Former WWE Superstar and recent AEW signee Ruby Soho recently discussed her relationship backstage with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.
Speaking on Oral Sessions with Renee Paquette, the former WWE performer revealed that she did not speak that often with the man in charge.
“We didn’t speak very often,” Ruby Soho began. “I’d see him after matches and stuff. We didn’t really talk, he was always so busy. He was so busy. I think I spoke to him in his office probably in four years, twice?
“But I also wasn’t one of those people” Soho began. “And I think maybe this was my own fault. I wasn’t at his door all the time. And I wasn’t trying to make more of a connection and make more of a relationship.
He’s so busy that I, I feel like I’m one of those people that, as an employee, you hired me because you trust me that I know what I’m doing. And I feel like unless I hear that you don’t like something that I’m doing and I need to talk to you so we can address it, I don’t feel like I need to waste your time.
RUBY SOHO
Ruby Soho on Vince McMahon
“And that was one of the things. I don’t want to insult you by wasting your time and being like ‘hey, why am I not booked?’ I understand it’s wrestling, I get it” Ruby Soho revealed of her mentality when it comes to her time in the company.
“I was not one of those people that liked to do that unless I had something to talk to him about. And like I said, maybe I needed to be a little bit more forceful about building a relationship with him and just talk to him. But him being so busy, unless I had something important to talk to him about, I didn’t want to waste his time” the former Ruby Riott concluded.
Do you think that Ruby Soho will end up winning the AEW Women’s Championship? Let us know in the comments
Becky Lynch returned to WWE at SummerSlam and promptly won the Smackdown Women’s Championship from Bianca Belair. She’ll defend her title this Sunday against the former champion at Extreme Rules. Ahead of Sunday’s title match, Lynch spoke with Metro UK. During the discussion, Lynch was asked about what she has learned throughout her career and the Man responded that one lesson she has learned is that connecting with a crowd is more important than wrestling moves.
“There’s so many lessons. One, I think, is that the connection with the crowd is the most important thing,” Lynch said. “It’s more important than moves, it’s more important than anything, being able to connect with an audience. I feel like that is something I got fairly early on – whether or not I was any good, it was just being able to connect with an audience.”
Lynch continued to talk about the importance of telling a story in a wrestling match and how this is what truly connects with an audience.
“And two, was story above all else. I think sometimes, as wrestlers who love wrestling, we want to have a good wrestling match in spite of story. Does that make sense?”
“It’s a story, and how that whole story makes you feel. And that’s what we do, we’re storytellers. I think I learned that fairly early on that that’s more important.”
Lynch is the inaugural holder of the Smackdown women’s title, having first won the belt in 2016. She’s held the title 4x, which ranks second all-time behind Charlotte Flair’s 5 reigns. Lynch has also held the title for 248 combined days, which ranks second behind Bayley’s 520 days with the belt.
Ric Flair has posted to social media in regards to Rob Van Dam’s comments about the Plane Ride From Hell episode of Dark Side of the Ring. RVD has been posting to social media as of late as well attempting to clarify what he did and did not say on the episode.
I can confirm I didn’t see that and I didn’t say that. Creative editing will have people hearing it different ways. https://t.co/ByzQNiVZci
“I can confirm I didn’t see that and I didn’t say that. Creative editing will have people hearing it different ways,” RVD said when asked about his comments on the episode.
Flair took to social media to respond to an article written on RVD clarifying his statements.
“A Man Tried To Destroy My Reputation Based On An Assumption. I Don’t Even Know What To Say Right Now,” Flair wrote.
A Man Tried To Destroy My Reputation Based On An Assumption. I Don’t Even Know What To Say Right Now. https://t.co/s5N2vwCrb8
Rob Van Dam took to Twitter after watching the episode.
“Just watched DSOTR. Heavy,” RVD began. “Some insight for those who can handle it- 1) I haven’t seen Ric Flair’s dick. My comment about fans shouldn’t see him doing the helicopter was a response to DSOTR telling me that’s what they were told. They shouldn’t. I don’t want to see it either.”
“2) I said ‘trying to make her touch him’ referring to his body crowding her space and her backing up like bad breath was in her face. I thought maybe they were playing (from seeing a similar scene at the hotel bar) but I wasn’t interested in naked Ric. Still ain’t. I tried to sleep.”
MLW has announced that Warhorse will make his promotional debut at October 2nd’s Fightland event. The show will take place from Philadelphia’s 2300 Arena. The event will air as a 1-hour special on Vice TV October 7th following a new episode of Dark Side of the Ring.
“It’s time to bang heads and crack skulls as Warhorse makes his MLW debut Saturday October 2 in Philadelphia at FIGHTLAND,” an MLW press release reads.
The heavy metal wrestler performs with GCW, Warrior Wrestling and many independent promotions but also wrestled Cody Rhodes for the TNT Championship on an episode of AEW Dynamite last year.
Alex Shelley, Tom Lawlor, Bobby Fish, Lee Moriarty Davey Richards, TJP, Matt Cross, and Calvin Tankman have all been announced for the Opera Cup tournament.
MLW Heavyweight Championship Jacob Fatu (c) vs. Alex Hammerstone
MLW Middleweight Championship Myron Reed (c) vs. Tajiri vs. Aramis vs. Arez
Nicole Savoy vs. Holidead.
Opera Cup Quarter-Finals
Opera Cup Semi-Finals
MLW Fusion Alpha Debuts September 22nd
MLW returns tonight with a special episode of the miniseries “Fusion Alpha.” The show will focus on Cesar Duran, the former Dario Cueto from Lucha Underground. A lot of mystery surrounds the show.
Tonight on AEW’s Grand Slam Dynamite in Arthur Ashe Stadium, Kenny Omega and Bryan Danielson will face-off in non-title action. Ahead of tonight’s show, Omega and Don Callis spoke with Jim Ross.
“It could be a dream match for you, it could be a dream match for other people, to me, it’s just another Wednesday,” Omega said of his match with Bryan Danielson.
“People talk about dream matches,” Callis added. “Some people like to make people’s dreams come true, we like to crush people’s dreams.”
Omega also spoke about accepting Danielson’s challenge for a non-title match when he did not have to. He and Callis also spoke about people coming from other promotions and wanting to face top talent immediately.
“Here in AEW, we have a win-loss record thing going, I’m sure you’re aware of it,” Omega said to JR.
“It’s the arrogance of the Stamford Supermax people that come in here and say ‘we’re entitled’,” Callis said.
Omega continued to say that Danielson doesn’t deserve a title shot, and so he is not putting the title on the line.
“You came here thinking you deserve a handout, that you deserve something for free because everyone knows your catch phrases, everyone knows your face,” Omega continued.
This will be just the second time that Omega and Danielson have had a singles matching their careers. The first took place at a PWG show in 2009. Danielson won the match.
Omega and Callis’ comments can be heard in the Tweet below:
WWE Superstar Baron Corbin recently spoke to Alex McCarthy of TalkSPORT during the company’s tour of the United Kingdom.
Corbin discussed several topics during the interview, but one that was particularly intriguing was his assessment of the follow-up to his feud with Kurt Angle.
Baron Corbin defeated Angle in his retirement match at WrestleMania 35, and the former General Manager of RAW lamented at how the heat of the result did not get capitalized on.
“I wish we would have [done more], I wish we would have really capitalised on the momentum that gave me because that’s an incredible opportunity,” Corbin began.
Baron Corbin on Kurt Angle Match
“When you look at the guy, and not just what he’s accomplished in WWE, but what he’s accomplished in life, for him to step out… Yeah, everyone is going to have a dream match for their final match and I can’t ever imagine Kurt Angle was like ‘I want to wrestle Baron Corbin for my last match in WWE!’
“He had history, he was Cena’s first match in WWE and I understand that completely. Who wouldn’t want to go out wrestling John Cena as their last match? It’s a phenomenal thing to do if you’re in the ring with him or Kurt – doesn’t matter.
“To me, it was more than I could have ever wished for to be in that position with Kurt, because he’s a living legend, Hall of Famer, gold medallist; you can list his accolades all day long and that’s who I got to share the ring with at WrestleMania, one-on-one” the SmackDown Superstar concluded.
Don Callis, “The Invisible Hand” for Kenny Omega, has offered a backhanded compliment to Bryan Danielson’s “Thank You” letter to WWE.
Danielson made the decision to sign with AEW once his WWE contract was up. “The American Dragon” admitted to reporters that it wasn’t an easy decision to make. He left the company on good terms.
Ahead of AEW Grand Slam, Danielson penned a special letter expressing gratitude to WWE through the Players Tribune.
Bryan Danielson is set to meet AEW World Champion Kenny Omega inside Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City on Sept. 22. Omega’s title will not be on the line.
Never one to hold his tongue, Callis made a snide comment on Danielson’s heartfelt message.
Well that brought a tear to my eye……….?. @KennyOmegamanX and I are glad you kept the door open with your former employer so you have somewhere to go on Thursday. It’s a long walk to Stamford in Birkenstocks kid.
“Well that brought a tear to my eye………. Kenny Omega and I are glad you kept the door open with your former employer so you have somewhere to go on Thursday. It’s a long walk to Stamford in Birkenstocks kid.”
Danielson has made it clear that his challenge to Omega is simply about the best fighting the best. The former multiple-time world champion says he wants Omega to bring back “The Best Bout Machine” even if it’s just for one night.
During his time in NJPW, Omega was simply world-class. He had many classic matches with the likes of Kazuchika Okada, Tetsuya Naito, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomohiro Ishii, and others. His run in AEW was regarded by many as a disappointment in the early going but he has turned things around.
Now, fans wait to see if Danielson vs. Omega will live up to the hype.
Booker T is of the belief that no one can touch MJF on the mic.
It’s clear that Maxwell Jacob Friedman has become one of the breakout stars of AEW. Many have praised him for his heel work, particularly when cutting promos. MJF has proven he can hold his own in the ring as well.
Taking to his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T explained why he gets chills whenever MJF speaks.
“I can’t lie to you. The best promo guy right now in the whole damn world is MJF. He’s good. He’s so good. He’s so believable. He sounds like one of those promos from back in the day where you get caught up in just looking at the guy’s eyes. The feel of the promo makes you go, ‘Good God, man.’ This guy is really good. You can tell it’s natural just having the feel of which route to go during his promos. I give that guy a whole lot of credit. Damn good promo guy, MJF.”
MJF has already been a part of many high-profile feuds at just 25 years old. He’s mixed it up with the likes of Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, and Cody Rhodes. He is set to do battle with Brian Pillman Jr. on the AEW Grand Slam edition of Dynamite on Sept. 22 in New York City.
Many believe that it’s only a matter of time before MJF captures the AEW World Championship. He has competed for the gold before against Moxley but the timing simply wasn’t right for the title change. Whether or not a title run sometime next year is in the cards remains to be seen.
Bryan Danielson has shed some light on why he won’t be doing the “Yes!” chants in AEW.
Danielson ended up being the second-worst kept secret in AEW history behind CM Punk. Danielson reportedly signed a deal with AEW and Punk even hinted at “The American Dragon’s” arrival. Danielson ended appearing at the end of the AEW All Out PPV on Sept. 5.
As the fans chanted “Yes!” Danielson didn’t point in the air as he normally does. Instead, he just extended his arms out and hopped down the aisle.
During an appearance on Rasslin with Brandon Walker, Danielson said he won’t be leading the chants out of respect for WWE’s IPs.
“I’m not doing it myself because I respect WWE’s intellectual property. I don’t think anything legally, they haven’t threatened anything legally. I had a great conversation with Kevin Dunn before I debuted with AEW. I was very upfront with WWE of, ‘I want to let you guys know I’m leaving. This is my debut date.’ They asked me, politely, to respect their intellectual property. Even some things that couldn’t be legally enforced. I’m trying my best to do that. There are also certain expectations fans have of me that they want to be able to do. I’m happy they still get to do that. I’m going to do my best to avoid swinging my arms in the air.”
Bryan Danielson has said that fans who wish to continue chanting “Yes!” can do so. Danielson let it be known that he still embraces the chants but you just won’t see him encouraging it as he did during his WWE run.
Danielson and other AEW names have been making media rounds ahead of the big Grand Slam event. Dynamite will air live from Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City on Sept. 22. Danielson will take on AEW World Champion Kenny Omega on the show. Rampage will also take place that same night but it won’t air on TNT until Sept. 24.
Ruby Soho was in awe after one former WWE star surprised her backstage at All Out.
On Sept. 5, Soho made her debut for AEW. She appeared as the Joker entrant in the Women’s Casino Battle Royale at All Out. Soho won the match and will now challenge Britt Baker for the AEW Women’s World Championship on the Grand Slam edition of Dynamite on Sept. 22.
Soho couldn’t believe that her close friend and former Riott Squad member, Sarah Logan, was backstage to greet her before the big debut. Here’s what Ruby Soho told Renee Paquette during an appearance on Oral Sessions.
“I get to the venue, I have a hood on and everyone’s trying to sneak me in and whatever. I’ve got a bag and I’m so flustered because I’m late and I’m excited. And I open the door and she’s the first person I see. And she has Cash with her. I just start bawling and I just like hugged her and I grabbed Cash and I just held him. I was like ‘why are you guys here?’ She said ‘I said I’d be here for you.’ She apparently had it planned for a while, and she’s terrible at keeping secrets, so she almost spilled it three or four times. But yeah, it was amazing. She’s always been there for all of our milestones in our career. We’ve been together since we first started, so for her to be there just made it all that more special.”
Soho also explained how Logan helped get her through the rough time she had dealing with her WWE release. Soho was dropped from the company back in June. It only took Soho three months to find her way back on a major wrestling show.
Many agree that Ruby is due for the biggest match of her career. She’s yet to be in a match as prominent as the one against Baker coming up. The match will be held inside Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City. Over 18,000 fans are expected to attend and with additional seating opening up, that number could reach over 20,000.
The September 21, 2021 episode of WWE NXT 2.0 aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center.
WWE NXT Results
Roderick Strong def. Kushida to win Crusweight Title
Kay Lee Ray def. Amari Miller.
Dante Chen def. Trey Baxter.
Cameron Grimes def. Joe Gacy.
Elektra Lopez def. Anna Scheer.
Odyssey Jones def. Darren Ciapetta & Cary Millman
Bron Breakker & Tommaso Ciampa def. Pete Dunne & Ridge Holland.
Tommaso Ciampa Opens
New NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa kicked off the show after he won the title in a four-way match last week.
He beat LA Knight, Pete Dunne, and the debuting Von Wagner (Cal Bloom) in the bout to crown a new champion after Samoa Joe relinquished it. Following the bout, Ciampa had an interaction with Bron Breakker (Bronson Rechsteiner), who had made his debut by defeating Knight earlier in the show, backstage. Breakker and Ciampa congratulated each other on their wins. Breakker looked at Ciampa’s title belt.
Ciampa came out for a promo with various NXT stars with him about how once again he is NXT Champion. He said the fans should like the young stars as they’ve been working hard and waiting to show the world how good they are. He named Camelo Hayes and Bron Breakker. He said he has always been known and will be mr. NXT. He said that the passion hasn’t left NXT. He said with him as champion and the new fresh paint just became the A show because they are NXT.
Cameron Grimes came out and said he’s fired up. He said the NXT Title is the rocket fuel that he needs to go to the moon. LA Knight came out, but was shut down and reminded he lost twice last week. Pete Dunne was out next and said that all he sees is a bounce of scared people looking to throw a punch. A brawl broke out.
After this brawl broke out, Breaker challenged Dunne and Ridge Holland to a match tonight with Ciampa being his partner. Thus, the match was booked later in the show in the main event.
Breaker got the win thanks to outside inference from Kyle O’Reilly, who attacked Holland.
Joe Gacy did an in-ring promo while sitting in a chair. He talked about how the ring is his safe place. Wade Barrett said after the promo that he has no idea was Gacy was talking about and neither do I. Gacy is dressed in a nice shirt and slacks, but is supposed to be a crazy guy.
Anyways, Cameron Grimes came out for a match with him. Gacy had a strong showing and was decent in the ring. Grimes went over with his finisher. Post-match, Gacy hugged Grimes.
Toxic Attraction (Mandy Rose, Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne) came out to “address the NXT Universe,” as WWE had advertised.
This came one week after Rose debuted a new look with brown hair in order to interrupt a match between Kacy Catanzaro & Kayden Carter and Dolin & Jayne, which led to a six-woman tag where Toxic Attraction defeated Sarray, Catanzaro & Carter.
Rose talked about how the fans like to look at her, but when she had her face busted up the fans were nowhere to be found. She said that she became a GIF and was yesterday’s news. She said that the fans treated her just like Gigi and Jacy, but they don’t give a damn about what the fans think. She said that behind the beauty is the beast and this is the future of the women’s division. She’s ready to take it over with Gigi and Jacy next to her. Gigi said that they always knew of what Rose had in her. They want the Women’s Tag Team Titles. It was later announced the match would happen next week.
"Behind this BEAUTY, a BEAST is ready to be unleashed. THIS is what the future of the #WWENXT Women's Division looks like."
Cruiserweight Champion Kushida put the title on the line in a match against Roderick Strong.
The match was originally supposed to take place on the August 17 episode of NXT, but it got pushed back due to Kushida testing positive for COVID-19. Last week, Kushida made his return and declared that he’s ready to face Strong.
Diamond Mine manager, Malcolm Bivens, has been calling Strong the uncrowned NXT Cruiserweight Champion since Kushida wasn’t able to compete.
The match was back and forth. Kushida had a submission hold locked in, but there was outside interference by Diamond Mind. This allowed Strong to hit a back breaker for the win.
Post-match, Grayson Waller came out and challenged Strong to a title match next week because he’s looking to take an opportunity instead of waiting for it.
Triple H, the Executive Vice President of Global Talent Strategy & Development at WWE, has issued a statement following his heart procedure.
The WWE legend recently needed to undergo surgery following a “cardiac event.” WWE issued the following statement on Sept. 8.
“Paul Levesque, a.k.a. Triple H, underwent a successful procedure last week at Yale New Haven Hospital following a cardiac event. The episode was caused by a genetic heart issue and Paul is expected to make a full recovery.”
Triple H appears to be in good spirits. He issued the following statement.
I’ve been blown away by the outreach and support from so many people. I’m recovering, doing well, & deeply grateful for all the love in my life. Especially grateful for @ShawnMichaels & all the Superstars & crew @WWENXT! (Steph and the girls loved the snacks!) See you soon ???
“I’ve been blown away by the outreach and support from so many people. I’m recovering, doing well, & deeply grateful for all the love in my life. Especially grateful for Shawn Michaels & all the Superstars & crew at NXT! (Steph and the girls loved the snacks). See you soon.”
It was reported by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Shawn Michaels was in charge of the debut episode of NXT 2.0 in Triple H’s absence. The outlet has also reported that WWE talent have been told that while they can contact “The Game” to send their well wishes, they are not to speak business matters with him during his recovery.
Time will tell when Triple H will be able to resume his duties at the WWE offices. In the meantime, the multiple-time world champion will be resting to ensure his recovery goes according to plan. As WWE’s statement makes note of, he’s expected to make a full recovery.
Tony Khan has addressed the question of whether or not he thinks AEW has captured WWE’s attention.
AEW was founded in 2019. The company’s first airing of Dynamite was held on TNT back in October of that year. That episode brought in 1.409 million viewers.
Since that time, AEW has been riding a wave of momentum, signing a new deal with TNT and adding the Rampage show. While WWE isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, many believe the promotion has at the very least been keeping tabs on AEW. Tony Khan agreed with that notion when speaking to AP.
“I’m a big wrestling fan and I would say, objectively, AEW is the hottest wrestling company right now. So many people who watch wrestling know that AEW’s gaining ground, AEW is hitting all-time highs. It’s helping us build new fans, it’s helping people want to take the leap and check the shows out. I’m sure other wrestling companies are paying attention to that. We have great relationships with a lot of wrestling companies that know what’s going on with AEW. I think if you work in the wrestling business, you’re following what we’re doing and the success we’re having. We’re catching a lot of eyeballs outside of the world of wrestling and mainstream attention, so you better believe in the world of wrestling people are paying very close attention to it.”
AEW is set for its biggest show to date. The promotion will be hosting Grand Slam editions of Dynamite and Rampage. The action will be held inside Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City. Dynamite airs live on Sept. 22 and Rampage airs on Sept. 24 via tape delay.
On Dynamite, Bryan Danielson will make his in-ring debut for AEW against Kenny Omega. Omega’s AEW World Championship will not be on the line. The AEW Women’s World Title will be at stake as champion Britt Baker takes on Ruby Soho.
The Rampage episode will see CM Punk take on Powerhouse Hobbs. There will also be a Lights Out tag team match between Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston vs. Minoru Suzuki and Lance Archer.
WWE relaunched the NXT brand last week with a new look, logo, stage, and name, NXT 2.0. Part of the revamp was to introduce newer and younger talent on television as well.
Fightful Select reported today that more changes could be in store for NXT as WWE has discussed some plans for NXT 2.0 that are directly from WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.
Those at the USA Network are said to be in support of what the WWE boss has in mind, which is for the show to target “more of a P18-34 demographic, including everything from in-ring work and aggression to harsher language and the like.”
“Keep up with current affairs with promos and character verbiage” was another point said to be brought up. One talent stated that they’d believe it when they see it regarding the possible changes.
Jon Alba has also heard of the company wanting to go after a younger audience:
For what it's worth, I reported on our @theLTGpodcast Patreon last week that I was told specifically that the NXT 2.0 rebrand was primarily aimed at attracting a younger audience.
It will be interesting to see if WWE goes in this direction and should they do so, how long McMahon will stick with it as he is known to change his mind quite often. Also, WWE has presented a PG-product for over a decade now with the mindset that they could get better sponsors with a family-friendly product compared to a TV-14 audience.
AEW has found great success under the leadership of its President Tony Khan who just two years ago took the leap of starting his own wrestling promotion.
In their first year, they reached a television deal with WarnerMedia that would see them air a weekly two-hour flagship series every Wednesday night in primetime on TNT. In January 2020, they reached an extension through 2023 with a fourth-year option for 2024 that would give AEW a significant pay increase.
It was reported around this time by Dave Meltzer that the new deal was worth $175 million, just under $45 million per year.
Khan talked about AEW’s finances in a new interview with the Associated Press. It was noted that Khan stated to them, “AEW has already turned a profit.”
“Our TNT deal is very fair. I think we’ve performed at such a high level that we’ll justify a big increase on our next deal,” he said. “We are very fortunate to have their support. The timing of that deal was great, to get that in January 2020, that is a huge revenue stream for us.”
It was announced earlier this year that Dynamite will move to TBS in January 2022. Part of AEW’s deal was to introduce a new one-hour show, AEW Rampage, that premiered in August. Also in 2022, AEW will air four “supercard” specials on TNT.
Bryan Danielson had almost considered taking time off from wrestling before signing with All Elite Wrestling. Danielson is currently in New York City doing the media rounds ahead of Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam event from Arthur Ashe Stadium.
During an interview with the NY sports radio show WFAN, Danielson discussed his decision to sign with AEW, his article thanking WWE, and more. When explaining his decision to jump to AEW, Danielson revealed he considered taking a hiatus from wrestling after leaving WWE.
“A lot of people look at it in terms of there being two options,” said Danielson. “Either you’re going to be with WWE or AEW, but part of me was like, or I could just do like an independent schedule, where I don’t sign with anybody. I also thought about not coming back to wrestling at all. In the sense of at least for the next couple of years.”
Bryan Danielson’s Decision
Danielson is starting his AEW career at age 40. His decision to sign with AEW took some consideration on how it will affect his family.
“I wanted to take the Summer off because my daughter started pre-school and just being home with her every day,” he continued. “Her whole life, she’s four. I’ve left every week, almost every week. I loved it. She loved it, me being home every single night.”
“Now that I’m gone, I Facetime her every night, and it’s just like, Daddy, I miss you. I miss your cuddles, said Danielson. He shared that he considered stepping away from wrestling until his son started pre-school. However, he thought, considering his age, it was best to pursue AEW now.”
At this stage of his career, Danielson feels that he has nothing to prove in professional wrestling. The AEW contract he signed is for three years, in which afterward he expects to have a limited wrestling schedule. He’s also calling the next three years the climax of his career.
“My goal is, at the end of three years, to become a better person. I see these next three years as kind of my last three years as a full-time wrestler.”
– Bryan Danielson
Danielson’s AEW in-ring debut against AEW World Champion Kenny Omega this Wednesday at Dynamite: Grand Slam.
Jim Ross knows a thing or two about commentary and he feels CM Punk is a natural.
Punk first appeared on commentary for AEW on the Sept. 3 edition of Rampage. He was in the booth for the main event of that show between Darby Allin and Daniel Garcia. He then provided commentary on the Sept. 15 edition of Dynamite before being attacked by Powerhouse Hobbs and Hook of Team Taz.
During an episode of his Grilling JR podcast, Jim Ross said that Punk nailed his role on commentary.
“He was great. I’m not saying that to kiss his a** because that’s what some feel obligated to do, and he didn’t like it. He didn’t like having his a*ss kissed.
“I was very, very honest with Phil, and we built a great relationship because of it. He and I spent a lot of time together on those TV days. He is a natural. He’s as good as anybody, any ex-wrestler, that stepped into that spot and did it for the first time. Just astonishing.”
Punk has dabbled into commentary in the past. He was in the booth for a period of time when he worked for WWE. With AEW reportedly going with a rotating commentary team for Rampage, we probably haven’t seen the last of CM Punk with a headset on.
Punk is set for his second match under the AEW banner. He will meet Powerhouse Hobbs on the AEW Grand Slam edition of Rampage. That show will air on Sept. 24 via tape delay.
Bryan Danielson has chimed in on not being able to use The Final Countdown as his theme song in AEW.
Once reports started swirling regarding Danielson’s arrival in AEW, fans started fantasizing about “The American Dragon” making his way to the ring with The Final Countdown blaring out the speakers. Danielson made his AEW debut at the All Out PPV on Sept. 5 but he had a brand new theme song.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletterreported that using The Final Countdown was cost-prohibitive for Tony Khan.
Speaking to Bleacher Report, Bryan Danielson confirmed that the asking price was simply not feasible.
“Tony and I talked about a couple of things. We had talked about ‘The Final Countdown,’ but that was way too expensive. I hate talking business stuff when I don’t exactly know what it was, but it wasn’t just the amount of money. They would only let [AEW] play it like 20 times a year or something like that. For several $100,000 you can play ‘Final Countdown’ 20 times a year. That doesn’t work for us.”
Danielson ended up calling on his friend, Elliott Taylor, to make a fresh theme song for him. The song even includes a chant that Danielson often heard when he was on the indie scene, “you’re gonna get your f*cking head kicked in.”
Danielson is set for his first match on AEW TV. He will take on AEW World Champion Kenny Omega in a non-title match. It’ll be featured on the AEW Grand Slam edition of Dynamite on Sept. 22. The show will be held inside Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City.
WWE will reportedly be bringing back the King of the Ring shortly. Previous reports have stated that WWE plans to bring back the tournament next month along with an inaugural women’s version. The plan is to begin the tournament in October and host the finals at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia on October 21st.
According to a recent report from PW Insider, WWE has produced a special on the King of the Ring that will air on Fox to build anticipation for its return. The special will air on Fox the weekend of October 1st to 3rd with timeslots varying across local markets.
“The special will air in different timeslots depending on your local market and will be a preview of the return of the King of the Ring tournament,” wrote Mike Johnson.
King of the Ring tournament to take place in October
The finals also taking place in Saudi Arabia (Along with the Queen of the Ring finals) pic.twitter.com/rXzdLaXPe5
Don Muraco was the first person to be declared the King of the Ring in 1985 when he won the inaugural tournament. Below is the history of King of the Ring tournament winners. This list does not include wrestlers such as King Haku or King Nakamura, who won the crown by defeating a King in a non-tournament setting.
AEW announces a partnership with the Owen Hart Foundation yesterday. The agreement will see AEW produce apparel and action figures featuring Owen’s likeness. He will also appear in the upcoming AEW console video game. AEW also announced the Owen Hart Cup tournament, something that reportedly has been in the works for some time.
Dave Meltzer addressed the creation of the Owen Hart Cup during a recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio.
“They’ve been working on this for a long, long time,” Meltzer said. “It was months ago, I remember bringing up – and I don’t know if it was on a show, it may have just been in conversation – but I know that I brought up the idea to Tony Khan of a Brodie Lee tournament and he said ‘we have an idea for a tournament’ so this was the idea.”
“They are going to do an annual Owen Hart Cup. They are going to work with Martha Hart. it’s a win-win, there is nothing negative to say on this at all. It’s great, Martha Hart is a great person,” he continued. “I mean really a great person, it’s too bad people don’t get that but she really is.”
AEW may have considered the idea of naming the tournament “King of Harts” as they applied to trademark the term this summer.
Chris Jericho spoke to Sportskeeda last year about his hope that AEW will find a way to honor Owen.
“I think the family realises there’s other places to go other than WWE, there’s a lot of other Halls of Fame and a lot of other places where Owen could get some of the accolades that he deserves, 21 years later,” Jericho said. “I’d love to see (Martha) do something with AEW. I think the spirit of Owen Hart lives on in AEW for sure.”
Jericho also commented on Owen not going in the WWE Hall of Fame.
“I never thought Owen should go in the (WWE) Hall of Fame it’s just not right,” Jericho said. “I think anybody who had any problems with that should watch (The Dark Side episode on Owen) and will understand where the family’s coming from.”
Charlotte Flair was a guest on Alexa Bliss’ Playground last night on RAW. According to comments made by Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, the segment was poorly received by the live crowd in North Carolina. Reportedly, fans left the arena “in droves” during it.
“This one, it really backfired,” Meltzer said of the segment. “They had about 8000 in the building, which is not bad, not good, I mean it’s fine. People were leaving in droves during this segment. I heard 1500 people left.”
“It’s not like they left, went to the bathroom, and came back, they left, went home at 10 o’clock,” Meltzer continued. “People were going home at 10 o’clock, which I have never heard of people going home in any numbers during a live RAW and this was the first.”
Update: Alexa Bliss is calling out Dave Meltzer for this report. She wrote on Twitter:
“Sorry Meltzer (or whatever) you can’t get clout off of our segment … move on #StopLying #LitterallyDidntHappen #YoureEmbarassingYourself”
– Alexa Bliss
Bliss and Flair will meet at Extreme Rules on Sunday with the RAW Women’s Championship on the line. Both Flair and Bliss hold all-time records with the belt. Bliss has spent more days with the RAW championship (398) than anyone dating back to the title’s inception in 2016.
Flair has won the title more times (6x) than anyone in history and held it for 274+ days, which ranks 4th all-time behind Bliss, Lynch, and Asuka.
Bryan Danielson will wrestle Kenny Omega at Dynamite Grand Slam tomorrow night. Ahead of his in-ring debut with AEW, Danielson penned an article for the Players Tribune thanking WWE.
“Before this next part of my career gets fully underway, there’s something I need to express: THANK YOU, WWE,” Danielson wrote. “Thank you to the incredible superstars with whom I’ve shared both the ring and the road. For Savate-Kick Saturdays and locally roasted coffee. For being family when we’re away from family. For making me look good when I didn’t feel good. For deep conversations and pointless debates. For making me laugh — both in the best of times, and the worst. For all the small things that make life as a wrestler just a little bit more fun.”
Danielson also wrote a paragraph thanking “The Big Man” who one might assume is Vince McMahon.
“Thank you to the Big Man, who I know hates to be acknowledged. I won’t say much, but thank you for the conversations, the life lessons (about both what to do and what not to do), and the best hug I’ve ever received. I wish more people could see you how I see you.”
Danielson continued to say that he hopes his fans from WWE will follow him to AEW, but he understands if they don’t.
“I hope you will continue to follow me in AEW, but I completely understand if you don’t. You’ve given me more than enough — more than I could ever repay. Thank you for all of it,” Danielson continued. “I loved my time in WWE. Needless to say, it changed my life.”
Danielson was with WWE from 2009 until 2021, with a brief departure in 2010 after he choked Justin Roberts with his tie during a Nexus invasion. During that time, he won the WWE Championship 4 times. He also won the World Heavyweight Championship once. He is a 1x Intercontinental Champion, 1x United States Champion, a 1x WWE tag-team champion along with Kane, and a 1x Smackdown tag-team champion along with Rowan.
Bryan won the Money in the Bank briefcase in 2011. He is the 6th WWE Grand Slam title winner under the current format, and 15th all-time. Bryan is also a 12x Slammy Award winner, with some awards being serious (such as 2013’s Superstar of the Year) and some not-so-serious (such as 2013’s Beard of the Year award).
Bryan was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 2016.
Rob Van Dam was featured prominently in the recent Dark Side of the Ring episode on 2002’s Plane Ride From Hell. RVD recently took to Twitter to clarify some of the comments he made on the show.
“Just watched DSOTR. Heavy,” RVD began. “Some insight for those who can handle it- 1) I haven’t seen Ric Flair’s dick. My comment about fans shouldn’t see him doing the helicopter was a response to DSOTR telling me that’s what they were told. They shouldn’t. I don’t want to see it either.”
“2) I said ‘trying to make her touch him’ referring to his body crowding her space and her backing up like bad breath was in her face. I thought maybe they were playing (from seeing a similar scene at the hotel bar) but I wasn’t interested in naked Ric. Still ain’t. I tried to sleep.”
RVD also responded to several responses he received on Twitter as well. He clarified that people may be misconstruing what he said due to how the episode was edited.
I can confirm I didn’t see that and I didn’t say that. Creative editing will have people hearing it different ways. https://t.co/ByzQNiVZci
In a world where everyone is afraid to say the wrong thing for fear of consequences, I proudly say “fuck you” if you want to take me down. Go for it. My closet has been emptied long ago and you still have to answer to Karma for your own dishonest ass. ?#facts
“I enjoy the communication,” RVD also said in a Tweet last night. “Being famous means having haters. Haters that think they have better life skills than me is something I like to share with everybody because I’m sure their life is nothing I’d trade for. I win.. what’s that make them?”
I enjoy the communication. Being famous means having haters. Haters that think they have better life skills than me is something I like to share with everybody because I’m sure their life is nothing I’d trade for. I win.. what’s that make them? https://t.co/pYqEk0iqHp
Cody Rhodes has named the four people who he’d put on a Wrestling Mount Rushmore.
Cody wife Brand recently took part in an ‘AMA’ Q&A session for Bleacher Report. They answered questions related to a number of different topics including a potential heel turn for Cody and more
When asked if their company was always going to be called All Elite Wrestling, the former TNT champion revealed that they first thought about calling it only ‘All Elite.’
“There were other names kicked around.” said Cody, “We considered ‘All Elite’ and Tony had the foresight and said ‘it’s a wrestling company, we need initials’… Dynamite is what Tony wanted and he saw it through.”
Brandi added that AEW was always on their mind. The debate they had was about the name of their weekly show before settling for Dynamite.
Wrestling Mount Rushmore
“Wrestling Mount Rushmore” (Photo: Bleacher Report)
When a fan inquired the duo who they would include in their Mt. Rushmore, Cody Rhodes interestingly took the name of both Vince McMahon and Tony Khan, before adding Dusty Rhodes and The Rock to the list.
Brandi said that she would have Sherri Martel, Ms. Elizabeth, Mae Young, and Madusa in her own Mt. Rushmore of wrestling.
Apart from this, the duo also answered questions related to things such as the origin story of AEW, advice for aspiring businessmen, and more.
You can check out all the questions they answered here.
While the 30 days non compete clause of Bronson Reed has expired already, the former NXT North American champion is taking his time in deciding where he wants to wrestle next and he has two possible destinations in mind.
The former NXT star recently appeared on Busted Open Radio. Among other things, he also provided an update on his future after recent WWE release.
Reed claimed that he is in talks with the ‘major promotions’ before saying that he doesn’t think the AEW roster has what he has to offer in the ring:
“I’m in talks with the major promotions, I can’t say any which way that I’m leaning towards. I do think that what I do offer, I don’t think AEW really has that. Impact do have some bigger talent, but no one that is really my mold.
I think it’d fit in Impact or AEW.” said Bronson Reed, “I am a huge fan and I did wrestle in Japan. That is somewhere I would like to work again.”
The former WWE star continued his explanation revealing that he is currently working on his immigration status. He said that he will hopefully have an answer for his fans about his future in a few weeks.
Bronson Reed was released from his WWE contract on August 6. Being a development star, he had a 30 days non-compete clause which has already expired. He recently shared a theory about his WWE release which you can check out here.
