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Bron Breakker Expected To Get Big Push In Coming Weeks

Anutosh Bajpai
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Fans can expect newly debuted NXT star Bron Breakker to get ‘quite the push’ in the coming weeks according to a new report from PWInsider.

The son of WWF and WCW veteran Rick Steiner made his debut for the promotion on this week’s rebranded episode of NXT 2.0. He defeated LA Knight in the opening match of the night. Though this wasn’t the only segment he had during the show.

Breakker also had a confrontation with the new NXT champion Tommaso Ciampa at the end of the show. Their segment reminded many of the moment between John Cena and Undertaker from years ago.

As far as why WWE did not use the initially planned Rex Steiner name for the star, one source pointed out that the possible reason for the switch was their policy to trademark and own the ring names for all their talent.

Bron Breakker & NXT 2.0

WWE introduced the revamped version of NXT this week. The show saw the debut of a new stage and changes in overall presentation for the brand.

Apart from Bron Breakker, the first episode of this new era of NXT also saw the debut of a number of other stars. You can check out a list of the names that made their first appearance on the show here.

Who Was In Charge Of NXT 2.0 Revamp Episode? (Report)

Title Match Added To Extreme Rules, Updated Card

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE has announced that The Usos will be defending their SmackDown tag team championships against Street Profits at the upcoming Extreme Rules PPV.

Last week’s Super SmackDown featured a tag team championship match between these two teams in the main event of the show. Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman came to the ringside mid-way through the match.

It looked like the Street Profits would win the match when the Tribal Chief rushed to the ring and attacked Montez Ford. He locked Ford into a Guillotine.

The disqualification caused by Reigns’ run-in resulted in The Street Profits being declared the winner. Though the Usos remained the tag team champions.

Updated Extreme Rules Match Card

Now WWE has announced that we will get a rematch between these two at the upcoming PPV. This is the fifth match that has been announced for the show. Below is the updated card for the event:

  • Universal Championship Match: “The Demon” Finn Balor vs. Roman Reigns
  • Raw Women’s Championship Match: Alexa Bliss vs. Charlotte Flair
  • SmackDown Women’s Championship Match: Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch
  • WWE United States Championship Match: Sheamus vs. Damian Priest
  • SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match: The Street Profits vs. The Usos

Extreme Rules this year will take place from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio on Sunday, September 26.

John Cena On If He Will Ever Wrestle For Any Other Company

Renee Paquette On Why CM Punk Chose AEW Over WWE

Anutosh Bajpai
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After making his triumphant return to pro wrestling last month, CM Punk had ‘blamed’ Renee Paquette for paving the way for his comeback by convincing him to join WWE Backstage on FS1. The female star recently had an interview with WrestlingInc. Among other things, she also discussed the former WWE champion’s return to wrestling.

During the interview, Paquette explained why she thinks Punk chose AEW over WWE for his comeback, claiming that there was nothing fresh for him in WWE:

“I don’t think there was anything fresh and new in WWE that he really wanted to do. I don’t think there was anyone there that he wanted to work that he hasn’t already worked, storylines he’s not already been able to do.

Whether it was at AEW, or Ring of Honor or what have you, to now looking at things being busted wide open at AEW And having Adam Cole there now. You’ve got Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, for him to be able to tag with Bryan Danielson, that was one thing that he mentioned to me on my podcast.”

Renee Paquette continued her explanation by mentioning how the straight edge star was driven more by the different avenues he can take rather than a truckload of cash:

“I think it’s just those other opportunities and different avenues that he can kind of take his career now. I think that’s what really spoke to him more so than somebody driving a truck of cash up to his house, which hopefully he got that too.”

Apart from this, Renee Paquette also discussed her new Serious XM Fight Nation show with Miesha Tate and explained how it came together.

Renee Paquette: Watching Jon Moxley In Deathmatches Isn’t Easy

AEW Morale Very High Heading Into Dynamite Grand Slam (Report)

Anutosh Bajpai
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Morale in the AEW locker room is very high heading into next week’s Dynamite: Grand Slam event from Queens, according to reports from PWInsider.

According to the site, the people in the company realize that’s their NYC debut is going to be a huge milestone for the promotion and everyone wants to appear on that show in some fashion.

This is going to be AEW’s biggest crowd till date and talent realize that the Grand Slam event will outdraw the live attendance figures for WWE’s return to Madison Square Garden at last Friday’s Super SmackDown event.

WWE announced an official attendance figure of 14,425 for the Super SmackDown special with advertised appearances such as Brock Lesnar and John Cena but the real attendance is believed to be close to 13,000.

The Arthur Ashe Stadium has a capacity of 23,771. The expected capacity for Dynamite is 18,692 and it was reported last week that the promotion had already sold more than 18,000 tickets for the Grand Slam special.

AEW has announced big matches such as the women’s title match between Britt Baker and Ruby Soho and a nontitle match between AEW champion Kenny Omega and Daniel Bryan for this show.

Updated Card For AEW Grand Slam: Omega vs. Danielson Confirmed

John Cena On If He Will Ever Wrestle For Any Other Company

Anutosh Bajpai
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We have seen a number of former WWE stars showing up at different companies in the past few months, though there is one star who is certain that he will never work for any other promotion – John Cena.

The cenation leader took part in a Q&A at the Florida Supercon over the weekend. Among other questions, the former champion was also asked if we would ever see him wrestling for another promotion.

Replying to it, Cena reiterated pro wrestling’s famous “never say never” philosophy. Though he later added that he is certain this won’t be the case:

“There’s a whole like ‘never say never’ philosophy and I’m also that way in life because you never know what life will bring you. But, I can with certainty say no,”

John Cena also talked about the ECW One Night Stand event in 2006 where he defended his WWE championship against RVD. He revealed that he found out that he was losing the WWE title to the Hall Of Famer four hours before the show.

The 16-time world champion made his most recent WWE return at Money In The Bank in July. He then faced Roman Reigns at SummerSlam. He completed this stint with his MSG appearance. There is no word on when we will see him in WWE again.

John Cena Reveals His Choice For Best Actor In WWE

Spoiler Regarding Future AEW Title Feud

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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We now know what feud is being built up for a title match in AEW down the road.

The Sept. 17 episode of Rampage was taped on Sept. 15 following Dynamite. The action was held inside the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Fans got to witness a TNT Title match between Miro and Fuego Del Sol.

This spoiler may not come as a surprise but Miro did successfully retain his gold against Del Sol. After the match, Del Sol’s best friend, Sammy Guevara entered the ring and blasted Miro on the mic during his promo. He even held up the TNT Championship.

Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reports that the plan is indeed to go with a future TNT Title match with Miro and Guevara. Meltzer took it a step further and said he feels Guevara should be the one to take the title from Miro. Bryan Alvarez was in agreement. Whether or not AEW feels the time for a title change is on the horizon remains to be seen.

As it stands now, Miro has held onto the TNT Championship for over 127 days. He captured the gold against Darby Allin on the May 12 edition of Dynamite. He is the second longest-reigning TNT Champion in the title’s young lineage.

Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar Set for Crown Jewel

Tyriece Simon
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WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns will face Brock Lesnar at Crown Jewel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on October 21st.

WWE made the match official today. The company also noted that the match, for now, isn’t for the Universal Championship. Reigns will defend the title against “The Demon” Finn Balor at Extreme Rules at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on September 26th.

If Reigns defeats “The Demon,” he will defend the Universal Championship against Lesnar at Crown Jewel.

Brock Lesnar Return to WWE

Lesnar returned to WWE and confronted Reigns at Summerslam on August 22nd at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was inactive for over a year. On the September 10th episode of Friday Night Smackdown, he officially challenged Reigns to a match. Both have faced each other in the past. However, Reigns is currently a “Heel” and will have Paul Heyman as his manager. If Lesnar wins, he will become a four-time Universal Champion.

Roman Reigns vs “The Demon” Finn Balor

Reigns successfully defended his title against Balor on the September 3rd episode of Smackdown. Although he won, the WWE decided to have Reigns defend the championship against Balor again at Extreme Rules. However, Reigns was surprised he would be competing against Balor’s alter ego, “The Demon,” at the event.

Balor’s alter ego hasn’t competed in a match in over two years. It’s unclear why he is becoming “The Demon.” WWE also didn’t say if Reigns loses to “The Demon,” will he get an immediate rematch in the press release. The only guarantee is that Lesnar will face Reigns at Crown Jewel.

New Trademark Filed By WWE For Becky Lynch

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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WWE continues to file trademarks and this time there’s a new one for Becky Lynch.

Lynch is the reigning SmackDown Women’s Champion. She captured the gold in a surprise appearance at this year’s SummerSlam event. Becky nailed Bianca Belair with a cheap shot followed by a pump handle slam for the victory.

This marked the heel turn of Becky Lynch. She’ll be taking on Belair in a rematch at WWE Extreme Rules on Sept. 26.

With the heel turn comes a new trademark. Here’s a description of the United States Patent & Trademark Office filing.

“BIG TIME BECKS™ trademark registration is intended to cover the categories of entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibitions and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer rendered live and through broadcast media including television and radio, and via the internet or commercial online service; providing wrestling news and information via a global computer network; providing information in the fields of sports and entertainment via an online community portal; providing a website in the field of sports entertainment information; fan club services, namely, organizing sporting events in the field of wrestling for wrestling fan club members; organizing social entertainment events for entertainment purposes for wrestling fan club members; providing online newsletters in the fields of sports entertainment; online journals, namely blogs, in the field of sports entertainment.”

Back in August, WWE filed a trademark for “The Man,” another nickname of Lynch. Ric Flair had been at odds with the promotion over trying to secure the trademark but both parties were able to work something out.

Jim Ross Discusses “The Plane Ride From Hell”

Chris Stephens
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The 2nd half of Vice’s Dark Side of the Ring season 3 begins airing tonight. Tonight’s episode will be focused on the infamous “Plane Ride From Hell.” Jim Ross was interviewed for the show. He also spoke to Sports Illustrated recently about what went down on May 5th, 2002 as the WWE roster flew home from a European tour.

“There was just such a lack of respect on the flight,” said Ross, who at the time was WWE’s head of talent relations. “We made significant changes because of it. Guys lost their jobs and it hurt people’s reputations. They acted so wrong. We couldn’t do business with people like that, and we rebuilt our locker room after that.”

Ross continued to admit that the open bar provided for the wrestlers on the flight was probably a bad idea.

“The bottom line is I was very upset in how the talent conducted themselves,” Ross continued. “We made mistakes from a management standpoint. We had wanted to make the trip as comfortable as possible, so we chartered a sports plane with first-class seats and upgraded the food. But the open bar was obviously a mistake. It went off the rails, with a small group of guys that just went crazy. It is still a black eye to be affiliated with the Plane Ride from Hell.”

https://twitter.com/DarkSideOfRing/status/1438565058037039114

A flight attendant who sued WWE for alleged sexual harassment stemming from the flight will also be interviewed for the episode. Also interviewed were Terri Runnels, who was serenaded by Dustin Runnels over the PA system during the flight. Former WWE/ECW stars Rob Van Dam, Tommy Dreamer, and Justin Credible were also interviewed.

Next week’s episode will focus on the life and career of Chris Kanyon. Other episodes set to air cover Luna Vachon, FMW, XPW, and the Vince McMahon steroid trials.

Rhino Signs Contract Extension With Impact Wrestling (Report)

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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It looks like Rhino is staying in Impact Wrestling.

PWInsider is reporting that Rhino has re-signed with the promotion. The terms of the new deal have not been revealed. Rhino’s previous deal with Impact Wrestling began back in 2019 after he made the decision to leave WWE.

During an interview with Sporting News back in 2019, Rhino explained why he chose Impact as his landing spot.

“It’s a company on the right path for almost two years,” Rhino said when asked what signing with Impact meant to him. “They have been moving in a direction where wrestling fans want a company to go in terms of letting the talent be the talent, having bookers booking the matches on the card as opposed to writers.

“I think a lot of fans are drawn to a promotion like that. Not speaking against other promotions, but other promotions are doing it differently because they’re very successful. But I think there’s a niche where you have to let talent be talent and have enough talent where it’s not drowned out too much and where you don’t have enough TV time and run enough shows to use them. It’s up to the talent, whether to sink or swim. And Impact because guys have more control when their contracts are up.”

Rhino has had success with Impact. Back when the promotion was called TNA Wrestling, he captured the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. He also won tag team gold in the company alongside members of Violent By Design.

Bianca Belair Comments on Losing the SmackDown Women’s Title

Tyriece Simon
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WWE superstar Bianca Belair has shared her thoughts on losing the Smackdown Women’s Championship to Becky Lynch.

Belair spoke with Tennessee sports radio station WNML’s Vince Ferrara to promote Friday Night Smackdown in Knoxville, Tennessee. In the interview, Belair shared how she got into the WWE and her journey to becoming the Smackdown Women’s Champion.

Ferrara also asked Belair what WWE fans should expect when she faces Lynch at Extreme Rules on September 26th. She responded by saying that she still feels hurt losing the championship but is looking forward to the rematch.

” …I’m still very hurt by how I did lose the title at Summerslam. I was excited to get in the ring with Becky. I wasn’t expecting this title match, and it happened so quickly. So right now, I’m just trying to regain what I lost as quickly a possible,” said Belair.

Becky Lynch Controversial Win at Summerslam

Lynch defeated Belair for the Smackdown Women’s Championship at Summerslam on August 22nd at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. The title match received criticism from WWE fans and ex WWE superstars like Nikki Bella.

During a post-Summerslam event, Bella voiced her frustration on Bianca’s championship loss. “…You have someone like Bianca, who is such an incredible talent, and you can’t help but get frustrated when you see moments like that of like, a championship that meant so much and was lost within seconds,” said Bella.

Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch at Extreme Rules

Since the loss, Belair has been trying to get a rematch with Lynch. She had to win a fatal four-way elimination match on the August 27th episode of Smackdown to challenge Lynch at Extreme Rules.

In the interview with Ferrara, she shared that she expects a different result when they have their rematch. “…Becky, she’s been ducking and dodging me. I finally got her to sign the contract last week for my rematch so that we can finally go toe to toe. I know that if we really go toe to toe, in a long match, the outcome is going to be different,” said Belair. She will look to become the Smackdown Women’s Champion for a second time at Extreme Rules.

Who Was In Charge Of NXT 2.0 Revamp Episode? (Report)

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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0

The person tasked with running the debut episode of NXT 2.0 has reportedly been revealed.

NXT aired live on Sept. 14 and it was a special edition. This was the revamp episode that had been reported for weeks. It’s a new era of NXT that will focus on younger and bigger talent.

WWE showcased the exact type of talent that had been in reports by PW Insider and WOR but the result of the NXT Title match surprised many. Tommaso Ciampa ended up winning the gold in a fatal four-way match that saw Kyle O’Reilly removed in favor of the debuting Von Wagner.

We also saw the debut of Rick Steiner’s son, who is being called Bron Breakker. He had quite the debut, defeating LA Knight in the opening match and then ending the show by staring down Ciampa backstage.

Dave Meltzer has reported that Shawn Michaels was in charge of the NXT 2.0 debut show. He also said that Vince McMahon and Bruce Prichard weren’t present for the taping. Meltzer’s co-worker, Bryan Alvarez, was told that McMahon and Prichard would be producing NXT 2.0 but the Wrestling Observer Newsletter updated this saying that is actually not the case.

Meltzer notes that McMahon did look over the script for the show and had a hand in creative. With that said, his role doesn’t appear to be as prominent as once believed. It’s clear, however, that his vision for the NXT brand becoming a developmental hub again is in full effect.

Michaels’ role in leading the charge for NXT 2.0’s debut episode came to be after Triple H needed to take care of a cardiac event.

Ricky Starks: WWE Can Insult The Audience & Get Away With It

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Ricky Starks believes WWE takes liberties with its fanbase.

There has been plenty of criticism hurled WWE’s way over the past few years. Many believe that the promotion insults the intelligence of the fans. Starks, who wrestles under the AEW banner, shares this belief.

Appearing as a guest on SiriusXM’s Throwing Down w/ Renee & Miesha, Starks said he feels the higher-ups at WWE know they can get away with insulting the fans.

“Everyone says AEW is the alternative. I really think it’s the first choice now. AEW is great in the fact that, I think WWE has such a fanbase that they can insult the audience and get away with it. If you watch a TV show, let’s say like Lost, I feel like Lost insulted my intelligence halfway through and I kind of fell out of love with it. AEW is the opposite of that. You stay attached and you’re rewarded for watching so long. Even for people who haven’t followed wrestling, there are people on the show that you can connect to because they are authentic personalities.

“Watching it, there is something for everybody. Having new viewers or someone who is getting back into wrestling, AEW provides that sweet spot where you can watch it, have fun, you won’t feel stupid for watching it, you’ll be rewarded. There are great moments that are organic that you can fall in love with. The wrestlers are badass. We have men and women who are badass wrestlers.”

Ricky Starks is currently involved in a feud with Brian Cage. Cage was a member of Team Taz before being betrayed by Powerhouse Hobbs. Many believe that once Starks wraps up his rivalry with Cage, he will move on to CM Punk.

Update On Botched Finish From WWE RAW

Chris Stephens
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The match featuring Nikki ASH vs Tamina Snuka on RAW this week ended on a strange note. Nikki hit Tamina with a tornado DDT and then went for the pin. Tamina appeared to get her shoulder up before the 3-count but the ref counted 3 regardless. Things then got even stranger as Tamina’s music played and the ring announcer declared her the winner. The referee, however, awarded the match to Nikki.

According to a report from Dave Melter on Wrestling Observer Radio, Tamina was supposed to win the match but the referee didn’t see her shoulder come up on the pin attempt. WWE referees are instructed to call things as if they are real, so they declared Nikki the winner.

“The Tamina match, Tamina was supposed to win that match,” Meltzer said.

“What happened was, the ref botched the call. Tamina kicked out, the ref did not see her kick out and called it as a shoot,” he continued.

Tamina’s music played as she was the expected winner. The ring announcer declared her the winner as that was the expected result.

“The ref backstage just said ‘I didn’t see it’, was apologetic and everything like that but it was the ref’s fault, he blew the call.”

It was also noted that all the performers involved began improvising after the bell. Nikki didn’t hesitate to celebrate the victory despite it not being the planned finish.

“There was nothing there as far as what was going on after the pin that was scripted, in that sense, they were all going with the flow. Everyone involved did a good job,” Meltzer continued.

Paul Heyman Thinks Brock Lesnar’s UFC Run Is Old News

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Paul Heyman doesn’t believe Brock Lesnar will ever make his way back inside the Octagon.

Lesnar is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion. He won the title in just his fourth pro MMA bout. Lesnar stepped away from MMA competition following a Dec. 2011 loss to Alistair Overeem. He made his comeback in July 2016, initially defeating Mark Hunt via unanimous decision. That result was changed to a No Contest after Lesnar tested positive for banned substances.

Since his first UFC run came to a close, Brock Lesnar has been enjoying great success in WWE. It’s a spot that he isn’t likely to give up anytime soon. In terms of potentially working out another deal with WWE that would allow him to compete in UFC, don’t hold your breath.

Speaking to Z100, Heyman expressed his belief that Lesnar’s days in the UFC are over.

“Been there, done that. If you were to tell me that Brock Lesnar would have a shoot-out in soccer with Messi, that I believe. But he has already done the MMA schtick.

“He knocked out Randy Couture, took a beating from Shane Carwin. He’s a conqueror. What more can he do in the UFC that he hasn’t done? When Brock Lesnar went out for the Minnesota Vikings in 2004, he was 295 pounds, just suffered a motorcycle accident, and he had a torn groin, broken pelvis, a wired-shut jaw, and he still ran his 100-yard dash in Olympic qualifying time.”

Lesnar is currently involved in a feud with Roman Reigns and Heyman plays a pivotal role in the storyline. For years, Heyman has served as Lesnar’s advocate. During “The Beast’s” time away from WWE, Heyman aligned himself with Reigns. This has left many to wonder if Heyman will turn on Reigns or Lesnar.

Update On Candice LeRae’s WWE Contract

Chris Stephens
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With recent reports stating that Johnny Gargano’s WWE contract expires on December 3rd, 2021, some fans have wondered what the contractual situation of Candice LeRae is. According to a report from Fightful, LeRae’s contract with WWE does not expire until “sometime in 2022.” The exact expiry date of her contract is not currently known, however.

LeRae announced her pregnancy this August. She is expected to stay on WWE programming as a character until it is no longer possible for her to do so, however. WWE is also not freezing her contract, as they have done previously for talent unable to perform for an extended period.

LeRae signed with WWE in 2017 and made her debut that year on the May 3rd edition of NXT. She’s a former 1x NXT Tag Team Champion along with Indi Hartwell.

Johnny Gargano and Adam Cole WWE Contract Expiry Dates

Gargano and WWE are said to have not yet entered into discussions on a renewal or new contract. Such discussions are expected to take place in the fall, however. It has also been noted that Gargano’s contract expires at the time when both WWE and Adam Cole were under the impression that his contract was up. Cole spoke about being surprised to learn that his contract was up about 6 months earlier than both he or WWE thought during the All Out post-event media scrum.

“I was under the impression that it was like six months later. So it was a surprise to me. It was a surprise to them,” Cole said. “It was public knowledge for a lot of people that I had signed a little extension, I was in the middle of a really serious angle with Kyle O’Reilly, which was very important to me. He’s one of my best friends in the entire world. Then after that is when stuff kind of opened up for me, but very surprising to me. It was just as surprising to me.”

Which WWE Hall Of Famer Does Kenny Omega Wish He Wrestled?

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Kenny Omega has had a slew of high-profile matches but there’s one showdown that he never got to have.

Omega is the reigning AEW World Champion. He captured the gold on the Dec. 2, 2020 edition of Dynamite. He defeated Jon Moxley for the gold thanks to a distraction from Don Callis. This solidified Omega’s heel turn.

During his reign, Omega has defeated the likes of Rey Fenix, PAC and Orange Cassidy in a three-way match, Jungle Boy, and Christian Cage. Of course, the “Best Bout Machine” also had classics in NJPW with the likes of Kazuchika Okada, Tetsuya Naito, Tomohiro Ishii, Kota Ibushi, and Hiroshi Tanahashi.

There’s one major name who Kenny Omega wishes he had faced, however. He revealed to Adam’s Apple that the wrestler he always wanted to go one-on-one with was WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle.

“I felt like I just missed out on maybe wrestling Kurt Angle, and that would have been a dream match for me. He’s a guy that I consider probably one of the best of all time. Especially for what I try to do in the ring and I try to bring in athletics and real sports. He was a jack of all trades and there won’t be anyone like him ever again, I don’t think.”

Angle was the first Olympic gold medalist signed to WWE. He quickly became an elite talent thanks to his in-ring work as well as his charisma. He was a unique performer and as Omega alluded to, there really isn’t anyone quite like him in the wrestling industry.

Angle has retired from the wrestling business. He has said that AEW contacted him several times but he says his body is just too broken down to make a commitment.

Andrew Yang Says He’s Spoken With the Department of Labor, Asks WWE Talent To Come Forward

Chris Stephens
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Politician Andrew Yang says he has spoken with the Department of Labor regarding WWE classifying talent as independent contractors. He is asking former and current WWE wrestlers to contact Union side labor attorney Lucas Middlebrook if they feel they have been or were misclassified while a member of the WWE roster.

“Had a call with the Department of Labor. If you are a current or former WWE performer who feels you were misclassified as an independent contractor contact @lkmiddleb and let’s get you what Vince owes you. Been a long time coming but this storyline is real.”

Yang made several statements in the fall that if Joe Biden won the Presidential election, he would be in a position to challenge WWE’s claim that their wrestlers are independent contractors. He spoke with Chris Van Vliet last September about the issue.

“You should know Chris, this is not like ‘I’m going to talk about this and forget about it’. This bothers me and I’m not going to rest until something changes,” Yang said about WWE’s independent contractor policy. 

“It infuriated me because I know that the WWE has been trying to play it both ways for years where they are saying on one hand you can’t do anything without our say so, we own you, but you are an independent contractor and we have nothing to do with your health, retirement, any of the benefits that you would get that would accrue to an employee.”

Adam Cole Comments On Reports WWE Wanted Him To Be A Manager

Chris Stephens
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Adam Cole made his in-ring debut for AEW last night on Dynamite. He defeated “The Elite Hunter” Frankie Kazarian in the night’s opening contest. Before the show, Cole spoke to TV Insider. During the discussion, Cole was asked about recent reports that WWE wanted to turn him into something of a manager and pair him with Keith Lee.

According to Cole, nobody from WWE pitched the manager idea to him directly.

“I personally have never heard anything regarding that,” Cole said when asked about WWE wanting to turn him into a manager. “I touched base a little bit on how my meeting with Vince McMahon went really well. We talked for about 30 minutes. He had a lot of complimentary things to say. As far as hearing that specific thing, that was not something I heard about. My four years with NXT was fantastic. My four years with WWE was awesome, but at the end of the day, I wanted to end up with AEW. Now that I’m here, I’m stoked.”

Adam Cole On His Time In NXT

Cole was also asked about the 4 years he spent in NXT from 2017 to 2021. During that time, he held the NXT Championship for a record 396 day reign. He was also the inaugural NXT North American Champion. His feud with Johnny Gargano in 2019 was voted the “Feud of the Year” by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter as well.

“I’ve been so open with how much of a relationship I formed with Shawn Michaels. He is an idol of mine. A guy I look at as the greatest professional wrestler of all-time. To have the chance to work under him was really cool. Triple H as well treated me with nothing but respect and is someone I learned so much from,” Cole continued.

Next week at Rampage Grand Slam, Adam Cole will team with the Young Bucks to take on Christian Cage, Jungle Boy, and Luchasaurus. Cole issued a challenge for the match following his victory over Kazarian on Dynamite this week.

Bray Wyatt: “I’ll See You All Very Soon”

Chris Stephens
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Former WWE and Universal Champion Bray Wyatt was released on July 31st, 2021. If he is under a 90-day no-compete clause he would be free to sign with another promotion at the end of October. There are some reports stating that Wyatt’s return to wrestling could come a little sooner than that, however.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter recently suggested that Wyatt could debut in AEW on the 9/29 show in Rochester, New York.

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

Wyatt recently returned to social media. He responded to a post from a follower and stated that he will “see you all very soon.”

“Everything will be clear. I’ll see you all very soon. Revenge is a confession of pain.”

Bray Wyatt Comments on Big E Winning The WWE Championship

Wyatt also took the time to comment on Big E winning the WWE Championship recently on RAW. Big E then responded to his comments.

“I am late on this, and I wasn’t there. But Big E is the type of dude that the boys line up to congratulate. It’s a real good look.”

PCO Responds To Reports Of Him Leaving ROH

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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PCO has given his response to reports that he’s expected to leave ROH soon.

A report from Wrestling Observer Radio claimed that PCO’s contract with ROH is up at the end of November. The report also notes that the former ROH World Champion gave the company notice that he will not be signing a new deal.

During an appearance on Sean Waltman’s Pro Wrestling 4 Life podcast, PCO revealed whether or not he will become a free agent before 2021 comes to a close.

“On December 1st, that would be my third year with Ring of Honor. It will be 3 full years, and 3 great years. I have been treated really super good. They are great people over there, but coming December 1st, I will be a free agent. It will be interesting to see where everything is going, either with Ring of Honor or wherever.

The indies could be a great place to start things up. There’s not a day that I’m not getting hit by someone for shows, if not a couple of shows. I’m under an exclusive contract right now. I’m fully Ring of Honor. I couldn’t take any work for the last 3 years for any indie companies other than the ones that we were doing business with which were New Japan Pro Wrestling, or at that time it was CMLL, and that got broken, and the PWG, but I don’t know where we stand with them right now.”

PCO was seen in action in the Honor Rumble at the Death Before Dishonor PPV. That match ended up being won by Alex Zayne. PCO has been with ROH since 2018. He captured the world title back in Dec. 2019 and held onto the gold for 78 days.

Announce Team Revealed For Impact Knockouts Knockdown

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Impact Wrestling has unveiled the announce team for Knockouts Knockdown.

The special all-women’s event is scheduled to take place on Oct. 9. This will be the first time the event will be held since 2017. It used to run annually beginning in 2013.

Gail Kim made the announcement that the event is making a comeback. The show will feature the likes of Impact Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo, Mercedes Martinez, Lady Frost, Renee Michelle, and more.

Now, Impact has revealed the announce team.

“BREAKING: Here is your Knockouts Knockdown announce team!

Ring Announcer:
Melissa Santos

Color Analyst:
Mickie James

Play-By-Play:
Veda Scott”

In addition to the announce team and the wrestlers revealed for the show, there will also be a Monster’s Ball match in honor of the late Daffney. Here’s what Impact had to say about the memorial match.

“Knockouts Knockdown will feature the Daffney Memorial Monster’s Ball match – a tribute to Daffney, who competed in the first Knockouts Monster’s Ball alongside Taylor Wilde in 2009.”

Keep it locked on SEScoops.com as more details of the Impact Knockouts Knockdown event become available. We’ll be sure to keep you posted on additions to the show as well as any potential changes.

Updated Card For AEW Grand Slam: Omega vs. Danielson Confirmed

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We have an updated look at the AEW Grand Slam card and it is looking stacked.

The Grand Slam edition of Dynamite will emanate from Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, NY. Many fans expected the show to be loaded and they’re getting those expectations met. On the Sept. 15 edition of Dynamite, more matches were announced.

Kenny Omega vs. Bryan Danielson will take place at the show. This will not be for Omega’s AEW World Championship. Also set for the show will be a women’s title match between champion Britt Baker and Ruby Soho.

There were also matches announced for the Rampage episode inside that same building. CM Punk will take on Powerhouse Hobbs of Team Taz. Adam Cole and The Young Bucks will meet Christian Cage and Jurassic Express. Plus, Chris Jericho and Jake Hager will meet Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page.

It was announced that the Sept. 24 edition of Rampage will be two hours, so expect more matches to be revealed.

Here’s a look at the updated card for AEW Grand Slam.

AEW Dynamite (Live On Sept. 22)

  • Kenny Omega vs. Bryan Danielson (Non-Title Match)
  • Britt Baker (c) vs. Ruby Soho (AEW Women’s World Championship)
  • Malakai Black vs. Cody Rhodes
  • Jon Moxley & Eddie Kingston vs. Minoru Suzuki & Lance Archer
  • Sting and Darby Allin vs. FTR
  • MJF vs. Brian Pillman Jr.

AEW Rampage (Airs On Sept. 24)

  • Adam Cole & The Young Bucks vs. Christian Cage & Jurassic Express
  • Powerhouse Hobbs vs. CM Punk
  • Chris Jericho & Jake Hager vs. Scorpio Sky & Ethan Page

AEW Dynamite Results (9/15): Bryan Danielson & Kenny Omega, Adam Cole vs. Kazarian

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AEW Dynamite aired live from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Adam Cole made his AEW in ring debut against Frankie Kazarian. CM Punk joined commentary for the show. Fuego Del Sol put his new car on the line and challenged Miro to a TNT Championship match at Rampage this Friday. Miro later accepted in a backstage promo.

Dynamite Results (9/15)

  1. Adam Cole def. Frankie Kazarian
  2. FTR def. Dante Martin & Matt Sydal
  3. Jade Cargill def. Leyla Hirsch
  4. Darby Allin def. Shawn Spears
  5. Jon Moxley & Eddie Kingston def. 2point0

Here are the takeaways from the show:

Adam Cole Won His First Match In AEW

Adam Cole battled Frankie Kazarian in the first match of the night. Cole sent Frankie out of the ring with a Back Body Drop and followed him out there. Cole beat him down some more and then bowed for the crowd. That allowed Frankie to regroup and he slammed Cole to the mat.

Cole popped up and leveled Kazarian with a boot to the face. Kazarian rolled up Cole for a two count. and then applied a submission hold in the middle of the ring. Cole break free but Kazarian connected with a Northern Lights Suplex for a two count. Adam Cole connected with a kick to the face and climbed to the top turnbuckle.

Frankie countered the Panama Sunrise into an Alabama Slam and followed it up with a springboard Leg Drop for a two count. Cole hit a Ushigoroshi and went for the cover but Frankie kicked out at two. Cole hit the Panama Sunrise and followed it up with the Last Shot for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Adam Cole said hope is a dangerous thing and that the locker room hopes that they can keep up with The Elite but that will not happen. Cole said that Christian Cage, Luchasaurus, and Jungle Boy have already gotten under his skin. Cole challenged the three of them to a 6-man tag against The Elite at Rampage Grand Slam next week. Next week’s episode of Rampage will be a two hour show.

Brian Pillman Jr. Interrupted MJF

MJF came to the ring to with Wardlow and scolded the crowd for being sympathetic towards Brian Pillman. MJF added that they should show him sympathy because he is currently in the arm pit of America (New Jersey). The crowd chanted “shut the f*ck up!” as MJF claimed to not care if he offends anyone.

Maxwell said he is a very religious man and decided to have a conversation with the late great Brian Pillman. MJF joked that Pillman is in hell and his widow created the worst excuse for a 2nd generation wrestler.

MJF vowed to embarrass Pillman if he shows up next week in Queens. Pillman’s theme hit and MJF sent Wardlow up the ramp to meet Brian up there. Pillman Jr. snuck into the ring from behind and went after MJF with a chair. Wardlow broke it up but Pillman Jr. sent him out of the ring to end the segment.

FTR Picked Up A Win

FTR faced Dante Martin & Matt Sydal tonight on Dynamite. Sydal and Martin sent FTR to the outside and connected with a couple Suicide Dives as Dynamite went a break. When Dynamite returned, Harwood had a submission hold applied but Sydal escaped with an Arm Drag.

Cash Wheeler and Dante Martin tagged in. Dante hit a Dropkick and followed it up with a Senton for a near fall. FTR isolated Dante Martin in the ring and connected with the Big Rig for the pinfall victory.

Cody Returned & Attacked Malakai Black

Malakai Black made his way to the ring and asked the members of the House of Black to please rise. Rosario Dawson (actress, judge the Big Show with Cody) jumped the barricade and hopped on Malakai’s back. Cody made his way through the crowd and attacked Malakai. The two then battled into the crowd as Dynamite went to a break.

Inner Circle Will Face Men Of The Year Next Week

Dan Lambert came to the ring with American Top Team and Men of the Year. Chris Jericho quickly interrupted with Jake Hager. Lambert ranted as the crowd sang along to Judas even after the song stopped playing. Jericho said it sounds like 15k people here love that sound and started singing “I’m a fat face dip shit” in reference to Lambert and CM Punk jokingly wondered if that was a Fozzy song.

Jericho quoted Mike Tyson and said that everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. Jericho referenced his past battles backstage with Goldberg and Lesnar as evidence that he can fight after. Lambert said that the Men of the Year will take out the “Inner Circlejerk” next week in the Big Apple at Rampage Grand Slam.

Jade Cargill def. Leyla Hirsch

Jade Cargill faced Leyla Hirsch tonight on Dynamite. Leyla got in some offense early and kept Jade grounded. However, Jade’s power was too much and Cargill unloaded on Hirsch in the corner. Cargill hit a Pump Handle Slam that sent Hirsch face first to the canvas. Cargill followed it up with the Jaded for the pinfall.

Team Taz Attacked CM Punk

Taz and Hook interrupted CM Punk on commentary and got in his face. Powerhouse Hobbs attacked Punk from behind as Hook cleared off the announce table. Hobbs Chokeslammed CM Punk on the table but it didn’t break and he fell to the floor. It was later announced that CM Punk will have his first TV match next Friday on Rampage Grand Slam against Powerhouse Hobbs.

Sting & Darby Allin Will Face FTR Next Week

Darby Allin faced Shawn Spears tonight with Tully Blanchard and Sting. The two battled to the outside and Allin sent Spears into the steel steps. Spears tripped Allin on the ring apron and it looked like he landed on his head as Dynamite went to a break.

Spears started wiping Allin’s face paint off in the ring. Allin battled back and connected with a Sunset Bomb. Allin sent Spears out of the ring and into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Allin connected with the Coffin Drop for the pinfall victory.

After the match, FTR rushed the ring and beat down Sting and Darby Allin. Harwood and Wheeler planted Sting with a Piledriver and wiped off his face paint. It was later announced that FTR will face Sting & Darby Allin.

Omega Will Face Bryan Danielson Next Week On Dynamite

Bryan Danielson was about to be interviewed by Tony Schiavone but the AEW Champion Kenny Omega interrupted with Don Callis. Callis started ranting and said that Danielson cannot just demand title shots and that The Elite runs AEW. Danielson told Callis to shut up and that this is not about the title. Danielson added that one day it will be about the title but it is just about seeing who is better right now. Callins interrupted again and Bryan called him a piece of shit.

Danielson said he came here to fight the Best Bout Machine but all he sees is a guy who hangs out with a bunch of stooges and lets this piece of shit (Don Callins) talk for him. Bryan added that he has heard the rumors that Omega has lost a step but he just thinks Kenny has lost his balls. Kenny accepted the challenge and Callis was distraught as the crowd chanted “yes!”. Omega and Bryan had a stare down in the ring to end the segment.

Archer & Suzuki Attacked Moxley & Kingston

Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston faced 2point0 (Jeff Parker & Matt Lee) in the main event. 2point0 isolated Moxley in the ring and took turns beating him down as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, Kingston tagged in and hit the Backfist to the future and followed it up with a DDT. Moxley and Kingston teamed up on Parker and connected with a Half Nelson Suplex/Lariat combo for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Minoru Suzuki’s theme hit as Moxley got angry in the ring. Suzuki smirked and made his way down the entrance ramp. Lance Archer dragged Eddie Kingston out of the ring and beat him down against the barricade. Suzuki and Moxley battled to the outside. Suzuki went for a Gotch Style Piledriver through a table but Moxley escaped. Jon then unloaded some more punches to Minoru’s face and the battle continued through the crowd as Dynamite went off the air. Suzuki & Archer will face Moxley & Kingston at Dynamite Grand Slam next week.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1438322343688945672?s=20

Matches Announced For Next Week

Dynamite Grand Slam (9/22)

  1. Brian Pillman Jr. vs. MJF
  2. Cody Rhodes vs. Malakai Black
  3. Sting & Darby Allin vs. FTR
  4. AEW Women’s Championship: Britt Baker (c) vs. Ruby Soho
  5. Kenny Omega vs. Bryan Danielson (non-title match)

Rampage Grand Slam (9/24)

  1. CM Punk vs. Powerhouse Hobbs
  2. Jurassic Express & Christian Cage vs. The Young Bucks & Adam Cole
  3. Men of the Year vs. Jericho & Hager

Matt Hardy Hopes Jeff Hardy Makes His Way To AEW One Day

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Matt Hardy would like to see his brother Jeff eventually make the jump to AEW.

Matt and Jeff have been a part of some of the most memorable moments in wrestling. The two took the tag team world by storm as The Hardy Boyz. While they have been on singles runs, they seem to always get back together as a team. As it stands now, Matt competes in AEW, while Jeff is in WWE.

Matt spoke to Adam’s Apple and said that he’s enjoying his time in AEW at the moment.

“Tony Khan is great. I think he’s really on the pulse of pro wrestling in 2021, and he knows how to utilize everyone from top to bottom.

“They’re keeping older guys, or veterans so to say, and utilizing them right while also building up talent. And wins and losses matter and they’re really taking a sports-centered approach that even I had to get used to.”

When asked if Jeff Hardy will ever make his way to AEW, Matt made it clear that it’s something he’d like to see.

“Fingers crossed, man!”

Back in Sept. 2020, Matt explained to Chris Van Vliet why Jeff wasn’t free of his WWE contract as soon as he was.

“Jeff had two major surgeries during his deal. He had shoulder surgery and then he had the knee surgery. He also had some personal time off he needed to take. Altogether it was about a year and eight months,” Hardy explained. “Once that happens in WWE if they still continue to pay you, they can extend his contract so he had a year and eight months tacked on to his deal as opposed to my deal. I worked all the way through without ever being injured, so that is why Jeff is still working there now.”

Jeff ended up signing a new contract with WWE. Fightful Select reported that the deal runs through either the end of 2022 or early 2023.

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