The guest for the latest episode of WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s show is set and it’s Kevin Nash who will be appearing.
The guest for the show, “Steve Austin: The Broken Skull Sessions,” was recently revealed by WWE Network News. Nash will be discussing a wide range of topics about his long and successful pro wrestling career. Here is the description:
“Steve Austin and two-time WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash discuss everything from “Big Daddy Cool” and The Kliq to The nWo and the Monday Night War, as well as never-before-heard road stories.”
The episode premieres on WWE’s streaming service, WWE Network, and Peacock on Sunday, July 11th at 10 a.m. ET.
Mick Foley was the guest on the show last month. Ric Flair, Bret Hart, Big Show, Bill Goldberg, and The Undertaker are just some of the other names that also appeared on the show.
After a run in WCW as Oz and Vinnie Vegas, his career took off after being a bodyguard for Shawn Michaels. He became a WWE Champion, Intercontinental Champion, and held the Tag Team Titles twice. Nash then went to WCW where he was part of the nWo and his career continued as a top star. Later on, he had a run in TNA Wrestling.
The trend of WWE bringing in NXT talent to TV events to work dark matches continued on Friday night at SmackDown as a way to get a better look at them ahead of potential main roster call-ups.
Pwinsider.com reports NXT Champion Karrion Kross, Toni Storm, Shotzi Blackheart, and Odyssey Jones were all brought to the show. The matches were Kross vs. Cesaro, Jones vs. Robert Roode, and Storm vs. Blackheart.
Jones, a former college football player, signed in the same February 2019 WWE Performance Center Class that included Reed, Mei Ying, Rachael Ellering, Jordan Myles, Cameron Grimes, Ever-Rise, Dexter Lumis, Nick Comoroto, Brendan Vink, and Ricardo Miller.
He is formerly known as Omari Palmer. He made his NXT in-ring debut at a November 2019 live event where he lost to Lumis and only worked 5 matches after that then the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
This comes at a time where Kross, Scarlett, Blackheart and former NXT North American Champion Bronson Reed have been brought to recent TV events for WWE officials to check out.
Three weeks ago, Kross wrestled Dolph Ziggler at SmackDown while Reed wrestled Roode that same night. The following Monday, Kross and Reed worked the WWE Main Event TV episode where Kross defeated Shelton Benjamin and Reed defeated Drew Gulak. That same week, Scarlett and Blackheart wrestled each other at SmackDown while Kross wrestled Slapjack. Finally, this past Monday, Kross, Scarlett and Blackheart were brought back to Raw to work matches.
Samoa Joe was released by WWE in April due to budget cuts, but Triple H was reportedly “not happy” about the decision and wanted him back in WWE NXT.
That happened as Joe is now the enforcer for NXT General Manager William Regal. He’s also working as a talent scout. Speaking to the New York Post, Triple H stated that Joe’s release was actually more of a transition.
“It wasn’t like he got let go from one part of the company and the other part of the company [hired him]. It’s all one big company,” Triple H said. “Everybody knows what everybody’s doing. There was an opportunity for him to transition, no different than you would say, ‘Well, he was released from this pitching contract and started managing the team and became a coach.’ It’s a similar situation.”
Triple H stated the conversations about Joe’s backstage role were already being discussed even before the COVID-19 pandemic started. He put him over being a smart guy who is very business-oriented and has a level head. Triple H stated that Joe was enamored with the other side of the business.
Triple H likened Joe’s situation to the one he’s been in as they went from in-ring competitors to having a role behind the scenes. He noted that Joe will be a bigger component and that’s in developing talent. He’s excited to see Joe being in this stage of his career and helping develop the next generations of superstars.
There comes a time when every champion must move on. They pass the torch they have carried on to the next one in line. You had Stone Cold and The Rock, then you had John Cena, and right now, we have Roman Reigns. There will come a point when even the tribal chief will need to step aside.
Talking during a recent episode of Cheap Heat, the current head of the table was asked just that question. Who he thinks could assume his mantle when the time came? His answer was tactful, yet there was a clear candidate in his mind.
“At this point, my favorite is Drew McIntyre.” Roman Reigns answered emphatically.
“So in a perfect world, if there was an opportunity to pass the torch to him, he’s the one guy that has captivated my attention in that manner. But, at the same time, he ain’t there, and it’s only because I’m still here, so solid within my stronghold.”
“The flag is fully planted in, so I can’t even think about it now, but John [Cena] needed somebody to come in so he could move on and try new things and take care of his body. I will eventually need that, but there’s just no nobody at this point.”
Until now Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre have only crossed paths once, however, the idea of a feud between the two would be entertaining. As it stands, McIntyre is still chasing down Bobby Lashley while Roman Reigns is finally set for a singles clash with Edge.
Ever since debuting on NXT, Adam Cole has been a superstar on the rise. In Japan, he was part of one of the most dominant factions in wrestling. Coming to NXT, he recreated the same dominance with his new faction, Undisputed Era.
Talking during a recent interview with Talk Sport, Adam Cole discussed how surprised he was when it was announced that the group would be disbanded.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQm6wFOM6M7/
“It wasn’t this thing that we were preparing for, it was something that fell into our laps. We had very little time to process it or think about it.” Adam Cole said before addressing the question of whether it was the right thing to do or not.
“It’s never going to feel – especially when you have the chemistry we had – it’s never going to feel like the perfect time. However, I do think development wise for all of us individually, it’s been really, really important. I had the time of my life in the Undisputed Era – I really, really did – but I do think it was a good call.”
During their run in NXT, Adam Cole and Undisputed Era held 6 championships between them. They also won multiple NXT end of year awards, including best Tag Team for three consecutive years.
After almost 4 years of dominance, the group disbanded in April 2021. Roderick Strong has moved on to be the leader of the Diamond Mine. The other members, however, have continued as singles competitors.
Adam Cole is set to renew his rivalry with Kyle O’Reilly at the upcoming NXT Great American Bash PPV. This will be their first meeting since O’Reilly emerged victorious in their unsanctioned match at Stand and Deliver.
After NXT ratings dropped for their mid-week show, WWE made the decision to move to the Tuesday night slot. Ending the Wednesday night wars between the WWE’s black and gold brand and AEW Dynamite. While an unofficial ratings war, AEW emerged victorious.
When NXT moved to a Tuesday night, initial numbers looked good. While the move was seen initially as a good thing for the brand, the numbers now tell a different story.
However, looking back at the weeks since Wrestlemania 37, things are not looking great for the NXT Ratings. Recent figures show that ratings have dropped steadily each week since April. This week’s episode of NXT was a record low for the brand since the move pulling in just 636,000 viewers and a .13 rating in the all-important 18-48 demographic.
Apr. 13: 805,000 / .22
Apr. 20: 841,000 / .23
Apr. 27: 744,000 / .22
May 4: 761,000 / .18
May 11 – 697K / .17
May 18 – 700K / .15
May 25 – 698K / .13
June 1 – 668K / .19
June 8 – 669K / .20
June 15 – 695K / .19
June 22 – 665K / .17
June 29 – 636K / .13
The NXT ratings have arguably suffered in recent weeks as a result of the NBA playoffs, and the show will undoubtedly be hoping to turn things around in their go-home episode ahead of the next PPV.
However, WWE will be hoping that NXT ratings will improve with a solid Great American Bash pay-per-view later this month. A few matches have already been announced for the show, with Adam Cole vs Kyle O’Reilly currently the most anticipated match on the card.
Ted DiBiase Jr had a successful run in WWE which started in 2007. So it was surprising for the fans when he not only left the promotion in 2013 but put a stop to his wrestling career as well.
The former WWE star recently spoke to Chris Van Vliet. He opened up about his time in the company and explained the reasoning behind his decision to leave the promotion.
DiBiase revealed that his contract had expired. While the officials had offered him a new deal, he made the call not to re-sign with the promotion because he was dealing with mental health issues:
“I was offered another 5 year deal. It was generous, but when it came down to it, I was battling some things internally; there were some mental health issues. I was going through depression and anxiety, and also being a new father. I just knew.”
Ted DiBiase Jr also talked about his experience of growing up as the son of an iconic father. He attributed this experience as another reason for leaving WWE and the wrestling world altogether.
The former champion explained that he loves his father but the wrestling veteran was not able to be present for important days in his childhood, something he didn’t want to repeat with his own son.
Bayley can often be heard yelling directly at Michael Cole during some of her matches. She recently noted in an interview with Metro that a unique part of wrestling in the Thunderdome is being able to hear the announce team. Bayley also said that she wants to make a match between her and Michael Cole happen inside a WWE ring.
“Oh, I will make it happen! Don’t even worry about! It’ll happen,” she said about a potential match with Cole to Metro.
“I don’t know if people realise it or they think I’m doing it just for fun – which it is fun, to give Cole crap. But I can literally hear them! They’re 10 feet away from me in an empty arena, so I can hear everything he’s saying, so it just felt fitting to respond to it. Why not?”
Later this month, WWE will welcome back live fans meaning Bayley will no longer be able to hear Cole on commentary. Bayley would continue to say that she is looking forward to hearing fans’ reaction to her when WWE heads out back on the road.
“I’m interested to see how they react to me when I come back,” she said. “I just feel so grateful that [WWE] gave me the opportunity to show a different side to me and show that I can be so much more. I’ve been having the best time!”
Bayley lost a title shot to Bianca Belair at Hell in a Cell recently. She got back in the win column last week, however, when her and Seth Rollins defeated Belair and Cesaro in a mixed tag match.
The WWE career of Lana was a rollercoaster ride. It included highs such as getting pushed to main event status during her storyline with Bobby Lashley to lows where she got punished for her real-life engagement with Miro, who was known as Rusev at the time.
The former WWE star recently appeared on Talk Is Jericho. She opened up about her time in the company and discussed her career there in detail.
During the interview, Lana recalled the time when she got engaged to Miro and the news got leaked. She remembered how WWE officials were not happy with the news getting out and explained how the duo got blamed for it. This resulted in her ongoing storyline with Dolph Ziggler getting cut short:
“I didn’t even put up a picture. I just sent it to my friend. Then I guess, someone leaked it. I never, ever posted it. TMZ got a hold of it, and then basically TMZ said we were engaged.
“The story [with Dolph] got cut, and we got blamed for it. Personally, I got blamed. It’s insane. I got in trouble. I wasn’t on television for three months. I was made to feel that it was all my fault. I had to take the blame. For years I thought, maybe it was my fault.”
Lana later revealed that she made up for this mistake during her storyline with Bobby Lashley. She promised Vince McMahon that she would not take pictures with someone she was feuding with. To keep this promise, she didn’t post any photos with Miro for almost a year.
The Ravishing Russian was signed by WWE in June 2013. She was originally paired with Rusev. The female star’s 8-year long stint came to an end when she was released from the company last month.
NXT star Mercedes Martinez apparently suffered a concussion during her tag team match on this Tuesday’s episode of the Black and Yellow brand.
Dave Meltzer talked about the female star on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio. He revealed that the veteran wrestler suffered a concussion during her match on the show
Mercedes Martinez teamed up with Jake Atlas to face Xia Li and Boa in a mixed tag match on the show. However, the bout couldn’t reach its planned ending.
The NXT star got knocked out halfway through the bout thanks to a roundhouse kick from Lee. She started bleeding from her mouth and went down, forcing the referee to stop the bout. The match was then called off due to referee stoppage.
The team of Xia Li and Boa were declared the winners. Martinez was taken to a hospital for further checkup but the good news for fans is that she was doing better by the next morning.
Neither WWE nor the female star herself has commented on her health as of now. There is no word yet on if she will miss any ring time due to the injury. We will keep you posted on her status.
Vince McMahon is reported to have visited the WWE Performance Center this week. He was joined by company President Nick Khan, Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis, and WWE Executive Director Bruce Prichard. According to a report from PW Insider, the group met with staff and coaches in addition to watching in-ring sessions.
Sources have stated that McMahon’s visit was actually a positive experience. Some described it as “a breath of fresh air” compared to what they were worried might occur.
WWE Looking For More Writers
Elsewhere in WWE, the company has listed several job opportunities on its corporate website. Amongst those openings are jobs on the writing and creative teams. Amongst the key qualifications WWE has listed for the position is “Understanding of WWE’s audience (demographic and psychographic) a plus but not required.”
This job listing comes on the heels of a writer being released after admitting on a podcast that she was not familiar with the product.
“So I am on the Monday Night Raw team. So there’s Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown and the people I know that are on it are Bobby — his name is either Bobby Ashley or Bobby Lashley and I really should know that,” the writer said on the Asian Not Asian podcast. “He’s like this giant Black guy and he and the people who are part of his crew, I know that they call — or at least as of last year, they called themselves The Hurt Business. The Hurt Business. They wear suits and they’re like, ‘We’re cool.’”
Impact Wrestling this week continued the build to Slammiversary. Kenny Omega and the Good Brothers took on Tommy Dreamer’s team of Moose, Chris Sabin, and Sami Callihan in the main event.
Impact wrestling 7/1 Quick Results:
Deonna Purrazzo defeated Kimber Lee (Before the Impact)
Satoshi Kojima & Jake Something defeated Brian Myers & Sam Beale
Satoshi Kojima was scheduled to face Eddie Edwards this week on Impact. The match didn’t happen, however. After Kojima made his entrance, W. Morrissey appeared on the big screen and said that he had attacked Edwards in the parking lot. Morrissey believes there is no such thing as friends in wrestling and he wanted to show Kojima that he is all alone, just like everyone else.
Kojima would end up wrestling in the night’s first match, however.
Satoshi Kojima & Jake Something Defeat Brian Myers & Sam Beale
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taXYkauAx5g
Brian Myers has been mentoring Sam Beale on how to be “the most professional” wrestler he can be. Myers came out while Kojima was still in the ring. Myers and Beale then jumped Kojima leading to Jake Something making the save. An impromptu tag-team match between the two sides was then made official. Kojima would then pick up the win for his team by pinning Beale after a big Lariat.
Rachael Ellering and Jordynne Grace Reconcile?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77wMAk_x9Fg
Rachael Ellering didn’t have Jordynne Grace with her at ringside of this match as the former tag champs seem to be headed in separate directions but she did have Jazz. Kaleb kept attempting to interfere during the match. All of his interference wasn’t enough, however, as Ellering got the victory with a pinning combination.
After the match, Dashwood attacked Ellering. Kaleb and Dashwood had Jazz and Ellering where they wanted them but then Grace made the save. Are the former tag champs back together?
Violent By Design Bring Chaos To Tag Team Division
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6poPX7CoLy0
Two of the division’s top teams faced off this week when Rich Swann and Willie Mack took on TJP and Fallah Bah. Violent By Design ruined the contest for everyone, however, when they caused a No Contest by attacking all four wrestlers.
Chris Bey Picks A Side
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Gk888uq7l4
Chris Bey’s plan to regain the X-Division title is to not pick sides with the feuding factions of babyfaces and heels in the division. This week, he took on X-Division veteran Petey Williams in singles competition. Bey would pick up the win after countering a Canadian Destroyer attempt into the Art of Finesse.
After the match, the two feuding sides of the X-Division started a melee. After weeks of not doing so, Bey then finally picked a team and sided with the babyfaces. They cleared the ring of the heels to end the segment but what does any of this mean for the Ultimate X match at Slammiversary?
Steve Maclin Wins A Squash Match
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sf2hzv4o_Gk
Steve Maclin showed off his new intense character again this week, this time picking up a dominant victory over Manny Smith. It’s his second straight victory in the promotion but eventually, he’ll be in for stiffer competition.
The Elite Pick Up Victory As Team Dreamer Implodes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ziJnFmhAr8
The wrestlers Tommy Dreamer chose to take on the Elite this week just couldn’t seem to get along. Moose in particular showed little desire to get along with his teammates throughout the match. Finally, the finish of the match saw the trio implode when Moose mistakenly thought that Tommy Dreamer had attacked him. Moose was on the ramp and had just turned his back to Dreamer when Callis pushed Dreamer into Moose, making Moose thing Dreamer attacked him. Moose then took Dreamer out with a clothesline and Sabin then hit Moose with a suicide dive. As Sabin got back in the ring, however, he was met by Omega and the Good Brothers, who finished him off with the Magic Killer for the win.
Coming Up In Impact Wrestling
Next Week:
Kenny Omega and Sami Callihan contract signing
Knockouts Tag Titles #1 Contendership Havok & Rosemary vs Susan & Kimber Lee
Jake Something vs Brian Myers
Slammiversary (July 17th)
Impact World Championship Kenny Omega (c) vs Sami Callihan
X-Division Championship Ultimate-X Josh Alexander (c) vs Rohit Raju vs Chris Bey vs Trey Miguel vs Ace Austin vs Petey Williams
Atsushi Onita is bringing back FMW. His FMWE promotion is scheduled to run its first event on July 4th. Onita mentioned in an interview recently that he would love to wrestle a match with AEW’s Jon Moxley. Mick Foley has since spoken up to say that he would like to referee that match if it takes place.
During Onita’s interview with FanByte, he was told that Moxley now uses “Wild Thing” as his ring music, just as Onita had. This led to Onita saying he would like to wrestle Moxley.
“Jon Moxley uses my theme music?” Said Onita “Thank you, Moxley. I think if he has a spirit of JADO (evil ways), we might stand in the same ring some day. It would be interesting, wouldn’t it?”
Onita would also reveal what he hopes to accomplish with his new promotion.
“I want to show American fans my original explosion match. I sometimes feel like I have to. American deathmatch fans have been disappointed twice, first with the explosion deathmatch CZW held in 2017, and secondly AEW’s. At the time of the CZW show, maybe because of costs, CZW said ‘we don’t need Japanese engineers, don’t worry, leave it to us,’ and I believed them”
WWE is looking to fill a number of backstage roles in the company. The listing they have put out includes jobs such as writers and managers of talent operations & appearances.
The promotion posted about a number of openings they are looking to fill on their corporate website yesterday including full time opening for new backstage writers and more.
The key responsibilities for the writing job include developing “clearly defined, yet emotionally sophisticated, characters for a diverse group of WWE Talent.”
The qualifications include 5+ years of experience of writing TV or film content as well as the experience of working with on-screen talents and creative writers.
The listing interestingly does not require the candidate to have previous knowledge of wrestling. According to it, understanding of WWE’s audience is “a plus but not required.”
Other openings posted alongside the writer role include a full-time position as the manager of talent operations and appearances as well as a cybersecurity engineer for a remote consultant role.
WWE recently faced some criticism when a company writer revealed that she was not required to know anything about wrestling before joining the promotion. The officials have not changed the requirements for the job despite it.
Veteran wrestler and former WWE and WCW star Del Wilkes better known to wrestling fans as The Patriot passed away this Thursday. The retired professional wrestler passed away due to a heart attack according to The Charleston Post & Courier. He was 59 years old.
The Patriot made his wrestling debut back in 1988 and competed for promotions such as the American Wrestling Association and Global Wrestling Federation during his early years. He wrestled a few matches for WWE in the early 90s. The late star wrestled under various personas including The Trooper, Del Wilkes, and The Patriot for the company but his bouts didn’t transpire in a long run.
The Patriot Del Wilkes
The former wrestling star first gained fame when he signed a WCW contract in 1994. He formed a team with Marcus Alexander Bagwell. The duo started wrestling as Stars and Stripes and they won the WCW tag titles a couple of times. His WCW run lasted until 1995 after which he returned to All Japan Pro Wrestling, the promotion he was wrestling for before his signing with WCW.
The Patriot finally signed a WWE contract back in June 1997. The former champion stayed with the company then known as WWF until early 1998. After leaving WWE, Wilkes retired from professional wrestling due to a torn triceps. We at SEScoops send our deepest condolences to the family of Del Wilkes.
Fans have been wanting to see a proper pro wrestling match between NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal and Paul Wight (Big Show) for years. It appears that we might finally get to see this bout soon.
The former basketball player recently had an interview with PopCulture. He was asked about some recent comments from the former WWE star and replying to it, he teased a confrontation between the two for near future:
“I hear Paul Wight’s still talking trash, so I’m going to work out really hard this summer,” said Shaq, “And maybe we could do something very, very soon,”
A match between the two was rumored in WWE for a while but they ended up only having a brief confrontation during the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 32.
Discussing why their rivalry couldn’t culminate in a one on one fight at the time, Shaquille O’Neal claimed that it was because of a lot of bureaucracy and red tape:
“Shouldn’t be any problems for us getting together now. Last time it was lot of bureaucracy and red tape, now there is no red tape. So, I’m going to go on because I’m still kind of sore from the table, so I’m going to go for it this summer, pump these muscles up here. I’ll be waiting for you, Mr. Paul.”
Shaquille O’Neal made his in-ring debut for AEW back in March. He teamed up with Jade Cargill to defeat the team of Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet in a well-received mixed tag match on Dynamite.
Paul Wight made his debut for the promotion on the same night. He has signed a deal to work as both a commentator and wrestler. The former world champion hasn’t made his in ring debut for the promotion yet and we will have to see if Shaquille O’Neal ends up being his debut opponent.
Update: Paul Wight seems to have taken note of Shaquille O’Neal’s for a match. The heavyweight star responded to the comments from the giant on Twitter and claimed that is not hard to find:
Bea Priestley has signed with WWE. She is headed to the NXT UK brand where she will go by the name Blair Davenport. Last week on NXT UK, a woman named Blair Davenport signed an NXT UK contract only her face was not shown. Another video aired this week and this one showed that Blair Davenport is Bea Priestley.
“I have wrestled all around the world, I have sacrificed everything to get to where I am today. I have given up friends, I have given up family, to master what I do. Did you really think that I wouldn’t end up a part of the greatest women’s division on Earth? Blair Davenport has arrived in NXT UK.”
Before signing with WWE, Priestley was with World Wonder Ring Stardom from 2017 to 2021. She also was briefly part of Will Ospreay’s United Empire faction in New Japan Pro Wrestling before she was kicked out of the faction in rather dramatic style. Ospreay gave his partner the Oz-cutter, something some fans were upset about.
Will Ospreay On Giving Bea Priestley the Oz-Cutter
In an interview with the Two Man Power trip earlier this year, Ospreay explained that it was Priestley’s idea to take the move.
“I understand the triggering that can have with a lot of people, but people need to realize that me and Bea are still together, said Ospreay (transcriptions via Fightful). “Everyone realizes this, right? She’s just gone home. She realized she was done and going home. Her idea is, ‘what better way to send a message than driving home the fact that you will do anything to take the IWGP World Heavyweight Title?’”
“It was her idea to take the Os-cutter. She put herself forward for that. She’s a pro wrestler and a very very good pro wrestler. The fact that she was willing to take a bullet for me, I can’t say enough good things about her. A lot of people were obviously annoyed by it, but people need to remember that there is talking between us and nothing is done without the other person knowing,”
Former NXT North American Champion Bronson Reed seems to be one of the prospects WWE is eying for a move to main roster during the upcoming drafts.
The NXT star recently appeared on El Brunch de WWE where among other things, he also shared his thoughts on a potential move to Raw or SmackDown.
Reed was asked which brand he would like to join if the company does decide to bring him up. Replying to it, the former champion picked up the blue brand as his preferred destination:
“That’s a tough choice, I think both [RAW & SmackDown] have benefits but if I had to choose, if I had to leave the black and gold NXT, I’d probably say the blue brand. I would say Friday Night SmackDown.”
Bronson Reed also discussed his experience of working WWE Main Event. He mentioned how he got to wrestle Drew Gulak during the bout and said that it was an opportunity to get more eyes on him:
“I feel great, I think it’s another opportunity to get more eyes on ‘The Colossal’ Bronson Reed. So I got to wrestle Drew Gulak and I hit my Tsunami Splash and beat him, one, two, three, so feeling very happy about it.”
Another NXT star WWE officials seem to be interested in bringing up is the NXT champion, Karrion Kross. You can check out the latest backstage news on potential future plans for both these names here.
The end of the Pandemic Era of professional wrestling is fast approaching. More and more companies are announcing their return to live, fan attended events.
Arguably one of the most famous and prestigious wrestling venues in the world, Madison Square Garden has seen its fair share of WWE events over the years. However, very few will carry with them the atmosphere of this return.
WWE will return to MSG for an episode of Smackdown on Friday, September 10th. Tickets for the event will be available through Ticketmaster and are scheduled to go on sale on Friday, July 9th at 10 am.
WWE returns to @TheGarden for Friday Night #SmackDown on September 10! Tickets available Friday, July 9 at 10 AM ET via @Ticketmaster.
The WWE has long used the Garden as a stop during their tours. However, this will mark the first time since October 3rd, 2015, that WWE has made a stop there. In the main event, John Cena defeated Seth Rollins for the United States Championship. With both Cena and the Garden returning to WWE programming, things are starting to get that normal feel once more.
Madison Square Garden has been home to many WWE firsts, including the debut Wrestlemania and Summerslam events. It was also the place where Mr McMahon tasted his first Stone Cold Stunner during the debut RAW taping in the arena.
While it will not be the first place WWE go with returning fans, the Garden will always be a memorable location for any WWE event.
Interestingly enough, the WWE title has changed hands sixteen times at Madison Square Garden, which is more than at any other wrestling venue.
John Cena is one of the most successful wrestlers in the history of the business. Not only was he the face of WWE for more than 15 years but he has carved a place for himself in Hollywood after moving on from the company as well.
However, his rise to the top was not an easy journey. The former world champion recently had an interview with The Sun where he opened up about his struggles before becoming a professional wrestler.
Cena recalled the time he left his home in Massachusetts and went to Los Angeles to pursue a career in bodybuilding. Due to the lack of resources, the former world champion slept in his car and showered in a gym he worked at:
“I slept in my car for a while, which happened to be a very roomy 1991 Lincoln Town Car. I had my clothes in the trunk and I slept in the back seat. I’d wake up, use the locker rooms and the shower and repeat the process all over again.”
Dad told me I would be home with my tail between my legs in two weeks. Sure enough, I went through my resources quickly and had to think on my feet. I didn’t want to go home crying.”
John Cena had previously ruled out the possibility of having kids. This is one of the primary reasons why his engagement with fellow WWE star Nikki Bella ended.
However, now that Cena is a little older and has a lot more experience on his hands, he is considering a change to his stand. Talking about it during the interview, he didn’t rule out the possibility of fatherhood completely:
“I’m a little bit older, a bit wiser. I’m realising there is life and life exists and it’s beautiful — and I think part of that is being a parent, so we’ll see.”
John Cena started dating Canadian engineer Shay Shariatzadeh in early 2019 after his breakup with Nikki Bella. The couple got married in a private ceremony in October 2020.
WWE has the long-standing tradition that the top star of the company also serves as the locker room leader. This creates some interesting dynamics when a former locker room leader returns and has to adapt to the change. One such scenario is likely to be presented when John Cena returns to the company later this month and confronts the current face of the company – Roman Reigns.
The Big Dog discussed this during a recent interview with Peter Rosenberg and Stat Guy Greg on Hot 97. The Tribal Chief was asked about this change and whether he sees himself being in a different position in the relationship with the Cenation Leader now that he has taken up the mantle. Replying to the question, the Universal champion reminded everyone that this won’t be the first time he is crossing paths with Cena after becoming the locker room leader:
“So I think there are a couple of different folds to this scenario because even before, I forget which year it was, I know it was at No Mercy, when me and John went to [fight for the] first time. I had already been in that position. John had been around periodically jumping in kind [of] on interval, stretches but I was still the main event. If he jumped in to a live event to help out a show he would go on before intermission. He would find himself in a different position. I would close us out.”
Roman Reigns admitted that things are different now after he has spent a lot more time in the top position. However, he claimed that they have respect for the superstars who came before them. Reigns said that it would be a lie if someone said that John Cena didn’t toe the train for a long time.
The reigning champion explained that their return is a good thing because the people who have moved on from WWE only bring new eyes to the product when they come back:
“What’s beautiful about it is the respect everyone has for our history and the respect we have for the superstars who pull that wagon and there is no question you know. It would be a bold face lie if anyone ever say [that] John Cena didn’t toe the train for a long time and we’re gonna always have respect for that, Vince will always have great respect for that. Guys like The Undertaker, that’s why we have these legendary contracts where we keep these guys. They paid their dues. They guided our business. They laid the foundation for us to continue this journey and continue this success that we have.
“So I think there is always gonna be that scenario out of respect. When they come back, it’s only to bring more eyes and kind of lift the tide up to make it a bigger event. But when you have someone like myself and John was in the same position with Dwayne. Hopefully one day I will be in the same position coming back and there will be a new head guy. There will be a new top dog. That’s what drives the business and that’s what makes us even greater is when our guys go out and find great success, and then they bring that limelight. They bring that shine back to what started them, back to their first love.”
On the topic of the people who can replace him as the face of WWE and locker room leader, Roman Reigns said that currently there is no one on his level. He was asked which current star has the potential to be the next face. He named the former WWE champion Drew McIntyre. Reigns claimed that McIntyre is the number two guy in the company currently but he is not on his level yet:
“There ain’t nobody. I can say my favorite number two [is] Drew. He’s my favorite number two. There’s a bunch of number twos, threes, whatever you wanna call them, we can rank them [but] it really doesn’t matter. They are under me. How far under? Who knows. Who really cares. I mean how strong of a number two do you wanna be? At this point, my favorite is Drew McIntyre,
“In a perfect world if there is an opportunity to pass the torch. He is the one guy that has captivated my attention in that manner but at the same time he ain’t there and it’s only because I am still here so solid within my foothold. The flag is fully planted in so I can’t even think about it now. Like John needed somebody to come in so he could move on and try new things and take care of his body. I would eventually need that but there is just nobody at this point.”
Subscribe to Cheap Heat on Apple Podcasts & Spotify to listen to the full interview. Please credit SEScoops for h/t if you use any quotes from this article.
When the 2nd half of Dark Side of the Ring’s season 3 airs later this year, one episode will focus on XPW. Xtreme Pro Wrestling was a promotion run by Rob Black (Rob Zicari) from 1999 until 2003.
Black recently announced plans to reboot the promotion with a tournament on November 7th, 2021. In a video released by Black yesterday, Marty Scurll was teased as the first entrant in the tournament. It is not clear if Scurll will have anything at all to do with the show, however.
XPW breaking the seal on Marty Scurll, just like we all expected
— Voices of Wrestling (@voiceswrestling) July 1, 2021
No venue or broadcast deal has been announced for the show.
UPDATE:
It’s been brought to my attention from some wonderful Twitter fans that the music I randomly used for a teaser promo was that of a suspected sexual abuser. I’m sorry and I didn’t mean to use that. I will take it down immediately. I will try to do better in the future. pic.twitter.com/r9H2zpWKXH
Others have reached out as well to say that Marty Scurll will not be on the show. Rob Black has continued to Tweet on the matter:
Never thought it would be this easy to trigger a bunch of Millennial wrestling fan boys. #cancelxpw come on boys let’s get it trending. Let’s be woke pic.twitter.com/xMpyyfUXKe
Who is that. I don’t know anything about that. I just thought it was some cool music that was playing in the background on my computer Ohh shit I’ll change that to NWO Hollywood Hogan. I actually like that better give me a few and I’ll change that. IM SORRY ?
It is possible Black is hoping to build on the publicity his former promotion will gain from the Dark Side of the Ring episode scheduled to air later this year. The following topics will air in the second half of season 3:
The WWE Steroid Trials
FMW
Luna Vachon
WWE’s Plane Ride from Hell
XPW
Johnny K-9 (Bruiser Bedlam)
Chris Kanyon
The other promotion scheduled to be featured in the second half of season 3, FMW, has also announced a reboot. Atsushi Onita has announced FMWE will run a show later this month.
“The meaning of E is explosion,” Onita said. “It is an explosion. It is an organization specializing in hardcore that is said in the world. There is a request to see an electric current blast in the United States, and we are doing an electric current blast all over the world.”
It was reported earlier this week that Sonjay Dutt had left WWE after having worked in a producer’s role for the company since 2019. According to a report from PW Insider, Dutt was backstage at AEW Dynamite last night. He is believed to have signed on to work full-time in a producer’s role.
According to the Wrestling Observer, Dutt left WWE on his own accord a couple of weeks ago. He had been with the company since early 2019. In addition to working backstage as a producer in WWE, he also worked at the Performance Center as a trainer. He left Impact Wrestling in January of 2019 and began work backstage in WWE shortly after.
Dutt hasn’t wrestled since 2017. He underwent surgery for a torn right achilles in early 2018 and quietly retired after. He then started working as a commentator and backstage in Impact Wrestling.
There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about my dad, but especially today, my first Father’s Day without him.
I strive to continue to make him proud and instill in my children the same values he instilled in me.
During his in-ring career, Dutt is a former 1x X-Division Champion in WWE. He’s also a 2x CZW Junior Heavyweight Champion and was inducted into the promotion’s Hall of Fame in 2019. Dutt also held the GFW NEX*GEN Championship in Jeff Jarrett’s Global Force Wrestling. He began his career in 2000 and broke out in 2003 with Major League Wrestling and would then debut for TNA Wrestling later that same year.
The Shield helped launch the career of Roman Reigns as a main event star. He has only achieved new heights since then. The Big Dog has claimed WWE as his yard and he has become the face of the company. While many fans still have hope to see the group reuniting sometime in the future, the Tribal Chief is not interested in sharing the spotlight with his former teammates anymore.
The reigning Universal champion recently spoke to Peter Rosenberg and Stat Guy Greg for Hot 97 radio. The WWE star discussed a variety of things during the talk and also commented on a potential Shield reunion. Reigns was asked if he has any interest in reuniting with his old teammates in future. He replied with a straight ‘no’ for an answer. Roman Reigns explained that while he has respect for the time he spent as a part of the group, it’s a one man show for him now:
“No. I have respect for everything we did now. A lot of that time was really pivotal for me to learn and gain experience. Be around other performers. See their processes and how they attack things and how they think about things. But where I am at now it’s a one-man show. I have the family dynamic with my cousins but at the same time, I call the shots. It’s my thumb that’s down on this pole. So yeah, I don’t think I can share it anymore.”
Roman Reigns Wants To Work With Seth Rollins Again
A Shield reunion will also be hard because Jon Moxley has moved on from WWE and found a new home in AEW. What we can be certain about is that we will see the other two Shield members crossing paths sooner or later, something which WWE also teased recently. When asked if he thinks he and Seth Rollins can still pull off something special at a stage such as WrestleMania, Roman Reigns explained that the two can make anything special:
“Seth is a special performer, especially in ring. It can be a cold situation, you give us a crowd, you give us a ring and we’re gonna make something special happen. So you put us in a scenario like Wrestlemania or SummerSlam, a big PPV, no question. I mean that chemistry, that stride for greatness, the ambition for greatness between the both of us, it’ll always be there. So that’s what’s always gonna make it special. So that’s easy, that’s like insurance policy. When in doubt, throw me and him together.”
The Shield made their surprise debut in November 2012. The group’s original WWE run lasted until June 2014, when Seth Rollins betrayed his friends and joined The Authority. The following years saw the trio reuniting for a number of times. However, their final reunion took place in late 2018 after Jon Moxley chose not to renew his WWE contract. He subsequently left the promotion in April 2019 to join AEW in May.
Subscribe to Cheap Heat on Apple Podcasts & Spotify to listen to the full interview. Please credit SEScoops for h/t if you use any quotes from this article.
WWE returns to Madison Square Garden in New York City Friday, September 10th for a live SmackDown TV taping. Tickets go on sale Friday, July 9 at 10 AM ET at Ticketmaster.
Jim Ross is the voice of wrestling, for many fans. He has been there for many iconic moments for several different organizations through the years. However, being a veteran of anything does not make you immune to errors.
Since making the move over to AEW, Jim Ross has made a couple of blunders, but none quite so large as at the end of this week’s AEW Dynamite. JR accidentally referred to the show by the wrong company moniker just as they were going off the air.
As the show was going off the air Good ‘ol JR said “Tickets available at AEWtix.com. Folks, there’s nothing in your life that will top seeing a live WWE Dynamite,”
It is an easy mistake to make, especially for a man who has been in the business for so long. Especially when thinking about how many years he spent in WWE before joining AEW.
Naturally, fans were quick to jump on the error, many raising questions as to whether Jim Ross would face repercussions for his faux pas. Not one to hide from things, Jim Ross took to Twitter to address his slip of the tongue.
Yep I apparently made an untimely error tonight at shows end.
There were also those that came to JR’s defence, including Busted Open Radio host David LaGreca, who also took to social media to voice his support for the legendary voice of wrestling.
Listen mistakes happen. Believe me I'm sure ill make a ton tomorrow on the air my first day back from vacation. @JRsBBQ is a f**king legend. THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
Jim Ross has been with AEW since its inception and is widely regarded as being the best commentator in the business. Usually flanked on commentary by Tony Schiavone and Excalibur, he has seen AEW through the pandemic era and back out onto the road.
Mistakes in the commentary booth are common, with all of the different AEW team members making them frequently. However, they do seem to stick longer when uttered by Jim Ross.
