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Mark Henry Confirms In-Ring Status With AEW

Anutosh Bajpai
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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

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

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

Robert Lentini
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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

Andrew Ravens
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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)

Andrew Ravens
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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

Andrew Ravens
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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

Andrew Ravens
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0

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”

Chris Stephens
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0

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

Chris Stephens
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0

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

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

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

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

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

Chris Stephens
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0

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

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

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

Chris Stephens
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0

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.

Kenny Omega Reportedly Dealing With Multiple Nagging Injuries

Chris Stephens
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0

Kenny Omega vs Jungle Boy was originally scheduled to take place tonight but was moved to the June 26th show. This was done so the match could air live and build the show on the 26th into a big event but it will also be beneficial for Omega who is said to be dealing with several nagging injuries at the moment.

Omega’s current physical state was addressed recently in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

“Omega is hurting pretty badly between slicing up his hand and needing seven stitches when he delivered the fourth belt shot on Pac in the three-way (the one with the AEW belt which is especially sharp), a deep bone bruise near his tailbone, the normal wear and tear on his knees and an athletic hernia,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

It was also noted that Omega had a stomach virus for a period as well. Omega reportedly was telling people at the Fan Fest before Double or Nothing that he’s hurting pretty badly and that this might be a sign he is closer to hanging up his boots.

“At the fan fest the day before the PPV, he said there are days he wakes up and walks around where he thinks maybe he’s close to the time to hang it up because his body is feeling worse,” Meltzer continued.

Omega has several big title matches upcoming this summer. He’ll face Moose tomorrow on Impact’s Against All Odds show. It’s not clear when exactly that match was taped or if it has been yet, however. He’ll then take on Jungle Boy on the 26th. Omega is also scheduled to defend the AAA Mega Championship against recent AEW signee Andrade at TripleMania.

Impact Results (6/10): Tony Khan & Scott D’Amore Make Major Announcements

Chris Stephens
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0

Impact Wrestling on 6/10 kicked off with a summit between Impact Wrestling and AEW. The go-home show for Against All Odds on Saturday featured two major announcements.

Impact Wrestling 6/10 Quick Results:

  1. Rosemary defeated Havok
  2. Tasha Steelz defeated Kimber Lee
  3. Petey Williams & Trey Miguel defeated Rohit Raju & Chris Bey
  4. Eddie Edwards defeated Joe Doering via DQ
  5. No Disqualification
    W. Morrissey defeated Willie Mack

Tony Khan Makes Major Against All Odds Announcement

Tony Khan made his return to Impact Wrestling last night as Impact and AEW held a summit to determine how the main event of Against All Odds will be contested. Although changing the main event to a triple threat with Sami Callihan involved seemed on the table, it was announced that the main event will still be a singles match pitting Kenny Omega vs Moose. Khan then made the announcement that a match of that magnitude should be held at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, where numerous big matches have taken place over the last year. Both Callis and D’Amore seemed to like this idea. D’Amore had his own major announcement to make, however, and Callis was not going to like this one as much.

Scott D’Amore Makes Major Slammiversary Annoucement

While Callis was pleased to hear the news that Kenny Omega would not have to defend the Impact World Championship in a triple threat match at Against All Odds, he did not like the announcement that Scott D’Amore would make shortly after. While D’Amore and Khan agreed that Sami Callihan would be barred from ringside when Omega faces Moose on Saturday, he then announced that the winner of that match will face Callihan for the Impact World Championship at Slammiversary. Callis did not like this announcement at all.

Rosemary Defeats Havok

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wHXsyoYc-c

The stipulation for this match was that if Havok could defeat Rosemary then the Knockouts title match at Against All Odds would be changed to a triple threat. It took 4 spears but Rosemary was able to put away Havok in singles competition this week, meaning her match against Deonna Purrazzo continues to be a one-on-one contest.

After the match, Purrazzo and Kimber Lee & Susan attacked both Rosemary and Havok. The champ locked Rosemary in the Fujiwara armbar.

Tasha Steelz Defeats Kimber Lee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbKgE8Zk_xw

After Purrazzo, Susan, and Kimber Lee attacked Havok and Rosemary, Susan got on the mic and called out Tasha Steelz for her match against Kimber. Steelz would pick up the win in that match with a Falcon Arrow.

Fire N Flava then got into a brawl with Purrazzo and Susan after the match. Rosemary and Havok then returned, however. Rosemary then gave Purrazzo her double-underhook slam finisher followed by Havok and Rosemary giving Kiera Hogan a double-chokeslam to close the segment.

Trey Miguel & Petey Williams Pick Up Win Over Rohit Raju & Chris Bey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3JrQZwHe0Y

This match served as a preview of the 5-way X-Division #1 contender match at Against All Odds when Ace Austin, Trey Miguel, Petey Williams, Rohit Raju and Chris Bey will face off for a shot to take on Josh Alexander next.

Miguel made Raju tap to end the match but then Ace Austin and Madman Fulton attacked everyone in the ring. X-Division Champion Josh Alexander then made the save and then a giant brawl erupted featuring all 5 involved in the match on Saturday, as well as Madman Fulton and Alexander.

The brawl ended after Petey Williams gave Madman Fulton a Canadian Destroyer from the top rope. With that move, it looks like Austin won’t have Fulton’s help on the outside at Against All Odds.

Satoshi Kojima Saves Eddie Edwards From Violent By Design

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEncjW8uv6k

Joe Doering will face his old rival Satoshi Kojima at Against All Odds. He’d face Eddie Edwards in singles action this week. Violent By Design caused the disqualification when Deaner got involved from the outside. VOD then attempted to take the attack to Edwards but Satoshi Kojima made the save. Doering wanted to get back in the ring to get at Kojima but the rest of VOD held him back.

W. Morrissey Defeats Willie Mack In No DQ Match

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JWQdNWI4UA

Ahead of his match against Rich Swann on Saturday, Morrissey once again faced Willie Mack this week, only this time with a no disqualification stipulation. Morrissey continued his quick ascent up the rankings when he got the pin after kicking a steel chair into Mack’s face. After the match, he would look to continue the assault. Morrissey set a chair up in Mack’s face but Rich Swann came out and made the save. Swann wasn’t able to take Morrissey down before security ran out to break everything up. As security was holding back Swann, Morrissey got in a cheap shot. He looked to leave the ring area but Swann got in a chair shot to the back before he did so. Swann and Morrissey both wanted to go back at it as the show went off the air.

Against All Odds Lineup

  1. Impact World Championship
    From Daily’s Place in Jacksonville
    Kenny Omega (c) vs Moose
  2. Knockouts Championship
    Deonna Purrazzo (c) vs Rosemary (and maybe Havok as well)
  3. Impact Tag Team Championships
    Deaner & Rhyno (VBD using Freebird rule) (c) vs Black Taurus & Crazzy Steve (Decay)
  4. Knockouts Tag Team Championships
    Fire N Flava (c) vs Kimber Lee & Susan
  5. Rich Swann vs W. Morrissey
  6. Satoshi Kojima vs Joe Doering (Violent By Design)
  7. Tenille Dashwood vs Jordynne Grace
  8. Street Fight
    The Good Brothers vs Tommy Dreamer & Sami Callihan
  9. X-Division #1 Contenders Match
    Petey Williams vs Trey Miguel vs Ace Austin vs Chris Bey vs Rohit Raju

Cody Rhodes Confirms “Negative One is the Leader of the Dark Order”

Alex Laybourne
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The Dark Order has fast become one of the hottest and most over factions in AEW. Under the guidance of the late Brodie Lee, they grew into a dominant force in AEW.

Ever since his passing in December 2020 the group have been acting without a dedicated leader. However, AEW has allowed his son Brodie Lee Jr to appear on the show, assuming the identity of Negative One. While still only a child, Negative One loves wrestling. He already has the promise of a contract when he turns 18, should he want it.

Recent articles have discussed his appearances, with his mother Amanda Huber recently confirming he had been taken off TV after his grades slipped at school.

The internet has been full of talk ever since it was confirmed that WWE had released both Braun Strowman and Aleister Black. Both men being touted as the ones to assume the mantel of the leader of the Dark Order.

This talk was silenced by Cody Rhodes last night when he confirmed the only leader of the Dark Order.

There is something incredibly wholesome about the Negative One story. Allowing him to continue to develop his love of professional wrestling. It is a sign of how AEW operate as a company that they have allowed Brodie Lee Jr to carry on in his father’s role.

Negative One is the leader of the Dark Order. It will take a force bigger than Braun Strowman and Tommy End (Aleister Black) to dethrone him.

Pro Wrestling Guerilla Returns With First Show Since 2019

Alex Laybourne
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0

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla are back! The company have just confirmed they will be holding their first show since 2019. Nothing is known about the event at this point in time, other than its date. August 1st.

The last Pro Wrestling Guerrilla show was The Makings of a Varsity Athlete in December 2019. The pandemic than saw the company freeze operations, cancelling its final show KOBE in March 2020. The company is based in California and at the time was one of the early cities to impose strict COVID prevention measures.

Times have changed since their last show, with several of their superstars now tied to contracts with other promotions. Namely, the reigning PWG tag team champions The Rascalz’s Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz who are now better known as MSK.

The reigning PWG champion, Bandido was also set to defend against Johnathan Gresham. It will be interesting if these two will be able to finish their feud.

It is interesting to note that six members of the PWG roster are all now signed to AEW. AEW color commentator Excalibur is also one of the founders of Pro Wrestling Guerrilla.

Wil AEWs willingness to work with other companies, it is not inconceivable to think there could be some sort of cross-promotion. At the very least, you would imagine AEW would be agreeable to let their stars appear for at least one Pro Wrestling Guerrilla show given the close associations between everybody involved in the two promotions.

Sean Waltman On If Vince McMahon Can Sell WWE

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

The recent WWE releases have sparked rumors about a potential sale of the company. Former WWE star Sean Waltman discussed the topic recently and commented on if Vince McMahon could actually sell the promotion.

The Hall of Famer talked about a number of things in the latest episode of his Pro Wrestling 4 Life podcast including the latest WWE releases and more.

Discussing the recent rumors of the cuts actually being preparation for a sale, Waltman revealed his thoughts on if Mr. McMahon can sell the promotion:

“Yeah, sure. I don’t know that he’s ready to do so yet, he might want to cash out. It could be like, ‘Yeah, I’ll sell, but I’ll still have some say over the company.’ Didn’t something like that happen when AOL bought Turner Broadcasting?

Didn’t Ted Turner still keep a little bit of stroke?” asked Sean Waltman, “But I think it’s just as likely they’re just trying to get the bottom line as best as they can get it working for their shareholders.”

The former DX member also talked about the future of the released stars and explained that AEW is not going to sign them all in the current landscape.

He then mentioned how the names which are on the top of the list such as Braun Strowman and Aleister Black can have a hard time deciding where they want to go but they will have plenty of options.

Shaul Guerrero Recalls Being Scared Of Father Eddie Guerrero As A Child

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Eddie Guerrero is remembered as a legend in the wrestling industry but the wrestling veteran had his demons as well. His personal battles affected those who were close to him including his daughter Shaul Guerrero.

The female star who has chosen wrestling as a career too recently had an interview with Chris Van Vliet where she opened up about her experience of growing up as the daughter of the WWE legend.

During the interview, Shaul spoke candidly of her father’s issues with alcohol and drugs. She admitted to being scared of the late star during her childhood and explained that she didn’t really get to know him all that well:

“My dad scared the s–t out of me growing up, It’s no secret that he struggled with alcohol and drugs. I think unfortunately growing up until I was 12 or 13, that was pretty much all I saw. It was a complicated relationship with my dad. I didn’t really get to know him until I was 13, 14, 15. He passed when I was 15.”

Guerrero also recalled her experience on the day of her father’s passing back in 2005. She revealed who gave her the news and explained how she never had anyone truly pass away before that day:

“I was woken up by my dad’s sister Linda and my cousins, they woke us up and I have never had anyone truly pass away until that day. They brought us out into the living room and they told us what happened. I think they told me separately from my sister, because mom wasn’t there. She was completely distraught; it was a terrible day.”

Though later in the interview, Shaul Guerrero also shared some good memories of her father. She mentioned how Eddie used to do random acts of kindness all the time and told some stories of the same.

Eddie Guerrero wrestled for both WCW and WWE. He won numerous accolades in both promotions. Guerrero, unfortunately, passed away on November 13, 2005, due to heart failure, at the young age of 38.

Kenny Omega vs. Moose Impact Title Match To Take Place From Daily’s Place

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Tony Khan has announced that the upcoming Impact world title match between Kenny Omega and Moose at the Against All Odds event will be taking place from AEW’s current home in Florida.

This week’s episode of Impact Wrestling featured a summit between the two companies. It included the AEW president Tony Khan and Impact executive vice president Scott D’Amore.

During the segment, Don Callis advocated keeping Sami Callihan out of the championship match this Saturday. He explained that it should be just Moose challenging Kenny Omega for his title at the upcoming show.

The Impact EVP praised Callis for his logical thinking. D’Amore said that the former Impact official understands the business very well before confirming that Saturday’s match will remain a singles bout.

Tony Khan, however, then made a big announcement. He revealed that the match between Omega and Moose will be taking place on their turf at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida.

The Impact EVP also added his own announcement to the mix. He confirmed that the winner of this bout will defend the Impact world title against Sami Callihan at the Slammiversary PPV on 17 July.

Moose won a six-pack challenge at the Under Siege event last month to become the new #1 contender for the Impact world title. Sami Callihan then picked up a DQ victory over Moose last week during their singles match, thanks to interference from Omega and The Good Brothers.

The Mandalorian Season 3 Featuring Sasha Banks Expected To Start Production Later This Year

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

The Mandalorian season 3 featuring WWE star Sasha Banks among others will start filming in late 2021 or early 2022 according to the latest reports.

According to Collider, the Star Wars spin-off web series The Book of Boba Fett has officially wrapped filming. It’s now in the post-production stage and is on track for the announced Disney+ premiere in December.

However, the series featuring Sasha Banks is not going into production anytime soon. That’s because the stage used for these shows is now being utilized for the filming of the Obi-Wan Kenobi limited series starring Ewan McGregor.

The second season of Mandalorian ended with Pedro Pascal’s title character giving up Grogu to Luke Skywalker for further Jedi training.

He himself seemed to be headed towards the Mandalorian throne after becoming the new owner of the Darksaber.

The third season is likely to focus heavily on how Pascal navigates through the challenges of becoming the leader of Mandalorians. It means we can expect to see a lot more of Banks’ character Koska Reeves during season three.

This would also mean that the former SmackDown women’s champion will be taking time off from WWE once again for the filming of the show. So she will likely be missing the next Royal Rumble PPV.

Disney has not confirmed a release timetable for season three of the star wars web series. With a late 2021 shooting schedule, we can expect it to hit the streaming service in mid or late 2022.

A&E Biography: WWE Legends Full Season Viewership Numbers

Michael Reichlin
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0

A&E’s 8-week biography series profiling WWE legends concluded this past weekend.

The series featured 2-hour biographies profiling some of the most influential names in WWE history.

The premiere episode for “Stone Cold” Steve Austin was the most-watched installment, followed by Roddy Piper and Randy Savage.

You can see the full season viewership listed below in chronological order, courtesy of Reddit user IndianBoglehead.

  • Steve Austin: 1.062 million viewers, 0.38 rating (Adults 18-49 demo)
  • Roddy Piper: 880,000 viewers, 0.27 rating (Adults 18-49 demo)
  • Randy Savage: 790,000 viewers, 0.31 rating (Adults 18-49 demo)
  • Booker T: 595,000 viewers, 0.24 rating (Adults 18-49 demo)
  • Shawn Michaels: 634,000 viewers, 0.22 rating (Adults 18-49 demo)
  • The Ultimate Warrior: 767,000 viewers, 0.29 rating (Adults 18-49 demo)
  • Mick Foley: 518,000 viewers, 0.20 rating (Adults 18-49 demo)
  • Bret Hart: 643,000 viewers, 0.26 rating (Adults 18-49 demo)

No word yet if we’ll see another ‘season’ of this limited series, but we sure hope the viewership was strong enough to warrant it.

What WWE legends would you like to see covered if there is another season of A&E Biography: WWE Legends?

Meiko Satomura Wins NXT UK Women’s Championship

Michael Reichlin
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Meiko Satomura is your new NXT UK Women’s Champion. She captured the gold on Thursday’s NXT UK broadcast on Peacock and the WWE Network.

Satomura defeated Kay Lee Ray in a hard-fought match. Ray had been champion for an impressive 649 days before her reign came to an end.

The Japanese wrestling legend joined the NXT UK brand back in February.

In this video, the Final Boss reflects on her monumental victory to dethrone Kay Lee Ray.

Satomura commented on her victory on Twitter. She thanked everyone and it was very difficult defeating Kay Lee Ray, a true champion.

Triple also H commented on the title change. He wrote on Twitter, “An incredible title reign ended by one of the absolute best in the world. A new era for the ENTIRE #NXTUK brand. #AndNew”

Eric Bischoff On Why WWE’s Latest Releases Were “Good Business”

Chris Stephens
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0

Eric Bischoff recently spent some time on his 83 Weeks Podcast speaking about WWE’s most recent round of talent cuts. According to Bischoff, WWE’s latest releases were good for business.

“I’m more and more convinced that what WWE is doing – and I think Nick Khan is probably the catalyst for a lot of this – is making good business decisions,” Bischoff said on the show.

Bischoff then spoke about what would go through his mind if he was in a management position with WWE.

“If I’m involved in some of the decisions in trying to get that stock price up, I’m looking at my talent roster which is a significant part of the expenses in WWE,” Bischoff continued. “I’m thinking to myself ‘well wait a minute, we are going to modify our touring schedule, we’re not going to tour the same way we used to – and I think that’s probably true – I need to start making good decisions. We’ve got 300 people under contract, perhaps that’s too many.”

Bischoff continued to say that perhaps WWE’s strategy regarding keeping so many talents under contract was to keep that talent from going to AEW. He does not believe the company is preparing for a sale, however.

“I’m more convinced now than I was last week that what WWE is doing is aggressively managing their business model,” he continued.

“When the dust settles, I think we’re going to see WWE’s stock price back to where it was pre-COVID. I think we’re going to see a new touring model that makes more sense in the long run and I don’t think WWE is going anywhere (referring to a potential sale), at least not in the near future,” Bischoff continued.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj_QYtw2vfA
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