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LA Knight Is The Perfect Choice For NXT’s Million Dollar Champion

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The right man won the ladder match for the Million Dollar Championship at WWE NXT TakeOver: In Your House.

Many fans wanted to see Cameron Grimes leave the show as the champion, but LA Knight is the perfect choice for the revival of the prestigious title Ted DiBiase made famous. Saying that a wrestler looks “like a million dollars” is a tired compliment at this point, but it applies to Knight more than anyone else in recent memory. He walks, talks, and acts like a movie star, and he’s got the looks, too. So when Knight entered the storyline between Grimes and DiBiase, even before WWE officially reintroduced the title, it was easy to connect the dots and hope that the man formerly known as Eli Drake would hold the gold sooner rather than later.

As soon as Drake arrived in NXT, many fans pictured his bright future on the black-and-gold brand. With his background as a former world champion in IMPACT Wrestling, Drake was one of the brand’s most buzzworthy signings in recent memory. Even though his run in the NWA was cut short, Drake’s remarkable character work during his time with the promotion solidified his status as a major player once he hit free agency. Needless to say, when he debuted on the WWE NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day pre-show, it seemed like the sky was the limit for the newly named LA Knight.

Unfortunately, while his promo skills remained exemplary, the beginning of Knight’s run on NXT was a mixed bag. An uneventful program with future North American Champion Bronson Reed and a transitional feud with Dexter Lumis gave Knight a spot on the show, but the former IMPACT star was floating around aimlessly, searching for a defined place in NXT. Thankfully, DiBiase’s rivalry with Grimes set the stage for Knight’s breakout moment.

Whereas Grimes’ new character has been defined by his love of money, Knight’s gimmick had been relatively vague; he was clearly wealthy, but this trait wasn’t the heart of his persona. At least, it hadn’t been until Knight made his case to be the man who carried on DiBiase’s legacy. Then he cut a classic heel promo from his mansion, where he was lavishly partying with women and living the high life. Suddenly, the path forward was clear — Knight needed to win the Million Dollar Championship.

Knight is the modern-day DiBiase; with his great look, his renowned mic skills and his outstanding presence, he truly is a million-dollar star. At NXT TakeOver: In Your House, it would have been disappointing to see Knight lose because there’s a lot of money to be made with a potential pairing between the former Eli Drake and DiBiase. Following Knight’s victory, even if he doesn’t wind up working alongside the WWE Hall of Famer, the fact that he now carries such a legendary title cements his place as a power player in NXT.

It remains to be seen what his short-term future holds; he could continue his feud with Grimes, work alongside DiBiase, or possibly face another competitor who wants to represent DiBiase’s legacy. He could also defend the Million Dollar Championship as a legitimate title. Each one of these options could be compelling. But now that Knight has a signature win under his belt, his future looks brighter than ever. He could avenge his previous loss to Reed by taking the North American Championship, and he could even contend for the NXT Championship in a matter of months. 

No matter what, Knight’s path forward is an open road that should be full of prosperity, and as he would say, that’s just a fact of life.

Jon Moxley On The Origins Of His “Titty Master” Nickname

Chris Stephens
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Jon Moxley took over the hosting duties of “Oral Sessions” from Renee Pacquette this week. He tried out his best radio/podcasting voice and answered questions fans asked him online. One of the questions asked was how his nickname of “The Titty Master” came about.

Moxley has sort of given his autobiography the tag line “The Book of Zero F***s. Tales of the Titty Master.”

Using his best podcaster voice, Moxley explained the story of the Titty Master. It was a fairly ridiculous tale.

“Here is the thing that you have to understand. That one does not simply wake up in the morning and put on the Titty Master. One does not come home at night and take it off. This is a life you live when you are bequeathed with the energy of the Titty Master,” Mox began the tale.

He then detailed the Titty Master origin story. Marvel couldn’t have written it better.

“I woke up in a cold sweat, cold sweat. I had a nightmare and I was given a message through the ether, I knew where I needed to go. Somehow I knew, the universe put me on this path and I set out on a journey to Mount Titicaca.”

Jon Moxley Climbs Mount Titicaca

“I climb to the top of this mountain, lightning crashing, wind, dust in my face, hot ash flying. I see the Titty elders at the top of the mountain standing around a tree and they all raise their hands in the air and then lightning strikes and it hits this big oak tree,” Moxley continued. He would then say that he was not sure if it was an oak tree or a ficus, however.

“Then out of this lightning strike I see red glowing, two pieces of wood. I’m called to them. I feel a pull and the elders look at me and I look at them and I look at the wood and I see it come into view. And I see it’s just a pair of nunchucks inscribed into the wood with the lightning. A ‘T’ is inscribed in the wood with burning fire and lightning and an ‘M.’”

Moxley continued to say he knows that these inscribed nunchucks mean he is the Titty Master.

“The elders they put their heads up and they walk away and they leave me alone on top of the mountain with these. I realized at that moment that I am the Titty Master.”

You can listen to this full and ridiculous story in the player below:

Renee Paquette Announces Birth Of Baby Girl

Chris Stephens
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Renee Paquette and Jon Moxley are the proud parents of a baby girl. Paquette took to Twitter to announce the news this morning. She also stated that she will not be hosting her podcast for the next few weeks. Renee has lined up some guest hosts to cover for her, however.

“Baby girl is officially here, so I’m checking out and becoming a mom. (She’s absolutely incredible!!” Paquette Tweeted. “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.”

Several people from the wrestling world have issued congrats to her and Moxley online.

“Congrats Renee!!!! You’re going to be such a bad ass mom. Can’t wait to see your little girl!” wrote Kayla Braxton.

Nyla Rose also commented on Renee’s birth announcement:

The former Tom Phillips (Tom Hannifan) also commented:

Renee Paquette On The Negatives Of Working For WWE

Paquette was recently on Busted Open Radio and spoke about the negatives she experienced while working for WWE.

“For me it’s not the wrestling,” Paquette began. “The wrestling side of wrestling I love. It’s the production side of things that can be a kick in the lady d*ck. Just being micromanaged.” 

“I don’t like being micromanaged” Renee Paquette added. “I don’t like being under the magnifying glass as much as one is or can be in that world. You think you go through it once and ‘okay, I’m safe!’ and then like, another year later or so its ‘you’re back under the microscope again.’”

Sheamus On Potential Becky Lynch Return Next Month

Anutosh Bajpai
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Becky Lynch is one of the big names people want to see back in WWE as the company returns to the road next month and Sheamus recently commented on the possibility.

The current United States champion recently had an interview with Vibe Wrestling where he talked about things like possibly winning the IC title and becoming a grand slam champion in WWE and more.

When asked about The Man possibly making her return alongside fans, Sheamus said that he doesn’t know if it will happen but he will be excited if Lynch does come back because everybody misses her:

“I don’t know when she’s gonna come back. I am not gonna ask her, it’s not of my business to ask for that or what are her plans for the future. But I think that going into the live events with the fans we’d love to have her back.

I miss her, everybody else misses her too. I’m excited if she does come back.” said Sheamus, “That question can only be answered by her.”

The former WWE champion also praised Becky Lynch for making herself a star. He said that despite the bookings and not being on people’s radar, Lynch went there and made herself.

Apart from this, Sheamus talked about the latest WWE releases and commented on the locker room morale after it. You can check out his comments on the matter at this link.

Shahid Khan Admits He Thought AEW Was A Bad Idea

Chris Stephens
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The father of AEW’s Tony Khan recently admitted that he thought his son starting a wrestling company was a bad idea. Tony and Shahid Khan were both interviewed recently by Forbes and spoke about how the decision to start AEW came about.

“I absolutely didn’t think this was a good idea,” Shad Khan said. “But I told Tony, ‘Look, when I’m dead and gone, I’m going to be leaving you and your sister a lot of money. Why don’t you blow some of that while I’m alive?’”

The elder Khan would be pleasantly surprised with the success of AEW, however. The father and son’s history with wrestling actually goes back to 1996. Tony was 13 at the time. His father wanted to incentivize him to go to the University of Illinois Laboratory High School. After Khan took the entrance exam for the school, Khan agreed to take Tony to an ECW show in Philadelphia. Tony spoke about his father’s reaction to seeing a live ECW show.

“My dad couldn’t believe what he was seeing,” Tony Khan said about the experience. “He was like, ‘This is a mix between an underground rock show and a cult.’”

Last year, Tony Khan’s AEW received $43.75 million in rights fees from Turner. Brett Weitz, general manager of TNT, TBS and truTV, spoke to Forbes about their investment in Khan’s company.

“It was very clear we put ourselves in the right hands,” said Weitz. “For someone to have the audacity to say, ‘I’m going to go take on the biggest wrestling league in the world and see if I can be a challenger brand,’ it takes chutzpah. And he nailed it.”

Scott Hall Gives Backstage Details Of The Day He Invaded Nitro

Chris Stephens
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It has been more than 25 years since Scott Hall invaded WCW Nitro on May 27th, 1996. Nitro had just expanded to 2-hours and the show emanated from the Macon Coliseum in Macon, Georgia. Hall was a guest recently on Eric Bischoff’s 83 Weeks podcast and the two spoke about what happened backstage before the show.

According to Hall and Bischoff, Hall didn’t know anything about what he would be doing in the company until he met up with Bischoff earlier that day.

“I remember we hadn’t spoke until that time,” Hall said to Bischoff. “I remember we were driving to Macon, weren’t we E? Yeah, we were going to Macon and we were just kicking around some ideas. My last appearance had been the famous curtain call in Madison Square Garden so I’m really happy. My previous experience at WCW hadn’t been too satisfying but I was in a different spot now. Turner was giving out that guaranteed money and WWE wasn’t at that time. A lot of things changed that night at the Garden. When I left, when Kevin left, everyone started getting guaranteed money. Now, they have these 90-day can’t compete clauses, none of that was going on back in those days.”

Scott Hall On The Day He Invaded Nitro

Hall continued to detail what happened that day on May 27th, 1996.

“We hadn’t spoken at all at that time, everything was just business, it went through Barry Bloom, and we hadn’t talked creative at all,” Hall said after Bischoff pointed out the two had not spoken about creative plans before his debut.

Hall continued to say that there was talk that he would come out of the entrance way and possibly with music. It was then Larry Zbyszko who suggested that Hall come out through the crowd.

Hall came out during a match featuring Mike Enos vs Steve Dunn. Neither were informed ahead of time about what would happen.

“I remember Enos looking at me like ‘what are you doing, man?’ I think that was the start of it being kind of real,” Hall continued.

The full podcast episode can be heard here.

John Cena Says Movie Roles Show He Can Be A Heel in WWE

Chris Stephens
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Roman Reigns went from the top babyface in WWE to the top heel when he turned on the fans last summer. It was a move many wondered if John Cena would make during his time as the top good guy in the company. It never happened, however.

Cena recently spoke to Chris Van Vliet about portraying a “bad guy” in Fast & Furious 9. According to Cena, his role in the movie shows it is possible for him to play the antagonist.

“I think this is a beginning to showcase the fact that it’s possible,” Cena responded when asked if F9 was the heel turn fans never saw in WWE. “Now as WWE invests and builds its roster and has a wealth of talent, it truly has many different anchors to the ship.”

Cena named Roman Reigns as being a “very marketable” and “definitive” star.

“I think the reason for me not exploring that side is because WWE didn’t feel confident that they had an alternative. I respect that business choice I really do. But now with them really laying the foundation for their future, I mean even for life in the next decade or so, maybe but I don’t know.”

Fast & Furious 9 premieres in the United States on June 25th. It was released for some international audiences, including the country of Taiwan, last month, however.

The full interview can be viewed in the player below:

Kurt Angle Reflects on the Most Painful Bump of his Career

Alex Laybourne
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Painful bumps are part of wrestling, and Kurt Angle knows all about them. The old line of it all being fake doesn’t hold water with the knowledge fans have of the sport. Bumps are real, bad landings hurt, even good landings hurt. Pulling off a move can hurt just as much as taking a move. Injuries are real. Yes, there are storylines built around them, and certain poetic license may be used, but beneath it, is a single constant. Wrestling is a dangerous sport that hurts those that practice it.

Talking during a recent episode of The Kurt Angle Podcast, the show’s star talked about the most painful injury he ever got in the squared circle. Fans will undoubtedly guess the match, but not the spot that caused it.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQGrpk5Hwie/

It was 2001, King of the Ring, and THAT match against Shane McMahon. While the infamous glass shot left both men battered and bloody, it was an earlier spot that Kurt Angle credits for causing him the worst pain he ever experienced.

Coming after a suplex on the concrete, Kurt Angle was left in the position of needing to finish a brutal match with a brutal injury that nobody could see.

Kurt Angle is One Tough Son of a Gun

“Yeah, I cracked my tailbone, it was extremely painful,” Angle said. “I never felt pain like that in my life. It ran down my legs, I could barely stand up and I knew I had to finish the match, but I wasn’t sure how I was going to do it. I was clueless about how I was going to finish the match because it hurt so bad.”

“Without a doubt, a 10 or 11, it was that painful. I never had pain like that, especially the way it ran down my legs. It grabbed a hold of my nerves that ran down my legs and it was just thumping the whole time. I couldn’t bend over, I had to stay standing up straight, my positioning was all messed up. I couldn’t really do much, I was supposed to carry Shane back to the ring after the glass spot and I couldn’t. Thank god I grabbed a cart to bring him back.”

Coming from the man who won an Olympic gold medal with a broken frigging neck, it must have been a very painful injury indeed.

Barry Horowitz “Maybe I was too Good” for WWE Hall of Fame

Alex Laybourne
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The importance of enhancement talent in wrestling should never be underestimated. Much like journeymen in boxing, they play a vital role. Nobody is more aware of this than Barry Horowitz who is possibly the most famous enhancement talent. He believes wrestlers like himself deserve more than just a pat on the back for their efforts.

Barry Horowitz is a thirty-year veteran of the sport. He garnered his own popularity in the mid-’90s that saw him gain attention rarely given a ‘jobber’. Horowitz entered a feud with Bodydona Skip which saw the pair square off multiple times, culminating with a PPV match.

Talking in a recent episode of The Wrestling Inc. Daily with Nick Hausman Barry Horowitz was asked about the WWE Hall of Fame. Hausman asked Horowitz if he could see himself being inducted at some point down the road.

“That hall of fame is all in Vince’s mind,” Horowitz pointed out. “It’s nice to be there, but when you got Kid Rock and Bob Uecker, I mean, in the NFL Hall of Fame, I see nothing but football players. I understand it’s two different venues, two different avenues, two different sports, but you’re telling me of all cockamamie things they’ve come up with in the last five years on RAW, you can’t have, for one year, the people would go insane. I put my house on it, have an enhancement hall of fame or just one enhancement guy every year.”

There is a Lack of Understanding for the Talent of an Enhancement Wrestler

Talking further about the Hall of Fame, Horowitz was quick to say he had no beef with WWE. However, he echoed Jim Cornette’s view on the issue. “Maybe I was too good. I worked too hard, and I never failed the drug test.”

As their conversation continued, Barry Horowitz talked passionately about the lack of understanding surrounding what it really means to be an enhancement talent. His passion for wrestling was clear, and many of the statements he made should be given very careful consideration.

Barry Horowitz held multiple championships during his career. However, he never managed to win one during his time with WWF/E or WCW.

John Cena Reveals The Biggest Lesson He Has Learned From Vince McMahon

Anutosh Bajpai
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John Cena learned a lot from Vince McMahon during his 15 years long run as the top star and face of WWE but the most important lesson he learned from the boss is very simple.

The 16-time world champion recently had an interview with Chris Van Vliet to promote Fast & Furious 9 where he talked about a number of things.

He was asked about the biggest lesson he has learned from Vince McMahon. Replying to the question, Cena first said that he continues to learn from the boss, before revealing the most valuable thing he has learned from Mr McMahon:

“I think the most valuable of all the lessons is just show up and deliver. And that’s something he doesn’t say, it’s something he does. All the time. He’s always there. He’s always invested. People can question his creative motives or whatever they want. It’s creativity, there’s always going to be opinionated.

He’s always boots on the ground. He’s always invested” said John Cena, “And he always believes and is passionate about the product and I think just showing up and delivering, that’s a huge takeaway.” (Quotes: SEScoops)

The former world champion was also asked if he feels excited about returning to WWE in front of the fans. He said that he is excited for the WWE performers.

John claimed that he thinks he wouldn’t have done very well in the environment without an audience. He is happy for WWE to have crowds again and happy that all the talents can enjoy that feeling once again.

The Rock Names His “Most Important Match in WWE History”

Alex Laybourne
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When it comes to wrestling, there is no bigger name than the Rock. While he may have hung up his boots years ago (or did he?) his name is still synonymous with the sport.

Earlier this week, the People’s Champion popped up on social media to answer a tweet sent out by WWE. The simple tweet asked people to name the match they thought to be the most important to WWE history. The Rock answered with a classic match. One that has very solid grounds for winning the debate.

Hulk Hogan vs Iron Shiek in Maddison Square Garden back in 1984.

The Birth of Hulkamania was Pivotal for WWE

There can be no denying the calibre of the Rock’s choice. The match between Hulk Hogan and the Iron Shiek was a pivotal one, not just for the company but for the entire evolution of professional wrestling.

The match was a classic tale of good versus evil, with all the political nods that the ’80s needed. Hogan became the first man to escape the camel clutch and went on to get the pinfall and secure his first-ever world title. More importantly than that, however, were the now immortal words uttered by Gorilla Monsoon.

Hulkamania is here.

The Rock is a wrestler, but more importantly, he is a wrestling fan. He has admitted on numerous occasions that he grew up as a fan of Hulk Hogan. His choosing that match as the most important is no real surprise. The Rock got to face his boyhood idol in an idol vs idol match at Wrestlemania X8, a match he championed and campaigned to Vince McMahon for.

The Rock has his own fair share of legendary matches during his run in WWE. Should rumours pan out, perhaps we will one day be talking about The Rock versus Roman Reigns in the same way we do Hogan and Shiek?

WWE Planning Next Saudi Arabia Show For Later This Year

Anutosh Bajpai
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The coronavirus pandemic had forced WWE to put a pause to their relationship with Saudi Arabia but they might be looking to resume it later this year.

PWinsider recently provided some updates on the company’s return to the country. It notes that the expectation is that the promotion will run their next Saudi show in fall.

While a date for WWE’s next PPV in Saudi Arabia has not been locked yet, the officials expect to run one event there before the end of the year.

WWE first started holding live events in Saudi Arabia in 2014. The company held one live event each year from 2014 to 2016 in the Middle Eastern country.

The two parties then began an official partnership in 2018 when the Saudi General Sports Authority started advertising the Greatest Royal Rumble event.

The Greatest Royal Rumble, held in April 2018 was the company’s first televised show produced from the country. It marked the start of a 10-year partnership between WWE and the Kingdom.

WWE has since produced 4 more shows in the country. Their last show was the Super ShowDown event in February 2020 before the coronavirus pandemic halted this partnership.

Now that the world is opening back up, the company is looking to resume its normal business operations and it appears that their expected return to Saudi Arabia is a part of the plans.

Impact Wrestling Champion To Make NJPW Debut This Friday

Anutosh Bajpai
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Current Impact X Division champion Josh Alexander will be making his debut for NJPW as part of the partnership between the two companies this week.

The champion will be making his debut for the Japanese promotion in a singles match against Alex Coughlin. The two will face off on this Friday’s ignition episode of NJPW Strong. This will be the beginning of Coughlin’s open challenge series.

The partnership among AEW, Impact and NJPW has been growing in the past few months. Stars from all three companies have been making more and more cross-promotional appearances in recent times.

The Walking Weapon of Impact has been one of the stars who previously competed against talents from other companies. Alexander defended his title against NJPW’s El Phantasmo during the May 15 episode of Impact.

NJPW announced a special ignition event for their weekly NJPW Strong show. The two-night special will begin this week and conclude on June 25.

Apart from the match between Josh Alexander and Alex Coughlin, the episode will also feature bouts such as Satoshi Kojima vs. NWA World Tag Team Champion JR Kratos, and Fred Rosser & Adrian Quest vs. Bateman & Barrett Brown.

New Match Announced For Hell In A Cell, Updated Card

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

WWE announced a new match for the upcoming Hell In A Cell PPV during this week’s episode of Raw confirming that Alexa Bliss will be taking on Shayna Baszler on the show.

Last week’s episode the Red Brand featured an Alexa’s playground segment in the main event. It included Baszler as well and Bliss asked the former NXT women’s champion to apologize to her doll Lilly.

Shayna took the doll from Bliss but she stomped her instead. The lights then started to flicker and Baszler got caught up in the pyro on the stage when she tried to run to backstage.

The Queen of Spades went to the locker room and locked herself inside. However, Lily showed up on the mirror and the segment, and the show ended with Baszler screaming as the lights went out.

The opening segment of this week’s Hell In A Cell go home episode of Raw saw Nia Jax confronting Bliss backstage. Jax said that her partner will see Bliss at the PPV, making the match official.

Updated Hell In A Cell Match Card

This is the fifth match officially announced for the show this Sunday with one or two more bouts expected to be added on SmackDown. Below you can check out the updated card for the show so far:

  • WWE Championship Hell In a Cell Match: Drew McIntyre vs. Bobby Lashley, If Lashley wins McIntyre will not be able to challenge the All Mighty for the title again
  • Universal Championship Hell In a Cell Match: Rey Mysterio vs. Roman Reigns
  • Raw Women’s Championship Match: Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley
  • SmackDown Women’s Championship Match: Bayley vs. Bianca Belair
  • Singles Match: Shayna Baszler vs. Alexa Bliss

Hell In A Cell this year will take place on June 20 from the WWE ThunderDome at the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida

LA Knight On Ted DiBiase’s Future In NXT

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

LA Knight picked up a big win during the latest NXT Takeover: In Your House event this past Sunday when he won the Million Dollar championship originally created by Ted DiBiase.

The new champion appeared on Busted Open Radio after his big win on the show. He talked about his journey from being a kid and watching the million-dollar title on WWE TV to holding the belt himself.

Knight then discussed DiBiase’s future in the brand saying that the WWE Hall Of Famer is still going to be around. The NXT star also claimed that he has a big surprise coming for him:

“Ted’s still going to be around, I need him, I want him to be there. I think I have a pretty big surprise coming for him, because I owe him, big time at this point. So I definitely want to make sure that he’s around for sure.”

Ted DiBiase has been making regular appearances for NXT since April and he had been feuding with Cameron Grimes. He recently reintroduced the Million Dollar championship on WWE TV.

The company then announced a ladder match between Grimes and LA Knight to determine the new Million Dollar champion. This match was won by Knight during the latest NXT Takeover: In Your House event.

Backstage Notes From NXT TakeOver: In Your House

Anutosh Bajpai
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Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated was one of the names invited to be part of the pre-show panel for this past Sunday’s NXT TakeOver: In Your House event.

The wrestling journalist wrote about his experience at the show after the event and he provided some interesting tidbits from the latest NXT PPV.

He mentioned that people like Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Matt Bloom, and Sara Amato were present throughout the day and they all were very hands-on with the latest TakeOver event.

WWE executive vice president Triple H congratulated the participants of the five-way main event on the success of their bout after they returned backstage.

Per Barrasso, it was easy to see how passionate all five of the stars in the main event were and all of them were trying to create something memorable.

Cesaro and Reginald were two non-NXT names who were backstage for the show at the Capitol Wrestling Center to watch the event and support their coworkers.

There was a conference room where WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase was telling stories about working with Vince McMahon Sr. The famed catering of the company included salmon and vegetables, grilled chicken, and crab.

Apart from this, the wrestling journalist noted how the space to eat was limited and Xia Li spent almost 2 hours in the makeup, getting ready for her match against Mercedes Martinez on the show.

Lana Promises To ‘Spill The Tea’ On WWE Run

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Former WWE star Lana has a lot to say about her time in the company. She is promising to ‘spill the tea’ on everything she had to endure before her release.

The female star recently made some intriguing promises to the wrestling universe while speaking to the fans on a recent live session on her Instagram.

The wife of former WWE star Rusev aka Miro said that she can’t wait to spill the tea. Lana claimed that she is looking forward to standing up and speaking about things she has been silent about:

“I can’t wait to spill the tea, because it’s hot and delicious. I look forward to standing up and speaking out on things that for years I have been silent about,”

The 36 year old mentioned how she cried upon her WWE release while her husband did ‘cartwheels’ when he was let go by the company. Lana then claimed that she can finally speak up for things people exploited:

“It’s a little bit of freedom that I can be the face that I want to be. I can stand up for freedom, I can stand up for truth, I can speak up for things that people exploited and a lot of things,”

Lana was one of the many names released during the latest round of budget cuts. She was released from her contract on 2 June and the female star is currently under a 90 days non-compete clause.

WWE RAW Results (6/14): AJ Styles vs. Drew McIntyre, Eva Marie Returns

Robert Lentini
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WWE RAW aired live from the ThunderDome in Tampa. It was the final episode of RAW before WWE Hell in a Cell this Sunday night. AJ Styles battled Drew McIntyre in the main event of this week’s show. WWE Champion Bobby Lashley was ringside for the match. Eva Marie also made her return to action tonight on RAW.

RAW Results (6/14)

  1. Nikki Cross def. Charlotte Flair via count out
  2. John Morrison def. Jeff Hardy
  3. Jeff Hardy def. Cedric Alexander
  4. Piper Niven/ Eva Marie def. Naomi
  5. RKBro def. New Day
  6. Rhea Ripley def. Asuka
  7. Alexa Bliss def. Nia Jax via DQ
  8. Jaxson Ryker def. Elias via count out
  9. AJ Styles vs. Drew McIntyre ended in a no contest
  10. Drew McIntyre & Viking Raiders def. Bobby Lashley, AJ Styles, and Omos

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Alexa Bliss Kicked Off The Show

Alexa Bliss kicked off the show from her playground and said she has received a lot of complaints about what Lilly did last week. Bliss claimed that she only had good intentions when she welcomed Shayna Baszler to the playground but unfortunately things got out of hand.

Bliss added that she has decided to put Lilly in timeout and Nia Jax interrupted. Nia said Shayna will see Alexa Bliss this Sunday at Hell in a Cell. Jax wondered what happened to Bliss and told her to stop interfering with her career and messing with her friends. Bliss told Nia that they were never friends and Nia challenged her to a match tonight. Alexa pretended to cry and asked Nia for forgiveness. Bliss then cackled and accepted the challenge.

Charlotte Flair Lost To Nikki Cross Again

Charlotte Flair faced Nikki Cross in the first match of the night. Flair slammed Cross to the mat but was quickly interrupted by Rhea Ripley. The RAW Women’s Champion came down to the entrance ramp and Cross tried to capitalize with a roll-up but Flair kicked out at two. Charlotte knocked Nikki out of the ring and threw her against the barricade as RAW went to a break.

When RAW returned, Rhea Ripley was now seated next to the announce table as Charlotte was still in control. Flair choked Cross against the middle rope and then shoved her to the canvas. Charlotte trash talked with Ripley a bit before perching Nikki up on the top turnbuckle.

Cross battled back with a boot to the face and a Tornado DDT off the middle turnbuckle. Flair rolled out of the ring to regroup as Ripley laughed at her. Nikki went for a Crossbody off the apron but Charlotte caught her and posed in front of Ripley before connected with a Fallaway Slam. Charlotte hopped up and celebrated as Nikki snuck back into the ring.

The referee counted Flair out and Ripley laughed ringside. After the match, Charlotte attacked Nikki Cross and leveled her with a big boot. Charlotte was about to lock in the Figure Four but Rhea planted her with the Riptide. Rhea then posed over Flair to end the segment. Rhea Ripley will put the RAW Women’s Championship on the line against Charlotte Flair this Sunday night at WWE Hell in a Cell.

Jeff Hardy def. Cedric Alexander

John Morrison faced Jeff Hardy tonight on RAW. The Miz accompanied Morrison to the ring and John forgot to roll him down the ramp. The Miz then joined commentary for the match. Morrison sprayed something in Hardy’s face as the match started and controlled the match early.

Jeff battled back but Cedric Alexander’s music hit. Cedric came down the entrance ramp and watched the match from ringside as Jeff hit a Leg Drop for a two count. Jeff followed it up with Poetry in Motion for another near fall. Morrison connected with a slam and then the Starship Pain for the quick pinfall victory.

After the match, Cedric grabbed the microphone and apologized to Hardy for not showing him the proper amount of respect last week. Alexander said he went back and watched their match and realized Jeff showed him up and disrespected him. Cedric added that he is only sorry he did not boot Hardy’s disrespectful ass into a retirement home. Jeff shouted that he will retire if Alexander can defeat him right now.

When RAW returned from a break, Cedric Alexander battled Jeff Hardy. Alexander controlled the match early and connected with a Dragon Screw in the ropes. Cedric followed it up with a Michinoku Driver and made his way to the top rope. Alexander leaped but Hardy got out of the way. Jeff then hit the Twist of Fate and the Swanton Bomb for the pinfall victory.

Eva Marie Returned With Piper Niven

Eva Marie made her return and faced Naomi this week on RAW. However, Eva Marie arrived with Piper Niven and she wrestled Naomi instead. Piper Niven picked up the win and Eva Marie announced herself as the winner after the match.

RKBro Picked Up A Win

New Day faced RKBro to begin the 2nd hour of this week’s edition of RAW. Riddle and Xavier Woods started off the action. Riddle went for a Sleeper Hold but Woods sent him into the turnbuckle and tagged in Kofi Kingston. Kofi connected with an Atomic Drop and followed it up with a Crossbody for a near fall. New Day sent RKBro out of the ring and taunted them as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Riddle connected with a Fisherman’s Buster on Woods for a two count. Orton tagged in and continued to beat down Xavier in the corner. Kofi finally got the tag and hit Orton with a Dropkick. Riddle tagged in and hit Kingston with the Ripcord Knee. Riddle followed it up with the Floating Bro but Kingston was able to kick out as RAW went to a commercial break.

Back from the break, Woods planted Riddle with a Superplex. Kofi tagged in and hit a Frog Splash but Orton was able to break up the cover at two. Woods tagged back in and Riddle hit a Northern Lights Suplex for a near fall. Orton tagged in and planted Woods with a Powerbomb but somehow Xavier kicked out at two.

Orton set up for the Draping DDT on Woods but Kingston prevented it. Back in the ring, Woods lifted Riddle up in the Electric Chair and Kingston connected with a Double Stomp off the top rope for a near fall. Orton tagged in and traded punches with Woods. Orton got the better of the exchange and hit the RKO for the pinfall victory. Riddle tried to have fun and celebrate after the match but Orton wanted no part of it.

Rhea Ripley def. Asuka

Rhea Ripley faced Asuka in a non-title match tonight on RAW. Asuka applied a Headlock but Ripley broke free and knocked Asuka to the mat with a headbutt. Asuka battled back and applied the Octopus submission before transitioning into a Sleeper Hold.

Ripley broke free by slamming Asuka to the canvas for a two count. The action spilled to the apron and Ripley slammed Asuka onto the barricade as RAW went to a break. When RAW returned, Asuka connected with a Dropkick and then the two superstars battled to the top turnbuckle.

Asuka shoved Ripley to the mat and connected with a missile Dropkick. Asuka followed it up with a Clothesline and went for the cover but the RAW Women’s Champion powered out at two. Asuka maintained control with a Suplex and a boot to the face for another two count. Asuka went for the Asuka Lock but Ripley was able to block it and hit the Riptide for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Charlotte attacked Rhea from behind as WWE officials tried to break it up. Ripley battled back as the officials finally were able to separate them. Charlotte was busted open in the exchange and vowed to kick Ripely’s ass this Sunday at Hell in a Cell.

Alexa Bliss def. Nia Jax

Alexa Bliss squared off against Nia Jax tonight. Bliss leaped on Jax to start off the action but Nia simply dumped her to the canvas. Alexa oddly crawled back onto Nia’s back but Nia threw her away. Bliss started chopping away at Nia’s legs and eventually she fell to her knees. Nia eventually battled to her feet and leveled Alexa with a big shoulder tackle.

Nia dominated for a bit and connected with a Splash and a Body Slam for a two count. Alexa dodged a Leg Drop and sat up with a blank stare on her face. Reginald distracted Bliss from the ring apron but it backfired. Alexa Dropkicked Nia in the knee and followed it up with Twisted Bliss off the top rope. Reginald hopped in the ring and dragged Bliss off Nia to end the match in a DQ.

After the match, Alexa stared at Reginald and he started cowering to the corner. Reginald appeared to be hypnotized by Bliss but it was interrupted when Nia Jax got back up. Nia told Reginald to snap out of it as Bliss exited.

MVP Mocked Kofi Kingston

MVP approached Kofi Kingston backstage again tonight. MVP asked if Kofi has thought more about what he said last week and noted how New Day lost to RKBro tonight. He added that KofiMania isn’t returning and tried to blame Xavier Woods for that. MVP noted that Kingston still got a loss tonight even though Woods was the one that got pinned.

Xavier threatened to knock MVP’s teeth out unless he walked away. Kofi Kingston said that his friends and family are responsible for his success and nothing will change that. MVP then joked about Kofi not having a match this Sunday at Hell in a Cell before leaving.

Ryker def. Elias via Count Out Again

Elias faced Jaxson Ryker tonight on RAW. Elias controlled the action early but Ryker quickly overpowered him. Jaxson sent Elias to the corner and then planted him with a Spinebuster. Ryker launched Elias into the ring post and Elias just walked out to end the match in a count out for the second week in a row.

Drew McIntyre Pinned The WWE Champion Heading Into Hell In A Cell

AJ Styles faced Drew McIntyre tonight on RAW. WWE Champion Bobby Lashley, MVP, and a bunch of models watched the match from on top of the entrance ramp. Lashley will defend the WWE Championship against Drew McIntyre in a Hell in a Cell match this Sunday at the PPV. Omos accompanied Styles to the ring.

McIntyre dominated early and connected with the Future Shock DDT. Drew opted to taunt Lashley instead of going for the cover. Omos dragged Styles out of the ring as Lashley hopped on the ring apron. Viking Raiders made their way to the ring to even the odds as RAW went to a commercial.

When RAW returned from a break, McIntyre connected with a Brainbuster and went for the cover but Styles kicked out at two. Drew sent AJ out of the ring with a Back Body Drop before Lashley interfered to end the match in a no contest. McIntyre planted Lashley with a Belly to Belly Suplex on the floor as RAW went to a break.

Viking Raiders and McIntyre faced AJ Styles, Omos, and Lashley when RAW returned, Lashley dragged McIntyre off the apron and threw him into the barricade as Styles beat Erik down in the ring. Bobby tagged in and unloaded some strikes to the back of Erik’s head.

Lashley beat Erik down in the corner and followed it up with a running forearm to the face. Bobby traded works with McIntyre before going for the cover but Erik kicked out at two. AJ tagged in and continued to beat Erik down. Omos tagged in and kneed Erik in the midsection before the WWE Champion got back in.

Bobby went for the Hurt Lock but Erik broke free with a few elbows to the face. Lashley held onto Erik’s leg and then slammed him to the canvas to prevent him from tagging out. Lashley hit McIntyre off the apron and Erik capitalized on the distraction by making the tag to Ivar.

Iver slammed Lashley to the canvas and went for a Clothesline but Bobby ducked. Lashley planted Ivar with a massive Spinebuster and went for the cover but Erik broke it up. A brawl broke out before Omos tagged in. Ivar unloaded some punches but Omos sent him flying with a shoulder tackle as RAW went to another break.

When RAW returned, Lashley was in control and was stomping away on Ivar in the corner of the ring. Lashley hit a Neckbreaker and went for the cover but Ivar kicked out at two. Bobby slowed things down and applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring.

Lashley stomped on Ivar again before flexing in front of McIntyre. Ivar regrouped but Lashley awkwardly shoved him back down. Omos tagged in and hit a Splash in the corner. Styles immediately tagged in and applied a Headlock on Ivar. Ivar broke free and slammed Styles to the mat.

Drew and Omos then tagged in and circled each other in the ring. Omos towered over McIntyre and Drew shrugged. McIntyre went for a punch but Omos grabbed him by the throat. Drew broke free with a couple kicks to the legs of Omos and then some punches to the face.

Styles tagged in and went for the Phenomenal Forearm but McIntyre dodged it. McIntyre connected with a couple overhead throws that sent Styles across the ring. McIntyre set up for the Claymore but Omos caught him with a cheap shot. Omos sent Ivar over the barricade and then did the same to Erik. Styles stumbled across the ring and tagged in Lashley. Bobby didn’t expect it and McIntyre leveled him with a Claymore for the pinfall victory. McIntyre will face Lashley in a Hell in a Cell match this Sunday for the WWE Championship.

Eva Marie Returns On WWE Monday Night Raw With Piper Niven

Andrew Ravens
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Eva Marie is back in WWE as she returned to television on Monday’s episode of RAW. 

It happened when she was supposed to wrestle Naomi in a singles match. However, Piper Niven worked the match on behalf of Marie and went over in a complete squash match. Marie announced that she had won the match. 

For whatever reason, Niven wasn’t given a name or even acknowledged by the announcers for her work in NXT UK. 

This was expected as it was announced last week that Marie would appear on this show. WWE had been airing vignettes to hype her return. The two sides came to terms the week of September 20, 2020. 

Marie started her first stint with WWE in 2013 where she was part of the first season of Total Divas. She started training with Brian Kendrick and worked as an in-ring competition in 2015. After a run in NXT, she was called up to the main roster. 

However, things went south when she was suspended for a violation of the WWE Wellness Policy in 2016. Her last match came in July 2016 at a live event against Becky Lynch. 

She never returned to action and later departed from the company. Since then, she has worked as a model and actress. 

Since leaving WWE, she had stated in various interviews that she had unfinished business with the company. As a result, she previously expressed an interest in returning to WWE. 

Andrade El Idolo No Longer Working Federacion Wrestling’s Debut Show

Andrew Ravens
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Andrade El Idolo won’t be at the Federacion Wrestling debut show on June 19th. 

The former WWE star known as Andrade took to Twitter  to announce he won’t be appearing at the event as he stated, “A good arrangement was not reached with the new company.”

He was scheduled to team with RUSH, Bestia Del Ring, and a surprise partner against Matt Taven, PJ Black, and The Briscoe Brothers (Mark & Jay Briscoe) at the event. 

RUSH as well as Kenny King, Dragon Lee, and Bestia Del Ring have also announced that they’re off the show due to “logistical issues.”

Andrade recently signed with All Elite Wrestling. He’s slated to do an interview segment with Jim Ross on Friday’s episode of Dynamite. 

At an RGR Lucha Libre show in Los Angeles over the weekend, Andrade teamed up with V.I.P. and Piloto Suicida to face El Hijo del Santo, Rey Leon, and Misterioso. His next match will be when he faces fellow WWE star Alberto Del Rio on July 31.

He’s slated to challenge AEW World Champion Kenny Omega for his AAA Mega Championship at TripleMania XXIX in August.

Salina De La Renta Spotted At The WWE Performance Center (Report)

Andrew Ravens
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An interesting person was spotted at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, FL and that’s Salina de la Renta. 

Fightful Select reported today that Renta was training at WWE’s training facility. However, it was stated that it’s unknown whether that consisted of in-ring, workouts, tryouts or promo class.” 

The belief is WWE will or has offered her a contract as the company has shown interest in her in the past. 

Dave Meltzer pointed out in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that she was closing her merchandise store at the end of the summer. 

Meltzer wrote, “often that would mean someone has struck a deal with a promotion that won’t allow them to merchandise independently, but we’ve had no verification of her going to WWE.”

Renta is best known for her time in Major League Wrestling. Her contract with the promotion expired recently. She has been open about her options in the wrestling business as she publicly announced her departure from MLW.

She was the first female analyst to be on MLW Fusion’s Spanish announce team and served as an Executive Producer for an episode. Renta went as far as polling her followers on Twitter about which promotion she should join next.

AEW Dynamite Ratings Rise After Last Week’s Low (6/11)

Andrew Ravens
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AEW officials got some better news regarding the Dynamite ratings that have been plagued due to TNT’s coverage of the NBA Playoffs

The June 11th Friday Night edition of Dynamite did 487,000 viewers on TNT, according to Nielsen via Brandon Thurston of WrestleNomics. That is down from last week’s show that aired on the same night and timeslot, which pulled in 462,000 viewers.

The show did a 0.19 rating in the all-important 18-49 demographic, which was the exact same as the show did a week prior. The June 4th episode marked the lowest audience in the history of the show. 

The show did a 0.12 rating in the female 18-49 demo, 0.26 in male 18-49, 0.33 in persons 18-34, and a 0.35 in the male 18-34 demo. 

AEW will continue to be preempted for NBA action for the rest of this month. This week’s show will air on Friday night before switching to a Saturday night slot on June 26th, which will be headlined by AEW World Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega defending the title against Jungle Boy. That will be a live show from Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place.

Vanessa Borne Says She Expressed Concerns About Retribution Angle To WWE

Chris Stephens
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Vanessa Borne was released from WWE last month after having been with the company since 2015. According to comments she made recently to PW Insider, she was set to be part of the Retribution angle last summer. Borne says she raised concerns about the angle possibly mirroring real events, however. Shortly after she did so, she was told she was not going to be part of the group and was being sent back to NXT.

“I was called in and they had a pitch where I was part of RETRIBUTION. I was excited about being on TV for something, but I had a lot of questions,” Borne said. “I wanted to know what the group was about and how I fit in. I had some concerns because, during this time, there was stuff around the country with violence and we’re watching this unfold and it’s not pretty.”

“I wanted to know if the group was mimicking that. I expressed those concerns, but ultimately, I wanted to do what I was told and tried to figure out how I could help. Within the week, I got a call from Mark Carano saying, ‘We’re not going to have you as part of RETRIBUTION and we’re going to pull your contract. You’re getting sent back to NXT.’”

Vanessa Borne in WWE

During her time in NXT, Vanessa Borne wrestled 15x in singles matches on WWE programming (i.e not including house shows). She only managed a record of 2-13 in those matches. Her victories were over Jessie Kamea on May 1st, 2019 and over Jayme Jameson in 2016.

Borne and Aliyah have wrestled 3x together as a tag-team on WWE programming. They had a 1-1-1 record. They defeated Xia Li & Tay Conti, went to a draw with Kacy Catanzaro & Lace Lane and then lost a match to Candice LeRae & Kacy Catanzaro. Those matches took place from February to April 2019.

Fred Rosser Officially Signs With NJPW

Chris Stephens
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Fred Rosser (FKA Darren Young in WWE) has officially signed with New Japan Pro Wrestling. He took to Twitter today to announce the news.

“I’m excited to officially announce I’ve signed W/ NJPW! All I can say moving forward is, don’t ever let your dreams just be dreams because as long as you’re patient & believe in your dreams, anything is possible. Patience is a talent,” Rosser Tweeted.

Rosser has been wrestling on episodes of New Japan Strong since September. He just finished a trilogy of matches with HIKULEO. Rosser defeated him in their first singles match in February. HIKULEO then defeated him in the 1st round of the tournament to determine the first New Japan Strong Openweight Champion. They then had a trilogy no disqualification bout last month which Rosser won.

In addition to wrestling with NJPW, Rosser has been with the NWA as well lately. He was defeated by JTG on the When Our Shadows Fall PPV last week.

Rosser had a 12-year career in WWE as Darren Young from 2005 to 2017. He was part of the NEXUS angle in 2010-11. Young and Titus O’Neil then wrestled as the Prime Time Players from 2012-14 and then again from 2015-16. They are 1x WWE Tag Team Champions having held the belts for 70 days in 2015.

Chelsea Green Says She Wants On NWA’s All-Women’s PPV

Chris Stephens
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Chelsea Green isn’t playing hard to get with the National Wrestling Alliance. She wants on their “Empowerrr” all-women’s PPV and is encouraging her fans to Tweet at Mickie James and the NWA to let them know.

“Mickie James is going for gold. She was just hired on by NWA to be an executive producer for the first-ever all women’s NWA PPV. I am so excited,” Green said.

“She is amazing. Clearly, she has pushed for this for years and has been overlooked so I’m so happy that she’s headed to NWA.”

“She is such an icon for all the women, not just women, but all the women in professional wrestling. She is the epitome of talent, character, wrestling ability, promo skill, everything.”

Green would continue to say that her Hot Mess character was influenced by James stalker character in her famous angle with Trish Stratus.

“Guys, Tweet NWA, Tweet Mickie James, let her know I want to be on the goddamn show, okay?” Green said. “I want to be the m***f*** main event of Empowerrr because that’s what I deserve dammit. Mickie, if you’re listening to this, I want to be on that PPV and I want to be the main event.”

Chelsea Green’s Injury Recovery

Green also noted during the podcast that she hurt her wrist again while training recently. She talked about how she was doing some light training with Santana Garrett when she heard a popping sound in her arm.

“I heard a nasty pop sound and guess where it came from? Surprise, surprise, my arm,” Green said.

“It hurt so much. I would say it almost hurt just as much as breaking it,” she continued.

She then went home and iced the injury. When she woke up this next morning she went to the ER because the pain was so bad. X-Rays reveal there was no fracture but doctors think she just has a lot of scar tissue build-up and that .

Green then said she reached out to WWE since her original injury happened in a WWE ring. The company allowed the recently released Green to come and work with their physiotherapist.

“I reached out to WWE and they were kind enough to let me come into the Performance Center and use their physical therapist and rehab my arm. Thank god, I’m very grateful for that.”

Green is Canadian and noted that looking at the cost of trips to the ER is kind of daunting.

“If you’re not American and you live in America, you know my struggle. The healthcare system is wild,” she said.

“I’ll be at the PC for the next couple of weeks, which is kind of funny and kind of awkward,” she continued.

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