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Bully Ray: Eddie Kingston Should “Stay In His Lane” & Stop Bashing WWE

Chris Stephens
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Bully Ray thinks Eddie Kingston needs to “stay in his lane” following comments the AEW wrestler made about WWE recently. Kingston cut a promo following Dynamite this weekend and had some disparaging things to say regarding WWE. He said later, however, that he was just trying to support AEW.

Bully Ray responded to Kingston’s comments recently on Busted Open Radio.

“Eddie Kingston needs to s**t the f**k up and stay in his lane,” Bully said after spending a minute complimenting him. “And his lane is as an AEW guy speaking about AEW and flying the flag for AEW. Then I’m completely on board. Tell me how great AEW is, fly the flag for your company, show me you wear your heart on your sleeve.”

“Don’t take the easy way out and knock the WWE because if you go back and you listen to the fans, they really didn’t pop that hard when he took a jab at WWE.”

Bully Ray continued to say, however, that he understands it when former WWE guys Cody and Jericho take shots at WWE but not Eddie. “If Cody wants to destroy a throne, I get it. If Jericho wants to say F-U, I get it. But Eddie? Why?”

Eddie Kingston’s “Other Channel” Promo

Following Dynamite last Saturday, Kingston got on the microphone and complimented AEW while taking some shots at WWE.

“Because the competition sometimes doesn’t want to hear their fans,” Kingston said. “Well, I guess I’m burning another bridge, surprise. Ladies and gentlemen, AEW cares about their fans. We are not here just to get ourselves a paycheck.”

He was later interviewed by Wrestle Zone and clarified his comments, however.

“Relax, relax. I expect people from the other joint if they’re allowed to mention our names. They’ll probably do the same thing cause you know what I mean? They want their home team to win. It’s just like the NFL or Major League Baseball, man. You wanna go with your home team, AEW’s my team. That’s my squad.”

Response to Bully Ray’s Comments

Bully Ray’s comments have garnered some strong reactions online.

The IIconics Reveal Visa Issues Following WWE Release

Jake Skudder
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The former Billie Kay and Peyton Royce, known in WWE as The IIconics, recently revealed that they are unable to work in the United States due to their visa status following their release from WWE.

Speaking on Renee Paquette’s Oral Sessions podcast, the now Cassie Lee and Jessica McKay revealed how they aren’t earning from their own podcast and are just using it as a way to stay relevant in wrestling and keep their profile out with fans.

“The difficult thing for us is, we still don’t have our green cards, so we’re not allowed to work until we get those or until we find sponsorship anywhere else” Cassie Lee would begin on Oral Sessions. “We’re so excited; we have all this freedom and so many ideas, but pump the brakes because we can’t do any of it.”

The IIconics on Visa Issues

“The podcast, we’re not making any money off of it” Lee continued. “It’s purely to get our name out there and stay relevant. It’s been tough just knowing we have all these things we want to do but can’t do it.”

“People are like, ‘What are going to do now?’ Well, nothing, because I can’t legally work in the country and people think that you apply for the green card and it comes in the mail” Billie Kay/Jessica McKay then added, explaining the awkward situation that the pair are in, being from Australia.

“This stuff takes years and we’ve been through the wringer with this, getting stuff denied and switching the process because of the pandemic. It keeps backing up, year after year. We’re almost there, but almost there could still be a year away” Billie McKay would then conclude.

It has been rumored that the pair are on the radar of AEW, with the former Peyton Royce’s AEW star husband Shawn Spears saying publicly that he wants the tag team to go All Elite.

The duo are currently sitting out their non-compete clauses and will be able to sign with another national promotion at that point.

Renee Paquette Reveals WWE Offered To Help Jon Moxley With Injury

Chris Stephens
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Things aren’t always contentious between WWE and talent that have left the company. Renee Paquette spoke about this recently on her Oral Sessions podcast. During the show, Paquette revealed that WWE offered to help Jon Moxley with an injury after he had left the company.

“Even when Jon left, there was times that Hunter pulled me aside because Jon was injured when he came back from New Japan. Hunter kept checking in to make sure that Jon was okay. If he needed anything, they would have been able to help him in any kind of capacity.”

“So it was nice to know that, that olive branch was still extended, and it wasn’t that heat-seeking thing that everybody thinks that it is. We’ve all spent so much time together and nothing bad went down.”

Chelsea Green On WWE Helping Her Recover From Injury

Renee’s comments are similar to some made recently by Chelsea Green. The former “Hot Mess” revealed on her podcast that she was rehabilitating an injury at the WWE Performance Center despite having been released this spring. Granted, in Green’s case her injury occurred in a WWE ring.

“I reached out to WWE and they were kind enough to let me come into the Performance Center and use their Physical Therapist, and rehab my arm. Thank God. I’m very thankful for that because the injury happened in a WWE ring, so even though I was released, they still take care of that injury, thank God.”

H/T to Essentially Sports for the transcriptions.

Mercedes Martinez Taken To Hospital Following Injury On NXT

Chris Stephens
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Last night on NXT, Xia Li connected with a kick to Mercedes Martinez that seemed to knock her out. Martinez got her shoulder up awkwardly on the pin attempt but the ref called for the bell shortly after it became clear she was hurt.

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Tweeted out shortly after the incident that Martinez was helped to the back and would be taken to hospital for further evaluation.

“Mercedes Martinez was checked in the back and talent/staff were told she’s headed to the hospital for further evaluation,” he Tweeted. No further updates on her condition are currently available.

https://twitter.com/RicardoESegarra/status/1410050938233049092

Below is the clip again in slow motion:

https://twitter.com/TheLouisDangoor/status/1410148904067289089

Mercedes Martinez On NXT Women’s Division

Martinez recently spoke to Solo Wrestling about the NXT Women’s Division.

“From what I’ve seen, and from being a part of NXT right now, it’s a family atmosphere, it really is. When it comes to the women’s division, we don’t bring each other down. We really do bring each other up. Each woman’s success is the success of others. When one rises to the top, she brings everybody with her. And that’s really what I love about the NXT Women’s division… the Women’s roster on NXT is untouchable, I can tell you that.”

“I’ve been around a long time and these girls really, really put in the work. And with the facilities at the performance center it’s really top notch at this point.”

Isaiah Scott Wins WWE NXT North American Title

Andrew Ravens
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Isaiah Scott turned out to be the man to dethrone Bronson Reed as the WWE NXT North American Champion. 

It happened on Tuesday’s episode of NXT TV on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center.  Scott challenged Reed for the strap in the main event. 

After Reed dominated early, Scott took over until the end. There was some outside interference as Reed tossed Top Dolla through the barricade. Once he got back into the ring, he ate a big boot then Scott hit a 450 splash off the top rope for the win. 

This marks the first title reign for Scott since he joined NXT. 

Reed became the North American Champion when he defeated Johnny Gargano in a steel cage match over a month ago.  Reed’s previous title defense came when he teamed up with  NXT Tag Team Champions MSK (Wes Lee & Nash Carter) to retain their titles by beating Legado del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde) at the WWE NXT TakeOver:  In Your House event earlier this month. 

In recent weeks, Reed has been working dark matches on the main roster at Raw and SmackDown TV events just like NXT Champion Karrion Kross. 

WWE officials are having these stars do tryouts to see if they want to call them up for the Draft later this summer.

WWE NXT Results (6/29): Triple Threat Match, Face-Off, Title Change

Andrew Ravens
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The June 29, 2021 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center. 

WWE NXT Results 

  • Zoey Stark & Io Shirai def. Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez and Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart.
  • Roderick Strong def. Asher Hale.
  • Cameron Grimes def. Ari Sterling.
  • Isaiah “Swerve” Scott def. Bronson Reed to win North American Title

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

North American Title Match

nxt 1 2

A late addition to the card was Bronson Reed defending the North American Title against Isiah Scott. This was the main event of the show. 

Reed got the advantage in the early going. Scott took over in the middle of the match and dominated the champion. They did some near falls to tease Scott winning. Scott went for a big boot, but Reed hit him with a clothesline. Reed followed up with a big samoan drop. 

Top Dolla charged at Reed, who tossed him through the barricade. Back in the ring, Scott kicked him in the head then hit a 450 splash for the win. 

Karrion Kross-Johnny Gargano Feud Continues

nxt 1 1

Johnny Gargano attacked NXT Champion Karrion Kross in the backstage area. This led to Kross coming out to the ring to cut a promo where he dared Gargano to come out to the ring. 

Gargano did just that and said that he’s not afraid of Kross. Gargano said Kross jumped him last week like a coward and this week he will beat him at his own game. Gargano said that he has actual talent unlike Kross. Austin Theory attacked Kross from behind. Kross cleared the ring and was about to throw steel steps on Gargano until security broke it up. Gargano landed a superkick to Kross. There was an intense staredown between Kross and Samoa Joe before Kross walked away. 

Later in the show, Gargano and Theory tried to attack Kross in the parking lot, but Kross laid them both out. 

Diamond Mine Follow-Up

nxt 1

The Diamond Mine made their debut as a group last week after the match between Johnny Gargano and Kushida. The group consists of Roderick Strong, Tyler Rust, Malcolm Bivens and another mysterious Superstar. 

WWE announced that fans would find out more on this show. So what happened? Strong worked in a singles match. 

It was a one-sided win for Strong, who worked even more technical than in the past. Strong won with an arm submission. 

Bivens said that Diamond Mine is open for business and this is just the beginning. 

Cameron Grimes Returns To Action

meme 2 2

Cameron Grimes was back in action against Ari Sterling. Grimes won the short match with his finisher. 

Grimes has been feuding with LA Knight that resulted in him losing a ladder match to Knight with the Million Dollar Title on the line. This was done after WWE brought in Ted Debiase and the two NXT stars feuded to become the new Million Dollar Man. Once Knight won the title, he turned on the WWE Hall of Famer. 

Post-match, Knight came out and was about to start talking about Ted. Grimes interrupted him and told him to get down to the ring. Grimes challenged Knight to a match for the title. Kight declined his challenge and said Grimes didn’t deserve it. Knight said the title has a lot of power, but one thing is missing. He said that he is the million dollar megatar. 

Knight said he’d put the title on the line and if Grimes loses then Grimes becomes his butler. Grimes agreed to it. It will take place at Great American Bash. 

Tag Team Match

meme 3 1

Mercedes Martinez and Jake Atlas vs. Xia Li and Boa in a tag team match took place. 

Martinez  lost Li at NXT TakeOver: In Your House, but after the match, she was attacked by the mystery 1000 year-old-won. Last week after Martinez scored a win, Li and Boa attacked her until Atlas came out to make the save. Thus, this match was booked. 

The babyfaces put up a decent fight, but it was Li, who hit a head kick for the win. 

Face-Off

meme 1 3

Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher did a face-off with NXT Tag Team Champions MSK ahead of their Great American Bash match next week. 

The segment saw them sit in chairs and talk trash. Ciampa said that everyone knows that there’s no one like him to elevate a title. MSK said that they respect them and they hear the talk. MSK said that Ciampa and Thatcher are the challengers and they will know why MSK are the tag team champions. MSK slapped the challengers, but Ciampa held back Thatcher. 

Ciampa said that tonight MSK got a free one and next week they won’t be so lucky. They had a staredown to end the segment. 

Triple Threat Match

meme 6

Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon vs. Io Shirai and Zoey Stark vs. Dakota Kai and NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez took place with the stipulation that the winners will challenge NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell at Great American Bash next week. 

This match was booked after a brawl between Shirai & Stark, Gonzalez & Kai, and Blackheart & Moon took place last week. On that same show, Shirai & Stark defeated Aliyah & Jessi Kamea then there was a confrontation between LeRae & Hartwell and Shirai & Stark. Gonzalez & Kai and Blackheart & Moon came out to argue as to why they should get a title shot. 

These ladies worked hard in the opening match of the show and everyone had shining moments. Io hit her top rope finisher for the win by pinning Kai. 

WWE NXT Breakout Tournament Announced

Andrew Ravens
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WWE is bringing back the NXT Breakout Tournament this year. The company held matches before Tuesday’s NXT episode.

There were qualifying matches with the winners earning spots in the tournament. Those bouts were Guru Raaj vs. Andre Chase, and Desmond Troy vs. Joe Gacy. WWE has confirmed that the tournament will start in two weeks. 

Chase is the new ring name for indie star Harlem Bravado after he signed with WWE back in February while Raaj (Laxmi Kant Rajpoot) signed with WWE back in January 2020. He made his promotional debut at a February 2020 NXT live event then lost to Finn Balor at the WWE Superstar Spectacle event back in January 2021.

Chase is the new ring name for indie star Harlem Bravado, who signed with WWE back in February. Raaj (Laxmi Kant Rajpoot) signed with WWE back in January 2020 and debuted in six-man action at a February 2020 NXT live event. He also lost to Finn Balor at the WWE Superstar Spectacle event back in January.

Troy is the former Desmond Dejournette, who worked in NXT and the main roster in 2019 and 2020. He signed with WWE in 2018. Gacy, a former CZW Champion and EVOLVE star, signed in the same October 2020. 

He was part of the same Performance Center Class that featured Leon Ruff, Josh Briggs, Julius Creed, Curt Stallion, August Grey, Skyler Storie, and referee Jake Clemons.

The first tournament took place in 2019 that featured some notable stars including Angel Garza, Dexter Lumis, Boa, Cameron Grimes, Joaquin Wilde, Isaiah “Swerve” Scott and current NXT North American Champion Bronson Reed. 

Jordan Myles, also known as ACH, ended up winning the tournament.

WWE Raw Ratings Sink Against Strong NBA Competition (6/28)

Andrew Ravens
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Monday’s edition of WWE Raw averaged 1.570 million viewers with a 0.41 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic. This is down from last week’s 1.719 million viewers and the 0.49 rating. 

Here are the viewership numbers for each demo, courtesy of Brandon Thurston of WrestleNomics:

  • P2+ (total viewers): 1570 (-7%)
  • P18-49: 535 (-14%)
  • P18-34: 342 (-0%)
  • M18-49: 193 (-16%)
  • F18-49: 212 (-11%)
  • M18-34: 124 (-5%)
  • F18-34: 88 (+9%)
  • P35-49: 323 (-18%)
  • M35-49: 218 (-16%)
  • F35-49: 105 (-20%)

WWE faced strong NBA Playoff competition as the game did over 5 million viewers, which resulted in Raw doing its third-lowest total viewership on record and the second-lowest 18-49 audience. It was also the second-lowest viewed episode of the year. 

This episode featured Elias vs. Jaxson Ryker in a Strap Match, Raw Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley, Dana Brooke & Mandy Rose vs. WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Natalya, Tamina Snuka & Charlotte Flair, and Randy Orton vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Raw Tag Team Champion AJ Styles in a Last Chance Money in the Bank Qualifying Match.

SmackDown Viewership

The episode drew an average of 1.859 million viewers in the overnight ratings, down from the previous week that did 1.928 million viewers. In the 18-49 demographic, it did a 0.54 rating, which was the same as the 0.54 rating the week before.  The final ratings were 1.971 million viewers, down from last week’s 2.045 million viewers.

WWE Files Trademark For Baron Corbin’s Potential New Name

Andrew Ravens
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It’s looking more likely that WWE is moving away from Baron Corbin’s king character and going towards a new character for him. 

WWE has filed a trademark for “Happy Corbin.” This may end up being his new name going forward after going by the name “King Corbin.”

This comes after WWE released a video on social media last week after SmackDown where Corbin was seen unhappy and despondent about losing his crown following a program with Shinsuke Nakamura

In the clip, Corbin was asked if he feels that his career is slipping away from him in addition to it being noted that he lost “hundreds of thousands of dollars” on investments when he was still “a wealthy man” but that is no longer the case.

It should be noted that WWE had King Corbin’s name reverted back to Baron Corbin on the official WWE website following his loss to Nakamura and he’s also changed it on social media.  Perhaps, when the storyline reaches the point where Corbin has validated himself again, he will go by this name. 

Old school fans may recall WCW doing an angle in the early 90s with Diamond Dallas Page where he “lost everything” to the point where he was homeless and had to rebuild himself.

Seth Rollins & Becky Lynch Get Married

Andrew Ravens
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Seth Rollins announced that he was marrying Becky Lynch on Tuesday. 

The former WWE Universal Champion took to his Instagram Stories where he showed photos of the couple somewhere tropical. In one of the photos, he wrote in the caption, “Seems like a fine day to (finally) get married.”

seth becky

WWE confirmed Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins are getting married today, June 29th:

The WWE couple announced their engagement back on August 22, 2019 then Lynch revealed her first pregnancy on May 11, 2020 and gave birth to their daughter, named Roux, on December 4, 2020. 

Lynch previously stated that their wedding was supposed to take place in May 2020, but that was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rollins has been in a program with Cesaro on Friday Night SmackDown over the past few weeks. On the flip side, it’s been reported that the former Raw Women’s Champion is preparing for her in-ring return. She’s been backstage at some recent WWE shows and spotted training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida to get back into ring shape. 

It’s speculated that WWE is holding off on her return since they will be resuming to live event touring on July 16th. Perhaps her return will lead to another big match being added to SummerSlam to help sell tickets to the stadium show. 

Ronda Rousey and Travis Browne Reveal The Sex Of Their Baby

Chris Stephens
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Ronda Rousey and Travis Browne revealed in April that they are expecting their first child. Rousey said her pregnancy dates back to January so the couple is likely looking at a September birth. Today, Rousey and Browne posted a YouTube video to reveal the sex of their baby.

“Our gender reveal is finally here! We didn’t want to do anything that would set hundreds of acres ablaze or thousands even, some people are idiots. We didn’t want to do that so we are keeping it simple, we are keeping it safe, we are keeping it Browsey Acres style,” Ronda said to begin the video.

An animated video then revealed the couple are expecting a girl.

Rousey spoke to ESPN shortly after WrestleMania 35 and revealed her plans to have a family.

“I’ve not kept it a secret that I would definitely want to start a family,” Rousey said. “But how do you go about doing that? I love this way more than I thought that I would. So do you just keep going until you just happen to get pregnant? Or should you stop and go try and get pregnant? Or is going and trying to get pregnant putting yourself on the spot and then you’re less likely to get pregnant?”

Ronda Rousey and Travis Brown revealed the sex of their baby in the below video:

Sonjay Dutt No Longer Working As A Producer In WWE

Chris Stephens
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WWE’s internal shakeups continue. Producer Sonjay Dutt is no longer with the company, as first reported by Fightful. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer adds that Dutt left on his own after asking to be released a couple weeks ago.

Dutt requested his release from Impact Wrestling in early 2019 and signed with WWE shortly after receiving it. The 39-year-old is a former X-Division Champion in TNA/Impact. Upon his retirement in 2019 was inducted into the CZW Hall of Fame as well.

Meltzer also reported that Canyon Ceman was also out as the Senior Vice President of Talent Development. However, WWE has denied Ceman’s release and Meltzer backtracked, calling it a “crazy story.”

Ceman has been with WWE since March of 2012. He is one of the most influential people behind the scenes, working closely with Superstars on their contracts and also scouting new talent for the company.

Prior to joining WWE, Canyon Ceman worked as an executive with the Association of Volleyball Professions after having playing pro volleyball for 14 years.

There have been numerous shakeups regarding WWE executives recently, however, including Mark Carrano’s release earlier this year.

Tommaso Ciampa Comments On Possibly Moving To WWE’s Main Roster

Chris Stephens
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Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher are currently a tag team in NXT. Ciampa recently was interviewed by PW Insider and was asked about possibly moving to WWE’s main roster.

“When I was a kid, I wanted like, ‘Oh, I want to be on WrestleMania and stuff.’ For sure, those were the goals. Because I was signed at 20, 21, and released, and then did a bunch of independents, and toured around the world, and just found myself and grew as a performer. It’s just all these different experiences I had, and it just became more about the journey than anything,” Ciampa said.

He would continue to say that it’s more about performing with talented wrestlers and building his legacy than it is about being on a specific show.

“The Raw brand is fantastic,” Ciampa continued. “Great roster, lots of talented men and women. Same thing with SmackDown, same thing with NXT. I’d love to get in there with everybody.”

Ciampa continued to talk about how he wants to build upon his legacy. and it doesn’t matter so much where he does so.

“It’s just more about me doing things that, I don’t know, help my own legacy at the end of it, that helped me, as a performer, grow and get better and stuff. There’s no door that’s closed, but at the same time, there’s no weird carrot that’s dangling in front of me, where I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s what I got to do.’ It’s just going with the flow of it all and making the most of every opportunity that’s presented to me, essentially.”

Triple H on Tommaso Ciampa Working Backstage in NXT

In 2019, Triple H spoke about Ciampa possibly working backstage in NXT after his in-ring career concludes.

“I’ll tell you, when the time is right, he’ll be a phenomenal coach,” Triple H said on After the Bell. “He’ll be a phenomenal backstage producer. We’re letting him get experienced in that now.”

“He’s picking up the things that we’re teaching him, and he’s putting it someplace else. And that’s gonna translate long-term in his career too.”

Kenny Omega, Others React To Jungle Boy & Anna Jay Make-Out Photo

Chris Stephens
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Yesterday, Jungle Boy Tweeted out a photo that showed him and the Dark Order’s Anna Jay in an embrace. Kenny Omega was not impressed. He took to Twitter to voice his dismay.

“Oh geez Louise…,” Omega Tweeted. “Is this the part where some loser out there tells me, “there are things in the world more important than titles”??

More People Respond To Jungle Boy and Anna Jay

The rather aesthetically gifted couple drew reactions from others online as well.

The Dark Order’s Colt Cabana was impressed with the new recruitment tactics the faction is using.

Tay Conti offered up the following reaction:

Then there was this response from MJF’s scarf:

Big Swole meanwhile, offered up several thoughts.

https://twitter.com/SwoleWorld/status/1409587078250205188

She continued to then debate with some fans about the PG-level of the pic.

https://twitter.com/SwoleWorld/status/1409596595335729153

“Dah! Put an asterisk on it cuz it’s still PG to me. Pending…” she continued.

Stu Grayson wants people to stop tagging him in the picture.

Evil Uno doesn’t understand it’s not Grayson in the picture with Anna.

NXT’s Jake Atlas offered up the following:

https://twitter.com/JakeAtlas_/status/1409619035101204486

Kenny Omega Title Defences

The win for Omega was his 5th successful title defence after winning the title at Winter is Coming on December 2nd, 2020. Omega has defeated Rey Fenix, Jon Moxley, Rich Swann (title for title in Impact), Orange Cassidy and PAC (Triple Threat), and now Jungle Boy.

Chris Jericho Returning to AEW Commentary Booth

Alex Laybourne
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It has been announced that Chris Jericho is returning to the commentary booth this week on AEW Dynamite. The leader of the Inner Circle is no stranger to the commentary booth, having filled in on numerous occasions in the past.

Chris Jericho broke the news on his Instagram channel. He drew particular attention to the scheduled match between his Inner Circle protégé Sammy Guevara and Pinnacle frontman MJF.

“I’m returning to the commentary desk this Wednesday for the entire duration of #AEWDynamite!! And I’m very Excited to have a front row seat for @sammyguevara vs @the_mjf!! Im expecting this to be one of the most heated…and best…matches in @allelitewrestling history!!,

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQrUV4wDuWo/

Chris Jericho Has Proven Himself on Commentary

There is no denying that Chris Jericho is one of the greatest wrestlers on the mic. His promos are some of the best in the business, as demonstrated during his recent feud with MJF. It’s not surprising therefore that Jericho has proven himself to be a natural in the commentary booth.

The character of Chris Jericho is a natural at both heel and face characters. Again, his journey in AEW has shown this, as he moved from the most hated to the most loved character on the show. This skill means Jericho could easily apply himself as the heel or face commentator depending on who is he paired with.

Father Time catches up with us all, and Chris Jericho’s time in the ring is reaching its end. Yet wrestling is in Jericho’s blood, and it looks almost certain a post-career in the commentary booth is in his future.

AEW has already said that one of the commentator’s for AEW Rampage will be an existing member of the AEW team. AEW could do a lot worse than having Chris Jericho fill that position.

WWE RAW Results (6/28): Last Chance MITB Qualifier, Battle Royal, Strap Match

Robert Lentini
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WWE RAW aired live from the ThunderDome in Tampa, Florida. Riddle, AJ Styles, and Drew McIntyre battled in a Last Chance Money in the Bank Qualifying Match in this week’s main event. Orton was originally scheduled to be in the match but was ruled out. Jaxson Ryker also faced Elias in a Strap Match tonight.

RAW Results (6/28)

  1. Riddle won the Battle Royal and will replace Randy Orton tonight in the Qualifying Match
  2. Nikki Cross def. Shayna Baszler
  3. Eva Marie & Doudrop def. Asuka & Naomi
  4. Ricochet vs. John Morrison ended in a double count out
  5. Charlotte, Natalya, Tamina def. Dana Brooke, Mandy Rose, Rhea Ripley
  6. Jaxson Ryker def. Elias in a Strap Match
  7. Drew McIntyre def. Riddle & AJ Styles to qualify for the MITB Ladder Match

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Riddle Will Replace Randy Orton In The Last Chance MITB Qualifying Match

Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville kicked off the show from backstage. They announced that Randy Orton is unable to compete tonight due to circumstances out of their control. There will be a Battle Royal tonight to determine who will take Orton’s place in the original scheduled last chance Qualifying Match (Orton vs. AJ Styles vs. Drew McIntyre). Riddle showed up with a letter he claimed was written by Orton. The letter said to give Riddle the spot in the qualifying match. Sonya and Pearce don’t believe Riddle and he then said he wants to be in the Battle Royal before riding off.

Shelton eliminated Gulak early but then got eliminated by Jinder Mahal. Mustafa Ali eliminated Garza and then threw Mansoor over the top rope after arguing with him. Jinder eliminated Tozawa and R-Truth and then Gulak pinned Tozawa to become the new 24/7 Champion. R-Truth then won the title only to lose it back to Tozawa. Omos made his way to the ring and eliminated the Viking Raiders as RAW went to a break.

When RAW returned, it was down to Damian Priest, Jeff Hardy, Cedric Alexander, Jinder Mahal, and Riddle. Priest quickly eliminated Mahal and traded punches with Hardy. Jeff hit Riddle and Priest with a Twist of Fate but Cedric eliminated him. Damian connected with Hit the Lights on Cedric and sent him over the top rope.

Riddle hit Priest with a German Suplex and applied a Sleeper Hold. Damian escaped and leveled Riddle with a Clothesline. They then battled to the apron and Riddle got back in the ring. Riddle hit a knee to the face to eliminate Priest. Riddle will now battle AJ Styles and Drew McIntyre later tonight in the Last Chance Money in the Bank Qualifying Match. Riddle posed like Orton after the victory.

Nikki Cross def. Shayna Baszler

Nikki Cross was interviewed backstage after Lucha House Party complimented her on the new superhero gimmick. Cross said she now has the courage to show up and delivered some inspiring words about how everyone has it inside of them. Nikki referred to herself as Nikki A.S.H. (Nikki Almost a Superhero)

Cross then squared off with Shayna Baszler. Nia Jax and Reginald were ringside. Baszler started off the match in control and connected with a shoulder tackle. Shayna followed it up with a Powerslam and bounced Nikki’s face off the turnbuckle. Nikki battled back with a Dropkick that knocked Baszler to the floor in front of Nia & Reginald. Alexa Bliss interrupted and came down to the entrance ramp with Lilly shown on the Jumbotron. Nikki capitalized on the distraction with a Crossbody onto Reginald, Nia, and Shayna as RAW went to a break.

When RAW returned, Cross connected with a Tornado DDT. Alexa then kicked Reginald and Nia Jax before leaving. Nikki battled back and rolled up Baszler (La Casita) for the pinfall victory.

Kofi Kingston Attacked MVP

Kofi Kingston came down to the ring and said that he hated he couldn’t do anything to help Xavier Woods last week as he was trapped inside the Hell in a Cell with Lashley and MVP. Kofi added that Woods showed what kind of competitor he is and it is time for everyone to put respond on Woods’ name. Kingston said Lashley won fair and square last week but what he did to Woods after the match was not okay.

Kingston vowed to take everything away from Lashley and win the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank. MVP and the models interrupted and MVP laughed at the idea of Kingston defeating Lashley at the PPV. MVP said Lashley was on vacation but wanted him to say that he enjoyed what he did to Woods last week and Woods deserved it.

MVP claimed that what Lesnar did to Kingston will be nothing compared to what Lashley does to him at Money in the Bank. Kingston poked fun at MVP for milking a knee injury for six months and MVP said that he hasn’t been cleared yet, and if he was he would come down to the ring and kick Kofi’s ass. Kingston rushed up the entrance ramp and leveled MVP with Trouble in Paradise. Kofi stood over MVP as the and yelled at him to end the segment.

Eva Marie & Doudrop Picked Up A Win

Asuka & Naomi faced Eva Marie & Doudrop tonight on RAW. Naomi connected with a kick on Doudrop and tagged in Asuka. Asuka hit a Dropkick off the top rope that knocked Doudrop to the canvas. Asuka hit a Hip Attack and followed it up with a kick to the head. Asuka got the Asuka Lock applied but Doudrop broke out of it. Doudrop went for the tag but Eva Marie hopped off the apron. Doudrop hit Asuka with a Senton, knocked Naomi off the apron and hit a Crossbody on Asuka for the pinfall victory.

Ricochet vs. John Morrison Ended In A Double Count Out

John Morrison faced Ricochet tonight on RAW. Ricochet sprayed them both with a dripstick before the match.

Ricochet controlled the action early and connected with a Body Slam. Ricochet followed it up with a Dropkick that knocked Morrison out of the ring. The Miz rolled in the way but Ricochet leaped off him and hit a Frankensteiner. Ricochet grabbed the dripstick from Miz and sprayed him again as RAW went to a break.

When RAW returned, Ricochet hit an elbow to the face and then a Clothesline for a near fall. Morrison hit a knee to the face and went for Starship Pain but Ricochet got out of the way. The action spilled out of the ring and Ricochet hit an insane Crossbody on Morrison over the barricade. Both superstars couldn’t make it back to the ring and the match ended in a double count out.

Charlotte, Tamina, Natalya Picked Up A Win

Charlotte Flair, Tamina, Natalya faced Rhea Ripley, Dana Brooke, Mandy Rose tonight on RAW. Before the match, Charlotte praised Natalya and Tamina backstage. The Women’s Tag Team Champions said it was time to give Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke their receipts.

Natalya went for the Sharpshooter early but Mandy Rose was able to escape. Dana tagged in and connected with a Clothesline for a near fall. Tamina tagged in and Dana hit her with a Dropkick. Charlotte tagged in and continued to beat Brooke down. Charlotte taunted Ripley until eventually the RAW Women’s Champion was able to tag in.

Ripley attacked Flair and leveled her with a Clothesline. Natalya tagged in and rolled up Rhea for a two count. Mandy and Dana beat Natalya down until Tamina broke it up. Ripley attacked Tamina but Charlotte caught Rhea with a chop block to the knee. Charlotte tagged in and Mandy didn’t see it. Mandy hit Natalya with a knee to the head but turned around into a big boot from Charlotte for the pinfall victory. After the match, Ripley got some revenge and hit Flair with a chop block and taunted her.

Jaxson Ryker def. Elias In A Strap Match

Jaxson Ryker battled Elias in a Strap Match this week. Elias went right after Ryker and beat him down in the corner. The action spilled to the outside and Elias whipped Jaxson with the strap before launching him into the steel steps. Ryker battled back and sent Elias into the ring post.

Back in the ring, Ryker whipped Elias with the strap several times. Elias hit a knee to the face and went for the cover but Ryker powered out at two. Jaxson beat Elias down some more and then connected with a Side Slam for the pinfall victory.

Drew McIntyre Qualified For The MITB Ladder Match

AJ Styles, Riddle, and Drew McIntyre battled in a Last Chance MITB Qualifying Match. McIntyre leveled Riddle with a boot to the face and sent Styles to the corner. McIntyre hit a couple Belly to Belly Suplexes and leveled Styles with a Clothesline. Riddle planted Styles with a Suplex on the floor outside the ring but then was on the receiving end of a Suplex from McIntyre. AJ caught Drew with an Enziguri and then teamed up with Riddle to slam McIntyre through the announce table as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Styles and Riddle were battling in the ring. Styles connected with an Enziguri and went to work on Riddle’s leg. Styles locked in a submission hold and Riddle reached the ropes but there are no rope breaks in a Triple Threat. Styles kept the hold locked in and then hit a Brainbuster for a two count.

Styles stomped on McIntyre outside the ring but got caught with a Draping DDT from Riddle as he tried to get back in the ring. Riddle set up for an RKO but Styles countered for another two count. AJ went for the Styles Clash but Riddle was able to break free.

McIntyre dragged AJ outside and threw him into the barricade and then the apron. McIntyre beat the hell out of Riddle in the ring and bounced his head off the turnbuckle several times. Drew connected with an inverted Alabama Slam and went for the Claymore but Riddle got out of the way. McIntyre wound up tumbling over the top rope and to the floor. Styles leveled Drew with a forearm to the face but Riddle hit him with a knee to the face. Riddle then hit a Moonsault onto both superstars.

Riddle set up Styles against the steel steps and went for a kick but AJ got out of the way and Riddle booted the steps with his bare foot. Riddle yelled that his foot was broken and the referee called for the medical staff. Riddle claimed that he was fine and could continue but the medical staff helped him to the back as RAW went to a break.

When RAW returned, Styles connected with an Ushigoroshi and went for the cover but McIntyre kicked out. Riddle made his way back down to the ring with a taped ankle and got Styles in a Sleeper Hold. Styles broke free and went for the Phenomenal Forearm but Riddle countered with a knee to the face. Riddle hit the RKO but couldn’t go for the cover because Omos dragged AJ to the outside. McIntyre then hit Riddle with the Claymore for the pinfall victory to earn a spot in the men’s MITB Ladder Match. McIntyre posed on the turnbuckle to end the show.

Final Raw Competitor Confirmed For Men’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match

Andrew Ravens
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WWE held the last Raw qualifying match to determine the final participant from the red brand for the men’s Money in the Bank Ladder match on Monday’s episode of Raw.

Randy Orton vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Raw Tag Team Champion AJ Styles was supposed to take place in a triple threat match with the winner advancing to the men’s ladder match. 

WWE did an opening segment where it was revealed that Orton couldn’t make it to the show to work so he was out of the three way bout. Riddle, who is Orton’s tag team partner, said if he won a battle royal to determine who would replace Orton in a triple threat match then he would work the three-way bout on the behalf of Orton. Riddle went over in the battle royal. 

The triple threat served as the main event with McIntyre going over when he hit the Claymore Kick to Riddle. He had just finished up a program with WWE Champion Bobby Lashley at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event. As a result of the stipulation for the bout, McIntyre can’t challenge Lashley for the title as long as Lashley is the champion. 

Ricochet, Matt Riddle, John Morrison, and SmackDown’s Big E have already been confirmed for the ladder match. Three more SmackDown stars will be added to the bout in the coming days. 

Damian Priest Returns To Action On WWE Raw

Andrew Ravens
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Damian Priest made his return to in-ring action on Monday Night Raw. He did so by competing in an over-the-top-rope battle royal to determine who would replace Randy Orton in a triple threat match later in the show with the winner advancing to the men’s Money in the Bank Ladder match.

Priest has been missing from WWE TV for over a month due to an injury. The final four were Riddle, Cedric Alexander, Priest, and Jeff Hardy. The finish saw Alexander eliminate Hardy, Priest eliminate Alexander, and Riddle eliminated Priest with a kick. 

Priest reportedly suffered a back injury before WrestleMania 37, which caused concerns as to whether he could work his tag match with Bad Bunny against The Miz and John Morrison at the pay-per-view event. 

It was such a concern that WWE went to the point where they had advertised Bunny vs. Miz in a singles match before going back to the original plans for the tag team match.

Priest ended his feud with The Miz at WrestleMania Backlash where they worked a Zombie Lumberjack match. In that same match, Miz suffered either a fully torn or partially torn ACL. 

Priest then disappeared from TV. It was recently reported that Priest would be returning soon and he did just that.

More AEW Stars Announced for AAA TripleMania XXIX

Jake Skudder
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AAA has confirmed that All Elite Wrestling stars Penta El Zero M and Rey Fenix will return at TripleMania XXIX to defend their AAA World Tag Team Titles.

In today’s TripleMania press conference, the company confirmed that the Lucha Bros will be defending their belts in a triple threat tag team match against Laredo Kid & Hijo del Vikingo, plus Black Taurus with a mystery partner.

Penta El Zero M and Rey Fenix won the AAA World Tag Team Titles back in June 2019, where they defeated current AEW Tag Champs The Young Bucks. The Lucha Bros have defended the titles on three occasions since the win, twice in 2019 and in December 2020 at TripleMania XXVIII.

The TripleMania XXVIII match was also a triple threat; with the Lucha Bros defending successfully against Myzteziz Jr. and Octagon Jr., and Rey Escorpion and Texano Jr.

Here’s the currently confirmed card for TripleMania XXVIII on Saturday, August 14 from Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico City, Mexico:

  • Mask vs. Hair Match – Psycho Clown vs. Rey Escorpión
  • AAA Mega Championship Match – Kenny Omega (c) vs Andrade El Idolo
  • Champion vs. Champion Match – IMPACT Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo vs. AAA Reina de Reinas Champion Faby Apache
  • AAA World Tag Team Championship Match – Hijo del Vikingo and Laredo Kid vs. Black Taurus and a partner TBA vs. Rey Fenix and Penta El Zero M (c)
  • Murder Clown, Chessman and Pagano vs. Puma King and two partners TBA
  • Copa Bardahl – Drago, Mamba, Mr. Iguana and other competitors TBA
  • Marvel’s Lucha Libre Exhibition – Participants and characters TBA

Davey Richards Reveals Why He Chose MLW Over Other ‘Bigger’ Promotions

Jake Skudder
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0

New MLW Davey Richards recently spoke to WrestlingINC’s Nick Hausman. The former ROH star discussed a number of topics during the interview, including why he chose to sign with Major League Wrestling over some of the ‘bigger’ name promotions out there.

“I was blown away, quite frankly, when I announced I was going to return that a lot of the bigger name promotions reached out,” Davey Richards began. “I was very, very humbled by that. I’ve always looked at wrestling as more of a sport than entertainment. I think you should be so good at wrestling that it is entertaining. It’s just my philosophy and my opinion.”

Davey Richards on MLW

“MLW was really in line with that way of thinking in how they present their product” Davey Richards admitted. “It’s more sports-oriented. It was a really organic fit. It just clicked right off the bat, more than the other places at this time. It was really an easy decision to be quite frank. I’m really excited for July 10 and beyond.”

Davey Richards also listed some of the MLW talent that he is interested in facing as he begins his run with the company. “I think it’s gonna be a good fit. Tom Lawlor, Hammerstone, Jacob Fatu, there’s some good stuff there. There’s gonna be some magic, so I’m excited.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oalFqu7tzd8

Vince McMahon To Scout Talent At The Performance Center This Week

Andrew Ravens
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0

Vince McMahon is headed to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida to scout talent. 

WWE’s Chairman and CEO will be there to visit this week, according to a report at Fightful. Thursday is the most likely date for McMahon’s visit. This is part of a major scouting effort to replenish the main roster with NXT talent. 

WWE has cut various wrestlers over the last few months in addition to having repetitive matches on TV and it appears the company feels like they need some new faces on the main roster. In recent weeks, other top executives that have been at the Performance Center such as Bruce Prichard and John Laurinaitis to scout talent.

NXT talent has been backstage at Raw and SmackDown shows to wrestle dark matches and evaluations by WWE officials. NXT Champion Karrion Kross and NXT North American Champion Bronson Reed competed in matches that were taped for WWE Main Event last week. 

Scarlett, who has been Kross’s manager on NXT, wasn’t with him for his dark matches, but she competed in a dark match against Shotzi Blackheart, who is a former NXT Women’s Tag Team Champion with Ember Moon, at last Friday’s SmackDown. 

Kross, Scarlett, and Blackheart are all backstage at Monday’s Raw to work matches. The belief is WWE is trying out these wrestlers to see if they want to call-up the NXT stars to the main roster when the Draft takes place after SummerSlam.

WWE Las Vegas Tryout Application Reveals Ideal Superstar Traits

Kristen Ashly
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The application to participate in WWE’s upcoming Las Vegas tryout camp reveals unique details about what the company looks for in prospective recruits.

Earlier this month, WWE announced they would hold a multi-day talent tryout in Las Vegas as part of SummerSlam week, hoping to find “the next generation of Superstars”.

On Monday, WWE announced they were accepting applications by releasing a promo that featured Mandy Rose, who shares her pre-WWE resume, before inviting interested parties to apply at the link in the tweet.

When initially opened, the application asks for basic information before sending the applicant to the meat of the questionnaire. Included are basic questions on contact information and physical build, as well as questions on experience within wrestling.

Also included in the question set, however, are questions that ask the applicant to describe any acting and public speaking experience, their nearest airport city, if they have any military and/or athletic background, and if they speak any other foreign languages; all questions indicative of the type of person WWE looks for when choosing their next Superstar.

Applicants are also able to describe what type of background best fits their experience by choosing “athlete”, “wrestler”, “referee”, or “other”; indicating that WWE is not only considering wrestlers during the SummerSlam tryouts.

It’s well known that WWE considers themselves a “Sports Entertainment” company, rather that just a wrestling promotion. The tryout application confirms this by making allowances for those who have skills other than wrestling.

WWE’s invite-only Las Vegas tryouts are scheduled for SummerSlam week, from Wednesday, August 18 to Friday, August 20.

SummerSlam takes place Sunday, August 21st from Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada.

Nick Khan Wants Las Vegas To Be A Major Destination For Wrestling

Michael Reichlin
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WWE President Nick Khan wants to see Las Vegas, Nevada become one of the premiere wrestling cities in the United States.

WWE is gearing up to invade the Vegas area later this summer. SummerSlam will take place on Sunday, August 21st from the new Allegiant Stadium.

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Based on what we’ve been hearing in recent weeks, WWE is hoping to make SummerSlam bigger than ever this year with a loaded card and “all hands on deck.”

During an interview with the Las Vegas Sun, Nick Khan touted Vegas a world-class destination for live sporting events. The city has a long list of venues, including the MGM Grand Garden Arena, the Mandalay Bay Events Center, the Thomas & Mack Center, the T-Mobile Arena and more.

“There’s a surge of sports in Las Vegas and the mistake I think the sports world was making previously is looking at the local market without seeing the hundreds of millions of tourism dollars every year. With the NFL’s 16, now 17-week season, you’re figuring if the home games can attract enough out-of-town fans, and that’s easy. It makes all the sense in the world.”

WWE and Las Vegas city officials are betting that SummerSlam will provide another boost to the city’s reputation a destination for sports. Khan noted that Allegiant Stadium is close to the strip, which makes it easily accessible.

Visit the Las Vegas Sun to read the full interview with Nick Khan.

PROGRESS World Champion Cara Noir Opens Training School

Jake Skudder
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0

PROGRESS Wrestling World Champion Cara Noir has opened his own training school in London. The PlayFight school in London will be run by the man himself to help establish a new crop of talent in British pro wrestling.

In a recent press release, Tom Dawkins/Cara Noir would outlay how the new school would work:

Take your wrestling to the next level in the best-equipped independent wrestling studio in the world.

Drawing on a teaching method of Isolate, Integrate, Improvise & Experiment, we’ve created a 3-grade training system for the teaching of professional wrestling. By grading students in a similar way to that of martial arts, our intention is to ensure the progression & safety of our athletes at all times.

Check out more information about the PlayFight London school here.

Cara Noir

Cara Noir has been at the top of British wrestling since winning the PROGRESS World Title early last year. Prior to that, The Black Swan had established himself as a name on the independent scene due to his unique presentation and matches with some of the biggest names in BritWres.

Cara’s debut PROGRESS Chapter match against Pete Dunne and his star making turn against PAC from RIPTIDE Wrestling are two of the more prominent matches in the Brit’s career.

You can check out the incredible match against AEW star PAC below:

Jungle Boy Posts Photo Making Out With Anna Jay

Michael Reichlin
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0

AEW stars Jungle Boy and Anna Jay of the Dark Order appear to be more than “just friends.”

Jungle Boy had an impressive showing against AEW World Champion Kenny Omega this past weekend on Saturday Night Dynamite. Omega retained the gold, but Jack Perry showed once again that he can hang in the main events.

On Monday, Jungle Boy posted this photo of himself making out with Anna Jay outside Jacksonville’s TIAA Bank Field stadium.

Colt Cabana replied to the tweet and jokingly asked Anna Jay if this was her way of trying to recruit Jungle Boy to the Dark Order.

Anna Jay’s Road Back To AEW

Anna Jay has been out of action since February dealing with a shoulder injury that required surgery. At the time, AEW announced that she’s expected to miss 6-12 months of action.

Anna Jay recently tweeted that she “can’t wait to get back in the ring.” Late July would be 6-months from the time of her injury, so she could be back in action as early as next month.

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