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Will Ospreay teases new members of United Empire Faction

Jake Skudder
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IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay has teased that there will potentially be more members added to his United Empire stable.

The Revolution Pro Heavyweight Champion appeared on a card today in London for the promotion, teaming with the tag team of the Young Guns to take on Sunshine Machine and Ricky Knight Jr.

“These Young Guns better be the real deal,” Will Ospreay wrote on social media ahead of the match. “They have an opportunity to join me and the UE if they impress enough. Today at the 229 Next Week, York Hall!!!”

Will Ospreay on Young Guns

It has not been confirmed if Ethan Allen and Luke Jacobs of Young Guns and NorthWest Strong will be joining the United Empire, or if they will be making their way to New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Young Guns are regarded as one of the best up and coming tag teams on the British scene, with the duo having appeared for Rev Pro as well as Futureshock and PROGRESS Wrestling on Peacock and WWE Network.

Ospreay is due to return to the United States shortly for NJPW STRONG tapings ahead of a potential return to Japan for a unification bout against Shingo Takagi to crown the ‘true’ IWGP World Champion.

That match will hopefully be taking place at Wrestle Kingdom in January, which is set to be a three-day event for the first time in New Japan Pro Wrestling history.

Jeff Hardy On WWE Using His Personal Struggles For Storyline

Anutosh Bajpai
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The personal struggles of Jeff Hardy have been a topic of discussion among fans recently, even more so after WWE used his real-life issues into his feud with Sheamus. Though if the former world champion is to be believed, then he is not bothered by the publicity of his personal battles and instead it feels like therapy to him.

Hardy talked about this during a recent interview on Wrestling Inside the Ropes with James Stewart. He revealed that the officials asked him if he was comfortable with the storyline beforehand:

“It was just an idea. It all starts as an inkling, a concept, and then naturally, they ask if you’re comfortable with that, for me, all that stuff is like therapy. It’s like being honest with the world. The people that have pretty much provided me with an incredible living, you know, over the years, my fans, the WWE Universe.

I’m open minded to anything, and if I feel comfortable with it, I roll with it.” said Jeff Hardy, “I’ve never felt uncomfortable with anything they’ve ever pitched to me.”

The charismatic enigma then discussed the use of cinematic matches in recent times. He mentioned the Final Deletion and claimed that they had a lot of fun shooting that. Jeff also shared the idea of a cinematic match with The Usos. He said that it was one of his biggest dream matches and it’s one of the things he would still love to do.

Jim Ross Claims Vince McMahon Wasn’t High On Hiring Randy Orton

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Jim Ross says he had to convince Vince McMahon to give Randy Orton a shot with WWE.

Orton is a surefire future WWE Hall of Famer. “The Viper” has grown throughout the years to become one of the most renowned performers in the wrestling industry. There was a time, however, when it looked like Orton wasn’t going to even get a shot at fame.

On a recent edition of the Grilling JR Podcast, Ross explained why Vince McMahon needed to be convinced to hire Orton despite the fact that he was a third-generation talent.

“Every recruiting story is different. I had a hard sell to get Randy Orton hired because of his negative exit from the Marines, and Vince, being a strong patriot, didn’t like how that worked out with Randy in the military. I said, ‘Didn’t you get a second chance, [Vince]? Well, what’s the difference with this kid? He’s third generation. If he hits, look what we have. If he doesn’t hit, I can get rid of him in 90 days notice. What do we have to lose?’”

“He’s going to end his career as one of the greatest talents. Hall of Famer, no doubt, but also going to be regarded by his peers as one of the greatest in-ring workers. It worked out well.”

It’s safe to say that McMahon made the right move to ultimately drop his concern over “The Viper’s” military history. While Orton was said to have not matured right away in his WWE run, he eventually settled down and realized his responsibilities in representing the company.

ROH Death Before Dishonor: Final PPV Card, Order Here

Andrew Ravens
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Ring of Honor presents Death Before Dishonor live pay-per-view tonight from the famous 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA.

The main event will see ROH Champion Bandido vs. Demonic Flamita vs. Brody King vs. EC3. Other title matches include Pure Champion Jonathan Gresham vs. Josh Woods and ROH Six-Man Tag Team Champions Shane Taylor Promotions vs. La Faccion Ingoblernable.

Death Before Dishonor can be purchased via traditional pay-per-view and the FITE streaming service. The action kicks off at 7pm (Eastern) with a 1-hour pre-show that is free to watch. At 8pm, the main card begins on PPV.

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Order ROH Death Before Dishonor

ROH Death Before Dishonor Card

The following is a full rundown of tonight’s matches:

  • ROH Champion Bandido vs. Demonic Flamita vs. Brody King vs. EC3 – Elimination Match
  • ROH Women’s World Championship Tournament Final: Rok-C vs. Miranda Alize.
  • ROH Pure Champion Jonathan Gresham vs. Josh Woods.
  • ROH Six-Man Tag Team Champions Shane Taylor Promotions vs. La Faccion Ingoblernable.
  • The OGK vs. The Briscoes.
  • Jake Atlas vs. Taylor Rust.
  • Violence Unlimited’s Tony Deppen & Homicide & Chris Dickinson vs. LSG & Lee Moriarty & John Walters.
  • Dalton Castle vs. Eli Isom.
  • Free in Hour One: Danhausen, The Beer City Bruiser, PJ Black, Dak Draper, Rey Horus, Brian Johnson, Joe Keys, Brian Milonas, Sledge, Silas Young and five more competitors to be named – Honor Rumble

Damian Priest Details Backstage Interaction With Goldberg At SummerSlam

Anutosh Bajpai
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Damian Priest picked up a big win at the SummerSlam PPV. He was not only congratulated by fans on his victory but by a couple of wrestling veterans as well.

The current US champion talked about defeating Sheamus for the title at the SummerSlam event during a recent interview with ViBe & Wrestling.

Priest revealed that Goldberg interacted with him backstage at the show after his victory and the former Universal champion congratulated him on his big win:

“Goldberg, the last time I saw him, he came to greet me when I won the championship. And before his match, he gave me a hug and congratulated me. He told me that he was happy for me and all that, and we did not know each other.”

Goldberg was not the only big name to congratulate Damian Priest at the event. He revealed that Edge also reached out to congratulate him and gave him a hug:

“Edge also congratulated me, and gave me a hug, and told me that he was happy for me. They are people that I saw on TV when I was young, and now, I have them there and they give me advice and help me. And it is incredible for me.”

Priest went on to say that he doesn’t know how he got to this place. Though he claimed that he is very happy to be able to share conversations with these legends.

Damian Priest Says WWE Allowed Him To Use Punisher Martinez Name

Ruby Soho Says She Became An AEW Fan ‘Long Before’ Leaving WWE

Anutosh Bajpai
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Ruby Soho made her spectacular AEW debut during the All Out PPV last Sunday. According to the female star, the decision to sign with the company was not very difficult. The former WWE star recently had an interview with Sports Illustrated. She talked about things such as her journey in professional wrestling, and more.

Speaking of her time in WWE, Soho explained that she was able to experience a lot in the company and make lifelong friends. So she is grateful for her time there:

“I was able to experience a lot in WWE and make lifelong friends, so I’m very grateful for my time there, but that chapter is closed, And I knew there had to be a new place for me. This is a chance to experience a side of professional wrestling I haven’t experienced yet.”

Ruby Soho On Choosing AEW

Talking about her decision to choose AEW as her next destination, Ruby Soho revealed that she had been a fan of the promotion long before her WWE departure. According to her, she has started feeling like at home in AEW in the short time she has spent in the company:

“Choosing AEW wasn’t a difficult decision, I had been a fan of AEW long before I left WWE. I could sense there was something very special and very different about this company. Now that I’m here, I am beginning to realize it was the home I have always been searching for. This is where I belong.

Ruby Soho was released from her WWE contract back in June this year. After months of rumors, she finally made her AEW debut during the All Out PPV.

Tony Khan Offers Praise To Ruby Soho For Her Debut Match

Big E Thinks Brock Lesnar Does Stuff Because He Is Bored

Anutosh Bajpai
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The return of Brock Lesnar has changed the dynamic of the Universal title picture to a great extent but Big E is not too worried about this change. The Money In The Bank holder appeared on the latest episode of Talking Smack. He was asked if The Beast’s return affects his plans for the championship contract he is holding.

Replying to it, E claimed that Brock Lesnar has reached a level of wealth where you do stuff because you are bored. Though he claimed that Lesnar’s return is not going to deter him from his plans:

“Well, the hair was a choice. It really was a choice, but I don’t have Brock money. You know, you get to a level of wealth where you just do stuff because you’re bored, I think he’s at that level of wealth. So congrats to him.” said Big E, “He’s still a very large and massive man, but that’s not going to deter me from my plans here.”

Brock Lesnar made his return to WWE programming during the SummerSlam PPV after over a year of absence. He confronted Roman Reigns upon his comeback. The Beast Incarnate then challenged the Universal champion for his title during the September 10 SmackDown. Reigns accepted this challenge but said that the match will take place after his bout with Finn Balor at Extreme Rules.

Big E Says AJ Lee Could Have a ‘Brock Lesnar Schedule’ If She Returned To WWE

Heyman On His Dream Survivor Series Team Of ‘Paul Heyman Guys’

Anutosh Bajpai
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With the Survivor Series PPV being around the corner, people have started talking about their dream teams. Paul Heyman listed his own recently as well.

The former ECW owner recently had an interview with Josh Martinez from Z100. He talked about many things such as The Street Profits being one of the top tag teams currently and more.

Heyman also discussed the list of the guys he has managed in his career. When asked about his dream Survivor Series team of ‘Paul Heyman guys’, he named members of the Bloodline faction:

“Roman Reigns, The Usos and I will even through myself in there because I will never need to tag in. The three of them can handle any four beings on the face of the planet,”

Paul went on to credit Jimmy and Jey as the best tag team in the world today. Though he acknowledged The Street Profits, saying that after The Usos, they are the best tag team of the past 20 years.

Survivor Series this year will take place from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on November 21. There is no word yet on what The Bloodline or Brock Lesnar will be doing at the show.

Paul Heyman On Adding Naomi To The Bloodline

Super SmackDown From Madison Square Garden Notes: Vince McMahon, Nick Khan And More

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE chairman Vince McMahon was in attendance for the Super SmackDown from Madison Square Garden this Friday. He was running the show from the gorilla position, according to PWInsider.

President Nick Khan was in the arena as well. He was on the floor talking to fans all night. Both Khan and Stephanie McMahon also greeted fans before the show.

WWE officially announced a 14,425 sellout for the special SmackDown episode. Both Peter Rosenberg and author Keith Elliot Greenberg were in attendance for the show.

Edge was pretty emotional for his return to Madison Square Garden after many years. He got down on his knees and kissed the mat during the commercial break after his entrance and before the match with Seth Rollins.

Apart from the canceled women’s tag team match which got the company a lot of heat online, a Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch dark match was also advertised for SmackDown which didn’t take place.

There were three dark matches, however, that did take place during the night. The dark matches saw several Raw brand stars and John Cena competing in different matches before and after the show. You can check out a detailed report of the dark matches and watch videos of them here.

More On Nixed Zelina Vega Match From SmackDown, Mick Foley Comments

Sami Zayn’s WWE Contract Expiring This Year (Report)

Anutosh Bajpai
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Kevin Owens has been hinting at leaving WWE when his contract expires. Latest reports suggest that Sami Zayn will get a chance to join him around the same time.

According to the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the former NXT champion’s contract is set to expire before the end of this year as well.

While the exact date when Zayn’s contract ends is unknown, the news is still interesting considering his friendship with the Elite among others in AEW.

News about Kevin Owens’ contract expiring earlier than originally thought excited fans this week. The buzz started when Owens made and then quickly deleted a tweet teasing a reunion with some of the AEW stars.

Reports later revealed that Kevin’s deal expires in January next year instead of 2023 as originally believed. The Observer notes that the exact date for the expiry of his contract is January 31, 2022.

Now this new report about Sami Zayn makes things more interesting. It opens the door for another major acquisition for AEW after recent signings such as Bryan Danielson and CM Punk.

Whether these two make the move or decide to stay with their current promotion will be revealed in future. This news is certainly expected to fuel the chatter about their future among fans in the coming times.

Sami Zayn Is Not a Fan of The “You Deserve It” Chant

More On Nixed Zelina Vega Match From SmackDown, Mick Foley Comments

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE nixed a tag team match from this week’s episode of SmackDown due to time restraints. People like Zelina Vega, Carmella, and Liv Morgan who were supposed to compete in this bout had later reacted to the news on Twitter.

When reports about this tag match being canceled from the Madison Square Garden show first came out, the name of the fourth participant for this bout was not known.

Now Post Wrestling’s John Pollock has provided some update on the situation. He revealed that Toni Storm was the wrestler originally scheduled to team with Liv Morgan for this SmackDown match.

WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley who has recently been very vocal about the company’s mistreatment of talents commented on this situation as well. He noted how it was unfortunate that Zelina Vega didn’t get to compete on the show:

https://twitter.com/RealMickFoley/status/1436844772795224064

For those who don’t know, WWE had dedicated the super SmackDown episode to the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the 20th anniversary of the unfortunate incident.

Zelina Vega, who lost her father in the attack, was a big part of the promotion for this episode. Fans have since expressed their displeasure with the way WWE handled this situation and nixed her match.

Toni Storm made her official main roster debut during the July 23 episode of SmackDown. Though the former NXT UK women’s champion has not been seen on WWE programming since.

Mick Foley: WWE Is No Longer The Place For Talent To Aspire To

Eric Bischoff: Ric Flair Can Be A Very Valuable Asset To AEW

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Eric Bischoff believes AEW can benefit from signing Ric Flair.

Flair is a legend in the wrestling business. He has won world titles in NWA, WCW, and WWE. “The Nature Boy” saw his run with WWE come to an end citing creative differences. Flair appeared for AAA, accompanying Andrade “El Idolo” to the ring for his match with Kenny Omega at Triplemania.

During the latest episode of the 83 Weeks Podcast, Bischoff discussed Flair potentially making his way to AEW and why it would be good for both parties.

“I’m not sure if that’s going to happen or not. I did spend quite a bit of time with Ric both Friday night and Saturday night, and we talked a lot about AEW. I didn’t ask Ric specifically if he was going to go. I figured if Ric wanted to share that information, he’d volunteer it. I didn’t want to ask. I know Ric. I’ve known Ric a long time, 25-30 years, and Ric loves the business today as much as he did 20 years ago. I think if there’s an opportunity there, I would be surprised if Ric didn’t jump on board. I’d be equally as surprised if Tony Khan and the folks over at AEW didn’t find a reason to not extend an offer to him. Ric is a very valuable asset.

“I said this to Kevin Nash and Scott Hall and they both agreed with me. From where we sit, which is on the outside for the most part, but all of us pay pretty close attention and have a decent feel for things. We all agreed without hesitation that, in many respects, Ric Flair is as over today as he’s ever been. I’d go as far as to say Ric Flair is more over today than he’s ever been as a personality.”

During the Sept. 10 episode of AEW Rampage, Andrade defeated PAC. After the match, Andrade nailed Chavo Guerrero, who had been serving as his manager for a few weeks. This has led many to speculate that Andrade will bring in Ric Flair to be his new manager. Of course, nothing has been made official at this time.

WWE Sees Boost In Backstage Morale Following SmackDown Supershow (Report)

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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It appears there has been a boost to backstage morale in WWE.

The SmackDown Supershow was held inside Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sept. 10. The crowd was red hot for the show, in particular, the opening segment. Roman Reigns and The Bloodline were interrupted by Brock Lesnar. Reigns saved Paul Heyman from an F5 but Lesnar got the last laugh by sending The Usos to “Suplex City.”

Fightful Select is reporting that many within WWE are thrilled with how the show played out despite having a match and a segment cut out. The success of the show has led to a much-needed shot in the arm for many within the company.

“One WWE source near creative said that they fully believe the company is capable of putting on these kinds of shows regularly, it’s just a matter of getting through to those of influence that this is the type of event that the audience wants to see regularly.”

The timing of WWE’s return to MSG couldn’t have been better. Much has been made about Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole leaving WWE in favor of AEW. With reports of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn seeing their contracts come to an end soon, a boost in morale seems much-needed.

WWE Raw Star Doudrop Gets Married

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Doudrop has now entered married life.

Doudrop performs on WWE’s Monday Night Raw brand. She is currently involved in a feud with Eva Marie. The two were once aligned but Marie felt Doudrop never held up her end of the bargain. Doudrop believed Marie was just using her for her own benefit.

When the cameras go off and Doudrop returns to being Kimberly Benson, she isn’t alone. The former Stardom SWA World Champion has announced that she is now married. Take a look at some pictures from the wedding.

https://twitter.com/DoudropWWE/status/1436658538802204682

Doudrop appears to be having the time of her life. She was brought up from NXT UK to the main roster back in June. She looked dominant in her debut, pinning former SmackDown Women’s Champion Naomi. Later that month, she pinned Asuka in a tag team match without any assistance from Eva Marie.

When she first appeared on the main roster, some criticized Doudrop’s gimmick and name. Those who knew her as Viper and Piper Niven were taken aback by the Doudrop character. It seems Doudrop herself is having fun with it despite initial reservations.

Here’s what she told Metro about her first meeting with Vince McMahon.

“I met him on the first day that I got to Raw and I was super scared because obviously I’ve been a wrestling fan for the majority of my life,” she said. “He was super cool, he just said, ‘Welcome to Raw, so glad that you could come over, we’re gonna have a lot of fun with your character.’ I was like, ‘Oh good, I like to have fun, I consider myself a professional play fighter’, and he was just [laughing and applauding].

‘So that was a really cool experience! He’s always super happy with me when I come back and seems to absolutely love it when I kill people so I’m just gonna keep doing that!”

Name Changes For Two WWE NXT Talents Revealed

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Two NXT developmental talents have received name changes.

First, Parker Boudreaux has taken to his Instagram account to reveal his new name. He will be competing as Gunnar Harland.

“Soul Reaper… NEW NAME. ‘GUNNAR HARLAND.’”

Next up is Bronson Rechsteiner, who changed his name on Twitter as well as his handle. He is going by Rex Steiner from here on. He is the son of Rick Steiner.

Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reported that many have been impressed by Steiner.

“People are heavily praising the potential of the ‘real athletes’ in camp right now, notably Bronson Rechsteiner, the son of Rick Steiner, and the Kasper Brothers, who were great college wrestlers, as well as Bobby Steveson, the older brother of Gable Steveson.”

Meltzer’s report falls in line with WWE’s renewed focus on bigger and younger talent as opposed to independent wrestlers. NXT is also said to be returning to its roots as a developmental brand rather than being in the same league as Raw and SmackDown.

WWE recently signed a new crop of developmental talent. It wouldn’t come as much of a surprise if some of these athletes also undergo name changes in the coming weeks. We’ll be sure to keep you posted.

ROH Star Willing To Lose Three Fingers To Face Bryan Danielson

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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One ROH star says that having three fingers chopped off would be worth it if he can face Bryan Danielson.

Danielson has been the talk of the wrestling world as of late. At the conclusion of the All Out PPV, Danielson made his AEW debut. He assisted Christian Cage and Jurassic Express in clearing Adam Cole and The Elite from the ring.

As one would imagine, plenty of wrestlers from different promotions have expressed their desire to wrestle “The American Dragon.” One of those wrestlers is Kenny King, who told Inside The Ropes that he’d even remove three of his fingers to share the ring with Danielson.

“I would cut three fingers off to wrestle Danielson and I can see that match happening at some point. Jonathan Gresham is this generation’s Bryan Danielson, no question. I praise him as much as you possibly can praise a guy because Jon Gresham is a guy who said, ‘Okay, I’m not as physically gifted as these other guys. What I’m going to do is I’m going to turn my turn myself into a freakin’ machine and an animal.’ Physically, every time he walks by me in locker room he’s like a little tank, walking by right? But just if you watch the way Jon wrestles and the time that he talks? I don’t know, man, he’s just so meticulous about the things that he does in that ring and he doesn’t waste any movement and he’s great. That would be an amazing match.”

King recently captured the ROH Tag Team Titles with Dragon Lee during a TV taping. It’s King’s second ROH tag title reign with Lee and third overall.

Finn Balor: I Love The Idea Of The ‘Forbidden Door’

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Finn Balor certainly isn’t opposed to the idea of entering the “Forbidden Door.”

Talks of the “Forbidden Door” got started ahead of NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 14 event back in Jan. 2020. Chris Jericho, who was the AEW World Champion at the time, took on Hiroshi Tanahashi in a non-title match. Jericho said he’d give Tanahashi a title opportunity if he beat him at NJPW’s biggest show. Jericho ended up scoring the pinfall.

While the COVID-19 pandemic slowed things down, we’ve seen talents from different promotions cross over. AEW has worked with the likes of NJPW, AAA, Impact Wrestling, and NWA.

Balor, who is seen on WWE’s SmackDown brand, told Cultaholic that he’d love to break through the “Forbidden Door.”

“I love the idea of the ‘Forbidden Door.’ I feel like if I have an opportunity to wrestle in Japan or Mexico or Europe, for whatever promotion, I would love to be able to do. Obviously, contractually in WWE, they take care of all my dates and my bookings and my travel. They organize everything. If we could set up a working relationship between some of these other brands from around the world, I would love to challenge myself against performers from different regions.”

Finn Balor is currently in a feud with WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. He will challenge the “Tribal Chief” for the gold at WWE Extreme Rules on Sept. 26. There is a bit of a twist to this match, however. Balor will be unleashing “The Demon” at the PPV.

Fuego Del Sol Says He Made More Money On AEW Dark Than WWE Raw

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Fuego Del Sol says the money he made for his first AEW Dark appearance topped his squash match on Monday Night Raw.

On the Jan. 6, 2020 episode of Raw, Del Sol had a match as KJ Orso. He was squashed by Erick Rowan. Orso had wrestled as KAGE on the independent scene. He soon made appearances on AEW Dark before the company ultimately signed him to a contract.

Appearing on the AEW Unrestricted podcast, Del Sol said that his first AEW Dark appearance brought him more money than his match on Raw.

“I remember that day pretty fondly. They had KJ Orso just constantly practice that over and over again, running up the ramp. But they need this visual of the cage squirting some red stuff in the face and running and screaming. So, no mask. I couldn’t do it at that time, so he did it. It was a good payday for him, and he went from there. He took this prop guy and they had this little capsule in his mouth, and so, he just had to spit into his hand and rub it all over his face because it couldn’t be blood on a PG show. There’s no blood.

“It was just red mist, red substance. There was a big man that kept saying this over and over. ‘It can’t be blood.’ You had to cover your face the whole time to kind of hide it. I got part of his money that night. It wasn’t that great. I remember getting my first AEW Dark check and thinking, oh man, AEW is taking care of me much better than that night was. So, I’ll tell you that right now.”

Fuego Del Sol challenged Miro for the TNT Championship on the debut edition of AEW Rampage. The stipulation was that if Del Sol won, he’d earn an AEW contract. Despite his efforts, Miro won the match. Tony Khan ended up handing a contract to Sammy Guevara, Del Sol’s best friend, and the masked wrestler ended up joining the AEW roster anyway.

Jonathan Coachman On His Last WWE Run: “I Will Never Work With Somebody Like That Again”

Anutosh Bajpai
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His 2018 return to WWE has left a sore taste in the mouth of Jonathan Coachman. The sports analyst is vowing to ‘never work with’ somebody like that again. The former WWE star talked about his experience of going back to the company in 2018 on the latest episode of his Ask Coach Anything Live podcast.

Coachman admitted that he has a very bad taste in his mouth from the sport of wrestling, claiming that at this point in his life he wants everything to be positive:

“I have a very bad taste in my mouth from the sport of wrestling right now. I’m at a point in my life that everything I do, I want it to be positive.”

The coach went in length to detail his frustrations with the promotion. He revealed that he is owed a lot of money for his XFL appearances. He discussed how WWE top brass fired many people from XFL and WWE as well during the coronavirus pandemic while making a lot of money from stocks. Jonathan Coachman then promised to never work with somebody like that again:

“I will never work with somebody like that again. So, the taste in my mouth from wrestling right now is very, very bitter because when you put in 20 years into somebody, a relationship to help them build their brand, and then they just turn your back on you over, to them, a little bit of money. To me, it was a lot of money. Then at the same time, they’re cashing in millions of dollars in stock, and laying people off the same day they are doing that is bad business.”

Jonathan Coachman continued his explanation mentioning how you cannot take money with you when you are gone and all you can take is your legacy. He also discussed being taken off Raw commentary team in September 2018. Coachman explained that while people saw it as a demotion, he didn’t feel the same. According to Coach, he was being paid the same amount of money while making only one appearance per month as a host for PPV pre-show panels.

Will Ospreay Teases New United Empire Member

Chris Stephens
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Former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay is teasing a new member of his United Empire faction will debut soon. He teased that his “buddy” will debut on the NJPW shows in Texas on September 25th and 26th.

Ospreay is scheduled to face Karl Fredericks on the 25th and is then scheduled to team with a mystery partner to face Fredericks and Clark Connors on the 26th.

The former Buddy Murphy, now using the name Buddy Matthews, seemingly responded to Ospreay’s comments.

Matthews was released from his WWE contract on June 2nd and is now believed to be free to sign with other promotions. The 32-year-old had been with WWE since 2013. In his time with the company, Murphy won the NXT tag-team championships once along with Wesley Blake, the Cruiserweight Championship once, and also held the RAW tag-team titles on one occasion along with Seth Rollins.

Ospreay debuted the United Empire faction last October. Current members included Jeff Cobb, who recently defeated Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Grand Slam, Aaron Henare, and Great-O-Khan. Bea Priestley was previously a member of the group as well.

Ospreay last appeared for NJPW at the Resurgence PPV in Los Angeles. He brought out his IWGP World title belt and claimed to still be the champion despite being stripped of the title earlier this year.

Jeff Hardy Comments On Relationship With Vince McMahon, How Long Can He Still Go

Anutosh Bajpai
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Fans have not been happy with Jeff Hardy’s descend in WWE. A former WWE champion in his own right, Hardy has been seen among the group chasing the 24/7 championship on WWE programming in recent times.

The former world champion recently had an interview with Felger & Massaroti. He talked about things such as his goals in the company and more.

When asked how long he sees himself continuing his wrestling career, Hardy claimed that he has no idea and any match he wrestles can be his last:

“I have no idea. Every match I have now might be my last match. Sometimes, the little things kill. It’s so easy to get hurt. I just don’t know. I live week-to-week and match-to-match.”

Jeff Hardy On Relationship With Vince McMahon

Amidst the fan flare about his position within the company, Jeff Hardy was asked about his relationship with Vince McMahon. Replying to it, he labeled it as ‘business relationship’:

 “I’m so grateful to have this opportunity to be a WWE superstar and very thankful and grateful for every show that I’m on.

It don’t matter what I’m doing, I’m blessed to be part of WWE still. It’s a business relationship. I try to do the best I can for him and for WWE. Hopefully that’s enough.”

Apart from this, Jeff Hardy talked about things such as the return of live audience after a year, potentially becoming universal champion and more.

Jeff Hardy: “I Show Up to Work, Do What They Need Me To Do & Move On”

Fox Offered To Help WWE With Offer To CM Punk (Report)

Chris Stephens
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Shortly after CM Punk debuted with AEW, reports surfaced that executives at Fox were upset that WWE didn’t make a strong enough offer to him. According to a recent report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Fox pressed WWE to make an offer to Punk when rumors of him going to AEW began to surface. They even offered to help financially with a contract offer to him.

“WWE supposedly responded saying that the money figure he wanted was too high. FOX was so interested in him returning to WWE and not AEW, they reportedly responded by wanting to help out,” wrote Dave Meltzer. “But WWE officials then said there were other reasons they didn’t want him, the attitude issues and such.”

Punk spoke with ESPN recently and said that WWE did reach out to him last December through intermediaries. He indicated that the talks didn’t get far, however, and said that WWE “played games” when reaching out.

A previous report stated that WWE felt pressure to bring back Brock Lesnar and Becky Lynch to Smackdown due to Punk’s debut in AEW. This was covered in a previous edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

“FOX was very upset that WWE didn’t make a big offer to Punk to keep him from going to AEW,” wrote Dave Meltzer. “Politically, WWE felt the need to get Lesnar and Lynch to Smackdown right away.” 

Brock Lesnar’s Last-Minute Return Due To CM Punk’s AEW Debut (Report)

Free Agency Updates On Bray Wyatt & Braun Strowman

Chris Stephens
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Former Universal Champion Braun Strowman was released from WWE on June 2nd, 2021. He’s now free to sign with other promotions. Former Universal and WWE Champion Bray Wyatt was released from WWE on July 31st, 2021. Assuming he is under a 90-day no-compete clause, he’ll be free to sign with another promotion at the end of October.

Both Braun Strowman and Bray Wyatt’s free agency status was addressed recently in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. It appears both Wyatt and Strowman could end up in Impact Wrestling but Wyatt could also end up signing with AEW.

“Regarding newcomers (to Impact), Adam Scherr, the former Braun Strowman, is in talks but has not signed but they are in talks with him,” wrote Dave Meltzer about Strowman’s negotiations with Impact. Strowman has also been announced for EC3’s “Free the Narrative 2” PPV on October 1st.

Bray Wyatt’s Future

As for Wyatt, it is thought he’ll either end up in Impact or AEW.

“As far as Windham Rotunda, the former Bray Wyatt, it appears it’ll be (Impact) or AEW,” Meltzer continued.

“If it is AEW, the talk is that it would be on the 9/29 Dynamite in Rochester, NY, which is Brodie Lee’s home city. If not there or soon after, it would likely be here.”

Braun Strowman To Wrestle EC3 At “Free The Narrative 2” PPV

Mick Foley Continues To Criticize WWE Creative

Chris Stephens
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Mick Foley garnered headlines recently after posting a video to social media critical of how WWE handles its talent from a creative perspective. Foley has since expanded on those thoughts during appearances on Sean Waltman’s Pro Wrestling 4 Life podcast and Busted Open Radio.

“I think it’s something WWE needed to hear,” Foley said of his video on Busted Open Radio. “I used Karrion Kross as an example of somebody whose main roster debut was about 1/8th as electrifying as his NXT debut, that’s an issue. Then when you go from watering down a character to embarrassing it, I think that sends a bad signal to everyone who is in developmental and everyone who has a choice to make, a real choice to make.”

Foley’s son, Dewey Foley, works in creative for WWE. As of 2020, Dewey was working on creative for 205 Live.

“If I’m Adam Cole and I’m looking at what just happened with a few of the guys who made their debuts, I would seriously have to consider whether WWE was the place where my dreams will come true,” Foley continued. “When you put all these things together and you see that people are departing for what they now see are greener pastures, that’s a problem for WWE.”

Foley’s comments on Busted Open Radio can be heard in the below Tweet:

Foley also posted the following regarding Johnny Impact vs Killer Kross in Impact and John Morrison and Karrion Kross in WWE.

https://twitter.com/realmickfoley/status/1436442150959468546?s=21

Mick Foley On His Comments About WWE

Foley was also on Sean Waltman’s podcast recently and spoke about his issues with WWE creative.

“I love the company. I really do, and I think they need to hear that. If I texted Vince that’s one thing, and that might be effective, but I think it needs to get out there. If it embarrasses them, I think that’s ok,” Foley said on the show.

Mick Foley: WWE Is No Longer The Place For Talent To Aspire To

Details On The Length Of Bryan Danielson’s AEW Contract

Anutosh Bajpai
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Bryan Danielson was revealed as the latest AEW signee after weeks of rumors during the All Out PPV. Latest report might have revealed the length of his contract with the promotion.

Dave Meltzer talked about the former world champion’s decision to sign with the company on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio.

Meltzer first discussed how his signing brings a lot of new possibilities. He then claimed that if Danielson doesn’t like things in AEW, he can go back to WWE ‘in three years’.

A three-year deal would mean that the former champion would remain with the company through the Summer of 2024. He would have to make a decision about his future afterward.

Bryan Danielson To AEW

Reports suggest that both WWE and AEW offered Bryan Danielson similar money. The ability to work with NJPW was an important factor in his decision

While WWE officials were ready to allow him to work with NJPW, the former WWE star also wanted to open the door for other talents to work for the Japanese promotion.

Since nothing came out of the talks between WWE and NJPW and the Asian wrestling promotion joined forces with AEW, Bryan made the decision to sign with them as well.

Update On Bryan Danielson’s Reasons For Signing With AEW
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