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Karl Fredericks Gets First NJPW Title Opportunity

Alex Laybourne
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The Young Lion academy is a tough place to come through. Whether in Japan or the LA Dojo. If you want to be part of NJPW, being a Young Lion is the way to go. Karl Fredericks joined the LA Dojo in 2018. Despite having several years’ experience behind him, he went back to basics at the Young Lions academy.

Following in the footsteps of many NJPW greats, including Shinsuke Nakamura, Tatsuya Naito and Kazuchika Okada, Karl Fredericks graduated from the dojo in June 2020. Since then he has been able to develop his character and build his own story in wrestling. Paying homage to his Native American heritage in both his attire and move names, Fredericks has become a solid name on the NJPW roster. Appearing at both US and Japan-based events.

This coming Friday on NJPW Strong, Karl Fredericks will get his first chance at a title in NJPW when he takes on Tom Lawler. Lawler is the inaugural Strong Openweight champion, having won the belt earlier this year, beating Brody King in the tournament finals.

Karl Fredericks Helping NJPW Strong Grow as a Brand

NJPW Strong is a new brand under the NJPW banner. It is based solely in the US and after coming through the pandemic era of professional wrestling, is growing week by week. Yes, there are some established names on its roster, but it is young lions and graduates such as Karl Fredericks and Clark Connors who are the future of the brand.

The Young Lions system is an interesting one and has been very successful for NJPW through the decades. There are questions as to whether a system such as that would be useful for companies like AEW. It could be argued that the original thoughts behind NXT were Young Lion-esque however, a fully-fledged dojo system could help promotions build talent for the future, as well as support smaller associated promotions through excursion agreements.

The future is bright for Karl Fredericks, and while the chances of Lawler dropping the Strong belt so soon in his run are slim, there is definitely gold in Fredericks’s future.

Gangrel on Miro’s Success “I’m super proud of him.”

Alex Laybourne
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Talking on his Fangin’ and Bangin’ podcast, Gangrel spoke up about his former pupil and current TNT champion Miro. Miro trained under Gangrel during his time at the Knokx Pro Wrestling Academy from 2008 to 2010.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQWX2b2L5WK/

Talking about Miro’s dedication to mastering the art of wrestling, Gangrel was full of praise. “This is a guy that would work all night. You know, he came from another country. His dream was to be a wrestler. He left Bulgaria to come here to be a wrestler… You come all the way, you gamble on you. He bet on himself. He believed in himself, he left Bulgaria, and he came to the United States to become a professional wrestler. Look at him now. That didn’t come because he was being lazy, that didn’t come because he wasn’t dedicated. No, it’s the opposite. He was a workhorse, and he was super dedicated, he was super focused.”

Gangrel Is Proud of What His Student Has Achieved Since Joining AEW

Miro had a great run in WWE, but never got the push his character and popularity deserved. Following his release in 2020, he initially retired from the sport. However, AEW were able to get him back in the ring, where he is flourishing.

Coming into his own after separating from Kip Sabian, Gangrel is proud to watch his former protégé develop and the maturity he has found in the ring.

“So when I was watching this match with Dark Order, I see that he was just miles ahead, but not by being fast. He just knew his way around the ring and I was super proud of him because I know how hard he worked to become the professional wrestler that the human being is and then the man he is today and I’m super proud of him. So, Miro, good on you, man. Keep kicking ass, dude. I’m super, super proud of you. Keep rockin’!”

Vickie Guerrero On When She Found Out About Her Pairing With Andrade

Anutosh Bajpai
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Andrade El Idolo made his AEW debut during the June 4 episode of Dynamite earlier this month. He was paired with Vickie Guerrero upon his arrival.

The former SmackDown general manager recently had an interview with It’s My House podcast, where she talked about her pairing with the former WWE star.

Guerrero revealed when she found out about her pairing with Andrade during the interview. She explained that president Tony Khan introduced the two on the day of his debut show itself:

“I knew the day of [his debut] that I was going to be working with him. Tony Khan makes all the decisions so when he said, ‘Hey, I have someone for you to come meet,’ and I went to the trailer and saw him, I was just ecstatic.”

Vickie Guerrero also discussed how Andrade was underutilized in WWE. She claimed that he is going to have a great time in AEW because of two reasons:

“He was really underutilized in WWE. He’s going to have a great time in AEW. Number one, because he’s working with me. Number two, there’s a lot of great wrestlers in AEW that he’s going to be able to have incredible matches.”

Andrade is a former NXT and WWE US champion. He had asked for his release from the company earlier this year after being unhappy with his booking. His request was granted by the officials in March.

Reason Why WWE Held Hell In A Cell Matches on Raw & SmackDown

Michael Reichlin
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WWE presented Hell in a Cell steel cage matches on Friday’s SmackDown and Monday’s Raw. You could argue that these matches diluted the uniqueness of the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, but the company had a very specific reason for booking this way.

SEScoops has learned that WWE ran the Hell in a Cell matches on Raw and SmackDown in an effort to provide their television partners (Fox and USA Network) a little “something extra.” The pandemic era was not kind to WWE viewership. Raw and SmackDown have drawn historic-low ratings this past year.

In light of their massive TV contracts, WWE has been feeling the pressure to jumpstart things to renew fan interest.

WWE initially had Roman Reigns vs. Rey Mysterio booked for the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view. That match was moved to Friday’s SmackDown to boost viewership. The tactic worked, as SmackDown topped 2 million viewers.

USA Network was said to be unhappy about WWE holding a special Hell in a Cell match on SmackDown instead of Raw. This was a a factor in the Bobby Lashley vs. Xavier Woods match airing on last night’s Raw.

Scarlett Expected To Receive Main Roster Tryout

Anutosh Bajpai
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The NXT champion Karrion Kross wrestled a match on this week’s episode of Main Event but his partner and fellow NXT star Scarlett was missing from his side.

In an update to this story, F4Wonline is reporting that there is talk of the female star receiving her own tryout, likely at this Friday’s SmackDown tapings.

Kross, Scarlett, and North American champion Bronson Reed were all first brought to the main roster last week. They were at Friday’s SmackDown tapings where both the champions wrestled in separate dark matches.

Both the NXT title holders were then brought back in during Monday’s Raw tapings. They once again wrestled during the show but their matches were taped for the Main Event episode this time.

The NXT champion Karrion Kross wrestled Shelton Benjamin during the taping but he did not have her female companion on the side. Bronson Reed competed against Drew Gulak. Both the champions had brought their titles.

The next WWE drafts are expected to take place after the SummerSlam PPV. The officials seem to be evaluating the current NXT champions for potential main roster call ups with these matches.

There is no word yet on why Scarlett was not present for the Main Event tapings or what it could mean for her future. Stay tuned for more updates.

Stephanie McMahon Says She Can’t Wait To Show Off Their SummerSlam Surprises

Anutosh Bajpai
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SummerSlam is going to be the first of the big four WWE shows after their return to road. The company is looking to make the show huge. This includes some exciting surprises for the fans, as promised by Stephanie McMahon.

The WWE chief brand officer recently had an interview with Sports Illustrated. She talked about the planning for the upcoming event in detail.

Discussing how special the event is for them, McMahon mentioned how it’s only the second time they will be holding the PPV in a stadium. She said that she can’t wait to show off their surprises:

“SummerSlam is special, It’s the first time we’re going to an NFL stadium [for SummerSlam], and it’s only the second time we’ve ever been in a stadium. It’s about bringing people together and celebrating these huge moments.

This will be our biggest pay-per-view with full capacity [since Elimination Chamber in March 2020],” said Stephanie McMahon, “and we can’t wait to show off our surprises, too.”

This isn’t the first time the WWE official has promised big surprises for the upcoming show. She had told fans to expect other surprises while declining the possibility of a potential in-ring return for herself last week.

WWE SummerSlam this year will be taking place from the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, August 21. There are some interesting matches rumored for the show and you can check out a report about them here.

Final SmackDown Viewership With Hell In A Cell Main Event

Anutosh Bajpai
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The overnight viewership for last week’s episode of SmackDown with Roman Reigns vs. Rey Mysterio universal championship Hell In A Cell match main eventing the show had seen an increase in numbers.

This trend continued with the final viewership. According to Nielsen, the Hell In A Cell go-home episode of the show drew an average of 2.045 million viewers.

This is a big 5.2% increase compared to the final viewership of the preceding episode of SmackDown. It had a Roman Reigns and Rey Mysterio segment for the main event and had drawn 1.944 million viewers.

This is also a 6.07% jump from the overnight viewership for the final show before the PPV. The number reported on Saturday morning was 1.928 million viewers.

The show drew a 0.54 rating in the key 18-49 demographic. This is a significant 12.5% increase from last week’s episode of the show which drew 0.48 ratings in the same demo.

This was the first time SmackDown managed to draw 2 million+ ratings this month. The last SmackDown episode to have an audience above this number was the May 7 episode of the show.

With no Hell In A Cell main event at this Friday’s episode, it will be interesting to see if the Blue Brand is able to hold these numbers or sees a decline again.

Edge vs Seth Rollins Dream Match Discussed For SummerSlam

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Edge is expected to work the SummerSlam PPV this year. Latest reports suggest that WWE officials may be planning a dream match for the former champion.

According to the WrestleVotes twitter account, the company is looking to load the SummerSlam card with big matches. A match between John Cena and Roman Reigns is the working main event idea for the show.

Though this isn’t the only big fight we can expect from the SmackDown side of things. The officials are apparently also discussing a big first time ever match between Edge and Seth Rollins:

The reports of the Rated R Superstar being considered for a SummerSlam match first came out earlier this month. It was said that he would be working as a babyface in a SmackDown brand match.

The company then started advertising Edge for several upcoming shows. The dates start from the July 16 edition of SmackDown from Houston, which will also mark WWE’s official return to the road.

The Attitude Era star will undoubtedly be one of the biggest attractions for the upcoming PPV. So it makes sense to put him in a big match like this which fans have been wanting to see since his comeback.

Though things change all the time in WWE. So we will have to wait for Edge’s official return to the TV to be certain about the direction for his future.

WWE RAW Results (6/21): Money In The Bank Qualifiers, Hell In A Cell Main Event

Robert Lentini
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WWE RAW aired live from the ThunderDome. It was the first episode of RAW following WWE Hell in a Cell. There were several Money in the Bank Qualifying Matches on this week’s episode of RAW. Bobby Lashley squared off against Xavier Woods in a Hell in a Cell match in the main event of the show.

WWE RAW Results (6/21)

  1. Ricochet def. AJ Styles to qualify for the MITB Ladder Match
  2. Asuka & Naomi def. Eva Marie & Doudrop to qualify for the MITB Ladder Match
  3. John Morrison def. Randy Orton to qualify for the MITB Ladder Match
  4. Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross def. Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler to qualify for the MITB Ladder Match
  5. Riddle def. Drew McIntyre to qualify for the MITB Ladder Match
  6. Bobby Lashley def. Xavier Woods inside Hell in a Cell

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Woods Will Face Lashley In A Hell In A Cell Match Tonight

WWE Champion Bobby Lashley, MVP, and some models kicked off the show as the Hell in a Cell structure was shown above the ring. MVP and Lashley boasted about defeating McIntyre and how he will not be able to challenge Bobby for the WWE Championship again.

New Day interrupted as MVP was about to give a toast. Kofi and Xavier started throwing actual pieces of toast into the ring and MVP said that this is why they were watching Hell in a Cell while Lashley was in the main event. MVP added that New Day will still be joking around and playing video games one they go back on the road while they will enjoy the finer things in life.

Kofi said he surrounds himself with family instead of people that are going to chew him up and spit him out. Kingston wondered if MVP and the ladies will still be around once he beats Lashley for the title. Lashley joked that he would never lose the title to someone that is too busy dancing and making pancakes.

Kingston pointed out that he beat Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania to win the title before and beat Lashley just last month. Kingston rolled the highlight of his victory over the WWE Champion and challenged him to a rematch at Money in the Bank. Lashley accepted and said he wanted to face Woods tonight. Woods added that their match will be inside the Hell in a Cell tonight.

Ricochet Qualified For The MITB Ladder Match

Ricochet squared off against AJ Styles in a Money in the Bank Qualifier match. Ricochet controlled the action early but Styles dodged a Moonsault and sent Ricochet into the ring post. Ricochet connected with some elbows to the face as Omos was shown watching ringside.

Ricochet connected with a Crossbody and followed it up with a Northern Lights Suplex for a near fall. Styles battled back with an Enziguri and went for a Pele Kick but Ricochet got out of the way. Ricochet hit a German Suplex and went for the cover but Styles was able to kick out at two.

AJ locked in the Calf Crusher but Ricochet was able to get to the bottom rope to break the hold. Styles hit a Neckbreaker and set up for the Phenomenal Forearm but The Viking Raiders came to the ring for a distraction. Omos attacked Erik and Ivar but they wound up sending the big man through the barricade. Ricochet countered the Phenomenal Forearm into a Recoil for the pinfall victory. Ricochet has qualified for the Money in the Bank Ladder Match.

Naomi & Asuka Qualified For The MITB Ladder Match

Asuka & Naomi faced Eva Marie & Doudrop in a MITB Qualifying Match. Before the match, Eva Marie was interviewed backstage and said that she hasn’t stepped in the ring in five years, so her return had to be perfect. Eva claimed that last week she caught a cold and arranged for her protege to replace her. Eva didn’t let Doudrop talk and simply introduced her. Doudrop didn’t seem thrilled with the name.

Eva Marie quickly tagged out and Doudrop faced off with Asuka to begin the action. Asuka hit some kicks and went for a Clothesline but Doudrop countered with a shoulder tackle. Asuka connected with a Jawbreaker and tagged in Naomi.

Naomi connected with some kicks but Doudrop sent her to the corner. Doudrop hit a Splash as Eva Marie clapped on the apron. Doudrop followed it up with a Cannonball and went for the cover but Asuka broke it up at two.

Doudrop stomped on Naomi in the corner and made her way to the middle turnbuckle. Eva Marie tagged herself in and went for the cover but Naomi kicked out at two. Eva went to tag Doudrop back in but she hopped off the apron. Eva begs Doudrop to come back and Naomi capitalized with a roll-up for the pinfall victory. Naomi and Asuka have qualified for the MITB Ladder Match.

Rhea Ripley Will Face Charlotte Again At Money In The Bank

Sonya Deville and Adam Pearce came to the ring to discuss the RAW Women’s Championship match last night. Rhea Ripley was disqualified in controversial fashion and retained the title. Pearce and Deville called Ripley to the entrance ramp and said that what she did last night was unacceptable.

They claimed that Ripley abused the fact that champions retain via DQ and Ripley noted that Charlotte Flair would have done the same thing to keep the title. Charlotte interrupted and claimed that she was proud of Rhea because she was kicking her ass last night and for the first time Ripley proved she was smart.

Flair added that Ripley proved that she is a strategic competitor but vowed to destroy her. Deville and Pearce said that Flair deserves a rematch and made the match for Money in the Bank.

John Morrison Qualified For The MITB Ladder Match

Randy Orton battled John Morrison in a MITB Qualifying Match tonight on RAW. The Miz joined commentary for the match. Morrison and Orton locked up to begin the match. Morrison applied a Headlock and then caught Orton with a kick to the head for a two count.

When RAW returned from a break, Orton was in control but Morrison quickly battled back and got Orton in an Armbar. Orton broke the hold with some punches to the midsection but Morrison sent Randy into the ring post. Randy got out of the ring but Morrison followed him and threw Orton into the steel steps.

Back in the ring, Orton connected with a Powerslam and followed it up with the draping DDT. Miz sprayed Orton with the Drip Stick and Randy got pissed off. Morrison tried to capitalize with a roll-up but Randy was able to kick out at two. Riddle arrived on his scooter and chased The Miz around. Morrison capitalized and knocked Orton to the mat. John then hit the Starship Pain for the pinfall victory and qualified for the MITB Ladder Match.

Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross Qualified For The MITB Ladder Match

Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross faced Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax in a MITB Qualifying match tonight. Nikki Cross debuted a new superhero character on this week’s RAW. Cross and Baszler locked up in the middle of the ring to start off the action. Shayna brought Cross to the corner and Jax tagged in. Reginald, Nia, and Shayna started arguing and Nikki hit them with a Crossbody as RAW went to a break.

When RAW returned, Nia Jax and Alexa Bliss battled in the ring. Nia beat Bliss down but Alexa escaped and tagged in Cross. Nikki went for a Crossbody but Jax caught her. Nia and Shayna couldn’t get on the same page and started arguing.

Nikki connected with a Suplex as Alexa made her way to the top turnbuckle. Alexa hypnotized Reginald and tried to make him slap Nia but he missed. Nikki then rolled up Baszler for the pinfall victory. Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross qualified for the MITB Ladder Match.

Riddle Qualified For The MITB Ladder Match

Riddle squared off against Drew McIntyre in a MITB Qualifying match tonight on RAW. Before the match, Sonya Deville and Adam Pearce told Drew McIntyre that he didn’t have to compete but he insisted and said he will never give up. McIntyre controlled the action early but was showing the injuries sustained in his Hell in a Cell match last night against Lashley.

Drew hit a Suplex and went for the cover but Riddle was able to kick out at two. When RAW returned from a break, Riddle connected with an Exploder Suplex and followed it up with a Penalty Kick. McIntyre battled back and hit a reverse Alabama Slam for a two count.

Riddle got McIntyre in the Tree of Woe and then a German Suplex as Orton came down to the entrance ramp. Back from a commercial break, McIntyre hit a running knee to the face and went for the cover but Riddle kicked out. Drew followed it up with a big Michinoku Driver for another two count.

Riddle applied a Triangle choke but McIntyre countered into the Future Shock DDT for a near fall. Riddle connected with the Ripcord Knee and made his way to the top rope. Riddle went for a Moonsault but McIntyre got out of the way. McIntyre went for the Claymore but Riddle countered into the Bromission in the middle of the ring.

McIntyre escaped but Riddle caught him with a knee to the face. Drew hit a headbutt and lifted Riddle up in the Electric Chair. Riddle escaped into a victory roll for the win. Riddle has qualified for MITB Ladder Match. After the match, Riddle tried to celebrate with Orton but he wanted nothing to do with it. Riddle was somehow oblivious that he cost Orton the match earlier and asked him what was wrong. Orton did not answer and just stared at him to end the segment.

Lashley def. Xavier Woods In A Hell In A Cell Match

Xavier Woods faced Lashley in a Hell in a Cell match in tonight’s main event. The WWE Championship match between Kofi Kingston and Lashley was made official before the match.

Kofi Kingston and MVP were ringside outside the cell for the match. Lashley started off the match in control after shrugging off a Dropkick. Lashley launched Woods across the ring and then beat him down in the corner. The champ hit a Neckbreaker and went for the cover but Woods kicked out at two.

Lashley bounced Woods’ face off the canvas a few times and then threw him to the outside. Woods tried to hit Lashley with a chair but the champion blocked it and dropped Xavier with a punch to the face. Back in the ring, Lashley ran at Woods but he got out of the way and Lashley crashed into the ring post.

Xavier hit a couple Dropkicks and then knocked Lashley out of the ring with a chair shot. Woods got out of the ring and hit Lashley with some more chair shots as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Lashley was in control and trapped Woods in the ring skirt. Lashley unloaded punches until Woods dropped to the floor. Xavier battled back and grabbed a kendo stick from under the ring. Woods hit Lashley with several shots with the kendo stick before choking him with it.

Back in the ring, Woods connected with a Facebuster and went for the cover but Lashley kicked out at two. Woods hit a Tornado DDT for a near fall and then set up a table in the ring. Woods hit an Elbow Drop through the table and went for the cover but the WWE Champion somehow kicked out at two. Lashley sent Woods into a steel chair in between the ropes and applied the Hurt Lock for the submission victory.

After the match, Lashley continued to beat Woods down as MVP snuck in the cage. MVP locked the cage door as Lashley got Woods in the Hurt Lock some more. Kofi tried to get into the cage but couldn’t help Woods to close the show.

WWE Money In The Bank Updated Card: Two Title Bouts, Stars Qualify For Ladder Matches

Andrew Ravens
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WWE held several qualifying matches to determine participants for this year’s men’s and women’s Money in the Bank ladder matches. 

On Monday’s episode of Raw, Ricochet battled AJ Styles, Randy Orton faced John Morrison, and Riddle took on Drew McIntyre in men’s Money in the Bank qualifying matches. 

On the flip side, Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross reunited to take on Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler and Asuka & Naomi face Eva Marie and “her partner” (Piper Niven, now listed as Doudrop) with the winning teams qualifying for the women’s Money in the Bank match.

The outcomes resulted in Ricochet, Morrison & Riddle being added to the men’s ladder match while Asuka, Naomi,  Cross & Bliss are now in the women’s ladder match. WWE will likely do something similar with SmackDown talent this Friday night. 

The opening saw a segment that led to Kofi Kingston challenging Bobby Lashley for the WWE Title at this upcoming show and the champion accepted it. Lashley had been feuding with Drew McIntyre, but that feud ended at Sunday’s Hell in a Cell show. 

Also, Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair will meet once again for the Raw Women’s Championship after Ripley retained the title via DQ at the Hell in a Cell PPV. 

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. 

Nikki Cross Debuts Her New Superhero Character On WWE Raw

Andrew Ravens
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WWE decided to change up Nikki Cross’s gimmick as she is now sporting a superhero character. 

On Monday’s episode of Raw, Alexa Bliss & Cross reunited to take on Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler with the winning team qualifying for the Women’s Money in the Bank match.

Before the match, WWE had Cross do a promo about how she’s been inspired by her big wins on Raw as of late over the likes of Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair so she decided to wrestle with a superhero mask over her eyes and a new costume.

Many fans picked up on how this is similar to the Mighty Molly gimmick from the early 2000s as Molly Holly also had a similar in-ring pose and mannerisms. It’s been reported that the WWE Hall of Famer has been working as a producer backstage for the company. 

Bliss and Cross went over in the match. Also on this show, Asuka & Naomi beat Eva Marie and Doudrop to also qualify for the match at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view event on Sunday, July 18, 2021 from Fort Worth, Texas at Dickies Arena.

AEW Dynamite Draws Best Friday Night Ratings This Year (6/18)

Andrew Ravens
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AEW ended its Friday Night Dynamite run on a high note with its ratings. 

The June 18th edition of Dynamite did 552,000 viewers on TNT, according to Nielsen via PWTorch. That is up from last week’s show that aired on the same night and timeslot, which pulled in 487,000 viewers.

The show did a 0.20 rating in the all-important 18-49 demographic, which was up from last week’s 0.19 rating. 

This was the biggest total audience Dynamite has had on its Friday run since starting on May 28 and that show was watched by 526,000 viewers total and 263,000 in 18-49. The June 18th show did its best viewership of the year in the Friday timeslot.

AEW will continue to be preempted for NBA action for one more week as this week’s show will air on Saturday night, which will be headlined by AEW World Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega defending the title against Jungle Boy. Hangman Page vs. Powerhouse Hobbs in a singles match has also been announced for this episode. 

That will be a live show from Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place. The June 30th episode will be back on Wednesday and moving forward will be back in its time slot.

NXT Champions To Work Matches On This Week’s ‘WWE Main Event’

Andrew Ravens
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Just days after being backstage at Friday’s WWE SmackDown event, the company brought in NXT Champion Karrion Kross, Scarlett, and North American Champion Bronson Reed for Monday’s Raw. 

PWinsider.com not only reported that the stars are backstage, but they will be working matches on this week’s episode of WWE Main Event that will air on Hulu and on the WWE Network for fans outside of the United States.

This appears to be the latest move for them transitioning from NXT to the main roster. It’s been reported that Kross and Reed worked matches at Friday’s SmackDown as a way for WWE officials to get a better look at them. 

Although Kross wrestled Dolph Ziggler while Reed faced off with Bobby Roode at SmackDown, the matches were taped for future evaluation and WWE has no plans to air them for fans.

In Kross’ situation, the belief since he signed with WWE NXT was that he is being fast-tracked to the main roster because of his size and look.

It is interesting that WWE would have them appear on Main Event, a show that has a much lower fanbase and viewership numbers than Raw, NXT, or SmackDown, before making their actual main roster debuts. 

It’s possible that WWE holds off on bringing them up to the main roster until late August or early September when the Draft takes place. 

AEW Returning To Pittsburgh For Dynamite & Rampage Premiere

Michael Reichlin
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All Elite Wrestling is returning to Pittsburgh, PA this summer with two live television tapings. Both events will take place from the Petersen Events Center at the University of Pittsburgh.

The first show is Wednesday, August 11th for AEW Dynamite. Doors open at 6pm and the action begins at 7pm.

Just two days later, AEW returns for Rampage on Friday, August 13th. This is the series premiere of AEW’s new show, which airs Friday nights on TNT at 10pm (Eastern). Doors open at 7pm and showtime is scheduled for 8pm.

Tickets for the AEW Pittsburgh shows go on sale this Friday, June 25th at AEWTix.com. For fans who are interested in attending Dynamite and Rampage, a special price two-event combo ticket package will be available.

Pittsburgh is one of the top wrestling cities in America and is the home of AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker.

Japan to Honor Wrestling History With LEGACY Tournament

Alex Laybourne
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Something big is happening in the world of Japanese wrestling. To celebrate 70 years of professional wrestling in Japan, nine of the countries top organizations are putting on a joint show. They are calling it the LEGACY Tournament.

The two-day event is scheduled for September 14th and 15th. Taking place at the legendary Korakuen Hall in Toyko.

The event is an effort on the part of the Japan Wrestling Hall of Fame. Their motives behind the event were to “give hope to professional wrestling fans by holding the tournament together as a professional wrestling industry.”

The Japan Wrestling Hall of Fame was founded in 2020. There are several iconic names currently serving as executives including Antonio Inoki and Riki Chosu. The LEGACY Tournament marks the first wrestling event organized by the organization. The event promises to be an eye-watering affair and is setting a global precedent with the sheer number of organizations working together. Celebrating the history of the sport they are all part of.

Multiple Organizations Agree to Take Part in the LEGACY Tournament

Currently, there are no names or matches announced for the LEGACY Tournament. However, the following organizations have agreed to take part:

  • NJPW
  • AJPW
  • Pro Wrestling NOAH
  • Big Japan Pro
  • Michinoku Pro
  • DDT
  • Zero 1
  • 2AW
  • Dragongate

The names working across these companies have the mind-boggling at the different match possibilities. In addition, the organization have called on more promotions and freelancers to stand up and help honor wrestling in Japan. Currently, there is no word if any non-Japanese talent will be taking part. However, it is not beyond reason to consider some of gaijin talent making an appearance.

However, at this point in time, there is one thing missing from the event. There are no Joshi organizations taking part. Women’s wrestling is huge in Japan and an event such as the LEGACY Tournament surely needs to take a moment and recognize that fact. Currently, it is rare for male and female wrestling matches to appear on the same card. Most organizations are either male or female ones. However, for an event such as this, is surely a good cause for an exception.

It is not yet known if the LEGACY Tournament will be televised inside or outside of Japan. However, tickets for the event go on sale on June 25th on the Japan Wrestling Hall of Fame Supporters Club webshop.

Mick Foley Believes Vader Should Be In WWE Hall Of Fame

Anutosh Bajpai
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Vader’s omission from the WWE Hall of Fame so far is puzzling for many. A rightful Hall of Famer himself, Mick Foley believes that the late star should definitely be inducted.

The hardcore legend was the latest guest on Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions. He talked about a wide variety of topics during the interview.

Speaking of Vader not being included in the Hall of Fame so far, Foley claimed that it’s a ‘glaring omission’. The wrestling legend also explained that the late star, real name Leon White was a bigger draw than him:

“Leon, to me, is one of the glaring omissions from the Hall of Fame, worldwide he was one of the biggest drawing cards, bigger than me, for sure. Not in WWE but worldwide, for sure.

But if you didn’t fight him back, he’d eat you up.” said Mick Foley, “He was that wall, and you can knock down that wall but he was gonna make you work for it.”

The Attitude Era star also talked about his infamous Hell In A Cell match with The Undertaker and admitted that he was bothered by the fact that many fans only remember him for that particular bout.

However, Mick Foley revealed that a talk with the Dead Man changed his perspective on the matter. You can check out his comments about it at this link.

Kevin Owens Teases Time Away Following Loss To Sami Zayn

Chris Stephens
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Sami Zayn defeated Kevin Owens last night at WWE Hell in a Cell 2021. Owens appeared to have gone into the match still suffering from injuries sustained on Smackdown last Friday night. Owens was pinned by Commander Azeez in a tag-team match after taking the Nigerian Nail to the throat. Zayn took advantage of his rival’s injury and picked up the win with a Heluva Kick after Owens had landed throat first on the ropes.

Owens took to social media earlier this morning and say he “needs a little break.”

Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn

During their time in WWE, Owens and Zayn have wrestled each other on WWE programming in singles matches 16x. Including house shows, they’ve wrestled each other 56x. Of the 16 matches that have taken place on WWE television, Owens has won 9, Zayn has won 4, and another 3 went to a no-contest.

Owens is a 7x champion in WWE. He’s held the Universal Championship once, the NXT Championship once, the Intercontinental title twice and the United States Championship 3x. As for Zayn, he is a 1x NXT Champion and a 2x Intercontinental Champion as well.

As a team, Owens and Zayn (as Kevin Steen & El Generico) are also former ROH Tag Team Champions. They’ve also won the PWG Tag Team Championships together twice. In 2010, the Generico vs Steen rivalry was voted “Feud of the Year” by the readers of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Aleister Black Expected To End Up In AEW

Chris Stephens
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There have been several reports lately that WWE may be second-guessing the decision to release Aleister Black (aka Tommy End) from the company. Black was released earlier this month despite having seemingly just started a program with Big E on Smackdown. His free agency was addressed recently on Wrestling Observer Radio.

A question was asked on the show about if WWE would have to re-sign Black to bring him back.

“They would have to re-sign him, it’s like with Drake Maverick, they did have to re-sign him,” Meltzer said.

“I know that a lot of guys that they have cut over the years have then been offered new contracts for far less money and very few of them go back,” he continued.

Black is in his 90-day no compete window. He would not be free to to negotiate with other companies until the end of August or beginning of September. WWE has exclusive negotiating rights with Black during this time. Despite this, it is being reported that Black is expected to end up in AEW.

“Unofficially, because you are not allowed to negotiate and all that but I certainly have heard at one point not many days ago to expect him in AEW,” Meltzer said. “Officially, there’s no deal and there can’t be a deal until end of August, I think.”

First Footage Of Darby Allin In AEW’s Upcoming Console Video Game

Alex Laybourne
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The love of video games within the AEW roster is no secret. Many of their wrestlers make frequent references to video game characters in their matches or during their promos. Several are also active on Twitch and other video game communities. It also came as no surprise that an AEW video game was in the works. That market is largely dominated by WWE titles, several of which have not been favourably received in recent years.

The first AEW video game developers Yukes just released a new sneak peek at their work in progress. It is the second bit of gameplay footage for the title, this time involving Darby Allin.

https://twitter.com/AEWGames/status/1405638747622936576

The footage was also given a voiceover by world champion, and video game fan, Kenny Omega.

The teaser shows Darby’s in-ring moves including a coffin drop inside and outside of the ring, and his backflip dropkick.

AEW All In for AEW Video Game Production

Talking in a recent interview, Tony Khan said that not only was AEW committed to developing the AEW video game franchise but that their 8-figure investment in the project was keeping the company from making profits.

That doesn’t scare the chairman and shows the level of commitment the Khan family have to the AEW brand. Computer games and wrestling go hand in hand, and while they are still in the early days as a company, AEW has established itself as a big-name brand. An AEW game is a sensible move. It fits with the brand and will help expand their brand and bring new eyes and ears to their product.

Charlotte Flair Comments On Always Being Featured In The Title Picture

Anutosh Bajpai
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Charlotte Flair is one of the top female stars of WWE. The officials have a lot of confidence in her for delivering worthy performances at any important spot.

However, this also means that the Queen is involved in the title picture more often than any other female talent in the company, something which fans complain about regularly.

Flair commented on this during her recent interview with Sports Illustrated. She mentioned the smaller size of the women’s division as one of the reasons for her constant involvement in the title scenes:

“The women’s division is much smaller than the men’s division, and I realize I’m constantly in the title picture. That pressure lives with me. I’m never in a side story where I can be relaxed.”

Top female competitors on the Raw and SmackDown rosters include Raw Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley, SmackDown Women’s champion Bianca Belair, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Asuka, Alexa Bliss and WWE Women’s Tag Team champions, Natalya & Tamina.

Fighting For Equality

Charlotte Flair then explained that the female talents are constantly fighting for time and equality. Due to this, the former women’s champion always feels the pressure of outdoing what she has already done:

“The women are constantly fighting for time, storylines, and equality. Being placed in positions that are always featured, I always feel that pressure and it never goes away. I want to outdo what I have already done.”

Apart from this, Charlotte Flair also talked about things such as her feud with Rhea Ripley, how devastated she was on missing WrestleMania 37 and more.

Becky Lynch Was Backstage At The Hell In A Cell PPV

Anutosh Bajpai
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Former Raw and SmackDown women’s champion Becky Lynch was backstage for the Hell In A Cell PPV this Sunday, according to PWInsider.

The news of the former champion being seen at the performance center training for her in-ring return for the company excited fans earlier this week. The visit was described as part of the process for her return to action.

Lynch was then seen backstage at Friday’s SmackDown tapings. Now her visit at the latest WWE PPV says that things are rolling fast when it comes to Becky’s comeback to WWE programming.

The Man relinquished the Raw women’s championship due to her real-life pregnancy back in May 2020. She welcomed her first child with Seth Rollins named Roux back in December last year.

People had been wondering about her return to TV since then. When asked about it earlier this year, Seth Rollins had said that he would like to leave it to his wife to reveal the secret.

Now that WWE is looking to hit the road again and hold regular shows with fans after more than a year, this seems like the right time for Becky Lynch to return.

It would be interesting to see when the return actually takes place and which brand the former champion joins upon her comeback to the WWE programming.

Scott Hall On How Much Money He Still Makes From nWo Merchandise

Anutosh Bajpai
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nWo is one of the most popular factions in the history of wrestling. A testament to its popularity is the amount of money Scott Hall still makes just from the merchandise sales related to the group.

The WWE Hall Of Famer recently appeared on the 83 Weeks podcast of Eric Bischoff where he opened up about the financial aspects of Monday Night Wars.

During the interview, Hall explained how he was making considerably less money in WWE compared to his WCW deal. He then revealed how much money he now makes just from his merchandise deal:

“I mean I’m making 6 figures just off [merchandise], and every once and a while, yanno when you make an appearance, you make more. The funny part is, now that I hardly ever work for them or hardly do anything, the payoffs are way better,

It’s always first class air fare, they always have a driver at the airport.” said Scott Hall, “When I was filling seats for them and traveling all around the world, I couldn’t get s–t. I was sitting in the back, in the middle seat, back when they had smoking seats.”

The founding nWo member also discussed jumping ships from WWE to WCW and explained that he originally had no intention of leaving the company.

Hall explained that he started thinking about it when he found out how much money X Pac was offered for joining WCW and the ball started rolling after that.

Drew McIntyre Reacts To Hell In A Cell Loss

Anutosh Bajpai
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Drew McIntyre gave everything he had but he still failed to defeat Bobby Lashley and capture the WWE championship in the main event of the Hell In A Cell PPV.

The former champion reacted to his disheartening loss on Twitter. He shared photos of his bruised back after the brutal match and mentioned how fans will have to wait more for seeing him as the WWE champion in person:

“It’s been a wild ride. I’ve always wanted to make all of you proud,” wrote Drew McIntyre, “And I hoped that you would get the chance to see me live and in person as WWE Champion. Looks like that dream is on hold for awhile. Thanks for all your support. #HIAC”

https://twitter.com/DMcIntyreWWE/status/1406814640282210304

The Scottish Warrior challenged Bobby Lashley for the WWE championship one final time inside Hell In A Cell this Sunday. This main event cage match was as brutal as expected with both the opponents using multiple weapons.

McIntyre seemed to have the upper hand in the match until he accidentally knocked the referee out. Drew then called in for another referee. MVP seized the opportunity by entering the cage himself when the door opened. While Drew took out MVP for a while with a claymore, he came back.

The ending of the match saw MVP stopping him from delivering a claymore kick to Lashley. This distraction allowed Lashley to roll Drew McIntyre for the pin. As per the stipulation of the match, the former WWE champion now cannot challenge for the title as long as Bobby Lashley is the champion.

Mick Foley On What The Undertaker Told Him About Their Hell In A Cell Match

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley was the most recent guest on Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions where he discussed his legendary Hell In A Cell match with The Undertaker from the 1998 King Of The Ring.

The Hardcore Legend first admitted that for the longest time he was sensitive towards the fact that people remembered him for the cell match more than anything else he did in his career.

However, his perspective changed after a conversation with the Undertaker where the Dead Man told the wrestling veteran that the memory of the match will outlive both of them:

“We start reminiscing and Taker looks at me — he still called me ‘Jack’ at the time, one of the last holdouts from my Cactus Jack days — ‘Jack, what you and I did that night will outlive us both. ‘

‘People will be talking about that match long after you and I are gone,’ it was almost like I feel this weight being lifted off my shoulders.”

Mick Foley mentioned how there have been many great workers in the industry who aren’t remembered for anything. He admitted that he is now grateful for having a number of moments people still talk about to this day:

“You know how many great workers there have been in our business who aren’t remembered for anything?

It’s like, now I have got not only this match but the title change with The Rock. I got a few things and it no longer bothers me that I’m asked about that match, almost every single day.”

Mick Foley also recalled how his brother usually showed WWE PPVs to their mother the next day but he didn’t show her the one featuring this brutal match. You can check out Foley’s comments in the video below:

Trish Stratus On Not Liking The Term Diva

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE started branding female wrestlers as divas after the attitude era. It appears that just like the fans; Trish Stratus wasn’t very fond of the term either.

The WWE Hall Of Famer recently appeared on Oral Sessions podcast where she opened up about things including her start in the company and more.

During the interview, Stratus admitted not liking the rebranding of their division as divas division. She explained that she never called herself a diva even when WWE was pushing the term:

“I don’t think I ever uttered the word Diva, maybe I did, but in interviews I never called myself Diva. I refused. I just didn’t get it, I didn’t get,

Because I enjoyed, in the beginning that we were called superstars.” said Trish Stratus, “We were all called superstars. And when they started this Diva thing I was like ‘ugh.’”

Though later in the interview, the former women’s champion mentioned how she is not speaking against the talent who competed for the divas championship.

Trish Stratus competed as a full-time WWE superstar from 2000 to 2006. She has been making sporadic appearances for the promotion since then. She was inducted into the Hall Of Fame back in 2013.

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