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Tommaso Ciampa Declares Himself The Best Wrestler In The World

Anutosh Bajpai
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Tommaso Ciampa recently had an interview with Denise Salcedo where he talked about things such as wrestling in front of no fans during the pandemic and more.

During the interview, the former NXT champion also talked about his highly acclaimed match with the NXT UK champion Walter during the Takeover: Stand And Deliver event.

Ciampa explained why the match was important for him. He declared himself as the best wrestler in the world and said that his match with the Austrian star was a reminder of the same:

“I didn’t understand why, but I feel like in 2018 people kinda got how damn good I was and then I broke my neck and I went away for surgery and I get it I took a little time off there. But I just feel like people don’t realize how damn good I am.

I am the best wrestler in the world, point-blank.” said Tommaso Ciampa, “And I felt that in the WALTER match, ‘I guess I’ll just remind people and see if they forget quickly again,’”

The former ROH star also talked about things such as the current NXT product, teaming with Timothy Thatcher, growing as a performer and more.

Tommaso Ciampa faced Walter in a hard-fought one on one match during the NXT Takeover: Stand And Deliver night one in April earlier this year. Though unfortunately, he lost this bout.

Samir Singh On His Interactions With Vince McMahon

Anutosh Bajpai
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Recently released WWE stars Samir Singh & Sunil Singh, collectively known as The Bollywood Boyz appeared as guests on the latest episode of Sean Waltman’s Pro Wrestling 4 Life podcast.

During the interview, the duo talked about many things such as WWE’s hunt for a breakout Indian star, their time in the company and more.

Discussing his interactions with the chairman Vince McMahon, Samir said that the boss was very appreciative. The former WWE star claimed that every meeting they had with McMahon was amazing:

“Every meeting we had with Vince was amazing. He was always kind and appreciated everything we had done. The first time we were working after a bit, we came up in our pink gear and glasses.

Vince walked right up to us and was like, ‘That’s fucking money.’ He was always so good to us and that’s why we were always so appreciative.” said Samir Singh, “We were always on the right track and learning on the fly and getting ready.”

The Bollywood Boyz have been wrestling as a tag team since 2006. Prior to their WWE signing in 2016, they had competed for promotions like ECCW and GFW.

The highlight of their WWE careers was probably their pairing with Jinder Mahal in 2017 when they helped the Maharaja in winning the WWE championship. They were released from the company late last month.

Drew McIntyre On If WWE Should Retain The Two Night Format For WrestleMania

Anutosh Bajpai
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WrestleMania is expected to return to its usual one-night schedule next year. However, many WWE superstars have spoken in support of keeping the event as a two-night show. Drew McIntyre has now joined the list.

The former WWE champion recently had an interview with Battleground podcast where he was asked for his thoughts on the debate about the one-night vs. two nights format of the Show Of Shows.

Replying to the question, McIntyre mentioned how the two-night format was a product of the pandemic era. He then claimed that while he loves WrestleMania, he can’t imagine being in the crowd for seven hours for the show:

“As much as I love WrestleMania and be performing on it, I couldn’t imagine being in the crowd for up to seven hours at a time. It’s such a long event.”

Drew McIntyre then recalled his experience of wrestling Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 35 and how the crowd was a bit burned out for it. He explained why breaking big WWE shows to two nights might be a good idea:

“If we broke it into two nights, we’ve got those shorter events and the crowd’s got their energy from start to finish. They can pick a night, they can pick both nights, or make a weekend out of it.

So, I’m all about it, but again, I don’t understand the business behind it and what makes the most sense, so I can’t make that decision.” said the former champion, “But for me, personally, it gets a yes.”

Apart from this, Drew McIntyre reiterated his comments about wanting his old theme song back. He said that the theme will come back ‘one of these days.’

Chris Jericho On His Dream Feuds, Favorite Tag Team Partner

Anutosh Bajpai
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Wrestling veteran Chris Jericho recently spoke to Gresh and Keefe while promoting his new book dubbed The Complete List of Jericho where he talked about a number of things.

The wrestling veteran has feuded with many Hall Of Famers In his long and illustrated career. The long list of his iconic rivalries includes people like Shawn Michaels, Edge and more.

When asked which stars he would have liked to have a feud with, Jericho picked the Hart Brothers. He also said that he would have loved to be part of an extended feud with The Undertaker:

“I think the Hart brothers for sure. I’m talking about Bret Hart or Owen Hart. Both of those guys I never got to wrestle. Owen passed away before I got into WWE, and I wasn’t at the level to wrestle Bret before he got injured, before his career was done.

The other one is The Undertaker. I worked him a few times and we always had great matches, but we just never really had a long feud.”

Chris Jericho Reveals His Favorite Tag Team Partner

Chris was also asked which is his favorite tag team partner. Replying to it, Y2J who has won tag team championships with people like The Rock and Edge, picked The Big Show aka Paul Wight as his favorite:

“My favorite tag team partner of all-time — and you can see that in The Complete List of Jericho, I have my top ten tag team partners, etc — is always the Big Show,”

Chris Jericho explained how he had a great time teaming with Wight during their WWE days. He recalled how the two were like an old married couple who argued with each other but still had great chemistry.

The former AEW champion teamed with Big Show as part of the Jeri-Show tag team in 2009-2010. The two won the tag team titles a couple of times and also won the 2009 Slammy Awards for tag team of the year.

John Cena On Drew McIntyre Wanting A Match With Him

Anutosh Bajpai
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John Cena is expected to make his return to WWE programming later this month. Names of potential opponents for him are already piling up.

Latest reports suggest that the company is discussing a match between him and Roman Reigns. Though that’s not all, as Drew McIntyre also expressed the desire to face the former champion recently.

Cena talked about McIntyre’s comments in his interview with Demand Entertainment to promote Fast & Furious 9. John said that he always appreciates being mentioned in such a conversation. However, he explained that Drew is just setting himself up for disappointment:

“Man, what a way to set yourself up for disappointment. In no way shape or form is Drew in a position to make matches or make things happen — and I’m not either.  Neither of us have that power, that’s beyond our capacity, so, I certainly am grateful for being mentioned, which is awesome.”

John Cena On Why He Never Thinks About Potential Opponents

John Cena went on to explain his comments. He said that while he has more matches left in WWE, he never thinks about which opponents he wants to face because he’s not the one making the decision:

“I got more matches left in the WWE, I’m not done, but I’ve never approached anything like, ‘I’d like to work with this person, or I want to have a match with this person’ because I don’t make those choices.

They say, ‘Hey, we’d like you to do this.’ Alright, it’s time to go to work. And that’s really allowed me to enjoy every step of the way. I think if we build up expectations in our head — like, I hate to say this to Drew, but if that never happens, how is he supposed to feel about that?”

John Cena has confirmed that he will make a return in previous interviews as well but an exact date for his comeback has not been confirmed yet.

Would you like to see a match between John Cena and Drew McIntyre when the Cenation Leader returns? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Karrion Kross To Confront Johnny Gargano At NXT Great American Bash, Updated Card

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE has announced that the NXT champion Karrion Kross will come face-to-face with Johnny Gargano at the NXT Great American Bash this Tuesday.

Gargano expressed the desire to have a confrontation with the fellow NXT star on Twitter. He mentioned how his rival tried to hit him with a car last week and promised to ‘smack the taste outta’ of the NXT champion’s mouth.

Kross accepted this invitation with a tweet of his own. He told Johnny that it was time to cool off his mouth and compared the former champion to ‘ the bugs that crawl in and out of dog crap’:

Both the NXT GM William Regal and special enforcer Samoa Joe also reacted to this news on Twitter. You can check out the exchange among these four below:

Great American Bash: Updated Card

  • NXT Champion Karrion Kross coming face to face with Johnny Gargano
  • Championship Cypher hosted by North American Champion Isaiah “Swerve” Scott and Hit Row
  • NXT Tag Team Championship Match: MSK vs. Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher
  • NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship Match: Indi Hartwell and Candice LeRae vs. Io Shirai and Zoey Stark
  • Singles Match: Adam Cole vs. Kyle O’Reilly

NXT’s Great American Bash is scheduled to take place from the Capitol Wrestling Center on this Tuesday, July 6. Below is the updated card for the show after the latest addition:

News On How Zelina Vega’s Return Was Made Possible

Anutosh Bajpai
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Zelina Vega had a dispute with WWE over their third-party edicts. These disagreements had led to the female star’s release in November 2020. So it was a surprise for many when she made her return to the company on SmackDown this week. Latest reports provide some update on how it was made possible.

According to Mike Johnson of PWInsider, there were segments in the promotion who felt that Vega should have been retained and not released when she was first let go. These segments pushed for a conversation between the two sides. They eventually succeed in their effort to start a discussion for her return.

This return was made possible when after a long period of back and forth, the WWE executives apologized to Zelina Vega and made her an offer. As for why the former NXT star herself chose to return after the manner of her firing, the site notes that both sides made amends and came to a compromise.

Vega grew up wanting to be a part of WWE. She didn’t mind returning if the air was cleared from all sides. It’s said that everyone ‘came to an understanding on the other sides’ perspective’ to make things work. When it comes to Aleister Black, some people within the company have pushed for his return too. Although as of now, there aren’t any deep discussions about his potential comeback.

Billie Kay On The Favorite Moment Of Her WWE Career

Anutosh Bajpai
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The team of Peyton Royce and Billie Kay, collectively known as The IIconics recently appeared on the Oral Sessions with Renee Paquette podcast where the duo opened up about their time in WWE.

During the interview, they talked about things such as their start in wrestling, the decision to break up their tag team and draft them to separate brands, and more.

One of the biggest career highlights of The IIconics was when the duo won the women’s tag team championship at WrestleMania. Discussing it, Billie Kay said that it was the favorite moment of her career:

“It was my favorite moment, like everything that we had worked for, for 15 years and, like, all the sacrifices we made, everything came down to that one match, I didn’t tell anyone what was going to happen in the match.”

Kay went on to explain that both her husband and the husband of her partner, Shawn Spears were in the crowd for this bout but even they didn’t know the outcome of the match.

The IIconics, alongside two other teams, challenged The Boss ‘n’ Hug Connection for the women’s tag titles at WrestleMania 35. Billie Kay won this match for her team after pinning Bayley. This made them the first all Australian tag team champions in the history of WWE.

Zelina Vega Comments On WWE Return, Scrubs Tweet about Unionization

Anutosh Bajpai
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Zelina Vega finally made her return to WWE programming after months of speculation last night. She made a surprise appearance on SmackDown and was added to the upcoming Money In The Bank match.

The female star took on her Twitter to comment on her return to WWE TV. She mentioned that the takeaway from her appearance on the blue brand is that she is back and she will be winning the upcoming ladder match:

“What to take from tonight: I’m back. I’m going to be in the MITB ladder match…and I will win.” wrote Zelina Vega, “Period. Everything else is irrelevant.”

“I support unionization.”

It’s interesting to note that with her return to the company, the former NXT star has deleted her old tweet about supporting unionization. She had posted the tweet on the same day as her release in 2020.

Zelina Vega was released from WWE back on November 13, 2020. Her dispute with the officials over WWE’s new third-party edicts was the primary reason behind her departure from the company.

The news of her potential return was first reported in May this year. She finally made her return on SmackDown this week where Sonya Deville introduced her as the newest participant for the women’s Money In The Bank match.

Mickie James Praises AEW Star As ‘The Greatest Women’s Wrestler’

Anutosh Bajpai
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Former WWE and current NWA star Mickie James recently spoke to Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast where she talked about a number of things.

The former women’s champion is looking to make her in-ring return at the upcoming NWA 73 show but she doesn’t have an opponent for the event yet.

When asked which star she would like to face in her first match for her new promotion, Mickie named a few opponents she could see herself fighting against:

“If we go within NWA, there’s Kylie Rae now. There’s Kamille, who is aligned with my husband and they are champions. As a businesswoman, I like Kamille.

She comes over to the house and we’re all friends. I’d really like to have one of those matches with like Thunder Rosa or Serena [Deeb] and put on a hell of a match,”

Mickie James Has Big Praise For Sarena Deeb

James continued her praise for the former NWA women’s champion Deeb. She called the AEW star ‘the greatest women’s wrestler’ out there right now:

“I know I’ve wrestled Serena, but everyone knows that Serena is my go-to because I think she’s the greatest women’s wrestler out there right now and I’ve always felt that way.

I’ve always had a kindred spirit with Serena because I remember her when she first moved to OVW. We’re both Virginia girls and I’ve loved her since day one.”

Mickie James’ last put on her wrestling gear for the 2021 women’s Royal Rumble match in January. Her last singles match was her encounter with Zelina Vega during the September 21, 2020 episode of Raw.

The Rock Talks One of His ‘Biggest’ WWE Career Regrets

Jake Skudder
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International megastar and former WWE Superstar Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson recently revealed a career ‘regret’ from his time in WWE, specifically from The Invasion in 2001 when WCW and ECW ‘invaded’ the company.

Hurricane Helms tweeted that he was watching an old Rock vs Booker T match from SummerSlam 2001. “Doing cardio watching @TheRock vs @BookerT5x from @WWE SummerSlam 2001. Two of my favorite opponents and favorite people I’ve worked with in the Biz. I wish these two woulda had more matches together.”

The Rock then responded to this, saying that he too wishes he had the opportunity to work more with Booker T when both men were in WWE. “Thank you, brother. I do too actually” Dwayne Johnson revealed. “One of my biggest regrets was not having a long run w Book.”

The Rock vs Booker T

“He was one of my fav workers and the best pure athlete I’ve ever wrestled” The Rock continued. “Fluid, sharp, believable movements and work style. I always say his moves had a rare swagger.”

The feud between The Rock and Booker T during the Invasion was a dud, as was the whole angle itself. Booker T should’ve been shown as on the same level as The Great One for the angle to even work, and WWE (then WWF) decided to have The Rock steamroll through the five time WCW Champion.

It’s arguably the biggest misstep in Booker T’s WWE career, as it took years to rehab the character until he was seen as a legitimate main event talent…this was before he lost to Triple H at WrestleMania 19, but that’s a different story.

Lana Reveals She Has Been Helping Miro With AEW Character Development

Jake Skudder
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Former WWE Superstar Lana/CJ Perry recently appeared on the Talk Is Jericho with ‘Le Champion’ Chris Jericho. The former on-screen manager of Rusev/Miro discussed a number of topics during the interview with Jericho, including a reveal of how much she has been helping Miro behind the scenes.

“I think I played a big part in his success behind closed doors in AEW” Lana began on the podcast with Jericho. “I can talk about that now.”

Lana on Helping Miro

“A big turn for him was when we really started talking about ‘let’s make your message more clear over there’” Lana noted, talking about the new on-screen direction of the TNT Champion. “So it’s reassuring to me that I do grasp storytelling. I do grasp storytelling in wrestling as well.”

Miro has had a huge character change since the initial ‘best man’ gimmick that he joined the company with. The Bulgarian Brute has been stellar in-ring, dominating opponents and showing that he is a true monster heel on the AEW roster who can go toe to toe with anyone.

The former Rusev has also been improving massively on the microphone since he changed his character on-screen. “I’m god’s favorite Champion” and “I thank god for making me strong and making my hot wife flexible” being some of the best moments from his recent run on top of the TNT Championship division.

Notes On Zelina Vega’s Return On SmackDown

Anutosh Bajpai
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After weeks of rumors and speculations, Zelina Vega finally made her return to WWE programming on this week’s episode of SmackDown and secured herself a spot in the upcoming Money In The Bank match.

PWInsider provided some backstage updates on her return. The site confirms that her appearance is not a short-term deal and the female star is back with the company full time.

They also revealed that Vega was backstage for last week’s episode of the show as well but she wasn’t used. WWE officials hid her well so the news of her presence did not leak.

The former NXT star was released from WWE back in November 2020 after a three year long stint with the company. Her disagreements with the officials about WWE’s new third party edicts were a big reason behind her departure.

The news of her potential return to the company first broke out in May earlier this year. Zelina Vega finally made her return to WWE programming this week.

Sonya Deville announced that the returning star was the next participant for the women’s MITB ladder match. Vega then went on to have a singles match with Liv Morgan but she lost the bout.

Adam Cole Picks His Dream Hell in a Cell Opponents

Alex Laybourne
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NXT superstar Adam Cole was a guest recently on After the Bell with Corey Graves. The duo talked about the legendary PPV’s of old, and their recent resurgence under NXT, including the Great American Bash. However, it was another iconic event that dominated the conversation.

During their conversation they discussed the iconic Hell in a Cell structure and its legacy within WWE. Cole was quick to volunteer for a match inside the steel structure.

“I really really want to wrestle in a Hell in a Cell someday, cause I’m an absolute maniac.” Adam Cole said eagerly.

A wrestler like Cole could certainly put on quite a show in that structure. When asked who he would most want to face, he was also quick to answer. Giving two names, one past and one present who he would love to square off against.

 “In a perfect world, if past, present or future doesn’t matter, me vs. Shawn Michaels is the one I would love. If I’m picking current guys to possibly face right now, I’m going to go Kyle O’Reilly, I am. I feel like if I beat Kyle O’Reilly in Hell in a Cell, it’s over. Then I can move on, go back to going after the NXT Championship, then I can move on. Either Shawn Michaels or Kyle O’Reilly.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CM2pg6isgEi/

I think there could be no denying that either match would be fantastic, and Adam Cole would be a perfect partner for Shawn Michaels in his prime. However, after their unsanctioned match at Stand and Deliver, a Hell in a Cell match between Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly would be something special.

Update On Kenny Omega’s Health

Anutosh Bajpai
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Recent reports of Kenny Omega dealing with multiple nagging injuries and working hurt made fans worried about him. The latest reports thankfully provide a positive update on the situation.

Dave Meltzer talked about the AEW world champion on the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. He revealed that some recent treatments have helped the wrestling star and he is now feeling much better:

“Omega was feeling a lot better and you could tell in the Jungle Boy match. The biggest issue was an athletic hernia and stem cell treatment and PRP therapy have helped a lot.” wrote Meltzer, “He said it wasn’t night and day, but he felt it made a world of difference.”

The former NJPW star was dealing with multiple nagging injuries. Apart from the athletic hernia, he had problems with his knees. He suffered from a stomach virus for a period and had a deep bone bruise near his tailbone too.

Kenny Omega also sliced up his hand during a spot involving the AEW world title while defending his championship against Pac and Orange Cassidy at the Double Or Nothing PPV. It required him to get seven stitches.

He was heard telling people before the show that there are days when he wonders if he’s close to retirement because of all the issues. So this update is a relieving news for the fans.

News On Why Xavier Woods Was Absent From Raw

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Xavier Woods did not appear on last week’s episode of Raw after the beatdown angle on June 21 episode of the show. Latest reports suggest that the angle was done based off a request from Woods.

Dave Meltzer talked about the New Day member in the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Newsletter. He noted that the WWE star had asked for a week off. The injury angle was written to explain his absence from the show.

Last week’s episode of Raw featured a Hell In A Cell main event where the WWE champion Bobby Lashley defended his title against Xavier Woods inside the cage.

The match saw Lashley picking up a clean victory when he made his opponent tap out with the Hurt Lock. However, he didn’t let the UpUpDownDown star go even after the match.

The WWE champion locked himself in the cage with Woods even after the match was over. He hurt Xavier some more before finally letting him go to end the show.

There is no word on why the former tag champion asked for the time off. No word on the reason for Lashley’s absence from the show either.

Though both these stars are not expected to stay away for long. Both Xavier Woods and Bobby Lashley will be returning to Raw this Monday. The New Day will face Lashley and MVP in a tag match on the show.

Orange Cassidy On If He Ever Saw Himself Becoming A Big Star

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

The group of Chuck Taylor, Kris Statlander, Orange Cassidy, and Trent joined the latest episode of Busted Open Radio. The AEW stars talked about a wide variety of topics during their appearance.

The King Of Sloth Style has become an internet sensation since joining AEW. His unique wrestling style and persona has made him one of the most beloved babyfaces of the industry.

When asked if he ever saw himself getting this level of success in the wrestling world, Cassidy admitted that he didn’t imagine it when he first got started:

“To answer your question without getting too much into it, no, never ever. I just put a denim jacket on and started wrestling. You know, whatever happened, happened.”

Orange Cassidy On Their Return To Road

Orange Cassidy was then asked how he feels about AEW’s return to the road next week and getting to work in front of fans again. Replying to it, he said that he is looking forward to doing more of what he wants to do:

“I had to wrestle more, which I wasn’t a fan of, but luckily during that time, a bunch of people like Chris Jericho and the great Brodie Lee, they pissed me off hard enough to make me actually wrestle. Now that the people are back I can, you know, get back to doing what I want to do, which is more of nothing.”

During the interview, Chuck Taylor mentioned how many people believe Orange Cassidy to be an overnight success. In reality, he has worked on indies for many years before joining the promotion.

Arturo Ruas Discusses Nixed Plans For Him To Join The Diamond Mine

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Former NXT star Arturo Ruas was one of the names released last month. It appears that the officials were considering big plans for him at one point before the 39-year-old was let go.

The Diamond Mine finally made their debut on NXT TV last month after teasing the fans for weeks. The group consisted of Roderick Strong, Tyler Rust, and Hideki Suzuki. Malcolm Bivens was their manager.

It was later reported that both Ruas and Marina Shafir were originally planned to be a part of the group. When asked about it during an interview with WrestlingInc, Arturo confirmed that he knew about these talks:

“When I did my match with Kushida, I knew that the storyline of that match would be leading to me being a part of Malcolm Bivens’ group, It wasn’t Diamond Mine yet. I was supposed to be in that group, and then I got injured.

I got surgery on my bicep, and things kind of stopped, but I healed. I got cleared, and everything started to run again.” said Ruas “That’s where Diamond Mine came up. It would be a group of legit fighters with legit backgrounds.”

Unfortunately for the former NXT star, his injury forced the company to change plans and the diamond mine ended up making their debut without him.

The Brazilian professional wrestler signed with WWE back in 2015. He worked several Raw underground segments on the main roster. Arturo Ruas was released from his contract in June 2021.

WWE SmackDown Results (7/2): Last Man Standing Match, Edge Attacks, Zelina Vega Returns

Robert Lentini
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WWE SmackDown aired live from the ThunderDome in Tampa, Florida. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn competed in a Last Man Standing Money in the Bank Qualifier. Edge appeared on tonight’s show to address Roman Reigns ahead of their Universal Championship Match at Money in the Bank.

SmackDown Results (7/2)

  1. Big E & Shinsuke Nakamura def. Baron Corbin & Apollo Crews
  2. Kevin Owens def. Sami Zayn in a Last Man Standing match to qualify for the MITB Ladder Match
  3. Liv Morgan def. Carmella
  4. Otis def. Angelo Dawkins

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Edge Claimed He Can Beat Roman Reigns

Edge kicked off the show and marched down to the ring. He said he wanted to win the title badly at WrestleMania and what a great story it would of been, but it didn’t happen. He didn’t see the loss coming and it took some time for him to look back at the match.

Edge noted that Daniel Bryan’s presence in the match cost him the title multiple times and that Jey Uso also interfered in the match. He said he could complain about all of these things and the 2006 version of himself would have, but the 2021 version will not.

He claimed that he can beat Roman Reigns 1 vs. 1 and that the proof of that is Reigns’ face while he was locked in the Crossface at WrestleMania. Edge said it was a look of fear and that he lives in Reigns’ head for life now. He vowed to win the Universal Championship as Jimmy Uso was shown backstage.

Jimmy approached Paul Heyman and said that he is going to tell Reigns that he has his back. Jimmy said that when Reigns gets here, they are going to put Edge down and stomp their flag in his back.

Big E & Nakamura Picked Up A Win

Intercontinental Champion Apollo Crews teamed up with Baron Corbin to face Big E and Shinsuke Nakamura in the first match of the night. Nakamura and Crews started off the contest and Shinsuke took control. Corbin tagged in and beat Shinsuke down as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Corbin was still in control and hit Big E with some elbows to the face in the corner of the ring. Corbin slammed him to the mat and went for the cover but Big E was able to kick out at two. Crews tagged in and hit Big E leveled him with a Dropkick

Corbin tagged in and connected with a Powerslam. Corbin went for the cover but Nakamura hopped in the ring to break it up. Crews joined the party as the match broke down. Boogs grabbed a microphone and shouted that Corbin’s car was being towed. Footage of the car being towed was shown on the Jumbotron and Big E took advantage of the distraction with the Big Ending on Corbin for the pinfall victory.

Bianca Belair & Bayley Will Be An I Quit Match

SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair and Bayley met Face-to-Face tonight on SmackDown. Bayley came to the ring first and claimed that Belair was mentally weak for beating her last week. Bianca Belair interrupted and said Bayley needs a crack in the mouth.

Belair laughed at the idea what Bayley thinks she is in her head, when all she has done is beat her over and over again. Bianca said that only way to end this is to embarrass Bayley to the point of no return. Belair suggested that she defend her title against Bayley in an I Quit match at Money in the Bank.

Bayley claimed to have never quit anything in her life and if Belair can make it happen on Sunday, Bayley will quit the WWE entirely. Bayley then accepted the challenge and Belair said she is excited to hear Bayley say “I Quit”.

Kevin Owens Qualified For The MITB Ladder Match

Kevin Owens faced Sami Zayn in a Last Man Standing Money in the Bank Qualifier. Owens went right after Sami and beat him down in the corner to start off the action. Owens connected with a Cannonball and Sami fell to the floor outside the ring. Sami got up at the count of 6 and got launched into the barricade by Owens.

The action spilled over the barricade and Sami sent Owens into the ThunderDome screens. Owens battled back with a Senton and followed it up with a slam on the announce table. Sami slammed Owens on top of the announce table as well but it just wouldn’t break as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Owens hit Zayn with a bunch of headbutts but Sami made it back up at 5. Owens brought Sami to the outside and hurled him into the ring post a couple times. Owens stacked two tables on top of each other as Sami stumbled to his feet.

Owens brought Zayn up to the top rope hovering over the tables but Sami broke free. Sami hit a Suicide Dive and brought him back into the ring. Zayn connected with an Exploder Suplex that sent Owens into the turnbuckle. Owens got up at 6 and Sami brought him to the top rope.

Zayn went for a Superplex but Owens blocked it and hit a Brainbuster. Owens booted Sami in the face and made his way back to the top rope. Sami hopped up and shoved Owens off the turnbuckle and through the two tables he set up earlier. Owens somehow got back up at 9 as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Sami was in control and hit a Helluva Kick but couldn’t keep Owens down. Sami hit two more Helluva Kicks but Owens rolled out of the ring and landed on his feet at the count of 9 and the match continued. Sami went for a Tornado DDT but Owens countered with a Superkick.

Owens connected with a Pop-Up Powerbomb through a table and then dragged Zayn to the apron by his beard. Owens delivered another Powerbomb on the apron and Sami was unable to get up. Kevin Owens qualified for the Money in the Bank Ladder Match.

Liv Morgan def. Zelina Vega

Sonya Deville announced the returning Zelina Vega as the next superstar in the MITB Ladder Match. Vega came to the ring and claimed that she was going to grab the briefcase and hold onto it until whatever champion she chooses is beaten and down. Liv Morgan interrupted and said it was unfair that Carmella and Vega have just been given spots in the match. Morgan noted that Vega hasn’t competed on SmackDown all year. Zelina said she hasn’t competed in rings like this in years but can still run circles around Liv. Morgan responded with a slap and then Sonya made the match official as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Vega had an Octopus hold applied as Carmella was shown watching backstage. Vega went for a roll-up while using the tights for leverage but the referee saw it. Liv then rolled up Vega for the pinfall victory.

Otis Destroyed Angelo Dawkins

Angelo Dawkins faced Otis tonight on SmackDown. Dawkins knocked Gable off the ring apron but Otis leveled him with a shoulder tackle. Otis hit a Back Body Drop and followed it up with the Vader Bomb for the pinfall victory.

Edge Attacked Jimmy Uso

Jimmy and Heyman were shown backstage again and Jimmy was going on about how Reigns needs to hear about what Edge said earlier. Paul told Jimmy that the Tribal Chief operates on his own schedule and that Jimmy should head to the ring and be Main Event Jimmy Uso.

When SmackDown returned, Jimmy made his way to the ring and called Edge out. Edge came to the ramp and told Jimmy that Reigns is using him just like he did his entire family. Edge noted that Reigns used Jey up and quickly turned Jimmy into another one of his bitches.

Edge rushed the ring and attacked Jimmy Uso. Edge bashed Jimmy into the ring post and grabbed the steel steps. Jimmy caught Edge with a Superkick and returned to the ring. Edge locked in a Sleeper Hold before leveling Jimmy with a Spear. Edge broke off a leg of a steel chair and locked in a Crossface with the steel across Jimmy’s face. Jimmy taps out to close the show.

WWE Money In The Bank Updated Card: I-Quit Match Set, New Ladder Match Competitor

Andrew Ravens
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WWE has announced a few things for the upcoming Money in the Bank PPV.

There was a segment on Friday’s episode of SmackDown where it was confirmed that SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair vs. Bayley in an I-Quit Match will take place at this PPV event. Belair retained the title inside of the Hell in a Cell structure at the pay-per-view event last month. 

As noted, Zelina Vega made her return on SmackDown where she was announced as the latest participant in the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match. 

Also, there was a Last Man Standing Match between Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn on SmackDown. The back and forth match ended with going over to earn a spot in the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match.

Ricochet, Matt Riddle, John Morrison, Drew McIntyre, and Big E have already qualified for the men’s match while Asuka, Naomi, Alex Bliss, Nikki Cross, Liv Morgan, and Carmella are in the women’s match. 

WWE presents the Money in the Bank pay-per-view event on Sunday, July 18, 2021 from Fort Worth, Texas at Dickies Arena that will air on Peacock. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks.

Zelina Vega Returns On WWE SmackDown

Andrew Ravens
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Zelina Vega made her WWE return on Friday’s episode of SmackDown as she was revealed as the latest competitor in the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match.

Vega cut a promo about how she will win the briefcase and cash in the contract to become either the Raw, NXT, or SmackDown Women’s Champion. Liv Morgan came out and voiced her problem with Vega being given this opportunity. It led to a match between the two stars. 

Back in May, Vega was at the WWE Performance Center, and at the time, it was reported she wasn’t just a visit, but rather she was being filmed for some reason there. It was added that they had been told “the working plan is for her to return to the company.”

Fightful Select reported today the plan as of three weeks ago was for Zelina to return to the WWE main roster as she was listed on internal documents in June as a female heel on the SmackDown roster. It was said the hope was to have her involved by the time Money in the Bank rolled around.

Last November, she was released by WWE after having issues with the company’s new policy regarding talent making deals with third party companies like Twitch. At the time, Sports Illustrated reported that it was due to her breaching her contract.

There is no update on Vega’s husband, Aleister Black, after he was released by WWE and is currently waiting for his 90-day non-compete clause to expire. The belief is he’ll be headed to AEW although there was some talk within WWE that he shouldn’t have been cut.

Kevin Nash Appearing On ‘Steve Austin: The Broken Skull Sessions’

Andrew Ravens
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The guest for the latest episode of WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s show is set and it’s Kevin Nash who will be appearing. 

The guest for the show, “Steve Austin: The Broken Skull Sessions,” was recently revealed by WWE Network News. Nash will be discussing a wide range of topics about his long and successful pro wrestling career. Here is the description: 

“Steve Austin and two-time WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash discuss everything from “Big Daddy Cool” and The Kliq to The nWo and the Monday Night War, as well as never-before-heard road stories.”

The episode premieres on WWE’s streaming service, WWE Network, and Peacock on Sunday, July 11th at 10 a.m. ET. 

Mick Foley was the guest on the show last month. Ric Flair, Bret Hart, Big Show, Bill Goldberg, and The Undertaker are just some of the other names that also appeared on the show.

After a run in WCW as Oz and Vinnie Vegas, his career took off after being a bodyguard for Shawn Michaels. He became a WWE Champion, Intercontinental Champion, and held the Tag Team Titles twice. Nash then went to WCW where he was part of the nWo and his career continued as a top star. Later on, he had a run in TNA Wrestling. 

WWE NXT Stars Wrestle Dark Matches At SmackDown

Andrew Ravens
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The trend of WWE bringing in NXT talent to TV events to work dark matches continued on Friday night at SmackDown as a way to get a better look at them ahead of potential main roster call-ups.

Pwinsider.com reports NXT Champion Karrion Kross, Toni Storm, Shotzi Blackheart, and Odyssey Jones were all brought to the show. The matches were Kross vs. Cesaro, Jones vs. Robert Roode, and Storm vs. Blackheart.

Jones, a former college football player, signed in the same February 2019 WWE Performance Center Class that included Reed, Mei Ying, Rachael Ellering, Jordan Myles, Cameron Grimes, Ever-Rise, Dexter Lumis, Nick Comoroto, Brendan Vink, and Ricardo Miller.

He is formerly known as Omari Palmer. He made his NXT in-ring debut at a November 2019 live event where he lost to Lumis and only worked 5 matches after that then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. 

This comes at a time where Kross, Scarlett, Blackheart and former NXT North American Champion Bronson Reed have been brought to recent TV events for WWE officials to check out. 

Three weeks ago, Kross wrestled Dolph Ziggler at SmackDown while Reed wrestled Roode that same night. The following Monday, Kross and Reed worked the WWE Main Event TV episode where Kross defeated Shelton Benjamin and Reed defeated Drew Gulak. That same week, Scarlett and Blackheart wrestled each other at SmackDown while Kross wrestled Slapjack. Finally, this past Monday, Kross, Scarlett and Blackheart were brought back to Raw to work matches.

Triple H Discusses Samoa Joe’s WWE NXT Return, Talent Scout Role

Andrew Ravens
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Samoa Joe was released by WWE in April due to budget cuts, but Triple H was reportedly “not happy” about the decision and wanted him back in WWE NXT. 

That happened as Joe is now the enforcer for NXT General Manager William Regal. He’s also working as a talent scout. Speaking to the New York Post, Triple H stated that Joe’s release was actually more of a transition.

“It wasn’t like he got let go from one part of the company and the other part of the company [hired him]. It’s all one big company,” Triple H said. “Everybody knows what everybody’s doing. There was an opportunity for him to transition, no different than you would say, ‘Well, he was released from this pitching contract and started managing the team and became a coach.’ It’s a similar situation.”

Triple H stated the conversations about Joe’s backstage role were already being discussed even before the COVID-19 pandemic started. He put him over being a smart guy who is very business-oriented and has a level head. Triple H stated that Joe was enamored with the other side of the business. 

Triple H likened Joe’s situation to the one he’s been in as they went from in-ring competitors to having a role behind the scenes. He noted that Joe will be a bigger component and that’s in developing talent. He’s excited to see Joe being in this stage of his career and helping develop the next generations of superstars.

Roman Reigns Picks His Replacement as Head of the Table

Alex Laybourne
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There comes a time when every champion must move on. They pass the torch they have carried on to the next one in line. You had Stone Cold and The Rock, then you had John Cena, and right now, we have Roman Reigns. There will come a point when even the tribal chief will need to step aside.

Talking during a recent episode of Cheap Heat, the current head of the table was asked just that question. Who he thinks could assume his mantle when the time came? His answer was tactful, yet there was a clear candidate in his mind.

“At this point, my favorite is Drew McIntyre.” Roman Reigns answered emphatically.

“So in a perfect world, if there was an opportunity to pass the torch to him, he’s the one guy that has captivated my attention in that manner. But, at the same time, he ain’t there, and it’s only because I’m still here, so solid within my stronghold.”

“The flag is fully planted in, so I can’t even think about it now, but John [Cena] needed somebody to come in so he could move on and try new things and take care of his body. I will eventually need that, but there’s just no nobody at this point.”

Until now Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre have only crossed paths once, however, the idea of a feud between the two would be entertaining. As it stands, McIntyre is still chasing down Bobby Lashley while Roman Reigns is finally set for a singles clash with Edge.

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