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Big Cass (W. Morrissey) Rips Fans Who Recorded Him Suffering A Seizure

Chris Stephens
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W. Morrissey (the former Big Cass) cut a promo on Impact Wrestling last night that while delivered in character, covered some very real issues. In late-2018, Morrissey suffered a seizure while at a House of Hardcore wrestling event. Some fans filmed him as he was in medical distress and the video was submitted to YouTube, as well as picked up by TMZ and other outlets. He addressed this incident during his promo on Impact last night.

“Every time that I’ve fallen down in this industry, every time that something bad has happened to me or I made headlines for all the wrong reasons, people kicked me when I was down,” Morrissey said. “When I had a seizure in front of 1500 people in Philadelphia, PA, those fans that love us and adore us, do you know what they did? They took out their phones, and instead of dealing 9-1-1 they recorded it and put it on YouTube and then everybody in the world got to watch me at my most vulnerable point.”

Morrissey’s time in Impact Wrestling has been notable thus far. Since debuting in the promotion, Morrissey has been feuding with Willie Mack and now appears to be moving into a program with Rich Swann.

Morrissey’s full promo can be viewed in the player below:

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

WWE & NJPW Negotiating For Major Partnership (Report)

Chris Stephens
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WWE and New Japan Pro Wrestling have had talks regarding a potential partnership that would change the entire landscape of the professional wrestling industry.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE President Nick Khan has been negotiating with NJPW in a deal that would see WWE become NJPW’s exclusive partner in the United States.

“In what could end up being among the biggest wrestling stories of the year, or a non-story, depending on the end result, Nick Khan has been in talks with New Japan Pro Wrestling about WWE being the exclusive American partner with the promotion,” Dave Meltzer wrote.

There have been several indications that something major in pro-wrestling has been brewing. WWE is said to possibly be loosening its stance on not working with other companies. Nick Khan appears to be the driving force behind this. NJPW has been sending talent to Impact Wrestling and AEW over the last few months.

“There are no indications where talks are at past they date back to late March or early April. But it would include WWE sending talent and WWE top stars being allowed to work in New Japan if talks go anywhere,” Meltzer continued.

Where Daniel Bryan Fits In

Daniel Bryan recently made several comments regarding wanting to work with other wrestling companies and WWE at the same time. His recent free agency and teases it could be leading to something major may factor into this. Bryan’s free agency was discussed earlier this month on Wrestling Observer Radio.

“I will just say that if anyone tells you that they know, they are lying to you,” Meltzer said about Bryan’s situation. 

“There’s some crazy things going on in wrestling, some really crazy things going on in wrestling but they haven’t happened yet. I’m sure one of them will be when he shows up somewhere, which could be WWE, could be somewhere else. That’s about it for now,” Meltzer continued.

WWE & NJPW Talent

Bryan also said in recent interviews that he feels WWE wrestlers would do well in NJPW. He used Cesaro and Otis as examples.

“If all of a sudden you saw Cesaro in New Japan for example like people would be like, ‘oh my god, this guy is the greatest!’”

“I think you put Otis in New Japan and people would be like ‘Holy cow! This guy is amazing!’ Like Vader from the 90s type of vibe. People think of him as the worm guy but it’s just a different presentation.”

Bryan also hinted that he would like to see a talent-exchange between NJPW and WWE.

“I’ve brought it up to a lot of people and now is more than ever is a time when people are open to new ideas,” Bryan said during the interview. “I think I have made some headway whether any of it actually happens, who knows?”

“I also think it would just be good for WWE and just wrestling in general. For people that are in the developmental system right now, for them to be able to go and learn in other places. I wouldn’t be the performer I am today if I hadn’t wrestled in Japan and not just like Japan where it’s like sports stuff but also like Butlins in the UK where it’s all comedy.” 

Cody Rhodes Responds To Rumored Heat Among AEW VPs

Anutosh Bajpai
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The Young Bucks previously reacted to the reports of infighting among AEW EVPs in their own unique way. Now Cody Rhodes has responded to these claims as well. The former TNT champion held a media conference call ahead of the Double Or Nothing PPV this Sunday where he was asked about the rumors.

Replying to the question, Rhodes who was said to be having trouble with other VPs interestingly suggested that these stories are a result of their win over NXT in the Wednesday night wars. He explained that there is a lot of anger created by their victory and that’s why stories like these don’t surprise him:

“It is one of the things I chopped up as we’ve been very successful, AEW, and with NXT losing the Wednesday Night Wars, that created a lot of anger, and I understand there’s a lot of hardcore NXT and WWE fans out there, and that’s why those stories like that don’t surprise me. I think people need to cling to something, and as sexy as that story is, I talk to Matt and Nick every day.”

The former champion then responded to rumors about his heat with Kenny Omega and how the two are not on talking terms anymore. Cody Rhodes claimed that he talks to the AEW champion very often and all the company vice presidents support each others’ projects:

“I talk to Kenny [Omega] very often. I support their projects fully. They’ve been supportive of all my projects, and we would not be able to put this show on the air, Tony’s [Khan] the man and Tony’s the boss, but we would not be able to put this show on the air if the four of us were not functioning as one team. Unfortunately, it’s not very sexy to say, but there’s no truth to that.”

Rhodes also mentioned their upcoming expansion to TBS. He claimed that they are one team and they will remain one team in the future as the company expands. Apart from this, the AEW VP discussed things such as his current programs and more. Cody Rhodes is currently scheduled to face Anthony Ogogo at the upcoming Double Or Nothing PPV on May 30.

Natalya Reveals Nixed Plans For Her Before Tag Team Title Win

Anutosh Bajpai
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Natalya formed an alliance with Tamina Snuka at the start of this year and their pairing paid off for both the stars in form of their big tag team championship win recently during the May 14 SmackDown.

However, during her recent appearance on the Oral Sessions podcast, the former SmackDown women’s champion revealed that the original plans for her this year were very different.

Natalya talked about her pairing with Tamina during the interview and revealed that she was actually slated for a big program with Sasha Banks before the formation of their tag team:

“I was supposed to go into a big rivalry with Sasha Banks early in the year, and everything changed when Bianca won the Royal Rumble.

I was so excited about wrestling Sasha because I think Sasha is one of the greatest women’s wrestlers in the world, if not the best. And I was just so excited about it.”

After the change of plans, Natalya’s husband Tyson Kidd who works as a backstage producer suggested that she should team up with her current partner.

The former diva’s champion admitted that she was sad at first at her program with Banks getting cancelled but Kidd’s explanation made her excited about teaming with Tamina.

Paul Heyman Teases Brock Lesnar’s Return For Upcoming WWE Show

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE has announced their return to touring for July and now Paul Heyman is teasing the return of Brock Lesnar for the company’s first show back on the road.

The former ECW owner recently appeared on SportsTalk 790 where he talked about a number of things. During the interview, he was also asked about the potential return of the beast incarnate.

Replying to the question, Heyman first mentioned how Lesnar does what he wants to do but he then teased the former universal champion’s return for the upcoming SmackDown episode from Houston:

 “Asking me about Brock Lesnar is a highly intelligent question and I commend you on your efforts. However, it’s a hypothetical. Brock Lesnar does what Brock Lesnar wants to do. If Brock Lesnar wanted to be back in WWE at this moment, at this particular time and place, he would be.

Maybe, maybe he has been waiting for the live events, and maybe he’ll choose Houston to make that return… or maybe not, because Brock Lesnar is going to do whatever Brock Lesnar wants to do.”

WWE has confirmed a total of six locations for their 25 city tour so far. Their first show back on the road will be July 16 episode of SmackDown from Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

Brock Lesnar is not the only big name which has now been discussed for a potential appearance and reports suggest that John Cena could make his WWE return during the show as well.

Jim Ross Believes AEW Star Has The ‘It Factor’

Anutosh Bajpai
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Legendary wrestling commentator Jim Ross recently had an interview with DAZN where he talked about a number of things and offered high praise to a young AEW star claiming that he will be the next breakout star for them.

The wrestling veteran has a lot of experience in finding potential future stars due to his role as the head of talent management in WWE. He is responsible for signing people such as Brock Lesnar and John Cena.

Ross talked about another star who he believes has the ‘it factor’ during his interview. He praised MJF’s bodyguard Wardlow and compared him to a couple of former world champions.

The “IT” Factor

Wardlow
Wardlow (Photo: AEW)

“Combination of a few guys, Physique wise, he reminds me of Lex Luger. I think he’s going to end up being a much better worker. That’s not knocking Lex. He’s a little like Dave Batista. He’s still evolving. Batista got getting better and better as he got older. He was never going to be confused with Kurt Angle or Dory Funk Jr.

This kid’s got it. He has the ‘IT’ factor. We can’t manufacture the ‘IT’ factor.” said Jim Ross, “You can’t anoint them with the ‘IT’ factor. You have ‘IT’ or don’t have ‘IT’. This kid’s got ‘IT’.”

The AEW commentator explained that Wardlow not only has the big frame that promoters covet but he is also an athletic big man, something which the wrestling fans love.

Jim Ross went on to predict that Wardlow will be the break-out star for AEW in the future and his time could come as soon as this year or in 2022.

Wardlow will be in action this Sunday at AEW Double or Nothing. He’ll compete in the Stadium Stampede match, when his faction The Pinnacle battles The Inner Circle.

Backstage News On Eva Marie’s Return To WWE Programming

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

WWE has been teasing the return of Eva Marie for several weeks, however latest report suggests that the female star might not be returning in the way many believe.

The company has been airing vignettes for her return and the WWE star has also been training at the performance center for her comeback.

However, the language of the promos have made many believe that Marie might be taking on some sort of managerial role and now a new report from Fightful has confirmed these speculations. The belief is that she will not be wrestling upon her return. The working plan for the female star is for her to be a vehicle to help get another female star over with the fans.

There is no word yet on which female star Eva Marie could be managing in her new role with the company but it’s still interesting to know that she will likely be managing someone instead of making an in ring return.

The All Red Everything was originally signed by WWE to a development contract back in 2013. She went back and forth between the main roster and NXT and in August 2017, it was revealed that she has parted ways with the company.

Mick Foley And Others React To Tom Phillips’ WWE Release

Anutosh Bajpai
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Several wrestling personalities including Mick Foley and others have reacted to the news of WWE broadcaster Tom Phillips getting released by the company.

The WWE Hall Of Famer wrote on Twitter that announcing in the WWE is not an easy job and the released star did it very well. The wrestling veteran also expressed his surprise over the decision.

Former WWE star Aiden English also took on his Twitter. English who now goes by his real name Matt Rehwoldt said that he was grateful to Phillips for taking a chance on him.

The last surprising name to comment on his release was AEW star Dax Harwood who claimed that the former WWE star was the best commentator he had the chance to work with:

https://twitter.com/RealMickFoley/status/1397982550971359235?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

After the release of Adnan Virk, many believed that Tom Phillips will be taking over his position on the Raw commentary team but they were left surprised when WWE announced that Jimmy Smith will be filling the spot.

Reports then revealed yesterday that WWE had actually decided to release the former broadcaster quietly and he was no longer with the company.

Tom Phillips joined WWE in 2012 and he worked in various roles during his time in the company including being the lead commentator for shows such as SmackDown, Raw and NXT.

The IIconics On Their Future After WWE Release

Anutosh Bajpai
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The IIconics have not made a decision about their future after their release from WWE but the duo has a couple of interesting destinations in mind.

The former tag team champions recently appeared on Busted Open Radio where they opened up about their time in WWE among other things.

When asked what’s next for the duo, Peyton Royce revealed that they want to move forward as a team because they are more comfortable together:

“We definitely want to stay together. We want to move forward together, just like we said in the first episode of Off Her Chops we’re just most comfortable together. We can play off each other so easily. We don’t even have to talk about what we’re going to do.”

The female star was then questioned about which promotion The IIconics might be interested in joining and Royce discussed what they could bring to the table for both AEW and Impact Wrestling:

“I think it’s tough, For example; AEW. I feel like we could really help their women’s division, though they don’t necessarily have a women’s tag division. But I feel we have that TV experience that we could bring to the division and help build that up.

And then with Impact they have a women’s tag team division, as well as an established Knockout’s division, that I feel we can easily slip into. So it’s like, I feel like we have a lot to offer both of them and, I don’t know.”

Billie Key explained how they are not only wrestlers but personalities and characters as well and they are just trying to figure out which company they would be better with.

The IIconics were released from their WWE contracts on April 15 this year. Their non compete clause with the company expires on July 14 and it would be interesting to see which promotion they end up on after that.

Paige Banned From Twitch For Movie Stream

Anutosh Bajpai
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Saraya Bevis, better known to WWE fans as Paige has apparently been banned by the streaming platform Twitch for a movie stream.

According to some viewers, the former champion was holding a watch party for the movie Dumb & Dumber and her stream got cut halfway through.

Streamers are allowed to hold watch parties for several movies at the Amazon-owned platform but Dumb & Dumber is not part of the list and Paige appears to have gotten a copyright strike for streaming the movie:

https://twitter.com/AnEternalEnigma/status/1398094839028330499

The former champion has been streaming on the platform since last year and she is one of the top wrestling personalities on the platform.

Paige also faced some controversy when WWE decided to take over the Twitch profiles of all their contracted talents last year. The former SmackDown GM was one of the stars who protested the edict and continued streaming.

According to Twitch guidelines, a suspension can last for up to 30 days. Accounts with prior suspension records can be removed from the site indefinitely as well.

This seems to be Paige’s first violation of the Twitch guidelines so it’s likely that the former champion will not face an indefinite suspension and she will be back on the platform soon.

Anthony Ogogo Says He Broke A Rib Training For AEW Double Or Nothing

Michael Reichlin
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Anthony Ogogo faces Cody Rhodes this Sunday at AEW Double or Nothing. This will be the highest profile wrestling match to date for the former Olympic boxer. In addition to general bragging rights, there is also national pride at stake. Ogogo represents the United Kingdom, while Rhodes is fighting for the United States.

During an interview with Metro UK, Ogogo said that he injured himself during training this past week. “I’ve got a broken rib right now,” he revealed.

He quickly acknowledged that he was probably being a little too ‘open and honest’ about his condition.

“My rib’s broken because I did a move in training this week,” he said “I did it wrong, and I broke a rib. I’m now wrestling Cody, the best wrestler in the world, with a broken rib… And that’s real, that’s not me just saying that. My rib is f***ed!’

Ogogo vs. Rhodes

Anthony Ogogo says that Cody Rhodes was instrumental in him joining All Elite Wrestling. Cody courted him to sign with AEW before he ever wrestled a single match. As of this writing, Ogogo’s pro wrestling record stands at only 2-0.

Despite his lack of experience, he feels the pressure is on Cody this Sunday. “I watched him when I was a kid – before I had hairs on my bollocks, I was watching Cody Rhodes on TV and I was a fan of Cody Rhodes. Now, I have lots of hairs on my bollocks and I’m facing Cody at Double or Nothing. So, I’m really happy, the pressure’s on him.”

Visit Metro UK to read their full interview with Anthony Ogogo.

WWE SummerSlam Slated For Allegiant Stadium In Las Vegas

Chris Stephens
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The 34th edition of SummerSlam is reportedly to take place from one of the newest and most state-of-the-art stadiums in the world. Allegiant Stadium cost $1.9 billion to build and opened last July. It is the home of the Las Vegas Raiders and the UNLV Rebels.

According to Andrew Zarian of the Mat Man Podcast, the stadium which sits at 3333 Al Davis Way in Las Vegas will be the home of SummerSlam this year. There is also expected to be a host for the show that has been described as “bizarre” and will fit the theme of the show.

Much like Raymond James Stadium, Allegiant Stadium has a pirate-like atmosphere due to being home to the Las Vegas Raiders, though this doesn’t necessarily mean Titus O’Neil and Hulk Hogan will be back dressed up in costume.

Saturday Night SummerSlam?

As of this writing, SummerSlam is currently scheduled to take place on August 22nd, 2021. Manny Pacquiao is scheduled to face Errol Spence Jr. the night before on August 21st, 2021 somewhere in Las Vegas. That fight is rumored to either be taking place in Allegiant Stadium as well or the nearby MGM Grand. WWE’s big event being so close to such a high-profile boxing bout could cause some scheduling issues and/or changes.

Zarian continued to Tweet on the situation. He teased that “SummerSlam won’t be on a day you think it will be on.”

The Twitter account Wrestle Votes is hinting that SummerSlam would be moved to the Saturday night this year. This would put it on the same day as the Manny Pacquiao fight, however.

John Cena at SummerSlam

There is also belief at the moment that WWE has big plans for John Cena’s return. Cena’s recent apology to China for referring to Taiwan as a country was reportedly an issue backstage in WWE with Vince McMahon having sent out an internal email in response. It is not clear what was written in that email, however.

There is the belief that WWE is planning a big main event for SummerSlam. Cena could be involved as WWE looks to pack Allegiant Stadium for the show.

Tom Phillips Released By WWE

Michael Reichlin
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Tom Phillips is the latest person to be let go by WWE. The news was first reported by Sean Ross Sapp for Fightful. We have since confirmed the story independently.

Phillips was with WWE since 2012. During his time with the company, he worked on virtually all of their shows, including NXT, 205 Live, Main Event, SmackDown and Raw. He’s also been on-air for various WWE Network and YouTube programs. More also been involved behind-the-scenes as a producer and served as a Senior Manager of on-air talent.

Adnan Virk replaced Tom Phillips as the lead announcer of Raw the night after WrestleMania 37. That stint lasted just over a month. Earlier this week, Virk was let go from the Raw commentary team. Veteran MMA journalist Jimmy Smith will start in that role this coming Monday.

WWE is in the midst of a major staffing shakeup, both in the office and on camera. WWE’s film, TV and social media divisions saw extensive cuts this week in the Connecticut and Los Angeles offices.

Tom Phillips is unquestionably a very talented broadcaster. At only 32 years old, he’s got a bright future in the world of professional wrestling, if he chooses to stay in the industry. He’s already updated his Twitter handle to reflect his birth name, @TomHannifan.

AEW star Dax Harwood of the FTR tag team had this to say about Tom Phillips’ WWE release. Interestingly, he tells Tom, “I’m sure I’ll see you soon.”

Chris Jericho Praises The Rock’s Wrestling Ability, Rock Responds

Chris Stephens
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Chris Jericho evidently spent part of his evening last night watching some of the Rock’s matches on YouTube. Jericho then took to Twitter to say that the Rock was one of the best ever inside a wrestling ring.

“Going down the @YouTube rabbit hole tonight and one thing is clear….he may be the biggest box office draw in Hollywood today, but my goodness, let’s not ever forget how GREAT @TheRock was in the ring. One of the best ever …” Jericho Tweeted.

This drew a response from The Rock himself, who offered up the following reply to Jericho.

“This means a lot, thank you brother for these words. You’re one of the GOATS and man the fun we had electrifying the millions around the world. What an honor. And I still owe you a receipt for that tobacco spit incident,” Rock Tweeted in response.

Chris Jericho and the Rock faced each other in singles action 9 times throughout their careers. 6 of those matches were for a world title, with the world title changing hands between them in half of those encounters. In total, Jericho leads the all-time singles series between the two with 5 wins to Rock’s 4.

You can view their Twitter interaction here:

Cody Rhodes On Stephen Amell Possibly Wrestling For AEW

Anutosh Bajpai
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Cody Rhodes has had a long-standing relationship with Stephen Amell that goes all the way back to their first encounter in WWE in 2015. The two have interacted publically numerous times since then and Amell even wrestled a singles match at the All In event hosted by the former WWE star and his friends.

Now that Cody Rhodes is the executive vice president of a company he helped start, a lot of people wonder if we will see Amell returning to the ring and competing for the promotion down the line. During a recent interview with Comicbook.com, the AEW official was asked about the possibility.

Replying to the question, Rhodes revealed that he has had talks with Amell for a potential program but the Arrow star’s acting career has gotten in the way. Though later, the former ROH champion claimed that he can see Stephen getting in the ring at least one more time in future for sure:

“So Steven gets me excited. ‘Oh, let’s do this. Let’s do this. Let’s do this.’ And then I’ll write a little treatment out, and then it’s, “Well, I’m doing this movie.” I don’t know. I think Stephen will absolutely appear on AEW television moving forward.

I know it’s difficult, because he broke his hip wrestling for Christopher Daniels at All In, which very few people know. So I don’t know how excited he is about returning. I know he wants to do it, but he’s got a family. It’s not ballet, but I could see Stephen getting in the ring, for sure, for one more time. I could see that.”

Stephen Amell teamed up with Neville, now known as Pac to face Cody Rhodes and Wade Barrett at SummerSlam 2015. He had his first singles match against Christopher Daniels at All In. Apart from this; Cody Rhodes also revealed the fate of the TNT title after their move to TBS. You can check out his comments on the matter at this link.

Cody Rhodes Addresses The Future Of AEW’s TNT Championship

Jake Skudder
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With AEW Dynamite making the move to TBS in 2022, which put the status of All Elite Wrestling’s TNT Championship in question. Some fans have wondered if AEW will rename, or replace the coveted TNT title.

AEW EVP Cody Rhodes spoke with Connor Casey of Comic Book this week to promote this weekend’s Double or Nothing pay-per-view. When asked about the fate of AEW’s secondary belt, Cody confirmed that it isn’t going anywhere.

“I don’t want to drop any spoilers, but I mean, I’ll drop a spoiler,” Rhodes began the interview. “I don’t think we’re going to change the title’s name one bit. TNT is the place that the first alternative challenger brand in two decades appeared on.”

99% Sure About the TNT Title

Cody said their partner at WarnerMedia are excited about the current state of their relationship. He feels that AEW has established the TNT Championship as the second most important title in wrestling, if not the most important.

“I don’t see us changing that name, and I think that’s kind of across the board,” he continued. “I don’t think you’ll find anybody in management or Tony himself who wants to change that name. We’ll always roll with the punches and we’ll always pivot, but I’m 99% sure the TNT title stays the TNT title” Cody Rhodes would conclude.”

Miro is the reigning AEW TNT Champion. His first defense will be against Lance Archer this Sunday at AEW Double or Nothing.

Hikaru Shida Talks Britt Baker Ahead of AEW Double or Nothing

Jake Skudder
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AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida recently spoke to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated. The Japanese star discussed a number of topics ahead of her Double or Nothing Title defence against Dr Britt Baker this weekend.

Shida would have massive praise for her opponent, who many are touting as the one to beat the current Champion and go on as the face of the division for the time being.

“She is the type of person who studies pro wrestling more than anyone else in AEW,” Shida said of Britt Baker. “Her progress in these years is proof of that. The most important moments in pro wrestling are the ones after a loss. When I show how I stand again after a tough loss, I think people will understand me better. However, this Double or Nothing is the first time to wrestle in a full arena as the champion for me, and I’ve retained this title until now for this moment.”

Hikaru Shida has been AEW Women’s Champion for over a year. Since the start of the pandemic, she’s talked about wanting to defend the gold in front of a sell-out crowd. This Sunday, she’ll finally get her chance.

“This match is going to be one of the toughest and most emotional matches in AEW history,” she said. “Those are two very important elements for a great match. And after it is over, I’ll celebrate my win with all fans at Double or Nothing.”

Head over to Sports Illustrated to read the full interview with Hikaru Shida.

Double or Nothing Card

Here’s the full card for AEW’s Double or Nothing on May 30:

  • AEW World Championship Match – Kenny Omega (c) vs. PAC vs. Orange Cassidy
  • AEW Women’s World Championship Match – Hikaru Shida (c) vs. Britt Baker
  • TNT Championship Match – Miro (c) vs. Lance Archer with Jake Roberts
  • AEW Tag Team Championship Match – The Young Bucks (c) vs. Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston
  • Stadium Stampede 2 – The Pinnacle vs. Inner Circle
  • Casino Battle Royale – Christian Cage, Matt Sydal, Powerhouse Hobbs, 10, Evil Uno, Colt Cabana, Matt Hardy, Isiah Kassidy, Marq Quen, Jungle Boy, Penta El Zero Miedo, The Acclaimed, Nick Comoroto, Lee Johnson, Dustin Rhodes, Varsity Blonds
  • Cody Rhodes vs. Anthony Ogogo
  • ‘Hangman’ Adam Page vs. Brian Cage
  • Sting and Darby Allin vs. Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky
  • NWA Women’s Championship Match – Serena Deeb (c) vs Riho

Finn Balor Is Ready For Main Roster Return

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Finn Balor has spent the last year and a half rebuilding himself in NXT. After dropping the NXT title to Karrian Kross last month, the former universal champion now feels he is ready for his return to the main roster.

The NXT star recently spoke to Ryan Satin of Fox Sports where he opened up about the ups and downs of his run with the company so far.

Balor admitted that he feels like he wasn’t doing justice to himself in his last run in the main roster. He explained that returning to NXT has helped him figure out who he was and he is now hopeful for a main roster return:

“I grew up as a wrestling fan watching WWE, and that’s, essentially, where I want to be performing, I feel like in my last run there, I wasn’t doing myself justice. I needed to change something, and the change came with NXT to kinda figure out who I was again.

I’ve managed to do that to some level,” claimed Finn Balor, “And I’m definitely hopeful that a return to RAW or SmackDown will happen in the future.”

The former NJPW star was called up to main roster back in July 2016. While his run started with a big universal title win, an injury forced him to relinquish the title. Many believe that he got lost in the shuffle after that.

Finn Balor returned to NXT in October 2019 and turned heel. He has rebuilt himself since then and has had another successful run with the NXT championship.

Alexander Wolfe On Who Made The Call For Sanity’s Break Up

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Sanity had a lackluster main roster run and the team was split up not long after their debut on SmackDown. Its members were then sent to different places such as Alexander Wolfe who returned to NXT UK in 2019.

The recently released WWE star had an interview with The Angle Podcast where he talked about the group’s run in the company among other things.

Wolfe interestingly revealed during the talk that it was Triple H who made the decision to split them up because he didn’t want its members to just sit around:

“[Triple H] said, ‘I don’t want you guys to sit around on the main roster and do nothing, I want to use your potential. So, I split you off and you’re going to NXT UK to go back with your old group and start building NXT UK.”

Alexander Wolfe later mentioned how Sanity was Triple H’s creation. The former WWE star admitted that it was a bitter pill to swallow when the main roster creative dropped the ball with them.

During the interview, Wolfe also revealed that there were plans for him to leave Imperium and bring Sanity back together at one point in 2020 but Eric Young’s release and the COVID-19 restrictions foiled those plans.

The Godfather On Forgetting To Mention His Wife In HOF Induction Speech

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

The Godfather was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame back in 2016 but the wrestling veteran made a big mistake during his induction speech when he forgot to mention his wife in it.

The WWE legend will be the next guest on Stone Cold Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions and the company recently released a promo clip for the episode.

The Godfather recalled his induction in the clip released by the company. He talked about the mistake he made and explained how it all happened:

“So, I get up there and I started having fun, and I’m doing my thing. My grandson was there, and it was his birthday. So there was a part where I wanted the whole audience to say happy birthday to him,

And then after that I was going to hit my wife, and how she was the creator and everything, and put her over.” said The Godfather, “Well, the thing with my grandson went so well that I skipped the part with my wife somehow, and I went on to the finish.”

After walking off the stage, the former intercontinental champion asked someone if he had mentioned his wife. He realised the mistake he had made after receiving a negative answer.

The Godfather went on to apologize to his wife mentioning how it’s something he can’t fix. The Broken Skull Sessions episode featuring the WWE legend will be premiering on WWE Network this Sunday.

Eric Bischoff Returning To AEW TV This Week

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Former WCW President Eric Bischoff will be returning to AEW TV to host a segment at this Friday’s episode of their weekly show Dynamite.

The news of his appearance was revealed by Chris Jericho on Busted Open Radio. The former AEW champion announced that they will be having a celebration for Inner Circle on this week’s episode of the show.

Jericho then revealed that Bischoff will be making a return to the AEW programming this week to host the segment, claiming that he has made amends with the former WCW official:

“This is exclusive, we haven’t told anybody this, but it’s going to be a returning Eric Bischoff to host and MC the whole segment. First time that Bischoff and I have ever been on the same side!

Much like when I called Mike Tyson, when we had our change of heart a few months ago, another guy I called was Eric Bischoff.  We have made amends and Eric agreed to come down and MC the celebration of the Inner Circle.”

This will be the fourth AEW appearance for the former SmackDown general manager. He made his debut for the promotion back in August 2020 when he hosted the debate between Chris Jericho and Orange Cassidy.

He then made an appearance during the town hall meeting between Y2J and MJF in October. Bischoff was last seen on March 3 Dynamite where he was a part of the press conference between the Inner Circle and The Young Bucks.

Stephanie McMahon On The Positive And Negatives Of Their Deal With Peacock

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE Network’s move to Peacock in a deal that’s reportedly worth more than a billion has a lot of positives but some negatives for the company as well and Stephanie McMahon recently discussed both.

As part of the Leaders Week, the company’s chief brand officer appeared as a speaker at the Leaders business event, where she opened up about the massive transition of their content library.

Stephanie discussed both the up and downsides of the deal. She explained that it allows the company to focus on what they do best, though it means they are getting less data to analyze:

“From a benefit perspective, it really allows us to focus on what we do best, which really is the content production and the story telling, It’s consistent that we’re still getting our data.

Not as much data so maybe that’s a little bit of a downside there, but when you think about the economics scale and reach and of course,” said Stephanie McMahon, “the added value for our fans,”

The WWE executive continued by mentioning how the people who want to continue with the $9.99 deal for WWE Network can do so or they can choose from the many other plans.

Per Stephanie McMahon, the deal between the two companies adds value for the fans. It allows the company to extend its reach to bring more people into the fold.

Former WWE Broadcaster On How New Commentators Are Trained

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE’s development system for a new wrestler is always a topic of discussion and they also have an interesting set-up to train new broadcast personalities, according to Rich Bocchini.

The former NXT and SmackDown commentator recently had an interview with WrestlingInc where he revealed how the company trains new broadcasters.

Bocchini explained that there is no coach or trainer in the promotion for this kind of job. The company instead relies on a voiceover room where you can practice your skills by calling old matches:

“It was interesting. There is a voiceover room where I spent hours, honestly, calling the same matches over and over and over and over and over and over again, Me, Corey Graves, a lot of times, Matt Bloom and Byron [Saxton] would come in. We’d have the talent come in and call a couple matches just to kind of get a feel for it.

Something as simple as ‘oh, wow, I can slow down because now you have to explain something here.’ It gives you a different perspective of it,” said Bocchini, “but to say that there’s somebody there coaching you all day, it’s not like that.”

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The former WWE star also revealed that the setup is configured in a way that the company’s most senior announcer Michael Cole is able to join the trainees in a video call and work with them.

Rich Bocchini had a stint with Reality Of Wrestling before joining WWE. He joined Major League Wrestling in 2017 after the end of his run with WWE.

Will Ospreay Provides Update On His Neck Injury

Anutosh Bajpai
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Will Ospreay has had a rough month. It started with an injury that ended up forcing him to relinquish the IWGP heavyweight title. Now it appears that the damage may be more serious than first thought.

NJPW had not revealed a lot of details about his condition when they announced that the title is being vacated. They only confirmed that the former champion is dealing with a neck injury.

The high-flying star has now provided an update on his condition himself. Ospreay made a tweet earlier today revealing that the doctors fear that his back may have similar issues as to his neck:

Though the good news for fans is that the former ROH star seems determined to make a wrestling return before the end of the current year. So it appears that his issues are not career-threatening.

Will Ospreay had reached the peak of his NJPW journey recently when he formed a new United Empire stable. He then went on to defeat Kota Ibushi at Sakura Genesis to become the new IWGP heavyweight champion.

Since an exact timeframe for his return is not known at the time, it’s hard to say if the young star will continue his NJPW run when he returns to the ring. We will keep you posted on his status.

NWA Title Match Booked For AEW Double or Nothing Buy-In

Chris Stephens
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All Elite Wrestling has announced that the NWA World Women’s Championship will be defended this weekend on the Double or Nothing Buy-In show. NWA Women’s Champion Serena Deeb will defend against former AEW Women’s Champion, Riho.

Deeb recently returned from knee surgery that had kept her out of action for 3 months. She defeated Red Velvet in a well-reviewed match on last week’s edition of Dynamite. 23-year-old Riho hasn’t wrestled in AEW since March 10th. She picked up a victory over Maki Itoh on the first-ever edition of AEW Dark: Elevation.

This will be just the 2nd ever match between Riho and Deeb. They met back in February in the 1st round of the AEW Women’s title-eliminator tournament. Riho pulled out the victory in a match, which is the likely reason she has been granted this title shot.

Serena Deeb vs Riho

The announcement of this match comes one day after a new #1 Contender to the NWA Women’s title was not able to be determined on last night’s edition of NWA Powerrr. Thunder Rosa and Kamille wrestled to a 20-minute time limit draw on the show. It is now unclear who will challenge for the belt on June 6th when the NWA presents its next PPV, When Our Shadows Fall.

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