock.

The Great One hasn’t been seen on WWE TV since the SmackDown 20th anniversary show back in October 2019. His last proper wrestling match was his bout with John Cena during WrestleMania 29 in 2013.

The Rock had a chat with Entertainment Tonight alongside his Jungle Cruise co-star, Emily Blunt on the premiere of their new movie. When asked if he can tease anything about his rumored WWE return, he said “there’s nothing.”

Emily Blunt then chimed in to joke that she is going to be forming a tag team with The People’s Champion: “[It’s] gonna be me and him, and there’s gonna be a big fight.”

WWE is reportedly working on a match between Roman Reigns and The Rock for WrestleMania 38. The Hollywood star is expected to make his return to the company later this year to set up this bout.

While not confirmed, latest reports suggest that the plan is for the former champion to make an appearance at this year’s Survivor Series PPV in November. It will mark the 25th anniversary of his official in-ring debut for the company.

Kalisto On The Original Name For The Lucha Dragons

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Being part of the Lucha Dragons with Sin Cara was one of the highlights of Kalisto’s WWE career. The duo even won the NXT tag team titles during their time together.

The star now known as Samuray Del Sol recently spoke to Lucha Libre Online. He talked about many things and also revealed the original name for their tag team.

According to Kalisto, the Lucha Dragons were originally going to be called The Lucha Lions. However, he didn’t like the name very much so he suggested a change:

“Initially, The Lucha Dragons were going to be the Lucha Lions. I didn’t like it so much. I love the Japanese culture. So why not a dragon? Let’s try Lucha Dragons. Sounds better.”

Sin Cara returned to NXT after a main roster run and formed the Lucha Dragons tag team with Kalisto in May 2014. The duo went on to defeat The Ascension for the NXT tag team championships in September the same year.

They held the title for a few months before losing it to Blake and Murphy in January 2015. The Lucha Dragons made their main roster debut in March 2015. They remained a team until they decided to go their separate ways before the 2016 draft.

Chelsea Green Reveals She Was ‘Jealous’ of Alexa Bliss Character

Jake Skudder
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Former WWE NXT Superstar Chelsea Green recently appeared on Those Wrestling Girls podcast. The ‘Hot Mess’ discussed several topics on the show, including revealing some of the pitches she had whilst in WWE.

“I really think one that stuck with me, that I tried to shove down WWE’s and NXT’s throats was always the crazy, obsessive character,” Chelsea Green began. “Someone a lot like Mickie James, but possibly a little darker, a little more like the movie Obsessed and Swimfan, kind of in that direction.”

“Very creepy. I like that,” Green continued. “For me, character work is my thing. So I just want to do something that shows my character work and my mic skills, as well as my wrestling skills.”

“I mean, I don’t know why I’m not just an actress. I don’t know why I’m wrestling!”

Chelsea Green

Chelsea Green on Alexa Bliss

Chelsea Green also admitted that she was ‘jealous’ of Alexa Bliss’s character that currently appears on WWE television. “Trust me; I tried, I really tried. And when I saw Alexa Bliss do what she’s doing, I’m so happy for her, but I have forever been jealous of that character.”

“Because I know that that is the exact type of character I would’ve thrived [in] if I was given it. But, you know, that’s the crazy thing about wrestling,” the IMPACT and ROH star would conclude.

Where else do you want to see Green appear? Let us know in the comments.

Konnan Hints There’s ‘More To Come’ in FTR/Santana and Ortiz Angle

Jake Skudder
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0

Former WCW star Konnan recently appeared on a special AdFreeShows event over at their Patreon. Konnan discussed the ongoing Pinnacle vs The Inner Circle feud during the show, which includes the ongoing feud between Santana & Ortiz and Pinnacle’s FTR.

Santana & Ortiz of course have a long history with Konnan, with the duo having been introduced as part of the LAX stable during their time on IMPACT.

Konnan has been brought in for this feud and has appeared a couple of times on AEW programming, almost as a direct answer to FTR’s manager, Tully Blanchard.

Konnan on FTR vs Santana & Ortiz

“There are a couple of guys in this business I consider my Lucha sons like them (Santana and Ortiz), Pentagon, and Fenix”, the LAX leader revealed on the AdFreeShows event.

“Let me just put it to you this way. There’s still more to be seen in the FTR-Santana/Ortiz-Tully/Konnan thing. Just stay tuned,” Konnan concluded.

FTR and Santana & Ortiz will be colliding this week on the Fight For The Fallen episode of AEW Dynamite. Here’s the full card for that event:

  • No DQ Match for the Trials of Jericho – “The Painmaker” Chris Jericho vs. Nick Gage
  • IWGP United States Championship Match – Lance Archer (c) vs. Hikuleo
  • Tony Khan makes “a major new live event announcement.”
  • 10 Man Elimination Match – Hangman Page, Evil Uno, Stu Grayson, John Silver, and Alex Reynolds vs. Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson Nick Jackson, Karl Anderson, and Doc Gallows
  • Santana and Ortiz vs. “FTR” Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood.
  • Christian Cage, Jungle Boy, and Luchasaurus vs. Angelico, Marq Quen, and Isiah Kassidy.
  • QT Marshall’s apology to Tony Schiavone

WWE Announces “The United States of America vs Vince McMahon” TV Series

Chris Stephens
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WWE has announced today a partnership with Blumhouse television that will see the creation of a limited scripted series titled, “The United States of America vs Vince McMahon.”

The series will focus on WWE during the 1990s and Vince’s trial for allegedly supplying anabolic steroids to WWE wrestlers. Vince was indicted, rejected a plea deal, and then went to trial. He was unanimously acquitted by a jury on all charges.

“In 1994, the U.S. government indicted McMahon for allegedly supplying anabolic steroids to WWE talent. McMahon, with his liberty at stake, two school-aged children at home and with WWE on the brink of bankruptcy, refused to take a plea deal,” a description of the project reads.

Kevin Dunn and Blumhouse Television President Chris McCumber were quoted in a press release.

“Jason, Chris, and their team at Blumhouse create amazing work and we look forward to delivering an inside look into one of the most pivotal moments in our company’s history,” said Kevin Dunn, WWE Executive Producer & Chief of Global Television Distribution.

“We have a dramatic, riveting saga – one that’s crazier than fiction – that will appeal to the cross-section of Blumhouse and WWE fans,” said McCumber. “To say I’m thrilled about collaborating again with WWE is an understatement.”

WWE is also working with Bill Simmons and the Ringer to produce a multi-part documentary series on McMahon for Netflix.

Malakai Black Reveals Conversation With Brodie Lee That Inspired Him To Join AEW

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Malakai Black didn’t spend a lot of time on deciding which company he wanted to sign with after his WWE release. As it turns out, an old conversation with late Jon Huber aka Brodie Lee helped him in this decision.

The former WWE star recently appeared on The Wrestling Perspective podcast. He talked about things such as his desire to work with NJPW and more.

Discussing his decision to sign with AEW after his release, Black revealed that the name of the promotion popped into his head on the same day because of a conversation he had with Huber:

“I’ll be completely honest with you, the day I got released, AEW popped into my head. I had so many friends there. One of the last conversations I had with Jon Huber, rest in peace, he told me, ‘You’d love it here. You’d have so much fun here.’

That kind of always stuck with me because him and me,”said Black, “Every once in a while, would talk and there have definitely been moments where I was very frustrated.”

The former NXT champion was released from his WWE contract back in early June. He made his AEW debut during the July 7 episode of Dynamite.

Later reports revealed that WWE had forgotten to update Black’s contract when he was moved to the main roster. He was able to sign with AEW because his non compete clause with WWE lasted only 30 days, which is a standard for NXT talents.

Mojo Rawley Says ‘The Door Is Open’ For A WWE Return

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Former WWE star Mojo Rawley recently spoke to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful where he opened up about his release from the company among other things.

WWE is known for putting a lot of restrictions on the stars contracted to the promotion. Rules they have to follow not only dictate their real-life but the officials have control over their lives on social media as well.

During the interview, Rawley discussed how he feels now that he is free from such restrictions. He explained that he is once again learning what freedom smells like, now that he can do anything he wants without asking for permission:

“Now, it’s like, I’m re-learning what freedom smells and tastes like and I can do anything I want,” he said. “I don’t have to ask permission. I can start a Twitch account.

I can go to a restaurant for a nice meal and tag the restaurant on my personal social media. So, there’s a lot, man. I’m hustling. I’m busier now than I’ve ever been, which has been nuts. It just shows it was time. It’s a win-win.”

Mojo Rawley On Potential WWE Return

On the topic of whether or not a WWE comeback is possible somewhere down the line, Mojo Rawley revealed that he was told that the door was open for his return in future when he was let go by the officials:

“More or less. There was a lot that went into that. Maybe we’ll touch on that later. But, yeah, more or less it was like, ‘Hey, man. Door’s open. Good luck,”

After a nine-year-long career in WWE, Mojo Rawley was released from the organization back in April this year. His non-compete clause has expired but the former 24/7 champion has not revealed his future plans just yet.

Tony Khan & AEW EVPs In Chicago Over The Weekend (Report)

Chris Stephens
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0

As the CM Punk to AEW rumors continue, it is being reported that Tony Khan and AEW’s EVPs flew to Chicago yesterday. According to a report from Cassidy Haynes of BodySlam.net, AEW might be looking at a new venue in the city.

AEW is reportedly eyeing the United Center in Chicago for a future event. Previously, the All Out/All In events have run from what is now known as the NOW Center (previously the Sears Center) just outside of the city.

Tickets for All Out 2021 sold out quickly, however, so AEW might be looking for a larger venue in one of its hottest markets. The 2019 event drew a crowd of 10,500.

The United Center can hold 19-20,000 for hockey and basketball games, and around 22,000 for concerts. The last time a wrestling event was held in the venue was a WWE house show in late 2018.

The United Center is home to both the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks.

Although not confirmed, it is believed Khan and the EVPs were in town to film some promotional content at the United Center.

Tony Khan is scheduled to make an announcement regarding a new live event this week on Dynamite as well.

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WWE typically runs the Allstate Arena near Chicago for events. That was the venue for CM Punk’s WWE title win over John Cena at Money in the Bank 2011. It was also the host venue for Survivor Series 2019 and NXT TakeOver: War Games III.

MLW Announces Mini-Series “Fusion Alpha” For Next Month

Chris Stephens
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MLW Battle Riot III aired this past weekend weekend on BeIN Sports and YouTube. The show kicked off Cesar Duran (Lucha Underground’s Dario Cueto) announcing that he is MLW’s new match maker.

“My reputation for super luchas and violence is second to none!” Duran said. “I’ve introduced you to the best luchadores in the sport today and I’ve even created the most imagitive matches of the century.”

“I’ve reached an agreement with MLW that my company, Azteca Underground, yes, will promote fights for MLW. Yes! But wait, there is more,” he continued. “I’ve made a deal with Court Bauer, you’re matchmaker in MLW!”

Duran’s Azteca Underground promotion was later featured in a promo for MLW’s new mini-series set to debut next month “MLW Fusion Alpha.”

“The world has changed. Wrestling is at war! Invasions! Alliances! Raids! Jumps! Beware!! Major League Wrestling is under attack. Who will rise up? An Underground Revolution begins. A deal with the devil?! Who do you trust? A league is shattered? MLW Fusion Alpha. A mini-series. August 2021.”

The promo for MLW’s new mini-series begins around the 18:20 mark of the below video. Watch MLW’s Battle Riot III in the player below:

Evil To Challenge Shingo Takagi In MetLife Dome

Chris Stephens
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0

New Japan Pro Wrestling has booked 3 matches for Wrestle Grand Slam on September 5th. The promotion will present shows from the MetLife Dome on both September 4th and 5th. On the second night, Evil will challenge Shingo Takagi for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.

Also booked for the 2nd night inside the MetLife Dome will be Robbie Eagles defending his newly won IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against the returning Hiromu Takahashi.

The IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships will also be on the line on September 5th. The champion Dangerous Tekkers team of Zack Sabre Jr. and Taichi will defend against both the LIJ team of Tetsuya Naito & SANADA as well as the CHAOS team of Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI.

Takagi successfully defended his title from the Tokyo Dome this weekend. He defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi who was replacing Kota Ibushi. After the match, Takagi spoke to NJPW1972.com.

‘Well, it’s definitely the day after the night before. I’m sore all over- my neck, my back, my legs. But y’know, waking up with those aches and pains reminds me of what I do for a living, and I’ve gotta admit I don’t hate that feeling. That said, Tanahashi was amazing.”

“Yesterday was the biggest stage, against the best opponent, and we had the best match. That kind of opportunity doesn’t come your way all the time, and it felt damn great, right down until that dirty S.O.B. EVIL ruined everything. Yesterday, I was hot when I got backstage, and said what I did about wanting the match as soon as possible. Now I’ve slept on it, though…”

Malakai Black Would Love to Have a Run in NJPW

Alex Laybourne
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0

Malakai Black is All Elite. Everybody saw the debut, and everybody saw the famous image. However, AEW is not the only company Black wants to fight.

Talking during a recent appearance on The Wrestling Perspective, Malakai Black talked about his long-term dream to work over in Japan for New Japan Pro Wrestling.

“One of the companies that I still want to do some stuff for, hopefully in the future, is New Japan. That would make my circle complete. That’s what I was raised on. I always wanted to go to Japan. I always wanted to go to New Japan. It has always been one of my ultimate goals, one of the last few things on my checklist is New Japan. Let’s hope in due time, someway, somehow, we can make that happen in the future.” Malakai Black explained.

The way Malakai Black fights would be a great fit for Japan, and there is no end to the number of mouth-watering feuds he could have with different members of the NJPW roster.

Malakai Black Could Use the Forbidden Door to Work Japan

While WWE only allows their athletes to perform on their own shows, AEW has made it clear that they want to work with others. They have a working relationship with several different promotions including IMPACT, AAA and NJPW. This means there is every chance that Malakai Black will get his wish. Whether it is for a full tour, sporadic appearances or as part of a cross-promotion event, fans can legitimately get excited by the thought of seeing him in an NJPW ring.

Black is a tough fighter. Muay Thai trained, and powerful striker, he would fit into the NJPW roster without much trouble.

However, first Malakai Black needs to finish the fight he started with Cody Rhodes. After attacking not only Cody but Arn Anderson during his shock debut for the company, Black needs to keep everything focused on extinguishing a fired up Cody Rhodes.

Five Stars Who Need To Work International Indies Post-Pandemic

Jake Skudder
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0

The past 18 months have had a huge impact on the professional wrestling scene internationally. Stars that would usually travel for much of the year have now had to work either local shows or be forced to semi-retire for the foreseeable future.

With the potential of the pandemic now getting to a somewhat controlled point, with vaccines being rolled out across the major hubs of independent wrestling, there’s a good chance that some of the biggest names on the indie scene will be able to work internationally once again.

Here are 5 of the names we want to see making the rounds again on the US, European and Australian scenes towards the end of the year and into 2022.

Chris Hero returns to the Indies?

Before Chris Hero re-signed with WWE back in 2017 as Kassius Ohno, he was regarded as one of the very best performers on the independent circuit. The Knockout Artist moved to NXT UK during his last stint with WWE, and he has a wealth of experience on the UK scene overall.

Chris Hero has not wrestled since March 2020 for the NXT UK brand, so a return to the UK independents, where he was a major star for PROGRESS and Rev Pro, would be more than welcome later this year.

Match we NEED to see: Chris Hero vs PROGRESS World Champion Cara Noir

Chelsea Green

The former WWE NXT Superstar was released from the company earlier this year and has been extremely active on social media. Recent appearances on Ring of Honor and IMPACT have shown that she is more than ready to get back out on the circuit, and there’s a ton of fantastic independent companies that could use the talents of Green.

GCW looks like it could be a great fit for Chelsea at some point; with her fiance Matt Cardona having just won the Game Changer Wrestling title, she could be brought in as part of a ‘GCW Universe’ stable to bring even more heat to the jacked Champion.

Match we NEED to see: Chelsea Green vs Mickie James

Charli Evans

The Medusa Complex (Charli Evans and NXT UK Superstar Millie McKenzie) were one of the most intriguing acts on the UK independent scene before the pandemic. McKenzie has since signed for WWE; however, Charli Evans is still an incredible performer in her own right. The Australian star has helped build PWA Black Label, Deathmatch Down Under and Newcastle Pro Wrestling in 2021.

There’s still a wealth of opportunities for Evans on the UK circuit, with the former Pro Wrestling: EVE Tag Team Champion (along with Millie) looking like an ideal fit for the next generation of UK talents such as Lizzy Evo, Kanji, Gisele Shaw and Mercedez Blaze.

Match we NEED to see: Charli Evans vs PROGRESS Women’s Champion Kanji

Drew Parker

Drew Parker was a promising UK performer when he made the jump to Japan. That was several years ago, and the Deathmatch specialist has proven that the expectation levels were right for the current GCW Ultraviolent and BJW Death Match Heavyweight Champion.

There is a renaissance of Deathmatch wrestling across the globe (although we Deathmatch fans would say it never went away). Parker could be a mainstay with the likes of TNT Wrestling in the UK, who have a wealth of Deathmatch talent on their roster and seem to be cornering the market on the style in the United Kingdom.

Match we NEED to see: Drew Parker vs TNT Extreme Division Champion Clint Margera

Mickie James

One of the most important performers in Women’s wrestling history is back on the free market and looking to prove once again why she is up in the pantheon of greats. Not that Mickie James needs to prove anything, but the former WWE Women’s Champion could be a fantastic fit on both the European and Australian indie scenes.

With the aforementioned current crop of Women’s talent in the UK, James could be having some blow-away matches against some of the EVE, Rev Pro and PROGRESS talent. Gisele Shaw looks like she would be a top draw opponent for Mickie, with the Rev Pro Women’s Champion building herself up as the Quintessential performer on the UK circuit right now.

Match we NEED to see: Mickie James vs Revolution Pro Women’s Champion Gisele Shaw

Edge Admits He Needed to be Talked into Money in the Bank Match

Alex Laybourne
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Everybody who follows professional wrestling knows the story of Edge. He was one of the driving forces of the attitude era and took part in many legendary moments. Moments and matches that influenced or even changed the course of WWE.

He took part in the first-ever TLC match. In fact, he was involved in the first three TLC matches in WWE history. Edge was also one of the participants in the first-ever Money in the Bank ladder match back in 2005.

Talking recently, however, during an episode of The Bump, Edge talked about how he originally refused to take part.

“I wish I could say that I had this vision of how it would become its own PPV, and no, not at all. As a matter of fact, when they first told me that I’d be in this thing called the Money in the Bank match, I said, ‘Another ladder match? I don’t want to be the ladder match guy, I want to do more than that. I want a straight wrestling match. Where I can just get in there and go. ’ I actually said, ‘Don’t put me in it. I’ll find my way on WrestleMania another way and if I’m not on this year I’ll make sure I’m on next year, but I’m tired of ladder matches. I don’t want to get pigeonholed for that.’ That was not very bright thinking.” Edge explained

Edge was Influential in Establishing Money in the Bank

Edge was the first-ever Mr Money in the Bank. Moreover, he was directly involved in the first five Money in the Bank cash-ins. It was only after his historic win that he realized Money in the Bank was different. It was something special.

“So finally, and this sounds so stupid, but I had to be talked into participating in the match. It wasn’t until about eight months in, holding this briefcase, carrying it with me on every plane because I had to take that thing everywhere. That’s when I started to realize. When I came out at New Year’s Revolution and I heard the crowd, that’s when I went, ‘Oh man, this is something, this is something very cool.’”

“Then to be involved in the next five year’s worth of cash-ins or — Either it was I cashed-in or it was cashed-in on me. Or I was in the match where it was cashed-in. It’s so amazing to sit back and think I was a huge part of Money in the Bank, which is now a PPV, and TLC, which is now a PPV. That’s really cool.” Edge reflected on his role in Money in the Bank.

There can be no denying the impact Edge’s career has had on wrestling. Now, after returning to the ring he is looking to continue building his legacy. Heading into Summerslam, he is locked in a feud with another former MITB winner in Seth Rollins. Two of the biggest and brightest wrestlers of their respective generations.

Raw Match Nixed After Jeff Hardy Tested Positive For Coronavirus

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Jeff Hardy, unfortunately, tested positive for COVID-19 earlier yesterday. The news was revealed by a music venue called recordBar in Kansas City. The former world champion was scheduled for a meet and greet event there on Monday.

Though it appears that this wasn’t the only plan that had to be halted due to his positive test. According to PWInsider, the former champion was scheduled to compete in a match on this Monday’s episode of Raw.

Per the site, Hardy was scheduled to compete against Karrion Kross in a rematch from last week’s episode of the show. Though this match has been canceled now.

For those who don’t know, the high-flying star faced the debuting NXT champion in a one-on-one match during last Monday’s episode of the Red Branded Show.

To the surprise of many, Jeff Hardy picked up a victory over Kross in this match. He pinned the NXT star with some help from the ropes after a powerbomb.

It’s said that this surprising result was part of a long-term plan for the current champion. It’s yet to be seen how the company will handle things now that Hardy has to be taken off-screen for at least a couple of weeks.

Nikki A.S.H. On Potentially Defending Her Title Against Becky Lynch

Anutosh Bajpai
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Last week was probably the biggest week of her WWE career for Nikki A.S.H. Not only did she manage to win the Money In The Bank briefcase at the namesake PPV on Sunday, but she successfully cashed in the contract on Monday at Raw to win her first singles’ women’s title in the company.

The new champion spoke to Sunday Post after her championship victory. Discussing how she is feeling after her big win, the female star said that it all feels like a dream:

“It hasn’t sunk in yet. It’s a dream and it feels like I don’t want anyone to wake me up.’ said Nikki, “I was just staring at it when I got back to my hotel room, thinking of all the memories, all the people that helped, encouraged and inspired me on the journey.”

Nikki A.S.H. On Potential Match With Becky Lynch

Now that she is on the top of the mountain, the former Sanity member has many potential opponents looking to dethrone her and take the title for themselves.

One such potential opponent is Becky Lynch who has been rumored for a WWE return for a while now. When asked about potentially defending her title against The Man, Nikki said that she is ready for the challenge:

“I’m ready for the challenge from Becky and I truly hope it does happen, Becky and Drew [McIntyre] have been amazing role models, inspiring me and creating that blueprint.”

Apart from this, Nikki A.S.H. discussed becoming the second Scottish star to win a singles championship in WWE after Drew McIntyre and more. You can check out her full interview at this link.

Kenny Omega On Potential Partnership Between WWE And AEW

Anutosh Bajpai
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AEW vice president Kenny Omega recently made an appearance on Wrestling Observer Radio where he talked about a wide variety of topics.

All Elite Wrestling opened ‘The Forbidden Door’ last year. They have developed partnerships with many companies since then. The AEW champion himself has made appearances for a number of brands such as Impact Wrestling and AAA.

Though the big question is still about WWE and fans wonder if we will ever see these two rivals working together. When asked about it, Kenny said that he wouldn’t hold his breath but at the same time, he wouldn’t say it’s impossible:

“The one huge crossover, will you ever see WWE team up with anybody? Who knows? I feel as the world evolves and changes and time goes by, people become more open-minded to everything,” said the cleaner, “Whether it be the wrestlers themselves, people in the office, the fans.

“I wouldn’t hold my breath but at the same time I would never say it’s impossible.”

– Kenny Omega

Kenny Omega also talked about their partnership with other wrestling organizations such as Impact wrestling and NJPW. He said that he wanted to open the floodgates and according to him, it’s a situation where only the fans win.

Apart from this, the wrestling veteran opened up about things such as the recent rumors about Daniel Bryan and CM Punk joining AEW in the future. You can check out his thoughts on the topic at this link.

Jeff Hardy Has Reportedly Tested Positive For Covid

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE superstar Jeff Hardy was supposed to take part in a meet and greet after Raw this Monday night at recordBar in Kansas City but the event has been cancelled because of Hardy testing positive for coronavirus.

The music venue released a statement from their Facebook page revealing that the former world champion will not be taking part in any live events for at least two weeks:

“Jeff Hardy just tested positive for covid this morning, and will have to quarantine for the next two weeks, and will not be participating in any live events for the next two weeks.”

As with other positive cases, WWE has not commented on his status. Hardy himself has been quiet so far as well. Though if the report is true then the high-flying star will miss upcoming WWE shows for at least two weeks.

Jeff Hardy wrestled on this past Monday’s episode of Raw where he picked up a surprising victory over the NXT champion Karrion Kross. This was Kross’ official debut match for the red brand.

There is no word yet on how Hardy’s expected absence might affect the plans for the NXT star. We will have to see if Kross makes an appearance on this Monday’s episode of Raw or if he is kept off TV as well.

Kenny Omega Comments On Wrestling CM Punk & Daniel Bryan In AEW.. Possibly

Chris Stephens
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Kenny Omega recently appeared on Wrestling Observer Radio and during the discussion, he spoke about possibly wrestling CM Punk and/or Bryan Danielson in AEW someday.

“It’s cool for me to think I am going to be able to get in the ring with these two possibly,” Omega said. “Because they were so prominent in WWE…for me, as exciting as the wrestling part is, the ability to tell a story is more exciting for me.”

Omega spoke specifically of Bryan and the success of the Yes! movement in WWE.

“He was able to kind of turn everything around and emerge as a megastar, because he is smart enough in a wrestling sense, in a business sense,” said Omega. “Just like in ROH, how he was able to have those fans in the palm of his hand, he was able to have the entire WWE Universe in the palm of his hand with one word. The only other person I can think of to do that was Austin.”

Omega also spoke about CM Punk and what he accomplished with his career.

“CM Punk, he probably has a different line of thinking than your current-day performer, the average performer,” Omega said. “He has this incredible reputation—he has fans to this day who would follow him to the end of the earth. Very dedicated fanbase and that fanbase believes he’s the best in the world and will be the best until the end of time.”

“Two extremely intelligent people who found a way to, I don’t want to say cheat the system, but it was a system that was not created for them there,” Omega continued.

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

Peter Avalon Talks How Cody Rhodes Helped Him Define his Character

Alex Laybourne
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As part of the Wingmen, AEW’s Peter Avalon has found his place in the company. After arriving with his initial gimmick as the Librarian alongside Leva Bates, Avalon soon fell into obscurity. The character never caught on with fans, and soon turned sour. The comedic effort fell flat and needed to be changed.

Talking during a recent episode of AEW Unrestricted, Peter Avalon spoke about how Cody Rhodes helped him truly define his current character.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CRPAu8zpf_O/

“He absolutely had a hand in the direction that we went with at AEW. Pretty Peter is just me. That’s just the way I live my life. I’ve been Pretty Peter….I’m in my 13th year of wrestling now, that’s pretty much what I’ve done. For a little bit, I switched over to a gimmick called ‘Professional Peter’, and then when I was running the Arizona television show, I was ‘Producer Peter’. So I kind of keep a theme, but I’ve always been pretty. But Cody for sure had a hand in the energy change that we went to with the whole model walk off and loving not only myself but loving just beauty and everyone and kind of leaning in more so in that direction and stuff like that. And I appreciate Cody really diving in and helping me find a direction to kind of go with it, instead of just being a generic, pretty boy.” Peter Avalon said.

Peter Avalon and the Wingmen are Rapidly Gaining Popularity

While leaning more towards the heel side of things, the Wingmen – Peter Avalon, Ryan Nemeth, Cezar Bononi and JD Drake – are catching fire in AEW. Their antics and promos have natural ease to them. All four men are developing individual characters that complement one another. They are quite quickly capturing the audience’s attention. Their comedic styling coupled with solid ring skills and individual character development has made them a solid group.

With the return of live crowds further hyping their characters, giving them the dynamic they need to play off against, the group are only going to rise even higher. It is unlikely they are going to be pushing for championships or finding their images on an event banner. However, Peter Avalon and his group serve a very specific purpose in AEW.

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