WWE recently held a set of tryouts at the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida to recruit new wrestlers and athletes. It was previously reported by Fightful Select that a new edict from WWE management noted they want to start focusing on younger and bigger male wrestlers for tryouts once again.
Dave Meltzer confirmed this in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and added that they want everyone going forward to be young, males with good size, with an emphasis on minorities.
Regarding the “good size,” it was described as a legitimate 6-foot and 220 pounds. This is the only doctrine that has changed in several years when WWE started focusing on signing smaller “ROH-type” talents.
As it stands right now, there’s no word yet on who is being offered contracts who attended the tryouts. Of course, there can be exceptions to this edict.
There has been some talk about hiring women as WWE Producers as of late, which is why WWE Hall of Famer Molly Holly received a producer’s tryout at Monday’s Raw TV event.
Meltzer stated Holly was someone that everybody got along with and fits what they’re looking for in that role. She is slated to be brought back next week at Raw to continue the tryout, which is viewed as a good sign that she will be hired for the role.
AEW President Tony Khan knows a thing or two about what it takes to create a successful television product. Under his leadership, AEW Dynamite has enjoyed a steadily growing audience in recent months.
In an interview with Variety, Khan, who is also the co-owner of both the Jacksonville Jaguars and Fulham FC, discussed televised sports. During the interview, he described the importance of unpredictability as a motivation for viewers to tune in across all sports.
“Unpredictable matches help viewership,” said Khan. “You definitely want unpredictability in whatever you’re offering, and that’s one of the key strengths of the NFL.”
He continued by using NCAA March Madness as an example. Khan pointed to the tournament’s inherent unpredictability and stated that this component is a factor in the games’ impressive viewership. Every year, March Madness is filled with thrilling upsets at any given turn, and this pattern creates must-see TV.
Likewise, with Khan at the helm, AEW continues to create appointment viewing with fresh matches. Specifically, working with IMPACT Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling has helped AEW present buzzworthy dream matches, such as Jon Moxley’s bout with Yuji Nagata.
This contest was particularly remarkable, as Moxley defended another promotion’s title on AEW programming. Khan explained that allowing fans to see AEW stars hold other titles is an easy way to showcase how far the company’s reach extends.
“A lot of AEW wrestlers hold belts in other companies,” Khan continued. “It’s great for us, it expands our reach, and it shows what great wrestlers we have.”
The company’s working relationship with the National Wrestling Alliance allows Khan’s promotion to feature the prestigious NWA World Women’s Championship. Plus, AEW’s own world champion, Kenny Omega currently holds both the IMPACT World Championship and the AAA Mega Championship. Clearly, the “Forbidden Door” is wide open, and AEW continues to reap the benefits.
WWE’s announcement about their return to touring in July focused mainly on main roster shows in Raw and SmackDown. This led to many wondering about their plans for NXT.
The latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter provides some update on the plans for the Black and Yellow brand. It suggests that the company plans to bring it out of the performance center soon.
According to reports from the newsletter, NXT talents have been told that the brand will start running live events once again in July. Though the officials haven’t given any dates for the same.
The idea is to run shows in 200 to 400 seat buildings. Similar to what the brand was doing when they ran the central and northern Florida coconut loop.
It’s unknown whether the company plans to continue taping NXT TV episodes in the PC without an audience or if they will be held with fans in attendance as well.
WWE announced their return to touring with a 25 city tour last month. Their loop starts with the July 16 episode of SmackDown from Houston. Though the company has only confirmed 6 locations for the tour so far.
Vice TV has released a trailer for CHYNA, the upcoming documentary on the life and career of Joanie “Chyna” Laurer. It premieres Thursday, June 17th at 9pm (EST) on Vice.
“The rise and fall of iconic, trailblazing female wrestler Chyna—told through exclusive footage from the last year of her life.“
Director Marah Strauch spoke to PEOPLE about the project.
“Joanie aka Chyna’s meteoric rise and fall is the stuff of Shakespearian drama, but underneath all that flash, she was an intelligent and sensitive person who struggled with addiction,” Strauch said.
“This documentary will give viewers an intimate and unfiltered view of her personal journey as a pop culture icon and beyond and will compassionately tell the true story of Chyna’s last year of life,” she continued.
Chyna’s mother, Janet LaQue, will participate in the documentary. She spoke to PEOPLE about her decision to do so.
“I participated in this documentary because, as Joanie’s mom, it was important to me to have the opportunity to tell my side of the story,” LaQue said. “Joanie was an awesome human being not only in the ring but, more importantly, beyond the ring. She was a wonderful person.”
“Joanie’s story is important to tell because people should know the vast extent her life’s positive impact had on so many others,” she added. “Her gentle, loving and caring way was astounding despite the inner grief and sadness she carried at the same time.”
With all the recent cuts in WWE, it’s no surprise there is a lot of speculation about their ultimate destination. Current IMPACT star and X Division Champion Josh Alexander is the latest to voice his opinion.
During a lengthy interview, Josh Alexander spoke about the recent WWE releases, naming Samoa Joe as his opponent of choice.
“For me, just as a fan, I would love to see Samoa Joe come in and try and get the X Division Championship from me” Alexander said. Since winning the title, Alexander has put in great displays against the likes of El Phantasmo and TJP. However, a match against someone like Samoa Joe would be a mouth-watering affair.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPrX7vNqrCl/
Josh Alexander was not short on comments about other stars he would like to see fighting again.
“But, there are a lot of other talents. Samurai Del Sol – Before he went to WWE as Kalisto, he was being regarded as the next Rey Mysterio Jr. but somehow that got lost in translation while he was there. I think the IIconics are great. I think Chelsea Green is great and would be an asset to the Knockouts Division.”
There is a wealth of talent lurking in the free-agent pool right now. Josh Alexander is a fan of wrestling and agrees we are in exciting times.
“I’ve not asked any of these questions and I don’t know anything. I just want to be pleasantly surprised along with everybody else.”
Josh Alexander is enjoying his first singles championship run in IMPACT. Whoever his next run of opponents may be, they will need to bring their A-game if they want to take his title.
AEW President Tony Khan made his weekly appearance on Busted Open Radio on Friday to promote tonight’s episode of Dynamite on TNT.
During his discussion with Dave LaGreca and Mark Henry, Tony Khan announced AEW Dynamite in three weeks will take place on a Saturday night. The show will be live and will feature a big main event.
The Saturday, June 26th edition of AEW Dynamite will feature AEW World Champion Kenny Omega defending against Jungle Boy.
— SiriusXM Busted Open (@BustedOpenRadio) June 4, 2021
Jungle Boy earned the title shot by winning the Casino Battle Royale last weekend at AEW Double or Nothing.
This match was initially scheduled for next week’s show, but Tony Khan wanted to make the June 26th Dynamite a special one.
Kenny Omega and Jungle Boy now have a few extra weeks to prepare for their match. This is good news for both competitors, however Omega was not happy that he learned about his title defense being rescheduled from a ‘local wrestling tabloid.’
Why do I have to get this kind of info from a local wrestling tabloid? I’m not happy with this. More importantly, neither is Mr. Barry. https://t.co/cvjSZXZsDb
Tony Khan mentioned that Saturday Night Dynamites are typically newsworthy. Last time, Brodie Lee captured the TNT Championship from Cody Rhodes in Dramatic fashion.
Khan also AEW will hold quarterly Saturday Night Supercards in the future, a reference to the AEW specials that will air on TNT next year once Dynamite and Rampage move to TBS in 2022.
Serena Deeb defeated Riho in a well-reviewed match from the Double or Nothing Kickoff show this weekend. She’ll look to defend her NWA Women’s Championship against Kamille on an NWA PPV this weekend. She spoke to Jim Varsallone from the Miami Herald recently about her time in the AEW, NWA, and what working as a trainer for WWE taught her about wrestling.
Deeb also mentioned that the Double or Nothing crowd she performed in front of this weekend was the most special of her career.
“This was the most special crowd I’ve ever been in front of in my entire career,” Deeb said. “I truly feel that way. The people were just clearly so happy to be there and so happy that we made it through, things are starting to resume normalcy a little bit, and it was amazing.”
Serena Deeb on How Working as a Trainer Improved Her Ability as a Wrestler
Deeb was with WWE as a trainer from 2017-2020. She spoke during the interview about how she feels this experience made her a better wrestler.
“The time that I was coaching, it really opened my mind up in different ways to wrestling,” she said.
“Because when you’re coaching you have to not only tell people what to do and how to do it and all these things but you have to tell them why, why they’re doing it. There’s a lot of whys in wrestling and if you don’t understand why you’re doing something at the time you’re doing it, there’s a little bit of a disconnect. So now I think I’m putting the pieces of the puzzle together a little bit better, a little bit more sharply.”
She was asked about why she decided to take the coaching position with WWE in 2017. Deeb noted that she had been out of wrestling for about 2 years at that point. She got very immersed in yoga and began teaching. WWE approached her about being in the Mae Young Classic and offered her a coaching position after. She said that at the time, it just seemed like the right next step for her.
Deeb was released from the position in April of 2020. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise for her, however. She now says she’s having the most fun of her career.
“When I took the coaching job I did feel a little bit torn,” Deeb continued. “I felt a little bit conflicted. I didn’t feel like I was completely done wrestling. There was a little piece of me that still felt I had something to contribute in the ring. So, the way that the cards were dealt with everything in the past year it’s been such a blessing in disguise because I was able to get back in the ring.”
“Right now, I feel that I’m doing the best work of my career and having the most fun in my career and I’m really thankful the way everything’s turned out,” Deeb continued.
Serena Deeb On Her Influences, What Wrestling She Watches and Studies
Now with AEW and NWA, Deeb says she’s watching and studying more wrestling than ever before.
“Right now, I’m watching more wrestling than I’ve ever watched in my life, I’m studying more wrestling than I’ve ever studied.”
She continued to say that she’s watching a lot of Bret Hart and Eddie Guerrero matches. Dean Malenko and Lance Storm were also mentioned. She likes the technicians.
Deeb will defend her NWA Women’s Championship this weekend on PPV. She’ll face Kamille on the NWA: When Our Shadow Falls PPV on Sunday.
The partnership between AEW and NJPW is growing at a good pace. It has made a lot of people wonder if we can expect to see Chris Jericho making a return to the Japanese promotion anytime soon.
The latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter weighs in on the possibility and provides some backstage news on the AEW star’s current status with the company.
The newsletter reveals that the former WWE star is no longer under an NJPW contract. Jericho’s deal with the company actually expired in 2020. His fight with Hiroshi Tanahashi was the last match of his contract.
Former NJPW president Harold Meij had a negative opinion of their deal because of its high cost. Although others in the company had a different opinion.
Chris Jericho also seems to be interested in making a return. The former IWGP US champion has expressed interest in facing opponents such as Jay White, Minoru Suzuki, and Kota Ibushi in the past.
Though even if the company is interested in bringing Y2J back to the promotion, they are going to have to get their finances back on track after the pandemic to the point where this level of deal makes sense.
Would you like to see Chris Jericho making a return to NJPW anytime in near future? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
Tony Khan is headed back to Impact Wrestling. The AEW President hasn’t been seen on the show in recent weeks. With Impact moving to Thursday nights, Khan’s weekly paid advertisement for Dynamite haven’t been airing. It was revealed on this week’s show, however, that Khan will return to Impact Wrestling next week.
Khan will appear on Impact Wrestling next week in order to help Impact’s Scott D’Amore sort out the issues between Kenny Omega, Sami Callihan, and Moose. This could involve changing the Against All Odds main event to a triple threat match.
Kenny Omega, The Good Brothers, and Don Callis caused a disqualification in the main event match between Moose and Sami Callihan this week on Impact. Scott D’Amore then told Callis that Tony Khan will be on Impact next week to potentially provide AEW approval for a change to the Against All Odds main event. Currently, Omega is scheduled to defend against Moose but it certainly sounds as though D’Amore wants Khan to agree to have Omega defend the title in a triple threat match against both Moose and Callihan.
Impact Wrestling’s 2nd last show before next weekend’s Against All Odds event aired last night. The “Before the Impact” show also featured a 60-minute Ironman match pitting X-Division Champion Josh Alexander against TJP.
Impact Wrestling 6/3 Quick Results:
X-Division Championship 60-Minute Ironman Match Josh Alexander (c) defeteated TJP (2:1 in Overtime)
Tables Match Jake Something defeated Rohit Raju
Knockouts Tag Team Championships Fire N Flava (Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz) (c) defeated Jordynne Grace & Rachael Ellering
Satoshi Kojima defeated Deaner
Moose vs Sami Callihan – No Contest
Josh Alexander Retains X-Division Gold In 60-Minute Iron Match
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jExPhinXpQk&t=66s
Josh Alexander retained the X-Division Championship in an epic Ironman match with TJP. The match began on BTI, spilled into the main broadcast, and caused the locker room to empty out from the back to watch the show.
Alexander would score the first fall 20 minutes into the match with a pinning combination. That would be the only fall before the match moved from BTI to the regular weekly Impact Wrestling broadcast. The second fall wouldn’t come until just seconds of the match were remaining when TJP rolled up Alexander to tie the score. This sent us to sudden death overtime.
Alexander hit a big moonsault on TJP early in the overtime period for a near fall. He then hit a big power bomb for another close 2-count. Finally, Alexander hit his double-underhook piledriver, got the pin, and successfully retained his title.
Jake Something Defeats Rohit Raju In A Tables Match
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypZjPMPHzuw
Jame Something and Rohit Raju had the unenviable task of following the Ironman match this week. This match dates back to Raju interfering in a match where Something had the chance to qualify for a #1 Contenders match at Under Siege. Something would get his revenge against Raju this week, however. The finish of the match came when Raju tossing a chair at Something’s head had little impact and Something then speared him through a table.
W. Morrissey Attacks Rich Swann Before Match
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kANC9X3h3tA
W. Morrissey has been making quite the impact since debuting in the promotion. This is a bitter, angry, and violent man. Morrissey approached Scott D’Amore in the back about a match with Swann this week. D’Amore obliged, noting that Swann had requested the match as well. As Swann made his way to the ring, however, Morrissey attacked him from behind. Security had to come out to pull him off the former world champion and Willie Mack also came out to assist.
A match between Swann and Morrissey was made for Against All Odds. Another match between Mack and Morrissey was made for next week under No DQ rules.
Fire N Flava Retain Over Jordynne Grace & Rachael Ellering
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2vWlKWjxzA
Fire N Flava picked up another win over former champions Jordynne Grace & Rachael Ellering this week. This likely ends the long-running rivalry between the two teams. The finish of the match came shortly after Steelz took Ellering out with a DDT on the floor. This allowed Fire N Flava to double team Grace. Hogan hit Grace with a splash off the top while Steelz had a sleeper locked in and this allowed the champs to pick up the pinfall win.
The former Forgotten Sons member Steve Cutler (aka Steve Maclin) is on his way to Impact Wrestling. A vignette aired on this week’s show featuring Maclin sitting at a desk and enjoying a drink.
Satoshi Kojima Debuts in Impact Wrestling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UEcyAF6e70
Satoshi Kojima will rekindle his old feud with Joe Doering at Against All Odds this weekend. He faced Deaner in his Impact Wrestling debut on this week’s show. The members of Violent Design attempted to cause some interference but Eddie Edwards came out to thwart them off. This allowed Kojima to hit a Koji Cutter followed by a lariat for the win.
Against All Odds Main Event To Be Changed To A Triple Threat?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njLqH7GFb90
The main event match between Moose and Sami Callihan was broken up this week by the Good Brothers. Earlier in the show, Callis visited with both Moose and Callihan to butter them up for various reasons. Neither man seemed to be fooled by Callis disingenuous efforts, however. Omega and the Good Brothers continued the assault on both men before leaving the ring area.
Scott D’Amore then confronted the group in the back after. D’Amore put it out there that perhaps a triple threat match should be made involving both Moose and Callihan. He also noted that Tony Khan will return to Impact Wrestling next week as AEW would have to agree to such a match. Khan will be on-hand to help D’Amore deal with the issues that have developed between Omega, the Good Brothers and Moose and Sami Callihan. This could involve a change to the Against All Odds main event.
— The Demon Assassin (@WeAreRosemary) June 4, 2021
The following has been confirmed for next week’s show:
Havok vs Rosemary (if Havok wins she’ll be added to KO title match at Against All Odds)
No Disqualification W. Morrissey vs Willie Mack
Against All Odds Lineup
BREAKING: Violent By Design will invoke the Freebirds Rule as @CodyDeaner and @Rhyno313 will defend the World Tag Team Titles against @steveofcrazzy and @Taurusoriginal at #AgainstAllOdds on June 12th on @IMPACTPlusApp!
Don Callis has been a major player in the recent partnership between AEW and IMPACT wrestling. The cross-promotion heel Elite he has created is drawing heat from wrestling fans across the board.
Talking at the Double or Nothing post-show media scrum, AEW President Tony Khan addressed Callis’s position in AEW. Especially after his recent status change with regards to his position as an IMPACT Wrestling executive.
“He helps in Kenny’s segments, and he’s involved. He’s doing that here,” Khan stated. “There was a point where he’s been here every week. I think it makes sense. We’re doing TV. We’re going back live every week.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CN3135HpQ9F/
With AEW getting back to a fully live weekly show, now that fans are allowed back into the arena, it does change the nature of things a bit. Without the ability to tape segments in advance, character availability is crucial.
“Kenny’s defending other titles. He’s got the Impact and AAA Titles. He’s (Callis) will be with Kenny wherever Kenny is. I think Kenny’s signed here for years, so Don will be here for years whether you like it or not.”
Don Callis is drawing the ire of many with his involvement with Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks but playing the heel role well. Looking at Tony Khan’s words, it is clear that Don Calis still has a big role to play with AEW.
Callis also has strong ties to NJPW, which is another company AEW have cross-promotion involvement with. Love or hate the character he plays, Don Callis is a connected man.
Many fans were surprised that former Universal Champion Braun Strowman was released from WWE this week.
According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, multiple factors went into his release. These included his high salary, the debut of other giants to the main roster, and the lack of a no-cut clause in his contract. Strowman was earning $1.2 million and did not have a no-cut clause in his contract which many top-talent do.
“One person noted he made a huge mistake in negotiations because when he signed his new deal, he was considered a hot commodity and if he pushed for it, probably could have gotten a no-cut contract that a few of the bigger names have,” wrote Dave Meltzer.
The addition of new giants to WWE’s main roster is believed to have played a role in Braun’s release as well.
“The decision was made because of the feeling he was two years past his peak and he had become obsolete as the roster giant because of Omos on Raw, Commander Azeez on Smackdown, and perhaps Shanky on Raw,” Meltzer continued.
Braun Strowman’s Future
Braun Strowman put out the following tweet shortly after news of his release was announced:
What a chapter in life. Thank you!!!!!
— The Monster of all Monsters (@Adamscherr99) June 2, 2021
It remains to be seen what the future holds for the big man. If he decides to stay in wrestling, there will surely be several companies vying for his services.
One promotion that is already sending out feelers is the National Wrestling Alliance. NWA President Billy Corgan addressed Braun Strowman’s situation this week. During an appearance on Busted Open Radio, Corgan said:
“Braun Strowman, if he was green in NXT, I’d be jumping all over it. There aren’t a lot of big guys that have that little of ability. So you think ‘how do you let a guy like that out the door?’ I don’t mean to be critical; I’m not making the business decisions. But I don’t know how you let a guy like that out the door.”
Mark Henry’s relationship with WWE began in 1996 when the company sponsored him in the Summer Olympics that year. The 49-year-old has now signed with AEW. His signing was announced officially during the Double or Nothing PPV broadcast.
According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Henry made his loyalty to Vince McMahon clear before speaking with Tony Khan. His contract with WWE had expired 6 months prior, however, and when it was not renewed, he made the decision to approach Tony Khan about employment. WWE did not counter what AEW offered him.
“(Henry) said he talked to Vince McMahon, spoke of his loyalty to McMahon, ahead of time even though he hadn’t been with the company, and wanted an office role, and McMahon didn’t offer him something to counter,” wrote Dave Meltzer.
Will Mark Henry Wrestle Again?
As was the case with Paul Wight’s signing, there are many wondering if we could see Mark Henry wrestle in an AEW ring. In April, Henry said he plans on wrestling again sometime this year.
“I’ll be 50 years old, and I want to be able to say I wrestled after I was 50 and had a good match,” said Henry on Busted Open Radio in April. “I wrestled in four decades, and that I was able to help somebody in the process or bring attention to somebody that nobody knew. So that’s the whole point in me doing it.”
Last week, reports of negotiations between WWE and NJPW regarding a talent-sharing deal drew much attention. Further details about what exactly has been discussed and what is still being discussed have since been revealed.
According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, a potential deal between the two companies would involve the NXT brand quite a bit.
“The deal talked about would have been more likely be NXT focused and would have things beneficial for both sides and it’s not like WWE is going to buy New Japan or bring in Kazuchika Okada to job for Randy Orton or all the crazy speculation from the past week,” wrote Dave Meltzer.
In terms of whether or not this deal is going to happen, Meltzer speculated that Tony Khan would not have given the speech that he did at Double or Nothing if the WWE/NJPW deal was likely to go through.
“Logic would indicate Tony Khan would not have cut that video thinking this deal is going to happen any time soon so it’s more likely than not this deal isn’t happening,” Meltzer wrote.
It was also noted that while Nick Khan is a key person in these negotiations, this was not his idea. Daniel Bryan has actually stated in interviews that it was his or at least he was a driving force behind it. Khan has reportedly recommended to Vince McMahon that he pursue a deal with NJPW, however.
What does this have to do with Daniel Bryan?
Daniel Bryan is currently a free agent. He is not signed to WWE. Early discussions between WWE and NJPW are said to have entered around Bryan. This is no longer the case, however.
“Also, while Bryan Danielson was absolutely part of the early talks, that hasn’t been the case of late as far as the major aspect, and one source said he hasn’t been a part of any recent talks,” Meltzer continued.
Slammiversary is the biggest show in the IMPACT Wrestling calendar. Schedule for July 17th, it has recently been announced that there will be a limited number of fans allowed in attendance.
This will be the first IMPACT Wrestling show in over 16-months to have an audience. The Slammiversary card was already shaping up to be a big one, but this announcement means it is that much more special.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPrkkYJDoO4/
Due to the limited number of tickets, IMPACT has said that every Slammiversary seat will be ringside. They also come with a whole host of extras and goodies.
IMPACT Executive Vice-President Scott D’Amore broke the news “We have waited over a year to say these three words: Welcome Back, Fans. We know Slammiversary will be an amazing event, with title defenses, jaw-dropping excitement, breath-taking moves … AND NOW, FANS.”
“I speak for everyone at IMPACT Wrestling when I say that we are thrilled to welcome back our fans. IMPACT is going to deliver an amazing night of action in front of the thunderous roar of fans for the first time since early-March 2020 at the two-night A-Town Beatdown in Atlanta.”
Slammiversary tickets go on sale today, June 4th at 10 am. There have been no matches announced for the event just yet. However, there has been lots of speculation about the names people could expect to see appear. Especially after the video package released by Impact in May, teasing several recently released WWE superstars.
Brock Lesnar has been moved back to the list of active WWE stars.
The beast incarnate was quietly moved to the alumni section on the company’s website last year after WresltleMania 36. It was later revealed that his contract with the company has expired.
However as seen in the screenshot below, the company has moved Lesnar back to the list of active superstars just before their return to touring next month:
This is not the only sign that seems to be pointing towards his return being imminent. Many sources have noted that the mention of the former universal champion’s name on this week’s episode of Raw was intentional.
Brock Lesnar has not been seen on WWE programming since WrestleMania 36. He competed against Drew McIntyre at the show and dropped the WWE championship to the Scottish warrior.
It’s been reported multiple times since then that the company does not have any interest in bringing him back to WWE programming in the absence of fans.
However, the company recently announced their return to the road with a big 25 city tour. Names such as Edge are advertised for these shows and even John Cena’s comeback is said to be in the discussion.
So it won’t be a surprise if Brock Lesnar makes his return to WWE programming around the same time as well. If he does return it would be interesting to see what the SummerSlam plans for him are.
Billy Corgan recently appeared on Busted Open Radio where he talked about a number of things such as WWE’s content production strategy and more. The latest wave of WWE releases has shocked the internet. They have been a topic of discussion among fans and they were also discussed during the interview.
As an owner of a historical wrestling promotion NWA himself, Corgan admitted that he doesn’t understand the decision. He said that dumping key talents in the market at the current time seems a really odd choice:
“I don’t understand it, but again I’m not making those decisions, and whatever those reasons, there’s obviously a lot of speculation. But when you look at that list you went ‘oh man, this is pretty wild.’ Especially when things are heating up between AEW and WWE, at least in the public’s mind.
Maybe WWE doesn’t feel that way, but in terms of the public’s mind you have a bit of a rivalry going on. AEW obviously has some momentum. I think to dump key talents like that on the market at this time seems like a really odd decision.”
Billy Corgan also discussed which of the released talents he would be interested in bringing to his promotion. He unsurprisingly took the name of the former universal champion Braun Strowman :
“Braun Strowman, if he was green in NXT, I’d be jumping all over it. There aren’t a lot of big guys that have that little of ability. So you think ‘how do you let a guy like that out the door?’ I don’t mean to be critical; I’m not making the business decisions. But I don’t know how you let a guy like that out the door.”
Apart from this, Billy Corgan talked about how WWE produces a lot of content without an end game. He explained that it’s like watching a very long movie whose ending doesn’t matter.
Impact Wrestling is reportedly planning to elevate the X Division title and put more emphasis on the high-flying division in the coming times. According to PWinsider, the idea behind the 60-minute iron man match for the championship at tonight’s episode of the show is to elevate the title.
The Impact officials plan to feature it in a major way going forward and the match between TJP and Josh Alexander will apparently kick-start these plans. While the exact plans for the championship were not described, a source compared the X Division plans to the legendary ECW TV title run of RVD.
The WWE Hall Of Famer held the ECW TV championship for more than 700 days in his run. His reign started in April 1998 and the hardcore high flyer only vacated the championship due to injury in March 2000.
This was the longest reign for the ECW TV title ever. The idea behind it was that the championship was just as important as the company’s world heavyweight title and Impact is hoping to elevate the X Division to a similar level.
Tonight’s episode of Impact Wrestling saw Josh Alexander retaining his championship over TJP in a hard-fought iron man match. If these reports are true then it likely means that Alexander will now be holding the title for a while and he won’t be losing it anytime soon.
Adam Pearce has received a small promotion in WWE and the on-screen authority figure now has a new official job title within the company.
The WWE producer recently had an interview with Give Me Sport where he talked about the company’s upcoming return to the road and more.
Pierce also confirmed during the interview that he has received a new job title in the promotion. The former Ring Of Honor star revealed that he is now officially the director of live events:
“Director of Live Events would be my official job title, yes. Frankly, it doesn’t change a whole lot of what I do. You’ll still see me officiating RAW and SmackDown, while I now have a more vested interest in what’s going to happen on our live events.
I had that anyway before receiving that title.” said Adam Pearce, “But now I have a more supervisory role and a say in what’s coming to your town.”
The new head of the live event went on to explain that the planning of house shows will now take up a lot of time of his day-to-day. He claimed that it’s great because it’s a part of the business he has always loved.
Adam Pearce has been working for WWE in various backstage roles since 2013. He signed full time with the company in 2015 and became an on-screen character last year in 2020.
AEW star Sammy Guevara recently appeared on Busted Open Radio to discuss the Inner Circle’s recent big win over The Pinnacle in the Stadium Stampede II.
The match which was the main event of the company’s latest Double Or Nothing PPV had a unique finish. While most of the match was pre-taped, the ending of the bout was performed in front of a live crowd.
During the interview, Guevara shared some interesting titbits about the production of the bout. He also revealed that the unique ending was his own idea:
“It was my idea to have the match go from the cinematic to end it into the live crowd. And they actually went with it, I was surprised too. Tony and Chris came up to me and said ‘that was a really good idea.’
I figured others went up to them and told them that idea,” said Sammy Guevara, “But apparently no one else did. They gave me credit for it, so that was really cool.”
The Inner Circle member also discussed his bonding with the other group members. He claimed that he feels like all the members are his big brothers.
Sammy Guevara explained that at the beginning their closeness was only a storyline. However, as time has passed on, they all have become actual friends. He feels like they are in a good group of guys.
Former WWE star Steve Maclin, better known to the fans of the company as Steve Cutler of The Forgotten Sons will be making his Impact Wrestling debut soon.
The company aired a vignette during the latest episode of their weekly show to hype his debut. The promo as seen below sees the wrestling star in a room with party music playing in the background.
Steve Cutler signed with WWE back in 2014. He stayed with the promotion until 2020, though his career did not have many notable moments.
His most notable outing in the company was as a part of The Forgotten Sons stable which he formed with Wesley Blake and Jaxson Ryker in early 2018.
The trio made their main roster debut in 2020 after spending a couple of years in NXT. However, they were removed from television due to a controversial tweet from Ryker, which effectively disbanded the group.
Steve Cutler did make a brief return to WWE TV in December 2020 when he and Blake re-debuted as part of Baron Corbin’s The Knights of the Lone Wolf stable.
However, this storyline was abandoned quickly as well. The former WWE star was then released from his contract in February earlier this year.
“Earlier today I had the chance to address my future on the Sports Media Podcast. Thank you to Richard Deitsch for the platform and the opportunity. However, I’d like to address more precisely what is now my past.
I am so grateful for the nearly 9 years I spent in WWE. I was hired at 23 years old. A kid out of college who’d had one job professionally, and knew very little about what he was getting into. I can’t even begin to describe how lucky I was to get that big of a break so early on; a position that so many would have done anything for.
I have more people to thank than I’ll be able to compile here, so I’ll be brief. First off, thank you Vince, Hunter, KD, and Cole. You gave me so many opportunities to succeed, fail, learn, and grow. My family is better off because of the job you afforded me.”
The WWE Crew is second to none. They make the impossible possible on a regular basis. Without them, the spectacle never gets off the ground. The production staff is also world class. From those grinding in Stamford, to the tireless road team, the company has outstanding talent that make the product come to life for the fans. A special thanks to my “Dream Team” at ringside and in the truck. You know who you are, and thank you for lifting me up on every single broadcast.
Thank you for the legions of people in Connecticut who influenced my career as a broadcaster, and also made our lives as easy as possible around the world. Lastly, thank you to the fans. Your support on social media in the last week has been overwhelming for me to process. Thank you for holding us all to extraordinary standards. I hope I entertained you.
I loved a dream. Pro wrestling became my life, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. And as the cliche goes, never say never. I have nothing but grattitude for my experience in WWE. Sincerely, thank you all!
It was a big moment for both their careers when Natalya and Tamina won the women’s tag team championship and the duo received a fitting ovation backstage after their big win.
The tag champions recently appeared on Renee Paquette’s Oral Sessions podcast where they opened up about their win during the May 14 episode of SmackDown.
During the talk, Natalya explained how the locker room reacted to their victory. She revealed that Bayley got all the females into gorilla and the ovation they received even surprised Vince McMahon:
“I had no idea that Bayley rallied the troops and got all the girls into Gorilla during our match the night we won the titles. Every girl in the locker room, no matter what role, was there and they were jumping up and down.
TJ said the girls created a fan-like environment in Gorilla when we won the titles where even Vince was like, ‘Holy shit.’ The girls are ride or die.”
This was only the second title win for Tamina in her 11-year long career with the company, after briefly holding the 24/7 title in 2019.
Discussing her long run without having held any women’s title, the second generation star admitted that she had started wondering if she will ever win one:
“Knowing that it was coming up on 11 years and we had the pandemic last year and jobs were on the line, that’s why I kept saying, ‘If I never get a title, I had a great career and have been blessed.’ I still had the drive of, ‘I still want a championship,'”
Apart from this Natalya also revealed the original plans for her before she was paired with Tamina earlier this year. You can check out her comments on the matter at this link
Ruby Riott was one of the names released by WWE as part of the roster cuts on June 2nd, 2021. The 30-year-old had been with the company since 2016. She released a statement on Instagram today regarding her release.
“Yesterday in a matter of minutes, my life changed very drastically. But after some tears, some panic and a full box of Oreos, I was able look back at how lucky I’ve been to accomplish what have,” the former Heidi Lovelace wrote.
“I never thought I’d make it to WWE. I’ve been honored to be apart of a Squad of the most incredible women I’ve ever met, I’ve gotten to see the world, share locker rooms with some of the most talented women I know, some of which I’ve made lifelong friendships with. I’ve gotten to meet fans that were just like me, introverted kids, who never quite felt like they fit in. And between the locker room and those fans, I felt like I belonged and I’m so grateful for that feeling. With that, I am overwhelmed by the amount of calls/texts/tweets and support that I have received from former coworkers, friends, family and fans. Thank you so much for the kind words. You’ll never know how much it helped.”
“In the beginning ‘Heidi Lovelace’ was given to me, at the end ‘Ruby Riott’ was taken away. So I don’t know what I’ll be called or where I’ll end up. But please know this is far from over. Thank you,” she concluded the message with.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPqboOkFb1S/
Outpouring of support for Ruby Riott
Numerous people have been posting online about how much respect they have for Ruby Riott.
“Dori got all the dog Moms roses on Mother’s Day, sent me flowers when my grandma passed away, organized locker room birthday parties, sent a gift to Chelsea from all of us when she got hurt, made Jess a video to tell her we miss her AND is one of the greatest wrestlers out there,” Bayley Tweeted.
“She always made me feel so welcomed whenever I was around her. It meant so much to me. Truly a lovely soul,” said Indi Hartwell.
The last remaining member of the Riott Squad on the WWE roster, Liv Morgan, also commented:
Whoever is lucky enough to get Heidi Lovelace on their roster, you win.
Shortly after Aleister Black was released by WWE yesterday, many fans voiced their opinion that he would make an excellent new leader of the Dark Order. The late Brodie Lee was revealed as the leader of the faction on the May 18th, 2020 episode of Dynamite. He would tragically pass away a little over 7 months later.
John Silver recently took to Twitter to say the Dark Order doesn’t want or need a new leader as they already had the best. Anna Jay responded to say she agrees.
John Silver was on the Kurt Angle podcast recently. During the discussion, he also stated his belief that no one should replace Brodie Lee.
“Whatever Tony wants to do with this I’m okay with. I just didn’t really want anyone to be the next Exalted One. All that I wanted was for no one to replace him (Brodie). If they did have Erick Redbeard come in he’d just be a Dark Order member I wouldn’t want him to be the leader.”
During a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, Silver discussed the impact that Brodie Lee had on him.
“He was the man. He was such a happy good guy,” Silver said. “There was no negativity, he was always laughing, he would always have this big smile, especially with this big beard he had going on. But he’s just a good guy. He bought the ring jacket I have just because it would help me look more like a star if I had it. He also bought me matching gear that I wore at the Brodie show.”
