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Ruby Riott On The Original Main Roster Plans For The Riott Squad

Anutosh Bajpai
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The Riott Squad had a long run in WWE after their main roster debut but according to its leader and former WWE star Ruby Riott, the group was only supposed to last a few weeks originally.

The former WWE star recently appeared on The Wrestling Perspective podcast where she discussed many things and revealed the original plans for her faction.

Ruby Riott explained that the faction was not supposed to last more than six weeks. However, their different characters worked so well that the officials decided to keep them together:

“From what I understand, we weren’t supposed to last more than six weeks. It was supposed to be like an entry and then we’d go our separate ways. We didn’t change anything about our characters to adhere to each other,

We just stayed ourselves. What ended up happening was those three very different characters ended working well together,” explained Ruby Riott, “And in contrast, so they kept us together.”

Where Vince McMahon Got The Inspiration For The Group

Riott also revealed an interesting rumor about the formation of the group. According to her, she was told that Vince McMahon saw the Suicide Squad and took inspiration from it:

“I was also told that [Vince McMahon] had seen Suicide Squad and he wanted a Joker, a Harley Quinn, and a beast. Then, the Riott Squad was born.

I don’t know how much truth there was to that, it was a rumor, but I wouldn’t doubt it. A lot of my career was right place right time.”

Ruby Riott was paired with Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan upon her main roster debut in November 2017. The group broke up during the 2019 draft when its members were drafted to separate brands.

Update On NXT Champions Working Dark Matches On SmackDown

Anutosh Bajpai
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The NXT champion Karrion Kross alongside Scarlett and the NXT North American champion Bronson Reed were backstage for this week’s episode of SmackDown. The developmental stars were brought to the brand for evaluation from officials. They both competed in dark matches before the airing of the show.

In an update to this original story, PWInsider is reporting that Kross faced Dolph Ziggler in a match while Reed competed against Ziggler’s partner Robert Roode in singles competition. Both these matches were taped for evaluation, though they are not likely to be released to the public. The NXT champion and Scarlett are expected back at the tapings next week.

The duo will likely be tested for their promo skills after the dark match this week. Whether Reed will be brought back as well is not known. It’s been said multiple times in the past that WWE officials are interested in bringing Karrion Kross to the main roster and his call-up could be fast-tracked.

The company is expected to hold the next round of WWE drafts in August after SummerSlam. With the reports about the officials being interested in the former Impact wrestling star, it’s likely that they are trying to assess whether or not he is ready to make a jump to the main roster.

SmackDown Viewership With Hell In A Cell Main Event

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

WWE made the decision to move the Roman Reigns vs. Rey Mysterio Universal Championship Hell In A Cell match to SmackDown and the call appears to have helped them with the TV ratings.

According to SpoilerTV, the latest episode of the blue branded show drew an average of 1.928 million viewers in overnight ratings, which is a 4% increase from last week’s episode of the show.

The hour one of SmackDown drew 1.926 million viewers. Hour two, featuring the cell match for the universal championship kept the viewership steady with 1.930 million viewers.

Despite the stiff competition from NBA and NHL playoffs, the show managed to pull a 0.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic. It was #1 for the night in the key demo.

In comparison, last week’s episode of SmackDown drew a total of 1.944 million viewers. The episode featuring a segment between Roman Reigns and Rey Mysterio for the main event had scored a 0.48 rating in the 18-49 demographic.

This is the third straight week where the show has seen an increase in viewership numbers. With no Roman Reigns match on Sunday’s Hell In A Cell PPV, we will have to see how next week’s episode of SmackDown compares in viewership.

Drew McIntyre On The Advice He Got From The Undertaker

Anutosh Bajpai
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Former WWE champion Drew McIntyre recently appeared on Ryan Satin’s Out of Character podcast where he opened up about his experience of wrestling with Ricky Steamboat and what he learned from it.

The former world champion got a chance to compete against the wrestling veteran during his first WWE run in 2009. He recalled a particular match they had during a live event in New York.

McIntyre mentioned how Steamboat was very relaxed and present in the moment during their bout. It was just opposite to his own behavior and it’s something that took him a long time to learn:

“He was just so relaxed in his demeanor and the way he was when he out there, and the crowd were still with him because he so in the moment, so present with them, and I was thinking so much about not messing up

And like, in my own little bubble that, that’s why they weren’t responding to me. It took me again a long time to figure that out.”

Drew McIntyre Reveals The Lesson From Undertaker

The lesson he learned on the day was very similar to the advice Drew McIntyre got from The Undertaker. According to him, the Dead Man told him to stop playing the character and live it instead:

“This is a lesson the Undertaker told me: stop playing the wrestler and be the wrestler, I was out there so concerned about the things I might do and not messing up. It was very obvious to the crowd that Ricky was relaxed, he was part of [the match], he believed in himself so they believed in him.”

Drew McIntyre is currently scheduled to challenge Bobby Lashley for the WWE championship in a Hell In A Cell match on Sunday’s PPV. If the Scottish Warrior loses this match, he won’t be able to challenge Lashley for the title again.

Roman Reigns On Being Able To Inspire People After Battle With Leukemia

Anutosh Bajpai
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Roman Reigns went through a tough battle in 2018 when he revealed that his leukemia had returned. The Big Dog, however, managed to beat the odds and came out stronger from the other side.

His journey from finding a new path in wrestling after originally being diagnosed with the disease at just 22 years of age and then defeating it once again when he was at the top of his career has been a source of inspiration for many.

During his recent interview with the ACC Network, Reigns opened up about his alliance with Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. He said that being able to reach out and give hope to people has been a life-changing experience:

“To really be able to reach out and show that support and connect with different people all over the world, through a very similar struggle that we’ve all gone through. And to be able to give them a little bit of hope with my story, it’s just been a very nice outcome.

We don’t always have the success stories, but when we do I feel like we need to celebrate them. And for me to be able to do that with fans and strangers alike, it’s been life-changing. It really has.”

The Universal champion also compared his previous career in football and the current one in wrestling and discussed which qualities you require for finding success in both fields.

Roman Reigns explained that being tough on the field is as important in wrestling because you are on the road 52 weeks a year without an off season. The Tribal Chief defeated Rey Mysterio in a Hell In A Cell match on SmackDown. He is currently not scheduled for any match on the PPV this Sunday.

The Bunny Names WWE Hall Of Famer As Dream Opponent

Anutosh Bajpai
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AEW star Allie aka The Bunny was the most recent guest of the AEW Unrestricted podcast with Aubrey Edwards and Tony Schiavone where she talked about a number of things.

The female star discussed her Impact wrestling run in detail. When asked which Impact star she would like to team or feud against in the future, the former Knockouts champion took the name of Rosemary.

During the fan question segment of the show, The Bunny was asked who is her all time dream opponent. She revealed it to be the WWE Hall Of Famer Trish Stratus:

“Trish Stratus, 100%, She was the inspiration for me to start wrestling, seeing her, and she’s a Toronto gal just like me. I would love it.”
– said The Bunny

The former Impact star also revealed her favorite moment in her previous company and said that the wedding segment of her real-life husband Braxton Sutter was the coolest experience of her life.

Allie explained that she feels like every person who was involved in the segment knocked it out of the park. The crowd reaction to it was the loudest she has ever heard and she doesn’t think TV can translate how loud it was in real life.

The IIconics’ Post WWE Name Possibly Revealed

Anutosh Bajpai
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The IIconics have previously stated that they want to continue teaming together in the future. It appears that their post WWE names have now been revealed.

The former WWE stars have filed a trademark with USPTO for the name ‘The IInspiration’ for being used by wrestling personalities for live appearances and merchandising purposes.

The IIconics were released from their WWE contracts just days after the WrestleMania 37 PPV on April 15. They have a 90 days non-compete clause with the company that ends in mid July.

The IIconics On Their Future

Discussing their future during a recent episode of Busted Open Radio, the duo had explained that they want to stay together because they are most comfortable with each other:

“We definitely want to stay together. We want to move forward together, we’re just most comfortable together. We can play off each other so easily. We don’t even have to talk about what we’re going to do.”

The former WWE women’s tag team champions had also revealed that they are considering both Impact Wrestling and AEW as potential future options.

Which company would you like to see The IIconics join once their non compete clause with WWE expires? Let us know in the comment section below.

NJPW Strong: Ignition Results and Highlights (06/18/21)

Jake Skudder
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New Japan Pro Wrestling aired their NJPW Strong: Ignition event on NJPWWorld this past Friday. The show featured a number of bouts, including a New Japan debut for the IMPACT Wrestling X-Division Champion and an appearance from a Japanese wrestling legend.

Here’s the full results from the show as well as highlights. You can find the full programme on NJPWWorld.com:

  • Josh Alexander b. Alex Coughlin – Alexander would take the win after hitting the Divine Intervention
  • BATEMAN and Barrett Brown b. Fred Rosser & Adrian Quest – BATEMAN and Brown took the win after BATEMAN used the This Is A Kill on Quest
  • Satoshi Kojima b. JR Kratos – The New Japan and overall Japanese legend Kojima took the win after hitting the Lariat on Kratos

Next week’s episode of the show will see ‘Filthy’ Tom Lawlor defend his NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship against Karl Fredericks.

Check out some highlights from the show below:

https://twitter.com/njpwglobal/status/1406080802362822659?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1406080802362822659%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fightful.com%2Fwrestling%2Fresults%2Fnjpw-strong-ignition-results-618-satoshi-kojima-and-josh-alexander-action

Chelsea Green Talks Matt Cardona vs Nick Gage Angle

Jake Skudder
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Former WWE Superstar Chelsea Green recently spoke to Inside The Ropes. The former NXT performer discussed a number of topics during the interview, including the recent angle between her partner Matt Cardona/Zack Ryder and GCW Champion Nick Gage.

Matt Cardona and Nick Gage had been feuding online and teasing something in-ring for quite some time. It was an interesting angle for Cardona to take; as he wouldn’t usually be associated with the deathmatch style of wrestling that Gage is known as the King of.

Nick Gage defended his GCW Championship at the recent Zombie Walk event, and after the bout he was attacked by someone dressed as a ‘druid’ type of character. It turned out to be Matt Cardona, but he adopted some of Jon Moxley’s mannerisms and even hit the Paradigm Shift DDT, fooling the fans in attendance.

Chelsea Green on Matt Cardona vs Nick Gage

“I mean, I loved it! I was REALLY excited for it” Chelsea Green said of the angle and Matt Cardona’s involvement. “And I’m mostly excited because I do feel like he was put in a box in the WWE; and maybe it was him that wanted to be in that box, maybe it was him that never pushed to get out of that box – but this is his chance to show the world SO much more.”

“He’s been wrestling for so long – since he was 18, he’s now 36″ Green continued. “I mean, he’s really been a wrestling fan since he was, like, three years old.”

“But I just feel like this puts a little bit more validity behind his name and I love that for him. I think he deserves that” Chelsea Green would finish.

Matt Cardona vs Nick Gage is scheduled to take place at GCW Homecoming for the Game Changer Wrestling Championship. The show will be available to purchase on FITE TV.

AJ Styles Talks Learning from John Cena in WWE

Jake Skudder
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WWE Superstar AJ Styles recently appeared on WWE’s After The Bell podcast. The RAW Tag Team Champion discussed a number of topics during the interview, including the megastar potential of his tag team partner Omos.

“It’s a job most of us should have after 20 years of being in the business” AJ Styles began the interview, discussing Omos and how he was positioned to help the giant adapt to working in WWE. “Just help the younger talent, just like the older talent has helped me.”

Styles then made some interesting comments regarding the legendary talent that has helped him to learn the craft of professional wrestling. “We can go back to Jerry Lynn, Christopher Daniels, John Cena.”

AJ Styles on John Cena

AJ Styles would then note specifically why he said John Cena, even though the two only met very late in Styles’ career, once he had finally made his way to WWE. “I know it’s crazy for me to say John Cena, but I learned so much from that guy.

“It’s only right that I pass down the knowledge I’ve had to Omos, who can and will be a huge superstar in the WWE” Styles added, putting over the giant and fellow RAW Tag Team Champion.

“I have experience all over the world” Styles added. “The experience I’ve had in the Independents, Japan, and the States, it’s a little different than the WWE experience. I can’t imagine guys like Kurt Angle who started in the WWE and learned so quickly to be the best I’ve ever seen.”

AJ Styles and Omos are not currently scheduled to be part of the WWE Hell In a Cell PPV this weekend on Peacock and WWE Network.

AEW Dynamite Results (6/18): Jim Ross Interviews Andrade El Idolo, MMA Rules Cage Fight

Robert Lentini
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AEW Dynamite aired from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville. Jake Hager faced Wardlow in an MMA Style Cage fight tonight. Eddie Kingston teamed up with Pentagon Jr. and Frankie Kazarian to battle Matt Jackson & The Good Brothers in this week’s main event. AEW also ran a couple teasers for their new show Rampage that will be debuting on Friday, August 13th.

Dynamite Results (6/18)

  1. Jake Hager def. Wardlow
  2. Ethan Page & Scorpio Sky def. Darby Allin in a Handicap match
  3. Orange Cassidy def. Cezar Bononi
  4. Cody Rhodes & Brock Anderson def. QT Marshall & Aaron Solow
  5. Penelope Ford def. Julia Hart
  6. Matt Jackson & Good Brothers def. Eddie Kingston, Pentagon Jr., Frankie Kazarian

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Jake Hager def. Wardlow

Wardlow and Hager battled in an MMA Rules Cage fight tonight. Spears was in Wardlow’s corner and Chris Jericho was in Hager’s corner. Hager hit some punches early until Aubrey Edwards broke it up. Wardlow dominated as round one came to a close.

Wardlow connected with a knee to the face and unloaded a flurry of punches. Hager desperately tried to block them as Wardlow was in complete control. Hager battled back and hit a Uranage. Jake followed it up with a Triangle choke and Aubrey called for the bell as Wardlow passed out.

After the match, Shawn Spears attacked Jake Hager but Jericho broke it up. MJF rushed the ring and ripped the sling off Jericho’s injured arm. MJF applied the Salt of the Earth Armbar in the middle of the ring. Dean Malenko made the save and MJF made it seem like he was going to leave but opted to bash Malenko in the face.

Ethan Page & Scorpio Sky def. Darby Allin

Darby Allin battled Ethan Page & Scorpio Sky in a Handicap match tonight on Dynamite. The stipulation was for Allin to find a partner other than Sting but apparently he was unable to do so.

Scorpio and Page dominated the action early and isolated Darby in the corner of the ring as Dynamite went to a commercial break.When Dynamite returned, Allin was still getting his ass kicked by Sky and Page. Darby tied Page’s legs together with a zip tie and sent him to the floor. Darby hit a Stundog Millionaire on Sky and followed it up with a Coffin Drop. Darby went for the cover but Ethan was still somehow able to break it up at two.

Page cut the zip tie and battled with Allin on the top turnbuckle. Allin bit Page and headbutted him to the floor. Scorpio Sky tipped Darby up and Page followed it up with Ego’s Edge for the pinfall victory.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1406079784979927040?s=20

Orange Cassidy Picked Up A Win

Cezar Bononi faced Orange Cassidy tonight. Bononi controlled the action early and connected with a slam before sending Cassidy flying across the ring. Bononi kept knocking Cassidy out of the ring and the Wingmen (JD Drake, Ryan Nemeth, Peter Avalon) kept spray tanning and mockingly trying to style Cassidy.

Orange battled back with a Stunner and then a DDT. Chuck Taylor distracted Nemeth and Cassidy hit him with the Orange Punch. Statlander distracted JD Drake and Cassidy hit another one. Cassidy then hit the Orange Punch on Bononi for the pinfall victory. After the match, Peter Avalon held Bononi and screamed to the heavens.

Cody Rhodes & Brock Anderson def. QT Marshall & Aaron Solow

Cody Rhodes teamed up with Brock Anderson to face QT Marshall and Aaron Solow. Arn Anderson and Nick Comoroto were ringside for the match. Solow and Brock started off the action and Anderson went to the wrong corner. Cody steered him back and Marshall tagged in.

Brock punched QT in the face before tagging in Rhodes. Solow tagged in and delivered a Double Stomp to the spine of Cody Rhodes. QT tagged back in and tried to beat Cody down some more but he was able to escape and tagged in Brock Anderson.

Anderson hit Marshall with some shoulder tackles and followed it up with a big Back Body Drop. Brock connected with a terrible Gutwrench Suplex but QT responded with a Spinebuster. Marshall looked over and smirked at Arn Anderson before missing with a Splash.

https://twitter.com/tde_gif/status/1406086695309791234?s=20

Brock went for the tag but the referee didn’t see it due to a distraction by Solow. QT went for Cross Rhodes but Anderson countered into a DDT. Cody tagged in and planted Solow with a Powerslam. Cody went for the Figure Four but Solow quickly grabbed the bottom rope to break the hold.

Cody hit Marshall with a Destroyer but turned around into an Enziguri from Solow for a two count. Anderson tagged in and battled with Solow in the ring. Solow was in control but Anderson countered into a roll-up out of nowhere for the pinfall victory.

Jim Ross Spoke With Andrade El Idolo

Jim Ross sat down with Andrade El Idolo tonight on Dynamite. Andrade said he came to AEW because there are stars here, but he is THE superstar. Andrade claimed that he already deserves an opportunity at both the TNT and AEW Championships. Jim Ross brought up Vickie Guerrero introducing Andrade and he said they have a great connection based on their histories in professional wrestling. Andrade added that they have a big surprise coming up to end the interview.

Penelope Ford def. Julia Hart

Julia Hart squared off against Penelope Ford on this week’s show. Penelope dominated early and kept Julia grounded with a Headlock. Hart broke free and connected with a Dropkick. Julia followed it up with a Crossbody but Penelope battled back with a Knee Drop on the ring apron as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, Ford connected with a Clothesline and followed it up with a Gutbuster. Ford then applied the Muta Lock for the submission victory. After the match, Ford kept the hold locked in until the Varsity Blondes broke it up. TNT Champion Miro joined the party and asked where Kip Sabian was. Miro said he will fight in his honor and leveled Griff Garrison with a Clothesline. Miro and Pillman Jr. then brawled until the referees broke it up.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1406092751171620865?s=20

Matt Jackson & Good Brothers Picked Up A Win

Eddie Kingston, Pentagon Jr., Frankie Kazarian faced Matt Jackson & The Good Brothers in this week’s main event. Frankie beat Karl Anderson down in the corner of the ring to begin the action. Pentagon tagged in and Anderson was able to escape to tag in Matt Jackson.

Pentagon hit Karl and Matt with a couple Slingblades and tagged in Eddie Kingston. Eddie hit Matt with a Penalty Kick and bounced his head off the top turnbuckle. Gallows tagged in and a brawl broke out as Dynamite went to a break.

When Dynamite returned, Kingston planted Matt with a Belly to Belly Suplex. Frankie tagged in and connected with a Powerslam on Anderson and followed it up with a boot to the face for a near fall. Anderson battled back with a Spinebuster but Penta was able to tag in.

Pentagon connected with a Crossbody onto Matt and then flipped onto the Good Brothers in a great sequence. Pentagon delivered a DDT to Matt and went for the cover but he kicked out at two. Frankie tagged in and hit Angel’s Wings and went for the pin but Gallows broke it up.

Good Brothers isolated Pentagon in the corner and beat the hell out of him. Everyone started brawling again until it was down to Anderson and Pentagon Jr. in the ring. Matt Jackson hopped up and sprayed Pentagon in the face with the cold spray. Anderson capitalized with the Hun Strun off the top rope for the pinfall victory. The Elite celebrated after the match to close the show.

The following matches were announced for the Wednesday, June 30th edition of AEW Dynamite:

  • Britt Baker & Vickie Guerrero vs. Nyla Rose & Rebel
  • MJF vs. Sammy Guevara
  • Miro vs. Brian Pillman Jr. for the TNT Championship

Kenny Omega will defend the AEW Championship against Jungle Boy on the Saturday, June 26th edition of AEW Dynamite.

WWE SmackDown Results (6/18): Reigns vs. Mysterio, Hell In A Cell Go-Home Show

Robert Lentini
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WWE SmackDown aired live from the ThunderDome tonight. It was the final episode of SmackDown before WWE Hell in a Cell this Sunday night. Roman Reigns defended the Universal Championship against Rey Mysterio in the main event of tonight’s SmackDown.

SmackDown Results (6/18)

  1. Apollo Crews & Commander Azeez def. Kevin Owens & Big E
  2. Shinsuke Nakamura def. King Corbin
  3. Roman Reigns def. Rey Mysterio via submission to retain the Universal Championship

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Rey Mysterio Called Out Reigns

Rey Mysterio kicked off the show and said that any parent watching knows how he is feeling. Mysterio said he isn’t sure when Dominik will get back into the ring and got emotional describing the attack on his son by Roman Reigns last week. He claimed that he will never forget the helpless look in his son’s eyes and the sound of him hitting the floor.

Mysterio said he wants revenge tonight and demanded that Reigns come out here. Universal Champion Roman Reigns came to the entrance ramp with Paul Heyman. Roman stated that he does not want to hurt Rey but it is not going to be PG tonight inside Hell in a Cell.

Reigns will defend the Universal Championship against Rey Mysterio inside Hell in a Cell in the main event of this week’s show. The match was originally scheduled for the PPV.

Crews & Azeez Picked Up A Win

Intercontinental Champion Apollo Crews and Commander Azeez faced Kevin Owens & Big E in the first match of the night. Big E hit a Splash and tagged in Owens for a Senton. Owens went for the cover but the Intercontinental Champion kicked out at one.

Big E tagged back in and connected with a Suplex for a near fall. Azeez got the tag and beat Big E down in the corner. Big E tried to regroup outside the ring but Azeez followed him out there. Azeez slammed Big E on the floor outside the ring and posed with Crews as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Azeez had Big E in the Cobra Clutch and then hit a Suplex. Crews tagged in and hit Big E with an Enziguri to the face. Owens tagged in and hit the Pop-Up Powerbomb but Azeez broke up the cover at two. Sami Zayn interfered and distracted Kevin Owens. Commander Azeez capitalized and hit Owens with the Nigerian Nail for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Sami Zayn laughed at Owens backstage as Azeez and Crews celebrated their win. Owens later approached Deville and Pearce backstage and demanded a match with Sami Zayn.

Nakamura Won The Battle for the Crown

King Corbin faced Shinsuke Nakamura yet again tonight on SmackDown in the Battle for the Crown. Corbin went for a roll-up right away but Shinsuke kicked out. Nakamura battled back with a German Suplex as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Corbin was in control of the match and had Nakamura in a Chinlock. Shinsuke escaped but Corbin caught him with a Deep Six for a two count. Corbin followed it up with a Suplex for another near fall. Nakamura hit a couple boots to the head and followed it up with the Kinshasa for the pinfall victory. After the match, Nakamura took a seat on the throne and celebrated with Boogs as Corbin moped in the ring.

Bayley vs. Belair Will Be A Hell In A Cell Match

SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair mai her way to the ring and grabbed a microphone. Belair claimed that Bayley was just a bully that could dish it out but couldn’t take it. Bianca added that Bayley’s bullying brought her back to her childhood and boasted about how she is unapologetically herself today.

Bayley then attacked Belair from behind and the two superstars brawled to the floor outside the ring. Bayley launched Belair into the barricade and followed it up with the Rose Plant in the middle of the ring. It was announced that the SmackDown Women’s Championship will now be a Hell in a Cell match at the PPV.

Alpha Academy Attacked Angelo Dawkins

Otis was set to face Angelo Dawkins tonight but the match never happened. Chad Gable hit Dawkins with a cheap shot before the bell rang and Angelo chased him around. Otis caught Angelo with a shoulder tackle and then Alpha Academy hit a Hart Attack on Angelo to end the segment.

Cesaro Sent A Message To Rollins

Cesaro and Seth Rollins had a backstage promo with Kayla Braxton tonight on SmackDown. Rollins vowed to show Cesaro everything he deserves and to put him in his place this Sunday at Hell in a Cell. Cesaro said he didn’t think Rollins had it in him to face him man to man and that he respected that. Cesaro added that he respects Rollins as a competitor and will see him Sunday night. He then shoved him over to end the promo.

Roman Reigns Retained

Roman Reigns defended the Universal Championship against Rey Mysterio in a Hell in a Cell match in this week’s main event. Before the match, Roman Reigns and Jimmy Uso had a conversation backstage. Jimmy said he thought about what Roman said last week and told him he was right. Jimmy added that he doesn’t agree with everything Reigns does but they are family.

Reigns asked where Jey was and Jimmy said he hadn’t heard from him all week. Jimmy offered to help Roman in his match tonight and Reigns instructed him to find Jey instead.

Rey went after Reigns right away with a steel chair but the Universal Champion ripped it away. Mysterio sprayed Reigns in the face with a fire extinguisher and then grabbed a tool box from under the ring. Mysterio bashed Reigns in the face with it as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Rey Mysterio was still in control of the match and was beating Reigns down with a steel chair. Mysterio put the chair against the champ’s back and connected with a Dropkick through the ropes. Mysterio sent Reigns flying into the cell wall a few times and the Universal Champion looked rattled.

Rey sent Reigns into the ring post with the chair around his neck. Roman battled back and connected with a massive Clothesline. Reigns went for a Spear but Mysterio dodged it and the Universal Champion crashed through a table. Mysterio went for a Hurricanrana but Roman caught him with ease and bashed Rey into the ring post and the cell as SmackDown went to a break.

When SmackDown returned, Reigns connected with a Superman Punch but Rey battled back. Mysterio hit the 619 and hit the Universal Champion with a steel chair several times. Rey followed it up with a Splash off the top rope and went for the cover but Reigns was somehow able to kick out at two.

Roman showed off his strength and hit a ridiculous Powerbomb that sent Mysterio crashing into the steel cell. Reigns brought Mysterio back into the ring and applied the Guillotine choke for the submission victory. Roman Reigns is still the Universal Champion. Reigns applied the Guillotine choke after the match before posing over Mysterio in the ring to close the show.

Roman Reigns Retains Universal Title Inside Hell In A Cell On WWE SmackDown

Andrew Ravens
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Roman Reigns made his latest defense of the WWE Universal Title against Rey Mysterio on Friday’s episode of SmackDown in Tampa, Florida at Yuengling Center instead of the WWE Hell In A Cell pay-per-view event.

The match had moments where Mysterio had offense. He worked as a smart babyface by using his quickness and various weapons to get an advantage as he operated a fire extinguisher and put a chair around the neck of Reigns then tossed him into the cell. 

Aside from select moments, it was all Reigns, who at one point sent Rey flying from the ring into the cell. Reigns won with his guillotine finisher. 

On the June 11th edition of SmackDown, Mysterio called out Reigns after the previous weeks’ edition where Reigns attacked Rey and his son, Dominik. Reigns came out as Mysterio called him a “rat bastard” for what he had done. Mysterio then challenged “The Big Dog” to the match. In an impressive move, Reigns hit a powerbomb to Dominik to the floor on the outside.  

It’s been reported that WWE wants to do a Reigns vs. John Cena match at this year’s SummerSlam pay-per-view event, but they’ve yet to announce the match nor even advertise Cena for an upcoming show.

Updated Card For Hell In A Cell: New Match & Stipulation Announced

Andrew Ravens
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WWE has announced a new match while also moving one title match inside of the cell structure at the Hell in a Cell PPV.

WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair vs. Bayley will now take place inside of the Hell in a Cell structure. This comes after WWE needing a second title match to take place in the cell once Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Rey Mysterio was moved from the PPV event to Friday’s episode of Smackdown. 

Seth Rollins vs. Cesaro in a singles match has also been added to the show. Rollins confirmed their match for Sunday during a segment on SmackDown. This is a rematch as Cesaro defeated Rollins at WrestleMania 37 Night 1 and then again on the Throwback SmackDown show on May 7th.

WWE presents the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event on Sunday, June 20, 2021 from Tampa, Florida at Yuengling Center that will air on Peacock. 

Updated WWE Hell In A Cell Card

  • WWE Champion Bobby Lashley vs. Drew McIntyre – Hell in a Cell Match (if Drew loses, he can’t challenge Lashley for the title again)
  • WWE Raw Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair
  • WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair vs. Bayley – Hell in a Cell Match
  • Alexa Bliss vs. Shayna Baszler
  • Seth Rollins vs. Cesaro

Becky Lynch At The Performance Center, Smackdown This Week

Andrew Ravens
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Becky Lynch was at the WWE Performance Center earlier this week. She’s been out of action since late last year and gave birth to a healthy baby girl back in December.

Lynch looked to be great shape when she visited the facility on Thursday, according to a report by Fightful. She was not seen training, but did watch some of the other trainees practice in the ring.

Following her visit to the Performance Center, Becky Lynch visited Friday’s SmackDown tapings. Several NXT performers were also at SmackDown. NXT Champion Karrion Kross (with Scarlett) and North American Champion Bronson Reed worked dark matches at the show.

With WWE looking to have “all hands are on deck” for SummerSlam in August, Becky Lynch back would be another big attraction to ensure they sell out the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Lynch hasn’t been seen on WWE TV since last May. Shortly after winning the Raw Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 36, she announced her pregnancy on Raw and surrendered the title. Lynch awarded the title to Asuka, who had a dominant 2020 as the champion and feuded with various stars.

Becky Lynch gave birth to a daughter, Roux, in December 2020. Since giving birth, the countdown clock has been ticking for the top WWE star to make her return. Perhaps, this summer will be that time. She teased appearing at this year’s WrestleMania 37, but that never came to pass.

WWE returns to live event touring on July 16th for an episode of SmackDown in Houston, Texas.

USA Network Not Happy About WWE Moving Roman Reigns vs. Rey Mysterio To SmackDown

Andrew Ravens
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Rey Mysterio vs. Roman Reigns in a Hell in a Cell match for the Universal Title at Sunday’s pay-per-view event was moved to Friday’s episode of SmackDown. 

There’s been a lot of backstage details about this match being moved that have come out. 

Andrew Zarian from the Mat Men podcast said that USA Network is not happy about FOX getting the Hell in a Cell match. 

“I can tell you for a fact that USA Network is very unhappy that the Hell in a Cell match is happening on SmackDown. I’m not gonna say they are fuming but they are very unhappy about it.”

Since WWE inked a big-money deal with FOX for the SmackDown TV rights, it’s been changed to the brand being listed as the “A” show while Raw is the “B” show. 

It should be noted that NBCUniversal is the parent company of the USA Network. Thus, with the match being moved dates, FOX picks up a big match that will likely help boost ratings while Peacock, which is the streaming service of NBCUniversal, loses it. 

It’s no secret that WWE ratings are down and with these networks paying big money to air the weekly programs of WWE’s, there’s pressure to have more themed WWE shows in the future to help get ratings back to where they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. 

WWE NXT Champions Work Dark Match At Friday’s SmackDown

Andrew Ravens
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WWE had three interesting NXT stars backstage at the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida for Friday Night SmackDown and that was NXT North American Champion Bronson Reed, WWE NXT Champion Karrion Kross, and Scarlett.

Originally, it wasn’t known as to why they were there, but Pwinsider.com later reported the reason they were backstage was so WWE could see them compete in a dark match.

It was added that there have been talks in the last week of Kross and Scarlett being moved from NXT to the main roster. 

Reed became the North American Champion when he defeated Johnny Gargano in a steel cage match a month ago. At the WWE NXT TakeOver:  In Your House event this past weekend,  the NXT North American Championship and NXT Tag Team Titles were on the line in a winner-take-all six-man tag match when Reed and MSK successfully retained the titles against Legado del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde). 

At this same show, Kross successfully defended the NXT Championship in a Fatal Five-Way Match Kross successfully defended the NXT Championship in a Fatal Five-Way Match. 

Kross won the NXT Championship from Finn Balor at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.

Possible Return Date For Bray Wyatt, Edge Advertised For Upcoming Shows

Andrew Ravens
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WWE has started sending out advertisements for upcoming shows ahead of their resuming live event touring on July 16th.

Bray Wyatt is locally advertised for the August 9th Raw TV event from the Amway Center in Orlando, according to Sean Ross Sapp. It’s possible the Wyatt is advertised for shows before or after this date. Either way, it appears he will be returning to TV around this time. 

He hasn’t been seen on TV since losing to Randy Orton at WrestleMania 37. Just last week it was reported Wyatt was purposely being kept off WWE TV for an unknown reason. 

Also, the company now has WWE Hall of Famer Edge booked for more dates on the summer tour ahead of the SummerSlam pay-per-view on August 21. Edge is expected to work the show. 

The WWE Hall of Famer has been advertised for the July 16th edition of SmackDown from the Toyota Center in Houston for the last few weeks. 

Edge is now booked for SmackDown shows on July 16 at the Toyota Center in Houston, July 30 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, August 6 at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, August 20 at the Phoenix Suns Arena in Phoenix, August 27 at the Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock, and September 3 at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville. 

Finally, he’s also advertised for the house show on Saturday, August 14 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte.

Tammy Sytch Issues Statement On Release From Prison

Chris Stephens
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Tammy Sytch (aka Sunny) was released from prison earlier this month. She had been housed at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution since July 2020.

Sytch released a statement to WrestleZone on her release and future plans.

“To my fans and the pro wrestling community:

“I am happy to be finished with my sentence and I am anxious to start the next chapter of my life. I am healthy and happy and feel great.”

“The incident which led to this last incarceration stemmed from some major misunderstandings. However I accept responsibility and have used this time to make a better me and put my past mistakes behind me. I have now served my sentence for the PA and NJ issues and will focus on the future.”

Sytch continued to say that she’ll be spending the next bit focusing on caring for her mother. She’ll make decisions on the next steps for her professional life in the coming months.

“I am focused at present on caring for my mother who is in a nursing home and spending time with her. I will take a couple months this summer and decide what my next steps are professionally and make decisions about where I’d like to live and work.”

Sytch took the time to thank her family and friends for their support. She also revealed that her attorney is Stephen P New, who has sort of made a name for himself in wrestling circles in recent years.

“I want to thank my sister Lori and my mom for their wonderful support. I want to thank my fans and friends who have always supported me no matter what. James, for getting me through these last four months. I don’t know what I would do without you. I love you all. And I would like to thank my legal team of David Sebelin in PA, John Flynn in NJ and of course Stephen P New, my attorney and friend.”

Sytch had been paroled last February after being incarcerated for about a year due to multiple DUI convictions. She was arrested again in July, however. This led to her being sent to prison and her parole being revoked. Her most recent charges were for 2 counts of violating a domestic restraining order, driving with a suspended license, and evading a police officer.

“God gives his toughest battles to his strongest warriors, and I will bounce back better than ever before. I am the Taminator. I’ll be back.

Peace, Love and Sunshine,

Tamara”

Edge Expected To Compete At SummerSlam

Anutosh Bajpai
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Edge has not wrestled since WrestleMania 37, but wrestling fans can expect him back in the ring this summer.

WWE is going back on the road in just a matter of weeks. The company recently announced SummerSlam will take place from the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, a venue that holds over 70,000 people. There are plans to makes this a blockbuster affair, with John Cena and other top stars rumored to appear.

Jon Alba of the Living The Gimmick podcast reports that the Rated R Superstar is scheduled to compete at SummerSlam. Edge will be returning as a babyface and competing in a SmackDown brand match. No word yet on his opponent, but potential matchups for Edge include Seth Rollins, Sami Zayn and King Corbin.

WWE is advertising Edge for the September 3rd edition of SmackDown, which adds credence to Alba’s scoop.

Edge was last seen feuding with the universal champion Roman Reigns on WWE programming and he challenged for the universal championship at WrestleMania 37.

The former champion had won the Royal Rumble 2021 in January and chose Reigns as his opponent for the Show Of Shows. However, Daniel Bryan was later added to this bout as well, making it a triple threat.

The tribal chief managed to retain his title in this match with an assist from Jey Uso. Edge has taken some time off from WWE programming after that. WWE will return to touring with the July 16 episode of SmackDown from Houston. SummerSlam this year will be taking place from the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on August 21.

WWE Files Trademark For Piper Niven’s Potential New Name

Chris Stephens
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Piper Niven made her WWE main roster debut this week on RAW. Eva Marie was scheduled to face Naomi but when ring entrances took place, she was joined by Niven. The NXT UK star then wrestled and defeated Naomi seemingly on Eva’s behalf.

Earlier this week, it was reported that the name “Doudrop” had been pitched for Niven. On June 14th, WWE filed to trademark the term “Doudrop” for wrestling purposes.

Piper Niven/Doudrop In WWE

Niven has wrestled 19 singles matches in her WWE career. She’s amassed an impressive 14-5 record. Her only losses have come to Toni Storm, Rhea Ripley, Kay Lee Ray (2x) and Jinny. Some of her most impressive victories have been over Rhea Ripley, Jinny, Zelina Vega, Raquel Gonzalez, Killer Kelly, and Serena Deeb (2017 Mae Young Classic).

The 30-year-old made her pro-debut as a teenager in 2009. She’s won championships in ICW, PCW, Pro Wrestling EVE, World of Sport Wrestling, and World Wonder Ring Stardom.

Piper Niven On Body Shaming

Niven took to social media this week to comment on some messages of body shaming she’s received since appearing on RAW. Several other people fro the wrestling world have commented as well.

“Successful big people are often met with this because we remind people of their own shortcomings, they want to believe that success is only for the “perfect people” and that’s why they didn’t achieve their dreams and we prove them wrong. Don’t even worry about them, I don’t,” she wrote on Twitter.

Jon Moxley Would Support His Daughter Becoming A Wrestler

Rayan Sayyed
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Jon Moxley and wife Renee Paquette announced on Twitter earlier this week that they became proud parents of their baby girl Nora. In the announcement, Paquette also stated that she would not be hosting her podcast Oral Sessions for the next few weeks. “Baby girl is officially here, so I’m checking out and becoming a mom. (She’s absolutely incredible!!)” Paquette tweeted. She added that her husband Jon Moxley would be among the first of many guest hosts for the show. “I have a bunch of guest hosts lined up for you guys and I started with none other than my baby daddy, cool dude husband.”

Jon Moxley starred as the guest host of the podcast and answered a variety of questions from fans. One of the questions asked was about what Moxley would feel if Nora decided to become a professional wrestler too. The former AEW World Champion was very positive of the notion and said he would absolutely support her.

“If she was really passionate about it, then, yeah, go for it. If not, if she was just like playing around, then go play around with it,” Jon Moxley said.

Jon Moxley also talked about his passion about wrestling, stating that he was absolutely “gung-ho” about it, calling wrestling his life. “Sometimes you get into some stuff and you play around. sometimes you’re gung-ho about something, I was gung-ho about this, this was all I’ve ever wanted to do. I was not playing around having fun.” Moxley added, “This was not, let’s try this out, see if it works out, you know, some people come into wrestling with that attitude and then go on to make millions of dollars, then they get really good at it, you know? So it can work. But [with] me, this was my life. This was it. There’s no other anything.”

He continued, saying that he would assess her mindset about it but he would still support her even if she wants to be something else like a “circus performer, or a math teacher, or join the Peace Corps, or be a pro wrestler or a hockey player, or ringette.” Moxley said that he would want his daughter to do whatever she wants to do and he’ll support her.

Jon Moxley was also asked if he would still be so supportive if his daughter wanted to compete in deathmatches. While he first admitted that his initial instinct would be to say no, he clarified that it’s hard to say because he doesn’t know his daughter yet. “I would say if you’re gonna do something, here’s how we do it safely… So, if she ever wanted to get into wrestling, in theory, I would rather guide it and make sure it was done correctly and safely and right and for the right reasons and so forth like that. But I don’t know this person yet.”

Jon Moxley also talked about told the ridiculous story behind the origins of his “Titty Master” nickname on the same episode which you can read about here.

Credit to Fightful for the transcriptions used in this article.

Cody & Brandi Rhodes Welcome Birth Of Baby Daughter

Chris Stephens
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Today is Liberty Iris Runnels’ first day in the world. Cody and Brandi Rhodes have announced that their daughter was born today. The father noted on Instagram that Liberty weighs 6lbs 12oz.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQQ8zjxlUD4/?utm_medium=share_sheet

Liberty will be just 3 days younger than Jon Moxley & Renee Paquette’s daughter who was also born earlier this week.

In an interview with the Buzz on Newsday in February, Cody spoke about bringing his daughter into the wrestling world.

“I’m so proud of being a pro wrestler,” Cody said. “I’ll definitely be bringing he or she, whenever I’m told or whenever Brandi lets me know, I’ll bring them around it. The sky’s the limit for a baby Rhodes, that’s for sure.”

Shortly after it was revealed she was pregnant, Brandi Rhodes spoke to PEOPLE about the news.

“Cody and I are so excited and overwhelmed by this news,” Brandi said. “We’ve had seven exciting years of marriage, worked together to grow our careers and our core at AEW from the ground up, and now here we are embarking on another incredible chapter.”

“We have always talked about it as a future, and it turns out that the future is now,” she added. “It’s surreal that parenthood is right around the corner! We are ready and excited to dive right in.”

Congratulations to the new parents!

Details On NXT Shortening Ring Entrances To Avoid Losing Viewers

Chris Stephens
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Ring entrances are shorter in NXT than on other WWE brands. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Shawn Michaels feels that longer ring entrances were giving fans a chance to switch over to AEW during the Wednesday Night Wars.

“One of the reasons the ring entrances have been cut back on as far as time on the NXT TV show is Shawn Michaels felt that long ring entrances gave the viewers more time to check out AEW,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

The brand has continued to run with that idea even since moving to Tuesday nights with the belief that it gives them more time for angles and matches. Although this has not been confirmed, there is also a rumour that it was HBK’s wife Rebecca who first suggested this.

“Whether this is true or not, within the company the story that has gone around is that it was Rebecca, Shawn’s wife, who was watching the show and told him she thought the ring entrances were too long and giving people too much time to switch stations, and he brought that up to Levesque,” Meltzer continued.

4 matches have been confirmed for NXT next week. KUSHDIA will face Kyle O’Reilly, while Adam Cole will face an opponent of his own choosing. Hit Row will take on Ever Rise and Franky Monet will be in singles action.

Notes On Roman Reigns vs. Rey Mysterio Match Being Moved To SmackDown

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

The decision to move the universal championship Hell In A Cell match between Roman Reigns and Rey Mysterio to SmackDown left fans surprised.

Dave Meltzer talked about this decision in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter. He noted that the decision was made on Thursday but there is no clear reason behind this call:

”As far as what happened, there’s no involved reason that made any sense. The word we were told is that you can’t describe why,

There were just a bunch of discussions on Thursday and the discussions ended up with ‘Let’s do it on SmackDown.”

There are currently no plans for Roman Reigns to wrestle on Sunday’s PPV after his match on SmackDown. There is no news on if the tribal chief will still make an appearance on the show.

As for the reason behind putting this match together goes, it’s about pairing the Big Dog with a great worker which allows him to play the bully heel. Mysterio is not expected to win this match.

With the universal championship match featuring Roman Reigns removed from the event, the Hell In A Cell PPV is left with only one cage match and four announced matches overall.

There is speculation on a Seth Rollins vs. Cesaro and a US championship match possibly being added to the show but neither of these has been confirmed for Sunday as of this writing.

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