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Spoilers: NWA Powerrr TV Tapings Results From Atlanta, GA

Andrew Ravens
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The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) held sets of tapings this week for the NWA Powerrr studio show from Atlanta, Georgia.

NWA Powerrr airs every Tuesday night at 6:05pm ET on FITE TV. Here are the NWA Powerrr results, courtesy of F4Wonline.com: 

NWA Powerrr Tapings Results

JTG defeated Fred Rosser and El Rudo (Sam Adonis) in a three-way match.

Kylie Rae defeated Melina.

Tyrus won a handicap match against two jobbers.

Crimson defeated Slice Boogie.

Chris Adonis defeated Parrow and Thom Latimer in a three-way match.

Marshe Rockett defeated Jeremiah Plunkett.

Jennacide defeated Lady Frost.

Aron Stevens, Mims, and Captain YUMA ended a no-contest with Hawx Aerie (Luke & PJ) & Kratos due to outside interference.

Tyrus defeated TV Champion The Pope – it’s unclear whether this was an actual title match.

The Pope defeated Sal Rinauro.

Serena Deeb & Kylie Rae defeated Skye Blue & Thunder Rosa.

Hawx Aerie (Luke & PJ) & El Rudo defeated Mecha Wolf, Bestia 666 & Homicide in a lucha rules match.

Chris Adonis defeated JTG.

World Champion Nick Aldis defeated Odinson – it’s unclear whether this was an actual title match.

Trevor Murdoch defeated Thom Latimer.

Mims defeated Jax Dane.

Colby Corino defeated Sal Rinauro.

The promotion confirmed today that they will hold an all-women’s pay-per-view event this August and on the same weekend, it will host the 73rd Anniversary pay-per-view event.

Million Dollar Championship Returns In NXT Thanks To Ted Dibiase

Andrew Ravens
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WWE decided to have Ted DiBiase bring back the Million Dollar Title. 

It was first noted on the Mat Men Pro Wrestling podcast that WWE had plans to bring back the Million Dollar  Belt. This is during a time where the WWE Hall of Famer has been inserted into a storyline with Cameron Grimes and LA Knight. 

The two stars have been in a conflict over who should have the honor of carrying on the Million Dollar legacy of DiBiase’s. 

Grimes will battle LA Knight in a match at Sunday’s NXT TakeOver: In Your House in Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center. 

Tuesday’s episode of NXT had an advertisement of the WWE Legend making a “priceless” announcement and indeed he did as all three men were in the ring. He had a golden ladder lowered down to the ring. Grimes and Knight cut promos about each other about how they deserved to have the right to carry on the million dollar legacy. 

This is where it was announced that the match between them would be a ladder bout. Grimes was confused as to what he would be reaching for when he climbed the ladder. Two security guards with bulletproof vests came out with a briefcase that had the gorgeous title belt inside of it. The winner of this match will become the Million Dollar Champion. 

WWE NXT Takeover: In Your House Updated Card: Double Title Match Set

Andrew Ravens
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A new match has been announced for the upcoming WWE NXT TakeOver:  In Your House.

The NXT North American and Tag Team Titles will be on the line in a six-man tag match pitting NXT Tag Team Champions MSK and North American Champion Bronson Reed vs. Legado del Fantasma.

The winning team will walk away with the titles. The two teams have been feuding for the last month on NXT TV. 

WWE presents the NXT TakeOver: In Your House event on Sunday, June 13, 2021 in Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center and will air on the WWE Network. Here is the updated card:

Updated WWE NXT TakeOver: In Your House Card

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

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

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

Xia Li vs. Mercedes Martinez

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

What are your thoughts on this match being added to the card? Sound off in the comment section.

Aleister Black Discusses Zelina Vega’s Release From WWE

Andrew Ravens
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Aleister Black has given his first public comments about WWE releasing his wife, Zelina Vega, last year. Back in November, there were reports that Vega breached her WWE contract by creating ‘OnlyFans’ account and charging subscribers $30 per month for premium content.

Vega was also an active Twitch streamer and noncompliant with WWE’s new policy that has talent hand over third-party accounts. Black was still with the company until he was released on June 2nd due to budget cuts. 

Black spoke about Vega’s release during an appearance on Renee Paquette’s Oral Sessions podcast. 

“Two weeks before I came back and hit Big E, I sat down with Vince and he was like, ‘Are you ready?’ One week later, I’m sitting in the gym and I see a name on the phone calling me. It was a distinct voice and this person also didn’t understand why I was let go. It was a sense of relief. They let my wife go, under reasons that are questionable. Everything got sorted out and is fine, but they called me and said, ‘We understand this is putting you in a tough spot.’ Nope, this is my career, I spoke about it with her and this is business between you and her. Does Tom, her husband have an opinion on it? Sure. Does Aleister Black the professional? Nope. He’s ready to go to work and create. She agreed,” he said.

It was reported last month that Vega was at the WWE Performance Center with plans for her to return to the company. Neither Vega or WWE has confirmed the plans just yet. 

Mickie James To Executive Produce NWA Empowerrr All-Women’s PPV (8/28)

Michael Reichlin
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The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) will host an all-women’s pay-per-view this summer, NWA EMPOWERRR. Wrestling legend Mickie James will serve as Executive Producer for this historic event.

NWA EMPOWERRR will take place Friday, August 28th from St Louis, Missouri. The event will stream live on FITE.TV.

The multi-time women’s champion made a surprise appearance on this week’s NWA Powerrr to announce the show. James spoke passionately about the significance of this project:

NWA EMPOWERRR will be part of a double-header for Billy Corgan’s legacy wrestling league. The following night, NWA 73rd Anniversary show will also take place from St. Louis.

The NWA’s Women’s Division includes new NWA Women’s Champion Camille, Thunder Rosa and Serena Deeb, Melina, Kylie Rae and more.

Based on comments by Mickie James, the NWA will be outsourcing talent from other promotions for the pay-per-view.

Additional details will be released in the days and weeks ahead.

WWE Raw Ratings Rebounds From Last Week’s 2021 Low (6/7)

Andrew Ravens
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Monday’s edition of WWE Raw averaged 1.640 million viewers with a 0.48 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic. This is up from last week’s 1.557 million viewers and the 0.44 rating. 

Last week was the lowest viewed episode of Raw in 2021 thus far, which beat the previous record low back on March 29th with 1.701 million viewers. Here’s the hourly viewership breakdown for Monday Night Raw, courtesy of PWTorch:

  • The first hour did 1.667 million viewers
  • The second hour did 1.651 million viewers
  • The final hour of the show had just 1.602 million viewers

To compare, last week’s hourly viewership numbers were 1.536 million viewers in the first hour, 1.549 million viewers in the second hour, and the third hour had 1.586 million viewers.

This episode featured Bobby Lashley & Drew McIntyre took part in a contract signing to make their WWE Title match official at Hell in a Cell, Shayna Baszler went to Alexa Bliss’ playground, andRK-Bro (Randy Orton & Riddle), The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods), Mace & T-Bar, Lucha House Party (Gran Metalik & Lince Dorado), and The Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar) in a five-team battle royal. 

SmackDown Viewership

The episode drew an average of 1.800 million viewers in the overnight ratings, up from the previous week that did 1.755  million viewers. In the 18-49 demographic, it did a 0.50 rating, which was up from the 0.40 rating the week before.

Mickie James Debuts On NWA Powerrr, All-Women’s PPV Confirmed

Andrew Ravens
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The NWA is fresh off its latest pay-per-view event and is now looking ahead to the future. 

Fightful Select reported the promotion has been working on and plans to announce an all-women’s pay-per-view.

The promotion confirmed the news on Tuesday’s Powerrr episode. It will take place on August 28th and Mickie James will be an executive producer for it. There will also be the 73rd Anniversary pay-per-view event the following day. 

James was released from WWE along with Billie Kay, Peyton Royce, Samoa Joe and several more performers in April. James’ husband, Nick Aldis, is the NWA world Heavyweight Champion.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the promotion didn’t hold events for the majority of 2020 and allowed their talent to appear for other promotions such All Elite Wrestling to make up for dates.

The partnership saw the likes of Thunder Rosa and Serena Deeb work various matches for AEW. Rosa got the chance to headline an episode of AEW Dynamite and be featured on various AEW pay-per-view events. Deeb had also defended the NWA Women’s Championship in AEW including at the Double Or Nothing show against Riho. 

This past weekend, the National Wrestling Alliance held their When Our Shadows Fall pay-per-view event where Deeb dropped the title to Kamille.

At this same show, it was revealed that former AEW and Impact wrestler Kylie Rae had signed with the NWA. This came after Rae had announced her retirement from the pro wrestling business.

Steve Cutler On Joining The Marines, Tours in Afghanistan & More

Chris Stephens
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Steve Cutler, aka Steve Maclin, was Tommy Dreamer’s guest on the House of Hardcore podcast this weekend. During the discussion, Maclin spoke about what got him into wrestling, joining the Marines, and his recent release from WWE.

Maclin talked about how 9/11 impacted his decision to join the Marines during the podcast.

“In high school, 9/11 happened when I was a freshman. So that was the big impactful moment for me just because it instilled for me to want to go into the military at a young age,” Maclin said. “My Mom and my Dad fought with me at that time. Around 2005 when I graduated, Iraq was really bad so they said ‘please just try college for a year.’ So I said ‘no problem whatsoever.'”

Maclin continued to say he had friends try to convince him to wrestle during that year at college. He always considered himself too small, however. He left college and was not happy with what he was doing.

“I dropped out college, working a full-time job and just not happy with what I was doing. I didn’t like it, I was like there’s something more and I want to do what I want to do and what I wanted to do was join the Marine core.”

He also noted that there was extra paperwork for him to join the Marines due to being an only child. Being the last of his bloodline, his parents also had to sign off even though he was 20 at the time.

Maclin Did 2 Tours of Afghanistan

“At 20 years old I joined the Marine core, November of 2007. Then got out in November of 2011. Did my 2 tours in Afghanistan. First one was in 2009 from May to November and then the second one was in January to August of 2011. I got every experience that I wanted in the military.”

When Maclin was on leave from the Marines his friend introduced him to Fred Rosser (WWE’s Darren Young at the time) who encouraged him to go into wrestling. Rosser told Maclin how to find a school when he got out of the Marines. He eventually found the Monster Factory in New Jersey. Maclin was then scouted by Gerald Biscoe about a year and a half after beginning his training.

Maclin’s full discussion with Tommy Dreamer is below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhUANRA5PXI&list=PLiZDieKlGwDEoFY-CbQiKQMiarOQowlvS

Aleister Black Lists Wrestlers He Wants To Face Outside WWE

Chris Stephens
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Aleister Black, aka Tommy End, was the guest on Renee Pacquette’s Oral Sessions podcast released today. During the conversation, Renee asked Black about wrestlers outside WWE he would like to get in the ring with.

“I want to get in the ring with Moose, Callihan, Mox, Omega, Chris Daniels. My god. There is such an array of crazy talent. I think Jungle Boy is great. Hobbs, I think Hobbs is awesome. Brian Cage, Brody King from Ring of Honor. Homicide, I would love to get in there with Homicide, I think Homicide is the OG, I love Homicide, tons of respect. Eddie Kingston is another one.”

Renee then asked Black about wrestlers from NJPW he’d like to face.

“When AEW had Yuji Nagata, I was pretty envious of Mox,” Black said. “That was one of the guys that I looked up to when I was younger. New Japan would be phenomenal. I love Japan, I miss Japan, even thinking about it gives me butterflies.”

Aleister Black’s Future Plans

Black would not give away any hints as to what the future holds for his career, however.

“So, we don’t know what the future holds at this point. Well, I know a certain part of my future, but I’m not gonna spill the beans here, unfortunately. No exclusives yet.”

Also during the conversation, Black mentioned he doesn’t feel WWE focuses enough on the players around the main talent being pushed.

“I think that the issue is there is not enough focus on the people around the main people who are being pushed,” Black said on the show. “You have to have a continuous stream of people being built up, people being able to get revered by fans and being built up through the eyes of the fans so that people care.”

“Why would you not make everyone you are utilizing strong?” he continued to ask.

The full conversation is below:

WWE RAW Was A Welcome Change Of Pace This Week

Staff
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This week’s episode of WWE RAW wasn’t bad.

Sure, it wasn’t great. But after weeks upon weeks where the show has been defined by repetitive, uninspired booking, it was so refreshing to see something different. That’s exactly what fans received in the controversial main event angle with Alexa Bliss, Shayna Baszler and Lilly. This show-closing segment has garnered plenty of negativity, but for the first time in weeks, there’s a sense of intrigue surrounding what happens next.

Was the Baszler and Lilly segment weird, if not downright questionable? Most certainly, but it was a breath of fresh air. As a main event, it wasn’t the same old match that WWE usuall runs back the following week. This approach often leads to 50/50 booking and the sense that none of the in-ring results really matter. By doing something unexpected with Baszler and Lilly in this spot on the card, WWE left the fans guessing. After all, it’s fair to say that nobody saw that coming.

In a (seemingly) post-Fiend world, WWE brought some elements of the horror genre back to the red brand; this scene with Baszler and Lilly was right out of a scary movie, from the flickering lights to the doll’s unsettling appearance in the mirror. The show’s cliffhanger could have been executed better, as the ending itself was fairly abrupt. But anyone who is remotely interested in this storyline practically has to tune in next week, and that feeling has been absent from WWE RAW for far too long.

Aside from this divisive chapter of the Baszler and Lilly saga, this week’s episode should be considered a step in the right direction because it showcased the depth of the brand. WWE RAW has felt painfully stale lately, as it often uses the same cast of characters in the same matches in the same ways over and over again. But on Monday, WWE tried some new things.

In a way, it felt like the show utilized the majority of its roster; from Drew Gulak and Mansoor to Jeff Hardy and Nikki Cross, Monday night’s show felt deeper than the program has in weeks. But it wasn’t just the fact that these individuals were on the show; several of them were used in fresh, compelling ways.

Mansoor’s budding alliance (or rivalry, potentially) with Mustafa Ali is turning into a recurring portion of the program, and it’s allowing both men to showcase their personalities, as Ali might corrupt the naive newcomer with his lessons. It wasn’t long ago that both men were sitting in catering, so this prominence is a welcome change.

Likewise, one of the highlights of Monday’s show came in a heated exchange between Kofi Kingston and MVP. The mastermind behind the Hurt Business grilled Kingston about the downfall of KofiMania in an interaction that was filled with actual history and emotion. This segment left many fans wondering whether Kingston could align with MVP and enjoy a successful run as a heel. Again, even this hint of something different was so encouraging that it was hard not to leave this episode of WWE RAW with at least a little hope for the future.

While this week’s episode of WWE RAW wasn’t perfect by any means, it was different. And for a show that, far too often, has been plagued by monotony, that’s a welcome change.

Chelsea Green Says She Might Be “The Future of Playboy”

Chris Stephens
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Wrestling and Playboy have a long history together. Sable, Chyna, and Maria Kanellis all famously posed for the magazine and Shawn Michaels even did a shoot for Playgirl with the winged-eagle WWF Championship belt.

Chelsea Green stated not long after her WWE release that she was interested in working with Playboy. According to comments she made recently on her podcast, she auditioned for the magazine in 2010. She also said that she has been in contact with representatives from Playboy recently as well.

“I get changed into my outfit, I put my lip gloss on, I’ve got my eyeshadow, my skinny little eyebrows going on, and I have my heels on. I decided to go for a little hot, hot pink bra and undies set, and I thought I looked like the f***ing cat’s meow,” Green said regarding her 2010 Playboy audition (transcriptions via Metro UK).

“It was kind of a very normal casting call. I will say, I don’t believe I got fully naked – I did take my top off, obviously, but I don’t remember taking my underwear off. At the time, I was like 20 years old, whatever – I loved my boobs! I had zero issues with my body and I’ve played sports my whole life, so I was in shape and stuff even though I was eating Cheetos for lunch in college.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPyPqJtpm6H/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=d3181868-321f-4bab-a623-ce08950524df

Chelsea Green On Playboy Reaching Out In 2021

Green also noted on the show that she’s been in contact with the company recently. A representative reached out to her.

“I totally feel like we connected, he had such a great vibe about him, and he kinda enlightened me to what 2021 and future Playboy looks like – which is not the brick-and-mortar stuff. It is the digital side things, and the influencing side of things, and blogging, vlogging, hosting, podcasting, all that kind of stuff that they didn’t have before that they want to expand Playboy into.”

She continued to say that she feels confident she’ll be working with them in 2022. Green even says she could be the “future of Playboy.”

 “I do feel really positive about the fact that in the future – and maybe it’s not in 2021, maybe it’s at the beginning of 2022, we’re not sure, but Chelsea Green might be the future of Playboy.”

CM Punk: Roman Reigns Is “Far And Away The Best Guy They Have”

Anutosh Bajpai
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Roman Reigns’ current run as the top heel of WWE has helped him win over many haters. Former rival CM Punk among those impressed by Reigns’ work as of late.

Punk recently appeared on the Wrestling Perspective podcast and discussed how organic stories produce the best content and storylines. He singled out Roman Reigns as an example to making his point and had glowing things to say about WWE’s reigning Universal Champion. He said the Tribal Chief storyline is one of the things WWE is doing right these days and praised Reigns’ character work.

“A lot of the times the best stuff you also just got to go with the flow with it, I’ll use Roman Reigns as an example because if we’re talking about good stuff,” said Punk. “If the WWE does anything good, this is the one thing they’re doing right now is Roman Reigns. His character work, his in-ring stuff, it’s all great.”

Punk took a shot at the company by claiming they are always “late” to execute plans correctly. WWE spent years trying to get Roman Reigns over as the ‘next John Cena.’ It took a heel turn and an alliance with Paul Heyman to truly win over the WWE Universe.

Far and Away The Best In WWE

“Maybe he needed that adversity and that backlash to finally be this guy but this is the one thing they’re doing right, what can you say bad about what Roman Reigns is doing right now? He’s far and away the best guy they have. When you talk about storylines, in-ring work and all that stuff, right now he’s the total package. For the first time in his career, and I’m not being mean to Roman Reigns, I just feel like he’s finally where they pushed him to be, it just took a minute.”

CM Punk left WWE in 2014 and subsequently retired from professional wrestling. He stayed away from the business for the next 5 years, before making a surprise return during a WWE Backstage episode in November 2019.

He has been vocal about the company’s policies since then. Punk recently commented on issues such as the latest WWE releases and John Cena’s apology to China.

“Mongopalooza” Benefit Concert Raises Money For Steve McMichael

Chris Stephens
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In April, it was revealed that Steve “Mongo” McMichael is suffering from ALS. Over the weekend, his former teammate Dan Hampton organized a benefit concert for McMichael dubbed “Mongopalooza.”

Mongo was on-hand personally for the event and spoke to media about how touched he was of the efforts.

“It’s a validation of everything I’ve done in my life for people,” McMichael said. “What you do in your life, you get back tenfold. That’s happening right now.”

Ric Flair was in attendance for the event. He also spoke to the media about how the event was a testament to the many people who appreciate the friendship they’ve had with Mongo through the years.

“I think these turnouts like this are an example of the friendship that he afforded everybody else in life,” Flair said. “Great guy.”

The event took place at a restaurant named after the former Chicago Bear great, Mongo McMichael’s located at 1101 N. Independence Blvd in Romeoville.

To help Mongo and his family deal with medical expenses, there is a GoFundMe setup here. You can also purchase Team Mongo shirts and bracelets here.

“It’s a testament to him as a person and the cause itself. ALS is a terrible thing,” said friend Larry Gress.

Footage of the event is below:

Shingo Takagi Makes First Comments As IWGP World Champion

Chris Stephens
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Shingo Takagi defeated Kazuchika Okada at Dominion yesterday to win the vacant IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. The new champion spoke to the media following his victory. NJPW1972.com has translated Takagi’s first comments as world champion.

“I am the third IWGP World heavyweight Champion, Shingo Takagi, and I am pretty damn tired,” Takagi said. “I went through the wringer last night, finally shut my eyes around 4AM, and then woke up at 7, got on the Shinkansen (bullet train), and wasn’t able to nod off there either. But y’know, waking up this morning and having the belt there in my room let me know that it wasn’t all a dream and what happened was real.”

Takagi was defeated by the former champion, Will Ospreay, before he vacated the title. Ospreay was supposed to face Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Grand Slam but the event was cancelled. Then Ospreay was forced to vacate the title due to neck injury.

“I mean, in Fukuoka with Ospreay, losing that match could have put me to the back of the line,” Takagi continued. “I figured I wouldn’t get back to this point for quite a while. But then, I don’t know whether you’d call it luck or what, but Ospreay gets hurt and goes back to the UK, and then I’m in this title match.”

Shingo Takagi vs Kota Ibushi

Following his victory, Takagi called out former champion Kota Ibushi. Takagi also spent some time talking about Ibushi following his title victory.

“I have my reasons for coming to New Japan in the first place, but getting to throw down with Ibushi, that was definitely one aspect. Having a proper place for us to square off. We didn’t start out as New Japan guys, but a few years ago it hit me that the guy I want to fight the most is in NJPW, and if I want that to happen then I have to be in NJPW too. Then October 2018 I arrived, and two years, what, eight months later… I wouldn’t call that a rapid ascent. I’m 39 this year, I can’t afford to take things slow.”

Takagi would continue to say that Ibushi has not yet given him a response to his challenge. It seems rather certain Ibushi will become Takagi’s first title challenger, however.

“Anyway, I am now the third IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, but apart from that, nothing’s changed about me. Just like normal, I’m gonna fight like Shingo Takagi fights, bring the fire and tear it up! That’s all I’ve got to say.”

 

Hikaru Shida Debuts New Look on AEW Dark: Elevation

Jake Skudder
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Former AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida debuted a new look during this week’s episode of AEW Dark: Elevation. The Japanese star lost to Dr Britt Baker D.M.D at the Double or Nothing PPV event just over a week ago, and now Shida has changed up her look as she looks to climb up the Women’s division rankings.

Hikaru Shida faced Diamante in the main event of the show. The episode also featured some of AEW’s more established names on the card, including Santana & Ortiz, Ethan Page, Brian Cage & Powerhouse Hobbs, The Acclaimed and Scorpio Sky.

Here’s the full results for this week’s episode of the YouTube show:

  • Jade Cargill w/ Smart Mark Sterling b. Rache Chanel
  • Santana & Ortiz b. Liam Gray & Adrian Alanis
  • Scorpio Sky b. Trevor Read
  • Brian Cage & Powerhouse Hobbs w/ Hook & Ricky Starks b. Trevor Aeon and Kendall Blake
  • Evil Uno w/ -1 b. Danny Limelight
  • Ethan Page b. Mike Sydal
  • The Acclaimed (Max Caster & Anthony Bowens) b. Alex Reynolds and Alan “5” Angels
  • Kris Statlander b. Queen Aminata
  • Varsity Blonds (Brian Pillman Jr. & Griff Garrison) w/ Julia Hart b. JD Drake and Ryan Nemeth w/ The Wingmen
  • Hikaru Shida b. Diamante
https://www.instagram.com/p/CP1tCl1JGFG/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Check out this week’s episode of AEW Dark: Elevation below:

Karl Anderson Gives Advice To Released WWE Talents

Jake Skudder
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Impact Wrestling star Karl Anderson has some advice for the WWE Superstars who were released this past week.

Anderson and his tag team partner Luke Gallows were cut by WWE in April 2020, just weeks after they participated in the Boneyard Match main event of WrestleMania 36.

During the latest episode of the Talk N Shop podcast, Anderson advised that the released talent be ‘less friendly’ in their social media comments.

“We know what it’s like to get canned from WWE,” Anderson began. “Here’s the advice I would say; enough of the ‘thank you’ tweets. Give me a f*cking break. When you get canned, let it go. How about hashtag ‘f*ck off.’ I don’t think less than 24 hours after being fired…take a second to take a breather.”

“Take it easy with the thank you bullsh*t within 24 hours” Anderson continued. “Breathe it in and take it all in for just one second. Put together a plan of attack before you start thanking all these motherf*ckers that fired you.”

Anderson Praises Jim Ross

Karl Anderson would then praise Jim Ross, who himself is a lot more candid than most when it comes to discussing WWE’s business practices. “People give Jim Ross a lot of heat, but I have respect for Jim Ross.”

“When we got canned, he said, ‘There’s a reason why WWE decided to not do business with these individuals anymore'” Anderson added. “It’s as true as it can get and Thank God. We made the most money we’ve ever made in our lives this past year and that’s after WWE.” 

There’s a good chance that a number of the talents released could end up at AEW and/or IMPACT; so Anderson’s comments could end up hitting home to some of the Superstars when he eventually works with them again.

Listen to the latest episode of Talk N Shop at MLWRadio.com.

Fred Yehi To Make NJPW Strong Debut

Alex Laybourne
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Since its inception in August 2020, NJPW Strong has been a place to see some great wrestling names. This coming week on Strong, Fred Yehi will make his debut. Yehi is a name known to many wrestling fans and is currently the number one contender for the ROH Pure Championship.

Yehi will perform in a tag team match alongside Wheeler Yuta. Their opponents are Misterioso and Jordan Clearwater.

Fred Yehi has wrestled for many promotions, including ROH and MLW. Interestingly enough, during this time in MLW, Yehi was a member of Team Filthy.

Tom Lawler, the leader of Team Filthy is the first and inaugural NJPW Strong Openweight Champion. The stable is the primary one based on the NJPW Strong brand. If Fred Yehi impresses in this match he could secure a regular place on the Strong roster. It is then not inconceivable to assume he will join the team.

Team Filthy is currently down one member, after Tom Lawlor, orchestrated a beat down of form member Chris Dickinson.

Fred Yehi is a talented wrestler, and while he might not be the powerhouse that Dickinson was, he could certainly fill the spot in Team Filthy and help them continue their brand dominance.

As NJPW Strong approaches its one year anniversary, the show is moving from strength to strength. Growing in confidence each week. The use of freelance talent and willingness to not tie fighters down to just their promotion gives them a lot of room to grow. This is a benefit to the brand, and to fighters like Fred Yehi, who are looking to build their career in the business.

John Cena Had Ring Gear Made For His Heel Turn

Anutosh Bajpai
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Former WWE writer Matt McCarthy recently talked about John Cena on his We Watch Wrestling podcast. He revealed how close the cenation leader was to a heel turn in the company at one point. McCarthy was talking about the time when the former world champion was still a full-time performer.

Vince McMahon was trying to figure out a way to incorporate some heelish qualities in his character but not turn him completely. However, the Hollywood star wanted to do a complete heel turn. He was committed to the idea to a point where John Cena even had new ring gear made for him:

“Vince kept trying to figure out how do we do like a Bret Hart thing? Where he’s a heel in some places, but he’s a babyface in the rest of the places. Cena was like, ‘If I’m going heel, I want to go full heel,’ and it did get close enough to the point where, and I’m sure he still has this gear, like Cena had gear made for the heel turn, you know? No longer the jorts. I don’t know what the gear was, but he had specific gear made ready and waiting.”

Though as we know the heel turn never happened. Revealing the reason behind it, Matt explained that the company cooled down on the idea after they couldn’t reach an agreement. The officials decided that a heel turn wouldn’t change things for Cena. So it was best to keep things as they were:

“And then obviously we know it never happened, and there was a point in the discussions where it was like, ‘Well, the people who are gonna cheer him are going to continue to cheer him and the people who are gonna boo him, are just gonna keep booing him.’ So the thinking was, that’s the most heelish thing he can do is to stay that white meat, smiling, pure babyface…”

John Cena has since moved on from his role as the face of the company. After a 15 year-long run at the top, the former champion now only makes sporadic appearances for the promotion. Although he is expected to make a return very soon. Latest reports suggest that we may see the former US champion competing in a big championship match at SummerSlam.

Ted DiBiase To Make A ‘Priceless Announcement’ On Tuesday’s NXT

Alex Laybourne
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The storyline involving the Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase, Cameron Grimes and LA Knight has been dominating NXT. The build-up between Grimes and DiBiase grained pace when Knight stepped into the frame. Both men claiming they have what it takes to carry on the million dollar legacy.

The pair will face off one-on-one at the upcoming NXT In Your House PPV, with the winner believing they will receive the favor of Ted DiBiase. However, the story is not yet fully told.

WWE recently tweeted that tonight on the In Hour House go-home episode of NXT, Ted DiBiase is making a priceless announcement.

This is most likely to be the confirmation of the return of the Million Dollar Belt. The winner between Grimes and Knight being awarded the belt at NXT In Your House.

This would be the logical conclusion to any storyline involving Ted DiBiase. Not to mention, the poster for the NXT In Your House show already features the belt.

With both Grimes and Knight playing heel characters the feud lacks the traditional good guy versus bad guy appeal. However, it means both men would be a perfect fit for some million-dollar tutelage.

The Million Dollar Belt has been out of circulation since 2010 but hasn’t seriously been used since the mid-’90s. While never officially recognized as a title, there is no denying that having that on your shoulder and Ted DiBiase in your corner is a benefit for any wrestler.

Original WrestleMania 37 Plans For Released WWE Star

Anutosh Bajpai
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The latest wave of WWE releases saw the company parting way with some surprising names. One of them was the Riott Squad leader Ruby Riott.

Bryan Alvarez talked about Riott and her time in WWE during the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Live. He revealed the original WrestleMania 37 plans for her.

Ruby Riott teamed up with Liv Morgan to compete in the tag team turmoil match at night one of the show which also featured four other teams.

According to the wrestling journalist, the team of Riott and Morgan were originally scheduled to win this match and go on to challenge the then women’s tag team champions Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler on night two of the show.

However, the company changed the plans on the day of the event. Natalya and Tamina went on to win the bout and challenge for the titles. Jax and Baszler were scheduled to retain the title in the original scenario as well.

While Natalya and Tamina couldn’t cash in their opportunity at WrestleMania, the match opened the doors for more opportunities for them. They finally won the tag team titles on an episode of SmackDown last month.

Things are always changing in WWE but one can only wonder what would have happened if Ruby Riott and her partner would have got the opportunity and if they would have gone on to win the championships instead.

Jake Atlas On Coming Out To Stephanie McMahon As Gay

Anutosh Bajpai
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Jake Atlas has had an interesting journey to WWE. It all started when the former indie star came out to Stephanie McMahon as gay without realizing who she was.

The young star recently appeared on WWE’s The Bump alongside guests such as Hall Of Famer Bret Hart, current NXT women’s tag team champions Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell, and more.

Discussing his infamous interaction with Stephanie McMahon, Atlas revealed that he hadn’t discussed his sexuality before his conversation with the WWE official:

“I wasn’t an ‘out’ performer before I met Stephanie. Meeting Stephanie undercover and not knowing it was Stephanie was so much better and helpful in a way, I don’t know if I would have been able to talk to her if I knew it was Stephanie.

“Meeting Stephanie and coming out to her… I mean, I came out to one of the most powerful people in professional wrestling. [After filming] I was a mess, and I was crying, and she hugged me.”

The 26-year-old appeared on an episode of Celebrity Undercover Boss as an undiscovered wrestler in 2018. The episode also featured WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon as an undercover boss.

During the show, Atlas explained to Stephanie that he wanted to become the first openly gay WWE champion. He was hired in an ambassador role by WWE after that and he was officially signed as a wrestler in 2019.

Bret Hart On The Origin Of Hart Attack Finisher

Anutosh Bajpai
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Before becoming one of the most celebrated singles wrestler of all time, Bret Hart made his name in tag team wrestling as part of The Hart Foundation.

The WWE Hall Of Famer discussed the legacy of the group during his recent appearance on The Bump and talked about the various aspects of his team with his brother in law Jim Neidhart.

One of the most exciting things about their team was the Hart Attacker finisher. Revealing the origin of it, Bret detailed where it came from and why it was a great finisher for their tag team:

“You know, it came from me using a running clothesline in Calgary. I remember thinking about it, and it was a lot of things Jim and I did, Jim was a 280-pound man.

To launch him like a missile, you know, 10-15 feet across the ring, was a serious consequence.” said Hart, “So many things we did as a team including, the Hart Attack, were great team wrestling.”

The wrestling veteran also commented on the recent women’s tag team title win of his niece Natalya and Tamina during the May 14 episode of SmackDown.

Bret Hart said that both Jim Neidhart and Tamina’s father, Jimmy Snuka would be proud of their daughters. He claimed that the duo will surprise everyone by being around as a team for a long time.

Ezra Judge On The Reason He Was Given For His WWE Release

Anutosh Bajpai
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Former NXT star Ezra Judge is one of the many names released by WWE in the past couple of months. He was released alongside names such as Alexander Wolfe, Jessamyn Duke, and more.

The now-former WWE star recently had an interview with WrestlingInc where he opened up about his release from the promotion and discussed it in detail.

Due to his massive physique, Judge was considered a big future star by many and so his release sparked many rumors as well. Discussing the various rumors, he claimed that he didn’t have any backstage heat in the company:

“I don’t know why I was released. Do I want to know why? Of course. I got the generic response, budget cuts. Do I believe that? No, but it is what it is. I’m the type of person that respected everybody, got along with everybody.

I didn’t have bridges that were burnt or anything like they say.” said Ezra Judge, “I was told, actually, before I left that I was a catalyst in a locker room.”

The former WWE star also commented on his future in the wrestling business. He confirmed that he will continue his wrestling career and claimed that we are going to see him soon.

A former Football player and Bodybuilder, Ezra Judge was signed to a contract by WWE in August 2019 after multiple tryouts. He was released in May 2021.

WWE RAW Results (6/7): Alexa Bliss & Shayna Baszler, Contract Signing, Battle Royal

Robert Lentini
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WWE RAW aired live from the ThunderDome in Tampa. Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley signed the contract to make their WWE Championship match official at Hell in a Cell. The tag teams on the RAW roster competed in a Battle Royal to determine the #1 contenders for the RAW Tag Team Championships tonight as well.

RAW Results (6/7)

  1. Viking Raiders won the #1 contender’s Battle Royal and earned a shot at the RAW Tag Team Championships
  2. Jaxson Ryker def. Elias via count out
  3. Ricochet vs. Humberto Carillo ended in a double count out
  4. Jeff Hardy def. Cedric Alexander
  5. Asuka & Nikki Cross def. Charlotte Flair & Rhea Ripley
  6. Mansoor def. Drew Gulak
  7. Kofi Kingston def. Riddle

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Viking Raiders Earned A Title Shot

John Morrison, New Day, Viking Raiders, Lucha House Party, Mace & T-Bar, and Riddle & Orton competed in a Battle Royal to determine the #1 contenders for the RAW Tag Team Championships. Before the match, champs AJ Styles & Omos made their way to ring. Styles gave the New Day some props but noted that they defeated them at WrestleMania. Styles praised Lince Dorado being out there by himself as Gran Metalik is injured.

AJ brought up Riddle and Orton and claimed that their chemistry is phenomenal. An argument broke out before Riddle said he is wearing two of their new t-shirts because Randy won’t wear one. Orton hushed Riddle before Miz and Morrison made their way to the ring. Miz is in a wheelchair and said that Morrison will be competing on behalf of their team in the Battle Royal. Miz started rolling down the ramp and Morrison stopped him before he crashed. Orton dropped Woods and Dorado with an RKO to begin the action as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, WWE Champion Lashley and MVP were shown in a lounge with their models having a good time as the Battle Royal continued. Mace and T-Bar tried to eliminate Orton but Riddle stopped it. They then hit Riddle with High Justice in the middle of the ring. Orton recovered and eliminated T-Bar. Woods and Erik teamed up and sent Mace over the top rope as RAW went to a commercial.

Viking Raiders, RKBro, and New Day were the remaining teams in the Battle Royal. Viking Raiders eliminated Riddle and then battled with New Day. Kofi leveled Viking Raiders with a Crossbody and then turned his focus to Orton. Riddle slid into the ring and hopped into a Trouble in Paradise from Kingston. Orton capitalized and sent Kingston over the top rope. Viking Raiders then eliminated Orton to earn a future shot at the RAW Tag Team Championships.

Charlotte & Ripley Will Team Up Tonight

Charlotte Flair had a conversation with Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville backstage. Charlotte claimed she was pressured into last week’s Beat the Clock Challenge against Nikki Cross and demanded that the match be removed from her record. Charlotte then wanted a rematch and Pearce & Deville agreed.

RAW Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley interrupted and said that she actually respects Nikki Cross, unlike Charlotte Flair. Pearce and Deville then booked Ripley & Flair versus Nikki Cross and a partner of her choosing. Charlotte said that unlike Rhea Ripley, she can professional about this and walked away.

Jaxson Ryker def. Elias

Elias came to the ring and said that Jaxson Ryker was going crazy and they would have become RAW Tag Team Champions if Ryker followed his lead last week. Elias added that he saw “the ghosts of war” in Ryker’s eyes, but did not see a man who would go to war for him. Ryker showed up with a new look and attacked Elias from behind. Jaxson launched the guitar up the entrance ramp as RAW went to a break.

Ryker then battled Elias in a singles match. Ryker Clotheslined Elias out of the ring but Elias responded with a Spinebuster for a near fall. Elias controlled the action for a bit but Ryker battled back and connected with a massive Chokeslam. Elias rolled out of the ring and then cowered a way to end the match in a count out.

Lashley Will Face McIntyre Inside Hell In A Cell

Drew McIntyre came to the ring and took a seat and waited for WWE Champion Bobby Lashley to arrive for their contract singing. Lashley took his sweet time but eventually made his way to the ring with MVP and the models by his side.

MVP congratulated McIntyre on once again finding his way into the title scene and said that Drew will not get another title match if he loses. McIntyre said he accepts the terms and just wants MVP to stop talking. Drew said he will never challenge Lashley for the title again if he loses, but wants the match to be inside Hell in a Cell. They accepted the terms and signed the contract.

McIntyre noted that Hell in a Cell is brutal and will be a new experience for Lashley. Drew added that he will give Lashley mercy with a Claymore and take the WWE Championship back. Lashley posed with the title and McIntyre chopped the table in half with his sword to end the segment.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1402072213927440386?s=20

Ricochet vs. Carrillo Ended In A Double Count Out

Humberto Carillo squared off against Ricochet tonight on RAW. The winner of the match will earn a shot at the United States Championship. US Champion Sheamus made his way to the ring with a face protector on after breaking his nose in a match against Humberto last week. Sheamus complained about the match even happening in the first place and Ricochet & Carrillo made it seem like they were going to run at him and he backed away.

When RAW returned, Ricochet connected with a Crossbody and went for the cover but Humberto kicked out at two. Ricochet followed it up with a Powerbomb for another near fall. Carrillo sent Ricochet out of the ring and hit him with a Suicide Dive. The action spilled to the apron after Ricochet connected with a German Suplex. Ricochet hit a Spanish Fly and both superstars crashed to the floor to end the match in a count out.

MVP Tried To Talk Business With Kofi Kingston

MVP approached Kofi Kingston backstage tonight on RAW. MVP said he wanted to talk business and Kingston tried to avoid him. MVP stopped him and brought up Kingston winning the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. He added that KofiMania was everything and then it just went away.

MVP noted that Kingston shook McIntyre’s hand last week after losing to him and suggested that is why KofiMania ended, because Kingston is comfortable with being a loser. Kingston brought up the little kids watching RAW and learning to believe in themselves because of him. Kofi wondered why Lashley fights and said it was because of money. MVP claimed Lashley fights for honor and the perks that come along with being the champ.

Jeff Hardy def. Cedric Alexander

Cedric Alexander faced Jeff Hardy tonight on RAW. Before the match, Jeff Hardy cut a promo about how the locker room veterans do not get respect like they used to. Hardy said Cedric Alexander expects everything handed to him and is going to teach him a lesson in respect tonight.

Jeff controlled the action early and beat Cedric down in the corner of the ring. Hardy connected with a Dropkick but Cedric responded with one of his own for a near fall. Hardy went for the Twist of Fate but Cedric blocked it. Alexander climbed to the second rope and started taunting Hardy. Jeff caught him with a boot to the face and then the Twist of Fate. Hardy followed it up with the Swanton Bomb for the pinfall victory.

Asuka & Nikki Cross def. Flair & Ripley

Nikki Cross teamed up with Asuka to face RAW Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley & Charlotte Flair tonight. Ripley will defend the title against Charlotte at WWE Hell in a Cell. Before the match, Charlotte approached Rhea backstage and told her to follow her lead since she is the more experienced superstar. Ripley said she will be glad to follow Flair straight to hell in two weeks. Rhea added that being champ makes up for inexperience and told Charlotte to follow her lead tonight.

Charlotte shoved Nikki Cross to the mat to start off the action. Flair demanded that Rhea tag in and the RAW Women’s Champion made the tag. Ripley taunted Charlotte and Nikki Cross capitalized with a roll-up for a near fall. Asuka tagged in and Rhea greeted her with a headbutt.

Rhea got knocked out of the ring and gave Charlotte a shove on her way back. Flair responded with a forearm to Rhea’s face and the two started arguing as RAW went to a commercial break. When RAW returned, Nikki had a Headlock applied but Ripley broke free. Asuka tagged in and hit Flair with a Hip Attack.

Asuka hit a Codebreaker on Ripley but Charlotte got into the ring to prevent a cover. Rhea connected with a Northern Lights Suplex and bridged into a cover but Asuka kicked out at two. Charlotte and Ripley started arguing again and Flair planted the champ with Natural Selection. Nikki Cross capitalized with a cover on Ripley for the win.

Mansoor def. Drew Gulak

Mansoor faced Drew Gulak tonight on RAW. Before the match, Mustafi Ali had a conversation with Mansoor backstage. Ali told Mansoor that he is ready for a fair and square match but wondered what is going to happen once Gulak starts cutting corners. Mustafa told Mansoor that not everyone plays by the rules and walked away.

Gulak controlled the match early and kept Mansoor grounded. Gulak applied an Ankle Lock and started stepping on Mansoor’s neck. Mansoor escaped and ducked under a Clothesline attempt from Gulak. Drew went for a roll-up while using the tights for leverage but Mansoor reversed it for the pinfall victory.

Kofi Kingston def. Riddle

Kofi Kingston faced Riddle tonight on RAW. Xavier Woods was ringside for the match. Kingston hit a Splash and then an Enziguri for a two count. Kingston quickly followed it up with another Splash and went for the cover but Riddle was able to kick out at two. Riddle battled back with a Senton as Randy Orton made his way to the ring. Kofi sent Riddle to the outside and then hit a Baseball Slide onto Orton.

Woods stood over Riddle and started playing Francesca the trombone. Orton slammed Woods onto the announce table as RAW went to a break. When RAW returned, Riddle connected with an Exploder Suplex and but Kingston responded with a Stomp for a near fall.

Riddle took back control and connected with the draping DDT as Orton cheered him on. Orton told Riddle to finish it and Riddle set up for the RKO. Kingston blocked it and hit Trouble in Paradise for the pinfall victory.

Lilly Trapped Shayna Baszler

Nia Jax told Shayna Baszler that she was out of line for what she did to Reginald last week and that “Reggie” is at home recovering. Jax added that she has known Alexa Bliss for a while and this is the most dangerous she has ever been. Nia said that Alexa definitely has something planned tonight and Shayna shrugged it off.

Baszler claimed she wasn’t afraid of a little girl with a doll and suggested that Nia Jax help Bliss after she finds out what happens when you cross the Queen of Spades. When RAW returned from a break, Bliss welcomed everyone to Alexa’s Playground in the ring. Shayna marched down the entrance ramp and knocked over a toy horse before taking a seat on a swing.

Alexa wanted Baszler to apologize to Lilly but Shayna refused to say sorry to a doll. Shayna blamed Alexa for Reginald getting injured and added that they would be Women’s Tag Team Champions if it were not for her. Shayna grabbed Lilly and said “sorry Lilly is just a stupid doll” instead of apologizing.

Bliss and Shayna then traded strikes. Shayna knocked Alexa out of the ring and then stomped on Lilly. The ThunderDome screens and lights flickered and then pyro went off. Shayna retreated up the entrance ramp as Alexa smiled from her swing. Shayna made her way backstage as pieces of the ThunderDome fell around her. Baszler locked herself in a room but realized Lilly was also there in the mirror reflection. Shayna broke the mirror but Lilly was still visible in the broken glass and RAW went off the air with Shayna Baszler screaming.

Eva Marie’s WWE Return Date Announced

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Eva Marie will finally be returning to Raw next week.

WWE had been teasing the return of the All Red Everything with promos for weeks but there was no confirmed date for her actual return to the company.

The promotion finally confirmed during this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw that Marie will be making her return during next week’s Hell In A Cell go-home episode of the show:

Reports suggest that the modeling star will not be coming in alone. It’s believed that she will have a female star as her bodyguard upon her return.

The two names which are being discussed for the role as of now are Piper Niven from NXT UK and former Retribution member Mercedes Martinez.

Eva Marie’s first run with WWE started in 2013. Many believed that the female star who had no background in wrestling was too green for TV at the time.

This led to the former Raw star going back and forth between the main roster and NXT a number of times. She was finally released from her contract in August 2017.

Marie’s return to the company was first reported in October last year. After months of rumors, WWE finally confirmed her re-signing with a vignette last month during the May 3 episode of Raw.

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