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CM Punk Drops Latest AEW Hint During MMA Broadcast

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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CM Punk continues to get the wrestling world talking with another AEW hint.

Back in July, it was reported by Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful that Punk is looking to make his return to the pro wrestling industry. The report also noted that the likely candidate to scoop Punk up is AEW.

AEW hasn’t been shy in dropping references either. Darby Allin recently cut a promo where he said anyone looking to prove themselves has to compete in AEW, even if they think they’re the “Best in the World.” That, of course, is CM Punk’s catchphrase.

Punk, who serves as a color commentator for the CFFC promotion, dropped a big hint regarding his future inside the ring during an event. Take a listen below.

https://twitter.com/joedaddy85/status/1426760880293883904

This isn’t the first time Punk has dropped an AEW hint. He recently took to his Instagram Stories to post a quote that is tattooed on Darby Allin’s chest.

CM Punk hasn’t been seen inside a wrestling ring since 2014. He made his final appearance for WWE at the Royal Rumble PPV. Punk says he was due to face and defeat Triple H at WrestleMania but he grew tired of what he claims to have been broken promises, a misdiagnosis of his staph infection, lack of time off, and creative differences.

It was reported by Fightful Select that Punk has looked as if he hasn’t missed a beat when it comes to training. Punk had to do some in-ring work for the Heels show starring Stephen Amell. Those who were on set say Punk looked so fresh in the ring that they believe he has been training for a while now.

How big of an impact do you think CM Punk would make if he does indeed return?

Bianca Belair Explains Why She Uses Her Hair As In-Ring Weapon

Rayan Sayyed
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Bianca Belair, who is the current WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion is known for using her hair as a “whip” as her iconic braid helps her stand out in the roster. Belair explained why she decided to use her hair as part of her in-ring style in an interview with Metro.

Belair said that she’s always wanted to incorporate her hair as part of her moveset in the ring, and she thinks it makes her unique. “That’s something that I’ve always wanted to – when people look at me and look at my braid, that’s my superpower, that’s my weapon,” she said.

Belair added that she wanted to make it clear that her braid is her weapon and if anyone tries to go for it, it’s gonna end up backfiring on them. It’s something that cannot be used against her like a regular weapon, and that’s one of her strong suits. “I don’t want that being used against me. I definitely wanted to put out there that it’s my weapon, and if you touch it, it’s gonna backfire on you. You can’t use it against me, and that’s the way it’s been since I started wearing in 2017, 16?”

Back in June, Bianca Belair faced Bayley inside Hell In A Cell to defend her SmackDown Women’s Championship. In the match, Bayley tried to use Belair’s hair against her in an unsuccessful attempt by tying it to the bottom rope. Speaking about it, the ‘EST of WWE’ said that Bayley and her were on the same page with that and wanted to tell a story in the ring.

“I think we were on the same page with that. We wanted to be innovative and use the cell to our advantage and disadvantage but also just make it unique. I think we did that with the story that was told, the whole hair thing,” said Belair about the match. “Every time she tried to use my hair I had something to come back with and it actually ended up backfiring on her. Just putting the message out there to not use my hair!”

Bianca Belair will defend her women’s title against Sasha Banks at SummerSlam on August 21 in what would be a WrestleMania 37 re-match where Belair defeated Banks to win the title.

Read More: Bianca Belair Wants Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair Matches

Charlotte Attends TripleMania, Original Plan For Omega vs. Andrade

Michael Reichlin
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AAA’s TripleMania XXIX event took place Saturday night from Mexico City, Mexico. One of the top matches saw Kenny Omega retain the Mega Championship against Andrade El Idolo.

Wrestling legend Ric Flair was in attendance. He accompanied Andrade to the ring and roughed up Kenny Omega, as seen below.

On the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer revealed that the original plan was for Andrade to win the match and win the title. AEW reached out to AAA officials and requested they delay the title switch until a further date.

Omega dropped the Impact World Championship to Christian the prior night on AEW Rampage, which was likely a factor in the decision.

Kenny Omega Reacts To Ric Flair (Video), Omega-Andrade Trash Talk

Charlotte Flair at TripleMania

Charlotte Flair missed a WWE live event in her hometown to attend TripleMania in Mexico City with Ric Flair and Andrade.

The Queen of WWE was advertised for Saturday night’s live event from Charlotte, North Carolina. Konnan, who was put in a figure four by Andrade El Idolo during TripleMania, posted this photo with Ric and Charlotte Flair backstage.

Kenny Omega Reacts To Ric Flair (Video), Omega-Andrade Trash Talk

Michael Reichlin
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Kenny Omega retained the AAA Mega Championship over Andrade El Idolo at Saturday night’s Triplemania XXIX event.

Andrade was accompanied to the ring by Ric Flair, who couldn’t help getting physically involved in the match. Flair roughed up Kenny Omega before slapping his figure four leglock on Konnan. You can see video of that altercation here.

Despite taking several chops and a punch from the Nature Boy, Omega was victorious. He commented on his match backstage after TripleMania and had some words for Ric Flair. As you can imagine, Omega was none too pleased that Flair roughed him up during the match.

Kenny Omega & Andrade Trash Talk

On Sunday morning, Kenny Omega sent Andrade a message on Twitter. The Best Bout Machine told Andade that he is a tough competitor and came close to winning the AAA Mega Championship. However, he crossed the line with that “stunt” involving Ric Flair. “Not in 2021, and not in my ring, pal.” Omega wrote.

Andrade paid respect to Omega as well, but said he’s glad the champion took things personal Saturday night.

It’s clear that Andrade still has sights on Omega’s AAA Mega Championship. Since both men are signed to All Elite Wrestling, there’s a good chance they will cross paths again in the future.

NJPW Resurgence Quick Results: New Champion Crowned

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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NJPW Resurgence is in the books.

Earlier tonight (Aug. 14), NJPW Resurgence emanated from The Torch at LA Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. The main event saw IWGP United States Champion Lance Archer put his gold up for grabs against Hiroshi Tanahashi. In the co-headliner, Jay White defended the NEVER Openweight gold against David Finlay.

Resurgence also saw a surprise appearance from former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay. He revealed that he has been medically cleared to compete but he will not be participating in the G1 Climax due to issues with NJPW brass.

We also got an appearance from Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa. The two confronted Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson after their match against Jon Moxley and Yuji Nagata. After a back-and-forth verbal exchange, the Good Brothers left the ring.

Here are quick results for NJPW Resurgence.

  • Hiroshi Tanahashi def. Lance Archer – For IWGP United States Championship
  • Jay White (c) def. David Finlay
  • Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson def. Jon Moxley & Yuji Nagata
  • Tomohiro Ishii def. Moose
  • Juice Robinson def. Hikuleo
  • Lio Rush, Adrian Quest, Chris Dickinson, Fred Yehi & Yuya Uemura def. Tom Lawlor, JR
  • Kratos, Jorel Nelson, Royce Issacs & Danny Limelight
  • Ren Narita, Clark Connors & TJP def. Rocky Romero, Fred Rosser & Wheeler Yuta
  • Karl Fredericks def. Alex Coughlin

Will Ospreay Makes Surprise Return At NJPW Resurgence

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Will Ospreay crashed NJPW Resurgence and he dropped a bombshell.

Ospreay appeared following the strong style clash between Tomohiro Ishii and Moose. Ospreay, who is never one to hold his tongue, had a lot to say on the mic.

The former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion revealed that he is medically cleared to return. Despite this, he said he will not be participating in the G1 Climax. In fact, he claimed he isn’t going back to Japan until NJPW negotiates with him.

https://twitter.com/AnaMelissa15/status/1426770074224971776

Ospreay’s issue with NJPW is that they forced him to vacate the gold. He’s upset that Jon Moxley was never stripped of the IWGP United States Championship despite not being able to head to Japan.

Ospreay then pulled out another IWGP World Title and said that he’s the real champion, not Shingo Takagi. He claimed he’s willing to defend his version of the title against anyone. Ospreay also proclaimed that NJPW Strong is his home going forward.

Eventually, Ospreay took aim at Shibata and his Dojo wrestlers. He ended up being chased out of the ring by TJP, Karl Fredericks, and Clark Connors.

Ospreay had been inactive due to a neck injury. Now that he’s cleared to return to action but won’t be in Japan anytime soon, it’ll be interesting to see what’s in store for him in the coming weeks.

AAA Triplemania XXIX Quick Results: New Champion, Mask vs. Hair

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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AAA Triplemania XXIX has concluded.

Triplemania XXIX took place inside Arena Ciudad de México in Azcapotzalco, Mexico City, Mexico. The event featured an AAA Megacampeonato title match between Kenny Omega and Andrade. Also featured on the card was a mask vs. hair match between Psycho Clown and Rey Escorpion.

Impact Knockouts Champion Deoanna Purrazzo shared the ring with AAA Reina de Reinas Champion Faby Apache in a title vs. title match. Also, Fenix and Pentagon defended the AAA Tag Team Titles.

The show even featured a surprise appearance from wrestling legend Ric Flair. Flair was recently released from his WWE contract. Flair was in Andrade’s corner after “El Idolo” had a disagreement with Konnan, who ended up cornering Omega.

Here are quick results for AAA Triplemania XXIX.

  • Mask vs. Hair: Psycho Clown def. Rey Escorpion
  • AAA Megacampeonato: Kenny Omega (c) def. Andrade
  • Lucha de Empresas: La Empresa (Puma King, Sam Adonis, & DMT Azul) def. Team AAA (Pagano, Murder Clown, & Chessman)
  • AAA Tag Team Championship: Fenix & Pentagon (c) def. Hijo del Vikingo & Laredo Kid, Taurus & Brian Cage
  • Deonna Purrazzo def. Faby Apache – For Impact Wrestling Knockouts & AAA Reina de Reinas Titles
  • Mr. Iguana Won Copa Bardahl
  • Team Leyenda Americana def. Team Terror Purpura

Kenny Omega Defeats Andrade, Retains AAA Megacampeonato Title

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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The highly-anticipated title match between Kenny Omega and Andrade has wrapped up.

Omega and Andrade did battle inside Arena Ciudad de México in Azcapotzalco, Mexico City, Mexico. Omega’s AAA Megacampeonato Title was on the line.

Before the match, Konnan and Andrade had a disagreement backstage. Andrade told Konnan that he doesn’t want him in his corner. As a result, Konnan entered Omega’s dressing room with a business proposition that would ensure victory.

Omega ended up making his entrance with Konnan. Andrade stunned the wrestling world when he brought out wrestling legend Ric Flair.

Late in the match, Konnan distracted the referee on the ring apron. Kenny capitalized, bumping the referee into Andrade. He went to hit Andrade with the belt but Flair thwarted this attempt. He and Andrade took turns chopping Omega’s chest. Konnan got in the ring and took a figure-four leglock for his efforts. At the same time, Andrade had his own figure-four on Omega.

It wasn’t enough for Andrade, however. Kenny Omega eventually was able to hit Andrade with the belt. He then nailed him with the One-Winged Angel to retain the gold. Omega remains a bit of a belt collector with the win, although he recently lost the Impact Wrestling World Title to Christian Cage.

Ric Flair Appears At Triplemania XXIX

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Ric Flair’s first landing spot post-WWE has been revealed.

AAA Triplemania XXIX emanated from Arena Ciudad de México in Azcapotzalco, Mexico City, Mexico. In the co-main event, the AAA Megacampeonato Title was on the line between champion Kenny Omega and Andrade.

Ahead of the match, Andrade had an argument with Konnan backstage. Andrade said that he no longer wanted Konnan in his corner because he had someone more suited for the job. In return, Konnan went into Omega’s dressing room to propose a plan to ensure victory.

Omega made his entrance with Konnan but Andrade turned the tables. He ended up being accompanied by Ric Flair.

https://twitter.com/SkullsMedia/status/1426747728273412099

Flair wound up getting physical with Kenny Omega in a confrontation that was surreal to witness. Flair delivered some of his signature chops to Omega before putting him down again with a roundhouse punch. The Nature Boy then slapped the figure four onto Konnan, as Andrade did the same to Omega.

Flair recently made his exit from WWE. It was reported that “The Nature Boy” had issues with the company creatively. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reported that Ric Flair is expected to join AEW when he’s legally able to do so.

Flair aligning himself with Andrade makes sense given that Andrade is engaged to Flair’s daughter, WWE superstar Charlotte. Flair recently revealed that Andrade wants him and Charlotte to eventually sign with AEW.

Kenny Omega Defeats Andrade, Retains AAA Megacampeonato Title

Deonna Purrazzo Wins AAA Reina de Reinas Title

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Deonna Purrazzo has added more gold to her collection.

On the Triplemania XXIX card, Purrazzo competed in a title vs. title match. She put her Impact Wrestling Knockouts Title up for grabs against Faby Apache, who held the AAA Reina de Reinas Title. Purrazzo ended up taking the win and the AAA Reina de Reinas Championship.

Throughout the match, it was quite clear that the referee was in Purrazzo’s pocket. He shoved Apache before the match began and pulled Purrazzo’s hand to the ropes when she was on the receiving end of a submission. He even counted slower when Apache went for pins and faster when Purrazzo attempted pinfalls.

The final straw for Apache was when she went for a move off the top rope but the referee helped Purrazzo back up. Apache nailed the referee with a hurricanrana off the top rope followed by another hurricanrana. Deonna Purrazzo capitalized with a spike package piledriver on Apache followed by the Fujiwara Armbar for the submission victory.

After the match, Purrazzo was handed both titles and she didn’t hesitate to snatch them and pose. Time will tell who in AAA will step up to challenge the newly-minted Reina de Reinas Champion but for now, “The Virtuosa” will enjoy the fruits of her labor.

Purrazzo spoke to the media backstage after her victory. She vows to be a fighting champion.

Brody King Removed From NJPW Resurgence Card

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Brody King is no longer a part of the NJPW Resurgence card.

Tonight (Aug. 14), NJPW Resurgence will take place inside the LA Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. In the main event, Lance Archer will put the IWGP United States Championship on the line against Hiroshi Tanahashi. Plus, Jay White defends the NEVER Openweight Title against David Finlay.

King was expected to be featured in the third match of the night. He was going team with Yuya Uemura, Chris Dickinson, Fred Yehi, and Lio Rush to take on Tom Lawlor, Danny Limelight, JR Kratos, Jorel Nelson, and Royce Isaacs.

The official Twitter account of NJPW Global has announced that King is off the card.

“Due to unforeseen circumstances, Brody King will be unable to compete at Resurgence. We apologize to fans who were looking forward to seeing King wrestle and appreciate your understanding.”

King is being replaced by Adrian Quest. At this time, it is unknown why King has been pulled from NJPW Resurgence. Quest was going to be featured in a tag team dark match. Jordan Clearwater will take his place.

Here’s an updated look at the final NJPW Resurgence card.

IWGP UNITED STATES HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Lance Archer (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

NEVER OPENWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Jay White (c) vs. David Finlay

The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson) vs. Jon Moxley & TBA

Tomohiro Ishii vs. Moose

Juice Robinson vs. Hikuleo

Adrian Quest, Chris Dickinson, Lio Rush, Fred Yehi & Yuya Uemura vs.
Team Filthy (Tom Lawlor, Danny LimeLight, JR Kratos, Royce Issacs & Jorel Nelson)

Fred Rosser, Wheeler Yuta & Rocky Romero vs. Ren Narita, Clark Connors & TJP

Alex Coughlin vs. Karl Fredericks

Dixie Carter Speaks On Christian Cage Winning Impact World Title

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Christian Cage is the new Impact Wrestling World Champion and Dixie Carter has responded.

Cage challenged Kenny Omega for the gold this past Friday night (Aug. 13). The title match opened up the debut episode of AEW Rampage inside the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Cage turned the tables on Omega, who attempted to hit him with One-Winged Angel on a chair. Cage ended up nailing Omega with the Killswitch on a chair for the three-count.

After the match, former TNA Wrestling President Dixie Carter took to her Twitter account to praise Christian Cage.

“This makes me very happy. I will never forget how special it was when Christian
first became [a world champion for TNA]. I always hated losing him to WWE. Welcome home Christian & massive props to AEW for allowing these type of matches to happen.”

Christian Cage never captured the TNA Wrestling Title during his first run with the promotion. He was a two-time NWA World Champion and was the last NWA World titleholder of the NWA-TNA era. He ended up leaving TNA in 2008 to return to WWE.

Cage is set to return to the Impact Zone on Aug. 19. He’s already got his first title challenger set and time will tell when that match will come to fruition. The number one contender is Brian Myers, who recently won a battle royale match to earn the title opportunity.

Cage is due for another match with Omega on Sept. 5. The match will take place at the All Out PPV and it’ll be contested for Omega’s AEW World Championship.

Tony Khan Reacts To AEW Rampage Debut

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Tony Khan is quite pleased with how the debut episode of AEW Rampage unfolded.

This past Friday night (Aug. 13), the first-ever Rampage event took place inside the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pennslyvania. Rampage got off to a hot start when Christian Cage defeated Kenny Omega to capture the Impact Wrestling World Title. We then saw Fuego Del Sol fail to capture the TNT Title from Miro. Despite the loss, Del Sol was given a contract with AEW.

Headlining the card was an AEW Women’s World Title match. Champion Britt Baker put her gold on the line against Red Velvet. Baker won the match via Lockjaw. After the match, Kris Statlander attempted to thwart Britt’s post-match attack on Velvet. Statlander ended up being ambushed by Jamie Hayter, who is now All Elite.

Speaking to Sports Illustrated, Khan expressed joy in how AEW was able to pull off the first Rampage show.

“This was one of the biggest nights in the history of the company, and it was a great show. We went in with a tremendous card of three championship matches and a plan to deliver the best one-hour wrestling TV show anyone’s seen in a very long time. We needed to hit a home run, and we did. Everyone across the board, including production and staff, did a tremendous job.”

Tony Khan also hyped up the Aug. 20 edition of Rampage and seemingly dropped another CM Punk hint.

“We highlighted our people, and that led to great moments. Tonight was all about showing fans the top stars of AEW, ones that are becoming mainstream names in wrestling and even outside of it, too. This is the perfect time to launch Rampage, and I wanted to go in as hot as possible.

“Next week’s Rampage is ‘The First Dance’, and I think everyone knows what to expect—and everyone is very excited. We built a foundation here for what you’re going to see next week. This was a huge premiere, and there is tons of anticipation for next week in Chicago.”

Did you like the debut episode of AEW Rampage?

Candice LeRae Reveals When She Plans on Starting Maternity Leave

Jake Skudder
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WWE NXT Superstar Candice LeRae recently revealed that she and Johnny Gargano were expecting their first child.

Candice confirmed on Instagram that she does not plan on going on maternity leave right now, and she will stay working for NXT until the last possible minute.

“Just when I didn’t think I could possibly be happier, you all proved me wrong. My heart is so full of love and support I never expected,” Candice LeRae revealed.

Candice LeRae on Maternity Leave

“This road for me and Johnny has been long, and I’ve had days where I thought this would never happen for us. It’s hard as a woman to choose between your career you’ve wanted since childhood and growing a life inside you. There never seems to be a right time,” LeRae noted.

“I have been a wrestler for 19 years and it’s been my constant since I was a little girl. It’s my first love. It’s given me irreplaceable friends, a brother, experiences I’d have never had otherwise, the blessing of traveling the world, the ability to make an impact on people’s lives, and (last but not least) a husband.

CANDICE LERAE

“I don’t plan on being “away” until I absolutely have to”, Candice continued. “Indi clearly needs me! — And I want to be there for my locker room of girls as long as I possibly can!”

“However, I do have to take a step back from my favorite part of this business for a while- physically wrestling. But I know this little one is going to be soooo very worth every second away from the ring,” the former WWE NXT Tag Team Champion concluded.

Bobby Lashley Gives Advice To Released WWE Superstars

Jake Skudder
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WWE Champion Bobby Lashley recently spoke to Rick Ucchino of Sportskeeda. The ‘All-Mighty’ Champion discussed several topics during the interview, including what advice he has for the recently released WWE and NXT Superstars.

“Stay motivated” Bobby Lashley began, revealing what advice he has for the dozens of performers who have been released from their WWE contracts over the past few weeks and months.

“There were guys that contacted me in WWE while I was out and they asked, ‘What’s going on? Do you have any advice?’ I always told them, ‘If you’re good, your talent can’t be denied'” Lashley continued.

Bobby Lashley Gives Advice

“That’s one. Two; never burn bridges. A lot of times, people leave the wrestling business or leave one organization and feel the need to badmouth them, I think that’s ridiculous. Every one of us made our name from WWE or pro wrestling and made a lot of money” the WWE Champion added.

“I look at it on a nightly basis when I tuck my kids in and the ability to put a roof over their head and give them things that I didn’t have. The money that I made from wrestling, I’ll always have respect for wrestling. Fans need to understand that if you see someone fighting one organization or the other, don’t even pay attention to them.”

BOBBY LASHLEY

“As a fan, walk away from it” Lashley pleaded to fans. “They [the fans] don’t understand what the wrestling business is about. Everyone needs to eat and feed their kids.”

“Everyone wants to have a good show. Instead of putting someone else down; just look at your own field and promote what you have instead of hating what you don’t like. If you leave, leave with motivation and keep doors open for yourself” Bobby Lashley would conclude.

Lashley is set to defend his WWE Championship against Goldberg at the upcoming WWE SummerSlam 2021 PPV event on Saturday August 21st.

Will Ospreay Reveals Top WWE Superstar Contacted Him After IWGP Title Win

Jake Skudder
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New Japan Pro Wrestling star Will Ospreay recently spoke to Booker T on “The Indies” podcast. The former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion discussed several topics during the show, including his relationship with WWE Superstar AJ Styles.

“I remember sitting down with AJ” Ospreay noted on the show. “I had a match with him and when I found out I was wrestling AJ Styles, a tear rolled down my eye. It was the greatest night of my life.”

“He’s the sole reason I got into wrestling” Will Ospreay revealed. “AJ was it for me. I started crying, I was so thankful. How genuine he was and he took the time to explain why we were doing things.”

“I told him I was going to Japan. He was leaving for WWE. I told him I was going to Japan in April and he was like, ‘I’m proud of you, you’re going to do so well there'” Ospreay revealed.

Will Ospreay on AJ Styles

“I won the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship and he dropped me a message like, ‘Bro, I’m so proud of you.’ It gets me every single time because that’s my hero and is such a big deal to me,” the Aerial Assassin concluded.

Will Ospreay is currently back in the United Kingdom following an injury that caused him to relinquish his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Ospreay is still the current Rev Pro British Champion, and he will reportedly be appearing at a Rev Pro show at some point to talk the status of the title and he has not been stripped.

Bianca Belair Wants Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair Matches

Jake Skudder
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Bianca Belair recently appeared on Ryan Satin’s Out of Character podcast. The SmackDown Women’s Champion discussed several topics during the interview, including which opponents she is targeting down the road in her WWE career.

“I always say that one of my main goals – I look up to the Four Horsewomen,” Bianca Belair began. “When I was in NXT, I remember just looking at the Four Horsewomen and standing in in the locker room thinking like, Wow, they used to be here in the same spot that I’m at, and now they’re on Raw, and they’re on SmackDown.”

“They’re doing these amazing things” Belair continued. “And if I could ever just get up there and be in the same ring as them, that’s when I know that I’m doing it, I’ve made it. And I’m here now.”

Bianca Belair on Charlotte and Becky

Bianca Belair is eager for Becky Lynch to return so she can pin her shoulders to the mat.

“I can’t wait for Becky to come back. I would love to feud with Becky. I’ve pinned Bayley, I’ve pinned Sasha. And now my goal is to eventually feud again with Charlotte and Becky and hopefully pin the other two Four Horsewomen.”

Bianca Belair is set to defend her SmackDown Women’s Championship against Sasha Banks at the upcoming SummerSlam 2021 event on Saturday, August 21st.

Banks attacked Belair to close out this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown, with Zelina Vega and Carmella potentially joining Banks to form a new group, although this has not been confirmed officially.

Lio Rush vs Tom Lawler Set for NJPW STRONG Tapings

Jake Skudder
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Former WWE Superstar Lio Rush will be challenging Tom Lawler for the NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship. This was confirmed by NJPW for the upcoming NJPW STRONG tapings.

August 16 will see New Japan film Fighting Spirit Unleashed, the first show to have live fans in attendance for the US based STRONG brand. That show will see Lio Rush take on the MMA fighter for the Openweight belt.

NJPW sent out the following press release confirming the match:

Filthy Tom Lawlor’s fourth defence of the STRONG Openweight Championship will take place in Thunder Studios, at Fighting Spirit Unleashed and NJPW STRONG’s first matches in front of a live crowd.

Lio Rush vs Tom Lawler

After Tom Lawlor recently logged his third successful defence of the STRONG Openweight Championship against Satoshi Kojima; he was confronted backstage by Lio Rush. The Man of the Hour declared that he was not going to wait for any more championship opportunities to come his way; and that he would be calling his shot. Lawlor laughed off Rush, but this week on STRONG, Rush and Karl Fredericks scored a convincing victory against Lawlor and his Team Filthy partner Danny Limelight.

Can Rush be the Man of the Hour and claim his first NJPW Championship? Fighting Spirit Unleashed tapings are SOLD OUT August 16; but get set to watch the championship action in the coming weeks on NJPW STRONG!

You can watch NJPW STRONG every Friday on the NJPWWorld.com streaming service.

Details On Who Is Producing John Cena & Roman Reigns’ Feud

Jake Skudder
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This week’s episode of WWE SmackDown began with a heated back and forth promo segment between John Cena and WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns.

Cena and Reigns exchanged words ahead of their WWE SummerSlam 2021 match for the Universal Title, the match that will most likely headline the show inside of Allegiant Stadium on Saturday, August 21st.

John Cena vs Roman Reigns

According to a new report from Fightful Select, we now know who produced the segment between the two main event Superstars on this week’s episode of the show.

Former WWE Superstar Jamie Noble produced the opening segment, or according to Fightful he was “at least listed as such.”

It was also noted that Paul Heyman has “also had heavy influence over Reigns’ stories” over the past few months and that Roman and Cena both have significantly more creative freedom over their segments than most within the company.

The actual promo segment had a lot of elements of the original feud between Cena and Reigns, except that on this occasion Reigns is no longer portraying the all-conquering babyface.

It has not been confirmed if Jamie Noble will be producing the actual match between John Cena and Roman Reigns, however he does appear to have a big hand in the structure of the segments between the two going forward.

Tucker On Why He Thinks WWE Shortens Names Of Wrestlers

Anutosh Bajpai
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Shortening names of superstars is a common trope within WWE. Former Heavy Machinery member Tucker has a theory as to why the company takes bits out of some superstar’s names.

The former WWE star recently had an interview with WrestlingInc. He talked about things such as what they were told during their main roster debut and more.

The duo were known as Otis Dozovic and Tucker Knight in NXT. Speaking about how the officials cut off their last names when they got on the main roster, Tucker admitted that he wishes it wasn’t the case:

“I wish they wouldn’t have, but it is what it is I guess, what the boss says goes. That wasn’t a hill I was going to die on, I’ll just say that. I just said, ‘Okay. No problem. Thank you.’”

The former 24/7 champion then provided a theory as to why he thinks the ring names get shortened. According to Tucker, it could be because of the time it takes to announce the names:

“I honestly think it has to do with how long it takes the announcer to say like, ‘Otis Dozovic! Tucker Knight! Heavy Machinery!’ I think that’s too long. I think that’s one of the reasons anyways. I have no idea. That’s pure speculation on my part.”

Apart from this, Tucker also talked about Heavy Machinary’s storyline with Mandy Rose, his heel turn and his release from the company this past April as well.

Kenny Omega Reacts To Title Loss On Rampage Premiere

Anutosh Bajpai
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Kenny Omega suffered a big loss at the premiere episode of Rampage where Christian Cage beat him for the Impact Wrestling world title in the opening bout of the night.

The now-former Impact champion took on his Twitter after the show to react to the loss. He made a tweet on his way to the airport, claiming that he feels cheated and disrespected after tonight’s events:

“Not a cheerful ride to the airport. Baggage is light and I feel so cheated and disrespected. You’re all on notice. I’m taking this personally.”

Kenny Omega defended the Impact world title against Christian in the opening match of the premiere episode of Rampage. The match saw both the competitors pulling some impressive offense.

Towards the ending of the bout, Don Callis came up on the apron. He distracted the referee, allowing Omega to hit a low blow on his opponent.

The Young Bucks then came out and slide a chair in the ring for Omega to finish the job. However, Christian countered Kenny’s attempt of a one winged angel.

The former WWE star hit Kenny Omega with a kill switch instead. As the referee brought his attention back to the match, Christian pinned Omega to become the new Impact world champion.

Mercedes Martinez To Challenge For Impact Title On First Post WWE Booking

Anutosh Bajpai
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Former NXT star Mercedes Martinez will be challenging for Impact Knockouts Championship in her first booking after being released from WWE.

Indie wrestling promotion WrestlePro has announced that the female star will be challenging Deonna Purrazzo for her title at their show from Rahway, New Jersey on Saturday, October 16.

Martinez won’t be the only former WWE star who will be part of the event. Former 205 Live roster member Tony Nese and former SmackDown star Fandango both are also announced for the show.

Fandango who is now going by the name Dirty Dango will face Impact wrestling star Brian Myers while Tony Nese will be competing against Bobby Wayward.

Mercedes Martinez had made appearances for WWE in 2017-18. She competed in the Inaugural and the second Mae Young Classic tournament and made several NXT appearances during the time period as well.

Former NXT Superstar Mercedes Martinez Comments on WWE Release

She returned to the company in 2020 after signing a contract in January. She even made her main roster debut as part of the Retribution faction but decided to withdraw from the group. She was released from her WWE contract on August 6.

The October booking suggests that Martinez was still under a standard NXT contract when she was released. NXT contracts feature a 30 days non-compete clause opposed to 90 days for main roster stars.

DDP Believes AEW Has Become ‘Real Competition For WWE’

Anutosh Bajpai
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AEW has been growing steadily since its launch in 2019. The company even managed to survive and grow during the pandemic era and DDP believes it has finally risen to a level where it can be considered competition for WWE.

The WWE Hall Of Famer recently had an interview with Foundation Radio. He talked about the growth of the company and claimed that it now looks like AEW is not just another wrestling organization:

“All of a sudden, it looks like AEW is not just another wrestling organization,” said DDP, “They have risen to the level of like real competition for WWE and I never thought that would be possible again.”

“Real Competition”

The former WCW champion then talked about the company’s ticket sales. He mentioned how AEW sold tickets for their Chicago shows very fast. He compared the ticket sales for Rampage to WWE’s shows:

“I know they just sold tickets for Chicago, and it was a number of shows like three nights in a row.” mentioned DDP, “They all sold out. I would say it’s about ten, eleven thousand people, and then they got the United Center.

They’re doing a new show now. I think it’s called Rampage. They sold out the United Center in 30 minutes. You can’t tell me they ain’t the real deal. WWE’s tickets aren’t selling like that.”

Apart from this, DDP also offered praise to AEW President Tony Khan calling him ‘the most amazing cat.’ He claimed that you’d never know he is a billionaire by seeing him because he acts like a regular dude.

DDP On His Love For Darby Allin: “He’s a Bigger Risk-Taker Than Jeff Hardy”

Keith Lee And Others Wrestle Dark Matches Before SmackDown

Anutosh Bajpai
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Raw star Keith Lee and several NXT stars were in action tonight and they wrestled dark matches before this week’s episode of SmackDown went on air.

Lee wrestled in a very short match against an enhancement talent who wasn’t introduced to the crowd. He squashed the unnamed star for a quick win.

The second match of the night saw NXT star Ridge Holland facing the high flyer Austin Theory. Holland picked up a victory over Theory in this singles match.

The final dark match before the episode of SmackDown kicked off was a tag team bout featuring female competitors from NXT. It saw Xia Li and Aliyah teaming up for a match.

The duo faced the team of Dakota Kai and Kacy Catanzaro during this dark match. The team of Li and Aliyah ended up defeating Kai and Catanzaro after a standard match.

Keith Lee recently posted a video explaining his absence from WWE programming over the last few months. He revealed that some post covid complications led to him not being able to wrestle for an extended period.

This week’s episode of SmackDown featured many notable developments including a big title change. You can check out the full SmackDown results at this link.

Jamie Hayter Returns To AEW, Aligns With Britt Baker

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Jamie Hayter has made her way back to AEW and she is joining forces with Britt Baker.

In the main event of the debut edition of Rampage, Baker defended her AEW Women’s World Championship against Red Velvet. Baker fought through a wrist injury in order to defeat the challenger. To do so, “D.M.D.” had to use her uninjured hand to secure Lockjaw for the tap.

After the match, Britt attempted to add insult to injury. She went to Curb Stomp Velvet’s head onto her title but Kris Stantlander initially thwarted Baker’s attack. This didn’t last, however, as Hayter rushed the ring and attacked Statlander. Ultimately, Baker was able to Curb Stomp Velvet into the championship gold.

Watch Hayter’s AEW return below.

AEW announced that Jamie Hayter is All Elite, which means she’s signed a full-time contract with the promotion.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1426380556548325378

Jamie Hayter had made some appearances for AEW prior. Her close friend and fellow former Stardom wrestler, Bea Priestley, was released as she simply couldn’t get into the United States to compete due to global restrictions. Many believe this is why Hayter hasn’t worked with AEW more regularly.

What’s interesting about Hayter’s return is that the last time she competed in a singles match on AEW television, it was inside the same venue as her appearance on Rampage. She competed inside the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her opponent was none other than Britt Baker.

https://twitter.com/williamrbr/status/1426384373759156228?s=21

To make things even more intriguing, Baker seemingly teased this alliance with Hayter all the way back in April.

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