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WWE NXT TakeOver: In Your House Final Card, Live Coverage

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The card for tonight’s (Sunday, June 13, 2021) WWE NXT TakeOver: In Your House event has been finalized.

The company has yet to officially announce the main event of this event that takes place in Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center and will air on Peacock. It will likely be headlined by the Fatal Five Way Match for the NXT Title. 

This show marks the third special for the yellow brand in 2021, which features a stacked lineup. There are a total of five matches booked for this show with four of them being championship matches.

As a reminder, we will be providing live play-by-play coverage of this special later tonight. Here’s the final card:

WWE NXT TakeOver: In Your House Card

WWE NXT Champion Karrion Kross vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Pete Dunne vs. Kyle O’Reilly vs. Adam Cole – Fatal Five Way Match

WWE NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez vs. Ember Moon 

LA Knight vs. Cameron Grimes – Million Dollar Title Ladder Match

Xia Li vs. Mercedes Martinez

NXT Tag Team Champions MSK and North American Champion Bronson Reed vs. Legado del Fantasma – Six-Man Tag Team Winners Take All Match

What are your thoughts on this card and the feuds that WWE is presenting to their fans? Sound off in the comment section.

The Young Bucks Appear During IMPACT Against All Odds Main Event

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IMPACT Wrestling held their Against All Odds event last night. The main event of the show saw Kenny Omega defend his IMPACT and TNA Championships against IMPACT star Moose. Near the end of the contest, the referee was knocked out and AEW Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks appeared.

The match was held at AEW’s home, Daily’s Place, so it was likely that there would be some involvement from Omega’s group.

Matt and Nick Jackson attacked Moose by hitting the BTE Trigger and multiple Superkicks. The brothers then helped lift Moose up so that Kenny Omega could hit the One Winged Angel to win the contest.

The Young Bucks Interfere

Omega was scheduled to go on to Slammiversary to face Sami Callihan for the IMPACT World Championship. Callihan actually appeared himself after the main event to attack Kenny Omega; which prompted Don Callis to ‘fire’ the IMPACT star.

Although Don Callis is reportedly no longer in power at IMPACT; he is at least still playing the role of executive on television. It is likely that we will still see Omega vs Callihan at Slammiversary for the belt.

Matt Cardona Talks GCW Feud With Nick Gage

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Former WWE Superstar and independent performer Matt Cardona recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. The former WWE United States Champion discussed a number of topics during the interview, including his current feud with deathmatch king Nick Gage.

“I don’t know how it started on social media” Cardona began, discussing the genesis of the feud. “Whether a fan tweeted it and I responded? And then it got kind of personal at first. I was like ‘dude, I don’t want to do this death match stuff. That’s not my style at all.’”

“But he [Gage] just kept calling me out and calling me out” Cardona continued. “And they (GCW) even promoted me for one of their shows, when I clearly had a booking somewhere else.”

Matt Cardona on Nick Gage

“And they had the whole crowd, like I can’t even say what they were chanting at me. So it’s like, at one point I had to stand up for myself” Cardona stated. “Because I can’t take that. I just got to be a man and shut them up.”

Cardona appeared at the Zombie Walk PPV event earlier this month, attacking Gage following a GCW Championship match. Matt Cardona was dressed as a ‘druid,’ and started doing Jon Moxley mannerisms and even hitting the Paradigm Shift DDT. Cardona then took off the hood to reveal himself, sending the hardcore GCW ‘Universe’ (as Cardona calls them) into a frenzy.

Matt Cardona is currently scheduled to be taking on Nick Gage for the GCW Championship at GCW Homecoming in July.

PROGRESS Release Hype Video For World Championship Match

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PROGRESS Chapter 113: Warp Into Monster Disco Hell will be streaming on Peacock, WWE Network and demandPROGRESS as of Saturday June 19. The PROGRESS World Championship will be on the line during the show, with Champion Cara Noir defending against ELIJAH.

A number of fans have questioned why ELIJAH has been given the title shot; names such as Spike Trivet have had more wins since the return of PROGRESS on Peacock and the Network earlier this year.

PROGRESS Chapter 113

ELIJAH’s manager and former PROGRESS commentator Charles Crowley released a video today hyping the upcoming bout. Crowley slammed the fans for looking past the dangerous ELIJAH, quoting some who say that Cara won’t lose the title until “there’s fans back live.”

The other matches currently confirmed for the show are:

  • Dean Allmark vs Chuck Mambo
  • Gisele Shaw vs Alexxis Falcon
  • Big Money Gun Dogs vs Greedy Souls
  • PROGRESS Tag Team Champions Lykos Gym and Warren Banks vs NorthWest Strong (Chris Ridgeway, Luke Jacobs and Ethan Allen)

You can check out the hype video below:

Meiko Satomura On Which Main Roster Stars She Wants To Face In WWE

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Meiko Satomura just picked up a big win, defeating Kay Lee Ray for the NXT UK Women’s championship but she already has her sight set on some even bigger opponents in WWE for her future.

The new champion recently had an interview with Metro just before her title win where she talked about a number of things and revealed a few other WWE names she wants to compete against.

Satomura first praised her last opponent in Kay Lee Ray. She then revealed which talents she wants to have a match against, discussing some big names such as Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair as potential future opponents:

“First, I want to beat Kay Lee Ray, But next, Io Shirai, Sasha Banks and Charlotte [Flair].”

– Meiko Satomura

The female star is a Japanese wrestling veteran who has been wrestling since the age of 15. She made her debut for the all-women promotion Gaea Japan in 1995.

Meiko Satomura has also competed in promotions such as Sendai Girls’ Pro Wrestling and Chikara in her long career. She made some WCW appearances in 1996 thanks to Gaea Japan’s working relationship with the company at the time.

She made her WWE debut in 2018 as part of the second Mae Young Classic and was signed to a full-time deal in October 2020. She defeated Kay Lee Ray on the June 10 episode of NXT UK, ending Ray’s 649 days long run with the title.

The Miz On Criticism Of Zombie Match At WrestleMania: Backlash

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The Zombie lumberjack match at WrestleMania: Backlash between The Miz and Damien Priest received some harsh criticism from fans after the show.

The former WWE champion and his wife recently had an interview with ComicBook.com where they talked about a number of things including a potential return for Maryse and more.

The Miz was also asked about his initial reaction to the idea of a zombie match during the interview. Replying to the question, he explained that he is the type of person who gets his creative juices flowing with any such opportunity:

“So a lot of people would be like, “What is this? Oh, my God.” I’m the type of person that goes, this allows my creative juices to do whatever the hell we kind of want. So let’s make a movie out of it.

Let’s make a meal out of it. I mean, there was a part in that match where Damian and I worked together to beat up all the zombies.”

The Miz then discussed the fan reaction to the bout. The Raw star said that it’s very easy to go online and critique something:

“And some people give us flack for going outside the box.” said The Miz, “And the problem with, I feel like, today’s world is that it’s so easy to just literally go on the Internet and just critique and say, “This is terrible. This is horrible.”

The former champion gave the example of his storyline with Bad Bunny. He explained that nobody wanted to see it until it unfolded and said that nobody wants to let things develop and get fun.

Apart from this, The Miz discussed things such as starring as Johnny Cage in the next Mortal Kombat film and more. You can check out his full interview here.

Sasha Banks On When She Found Out About Main Eventing WrestleMania 37

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Sasha Banks made history when she defended the SmackDown women’s championship against Bianca Belair in the main event of WrestleMania 37 night 1. During her recent appearance on the Just Women’s Sports podcast, the former champion opened up about the spot.

The former women’s champion also revealed how she felt when she found out about the position of their match on the card. Banks first mentioned that she didn’t know about her spot on the card even a week before the show. The legit boss only found out about it on the Wednesday before the big event:

“It was legit the Wednesday before WrestleMania I found out that we were the main event. And I was again so nervous because I was asking around ‘did you get the card? Did anyone tell you?’ And they’re like ‘you’re not the main event.’ And I’m like ‘nobody told me that!’”

Sasha Banks finally believed the news when the producer of their match TJ Wilson confirmed it to them. She then discussed her reaction to finally believing in the news. Banks said that she started crying instantly because it was the biggest thing one can ever do in wrestling:

“I just instantly started crying and was just like ‘wow. No way!’ Like I knew it, it’s something that I wanted. Just to finally to hear the words that ‘you’re the main event.’ It was so overwhelming, it’s bringing back tears. It’s crazy; it’s crazy, because it’s the biggest thing you can ever do in wrestling.”

The former champion mentioned how even some of her heroes haven’t gotten this chance. She explained that being an African American woman and getting the chance to live her biggest dream was a great moment.

Samoa Joe Spotted At WWE Performance Center This Week

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Former WWE star Samoa Joe was seen at the Performance Center this week, following recent reports about the officials being interested in bringing him back.

The rumors about the heavyweight star’s return stemmed from a recent report. It said that the NXT talents have heard about the officials being interested in bringing the former NXT champion back to the brand.

In an update to the story, Fightful select is reporting that Samoa Joe was actually seen at the Performance Center this week. His visit was brief and there is no word on why the former champion was in the building.

The former TNA star is one of the names that were released from his WWE contract in mid-April earlier this year, as part of the company’s coronavirus budget cuts.

Joe hadn’t been wrestling for WWE for a while before his release. The former NXT star had been working on the Raw announce team instead.

The former WWE star is under the standard 90 days non-compete clause. This means that he cannot sign a contract with a different company until mid-July.

With the reported talks about his return and now his visit, it would be interesting to see if the company actually re-signs Samoa Joe before his non compete clause expires.

Tony Khan Reacts To Triple H Saying ‘Everybody Wants To Work For WWE’

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Triple H made some interesting remarks about female talents during his latest Takeover: In Your House media call. It appears that Tony Khan does not agree with a specific part of it.

The Game was talking about how their roster has the best female talents in the world and he claimed those who are not in their company want to join it.

Khan took exception to Triple H’s remarks. On the latest Busted Open Radio, he explained that it’s ok to think that your product is the best and what offended people was the thinking that everybody wants to work for WWE:

“I think where people got offended yesterday is when he said ‘everybody wants to work there.’  That was like; people are confusing the two things.

If you want to say like ‘hey, I think my show is the best. I think my product is the best’, there’s nothing wrong with that. Like you should feel that way. That’s good.”

The AEW president then said that it’s crazy to think that everyone wants to go to WWE and there are plenty of AEW talent who have no interest in competing for the rival promotion:

“But when you say it like ‘anybody of any value wants to work here’, that’s not true. It’s crazy. There’s plenty of people who work in AEW that have no interest in working there.”

What did you make of Triple H’s remarks about the female talents? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Veteran Wrestler Back In Backstage Role Wih WWE

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Veteran wrestler Shawn Daivari is back with WWE in his producer role after being cut in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Per the latest updates from PWinsider, the former TNA star has returned to the company as a producer. He was backstage at this week’s episode of SmackDown.

Daivari’s presence at a WWE show this week is interesting because he was just working as a producer for NWA during their latest TV tapings last week.

With WWE preparing for their return to the road next month, there has been a push within the company to increase the number of producers, in order to alleviate the workload across the board.

Shawn Daivari’s return seems to be a move in that direction. Though he isn’t the only producer WWE has added to their roster recently and Molly Holly is currently in the middle of a tryout for a similar role.

The former TNA X Division champion originally had a WWE run as a wrestler from 2004 to 2007. He wrestled for promotions such as TNA, ROH, and Lucha Underground after his release from the company.

Daivari was originally brought in as a producer back in January 2019. He was with WWE for more than a year but the former champion was released from the promotion during the coronavirus budget cuts in April 2020.

AEW Dynamite Results (6/11): TNT Championship Match, Inner Circle & The Pinnacle

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AEW Dynamite aired from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida. Miro defended the TNT Championship against Evil Uno on this week’s show. Cody also made an announcement during this week’s Dynamite and The Pinnacle spoke after their loss to Inner Circle in a Stadium Stampede match at Double or Nothing. In addition to the takeaways below, AEW announced themed episodes of Dynamite for July during tonight’s show.

Dynamite Results (6/11)

  1. Christian Cage def. Angelico
  2. Death Triangle & Eddie Kingston def. Young Bucks & Brandon Cutler
  3. Miro def. Evil Uno via submission to retain the TNT Championship
  4. Lance Archer def. Chandler Hopkins
  5. Nyla Rose def. Leyla Hirsch
  6. Hangman Page & 10 def. Brian Cage & Powerhouse Hobbs

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Christian Cage def. Angelico

Matt Hardy came to the ring with TH2 to begin this week’s show. Matt said that Angelico is going to use wisdom and experience to end Christian’s career tonight.

Cage controlled the match early and applied Headlock in the middle of the ring. Angelico countered into an Arm Drag but Christian responded with some right hands to the face. Christian connected with a Tornado DDT and followed it up with a headbutt for a near fall. Angelico went for a Splash but Cage got his knees up. Christian hit the Killswitch for the pinfall victory. After the match, Matt and Jack Evans attacked Christian but retreated when Jungle Boy made the save.

Brock Anderson Will Team With Cody Next Week

Tony Schiavone announced that Aaron Solow & QT Marshall will face Cody Rhodes and a debuting wrestler next week. Cody announced that he will be teaming with Arn Anderson’s son, Brock Anderson, next week.

Rhodes said Brock is going to hit a home run and wouldn’t mind some payback after Anthony Ogogo attacked him last week. QT Marshall interrupted and joked that Brock will probably get a pyro or be brought down from the ceiling. QT said that Rhodes skipped over guys like Comoroto and Solow.

Marshall then challenged Cody to a South Beach Strap Match on the July 7th edition of Dynamite. Cody wanted to fight now but QT hit Arn with a cheap shot. Brock then tackled Marshall and beat him down until AEW officials broke it up.

Eddie Kingston & Death Triangle Picked Up A Win

PAC & Penta teamed up with Eddie Kingston to face Young Bucks and Brandon Cutler tonight on Dynamite. PAC and Matt Jackston started off the action and Pac took control. Cutler tagged in and then Penta made sure to tag in before Eddie Kingston. Pentagon connected with a Dropkick before Eddie tagged himself in.

Kingston hit a Double Stomp and went for the cover but Cutler kicked out. Young Bucks cleared the ring and Eddie Kingston threw a chair as Dynamite went to a commercial break. When Dynamite returned, the AEW Tag Team Champions Young Bucks were in control and had Pac isolated in the corner of the ring.

Kingston tagged in and delivered a Belly to Belly Suplex on Matt and followed it up with an Exploder Suplex to Nick Jackson. Pentagon tagged in and planted Matt with a Piledriver. Pac hit a 450 Splash and locked in the Brutalizer. Kingston connected with an Enziguri and followed it up with dueling Suicide Dives with Pac. Matt rolled up Pac and grabbed the tights for leverage but Pac kicked out at two.

Young Bucks hit Pac with a Buckle Bomb and tagged in Cutler. Brandon missed with an elbow off the top and Kingston hit him with Backfist to the Future for the pinfall victory. After the match, Good Brothers helped Young Bucks attacked Death Triangle & Eddie Kingston. Frankie Kazarian made the save and leveled Gallows & Cutler with a couple Clotheslines.

Inner Circle Destroyed The Pinnacle’s Limo

The Pinnacle came to the ring and Dax Harwood took the microphone first. Dax admitted that they lost Stadium Stampede but complained that the match was not designed for them. Harwood added that Proud & Powerful gave them a hell of a fight but Santana & Ortiz have lost their edge. Shawn Spears claimed that Sammy Guevara is just a glorified indie wrestler. Wardlow challenged Hager to a match and then MJF got on the mic.

MJF said he idolized Chris Jericho but now realizes he is a false god that is not even remotely on his level. Jericho interrupted on the Jumbotron and said that was a great story and he can brag about it all night on the walk home. The camera cut to Inner Circle with sledgehammers and they destroy The Pinnacle’s limo. Jake Hager showed up with a forklift and lifted it until the doors fell off.

Miro Retained The TNT Championship

Miro defended the TNT Championship against Evil Uno tonight. During the show, AEW aired a vignette about how Evil Uno wanted to bring the TNT Championship back to Dark Order.

Miro and Evil Uno locked up in the middle of the ring to begin the action. Miro took control with a Body Slam and then unloaded some punches to Evil Uno. The action spilled out of the ring and Miro accidentally punched the ring post. Evil Uno capitalized with a Cannonball off the ring apron but Miro took back control of the match with a Suplex as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, Alan Angels and Stu Grayson were trying to distract Miro but the TNT Champion fended them off. Evil Unto hit a Jawbreaker and followed it up with a Senton for a near fall. Dark Order & -1 showed up on the entrance ram as Uno stomped on Miro’s hand. Miro connected with a Clothesline and locked in Game Over for the submission victory.

Jungle Boy Sent A Message To Kenny Omega

AEW Champion Kenny Omega was interviewed by Tony Schiavone tonight. Tony started complaining about Omega belittling Jungle Boy but Don Callis ripped the microphone away. Callis demanded respect for the AEW Champion and congratulated Jungle Boy on winning the Casino Battle Royale and earning a title shot. Callis joked that Jungle Boy will be a one-hit wonder just like the band that sings his theme.

Omega complimented Jungle Boy and said that he respects him a lot. Kenny claimed that the is something missing with Jungle Boy but he cannot quite put his finger on it. Callis joked that Jungle Boy is missing the guts to get into the ring and Jungle Boy then made his way down.

Kenny said it looked like Jungle Boy had something to say but is scared because he is standing in front of a wrestling god. Omega added that he is the best on the microphone and Callis agreed. Jungle Boy ripped the microphone away and told Omega that he talks too much. A brawl broke out and Jungle Boy took control but Young Bucks rushed the ring before he could lock in the Snare Trap.

Nyla Rose def. Leyla Hirsch

Lance Archer faced Chandler Hopkins and won the match in a matter of moments with the Blackout.

Leyla Hirsch faced Nyla Rose this week and hit a Body Slam early. Leyla went for an Armbar but Rose was able to get to the ropes to break the hold. Nyla rammed Hirsch into the ring post and followed it up with a Knee Drop for a two count as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, Leyla rolled up Nyla for a two count. Hirsch hit a German Suplex and followed it up with a springboard Moonsault. Nyla connected with a Powerbomb and then battled with Hirsch on the turnbuckle. Rose hit a Beast Bomb off the top rope for the pinfall victory.

After the match, AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker was interviewed backstage. Baker said she was furious at Nyla for ruining her celebration last week but calmed down after taking a deep breath. Baker joked that Nyla was really good at flipping burgers so maybe she should look into a career change. Britt added that Nyla needs the title because it makes her but now Baker makes the title, just like she made the division and just like she is making a whole new era.

https://twitter.com/tde_gif/status/1403557931447205889?s=20

Hangman Page & 10 def. Team Taz

Hangman Page & 10 faced Powerhouse Hobbs & Brian Cage in the main event. Cage and Hobbs planted 10 with a Powerbomb for a two count as Dynamite went to a break. When Dynamite returned, 10 caught Cage with an elbow to the face and followed it up with a Frankensteiner.

Hobbs leveled Hangman with a Crossbody and went for the cover but 10 broke it up at the last moment. Brian Cage tagged in and hit 10 with an Enziguri. Cage and Hobbs hit the High/Low for a two count. Hook distracted the referee as Ricky Starks slid the FTW Championship to Brian Cage.

Brian once again refused to cheat and threw the title out of the ring. Ricky got pissed off and smacked Cage in the face. Cage chased Ricky backstage leaving Hobbs alone in the ring. Hobbs hit 10 with a Spinebuster and went for the cover but Hangman broke it up. Hangman then leveled Hobbs with the Buckshot Lariat for the pinfall victory. Hangman Page celebrated with Dark Order to close the show.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1403563973077835778?s=20

Mark Henry Confirms In-Ring Status With AEW

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Mark Henry made a surprise appearance at AEW Double Or Nothing last month. He was then announced as their newest star but the company promoted him as a Coach & Guest Analyst. This made many wonder about his in-ring status for the company and the former world champion recently cleared the air on his future inside the squared circle.

During the latest episode of Busted Open Radio, Mark Henry talked about Sting’s recent performance. He then claimed that he will be wrestling for AEW in the future, though the former WWE star didn’t give a timetable or date for it:

“Sting has made me feel like fifty is not old,” Henry said. “Sting is one of those guys that, and if there’s anyone out there in this world I’d appreciate if you tweeted this out, Sting is a credit to the elder statesmen in wrestling. He has made me feel there’s a lot that I can still offer, not just behind the scenes, but possibly in the ring.

I don’t know when that’s going to be. But I’ve said it before, I want to wrestle again before it’s all said and done.” said Mark Henry, “I want to wrestle in four decades, and that time is upon us.”

Sting made his debut for AEW during a Dynamite episode last December. He wrestled a cinematic match for the company during Revolution in March and the 62-year-old then had his first live match since 2015 during Double Or Nothing.

This isn’t the first time Mark Henry has talked about an in-ring return in recent times. The former champion revealed back in February that he was training for one more match. It would now be interesting to see who turns out to be his opponent for this bout.

Nick Gage Invades Matt Cardona’s Podcast, Match Announced

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Matt Cardona attacked Nick Gage during a recent GCW event and now Cage has returned the favor with an appearance on Cardona’s podcast taping.

The GCW champion invaded a special live edition of Major Wrestling Figure Podcast at Jimmy’s Famous Seafood in Baltimore, Maryland this Friday night and had a confrontation with the former WWE star.

While Cage and Cardona didn’t get physical during the show due to the interference of the security guards, the two came within a few feet of each other and exchanged words.

GCW then announced that the deathmatch specialist will be defending the GCW world heavyweight championship against the Impact wrestling star at the upcoming GCW Homecoming Night 1:

https://twitter.com/SeanRossSapp/status/1403520542951497731

Matt Cardona and Nick Gage had been trading online shots for a while and this rivalry turned physical when Cardona showed up at the GCW’s Zombie Walk show this past Sunday.

The GCW champion had just defended his title against Jimmy Lloyd in a match that ended in no contest. The former WWE IC champion attacked the world title holder and challenged him for a match.

Nick Gage accepted this challenge with his appearance on Matt Cardona’s podcast today. The match between the two will be taking place on 24 July during night 1 of GCW’s homecoming event from Showboat Atlantic City

WWE SmackDown Results (6/11): Roman Reigns & Rey Mysterio, Cesaro Returns

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WWE SmackDown aired live from the ThunderDome in Tampa, Florida. Rey Mysterio responded to Roman Reigns’ attack tonight as the build towards WWE Hell in a Cell continues.

SmackDown Results (6/11)

  1. Kevin Owens & Big E def. Sami Zayn & Apollo Crews
  2. Liv Morgan def. Carmella
  3. Montez Ford def. Chad Gable via DQ
  4. Shinsuke Nakamura def. King Corbin

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Jimmy Uso Claimed Reigns Was Jealous

Jimmy Uso kicked off this week’s episode of SmackDown and claimed that they got robbed last week during their tag title match. Uso added that the first referee made a bad call but it was cool because they got a chance to redeem themselves at the end of the night. However, the Head of the Table had to put his nose in their business and make it about himself. Jimmy suggested that Reigns got The Usos disqualified on purpose.

Roman, Jey, and Heyman were then shown watching backstage. Jimmy wondered what the point of attacking Dominik & Rey was during the title match. He said that Reigns was just jealous that The Usos want to represent the family with gold as well. Jimmy said he is his brother’s keeper and not Reigns as Roman is shown staring at Jey backstage. Jimmy vowed to do something he won’t regret tonight to end the promo. Roman told Jey to take care of this and Uso walked away.

Jimmy and Jey had a conversation backstage. Jimmy kept trying to get Jey to admit that he was bothered by Roman Reigns interfering in their match. Jimmy added that Reigns is disgracing the family and Jey said that he had to do something after Jimmy was out for a year. Jey said he doesn’t know how to get out of this now and stuck in the middle. Jimmy stated that he will be in their locker room if Reigns wants to talk to him.

Kevin Owens & Big E Picked Up A Win

Intercontinental Champion Apollo Crews teamed up with Sami Zayn to face Big E and Kevin Owens in the first match of this week’s SmackDown. Kevin Owens and the IC Champ started off the match by trading strikes. Owens connected with a Senton to Crews and then started brawling with Sami Zayn outside the ring.

Apollo Crews stomped Owens down as he was trying to get back in the ring and then took turns with Zayn beating him down in the corner. Owens escaped and leaped across the ring to tag in Big E. Big E connected with a series of Belly to Belly Suplexes and set up Crews for a Spear on the apron. Crews got out of the way and Big E crashed to the floor as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Zayn and Crews had Big E isolated in the corner. Owens got the tag and connected with a Cannonball for a near fall. Owens hit a Pop-Up Powerbomb and went for the cover but Sami kicked out. Sami hit the Blue Thunder Bomb and went for the cover but Big E broke it up at two. Sami went for the Helluva Kick but Owens dodged it and connected with the Stunner for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Apollo Crews suggested another tag team match next week with Commander Azeez replacing Sami Zayn as his partner. Sami got annoyed and demanded that Apollo apologize to him after claiming that Crews was somehow working with Owens to keep him away from the Intercontinental Championship. Commander Azeez dropped Zayn with the Nigerian Nail to end the segment.

Liv Morgan def. Carmella

Carmella faced Liv Morgan tonight on SmackDown. Liv controlled the action early and connected with an elbow to the face. Morgan followed it up by bouncing Carmella’s face off the top turnbuckle a few times before the action spilled out of the ring. Carmella took control and launched Liv into the barricade. Back in the ring, Carmella hit a boot to the face but Liv shrugged it off and connected with Oblivion for the pinfall victory.

Rey Mysterio Vowed To Call Out Roman Reigns Tonight

Roman Reigns talked to Jey backstage and demanded to know where Jimmy is. Jey relayed that Jimmy is in their locker room and Reigns can talk to him there if he wants. Roman laughed at the idea of The Usos having their own locker room and instructed Jey to go tell his brother that he’s on his way.

Later on SmackDown, Rey Mysterio cut a backstage interview and called out Universal Champion Roman Reigns. Rey said he failed to protect Dominik last week and said that Reigns can do whatever he wants with his family, but now he is messing with his. Mysterio added that he will be in the ring by the end of the night to call out Roman and show him what a family is supposed to look like.

Otis Attacked The Street Profits

Street Profits and Alpha Academy had an argument backstage. It led to Gable and Ford having a singles match with both Otis and Angelo Dawkins barred from ringside.

Gable and Ford locked up in the middle of the ring to start off the match. The action spilled out of the ring and Montez connected with a Cannonball off the apron as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Gable was in control of the match. Both superstars went for a Crossbody and collided in the ring. The camera cut to backstage and Otis attacked Angelo Dawkins. Montez slammed Gable to the mat and hit the Frog Splash but Chad still kicked out at two. Otis then made his way to the ring and attacked Montez to end the match in DQ. Otis beat Ford down until Angelo ran down to the ring to try and break it up. Otis planted Dawkins with a Vader Bomb to end the segment.

Bianca Belair Laughed At Bayley, Cesaro Attacked Rollins

Bayley hosted an episode of Ding Dong, Hello! tonight with Seth Rollins as her guest. Rollins and Bayley shared a cackle over highlights of Bayley taking over all the screens in the ThunderDome to laugh at Bianca Belair. Rollins and Bayley then cackled while watching highlights of Rollins beating Cesaro down.

The door bell rang and Rollins walked over to the door in the ring. He opened it and Cesaro said hello with a punch to the face. Cesaro beat the hell out of Rollins and destroyed the Ding Dong, Hello?! set in the process. Bianca Belair showed up and laughed into the microphone as Bayley was pissed off.

Shinsuke Nakamura def. King Corbin

King Corbin once again faced Shinsuke Nakamura on this week’s episode of SmackDown. Boogs distracted Corbin early but Nakamura couldn’t put the King away. King Corbin connected with Deep Six and went for the cover but Shinsuke was able to kick out at two. Nakamura then rolled up Corbin for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Corbin attacked Boogs and bounced his head off the announce table. Corbin took his crown back but Nakamura attacked him. Shinsuke grabbed the crown back and Boogs threw Corbin over the announce table. Corbin then spoke to Sonya Deville and Adam Pearce backstage. They said that Corbin and Nakamura will face off again next week in the battle for the crown.

Roman Reigns Sent A Message To The Mysterios

Roman Reigns said he was ready to go to The Usos locker room as SmackDown went to a break. When SmackDown returned, Reigns entered the locker room and asked if Jimmy understands that he is the Universal Champion. Jimmy said that he doesn’t care and it is about what is in Roman’s heart. Jimmy added that he watched him abuse Jey for a year and doesn’t want to take his place. Jimmy claimed that Reigns will not be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as “Roman Reigns” but as a spoiled bitch.

Jimmy and Reigns then both tried to get Jey on their side but eventually he had enough. Jey shouted that he is done with both of them and walked away. Jimmy challenged Reigns to a fight and Reigns responded that they are not kids anymore and he doesn’t want to fight. Reigns told Jimmy that he is the older brother and should be looking out for Jey. Roman then played mind games and somehow made it seem like this was all Jimmy’s fault. Reigns told Jimmy to “make this right” with Jey to end the segment.

Rey Mysterio then came down to the ring at the end of this week’s show. Reigns joined him and Rey acknowledged Roman as the bastard who put his hands on his son. Rey added that he wants to fight Reigns inside Hell in a Cell. Rey went to hand the microphone to Reigns but Heyman pulled a microphone out of his pocket.

Roman went to respond but Rey grabbed a kendo stick. Roman battled back with a Superman Punch and set up for a Spear but Dominik attacked him. Reigns then Powerbombed Dominik over the top rope and to the floor outside the ring. Roman then leveled Rey as he checked on his son and posed over the Mysterios to close the show.

WWE NXT TakeOver: In Your House Betting Odds

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The final betting odds have been released for the WWE NXT TakeOver: In Your House.

The card for the show that takes place this Sunday appears to be finalized as only 5 matches have been announced. It’s possible that a sixth match is added whether that be on the main card or pre-show. 

So far, three normal NXT titles are on the line, but none are expected to change hands. Some of the more notable odds include there not being a clear-cut winner in the Million Dollar Title Ladder Match between LA Knight and Cameron Grimes. 

WWE NXT TakeOver: In Your House Odds

As a reminder, we will be providing coverage of the show this Sunday. The favorites to win are listed as – while the underdogs are listed with +. Here are the final betting odds, courtesy of BetOnline:

WWE NXT Champion Karrion Kross (1/1) vs. Johnny Gargano (5/1) vs. Pete Dunne (6/1) vs. Kyle O’Reilly (4/1) vs. Adam Cole (11/4) – Fatal Five Way Match

WWE NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez -1000 vs. Ember Moon +550

LA Knight -140 vs. Cameron Grimes -140 – Million Dollar Title Ladder Match

Xia Li -950 vs. Mercedes Martinez +500

NXT Tag Team Champions MSK and North American Champion Bronson Reed -850 vs. Legado del Fantasma +450 – Six-Man Tag Team Winners Take All Match

WWE NXT Talent Have Heard There’s Interest In Bringing Back Samoa Joe (Report)

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It appears that Samoa Joe could be headed back to NXT, according to a new report based on what talent have heard. 

Fightful Select reported today that talent and staff have heard NXT officials were interested in bringing back Joe, who was released back in April due to budget cuts, to work on the black and yellow brand. 

It should be noted that there have been several wrestlers that people in the company have pushed to bring back. The word going around is the interest on NXT’s side is for Joe to be back in a wrestling role.  

Some talent in the company think this is going to happen, but only time will tell. 

Joe originally worked in NXT back in 2015 where he had great success as a two-time NXT champion in addition to winning the 2015 NXT Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. He was called up to the main roster in 2017 and ended up winning the WWE United States Title twice. 

He was ultimately moved to the Raw announce team due to a history of concussions. He last worked a match in February 2020 on Raw when he teamed with The Viking Raiders and Kevin Owens for an eight-man tag team match against Seth Rollins, Buddy Murphy and AOP.

WWE Adds Clause To Contracts That Will Affect How Released Wrestlers Sign Their Names

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WWE has added a clause in the contracts they have with wrestlers. 

Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that talent no longer under contract are not allowed to use their WWE character names when signing autographs. 

Before this clause, WWE just prevented released wrestlers from using their character names at shows, and rightfully so as WWE owns the trademark rights to certain ring names. 

With this new clause, released performers won’t be able to capitalize on their persona under the ring name they went by WWE. As an example, Adam Scherr won’t be able to use the name “Braun Strowman” when he signs things at conventions or independent wrestling shows. 

It should be noted that All Elite Wrestling doesn’t have this clause in their deals. As a result, wrestlers working there are able to sign things under the names they are using if they should depart from the promotion. 

The big difference between WWE and AEW is WWE typically likes to come up with different ring names for talent so they can own the trademark rights to while AEW usually uses the names of the wrestlers that they’ve used before coming to the promotion.

Sheamus Discusses WWE Morale After Talent Releases

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Since April, WWE has released a lot of talent and employees as a way to save money. These talent cuts have happened on the main roster and in NXT. 

Samoa Joe, Chelsea Green, and Mickie James were just some of the names released in April. Braun Strowman, Aleister Black, Lana, Ruby Riott, Buddy Murphy, and Santana Garrett were the names most recently cut from the main roster. 

Sheamus talked about this and speculation that morale in the locker room is low while doing an interview with Vibe and Wrestling.

“The locker room has got to get on with it. I’ve been in the company for 12 years and it is part of the business. People come in and people go and you gotta get down with it. Every Monday you have to get there and perform.

I don’t think the morale is down, I think it is a lot better than what it used to be when I started. There is a lot more camaraderie and we have great lads, experienced lads and young lads working together during the pandemic with no fans. You talk to some of the legends and they will tell you that they would not adapt to perform in that ring. So I think it is a credit to everybody who has been working non-stop during the last 15 or 16 months and keeping the company going and people entertained during this situation.”

Sheamus recently broke his nose in a match on Monday Night Raw and had to get surgery to fix it. As it stands right now, he won’t be missing any lengthy time in the ring. 

Sasha Banks Names Her “Greatest Women’s Match Of All Time”

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Sasha Banks has wrestled in many huge matches. There is one match that sticks out in her mind as being the greatest women’s match of all-time, however. That match was when she faced Bayley at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn.

Banks spoke about the match recently while on the Just Women’s Sports podcast.

“It’s the most talked about match, really in the history of women’s wrestling and I’m so thankful for that match because it really changed the game of everything in the business for women. I remember that match clearly because it was two months before I got called up to the main roster and I finally made it to Raw, which was my dream since I was a 10-year-old kid, and I was NXT Women’s Champion,” Banks said.

“We’re at TakeOver: Brooklyn, the first time out of Florida and NXT is in front of a large-scale audience. We were equal to the WWE brand because of Sasha Banks, Bayley, Sami Zayn, Finn Balor. I wanted to leave a lasting impression of what I wanted my name and legacy to be in NXT before I got called up and dropped the title. I wanted to show them; first of all, we should have been the main event. Second of all, I wanted to make sure they remembered this match for the rest of their lives. I wanted the match to be the greatest women’s match of all time and it happened to be the greatest women’s match of all time,” Banks continued. 

Sasha Banks has been off Smackdown since shortly after dropping the title to Bianca Belair. She’s likely been or is preparing to film content for her role in the Star Wars franchise.

Max Caster Freestyles On Logan Paul, LeBron James, & Buff Bagwell

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The Acclaimed’s Max Castor recently dropped some rhymes for TMZ based on some of the latest stories they have published. These included stories about LeBron James, Logan Paul, Naomi Osaka, Julio Jones and Buff Bagwell.

“Platinum, I be looking for attention in the summer
Feeling like LeBron James when he’s switching numbers.”

“He with the stars, red carpet with the pastel
I’m with the bars feeling like I’m Buff Bagwell
I saw his video, does he need a doctor?
Maybe take a tip from Naomi Osaka.”

“Nobody holding me up, I’m not Logan Paul
Feeling like I’m Julio Jones now, going long.”

Castor’s full rap can be viewed in the video below:

Also during the interview, Caster noted that he writes all of his own lyrics.

“I do all my own writing, I write all my own stuff. I will kind of pitch it around to other guys and say ‘hey, is this hitting hard enough? Is this the one or should I make it a little bit better?” Caster said. “I have people who will tell me ‘hey man, that might be too far’ but if they say it’s too far then I stick with it, usually.”

The full interview with Castor can be viewed in the player below:

Zach Gowen On Brock Lesnar Saving His Life During Their SmackDown Match

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Former WWE star Zach Gowen recently had an interview with Jonah Ferstand on the Rewind Recap Relive podcast where he talked about his interactions with Brock Lesnar during The Beast’s original run with the company in detail.

The former WWE star had a short feud with the former Universal champion. This led to a match between the two during a SmackDown episode in August 2003, which helped establish the Beast Incarnate as a heel in the company.

Gowen went into the details of his violent encounter with Lesnar during his interview. He recalled how he got knocked out during the bout:

“He was supposed to give me three powerbombs, like a triple powerbomb where you hold on, and then after two, he felt I got knocked out. Like he felt my body go limp for a second. I hit the back of my head on the mat.

I was knocked out on the powerbomb. It was supposed to be three, but he felt that I was in danger, so he just let me go.”

Zach Gowen then explained how the former Universal champion may have saved his life in that split second with his awareness:

“He might’ve saved my life if we’re being 100% honest, at that point. The angle was just one of those things that people still remember and talk about and it’s on YouTube so it’s going to live forever.”

Apart from this, the former WWE star also revealed that Brock Lesnar still remembers him after all these years. He mentioned that the Beast recently sent him a friendly message when his name came up in a conversation.

Zach Gowen had a short stint with WWE in early 2000. He made his debut for the promotion in May 2003 and had an underdog run before his release from the promotion in February 2004.

Braun Strowman Shows Off Post WWE Look In New Photo

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Braun Strowman is looking for a fresh start after his WWE release. As the first step in his quest; the monster among men has trimmed down his iconic beard.

The former WWE star recently shared a photo from his Instagram account where he shared his new look with the fans.

Strowman mentioned in the caption how this is the first time he has cut his beard in a decade which he had donned since his arrival in WWE back in 2013:

“Since I figured the cats out the bag already. I cut my beard for the first time in a decade and while I’m still adjusting to it I ain’t mad at it!!!!! big thx to my boy @jg0n for always making me #DapperAf”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CP9MVE5B5vZ/

The Meat Castle also posted this recent photo of himself with a tiger cub:

Braun Strowman In WWE

Braun Strowman made a few uncredited appearances on WWE TV after his signing with the company, mostly as part of Adam Rose’s “Rosebuds” in 2014.

He made his official debut for the company in August 2014. The former champion attacked Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns upon his debut and established himself as the newest member of the Wyatt Family.

Strowman went on to have an impressive eight-year-long run with the company. He had won the universal championship just last year and achieved numerous other accolades during his time with the promotion.

Battle Riot III To Headline MLW’s 2300 Arena Show On July 10th

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Major League Wrestling will present the 3rd Battle Riot event on July 10th when it runs its first show in months from the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. The signature match features 40 of MLWs top wrestlers entering at intervals of every 60 seconds. Eliminations occur by pinfall, submission, or being tossed over the top rope. The winner will earn a shot at the MLW World Championship currently held by Contra Unit’s Jacob Fatu.

“You couldn’t ask for a bigger way to kick off the new season than a huge match with BIG stakes,” said MLW CEO Court Bauer. “Philly was set to get the Battle Riot last July before the pandemic hit, so I felt I had to make good on that promise and deliver it this July.”

Additionally, MLW is stating that the winner of this year’s Battle Riot will be able to cash-in the opportunity at any time.

“The winner gets a World Heavyweight Title Shot anywhere, anytime!  It could be that night; it could be in 6 months – you just don’t know. The challenger has the key to unlock an instant title shot against whoever the champion is!”

The news was first revealed by Alicia Atout during MLW’s latest draft. Azteca Underground selected Arez. The former Dario Cueto, now known as Cesar Duran, made the pick.

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1403148233241735175

Tom Lawlor won the first Battle Riot in 2018. He then defeated Low-Ki for the MLW World Championship. LA Park won the 2nd Battle Riot in 2019 but was later defeated by Jacob Fatu.

https://twitter.com/courtbauer/status/1403328306771075079

WWE Discussing Using The Rock At Survivor Series From Brooklyn

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The Rock hasn’t been seen on WWE programming since the SmackDown 20th anniversary show in 2019 but the latest reports suggest that he could make a return before the end of this year. Dave Meltzer of F4Wonline recently talked about the upcoming Survivor Series PPV which is expected to take place from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY this year.

The wrestling journalist interestingly noted that there has been talk of The Rock possibly returning to the company for the event. The Great One is expected to start the build-up for a match against ‘The Tribal Chief’ Roman Reigns during his return and “the hope is for Dwayne Johnson to make an appearance at that show but that isn’t locked in.”

There were speculations that The Rock could face the current Universal champion at WrestleMania 37 but these plans were foiled by the coronavirus pandemic. With the People’s Champion getting older, the two most likely destinations for a final match for him are WrestleMania 38 from Dallas, Texas and WrestleMania 39 from Inglewood, California.

Meltzer noted that The Rock “will want to set a box office record if he comes back, and the two places that he could do that would be AT&T Stadium and the new SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA.” These plans are obviously not set in stone by any means. It’s still interesting to know that the company is actively discussing a potential return for the Hollywood star.

Cameron Grimes Comments On WWE Stock Surge

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WWE stock recently got a bump up in value thanks to a trending post on WallStreetBets. The stock rose as high as 20% before settling down to 11% growth after a big day on June 9th. The day after WWE’s stock experienced this bump, Cameron Grimes was on Busted Open Radio and spoke about any influence he might have had on this.

“There is no coincidence, I’m just saying the Million Dollar Championship comes back and then the very next day the WWE stock skyrockets,” Grimes said. “I’m not going to say that’s coincidence. You know, I do dabble a little bit in the stock market and I do hang out with some of those guys and I may have put in a couple of words. I’m not a financial advisor so don’t get me arrested here but WWE stock to the moon, baby! No coincidence, Cameron Grimes, hahaha!”

Grimes will take on LA Knight in a ladder match at In Your House this Sunday. The winner of the match will become the new Million Dollar Champion. Grimes also spoke about the possibility of him facing Busted Open co-host Tommy Dreamer for the belt if he wins it.

“Tommy, you want to come to NXT? You want a chance at the Million Dollar Champion? I’m sure I could talk to some people, I don’t know how well they like you though,” Grimes said.