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What Does Bryan Danielson Think Of WWE Writers?

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Bryan Danielson has shared his experience working with WWE writers.

Danielson had been with WWE since 2009. There was a brief period where he was fired from the promotion in 2010 but he was quickly brought back. Throughout the years, Danielson has built a special bond with WWE chairman Vince McMahon.

Bryan Danielson has said that it wasn’t easy to make the decision to leave WWE. He did so, however, and is now a member of the AEW roster.

Speaking to Sports Illustrated, Danielson revealed what it’s like to work with the writers over at WWE.

“My last couple of months with WWE, I would get scripts, but my time with WWE was pretty much that; always working with a writer but always collaborating. In the last couple of months, I was part of the creative team a little bit. Very rarely would I do my own stuff, but I was like, ‘What if I said something like this?’ I might have said that on a Tuesday then show up on Friday and it would be somebody else’s words, but a version of what I mentioned. We’d flesh it out, work together, and it’d be fun.”

Danielson also went as far as to say that he “loved” working with the WWE creative team. “The American Dragon” certainly didn’t leave the company on bad terms. In fact, he penned a “Thank You” letter to Vince McMahon through the Players Tribune.

Danielson has made an immediate impact for AEW. In his first match with the company, he went to a 30-minute draw with AEW World Champion Kenny Omega in a non-title match. The match took place inside Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City.

Adam Cole Reflects On Speaking To Triple H & HBK Before WWE Exit

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Adam Cole has recalled speaking to Triple H and Shawn Michaels just before making his WWE departure.

Triple H and HBK were two of Cole’s wrestling heroes. When he joined NXT back in 2017, he was elated to find out that his two heroes ended up becoming big fans of his. They were also mentors to the former ROH and NXT Champion. While Cole said that jumping ship to AEW was an easy decision, it was difficult to say goodbye to his two biggest supporters.

Speaking to Renee Paquette on the Oral Sessions podcast, Cole opened up about Triple H and Shawn Michaels being supportive of his decision to leave for AEW.

“He (Hunter) understood that I wanted to continue doing stuff like that, he knew my Twitch was super important to me. And I know that’s a big no-no in WWE, which is unfortunate. So I was very open and very honest with him, to the point where I was still thinking about what I was going to do when my contract was up. He knew that. And then when the decision was made, he knew that and Shawn knew that. So I’ve always been open and honest with them right out of the gate, because they’ve always been open and honest with me.”

Cole went on to say that HHH and HBK both hoped that something could be worked out to have him stay with WWE. With that said, both “The Game” and Michaels told Cole that they wanted him to be happy.

Adam Cole has been a major player on AEW TV already. He has realigned with The Elite. He recently teamed with The Young Bucks to take on Christian Cage and Jurassic Express. Cole and The Young Bucks picked up the win.

John Cena To Play Presidential Candidate In New Political Thriller

Anutosh Bajpai
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After being praised for his performance as the Peacemaker in Suicide Squad and Jakob Toretto in F9, John Cena has now landed a role in the political thriller called The Independent.

The Cenation leader will be starring alongside Oscar winner Kathy Bates. Both of them will be playing the role of presidential candidates. These two will be joined by Brian Cox and Jodie Turner-Smith.

According to Deadline, the new John Cena movie will be set during “the final weeks of the most consequential presidential election in history.”

The feature film will follow an idealistic young journalist played by Turner-Smith teaming up with her idol played by Cox to uncover a conspiracy placing the fate of the election in their hands.

Will John Cena Be At Survivor Series?

The movie, directed by Amy Rice is scheduled to start filming in NYC in November. This is a curious schedule for Cena because of the Survivor Series PPV.

Survivor Series is set to take place on November 21 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. This puts the 16-time world champion in town around the time for the event.

While competing at the show seems out of question for John due to insurance issues, a live appearance at the event seems very much possible. It would be interesting to see if WWE decides to reach out to him for the event.

John Cena Reveals His Choice For Best Actor In WWE

Reason Jake Roberts Has Not Been Seen On AEW TV Recently

Anutosh Bajpai
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Jake Roberts has not been seen on AEW programming in recent times because he is dealing with some undisclosed health issues, according to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Meltzer wrote that the Hall Of Famer was seen “in a wheelchair and had an oxygen thing in his nose that he’d take out when posting for photos” during a recent public appearance.

Roberts made his AEW debut back in 2019. He became a regular on AEW TV after joining forces with Lance Archer in March 2020. Jake announced in July this year that he had signed a two-year contract extension with the promotion.

“He’s An A**hole”: Jake Roberts Blasts Vince McMahon For Using His Personal Troubles Into Storyline

Jake Roberts’ Issues With COPD

The wrestling veteran had revealed in an interview with Premier Live TV YouTube channel last year that he was battling COPD. He said that it was passed down to him through bloodline and called it worse than COVID.

COPD obstructs airflow from the lungs. The legend had explained back then that because of the disease, he doesn’t get enough oxygen in his blood.

The wrestling star had noted that because of it he couldn’t talk for more than 20 seconds without an oxygen tank. Roberts had also mentioned how he was not sure how limited he will be in the future.

These latest reports make it seem like COPD might be the reason for his absence. There is no word yet on if there are any plans for Jake Roberts to return to AEW programming anytime in the future. We will keep you posted on his status.

Big E Wants To Retire Goldberg: “Who Better To Take Old Yeller Behind The Barn?”

Anutosh Bajpai
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Now that Big E is on the top of the food chain after winning the WWE championship, there are plenty of people who want a shot at him. One such star we could see him wrestling soon is none other than Goldberg.

The new champion recently had an interview with Hot 97 radio. He talked about things such as his life before WWE, the boss Vince McMahon and more.

Speaking of a potential match against the former WCW star, E recalled how he used to make jokes about facing him because he never thought he would get the match:

“Man, I used to make jokes about it because I never thought I’d get the match, but as far as I know, Goldberg is still under contract. He’s still around. Goldberg was my favorite wrestler as a kid. I met him, probably 25 years ago, at a signing in Tampa.”

Big E Wants To Retire Goldberg

However, now that an encounter with Goldberg seems plausible, Big E believes that there is no one better than him to take the ‘old yeller behind the barn’:

“Well, who better to retire him? Who better to take him out to pasture, take Old Yeller behind the barn? We’ll see. I just feel like I would be the right person to send them on home, give him his walking cane, and say, ‘Thank you for your service.’”

Goldberg was last seen during the August 29 episode of Raw where he promised to comeback and take revenge on Bobby Lashley. There is no word yet on if there is any plan for him to take on Big E in the future.

Big E Explains Why He Doesn’t View Himself As A Locker Room Leader

How Long MVP Is Expected To Stay Out Of Action

Anutosh Bajpai
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MVP has confirmed that he underwent successful knee surgery earlier this week and he will stay out of action for about four to six weeks.

The former US champion recently provided updates on his health in an Instagram video. He disputed reports of having undergone surgery earlier in the month.

MVP said that he was undergoing surgery today in the post made on Thursday. He mentioned how he has been dealing with knee issues for a while and claimed that he is looking forward to being able to actually wrestle again.

Regarding his recovery and comeback, the Raw star said that after his arthroscopic surgery, he is hopeful to get back on Monday Night Raw in four to six weeks.

MVP was written off TV after an attack from Randy Orton during the September 13 episode of Raw. WWE later provided a storyline update on his condition saying that MVP will be out indefinitely due to a broken rib.

A four to six-week recovery period means we can expect the former champion to be back by Bobby Lashley’s side in late October or early November.

Prior to his injury, MVP had teased a Hurt Business reunion. It would be interesting to see if the company follows up on this once he is back on TV and if we really see the group getting back together.

MVP Talks People Attacking His Past on Social Media

Tony Khan Taunts WWE With Latest Dynamite Rating

Anutosh Bajpai
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Tony Khan has not forgotten WWE’s comments about their rivalry being a marathon and not a sprint. He is using it to tout the latest success of Dynamite. After pulling off another impressive rating success with this week’s episode of their flagship show, the AEW president took on his Twitter to thank the fans.

Khan interestingly also referenced WWE’s statement on the premiere of Dynamite. He reminded everyone how they are already catching up to WWE despite the fact that their competitor had a 40 year head start:

“2 years ago, our competitors said this is a marathon, not a sprint. They were right. They’ve also had a head start of >40 years & in <2 years we’ve made up more ground from scratch than anyone in wrestling history.” wrote Tony Khan, “Let’s FN GO TONIGHT. Let’s make #AEWRampage #1 on cable TONIGHT!”

AEW Dynamite managed to beat Raw in the much talked 18-49 demo in the past two weeks. It narrowly missed on extending this streak to the third week with this Wednesday’s Grand Slam special of the show.

The show still saw a significant increase in viewership. It created another record with the third-highest viewership number since Dynamite premiered. As Tony mentioned, it also ranked #1 on cable on Wednesday for the fifth week in a row.

Chris Jericho Says Elimination Chamber Was Supposed To Be WarGames, Why Vince McMahon Changed It

Anutosh Bajpai
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The Elimination Chamber was originally supposed to be a WarGames match but Vince McMahon changed it because its association to WCW, according to Chris Jericho. The former AEW champion welcomed Adam Cole on the latest episode of his Talk Is Jericho podcast. The duo discussed Cole’s time in NXT and more during the episode.

Talking about NXT’s version of WarGames, Jericho revealed that the Elimination Chamber match was originally supposed to be WarGames. He explained why the boss did not want to do it:

“Just a little tidbit, Elimination Chamber was originally going to be WarGames, but Vince didn’t want to do WarGames because he said it was too WCW, So then we created our own. Hunter (Triple H) always wanted to do WarGames, and then he brings it to NXT and there you go.”

AEW has introduced its own version of the classic WarGames match dubbed Blood and Guts. Chris Jericho was part of the first Blood and Guts match and his Inner Circle competed against MJF’s The Pinnacle in a losing effort.

The Elimination Chamber was first introduced on WWE programming back in November 2002. Y2J was part of the first-ever Elimination Chamber match that took place at Survivor Series 2002 as well

TNT Was Upset With Chris Jericho Over Dynamite Segment

Another WWE Star Unhappy With His Bookings (Report)

Anutosh Bajpai
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Another member of the Lucha House Party faction in Lince Dorado is unhappy with his position within the WWE, according to reports from PWInsider.

It was reported earlier this month that Gran Metalik was not happy with his booking and the high flying star had asked for his release from the promotion.

Now the site has confirmed these reports. They noted that both Metalik and Lince Dorado have been seen at multiple TV tapings trying to express their unhappiness to the management over their bookings.

Though while his tag team partner has taken the step, there is currently no word yet on if Dorado has also requested his release from the company.

Lince Dorado signed a contract with WWE after working the Cruiserweight Classic tournament back in 2016. He was paired with Kalisto and Gran Metalik to form the Lucha House Party in early 2018.

While the Lucha House Party has been making regular appearances on WWE TV since its inception, the trio has rarely been part of any significant storyline.

There is still no word on how WWE officials are reacting to Metalik’s release request. We will have to see if Dorado follows in his footsteps and asks for release as well.

Details On The Relationship Between FOX & WWE (Report)

AEW Rampage Grand Slam Results (9/24): CM Punk vs. Hobbs, Lights Out Match

Robert Lentini
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AEW Rampage Grand Slam aired from Arthur Ashe in Queens, New York. This week’s episode was taped this past Wednesday. CM Punk wrestled his first TV match in AEW and Moxley & Kingston faced Archer & Suzuki in a Lights Out Match in the main event.

Rampage Grand Slam Results

  1. CM Punk def. Powerhouse Hobbs
  2. Adam Cole & Young Bucks def. Christian Cage & Jurassic Express
  3. Men of the Year def. Inner Circle
  4. Lucha Bros, Santana & Ortiz def. HFO
  5. Penelope Ford def. Anna Jay
  6. Eddie Kingston & Jon Moxley def. Lance Archer & Minoru Suzuki

CM Punk def. Powerhouse Hobbs

CM Punk faced Powerhouse Hobbs in the first match of the night. Hobbs beat down Punk for the first several minutes of the match. CM Punk battled back and set up for the GTS but Hook got on the ring apron for a distraction. Hobbs capitalized and beat Punk down as Rampage went to a commercial break.

When Rampage returned, Hobbs connected with a big Spinebuster as Taz celebrated on commentary. Powerhouse went for the cover but Punk kicked out at two. Punk hopped on Hobbs’ back and applied a Sleeper Hold. They battled to the turnbuckle and Punk hit a Hurricanrana and Hobbs looked to land on his head. Hook hopped on the apron again for a distraction and Hobbs tried to capitalize. Punk got out of the way and Hobbs accidentally hit Hook. Punk then hit Hobbs with the GTS for the pinfall victory.

Cole & Young Bucks Picked Up A Win

Jurassic Express & Christian Cage faced Adam Cole & The Young Bucks tonight on Rampage Grand Slam. Young Bucks and Cole took control of the match and isolated Jungle Boy in the ring. They hit Jungle Boy with a series of Superkicks as Rampage went to a break.

When Rampage returned, the Super Kliq still had Jungle Boy trapped in the ring. Luchasaurus tagged in and leveled Matt and Nick Jackson with a Clothesline. Luchasaurus followed it up with a Chokeslam to Matt and then caught Nick in midair and planted him with a slam as well.

Jungle Boy locked in the Snare Trap but got distracted by Gallows. Matt hit Jungle Boy with a Superkick and then Luchasaurus tagged in. Adam Cole tagged in and traded punches with the big man. Matt Jackson hit Cage with a low blow and planted him on the entrance ramp.

Cole and the Young Bucks isolated Luchasaurus in the ring. Cole hit Luchasaurus with Panama Sunrise and Young Bucks followed it up with the BTE Trigger. Adam Cole then hit the Last Shot for the pinfall victory.

Men of the Year def. Inner Circle

Men of the Year (Scorpio Sky & Ethan Page) faced Inner Circle (Jake Hager & Chris Jericho tonight. Jericho and Scorpio started off the action and Le Champion hit some chops. Jericho connected with a Suplex and gave the middle finger to Ethan Page.

Scorpio hit a Jawbreaker and tagged in Ethan. Hager tagged in and connected with a Belly to Belly Suplex. Jericho tagged back in and got sent to the corner. Dan Lambert slapped Jericho in the face as Rampage went to a break.

When Rampage returned, Hager leveled Page with a Clothesline and followed it up with a Powerslam for a two count. Lambert held Hager back and Ethan capitalized with a shoulder tackle. Hager leveled both Sky and Page with a Clothesline and tagged in Jericho.

Jericho leveled Page with a Dropkick and hit a Lionsault for a near fall. Hager tagged in and hit a Powerbomb on Sky. Jake got Sky in an Ankle Lock while Jericho locked in the Walls of Jericho. Lambert distracted Hager and Sky rolled him up for a near fall. Lambert then held onto Hager’s feet as Scorpio rolled him up for the victory.

After the match, Hager attacked Sky and Page. Jericho dragged Lambert into the ring but American Top Team rushed the ring. Paige Van Sant unloaded some punches to Jericho’s midsection and Jorge Masvidal followed it up with a running knee.

https://twitter.com/MMAjunkie/status/1441607076510306304?s=20

Lucha Bros, Santana & Ortiz Picked Up A Win

Santana, Ortiz, and the Lucha Bros faced Hardy Family Office (Private Party, Butcher & Blade). It is kind of odd to see members of the Inner Circle in the following match minutes (and made the first entrance of the match) mere moments after Jericho and Hager were outnumbered and beaten down. That seemed like quite the oversight.

The match started out with a brawl and HFO was knocked out of the ring. Ortiz hit a Splash but Private Party brought him to the outside and connected with a DDT on the floor.

Back in the ring, The Butcher connected with a Powerbomb on Fenix as Matt Hardy trash talked with Ortiz. Orange Cassidy made his way to the ring and hit Jack Evans with the Orange Punch.

When Rampage returned from a break, Pentagon Jr. connected with a Backbreaker. Santana tagged in and ran into a knee to the face from Blade. Lucha Bros hit a Fear Factor/Stomp combo as Santana & Ortiz connected with Street Sweeper for the pinfall victory.

Penelope Ford def. Anna Jay

Penelope Ford faced Anna Jay tonight on Rampage Grand Slam. Anna controlled the action early but Penelope battled back with a kick to the side of the head. When Rampage returned from a break, Anna and Penelope traded punches in the ring. The Bunny hopped on the apron for a distraction and Penelope hit Anna Jay with brass knuckles for the quick win. After the match, Ford and The Bunny attacked Anna Jay. Tay Conti rushed the ring but Ford hit her with the brass knuckles. Dark Order made their way down the entrance ramp and HFO retreated.

Kingston & Moxley def. Archer & Suzuki

Jon Moxley & Eddie Kingston faced Minoru Suzuki & Lance Archer in a Lights Out Tag Team match. The match started out back and forth as Rampage went to the final break of the night.

After the break, Moxley had his hands taped behind his back as Suzuki beat him down. Suzuki choked him while Archer threw chairs into the ring. Suzuki grabbed a kendo stick as Archer bashed Moxley over the head with a trash can lid.

Suzuki brought some more chairs into the ring but Homicide’s music hit. Homicide hit Archer with a steel chair and then got sent out of the ring by Suzuki. Suzuki went for the Gotch Piledriver but Moxley escaped and hit a DDT. Eddie hit Archer with the Backfist to the Future and put him in a trash can. Eddie then unloaded a ton of kendo stick strikes on Archer for the pinfall victory. Moxley, Kingston, and Homicide celebrated after the match.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1441613901007921152?s=20
https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1441617768936198145?s=20

Arn Anderson Shares Theory On Why Cody Rhodes Was Booed In NYC

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Arn Anderson has shared his theory on why fans in NYC booed Cody Rhodes.

Rhodes was featured on the AEW Grand Slam edition of Dynamite. He went one-on-one with Malakai Black. Cody lost the match when Black rolled him up after spitting mist in his eyes.

The boos for Cody Rhodes were loud and clear. Fans inside Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City did not want Rhodes to go over. Appearing on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio, Arn gave his take on why Cody wasn’t well-received in “The Big Apple.”

“I’m just speculating and I don’t pretend a mind reader, but I’m trying to get into the head of a wrestling fan. The most talented guy and the number one guy in Hollywood right now is The Rock. There’s no disputing that, I’m talking as an actor. John Cena was a guy that had always stood and was dedicating 100% of his time to the fans, to the company, to the business. I feel like when he started doing movies and he was no longer with WWE, I think fans, possibly, not putting words in their mouth, may feel a little afraid that they got their support behind these guys, and then they got red hot and took off to Hollywood.”

Anderson went on to say that he feels the fans may feel slighted since Rhodes hasn’t been on TV as much as some other top talent. Rhodes has been filming for the upcoming Rhodes to the Top reality show with his wife Brandi, and the Go Big Show. Others may point to booking decisions involved Rhodes as of late, while some believe Cody simply has the perfect life and flaunts during his entrance too much to stay as a face.

Rhodes recently had an AMA over at Bleacher Report. During the session, he claimed he’d retire before going heel again.

WWE SmackDown Results (9/24): Extreme Rules Go-Home Show, Title Match

Robert Lentini
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WWE SmackDown aired live from the Wells Fargo Arena in Philadelphia, PA. King Nakamura put the Intercontinental Championship on the line against Apollo Crews tonight. Universal Champion faced Montez Ford in a non-title match in this week’s main event and will defend the title against The Demon Finn Balor this Sunday at Extreme Rules.

SmackDown Results (9/24)

  1. King Nakamura def. Apollo Crews via submission to retain the Intercontinental Championship
  2. Zelina Vega def. Liv Morgan
  3. Nikki A.S.H. def. Natalya
  4. Roman Reigns def. Montez Ford

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Bianca Belair Sent A Message To The Man Ahead Of Extreme Rules

SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch began the show and made her way to the ring. Lynch will defend the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Bianca Belair this Sunday at Extreme Rules.

Becky joked that the only reason Knoxville had such a celebration for Bianca Belair last week was because she made it out of there and did something with her life. Lynch claimed that she had no choice but to attack Belair after she wouldn’t let go of her hand during the hand shake.

Lynch said she didn’t want to embarrass Belair in front of her hometown, family, and friends but had no choice. Belair interrupted and told Lynch to keep her parents’ names out of her mouth. Bianca noted how it took her 1/4th of the time to main event WrestleMania than it did for Becky and vowed to take the title back this Sunday. A brawl broke out and Belair got the better of the exchange. Bianca connected with the KOD to end the segment.

King Nakamura Retained

King Nakamura put the Intercontinental Championship on the line against Apollo Crews. Boogs and Commander Azeez were ringside for the title match. Apollo launched Nakamura out of the ring and posed as SmackDown went to a break.

When SmackDown returned, Nakamura battled back and connected with a knee to the face for a near fall. Nakamura went for the Kinshasa but Crews dodged it. Apollo hit a Samoan Drop and went for the cover but Nakamura was able to kick out at two.

Crews connected with a Powerbomb but Nakamura responded with an Enziguri. Crews rolled to the apron and talked with Commander Azeez. Nakamura hit Azeez with a kick and then Boogs planted Azeez with a Suplex. Back in the ring, Nakamura applied an Armbar for the submission victory. Nakamura is still the Intercontinental Champion.

Reigns Wants A Match Against Montez Ford

Montez interviewed backstage by Kayla Braxton tonight. Montez Ford said that the Street Profits will defeat The Usos at Extreme Rules and tag back the tag team titles. Ford added that Roman Reigns has been treating The Usos like his “Bloodline Bitches”.

Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman were then shown in the locker room. Reigns asked Heyman what Montez just said and Paul noted that he had the balls to call the greatest tag team ever “Bloodline Bitches”. Roman demanded a match tonight and Heyman tried to talk Reigns out of it because he is defending the title against The Demon Finn Balor in a couple days.

Reigns started at Heyman and he said he will make the match happen tonight. The Head of the Table wondered why Heyman was still in the room and Paul excused himself. Heyman approached Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville backstage and the match was made official for the main event.

Rollins Warned Edge

Seth Rollins cut a backstage promo and said he has been patiently waiting for a response from Edge but he hasn’t heard anything. Seth claimed that the silence is deafening because it means that Edge is hurt, and ashamed to admit that Seth is the reason that he will never compete in a WWE ring again.

Rollins said that wasn’t good enough and demanded an answer. Seth demanded that Edge come to the ring next week and tell him that he is not Edge Lite, and is superior to Edge in every way. Rollins claimed that he will find Edge and beat those words out of him in front of his family if Edge doesn’t show up next week.

Zelina Vega def. Liv Morgan

Liv Morgan faced Zelina Vega tonight on SmackDown. Liv hit a Dropkick to start off the action as Carmella joined commentary. Vega applied a submission but Liv quickly escaped. Morgan hit a Backstabber against the turnbuckle and Carmella complained about how that was the move that busted her nose. Liv got distracted by Carmella and Vega capitalized with a Destroyer for the pinfall victory. Liv Morgan will face Carmella at Extreme Rules this Sunday.

Happy Corbin & Riddick Moss Attacked Kevin Owens

Corbin came to the ring for a new talk show segment called Happy Talk. Corbin spoke about how happy he is and how good his life is. Corbin announced himself as the first guest of the show and bragged about his Rolex, his private jet, etc. The crowd chanted “we don’t care!” and Corbin rolled highlights of him attacking Kevin Owens last week.

Happy Corbin claimed he took out Owens with ease and Kevin Owens interrupted. Riddick Moss attacked Owens from behind as Corbin laughed. They Chokeslammed Owens on top of the steel steps as the crowd booed.

Nikki A.S.H. def. Natalya

Nikki A.S.H. faced Natalya tonight on SmackDown. Tamina and Rhea Ripley were ringside for the match. Nikki connected with a Dropkick and went for the cover early but Natalya kicked out at two. Natalya battled back with a Suplex for a near fall.

Tamina hopped on the apron for a distraction but Rhea broke it up. Natalya rolled up Nikki but the referee was distracted. Nikki countered into a roll-up of her own for the pinfall victory.After the match, Shotzi and Nox drove the tank down the ramp and fired toy missiles at Women’s Tag Team Champions Nikki A.S.H. & Rhea Ripley.

Naomi Challenged Sonya Deville

Rey Mysterio told Dominik that he will give him his space after his son complained about him always being on his back. Mysterio walked away and Sami Zayn showed up. Zayn told Dominik that he should start listening to his dad less and his instincts more.

Naomi cut a promo in the ring and demanded that Sonya Deville finally put her in a match. Naomi complained about being disrespected, fined, and ignored. She added that she is not playing games anymore and wants a match tonight. Deville interrupted and told Naomi that she wasn’t getting a match tonight. Naomi suggested a match against Sonya Deville. Sonya claimed that she would “slap the glow off of Naomi” but is no longer a competitor, she is Naomi’s boss.

Naomi started a “make the match!” chant and Deville demanded that Naomi’s mic get turned off. Deville said that WWE has given Naomi chance after chance but she always drops the ball. Sonya suggested that Naomi go backstage and TikTok dance her way into obscurity and had security escort her backstage.

The Demon Attacked Reigns

Universal Champion Roman Reigns faced Montez Ford tonight on SmackDown. Before the match, SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch was interviewed backstage. The Man was pissed and vowed to break Bianca Belair at Extreme Rules.

Montez hit a Dropkick but Reigns wouldn’t go down. Ford followed it up with another Dropkick and the Universal Champion fell out of the ring as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Reigns was in control and choked Montez against the ropes. Ford broke free and hit the Universal Champion with an Enziguri. Montez followed it up with a Clothesline that sent Reigns to the outside. Ford hopped onto the announce table and went for a move but the table broke in an unfortunate sequence.

Montez stayed on the attack until the action returned to the ring. Roman leveled Ford with a Clothesline as SmackDown went to a commercial. When SmackDown returned, Ford hit a Crossbody for a two count. Ford followed it up with a Blockbuster for a two count. Reigns battled back and tapped out Ford with the Guillotine Choke.

After the match, The Usos made their way to the ring and beat down Montez Ford some more. Ford got planted with a Uranage through a table before the lights went out. The Demon arrived on the ring post and leaped onto The Bloodline. The Demon grabbed a kendo stick and got in some shots as SmackDown went off the air. Roman Reigns will defend the Universal Championship against The Demon Finn Balor at Extreme Rules.

Details On The Relationship Between FOX & WWE (Report)

Andrew Ravens
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A new report was published regarding the relationship between WWE and FOX. Fightful is reporting that there was talk in July about the relationship being strained. 

It was noted that FOX was disappointed with WWE’s viewership compared to what they were expecting when they made the deal to bring them onto the network. When FOX first made the deal with WWE, the initial reports stated FOX was expecting somewhere around 3.3 million viewers for Smackdown and while WWE drew 3.9 million viewers for their debut broadcast, they’ve not come close to that number since. 

It was said that FOX isn’t thrilled with SmackDown being used to promote another service, Peacock, which is owned by NBCUniversal. WWE airs its PPV events on Peacock. 

FOX owner Rupert Murdoch feels him being portrayed in a not so flattering way in the upcoming Vince McMahon scripted series is a “childish move” by WWE. 

It was noted in the press release that the series will bring up how Murdoch purchased the New York Post. Of course, Post writer Phil Mushnick regularly took shots at McMahon and WWE in his columns. “The United States vs. Vince McMahon” will look at McMahon getting indicted for steroid distribution. McMahon was later found not guilty.

However, WWE’s relationship between the two families is one of “great respect.” There had been talk of doing an episode of Raw at the Staples Center in Los Angeles but Khan and McMahon nixed the idea since FOX Sports is a Los Angeles-based company. SmackDown will have a show there this December. 

Dan Lambert Is Living His Best Life In AEW

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Dan Lambert is having the time of his life in AEW.

Lambert is the head honcho of the famed MMA gym, American Top Team. He has been making appearances on AEW ranting about how the fans and the roster have gotten soft. He manages Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page, who are the “Men of the Year.”

Cageside Seats interviewed Lambert, who admitted that he’s enjoying himself quite a bit in AEW.

“It’s fun as s—t. What am I going to say? It’s a blast. You got 45 years of practicing in front of your mirror as a wrestling fan, yelling at everybody. I was always playing the heel my whole life. I always liked the bad guys.”

Lambert has been a longtime wrestling fan. It was reported by Fightful Select that he is quite popular backstage in AEW. It’s been said that many of the ATT fighters who have appeared on AEW TV are also well-liked.

Dan Lambert will play a pivotal role in tonight’s (Sept. 24) episode of AEW Rampage. He’ll be at ringside for the big tag team match between Men of the Year and the team of Chris Jericho and Jake Hager of The Inner Circle. This episode was taped on Sept. 22 inside Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City.

American Gladiators Set To Return Featuring WWE Superstars

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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American Gladiators is making a comeback with some WWE flavor.

Deadline is reporting that MGM has partnered with WWE to bring a fresh version of American Gladiators to TV. The show is set to be non-scripted. It’ll feature a host of WWE superstars.

It’s been said that Mark Burnett has been tasked with pitching the series to numerous networks. This includes broadcasters and digital platforms. The format that Johnny Ferraro and Dan Carr laid out will have a heavy influence on the show’s return.

The timing of an American Gladiators reboot makes sense. Deadline had previously reported that American Gladiators is set for its own 30 for 30 episode on ESPN.

The initial version of American Gladiators launched in 1989. It ran through 1996. The show was revived in 2008 and was hosted by WWE legend Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali. That version lasted 21 episodes.

There was even an international version of the show. It ran in the UK from 1992 through 2000. Like the American version, this international offering was also revived in 2008.

For the new revival, MGM and WWE will be tasked with being executive producers of the program.

SEScoops will be sure to update you once more information becomes available.

Adam Cole On Kevin Owens Possibly Joining AEW

Anutosh Bajpai
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The newest AEW star Adam Cole recently joined Oral Sessions with Renee Paquette podcast. The former NXT champion talked about things such as finally being in the same company as his girlfriend Britt Baker and more.

After the recent big signings, AEW seems to be in line to acquire another major talent in Kevin Owens once his contract expires earlier next year.

Discussing the possibility of Owens joining the promotion as well, Cole said that he wants KO to do what makes him happy. Though he also admitted that he loves the idea of a potential reunion for their Mt Rushmore faction from PWG:

“I mean this because I’m friends with Kevin. I want Kevin to do what makes him happiest, I really mean it; I mean it in my soul. However, of course I would love the idea of him joining me, and the Young Bucks, and everyone else here.

That would be incredible. However, I do want Kevin to be happy.” said Adam Cole, “So there’s no part of me that would be angry or upset with whatever his decision is.”

The current WWE contract of Kevin Owens is set to expire on January 31, 2022. The former NXT champion has already teased moving to AEW once his current deal ends.

Apart from this, Adam Cole also talked about his friends in WWE and revealed what was the hardest part about leaving the company. You can check out his comments on the matter at this link.

Adam Cole Says CM Punk Is The Biggest Dream Match For Him

TNT Was Upset With Chris Jericho Over Dynamite Segment

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Chris Jericho has revealed the time TNT was infuriated with him.

AEW has been enjoying great success on TNT. The television network even gave AEW a second show, Rampage. That show will remain on TNT, while Dynamite will soon be heading over to TBS starting Jan. 5, 2022.

TNT continues to tout AEW’s viewership and key demo success. While everything seems to be sunshine and rainbows with the TV network and AEW, there was one time when TNT executives were quite ticked off with something AEW did.

During an interview with Stephanie Chase, Jericho revealed the time TNT didn’t take too kindly to something he did during a segment on Dynamite early in the show’s life.

“For me, there’s two times that I can recall where they said ‘Don’t ever do that again’ and I was like ‘Okay, won’t happen again.’ One of them actually was when we beat up Dustin Rhodes when I was feuding with Cody way back in the beginning. We beat him up in the parking lot and then as we left, I lit up a cigar. And [TNT] did not like that. No smoking allowed on the show.”

Chris Jericho said TNT went as far as to threaten to pull the show if anyone was seen smoking again. The inaugural AEW World Champion said he questioned TNT’s reasoning as there are a plethora of other things to be picky about. Suffice to say, no one is threatening to pull AEW programming in 2021.

Adam Cole Confirms WWE Suggested Name Change

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Former NXT Champion Adam Cole has revealed that WWE did indeed pitch a name change.

Cole was a top star on the NXT brand and had been since he first arrived in WWE back in 2017. Cole signed a brief contract extension after his deal was up in order to give Kyle O’Reilly the final win in their feud. Cole did speak to WWE chairman Vince McMahon but he ultimately decided to sign with AEW.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that WWE pitched Cole becoming a manager for Keith Lee. On top of that, it was said that Cole would’ve likely had to change his name.

During an appearance on Talk Is Jericho, Adam Cole confirmed that WWE did suggest a name change.

“It was funny because apparently, there were a lot of ideas, but they were very vague on what exactly they wanted to do. This is interesting too because I remember when I first had the conversation, they had mentioned something about ‘maybe we’ll do a name change or maybe we’ll change your look a little bit.’ So that scared me a little bit just because I’d spent nearly 14 years as Adam Cole, and then our latest conversation, they were definitely more open to me being me and being myself and stuff like that. They could tell I was not too thrilled about the idea.”

It’s clear that Cole in his current form is well-liked by wrestling fans. He has been receiving sizable ovations since arriving in AEW. Whether or not he would’ve thrived on the WWE main roster is one of those “what if” questions, but some will be glad to not know the answer.

Raven Comments On Dark Side of the Ring Episode On Kanyon

Chris Stephens
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Last night’s episode of Dark Side of the Ring focused on the life and career of Chris Kanyon. Diamond Dallas Page, James Mitchell, Brian Cage, and the Young Bucks were all interviewed for the piece. One person who played a notable role in Kanyon’s career was not interviewed, however, and this left a lot of fans asking, “What about Raven?”

This was not a case of Raven turning down the opportunity to be on the show. According to comments he would make on social media, Raven was not asked to take part.

“For those who are wondering, I was not contacted to be a part of Kanyon’s Dark Side of the Ring episode… yeah, I’m as puzzled as anyone else why not. Our friendship had a lot of depth to it & I feel like I would’ve had quite a bit to contribute, unique to my perspective..” Raven wrote.

Raven and Mitchell recorded a podcast in 2010 shortly after Kanyon’s funeral. It is available for purchase here.

Raven and Kanyon feuded and then aligned in WCW in 1998-99 during the dying days of the Flock angle. They would later both be members of the Alliance together during the Invasion storyline in WWE in 2001.

Raven hosts the Raven Effect podcast. A link to the show is in the below Tweet:

Update On WrestleMania Format For Next Year

Chris Stephens
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WrestleMania 38 will take place from Dallas, Texas’ AT&T Stadium. Several ideas have been discussed regarding the format for next year’s big event. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the idea of Mania being a 2-night event is not yet set in stone. If it is a 2-night event, Mania will be held on April 2nd and 3rd. Other ideas have been discussed as well, however.

“WWE contacted AT&T Stadium with several different potential ideas including the two-day Mania that has been talked about,” wrote Dave Meltzer. One of those ideas is a 2-night event on April 2nd and 3rd. Another is that Mania would be held on just the Sunday night. If they run with that idea, then the following night’s RAW would also take place from AT&T Stadium. There would be a smaller setup for RAW, however, hosting about 40,000 fans.

Roman Reigns vs. The Rock has been talked about as the main event for the show.

Earlier this month, a report from Fightful stated that WWE is planning on running a 2-night event for Mania again next year.

“After the reception of the last two years of WrestleMania being split up into two nights, Fightful has learned the working plan internally as of last week was for WrestleMania 38 in Arlington, Texas to also be split up into two nights. The shows are scheduled for Saturday, April 2, and Sunday, April 3.”

Good News For Fans Who Like WrestleMania Being Held Over 2 Nights

Ric Flair Issues Statement On Past Issues With Chris Kanyon

Chris Stephens
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Last night’s episode of Dark Side of the Ring focussed on the life and career of Chris Kanyon. In 2006, Chris Kanyon was on the Howard Stern Show and stated his belief that he was let go from WWE due to his sexuality. Ric Flair called into the show and said the reason WWE let him go was that he was not good enough.

The Dark Side of the Ring episode featured interviews with friends of Kanyon who noted how hard he took this conversation with Flair on the Howard Stern show. Flair released a statement last night before the episode went to air.

“Breaks my heart to hear later on that he took this so hard. Calling into guests that were seen as “hostile” to WWE was part of the job then. I should not have said that nobody had ‘ever’ been released; there’s no way I could have known that for sure,” Flair wrote.

“I was holding the company line,” Flair continued. “Love is love is love is love and everyone should be able to love whoever and however they choose without fear of reprisal. I wasn’t a huge Kanyon fan as a worker; but Chris Klucsarits was a hell of a good guy.”

https://twitter.com/Hanzi83/status/1342283622628421632

On September 20th, Flair released a statement regarding allegations made against him on the Dark Side of the Ring episode on the Plane Ride From Hell. His statement is available in the below Tweet:

Impact Results (9/23): The Fallen Angel Returns

Chris Stephens
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Impact wrestling on September 23rd was the first show since the promotion presented Victory Road over the weekend. It also started the build towards next month’s Bound for Glory. This week’s episode would also feature the return of Christopher Daniels to Impact for the first time since 2014.

Impact 9/23 Quick Results:

  1. David Finlay defeated HIKULEO
  2. Rohit Raju defeated Chelsea Green
  3. Rich Swann & Willie Mack defeated Brian Myers & VSK 
  4. Josh Alexander defeated Ace Austin

Josh Alexander Officially Cashes In Option C

Scott D’Amore kicked off the show and introduced Josh Alexander to come out and officially cash in Option C. Alexander commented on having left the business years ago and his neck injuries but said he is ready to be the face of Impact Wrestling. To do that, he must win the Impact World Championship. Christian Cage came out and told Alexander he will not be the face of the company, he will be another face in the crowd after talking about having had his career taken from him for 7 years.

Ace Austin and Madman Fulton then confronted both of them, bitter about Austin having lost the title match at Victory Road. A melee breaks out between all 4 and Austin hit Cage in the eye with his cane. It would later be revealed in the back that Cage was not medically cleared to compete tonight but Alexander would face Ace Austin in the main event.

ELP Returns, Bullet Club Has Strength In Numbers

David Finlay got a measure of revenge against Bullet Club this week when he pinned HIKULEO in singles action. The end of the match came when HIKULEO rebounded off the ropes and fell backward over top of a crouching Finlay, who then scored the pinfall with a cradle.

After the match, Bullet Club attacked both David Finlay and Juice Robinson but FinJuice was able to fend off the assault. Then El Phantasmo returned to Impact to give Bullet Club the numbers advantage and the edge in the melee. Impact’s Bullet Club faction looks to be growing and becoming more dominant with Chris Bey, HIKULEO, and El Phantasmo.

Rohit Raju Gets Help From Raj Singh To Defeat Chelsea Green

An inter-gender match took place last night on Impact. Green was holding her own and even appeared poised to hit her UnprettyHer, but the returning Raj Singh caused a distraction allowing Raju to score the pinfall on Green with a small package.

Rich Swann & Willie Mack Beat Brian Myers & VSK

This match was made after Brian Myers interjected himself into Swann and Mack’s backstage promo earlier in the night. Mack announced he was gunning for the now vacant X-Division title and Swann is entering the Gauntlet battle royal at Bound for Glory.

Myers said that none of the students in his Learning Tree faction were ready to be his partner for this match against Mack and Swann. So, Myers introduced VSK as his partner.

The finish of this match came when Sam Beale attempted to help out his side by pushing Swann off the top rope. Unfortunately for Beale, Swann landed right on top of VSK and got the pin. VSK did not look pleased with Beale’s actions here.

Mickie James Calls Out Deonna Purrazzo For Bound For Glory

Mickie James came out for a promo. She talked about how she was glad that Purrazzo was part of the big NWA Empowerrr show but her actions that night are not something she’s going to let go. She called out the Knockouts champ and challenged her to a match at Bound For Glory.

Purrazzo denied James’ challenge and the two brawled. Scott D’Amore then came out and said Purrazzo doesn’t get to turn down James’ challenge and made a match between the two official for Bound For Glory.

Eddie Edwards vs W. Morrissey Street Fight Booked For Next Week

A show-long angle this week involved Sami Callihan and Eddie Edwards looking for W. Morrissey. At Victory Road, Morrissey power-slammed Alisha Edwards and Eddie is out looking for revenge. Callihan and Edwards took a baseball bat and kendo stick to Morrissey’s run-in buddy Moose and searched all backstage for Morrissey. When they finally found him, however, security separated them but D’Amore made a street fight between the two for next week.

Gail Kim Announces Knockouts Knockdown Tournament

The Knockouts Knockdown event on October 9th will feature an 8-woman tournament involving 4 of Impact’s top talent against 4 wrestlers from outside the promotion. Gail Kim announced this backstage but was interrupted by The Influence who demanded a tag title shot. Kim said if they can beat Jordynne Grace and Rachael Ellering next week, they will get that shot.

Christopher Daniels Returns!

Josh Alexander defeated Ace Austin in the main event this week after delivering a C4 Spike. After the match, however, Austin and Madman Fulton attacked. Cage came out to make the save but then while he and Alexander were having a stare down, Austin and Fulton attacked again. Then “The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels returned to the Impact Zone for the first time since 2014 to make the save.

Coming Up In Impact Wrestling

Next Week:

  • X-Division BFG Title Match Qualifier
    Trey Miguel vs Laredo Kid vs Alex Zayne
  • Street Fight
    Eddie Edwards vs W. Morrissey
  • Knockouts Tag Team Title #1 Contendership
    The Influence (Tenille Dashwood & Madison Rayne) vs Jordynne Grace & Rachael Ellering

Bound For Glory (October 23rd, 2021)

  • Impact World Championship
    Christian Cage (c) vs Josh Alexander
  • X-Division Championship (Vacant)
    TBD vs TBD vs TBD

Reason The Triple Threat Match Main Evented This Week’s Raw

Anutosh Bajpai
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Vince McMahon changed the originally announced New Day vs. The Bloodline main event on Raw to a triple threat because the triple threat match received a good reaction during live events before the show.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer recently talked about the company changing the original script for the episode. He confirmed that the six men tag team match was originally going to main event the show.

However, according to the wrestling journalist, Mr. McMahon changed the plans for this bout after he received good word about the triple threat match when it was contested in house shows from North Charleston and Augusta:

“What happened on the weekend shows in North Charleston and Augusta, they did a three-way between Roman Reigns, Bobby Lashley, and Big E, and Vince [McMahon] got the word that the matches were very good.”

The boss decided to shake up the script for the show on the day of the event. He apparently made the decision to use the six-man tag team match to set up the triple threat bout on Monday afternoon.

The New Day vs. The Bloodline match opened this week’s episode of Raw. Roman Reigns won the match for the Bloodline after a run-in from Bobby Lashley. This set up a triple threat match between Roman, Big E, and Lashley for the main event of the show. It was won by Reigns.

Alexa Bliss Reacts To Report Of Fans Leaving During Her RAW Segment

Drew McIntyre On Possibly Being Drafted To SmackDown

Anutosh Bajpai
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Drew McIntyre does not care which brand he ends up on during the upcoming WWE drafts as long as he gets to be part of fresh rivalries.

The former WWE champion recently had an interview with Eat, Sleep, Suplex; Retweet during a press event in Glasgow, Scotland. Among other things, he also talked about the upcoming WWE draft.

McIntyre, who is rumored for a move to SmackDown, said that he has worked with everybody that he wants to work with on Raw. Speaking of a potential move to SmackDown, he claimed that he is excited for things to get mixed up:

“I think I’ve pretty much worked with everybody that I want to work with on Raw and I’m excited for things to get mixed up now and get into some good programs. That’s what I care about, the story.

I know there’s some good stories that I could be able to tell on SmackDown.” said Drew McIntyre, “So be it if I go there or if they come over to Raw, I don’t care. I’m just excited for the future feuds.”

The former NXT champion gave the example of people like Seth Rollins and Edge as talents he wants to compete against. He mentioned how he feuded with Rollins before when he was a heel but now their roles have been reversed.

WWE Draft this year is set to take place during the October 1 episode of SmackDown and October 4 episode of Raw. There is no word yet on which stars could change brands during the upcoming shakeup.

Would you like to see Drew McIntyre move to SmackDown during the upcoming WWE Drafts? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Drew McIntyre: Triple H Deserves Credit For WWE Return

Becky Lynch On When She Found Out About Her SummerSlam Return

Anutosh Bajpai
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Becky Lynch made her surprising return at the SummerSlam PPV and in typical WWE fashion, she hadn’t been told about it a couple of days before the show. The SmackDown women’s champion recently had an interview with BT Sport. She talked about things such as her upcoming match against Bianca Belair and more.

When asked about her SummerSlam return and how it came together, Lynch revealed that she was clued in on Monday. However, Becky wasn’t entirely sure that she would be appearing on the show until a day before the event took place:

“So I actually really only knew what I was doing, probably, that I was going to have that match probably a day or two before. I got a call on Monday, SummerSlam happened on Saturday, that there was a possibility that I was needed to fill in for a match, but I didn’t know entirely until Friday,”

Becky Lynch also praised Bianca Belair saying that she is the most athletic woman WWE has ever had and claimed that her rival will have a bright future. Though this is not the only time The Man’s return had been discussed. She confirmed previously that the company had discussed plans for a WrestleMania return for her before those talks were nixed.

Becky Lynch Says Wrestlers Should Focus On Story More Than Moves
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