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WWE NXT Results (6/22): Kushida vs. Kyle O’Reilly, The Diamond Mind Is Open

Andrew Ravens
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The June 22, 2021 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center. 

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

WWE NXT Results 

  • Adam Cole def. Carmelo Hayes.
  • Io Shirai & Zoey Stark def. Jessi Kamea & Aliyah.
  • Johnny Gargano & Austin Theory def. Pete Dunne & Oney Lorcan.
  • Franky Monet def. Elektra Lopez
  • Hit Row (Ashante ‘Thee’ Adonis & Top Dolla) def. Ever-Rise (Chase Parker & Matt Martel).
  • Kyle O’Reilly def. Kushida

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

The Way Speaks/We Got A Match

gargano

Johnny Gargano and Austin Theory came out. Gargano said that they need a new NXT Champion and they don’t need Karrion Kross. Instead, they need him because he’s a respectable family man.

He said that he outclassed Kross at TakeOver: In Your House and everyone knows that he can outwrestle Kross. 

This led to Pete Dunne coming out with Oney Lorcan. Gargano said that they are rules for a reason and they are good people so they won’t fight. Gargano and Theory left the ring before Theory told Dunne that he was watching him. Dunne twisted his fingers and Theory sold it. 

In a backstage segment, Gargano and Theory want William Regal to do something about so a match was booked. The Way went over clean. Post-match, Kross attacked Gargano.

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1407508273520156677

Adam Cole In Action

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Adam Cole opened the show with a promo about how he won’t pick his own opponent because he is the king of NXT. He said that he will embarrass Kyle O’Reilly at NXT Great American Bash.

He said that no one will change his mind. This led to Carmelo Hayes coming out. Hayes cut a promo about how if anyone is going to change Cole’s mind, it will be him. Hayes did John Cena’s “Ruthless Aggression” promo spot before slapping Cole. A match broke out. 

This was a fun back and forth match with Cole dominating the majority of it with Hayes having bursts of offense. Cole won with the panama sunrise. 

This was done to further promote Cole’s match with O’Reilly’ at the NXT Great American Bash special. Originally, WWE had NXT General Manager William Regal state in a backstage segment last week that O’Reilly and Cole would pick each other’s opponents, but that wasn’t the case. 

Franky Monet’s Recent World Premiere Continues

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The encore of Franky Monet’s recent World Premiere continued on this show when she battled Elektra Lopez, formerly known as Karissa Rivera, in a singles match. 

This marked Monet’s only second match in NXT. She beat Cora Jade in her in-ring debut back on the May 25th edition of NXT. 

This latest outing was a short squash match that saw her go over with her finisher. 

The Diamond Mind Doesn’t Open

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The Diamond Mind opened up after various vignettes teasing the opening of the Diamond Mine have been airing since April. Little details had came out about what it was aside from unidentified athletes working out at an MMA gym with phrases like “Pressure Makes Diamonds” appearing. 

So what was it? After the main event, Roderick Strong came out in a hoodie to attack Kushida. Malcom Bivens, Tyler Rust and Hideki Suzuki were with him. Bivens said this is Diamond Mine. 

Fans may recall there was a storyline where Strong had announced he was leaving NXT. Well, he’s back. Questions remain yet answers will be given.

https://twitter.com/JJWilliamsWON/status/1407521142479413253

Non-Title Match

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NXT Cruiserweight Champion Kushida vs. Kyle O’Reilly in a non-title match took place. 

The match was everything and more that fans had hoped to see. A stiff yet technical bout. Down the stretch, Kyle landed some kicks then went for a leg submission, but Kushida rolled through and went for a pin attempt for 2. Kushida caught him with a head kick only for Kyle to no sell it and land one of his own. Kyle hit a brain buster for a near fall. Lyle rolled him up for the win. 

This was done to further promote O’Reilly’s upcoming match with Adam Cole at the NXT Great American Bash special on Tuesday, July 6. After the match, Cole attacked Kyle. 

WWE Raw Ratings Stay Even For Hell In A Cell Fallout (6/21)

Andrew Ravens
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Monday’s edition of WWE Raw averaged 1.719 million viewers with a 0.49 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic. This is even from last week’s 1.742 million viewers and the 0.49 rating. 

Brandon Thurston of WrestleNomics reported the ratings. Here’s how this week’s episode performed in various demographics:

  • P18-34 (190k)
  • M18-49 (413k)
  • F18-49 (217k)
  • M18-34 (117k)
  • F18-34 (73k)
  • P35-49 (440k)
  • M35-49 (295k)
  • F35-49 (144k)

To compare, last week’s hourly viewership numbers were 1.761 million viewers in the first hour, 1.782 million viewers in the second hour, and the third hour had 1.685 million viewers.

This was the post-show edition of Raw for Sunday’s Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event.

This episode featured Lashley facing Xavier Woods in a Hell in a Cell match that ended up as the main event, Ricochet battled AJ Styles, Randy Orton faced John Morrison, and Riddle took on Drew McIntyre in men’s Money in the Bank qualifying matches. Also, Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross reunited to take on Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler and Asuka & Naomi faced Eva Marie and Doudrop in women’s Money in the Bank qualifying matches. 

SmackDown Viewership

The episode drew an average of 1.928 million viewers in the overnight ratings, up from the previous week that did 1.853 million viewers. In the 18-49 demographic, it did a 0.54 rating, which was up from the 0.48 rating the week before.  The final ratings were 2.045 million viewers, up from last week’s 1.944 million viewers.

Mickie James To Wrestle At NWA 73rd Anniversary Show

Andrew Ravens
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Mickie James made an announcement on Wednesday in a video that she posted on Instagram, which is that she will be competing at the NWA’s 73rd Anniversary show. 

The pay-per-view event takes place on August 29th in St. Louis Missouri. She noted that she wants fans to let NWA President Billy Corgan know who they want her to wrestle.

“On August 29 is NWA 73, the Anniversary Show. And so on the Anniversary Show, I am announcing that I am going to wrestle at NWA 73, and I’m looking for an opponent. And so I want you to tell Billy who you want to see me wrestle. Who wants to wrestle me at NWA 73? That is the big question.”

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CQbv9fPHIl4/

James was released from WWE along with Billie Kay, Peyton Royce, Samoa Joe, and several more performers in April. James’ husband, Nick Aldis, is the NWA World Heavyweight Champion.

The former WWE star made her promotional debut earlier this month on an episode of Powerrr. This episode also had the announcement of the first all-women’s NWA pay-per-view now entitled, Empowerrr, which takes place the night before the 73rd Anniversary show.

James will be producing the all-women’s PPV event.

WWE NXT Plans To Put More Focus On Cruiserweight Division

Andrew Ravens
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WWE NXT is looking to emphasize the Cruiserweight division and the title more on their programming going forward. 

Fightful Select reported the news today. It was said that this plan has been one WWE officials have been working on for a long time. It was noted NXT officials have been high on Kushida ever since he came in, as has the roster around him. 

The report stated fans should expect NXT to integrate more storyline, some bigger names, and angles into the Cruiserweight division, especially this Summer.

Back on the April 13th episode of NXT, Kushida beat Santos Escobar to win the title after the then-champion had issued an open challenge. The two later worked a few different matches before the feud ended. 

Since that time, Kushida has kept doing the open challenges and wrestled various new WWE signees such as Carmelo Hayes, formerly known as Christian Casanova.

NXT Cruiserweight Champion Kushida is slated to wrestle Kyle O’Reilly in a non-title match on this week’s episode of NXT. Originally, General Manager William Regal said that O’Reilly and Adam Cole would pick each other’s opponent on this show, but it was Kushida who challenged O’Reilly to this match. Cole vs. O’Reilly has been booked for the Great American Bash special on July 6th. 

Tony Khan Responds To Critics Of AEW’s Video Game Investment

Chris Stephens
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Last week, an article in Forbes revealed that the only thing keeping AEW from being profitable at the moment is a significant investment made into developing a video game.

“Khan expects its wrestling division to be profitable this year, though an eight-figure investment in video game development will keep the company in the red for now,” an excerpt from the article reads.

Tony Khan recently spoke to PW Insider about how that investment will eventually lead to big returns for his company. He also commented on those who have been critical of the investment.

“I’ve made this huge investment into video games and it’s comical to me that anybody would try to pull it… it goes to show that I think people will try and take a negative out of a positive sometimes because this is a hugely positive thing,” Khan said.

Video Game Returns Won’t Come In Until 2022

The game won’t be released until next year. Therefore, the money spent on developing it won’t yield a return until at least 2022. This is the reason why AEW won’t show a profit in 2021.

“I have made this huge eight figure investment into video games, but we won’t see any revenue from that until 2022. That’s why it’s not going to pay off in 2021 on our books,” Khan said.

Khan continued to talk about AEW approaching profitability so quickly.

“Our wrestling company is very profitable. The only reason I won’t net money this year on AEW in our second full year of operations, which is pretty amazing, frankly, for a startup that has had the level of investment that we’ve had behind AEW and the amount of time that this has been going, that we’ll be significantly profitable already as a venture.”

Khan also noted, however, that it’s not just about making money. He is very proud at the way they have conducted business throughout the pandemic.

“I care about running a profitable business, but I also take a lot of pride in the fact that I didn’t lay people off through the pandemic. Almost everybody, we have a over 95% retention rate of people through the pandemic and I actually had significantly higher than 95%. Almost everybody that we started with is here,” he continued.

Kurt Angle on Life After Wrestling: “I’m In Extreme Pain All Day Long”

Alex Laybourne
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Wrestling is a sport filled with tough men. They don’t come much tougher than Kurt Angle. A decorated amateur wrestler and gold medal-winning Olympian before he made the move over to professional wrestling. Now he is a well-respected podcaster, whose passion for the sport is still as bright as ever.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQYpX5qH0fk/

His career in the sport at both amateur and professional wrestling levels spanned over forty years. It’s well documented that he wrestled in the Olympics with a broken neck, but further to that, he amassed a number of injuries and bumps during his career.

Talking during a recent Q&A on AddFreeShows.com about the toll wrestling took on his body, Angle said “I’m so banged up now. I sacrificed a lot of my body in professional wrestling and amateur wrestling. I have to blame both sports, not just one. I’m paying for it now.”

Kurt Angle suffered several neck injuries during his career, to name but one body part that suffered during his career. Wrestlers both amateur and professional put their bodies through much more than it is designed to endure. The effects of this are felt long after their in-ring careers have ended.

Kurt Angle was ‘retired’ by Baron Corbin at Wrestlemania 35, yet even now, his body is still making him pay for those years of fame.

“I’m in extreme pain all day long. I do maintenance on my body all day, I do my neck traction. I have a thing called the Iron Neck, where it trains your neck. Then I have anti-gravity machine rollers. I stretch. I do a lot of weight training.”

Kurt Angle Knows the Dangers of Being in Constant Pain

The constant injuries and abuse a wrestler puts their body through in their career is no secret. You will be hard pushed to find a retired wrestler who does not struggle with aches and pains. Kurt Angle is brutally aware of the dangers not only of wrestling but of the dangerous side-effects of wrestling.

“I had a painkiller problem, and I kicked that eight years ago. Not having painkillers anymore is really difficult, but I’m never going back to those, nor do I want to.”

Kurt Angle is 52 years old and has himself in great condition as he continues to care for his injured body. His story, his message, is not one of regret, but one that should serve as a reminder to any fan. Wrestling is not for the faint-hearted. It is as real as it comes. Fame and notoriety can fade, but the pain is a constant reminder of everything that has been experienced.

Ruby Riott Turned Tight Creative Restrictions into a Challenge

Alex Laybourne
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The common theme among the ever-growing list of released WWE talent is that the creative limitations were stifling. The frustration of stars such as Miro and Jon Moxley were more than evident in their post-release podcasts and interviews. However, Ruby Riott likes to view things differently.

The star was cut from the women’s roster in June this year. Many wrestlers and fans claimed WWE had not allowed us to see the best of Ruby Riott. Be this as it may, Riott – formerly known as Heidi Lovelace – does not feel that the tight restrictions imposed on the stars are necessarily negatives.

Talking about what it’s like working under such tight reigns Ruby Riott said “”I like to be heard – even if it’s to be heard and be sh*t on.”

Talking further in an interview with the Wrestling Perspective Podcast Riott said that she chose to view the restrictions as a positive. Seeing it as a challenge. What could she still do with her character?

Ruby Riott Turned Creative Control into a Challenge

Talking about the negative aspect of WWE creative Ruby Riott said that she felt she thrived under challenging conditions. There’s no doubt WWE affords its wrestlers little to no creative freedom. Yet it is a breath of fresh air to hear a wrestler turn it on its head.

We have all heard what goes on behind the scenes in WWE. It isn’t new and it isn’t likely to change any time soon. Hearing a star like Ruby Riott, who undoubtedly has a valid reason to complain having never received a real push – barring one title opportunity against Ronda Rousey –  give everything a positive spin is something worth writing about.

It is clear from her words that she wasn’t necessarily happy with what happened during her time in WWE. Her attitude does not paint WWE in a different light. It does, however, show the depth of character Ruby Riott has.

Nobody knows yet where Riott will head once her 90 days have been served, however, wherever she goes, good things are sure to happen.

Kevin Owens’ Time Off From WWE Is For Storyline Reasons

Anutosh Bajpai
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Kevin Owens got fans talking with a tweet after his Hell In A Cell encounter with Sami Zayn where he teased taking time off from WWE.

Dave Meltzer provided some updates on the situation on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio. He confirmed that the former universal champion will indeed be taking time away from the company.

However, Meltzer revealed that this absence is not the case of Owens taking time off for personal reasons or because of an injury. He is instead expected to stay away from WWE programming due to storyline reasons.

Last week’s episode of SmackDown saw the former NXT champion teaming up with Big E for a match against the Intercontinental champion Apollo Crews and Commander Azeez.

Azeez hit Kevin Owens with a Nigerian Nail to pick up the victory for his team. He delivered another Nigerian Nail to Owens after the match, leaving the former champion hurting badly after the bout.

  • Kevin Owens On Why He Is Conflicted About Winning The IC Title Again

The Hell In A Cell PPV on Sunday then saw Sami Zayn scoring a win over his longtime rival in a hard-fought match. Owens was seen communicating a shoulder injury to the referee after the fight.

There is no word on how long Kevin Owens is expected to stay away. We will have to wait and see what the company has planned for him when he finally returns.

Drew McIntyre Says There Is “No Bigger Match” For Him Than John Cena

Anutosh Bajpai
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Drew McIntyre has shown interest in facing John Cena multiple times in the past. With Cena expected to make his return soon, the Scottish Warrior is once again revitalizing the talks about a potential showdown between the two.

The former NXT champion recently had an interview with On Demand Entertainment where he talked about things such as his Hell In A Cell encounter with WWE champion Bobby Lashley and more.

When asked about a potential match with the 16-time world champion, Drew mentioned how he has been around Cena for so long without ever stepping inside the ring with him for a one on one match:

“I hope it does happen. I’ve been around John since I was 22 years old. I just turned 36 and we’ve never had any singles match, which blows my mind. We’ve been in tag matches and multi-man matches, but never a singles match.”

Drew McIntyre Believes John Cena Is The Biggest Match For Him

McIntyre then praised John Cena as an athlete who is on a different level than others before reiterating his comments about wanting a match with the former face of WWE:

“Where I’m at today in my career and managing to reach the top of the industry after so many ups and downs, and where John is at, he’s just on another level. He’s conquered WWE, [and is now] conquering Hollywood,

But he still loves WWE more than anything and wants to come back and help and have those big matches. There’s no bigger match, as far as I’m concerned than John Cena vs. McIntyre,”

John Cena has also been talking about his desire for making an in-ring return. Latest reports suggest that he might be returning to the company as soon as next month but his comeback has not officially been confirmed yet.

Do you think Drew McIntyre will get a chance to face John Cena when he returns to the company this time? Let us know in the comment section.

Damian Priest Expected Back Soon After Dealing With Back Injury

Chris Stephens
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It has been over a month since Damian Priest wrestled on WWE programming. His last match was a victory over John Morrison in a lumberjack match on the May 17th edition of RAW. The night before he had defeated the Miz in a zombie-lumberjack match at WrestleMania Backlash.

According to comments made by Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, Priest’s absence is due to a back injury he’s been dealing with since WrestleMania.

“Bad back, right? He’s injured,” said Dave Meltzer when asked about Priest’s status.

According to a report from Fightful, Priest’s back is healing up and he’ll be ready next week if there are plans for him. They are also noting that Priest has missed the last few weeks for other undisclosed reasons, however.

Priest has never been defeated in a singles match on the main roster. His only loss came in a handicap match against the Miz and John Morrison back in April.

Priest has wrestled 13 matches on the main roster (11 on RAW, 2 on PPV) and holds a 12-1 record. The 38-year-old star his main roster debut in the Royal Rumble this year, entering in at #14.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9blqb9SUA0

Franky Monet Explains How She Is Different Than Taya Valkyrie

Chris Stephens
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Taya Valkyrie is now known as Franky Monet in NXT. The former Reina de Reinas and Knockouts Champion recently took part in an interview with PW Insider and spoke about the differences and similarities between Taya and Franky.

“She is a work in progress still,” Monet said about her current character. “I just feel like Franky is just an elevated version of Taya and just a little bit nuttier. And I feel like the way people are going to get to know who I am is through these matches and through all the backstage segments and just getting to understand who I am, and also just realizing that never judge a book by its cover.”

“A Little Bit Crazy”

Monet continued to talk about her character and how she’s “a little bit crazy.”

“I may be blonde and carry a puppy dog and wear fur and all this shiny stuff, but I’m an absolute bad-ass that has no problem having a street fight at a moment’s notice,” Monet continued. “I am a little bit crazy. There’s a reason they call me La Wera Loca, and I have been that for 10 years. 

“So, I think that I’m going to surprise a lot of people, because they’re going to be too quick to judge from what they see. But it’s just going to take time and it’s going to take having killer matches, which I know I will do. And yeah, it’s going to be very interesting, but I’m super excited and just growing with my fans.”

As Taya Valkyrie, Monet has won numerous titles in wrestling. She is a 3x Reina de Reinas Champion in AAA. In Impact, she holds the record for the longest single-reign with the Knockouts title in history as well.

Monet defeated Cora Jade in her debut on the NXT brand. She is scheduled to have her second match on tonight’s show. Her opponent has yet to be named, however.

GoFundMe Setup For Don West’s Medical Bills

Chris Stephens
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A GoFundMe has been set up to help former TNA commentator Don West as he battles brain lymphoma. West’s diagnosis was revealed last week when he posted a letter to the News Radio 560 KPQ website. The station hosts “The Don West Show” which the 58-year-old is hoping to return to.

“I am praying the chemotherapy will help me heal faster and hopefully I’ll be back on the radio soon,” West wrote in his letter.

As of this writing, 80 people have donated a total of $6,364 to the fund. Many of the donations to the fund have been made anonymously. A few notable names have made sizeable donations with their names attached, however, including Max Castor and Matt Cardona.

“Don is a devoted husband to his beautiful wife Terri.  He has been blessed to work with and meet so many people through his work with the Shop at Home Network, TNA Wrestling, the Wenatchee Wild Hockey Team, and most recently with Cherry Creek Media and News Radio 560 KPQ radio station and the Don West Show,” a description of the GoFundMe reads.

“Don and Terri would like to thank you for the outpouring of love and prayers since the announcement and for coming alongside them on this health journey.  And he is anxious to return to his show!”

Nikki Cross Explains Her New Superhero Character

Jake Skudder
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Nikki Cross revealed a new ‘superhero’ character on Monday’s episode of WWE Raw. The former Sanity member discussed the new gimmick and her reunion with Alexa Bliss on the RAW Talk post-show.

Cross and Bliss teamed to take on Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler in a Money In The Bank qualifying match, with Bliss and Cross getting the win and heading to the PPV event in July for the ladder match.

Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross have history in WWE, with the duo previously being a full time tag team for a good chunk of time on WWE programming.

“With me and Alexa, so much has happened over the last 6 months,” Cross began on RAW Talk. “She’s been through a lot, and I have been on a different journey. For tonight, the goal was just to win the match. The whole point was to qualify for the Money in the Bank match, and we achieved that goal. And now, fire, baby!”

Nikki Cross’ Superhero Gimmick

Cross also discussed her new superhero gimmick, saying “do I have superpowers? I know I don’t. I know I can’t fly or don’t have super strength. But the thing is, when I put on this outfit, I feel like I can do anything. I’m gonna keep trying and keep getting back up. All anyone can ever do is believe in themselves.”

So far, Asuka, Naomi, Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross have already qualified for the Money In The Bank match, and 4 more SmackDown Superstars are set to be confirmed in the coming weeks.

Nikki Cross posted the following on Instagram. “Bringing THIS to life has given me such joy,” she wrote. “The roll I have been on the last few weeks gave me the boost I needed to unveil this to the world, that everyone has that spark and they can try anything they want to, just listen to your heart.”

You can read her full message below:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQbC2gOnnFt/

AEW Dark: Elevation Results 06/21/21

Jake Skudder
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This week’s episode of AEW Dark: Elevation featured a number of Dynamite stars as well as some lower card talents. Tony Khan has recently said how he views Dark and Dark: Elevation as a sort of ‘developmental’ concept, and it gives smaller name talents the chance to perform with the bigger Dynamite names.

Renee Michelle, partner of former WWE 24/7 Champion Drake Maverick, appeared on the show this week to take on Kris Statlander. Michelle is most famous for the WWE angle that was filmed at her wedding, where Maverick lost his 24/7 title to R-Truth.

Here’s the results for the show that aired on YouTube this week:

  • FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) b. Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs
  • Nyla Rose (w/Vickie Guerrero) b. Delmi Exo
  • The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster) b. Baron Black & Tamilian Vineesh
  • Varsity Blonds (Brian Pillman Jr. & Griff Garrison) (w/Juiia Hart) b. Bumz R’ Us (Milo Beasley & Ray Beez)
  • Kris Statlander (w/Chuck Taylor, Orange Cassidy & Trent) b. Renee Michelle
  • Matt Hardy (w/ H.F.O.) b. Jora Johl
  • The Pinnacle (Shawn Spears & Wardlow) b. Kal Herro & Ryzin
  • Powerhouse Hobbs b. Darian Bengston
  • Jade Cargill (w/Mark Sterling) b. Robyn Renegade
  • Eddie Kingston & Penta El Zero Miedo (w/Alex Abrahantes) b. Fuego Del Sol & Vary Morales
  • Jungle Boy (w/Luchasaurus & Marko Stunt) b. Cezar Bononi (w/JD Drake, Peter Avalon & Ryan Nemeth)
  • Matt Sydal (w/Mike Sydal) b. Jack Evans (w/Angelico & Matt Hardy)

You can watch back the whole episode here:

Karl Fredericks Gets First NJPW Title Opportunity

Alex Laybourne
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The Young Lion academy is a tough place to come through. Whether in Japan or the LA Dojo. If you want to be part of NJPW, being a Young Lion is the way to go. Karl Fredericks joined the LA Dojo in 2018. Despite having several years’ experience behind him, he went back to basics at the Young Lions academy.

Following in the footsteps of many NJPW greats, including Shinsuke Nakamura, Tatsuya Naito and Kazuchika Okada, Karl Fredericks graduated from the dojo in June 2020. Since then he has been able to develop his character and build his own story in wrestling. Paying homage to his Native American heritage in both his attire and move names, Fredericks has become a solid name on the NJPW roster. Appearing at both US and Japan-based events.

This coming Friday on NJPW Strong, Karl Fredericks will get his first chance at a title in NJPW when he takes on Tom Lawler. Lawler is the inaugural Strong Openweight champion, having won the belt earlier this year, beating Brody King in the tournament finals.

Karl Fredericks Helping NJPW Strong Grow as a Brand

NJPW Strong is a new brand under the NJPW banner. It is based solely in the US and after coming through the pandemic era of professional wrestling, is growing week by week. Yes, there are some established names on its roster, but it is young lions and graduates such as Karl Fredericks and Clark Connors who are the future of the brand.

The Young Lions system is an interesting one and has been very successful for NJPW through the decades. There are questions as to whether a system such as that would be useful for companies like AEW. It could be argued that the original thoughts behind NXT were Young Lion-esque however, a fully-fledged dojo system could help promotions build talent for the future, as well as support smaller associated promotions through excursion agreements.

The future is bright for Karl Fredericks, and while the chances of Lawler dropping the Strong belt so soon in his run are slim, there is definitely gold in Fredericks’s future.

Gangrel on Miro’s Success “I’m super proud of him.”

Alex Laybourne
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Talking on his Fangin’ and Bangin’ podcast, Gangrel spoke up about his former pupil and current TNT champion Miro. Miro trained under Gangrel during his time at the Knokx Pro Wrestling Academy from 2008 to 2010.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQWX2b2L5WK/

Talking about Miro’s dedication to mastering the art of wrestling, Gangrel was full of praise. “This is a guy that would work all night. You know, he came from another country. His dream was to be a wrestler. He left Bulgaria to come here to be a wrestler… You come all the way, you gamble on you. He bet on himself. He believed in himself, he left Bulgaria, and he came to the United States to become a professional wrestler. Look at him now. That didn’t come because he was being lazy, that didn’t come because he wasn’t dedicated. No, it’s the opposite. He was a workhorse, and he was super dedicated, he was super focused.”

Gangrel Is Proud of What His Student Has Achieved Since Joining AEW

Miro had a great run in WWE, but never got the push his character and popularity deserved. Following his release in 2020, he initially retired from the sport. However, AEW were able to get him back in the ring, where he is flourishing.

Coming into his own after separating from Kip Sabian, Gangrel is proud to watch his former protégé develop and the maturity he has found in the ring.

“So when I was watching this match with Dark Order, I see that he was just miles ahead, but not by being fast. He just knew his way around the ring and I was super proud of him because I know how hard he worked to become the professional wrestler that the human being is and then the man he is today and I’m super proud of him. So, Miro, good on you, man. Keep kicking ass, dude. I’m super, super proud of you. Keep rockin’!”

Vickie Guerrero On When She Found Out About Her Pairing With Andrade

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Andrade El Idolo made his AEW debut during the June 4 episode of Dynamite earlier this month. He was paired with Vickie Guerrero upon his arrival.

The former SmackDown general manager recently had an interview with It’s My House podcast, where she talked about her pairing with the former WWE star.

Guerrero revealed when she found out about her pairing with Andrade during the interview. She explained that president Tony Khan introduced the two on the day of his debut show itself:

“I knew the day of [his debut] that I was going to be working with him. Tony Khan makes all the decisions so when he said, ‘Hey, I have someone for you to come meet,’ and I went to the trailer and saw him, I was just ecstatic.”

Vickie Guerrero also discussed how Andrade was underutilized in WWE. She claimed that he is going to have a great time in AEW because of two reasons:

“He was really underutilized in WWE. He’s going to have a great time in AEW. Number one, because he’s working with me. Number two, there’s a lot of great wrestlers in AEW that he’s going to be able to have incredible matches.”

Andrade is a former NXT and WWE US champion. He had asked for his release from the company earlier this year after being unhappy with his booking. His request was granted by the officials in March.

Reason Why WWE Held Hell In A Cell Matches on Raw & SmackDown

Michael Reichlin
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WWE presented Hell in a Cell steel cage matches on Friday’s SmackDown and Monday’s Raw. You could argue that these matches diluted the uniqueness of the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, but the company had a very specific reason for booking this way.

SEScoops has learned that WWE ran the Hell in a Cell matches on Raw and SmackDown in an effort to provide their television partners (Fox and USA Network) a little “something extra.” The pandemic era was not kind to WWE viewership. Raw and SmackDown have drawn historic-low ratings this past year.

In light of their massive TV contracts, WWE has been feeling the pressure to jumpstart things to renew fan interest.

WWE initially had Roman Reigns vs. Rey Mysterio booked for the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view. That match was moved to Friday’s SmackDown to boost viewership. The tactic worked, as SmackDown topped 2 million viewers.

USA Network was said to be unhappy about WWE holding a special Hell in a Cell match on SmackDown instead of Raw. This was a a factor in the Bobby Lashley vs. Xavier Woods match airing on last night’s Raw.

Scarlett Expected To Receive Main Roster Tryout

Anutosh Bajpai
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The NXT champion Karrion Kross wrestled a match on this week’s episode of Main Event but his partner and fellow NXT star Scarlett was missing from his side.

In an update to this story, F4Wonline is reporting that there is talk of the female star receiving her own tryout, likely at this Friday’s SmackDown tapings.

Kross, Scarlett, and North American champion Bronson Reed were all first brought to the main roster last week. They were at Friday’s SmackDown tapings where both the champions wrestled in separate dark matches.

Both the NXT title holders were then brought back in during Monday’s Raw tapings. They once again wrestled during the show but their matches were taped for the Main Event episode this time.

The NXT champion Karrion Kross wrestled Shelton Benjamin during the taping but he did not have her female companion on the side. Bronson Reed competed against Drew Gulak. Both the champions had brought their titles.

The next WWE drafts are expected to take place after the SummerSlam PPV. The officials seem to be evaluating the current NXT champions for potential main roster call ups with these matches.

There is no word yet on why Scarlett was not present for the Main Event tapings or what it could mean for her future. Stay tuned for more updates.

Stephanie McMahon Says She Can’t Wait To Show Off Their SummerSlam Surprises

Anutosh Bajpai
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SummerSlam is going to be the first of the big four WWE shows after their return to road. The company is looking to make the show huge. This includes some exciting surprises for the fans, as promised by Stephanie McMahon.

The WWE chief brand officer recently had an interview with Sports Illustrated. She talked about the planning for the upcoming event in detail.

Discussing how special the event is for them, McMahon mentioned how it’s only the second time they will be holding the PPV in a stadium. She said that she can’t wait to show off their surprises:

“SummerSlam is special, It’s the first time we’re going to an NFL stadium [for SummerSlam], and it’s only the second time we’ve ever been in a stadium. It’s about bringing people together and celebrating these huge moments.

This will be our biggest pay-per-view with full capacity [since Elimination Chamber in March 2020],” said Stephanie McMahon, “and we can’t wait to show off our surprises, too.”

This isn’t the first time the WWE official has promised big surprises for the upcoming show. She had told fans to expect other surprises while declining the possibility of a potential in-ring return for herself last week.

WWE SummerSlam this year will be taking place from the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, August 21. There are some interesting matches rumored for the show and you can check out a report about them here.

Final SmackDown Viewership With Hell In A Cell Main Event

Anutosh Bajpai
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The overnight viewership for last week’s episode of SmackDown with Roman Reigns vs. Rey Mysterio universal championship Hell In A Cell match main eventing the show had seen an increase in numbers.

This trend continued with the final viewership. According to Nielsen, the Hell In A Cell go-home episode of the show drew an average of 2.045 million viewers.

This is a big 5.2% increase compared to the final viewership of the preceding episode of SmackDown. It had a Roman Reigns and Rey Mysterio segment for the main event and had drawn 1.944 million viewers.

This is also a 6.07% jump from the overnight viewership for the final show before the PPV. The number reported on Saturday morning was 1.928 million viewers.

The show drew a 0.54 rating in the key 18-49 demographic. This is a significant 12.5% increase from last week’s episode of the show which drew 0.48 ratings in the same demo.

This was the first time SmackDown managed to draw 2 million+ ratings this month. The last SmackDown episode to have an audience above this number was the May 7 episode of the show.

With no Hell In A Cell main event at this Friday’s episode, it will be interesting to see if the Blue Brand is able to hold these numbers or sees a decline again.

Edge vs Seth Rollins Dream Match Discussed For SummerSlam

Anutosh Bajpai
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Edge is expected to work the SummerSlam PPV this year. Latest reports suggest that WWE officials may be planning a dream match for the former champion.

According to the WrestleVotes twitter account, the company is looking to load the SummerSlam card with big matches. A match between John Cena and Roman Reigns is the working main event idea for the show.

Though this isn’t the only big fight we can expect from the SmackDown side of things. The officials are apparently also discussing a big first time ever match between Edge and Seth Rollins:

The reports of the Rated R Superstar being considered for a SummerSlam match first came out earlier this month. It was said that he would be working as a babyface in a SmackDown brand match.

The company then started advertising Edge for several upcoming shows. The dates start from the July 16 edition of SmackDown from Houston, which will also mark WWE’s official return to the road.

The Attitude Era star will undoubtedly be one of the biggest attractions for the upcoming PPV. So it makes sense to put him in a big match like this which fans have been wanting to see since his comeback.

Though things change all the time in WWE. So we will have to wait for Edge’s official return to the TV to be certain about the direction for his future.

WWE RAW Results (6/21): Money In The Bank Qualifiers, Hell In A Cell Main Event

Robert Lentini
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WWE RAW aired live from the ThunderDome. It was the first episode of RAW following WWE Hell in a Cell. There were several Money in the Bank Qualifying Matches on this week’s episode of RAW. Bobby Lashley squared off against Xavier Woods in a Hell in a Cell match in the main event of the show.

WWE RAW Results (6/21)

  1. Ricochet def. AJ Styles to qualify for the MITB Ladder Match
  2. Asuka & Naomi def. Eva Marie & Doudrop to qualify for the MITB Ladder Match
  3. John Morrison def. Randy Orton to qualify for the MITB Ladder Match
  4. Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross def. Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler to qualify for the MITB Ladder Match
  5. Riddle def. Drew McIntyre to qualify for the MITB Ladder Match
  6. Bobby Lashley def. Xavier Woods inside Hell in a Cell

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Woods Will Face Lashley In A Hell In A Cell Match Tonight

WWE Champion Bobby Lashley, MVP, and some models kicked off the show as the Hell in a Cell structure was shown above the ring. MVP and Lashley boasted about defeating McIntyre and how he will not be able to challenge Bobby for the WWE Championship again.

New Day interrupted as MVP was about to give a toast. Kofi and Xavier started throwing actual pieces of toast into the ring and MVP said that this is why they were watching Hell in a Cell while Lashley was in the main event. MVP added that New Day will still be joking around and playing video games one they go back on the road while they will enjoy the finer things in life.

Kofi said he surrounds himself with family instead of people that are going to chew him up and spit him out. Kingston wondered if MVP and the ladies will still be around once he beats Lashley for the title. Lashley joked that he would never lose the title to someone that is too busy dancing and making pancakes.

Kingston pointed out that he beat Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania to win the title before and beat Lashley just last month. Kingston rolled the highlight of his victory over the WWE Champion and challenged him to a rematch at Money in the Bank. Lashley accepted and said he wanted to face Woods tonight. Woods added that their match will be inside the Hell in a Cell tonight.

Ricochet Qualified For The MITB Ladder Match

Ricochet squared off against AJ Styles in a Money in the Bank Qualifier match. Ricochet controlled the action early but Styles dodged a Moonsault and sent Ricochet into the ring post. Ricochet connected with some elbows to the face as Omos was shown watching ringside.

Ricochet connected with a Crossbody and followed it up with a Northern Lights Suplex for a near fall. Styles battled back with an Enziguri and went for a Pele Kick but Ricochet got out of the way. Ricochet hit a German Suplex and went for the cover but Styles was able to kick out at two.

AJ locked in the Calf Crusher but Ricochet was able to get to the bottom rope to break the hold. Styles hit a Neckbreaker and set up for the Phenomenal Forearm but The Viking Raiders came to the ring for a distraction. Omos attacked Erik and Ivar but they wound up sending the big man through the barricade. Ricochet countered the Phenomenal Forearm into a Recoil for the pinfall victory. Ricochet has qualified for the Money in the Bank Ladder Match.

Naomi & Asuka Qualified For The MITB Ladder Match

Asuka & Naomi faced Eva Marie & Doudrop in a MITB Qualifying Match. Before the match, Eva Marie was interviewed backstage and said that she hasn’t stepped in the ring in five years, so her return had to be perfect. Eva claimed that last week she caught a cold and arranged for her protege to replace her. Eva didn’t let Doudrop talk and simply introduced her. Doudrop didn’t seem thrilled with the name.

Eva Marie quickly tagged out and Doudrop faced off with Asuka to begin the action. Asuka hit some kicks and went for a Clothesline but Doudrop countered with a shoulder tackle. Asuka connected with a Jawbreaker and tagged in Naomi.

Naomi connected with some kicks but Doudrop sent her to the corner. Doudrop hit a Splash as Eva Marie clapped on the apron. Doudrop followed it up with a Cannonball and went for the cover but Asuka broke it up at two.

Doudrop stomped on Naomi in the corner and made her way to the middle turnbuckle. Eva Marie tagged herself in and went for the cover but Naomi kicked out at two. Eva went to tag Doudrop back in but she hopped off the apron. Eva begs Doudrop to come back and Naomi capitalized with a roll-up for the pinfall victory. Naomi and Asuka have qualified for the MITB Ladder Match.

Rhea Ripley Will Face Charlotte Again At Money In The Bank

Sonya Deville and Adam Pearce came to the ring to discuss the RAW Women’s Championship match last night. Rhea Ripley was disqualified in controversial fashion and retained the title. Pearce and Deville called Ripley to the entrance ramp and said that what she did last night was unacceptable.

They claimed that Ripley abused the fact that champions retain via DQ and Ripley noted that Charlotte Flair would have done the same thing to keep the title. Charlotte interrupted and claimed that she was proud of Rhea because she was kicking her ass last night and for the first time Ripley proved she was smart.

Flair added that Ripley proved that she is a strategic competitor but vowed to destroy her. Deville and Pearce said that Flair deserves a rematch and made the match for Money in the Bank.

John Morrison Qualified For The MITB Ladder Match

Randy Orton battled John Morrison in a MITB Qualifying Match tonight on RAW. The Miz joined commentary for the match. Morrison and Orton locked up to begin the match. Morrison applied a Headlock and then caught Orton with a kick to the head for a two count.

When RAW returned from a break, Orton was in control but Morrison quickly battled back and got Orton in an Armbar. Orton broke the hold with some punches to the midsection but Morrison sent Randy into the ring post. Randy got out of the ring but Morrison followed him and threw Orton into the steel steps.

Back in the ring, Orton connected with a Powerslam and followed it up with the draping DDT. Miz sprayed Orton with the Drip Stick and Randy got pissed off. Morrison tried to capitalize with a roll-up but Randy was able to kick out at two. Riddle arrived on his scooter and chased The Miz around. Morrison capitalized and knocked Orton to the mat. John then hit the Starship Pain for the pinfall victory and qualified for the MITB Ladder Match.

Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross Qualified For The MITB Ladder Match

Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross faced Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax in a MITB Qualifying match tonight. Nikki Cross debuted a new superhero character on this week’s RAW. Cross and Baszler locked up in the middle of the ring to start off the action. Shayna brought Cross to the corner and Jax tagged in. Reginald, Nia, and Shayna started arguing and Nikki hit them with a Crossbody as RAW went to a break.

When RAW returned, Nia Jax and Alexa Bliss battled in the ring. Nia beat Bliss down but Alexa escaped and tagged in Cross. Nikki went for a Crossbody but Jax caught her. Nia and Shayna couldn’t get on the same page and started arguing.

Nikki connected with a Suplex as Alexa made her way to the top turnbuckle. Alexa hypnotized Reginald and tried to make him slap Nia but he missed. Nikki then rolled up Baszler for the pinfall victory. Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross qualified for the MITB Ladder Match.

Riddle Qualified For The MITB Ladder Match

Riddle squared off against Drew McIntyre in a MITB Qualifying match tonight on RAW. Before the match, Sonya Deville and Adam Pearce told Drew McIntyre that he didn’t have to compete but he insisted and said he will never give up. McIntyre controlled the action early but was showing the injuries sustained in his Hell in a Cell match last night against Lashley.

Drew hit a Suplex and went for the cover but Riddle was able to kick out at two. When RAW returned from a break, Riddle connected with an Exploder Suplex and followed it up with a Penalty Kick. McIntyre battled back and hit a reverse Alabama Slam for a two count.

Riddle got McIntyre in the Tree of Woe and then a German Suplex as Orton came down to the entrance ramp. Back from a commercial break, McIntyre hit a running knee to the face and went for the cover but Riddle kicked out. Drew followed it up with a big Michinoku Driver for another two count.

Riddle applied a Triangle choke but McIntyre countered into the Future Shock DDT for a near fall. Riddle connected with the Ripcord Knee and made his way to the top rope. Riddle went for a Moonsault but McIntyre got out of the way. McIntyre went for the Claymore but Riddle countered into the Bromission in the middle of the ring.

McIntyre escaped but Riddle caught him with a knee to the face. Drew hit a headbutt and lifted Riddle up in the Electric Chair. Riddle escaped into a victory roll for the win. Riddle has qualified for MITB Ladder Match. After the match, Riddle tried to celebrate with Orton but he wanted nothing to do with it. Riddle was somehow oblivious that he cost Orton the match earlier and asked him what was wrong. Orton did not answer and just stared at him to end the segment.

Lashley def. Xavier Woods In A Hell In A Cell Match

Xavier Woods faced Lashley in a Hell in a Cell match in tonight’s main event. The WWE Championship match between Kofi Kingston and Lashley was made official before the match.

Kofi Kingston and MVP were ringside outside the cell for the match. Lashley started off the match in control after shrugging off a Dropkick. Lashley launched Woods across the ring and then beat him down in the corner. The champ hit a Neckbreaker and went for the cover but Woods kicked out at two.

Lashley bounced Woods’ face off the canvas a few times and then threw him to the outside. Woods tried to hit Lashley with a chair but the champion blocked it and dropped Xavier with a punch to the face. Back in the ring, Lashley ran at Woods but he got out of the way and Lashley crashed into the ring post.

Xavier hit a couple Dropkicks and then knocked Lashley out of the ring with a chair shot. Woods got out of the ring and hit Lashley with some more chair shots as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Lashley was in control and trapped Woods in the ring skirt. Lashley unloaded punches until Woods dropped to the floor. Xavier battled back and grabbed a kendo stick from under the ring. Woods hit Lashley with several shots with the kendo stick before choking him with it.

Back in the ring, Woods connected with a Facebuster and went for the cover but Lashley kicked out at two. Woods hit a Tornado DDT for a near fall and then set up a table in the ring. Woods hit an Elbow Drop through the table and went for the cover but the WWE Champion somehow kicked out at two. Lashley sent Woods into a steel chair in between the ropes and applied the Hurt Lock for the submission victory.

After the match, Lashley continued to beat Woods down as MVP snuck in the cage. MVP locked the cage door as Lashley got Woods in the Hurt Lock some more. Kofi tried to get into the cage but couldn’t help Woods to close the show.

WWE Money In The Bank Updated Card: Two Title Bouts, Stars Qualify For Ladder Matches

Andrew Ravens
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WWE held several qualifying matches to determine participants for this year’s men’s and women’s Money in the Bank ladder matches. 

On Monday’s episode of Raw, Ricochet battled AJ Styles, Randy Orton faced John Morrison, and Riddle took on Drew McIntyre in men’s Money in the Bank qualifying matches. 

On the flip side, Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross reunited to take on Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler and Asuka & Naomi face Eva Marie and “her partner” (Piper Niven, now listed as Doudrop) with the winning teams qualifying for the women’s Money in the Bank match.

The outcomes resulted in Ricochet, Morrison & Riddle being added to the men’s ladder match while Asuka, Naomi,  Cross & Bliss are now in the women’s ladder match. WWE will likely do something similar with SmackDown talent this Friday night. 

The opening saw a segment that led to Kofi Kingston challenging Bobby Lashley for the WWE Title at this upcoming show and the champion accepted it. Lashley had been feuding with Drew McIntyre, but that feud ended at Sunday’s Hell in a Cell show. 

Also, Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair will meet once again for the Raw Women’s Championship after Ripley retained the title via DQ at the Hell in a Cell PPV. 

WWE presents the Money in the Bank pay-per-view event on Sunday, July 18, 2021 from Fort Worth, Texas at Dickies Arena that will air on Peacock. 

Nikki Cross Debuts Her New Superhero Character On WWE Raw

Andrew Ravens
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WWE decided to change up Nikki Cross’s gimmick as she is now sporting a superhero character. 

On Monday’s episode of Raw, Alexa Bliss & Cross reunited to take on Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler with the winning team qualifying for the Women’s Money in the Bank match.

Before the match, WWE had Cross do a promo about how she’s been inspired by her big wins on Raw as of late over the likes of Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair so she decided to wrestle with a superhero mask over her eyes and a new costume.

Many fans picked up on how this is similar to the Mighty Molly gimmick from the early 2000s as Molly Holly also had a similar in-ring pose and mannerisms. It’s been reported that the WWE Hall of Famer has been working as a producer backstage for the company. 

Bliss and Cross went over in the match. Also on this show, Asuka & Naomi beat Eva Marie and Doudrop to also qualify for the match at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view event on Sunday, July 18, 2021 from Fort Worth, Texas at Dickies Arena.

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