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NXT Champions To Work Matches On This Week’s ‘WWE Main Event’

Andrew Ravens
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Just days after being backstage at Friday’s WWE SmackDown event, the company brought in NXT Champion Karrion Kross, Scarlett, and North American Champion Bronson Reed for Monday’s Raw. 

PWinsider.com not only reported that the stars are backstage, but they will be working matches on this week’s episode of WWE Main Event that will air on Hulu and on the WWE Network for fans outside of the United States.

This appears to be the latest move for them transitioning from NXT to the main roster. It’s been reported that Kross and Reed worked matches at Friday’s SmackDown as a way for WWE officials to get a better look at them. 

Although Kross wrestled Dolph Ziggler while Reed faced off with Bobby Roode at SmackDown, the matches were taped for future evaluation and WWE has no plans to air them for fans.

In Kross’ situation, the belief since he signed with WWE NXT was that he is being fast-tracked to the main roster because of his size and look.

It is interesting that WWE would have them appear on Main Event, a show that has a much lower fanbase and viewership numbers than Raw, NXT, or SmackDown, before making their actual main roster debuts. 

It’s possible that WWE holds off on bringing them up to the main roster until late August or early September when the Draft takes place. 

AEW Returning To Pittsburgh For Dynamite & Rampage Premiere

Michael Reichlin
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All Elite Wrestling is returning to Pittsburgh, PA this summer with two live television tapings. Both events will take place from the Petersen Events Center at the University of Pittsburgh.

The first show is Wednesday, August 11th for AEW Dynamite. Doors open at 6pm and the action begins at 7pm.

Just two days later, AEW returns for Rampage on Friday, August 13th. This is the series premiere of AEW’s new show, which airs Friday nights on TNT at 10pm (Eastern). Doors open at 7pm and showtime is scheduled for 8pm.

Tickets for the AEW Pittsburgh shows go on sale this Friday, June 25th at AEWTix.com. For fans who are interested in attending Dynamite and Rampage, a special price two-event combo ticket package will be available.

Pittsburgh is one of the top wrestling cities in America and is the home of AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker.

Japan to Honor Wrestling History With LEGACY Tournament

Alex Laybourne
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Something big is happening in the world of Japanese wrestling. To celebrate 70 years of professional wrestling in Japan, nine of the countries top organizations are putting on a joint show. They are calling it the LEGACY Tournament.

The two-day event is scheduled for September 14th and 15th. Taking place at the legendary Korakuen Hall in Toyko.

The event is an effort on the part of the Japan Wrestling Hall of Fame. Their motives behind the event were to “give hope to professional wrestling fans by holding the tournament together as a professional wrestling industry.”

The Japan Wrestling Hall of Fame was founded in 2020. There are several iconic names currently serving as executives including Antonio Inoki and Riki Chosu. The LEGACY Tournament marks the first wrestling event organized by the organization. The event promises to be an eye-watering affair and is setting a global precedent with the sheer number of organizations working together. Celebrating the history of the sport they are all part of.

Multiple Organizations Agree to Take Part in the LEGACY Tournament

Currently, there are no names or matches announced for the LEGACY Tournament. However, the following organizations have agreed to take part:

  • NJPW
  • AJPW
  • Pro Wrestling NOAH
  • Big Japan Pro
  • Michinoku Pro
  • DDT
  • Zero 1
  • 2AW
  • Dragongate

The names working across these companies have the mind-boggling at the different match possibilities. In addition, the organization have called on more promotions and freelancers to stand up and help honor wrestling in Japan. Currently, there is no word if any non-Japanese talent will be taking part. However, it is not beyond reason to consider some of gaijin talent making an appearance.

However, at this point in time, there is one thing missing from the event. There are no Joshi organizations taking part. Women’s wrestling is huge in Japan and an event such as the LEGACY Tournament surely needs to take a moment and recognize that fact. Currently, it is rare for male and female wrestling matches to appear on the same card. Most organizations are either male or female ones. However, for an event such as this, is surely a good cause for an exception.

It is not yet known if the LEGACY Tournament will be televised inside or outside of Japan. However, tickets for the event go on sale on June 25th on the Japan Wrestling Hall of Fame Supporters Club webshop.

Mick Foley Believes Vader Should Be In WWE Hall Of Fame

Anutosh Bajpai
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Vader’s omission from the WWE Hall of Fame so far is puzzling for many. A rightful Hall of Famer himself, Mick Foley believes that the late star should definitely be inducted.

The hardcore legend was the latest guest on Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions. He talked about a wide variety of topics during the interview.

Speaking of Vader not being included in the Hall of Fame so far, Foley claimed that it’s a ‘glaring omission’. The wrestling legend also explained that the late star, real name Leon White was a bigger draw than him:

“Leon, to me, is one of the glaring omissions from the Hall of Fame, worldwide he was one of the biggest drawing cards, bigger than me, for sure. Not in WWE but worldwide, for sure.

But if you didn’t fight him back, he’d eat you up.” said Mick Foley, “He was that wall, and you can knock down that wall but he was gonna make you work for it.”

The Attitude Era star also talked about his infamous Hell In A Cell match with The Undertaker and admitted that he was bothered by the fact that many fans only remember him for that particular bout.

However, Mick Foley revealed that a talk with the Dead Man changed his perspective on the matter. You can check out his comments about it at this link.

Kevin Owens Teases Time Away Following Loss To Sami Zayn

Chris Stephens
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Sami Zayn defeated Kevin Owens last night at WWE Hell in a Cell 2021. Owens appeared to have gone into the match still suffering from injuries sustained on Smackdown last Friday night. Owens was pinned by Commander Azeez in a tag-team match after taking the Nigerian Nail to the throat. Zayn took advantage of his rival’s injury and picked up the win with a Heluva Kick after Owens had landed throat first on the ropes.

Owens took to social media earlier this morning and say he “needs a little break.”

Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn

During their time in WWE, Owens and Zayn have wrestled each other on WWE programming in singles matches 16x. Including house shows, they’ve wrestled each other 56x. Of the 16 matches that have taken place on WWE television, Owens has won 9, Zayn has won 4, and another 3 went to a no-contest.

Owens is a 7x champion in WWE. He’s held the Universal Championship once, the NXT Championship once, the Intercontinental title twice and the United States Championship 3x. As for Zayn, he is a 1x NXT Champion and a 2x Intercontinental Champion as well.

As a team, Owens and Zayn (as Kevin Steen & El Generico) are also former ROH Tag Team Champions. They’ve also won the PWG Tag Team Championships together twice. In 2010, the Generico vs Steen rivalry was voted “Feud of the Year” by the readers of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Aleister Black Expected To End Up In AEW

Chris Stephens
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There have been several reports lately that WWE may be second-guessing the decision to release Aleister Black (aka Tommy End) from the company. Black was released earlier this month despite having seemingly just started a program with Big E on Smackdown. His free agency was addressed recently on Wrestling Observer Radio.

A question was asked on the show about if WWE would have to re-sign Black to bring him back.

“They would have to re-sign him, it’s like with Drake Maverick, they did have to re-sign him,” Meltzer said.

“I know that a lot of guys that they have cut over the years have then been offered new contracts for far less money and very few of them go back,” he continued.

Black is in his 90-day no compete window. He would not be free to to negotiate with other companies until the end of August or beginning of September. WWE has exclusive negotiating rights with Black during this time. Despite this, it is being reported that Black is expected to end up in AEW.

“Unofficially, because you are not allowed to negotiate and all that but I certainly have heard at one point not many days ago to expect him in AEW,” Meltzer said. “Officially, there’s no deal and there can’t be a deal until end of August, I think.”

First Footage Of Darby Allin In AEW’s Upcoming Console Video Game

Alex Laybourne
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The love of video games within the AEW roster is no secret. Many of their wrestlers make frequent references to video game characters in their matches or during their promos. Several are also active on Twitch and other video game communities. It also came as no surprise that an AEW video game was in the works. That market is largely dominated by WWE titles, several of which have not been favourably received in recent years.

The first AEW video game developers Yukes just released a new sneak peek at their work in progress. It is the second bit of gameplay footage for the title, this time involving Darby Allin.

https://twitter.com/AEWGames/status/1405638747622936576

The footage was also given a voiceover by world champion, and video game fan, Kenny Omega.

The teaser shows Darby’s in-ring moves including a coffin drop inside and outside of the ring, and his backflip dropkick.

AEW All In for AEW Video Game Production

Talking in a recent interview, Tony Khan said that not only was AEW committed to developing the AEW video game franchise but that their 8-figure investment in the project was keeping the company from making profits.

That doesn’t scare the chairman and shows the level of commitment the Khan family have to the AEW brand. Computer games and wrestling go hand in hand, and while they are still in the early days as a company, AEW has established itself as a big-name brand. An AEW game is a sensible move. It fits with the brand and will help expand their brand and bring new eyes and ears to their product.

Charlotte Flair Comments On Always Being Featured In The Title Picture

Anutosh Bajpai
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Charlotte Flair is one of the top female stars of WWE. The officials have a lot of confidence in her for delivering worthy performances at any important spot.

However, this also means that the Queen is involved in the title picture more often than any other female talent in the company, something which fans complain about regularly.

Flair commented on this during her recent interview with Sports Illustrated. She mentioned the smaller size of the women’s division as one of the reasons for her constant involvement in the title scenes:

“The women’s division is much smaller than the men’s division, and I realize I’m constantly in the title picture. That pressure lives with me. I’m never in a side story where I can be relaxed.”

Top female competitors on the Raw and SmackDown rosters include Raw Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley, SmackDown Women’s champion Bianca Belair, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Asuka, Alexa Bliss and WWE Women’s Tag Team champions, Natalya & Tamina.

Fighting For Equality

Charlotte Flair then explained that the female talents are constantly fighting for time and equality. Due to this, the former women’s champion always feels the pressure of outdoing what she has already done:

“The women are constantly fighting for time, storylines, and equality. Being placed in positions that are always featured, I always feel that pressure and it never goes away. I want to outdo what I have already done.”

Apart from this, Charlotte Flair also talked about things such as her feud with Rhea Ripley, how devastated she was on missing WrestleMania 37 and more.

Becky Lynch Was Backstage At The Hell In A Cell PPV

Anutosh Bajpai
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Former Raw and SmackDown women’s champion Becky Lynch was backstage for the Hell In A Cell PPV this Sunday, according to PWInsider.

The news of the former champion being seen at the performance center training for her in-ring return for the company excited fans earlier this week. The visit was described as part of the process for her return to action.

Lynch was then seen backstage at Friday’s SmackDown tapings. Now her visit at the latest WWE PPV says that things are rolling fast when it comes to Becky’s comeback to WWE programming.

The Man relinquished the Raw women’s championship due to her real-life pregnancy back in May 2020. She welcomed her first child with Seth Rollins named Roux back in December last year.

People had been wondering about her return to TV since then. When asked about it earlier this year, Seth Rollins had said that he would like to leave it to his wife to reveal the secret.

Now that WWE is looking to hit the road again and hold regular shows with fans after more than a year, this seems like the right time for Becky Lynch to return.

It would be interesting to see when the return actually takes place and which brand the former champion joins upon her comeback to the WWE programming.

Scott Hall On How Much Money He Still Makes From nWo Merchandise

Anutosh Bajpai
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nWo is one of the most popular factions in the history of wrestling. A testament to its popularity is the amount of money Scott Hall still makes just from the merchandise sales related to the group.

The WWE Hall Of Famer recently appeared on the 83 Weeks podcast of Eric Bischoff where he opened up about the financial aspects of Monday Night Wars.

During the interview, Hall explained how he was making considerably less money in WWE compared to his WCW deal. He then revealed how much money he now makes just from his merchandise deal:

“I mean I’m making 6 figures just off [merchandise], and every once and a while, yanno when you make an appearance, you make more. The funny part is, now that I hardly ever work for them or hardly do anything, the payoffs are way better,

It’s always first class air fare, they always have a driver at the airport.” said Scott Hall, “When I was filling seats for them and traveling all around the world, I couldn’t get s–t. I was sitting in the back, in the middle seat, back when they had smoking seats.”

The founding nWo member also discussed jumping ships from WWE to WCW and explained that he originally had no intention of leaving the company.

Hall explained that he started thinking about it when he found out how much money X Pac was offered for joining WCW and the ball started rolling after that.

Drew McIntyre Reacts To Hell In A Cell Loss

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Drew McIntyre gave everything he had but he still failed to defeat Bobby Lashley and capture the WWE championship in the main event of the Hell In A Cell PPV.

The former champion reacted to his disheartening loss on Twitter. He shared photos of his bruised back after the brutal match and mentioned how fans will have to wait more for seeing him as the WWE champion in person:

“It’s been a wild ride. I’ve always wanted to make all of you proud,” wrote Drew McIntyre, “And I hoped that you would get the chance to see me live and in person as WWE Champion. Looks like that dream is on hold for awhile. Thanks for all your support. #HIAC”

https://twitter.com/DMcIntyreWWE/status/1406814640282210304

The Scottish Warrior challenged Bobby Lashley for the WWE championship one final time inside Hell In A Cell this Sunday. This main event cage match was as brutal as expected with both the opponents using multiple weapons.

McIntyre seemed to have the upper hand in the match until he accidentally knocked the referee out. Drew then called in for another referee. MVP seized the opportunity by entering the cage himself when the door opened. While Drew took out MVP for a while with a claymore, he came back.

The ending of the match saw MVP stopping him from delivering a claymore kick to Lashley. This distraction allowed Lashley to roll Drew McIntyre for the pin. As per the stipulation of the match, the former WWE champion now cannot challenge for the title as long as Bobby Lashley is the champion.

Mick Foley On What The Undertaker Told Him About Their Hell In A Cell Match

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley was the most recent guest on Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions where he discussed his legendary Hell In A Cell match with The Undertaker from the 1998 King Of The Ring.

The Hardcore Legend first admitted that for the longest time he was sensitive towards the fact that people remembered him for the cell match more than anything else he did in his career.

However, his perspective changed after a conversation with the Undertaker where the Dead Man told the wrestling veteran that the memory of the match will outlive both of them:

“We start reminiscing and Taker looks at me — he still called me ‘Jack’ at the time, one of the last holdouts from my Cactus Jack days — ‘Jack, what you and I did that night will outlive us both. ‘

‘People will be talking about that match long after you and I are gone,’ it was almost like I feel this weight being lifted off my shoulders.”

Mick Foley mentioned how there have been many great workers in the industry who aren’t remembered for anything. He admitted that he is now grateful for having a number of moments people still talk about to this day:

“You know how many great workers there have been in our business who aren’t remembered for anything?

It’s like, now I have got not only this match but the title change with The Rock. I got a few things and it no longer bothers me that I’m asked about that match, almost every single day.”

Mick Foley also recalled how his brother usually showed WWE PPVs to their mother the next day but he didn’t show her the one featuring this brutal match. You can check out Foley’s comments in the video below:

Trish Stratus On Not Liking The Term Diva

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE started branding female wrestlers as divas after the attitude era. It appears that just like the fans; Trish Stratus wasn’t very fond of the term either.

The WWE Hall Of Famer recently appeared on Oral Sessions podcast where she opened up about things including her start in the company and more.

During the interview, Stratus admitted not liking the rebranding of their division as divas division. She explained that she never called herself a diva even when WWE was pushing the term:

“I don’t think I ever uttered the word Diva, maybe I did, but in interviews I never called myself Diva. I refused. I just didn’t get it, I didn’t get,

Because I enjoyed, in the beginning that we were called superstars.” said Trish Stratus, “We were all called superstars. And when they started this Diva thing I was like ‘ugh.’”

Though later in the interview, the former women’s champion mentioned how she is not speaking against the talent who competed for the divas championship.

Trish Stratus competed as a full-time WWE superstar from 2000 to 2006. She has been making sporadic appearances for the promotion since then. She was inducted into the Hall Of Fame back in 2013.

Police Show Up After Wild GCW Outlaw Mudshow Main Event

Anutosh Bajpai
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The GCW champion Nick Gage has made a name for himself by breaking the limits in extreme matches and his latest brawl was gruesome enough for the police to show up.

GCW held the Outlaw Mudshow event from the Albany County Fairgrounds in Laramie, Wyoming last night. It saw the world champion defending his title against Mance Warner in a Bunkhouse Brawl Match.

Things got so wild during the main event that the police apparently showed up to question Gage about the bout. Joey Janela posted a video of the cops questioning people backstage about the GCW event after the show:

“So, the cops here thought that Mance/Gage match was real and got too out of control, there are cops here — all over. This is pretty wild. It’s still real here in Wyoming.”

https://twitter.com/JANELABABY/status/1406488458328170497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Nick Gage also recently made some headlines for his interactions with former WWE star Matt Cardona fka Zack Ryder. The two are scheduled for a match at the upcoming Homecoming event.

Apart from the Bunkhouse Brawl, the Outlaw Mudshow featured bouts such as a Bullrope Match between 1 Called Manders and Matthew Justice and a singles match between WWE Hall Of Famer Ricky Morton and Atticus Cogar.

WWE Hell In A Cell Results: Three Title Matches, Alexa Bliss vs. Shayna Baszler

Robert Lentini
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WWE Hell in a Cell 2021 aired live from the ThunderDome in Tampa, Florida. Bobby Lashley put the WWE Championship on the line against Drew McIntyre inside the steel cell. Bianca Belair defended the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Bayley in a Hell in a Cell match tonight.

Hell in a Cell 2021 Results

  1. Natalya def. Mandy Rose (Kickoff Show)
  2. Bianca Belair def. Bayley in a Hell in a Cell match to retain the SD Women’s Championship
  3. Seth Rollins def. Cesaro
  4. Alexa Bliss def. Shayna Baszler
  5. Sami Zayn def. Kevin Owens
  6. Charlotte Flair def. Rhea Ripley via DQ (Ripley retained RAW Women’s Title)
  7. Bobby Lashley def. Drew McIntyre to retain the WWE Championship

Here are the takeaways from the PPV:

Bianca Belair Retained In A Great Match

Bianca Belair defended the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Bayley in a Hell in a Cell match tonight. Bayley and the champion circled each other and traded words before locking up in the middle of the ring. Belair hit two Body Slams and followed it up with a Clothesline that sent Bayley out of the ring to regroup.

Bayley hit Belair with a cheap shot and brought a couple steel chairs into the ring. Bayley grabbed one of the chairs and kicked the other one out of the ring so Belair couldn’t get it. Belair dodged a chair shot and rolled up Bayley for a two count. Bayley grabbed the chair again and Belair backed away.

Belair started swinging her hair but Bayley blocked it with the chair. Bianca then connected with a Dropkick that bounced the chair off of Bayley’s face. Belair hit a shoulder tackle in the corner and drove Bayley into the turnbuckle. Bianca perched Bayley up on the top tope and hit her with some punches.

Bianca went for a Superplex but Bayley blocked it. Bianca flipped to the mat and then hopped back up on the turnbuckle. Bayley bounced Bianca’s face off the turnbuckle and sent her flying into the ring post. Belair fell to the canvas and Bayley went for the cover but the champ kicked out at two.

Bayley focused her attack on Belair’s shoulder and slammed it into the post before stomping on it in the corner of the ring. Bayley applied an Armbar in the middle of the ring and transitioned into a cover for a two count. Bayley brought the steel steps into the ring and stood on top of them.

Belair tripped Bayley up and she fell back onto the steps. Bayley hit a knee to the face and went for the cover but couldn’t keep Bianca down. Bayley tied Belair to the bottom rope by her hair and went for a kick but wound up tripping over Bianca’s hair and fell into the steel steps again.

Bianca lifted the steps above her head and launched them at Bayley but she got out of the way at the last moment. Belair shoved Bayley’s face into the steel but Bayley bit Belair’s arm to break it up. Bayley bashed Belair in the ribs with a kendo stick and followed it up with a Powerbomb into the steel.

Bayley set up some kendo sticks from the apron and the cell but it backfired. Bianca slammed Bayley through the kendo sticks and brought her back into the ring for a near fall. Bianca bashed Bayley over the back with a steel chair and the challenger stumbled to the corner.

Bianca charged but Bayley caught her with a kick that sent the chair into Belair’s face. Bayley wrapped Bianca’s arm in the chair and relentlessly slammed it into the steel. Bayley then tied Bianca’s hair around the bottom of the chair and booted the injured shoulder again.

Bayley laughed as Bianca slowly made her way to her feet. Belair slapped Bayley in the face and then hit her in the knee with the steel chair. Bianca followed it up with a chop block and tied her hair to Bayley’s arm. Belair hit a couple Clotheslines and dragged Bayley to the outside.

Belair bashed Bayley in the midsection with the kendo stick before launching her into the steel cell multiple times. Bianca untied her hair and booted Bayley to the floor. Bayley grabbed a ladder from under the ring and hit Belair with it. Bayley slid the ladder into the ring and Belair followed her. Bayley smashed Belair’s face off the ladder and the SmackDown Women’s Champion fell to the canvas.

Bayley slammed Belair on the ladder and then delivered the Rose Plant. Bayley grabbed her knee in pain and the delay cost her as Bianca powered out at two. Bayley rolled up Belair and grabbed the ropes for leverage but Bianca was still able to kick out.

Bianca slammed Bayley’s face into the turnbuckle and then put the ladder on top of her. Belair hit a Senton and followed it up with the KOD on top of the ladder for the pinfall victory. Bianca Belair is still the SmackDown Women’s Champion.

Seth Rollins def. Cesaro

Cesaro battled Seth Rollins tonight at the PPV. Rollins attacked Cesaro during his entrance but Cesaro caught him with a Powerslam right when the bell rang. Cesaro followed it up with a kick to the face that knocked Seth to the outside. Back in the ring, Cesaro climbed to the top rope and leveled Rollins for a two count.

Rollins connected with a DDT and went for the cover but Cesaro kicked out at two. Seth hit Cesaro with a knee to the midsection and went for a Suplex but Cesaro countered into one of his own. Seth knocked Cesaro out of the ring and connected with a knee to face off the apron.

The action returned to the ring and Rollins hit another knee to the face for a near fall. Cesaro responded with a series of uppercuts that sent Rollins to the corner. Cesaro ripped off Rollins’ glove and shoved it in his mouth. Cesaro leveled Seth with a Clothesline and went for the cover but Rollins kicked out at two.

Cesaro hit another Powerslam and went for the cover but Rollins kicked out at two. Cesaro connected with a Crossbody but Rollins rolled through for a near fall. Seth hit an Enziguri and followed it up with a forearm to the back of Cesaro’s head for a two count.

Seth applied an Armbar in the middle of the ring but Cesaro battled to his feet. Rollins connected with a Falcon Arrow and went for the cover but Cesaro kicked out at two. Cesaro caught Rollins with a Clothesline and both superstars fell to the mat. Cesaro got Rollins in the Swing and transitioned into the Sharpshooter in the middle of the ring. Seth reached for the ropes but Cesaro transitioned into a Crossface in the middle of the ring.

Rollins countered into a cover to break the hold but Cesaro got the Sharpshooter locked in again. Cesaro then bent back Rollins’ arm and stomped on it several times. Rollins rolled Cesaro up out of nowhere for the pinfall victory.

Alexa Bliss def. Shayna Baszler

Alexa Bliss faced Shayna Baszler tonight at Hell in a Cell. Baszler controlled the action early but Bliss battled back and laughed off the punishment. Shayna stomped on Alexa’s elbow but Bliss didn’t stay down. Alexa connected with a DDT and went for the cover but Baszler kicked out at two.

Alexa Bliss somehow was able to take control of Nia Jax’s body and slapped Reginald in the face. Alexa then planted Shayna with Sister Abigail and followed it up with Twisted Bliss for the pinfall victory. Bliss laughed on the entrance ramp as Lilly was shown on the jumbotron behind her.

Sami Zayn Picked Up A Win Over Kevin Owens

Sami Zayn battled Kevin Owens tonight at Hell in a Cell. Owens dominated the action early and launched Sami into the turnbuckle. Sami rolled out of the ring to regroup but Owens followed him. Kevin threw Zayn into the barricade before the action returned to the ring.

Zayn caught Owens with a kick as he was getting into the ring and then beat him down in the corner. Zayn sent Owens out of the ring and flipped onto him. Owens hobbled to the timekeeper’s area and then got back into the ring. The referee checked on Owens to see if he could continue and Zayn got pissed off. Sami connected with a kick to Owens’ face and then stomped on the injured arm. The announcers noted that Owens is also dealing with injuries to the throat caused by Commander Azeez hitting him with the Nigerian Nail on SmackDown.

Sami continued to attack the injured arm and Owens rolled out of the ring to buy himself some time. Back in the ring, Owens took Zayn down and unloaded some punches to his face. Owens sent Zayn to the outside and connected with a Clothesline. Kevin leaned up against the steps and held his wrist/arm in pain. Owens then went for a Senton off the apron but Sami got his knees up.

Zayn hit Owens with a Blue Thunder Bomb in the ring and went for the cover but Owens kicked out at two. Owens battled back with some chops to the chest and went for a Stunner but Sami countered into an Exploder Suplex for a near fall. The action spilled to the outside again and Owens connected with a Stunner.

Sami made it back into the ring at the last second to break the count. Owens and Sami traded punches from their knees and then Kevin headbutted Zayn down. Kevin booted Sami in the face and he fell to the apron. Sami bounced Owens’ injured arm off the top rope and followed it up with a running knee. Owens got up in the corner and Sami leveled him with the Helluva Kick for the pinfall victory.

Opinion: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn delivered yet another great match tonight. I don’t think it is possible for them to have a bad match. They needed to deliver tonight to get the show back on track after the ridiculous Alexa Bliss & Shayna Baszler match.

Rhea Ripley Retained via DQ

Rhea Ripley defended the RAW Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair tonight at Hell in a Cell. Flair controlled the action early and kept the RAW Women’s Champion grounded. Ripley connected with a chop and knocked Charlotte to the ring apron.

Ripley went for a kick but Charlotte was ready and locked in a submission using the ropes. Flair broke the hold and Ripley caught her with a kick to the face that knocked Charlotte to the floor. Ripley screamed and rolled Flair back into the ring. Rhea connected with a massive Dropkick off the top rope and went for the cover but Charlotte somehow was able to kick out at two.

Rhea went for a submission hold but Charlotte countered and sent her into the turnbuckle. Charlotte hit Natural Selection and went for the cover while using the ropes for leverage but Rhea kicked out. Flair went for a Body Slam but Ripley escaped and sent Flair across the ring with a release German Suplex.

Charlotte connected with a Backbreaker and then bounced the champ’s face off the middle turnbuckle. Flair climbed to the top rope and went for a Moonsault but Ripley got out of the way. Charlotte landed on her feet and connected with a Standing Moonsault for a two count.

Flair connected with a boot to the face and went for the cover but Ripley kicked out. Charlotte got pissed and unloaded several punches to Ripley’s face before dragging her to the middle of the ring. Flair set up for the Figure Four but Ripley booted her away. Charlotte climbed to the top turnbuckle again but Ripley attacked her.

Ripley joined Charlotte on the top turnbuckle and connected with a Superplex for a near fall. Rhea connected with the Riptide but Charlotte got her foot on the bottom rope to break up the cover. Ripley yelled in anger as Charlotte rolled out of the ring and the match continued.

Rhea hobbled after Charlotte and Flair caught her with a chop block. Flair hit a Spear in the middle of the ring and then applied the Figure Four. Ripley battled through the pain and reached the bottom rope. Charlotte kept the hold in but Rhea escaped by dragging them both to the floor.

Charlotte charged at Rhea but Ripley was ready and hit her with the top of the announce table to end the match in a DQ. Rhea planted Flair with the Riptide after the match.

Opinion: A DQ finish would have been bad, but a disqualification for using the announce table cover is just terrible. I guess a finish this was to be expected in a feud that revolved around both superstars losing in silly ways to Nikki Cross.

Lashley Retained The WWE Championship

Bobby Lashley put the WWE Championship on the line against Drew McIntyre in a Hell a Cell match in the main event. McIntyre dominated early and sent Lashley into the ring post. McIntyre grabbed the steel steps but Lashley connected with a kick to the midsection and the steps fell to the floor.

McIntyre battled back and struck Lashley with the steel steps a couple times. The action returned to the ring and McIntyre connected with an overhead throw. McIntyre grabbed a kendo stick from under the ring and struck Lashley with it. Drew then set up a table against the cell.

Lashley battled back and slammed McIntyre’s face into the steel. McIntyre blocked a Suplex and hit Lashley with White Noise on top of the steps. Drew set up another table next to the ring and brought Lashley back to the steps. Lashley dropped McIntyre with a jab to the throat as MVP cheered him on from outside the cage.

McIntyre set up a chair in between the ropes but Lashley caught him with an elbow to the face. Drew shrugged it off and planted Lashley with a reverse Alabama Slam on top of a chair for a near fall. McIntyre climbed to the top rope with a steel chair and leaped but Bobby countered into the Hurt Lock.

Drew escaped and connected with a Spinebuster for a near fall. McIntyre followed it up with a Powerbomb and went for the cover but the WWE Champion was able to kick out at two. Lashley rolled out of the ring and McIntyre followed him. McIntyre bashed the WWE Champion in the face with the steel steps and tried to do it again but Bobby blocked it.

Lashley bashed the steel steps into McIntyre’s face against the steel until Drew fell to the floor. Bobby hit McIntyre with several punches to the face and grabbed a kendo stick. MVP trapped McIntyre in the corner of the cell with the stuck and Lashley unloaded several punches to the ribs.

McIntyre broke free but Lashley slammed him to the floor. Lashley set up a chair in the ring and slammed McIntyre’s face onto it a couple times. Lashley hit Drew with a kendo stick a few times but McIntyre powered to his feet. McIntyre shoved Lashley to the corner and bashed him in the ribs with a steel chair. Lashley then shoved McIntyre and he accidentally laid out the referee. McIntyre launched Lashley into the chair in the corner and hit him with the Future Shock DDT.

Drew couldn’t go for the cover and instructed another referee to get into the ring. Lashley went for the Hurt Lock but McIntyre countered into an overhead throw. McIntyre launched a chair at Lashley’s face and followed it up with the Claymore. McIntyre went for the cover but MVP dragged the referee out of the ring at two.

McIntyre stared at MVP and started walking towards him. MVP realized he was locked in the cell and McIntyre sent him into the ring post. Drew rolled MVP into the ring and hit him with the Claymore. McIntyre continued to attack MVP and Lashley capitalize by applying the Hurt Lock. Drew broke free by sending Lashley through the table against the cell.

Back in the ring, McIntyre hit Lashley over the back with the steel chair over and over again. Drew set up for the Claymore but Lashley ducked and McIntyre crashed to the mat. Lashley shoved McIntyre into the ring post and then Chokeslammed him off the apron and through a table below. Lashley brought McIntyre back into the ring and went for a Spear but McIntyre dodged it. Drew sent Lashley into the turnbuckle and rolled him up for a near fall.

McIntyre connected with the Future Shock DDT and geared up in the corner. MVP grabbed McIntyre’s legs and held him back. Lashley then capitalized with a roll-up for the pinfall victory. Lashley is still the WWE Champion and McIntyre will not get another shot at the title as long as Bobby holds the belt.

Opinion: Lashley and McIntyre had a great match tonight that unfortunately had a really underwhelming finish. I did not expect to see this feud end with a roll-up. Overall, Hell in a Cell was a flawed show that featured a few good matches. I thought Bianca Belair and Bayley had the match of the night.

Bobby Lashley Retains WWE Title In Trilogy Match With Drew McIntyre At Hell In A Cell

Andrew Ravens
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The trilogy match between Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre with the WWE Title on the line took place at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event. 

The match saw them use various weapons such as the cell, steel steps, kendo sticks, tables, and a cane. At one point, McIntyre hit a powerslam to Lashley on the steps. Lashley used the steps several times to smash McIntyre into the cell. Lashley tossed McIntyre into the referee and this led to McIntyre hitting a DDT.

Another referee came out as McIntyre hit the Claymore Kick, but in the pin attempt, MVP pulled out the referee. MVP distracted McIntyre and Lashley rolled him up for the win. As a result, McIntyre can’t challenge for the WWE Title again as long as Lashley is champion.  

McIntyre earned his third match with Lashley on the May 31st edition of WWE Raw when he defeated Kofi Kingston in a number one contender’s match in the main event. McIntyre went over with his finisher, Claymore Kick, as Kingston was coming off the top rope.

That match had a stipulation where Lashley would have been suspended without pay for 90 days if he or MVP interfered or even came out to ringside during the match.

Lashley became the champion when he won it from The Miz back in March. Their first match came back at WrestleMania 37 where Lashley defeated McIntyre to retain the WWE Championship. One month later at WrestleMania Backlash, Lashley retained by defeating Braun Strowman and McIntyre in a triple threat match. WWE kept McIntyre strong as Lashley pinned Strowman to get the win.

Rhea Ripley Keeps Raw Women’s Title At WWE Hell In A Cell

Andrew Ravens
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Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair took place with the Raw Women’s Title on the line in Ripley’s latest title defense. 

The match happend at the WWE Hell In A Cell pay-per-view event in Tampa, Florida at Yuengling Center on Peacock. The match saw Flair dominate and use some old school tactics such as hitting natural selection for 2 while using the rope as leverage. The match ended short when Ripley got herself DQ’d when she hit Flair with a piece of the announce table. 

Ripley attacked Flair after the match and Flair told her that she was learning. Thus, a rematch at Money in the Bank is coming. 

WWE confirmed this bout after Flair had beaten Asuka on the May 24th edition of Raw. This came after  Ripley retained her Raw Women’s Championship by defeating Asuka and Charlotte in a triple threat match when Ripley pinned Asuka to win. 

Flair had been pitching for a one-on-one title match with Ripley to WWE authority figures Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville. This is where Deville told Flair that if she beat Asuka then she would get the title match and that’s what happened. 

WWE then did some Beat the Clock challenges to further hype this match. They both wrestled Nikki Cross in these matches. 

Bianca Belair Retains SmackDown Women’s Title At WWE Hell In A Cell

Andrew Ravens
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Bianca Belair once again put her WWE SmackDown Women’s Title on the line against Bianca Belair. 

It happened at the WWE Hell In A Cell pay-per-view event in Tampa, Florida at Yuengling Center on Peacock. The match saw them slowly start to use the cell.

At one point, Bayley turned the tide by biting the arm of Belair. Bayley hit a flip powerbomb into the cell. Belair won with the KOD on a ladder to retain. 

WWE set up this latest match after an angle on SmackDown where Belair was unhappy about Bayley laughing in her face so she challenged her to a match on the June 4th edition. Bayley accepted Belair’s challenge and then laughed at Belair again while in a room that was a shrine to herself. 

Belair defeated Sasha Banks at WrestleMania 37 this April to win the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Instead of going back to that feud, she went into a program with Bayley. Belair went over in their first match at WrestleMania Backlash last month.

During the match, Bayley tried to use Belair’s braid, but Belair was able to use the braid to help her pin Bayley.

Amanda Huber Remembers Brodie Lee On Father’s Day

Chris Stephens
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Amanda Huber is remembering her late husband Brodie Lee (Jon Huber) on Father’s Day. She took to social media to post a message about how great a father Brodie was.

“My husband was human and by no means a perfect person. What he was however, was the most incredible father I had ever seen. Nobody loved these 2 wild boys as much as he did,” Amanda wrote on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQV88GwBaaH/

“He became the most dedicated father I had ever seen. Brodie became his entire world. He held me tight after multiple miscarriages until our little rainbow Rhino came along. Those little boys were his reason for doing everything. Anyone who met Jon knew of his love for his kids and how proud he was to be a dad.”

Amanda Huber also noted recently that Brodie Lee Jr. (-1) missed some AEW tapings recently due to his grades slipping. He got them back up and was back on the show pretty quickly, however.

“100% He stopped doing his work so he lost privileges,” wrote Amanda of her son, Brodie. “I don’t make any money off any appearances he does at AEW, it’s purely for fun. It’s his favorite place in the world and a reward for hard work. He managed to finish his school year with all A’s & B’s despite slipping up a bit. I’m very proud of him.”

Aiden English Pays Tribute To Brodie Lee

Amanda Huber wasn’t the only one paying tribute to Brodie Lee today. Matthew Rehwoldt, the former Aiden English, also spoke about Brodie Lee. He posted the following to Twitter:

“I’m taking today to wish a Happy Father’s Day to the memory of my friend Jon – who was one of the best dads I’ve EVER seen, bar none. And to my friend Amanda, a superhero who continues to raise their beautiful kids.”

Sami Callihan & Jessicka Havok Get Engaged

Chris Stephens
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Impact Wrestling roster members Sami Callihan and Jessicka Havok announced their engagement today on social media. According to comments Havok posted to Instagram, Callihan proposed immediately following a video game live stream she was doing.

“So, I just ended a live stream of the mothman statue at the mothman museum, just to have Sami on one knee when I turned around. I almost couldn’t believe it. I am so overwhelmed with happiness. 
I didn’t know how to react, so I started crying. Lol, tears of joy. I don’t know what to say,” she wrote On Instagram. “P.s. I said yes.”

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

Sami Callihan and Jessicka Havok

Havok is in her 2nd stint with Impact Wrestling currently. She was with the company from 2014-15. Havok won the Knockouts Championship during this run. She returned in 2019 and lately has been growing an alliance with Rosemary. They seem to be about to feud with Knockouts tag-team champions, Fire N Flava (Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz).

As for Callihan, he’s preparing to challenge Kenny Omega for the Impact World Championship in the main event of Slammiversary next month. Callihan is already a former 1x Impact World Champion. He defeated Brian Cage for the title on the promotion’s first show on AXS TV.

Brock Lesnar In Talks With WWE About Potential Return

Michael Reichlin
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WWE is looking to re-sign Brock Lesnar as part of the post-pandemic effort to spike business.

The Beast Incarnate is currently a free agent. His most recent WWE contract expired in April 2020. It was not unusual for Lesnar to come and go for months at a time, but this has been his longest hiatus since returning in 2021

WWE has been negotiating with Brock Lesnar as of late, according to Fightful Select. If everything goes smoothly, they hope to bring him back into the fold effectively immediately.

Earlier this month, Brock Lesnar’s profile was added back to the ‘active’ Superstars section of WWE.com.

Brock Lesnar active

Brock Lesnar is pro wrestling’s top box office attraction over the past decade. WWE looking to make SummerSlam an “all hands on deck” event. Lesnar would certainly add some much-needed star power to the show. WWE had considered Lesnar as Roman Reigns’ opponent for SummerSlam, but John Cena is now the frontrunner for that role. Other marquee names discussed for SummerSlam include Edge and Becky Lynch.

Brock Lesnar was last seen at WrestleMania 36, when he dropped the WWE Championship to Drew McIntyre. A lot has changed since then, including Lesnar’s former Advocate, Paul Heyman, aligning with Roman Reigns.

The IIconics File Trademark Application For ‘The Inspiration’

Michael Reichlin
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Former WWE Superstars Jessica McKay (Billie Kay) and Cassandra Macintosh (Peyton Royce) have filed a trademark application for the name, The Inspiration.

According to the US Patent & Trademark Office Database, the trademark users covers entertainment services and merchandise.

“G & S: Entertainment in the nature of wrestling contests; Entertainment services, namely, live appearances by a professional wrestling and sports entertainment personalities; Entertainment services, namely, personal appearances by a professional wrestling and sports entertainment personalities; Entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibits and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer;“

“G & S: Hats; Shirts; Socks; Bandanas; Sweatshirts; Hooded sweatshirts – IC 041. US 100 101 107.

The ‘Inspiration’ application was filed on June 15th by McIntosh and JTLM Inc., an entity owned by McKay and her husband.

Following their release from WWE in April, the former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions filed to traemark new ring names, Jessie McKay and Cassie Lee.

They also recently launched the Off Her Chops podcast.

Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows Return To NJPW Announced

Chris Stephens
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Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows have been announced for multiple upcoming shows with New Japan Pro Wrestling. This week on New Japan Strong, the promotion revealed Anderson and Gallows will take part in a single-elimination tag-team tournament.

The “Tag Team Turbulence” tournament will air on episodes of New Japan Strong thought the second half of July. All 4 first-round matches will take place on the July 16th episode.

NJPW Tag-Team Turbulence First Round Matches (July 16th):

  • The Good Brothers (Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows) vs. Clark Connors & TJP
  • Yuji Nagata & Ren Narita vs. Fred Yehi & Wheeler Yuta
  • Kevin Knight & The DKC vs. Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs
  • Brody King & Chris Dickinson vs. JR Kratos & Danny Limelight

In addition to taking part in shows on New Japan Strong, Anderson and Gallows have also been announced for the NJPW Resurgence Show. The event will take place on August 14th from The Torch at the LA Coliseum. Other announced competitors for that show include Jon Moxley, Jay White, Tom Lawlor, Juice Robinson, David Finlay and more.

Anderson and Gallows are 3x IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions in NJPW. Anderson is a founding member of Bullet Club in 2013. They also won the World Tag League Tournament in 2013.

Tony Khan On Why AEW Didn’t Build Its Own “Thunderdome”

Chris Stephens
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AEW is set to go back on the road July 7th. The promotion spent the majority of the pandemic running shows from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville. During a recent interview with UPI, Tony Khan was asked why AEW never decided to do a video wall similar to what many sports and WWE ended up doing.

Khan noted that he did get some pressure to run his pandemic shows with virtual fans.

“I didn’t want to have a video wall, and I pushed back when I got pushed to do a video wall. It was a fine idea and WWE did it, but it wasn’t what I wanted to do. I respect it, it’s good and it’s economical, but I wanted to continue to find a way to do the shows for the fans every week. And the fans at Daily’s Place supported us. We built like a wrestling territory having a weekly audience. I’m really proud of that.”

“And the fans at Daily’s Place supported us. We built like a wrestling territory having a weekly audience. I’m really proud of that.”

AEW’s first four shows back on the road will be special branded episodes. The first show back “Road Rager” on July 7th will feature Cody Rhodes vs QT Marshall in a strap match. Following Road Ragers, 2 nights of Fyter Fest will lead into Fight for the Fallen at the end of July from Charlotte.

Ruby Riott On What Name She’ll Use In Her Post-WWE Career

Chris Stephens
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Dori Prange, better known to WWE fans as Ruby Riott, was released from the company this spring after having been with them since 2016. Before signing with WWE, Riott was known as Heidi Lovelace. According to comments she made recently while on the Wrestling Perspectives podcast, she will not be returning to that name.

“A lot of people think that I’m going back to Heidi Lovelace. There are a multitude of reasons why I don’t want to do that. I was not a fan of that name,” Riott said on the show (transcriptions via Fightful). “It was given to me by the people who trained me in the backyard. They were watching Raw and a commercial for The Hills came on and they were like ‘Heidi, that’s a name’ and they gave it to me.”

Riott also spoke about not liking the name Lovelace either.

“Nobody ever pronounced Lovelace correctly. Why come up with a wrestling name that people can’t pronounce? That’s a terrible idea. A lot of people thought I was going to go back to it. I have no intentions of going back to Heidi Lovelace.”

Finally, Riott spoke about wanting to keep the name Ruby. She noted that it comes from the Rancid song, Ruby Soho.

“I am shopping for a new name I would like to keep [the name Ruby] if it’s possible. I feel like it fits me. Ruby came from Ruby Soho and that’s dear to my heart.”

Riott wrestled for 6 years for promotions such as SHIMMER, World Wonder Ring Stardom, CHIKARA, SHINE, and the Insane Clown Posse’s Juggalo Championship Wrestling before signing with WWE. She’s won titles with Ohio Valley Wrestling, Shimmer and many other promotions. Riott never won a championship during her WWE career.

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