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Andrade El Idolo No Longer Working Federacion Wrestling’s Debut Show

Andrew Ravens
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Andrade El Idolo won’t be at the Federacion Wrestling debut show on June 19th. 

The former WWE star known as Andrade took to Twitter  to announce he won’t be appearing at the event as he stated, “A good arrangement was not reached with the new company.”

He was scheduled to team with RUSH, Bestia Del Ring, and a surprise partner against Matt Taven, PJ Black, and The Briscoe Brothers (Mark & Jay Briscoe) at the event. 

RUSH as well as Kenny King, Dragon Lee, and Bestia Del Ring have also announced that they’re off the show due to “logistical issues.”

Andrade recently signed with All Elite Wrestling. He’s slated to do an interview segment with Jim Ross on Friday’s episode of Dynamite. 

At an RGR Lucha Libre show in Los Angeles over the weekend, Andrade teamed up with V.I.P. and Piloto Suicida to face El Hijo del Santo, Rey Leon, and Misterioso. His next match will be when he faces fellow WWE star Alberto Del Rio on July 31.

He’s slated to challenge AEW World Champion Kenny Omega for his AAA Mega Championship at TripleMania XXIX in August.

Salina De La Renta Spotted At The WWE Performance Center (Report)

Andrew Ravens
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An interesting person was spotted at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, FL and that’s Salina de la Renta. 

Fightful Select reported today that Renta was training at WWE’s training facility. However, it was stated that it’s unknown whether that consisted of in-ring, workouts, tryouts or promo class.” 

The belief is WWE will or has offered her a contract as the company has shown interest in her in the past. 

Dave Meltzer pointed out in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that she was closing her merchandise store at the end of the summer. 

Meltzer wrote, “often that would mean someone has struck a deal with a promotion that won’t allow them to merchandise independently, but we’ve had no verification of her going to WWE.”

Renta is best known for her time in Major League Wrestling. Her contract with the promotion expired recently. She has been open about her options in the wrestling business as she publicly announced her departure from MLW.

She was the first female analyst to be on MLW Fusion’s Spanish announce team and served as an Executive Producer for an episode. Renta went as far as polling her followers on Twitter about which promotion she should join next.

AEW Dynamite Ratings Rise After Last Week’s Low (6/11)

Andrew Ravens
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AEW officials got some better news regarding the Dynamite ratings that have been plagued due to TNT’s coverage of the NBA Playoffs

The June 11th Friday Night edition of Dynamite did 487,000 viewers on TNT, according to Nielsen via Brandon Thurston of WrestleNomics. That is down from last week’s show that aired on the same night and timeslot, which pulled in 462,000 viewers.

The show did a 0.19 rating in the all-important 18-49 demographic, which was the exact same as the show did a week prior. The June 4th episode marked the lowest audience in the history of the show. 

The show did a 0.12 rating in the female 18-49 demo, 0.26 in male 18-49, 0.33 in persons 18-34, and a 0.35 in the male 18-34 demo. 

AEW will continue to be preempted for NBA action for the rest of this month. This week’s show will air on Friday night before switching to a Saturday night slot on June 26th, which will be headlined by AEW World Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega defending the title against Jungle Boy. That will be a live show from Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place.

Vanessa Borne Says She Expressed Concerns About Retribution Angle To WWE

Chris Stephens
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Vanessa Borne was released from WWE last month after having been with the company since 2015. According to comments she made recently to PW Insider, she was set to be part of the Retribution angle last summer. Borne says she raised concerns about the angle possibly mirroring real events, however. Shortly after she did so, she was told she was not going to be part of the group and was being sent back to NXT.

“I was called in and they had a pitch where I was part of RETRIBUTION. I was excited about being on TV for something, but I had a lot of questions,” Borne said. “I wanted to know what the group was about and how I fit in. I had some concerns because, during this time, there was stuff around the country with violence and we’re watching this unfold and it’s not pretty.”

“I wanted to know if the group was mimicking that. I expressed those concerns, but ultimately, I wanted to do what I was told and tried to figure out how I could help. Within the week, I got a call from Mark Carano saying, ‘We’re not going to have you as part of RETRIBUTION and we’re going to pull your contract. You’re getting sent back to NXT.’”

Vanessa Borne in WWE

During her time in NXT, Vanessa Borne wrestled 15x in singles matches on WWE programming (i.e not including house shows). She only managed a record of 2-13 in those matches. Her victories were over Jessie Kamea on May 1st, 2019 and over Jayme Jameson in 2016.

Borne and Aliyah have wrestled 3x together as a tag-team on WWE programming. They had a 1-1-1 record. They defeated Xia Li & Tay Conti, went to a draw with Kacy Catanzaro & Lace Lane and then lost a match to Candice LeRae & Kacy Catanzaro. Those matches took place from February to April 2019.

Fred Rosser Officially Signs With NJPW

Chris Stephens
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Fred Rosser (FKA Darren Young in WWE) has officially signed with New Japan Pro Wrestling. He took to Twitter today to announce the news.

“I’m excited to officially announce I’ve signed W/ NJPW! All I can say moving forward is, don’t ever let your dreams just be dreams because as long as you’re patient & believe in your dreams, anything is possible. Patience is a talent,” Rosser Tweeted.

Rosser has been wrestling on episodes of New Japan Strong since September. He just finished a trilogy of matches with HIKULEO. Rosser defeated him in their first singles match in February. HIKULEO then defeated him in the 1st round of the tournament to determine the first New Japan Strong Openweight Champion. They then had a trilogy no disqualification bout last month which Rosser won.

In addition to wrestling with NJPW, Rosser has been with the NWA as well lately. He was defeated by JTG on the When Our Shadows Fall PPV last week.

Rosser had a 12-year career in WWE as Darren Young from 2005 to 2017. He was part of the NEXUS angle in 2010-11. Young and Titus O’Neil then wrestled as the Prime Time Players from 2012-14 and then again from 2015-16. They are 1x WWE Tag Team Champions having held the belts for 70 days in 2015.

Chelsea Green Says She Wants On NWA’s All-Women’s PPV

Chris Stephens
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Chelsea Green isn’t playing hard to get with the National Wrestling Alliance. She wants on their “Empowerrr” all-women’s PPV and is encouraging her fans to Tweet at Mickie James and the NWA to let them know.

“Mickie James is going for gold. She was just hired on by NWA to be an executive producer for the first-ever all women’s NWA PPV. I am so excited,” Green said.

“She is amazing. Clearly, she has pushed for this for years and has been overlooked so I’m so happy that she’s headed to NWA.”

“She is such an icon for all the women, not just women, but all the women in professional wrestling. She is the epitome of talent, character, wrestling ability, promo skill, everything.”

Green would continue to say that her Hot Mess character was influenced by James stalker character in her famous angle with Trish Stratus.

“Guys, Tweet NWA, Tweet Mickie James, let her know I want to be on the goddamn show, okay?” Green said. “I want to be the m***f*** main event of Empowerrr because that’s what I deserve dammit. Mickie, if you’re listening to this, I want to be on that PPV and I want to be the main event.”

Chelsea Green’s Injury Recovery

Green also noted during the podcast that she hurt her wrist again while training recently. She talked about how she was doing some light training with Santana Garrett when she heard a popping sound in her arm.

“I heard a nasty pop sound and guess where it came from? Surprise, surprise, my arm,” Green said.

“It hurt so much. I would say it almost hurt just as much as breaking it,” she continued.

She then went home and iced the injury. When she woke up this next morning she went to the ER because the pain was so bad. X-Rays reveal there was no fracture but doctors think she just has a lot of scar tissue build-up and that .

Green then said she reached out to WWE since her original injury happened in a WWE ring. The company allowed the recently released Green to come and work with their physiotherapist.

“I reached out to WWE and they were kind enough to let me come into the Performance Center and use their physical therapist and rehab my arm. Thank god, I’m very grateful for that.”

Green is Canadian and noted that looking at the cost of trips to the ER is kind of daunting.

“If you’re not American and you live in America, you know my struggle. The healthcare system is wild,” she said.

“I’ll be at the PC for the next couple of weeks, which is kind of funny and kind of awkward,” she continued.

Triple H & Shawn Michaels Discuss Supernatural Characters In Wrestling

Chris Stephens
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Last night at NXT TakeOver: In Your House, Tian Sha (aka Mei Ying) rose from her seat and attacked Mercedes Martinez. The character is, or at least believes herself to be thousands of years old and trained by dragons. Triple H and Shawn Michaels were asked recently about their approach to supernatural characters on the NXT media call.

“So, I’m a big fan of a variety within the shows and having things that are different. You know, different characters, when you can get them, different characters, different personalities, different sides of performers, all of that, but also different characters in general,” Triple H said when asked by Gary Cassidy of Inside the Ropes.

Triple H then continued to talk about supernatural characters using Tian Sha as an example.

“To have characters like Tian Sha, I think you have to handle them slightly differently so that you can make them sort of make sense in your world, right?”

He continued to say what it takes to make a character make sense in NXT is different than RAW and Smackdown.

“All the shows are slightly different. I feel like even there’s a slight difference between even just RAW and SmackDown as to what works on one show, what doesn’t on others. I feel the same way. So having that good mix is great, but also how you handle them and making sure that they fit within the sort of the universe that you’re existing in.”

Triple H then used Marvel as an example of a company that does this particularly well.

“Marvel does a really good job with it of having serious, almost dramatic movies and then having moments where, you know, this guy’s a god and the other guy’s a robot and this guy’s from outer space.”

Shawn Michaels then spoke about the Undertaker and how the supernatural character felt larger than life.

“For me, I guess I always looked at it is there are some people and some characters, or some groups, that have the ability to look larger than life,” HBK said. “I’d argue that about me. Taker was somebody who was a little bit more larger than life, so it was a much bigger production when he was coming out, as opposed to the Heartbreak Kid who was just music and silly dancing, you know what I mean?”

Bray Wyatt, Alexa Bliss and her doll Lilly are all current examples of supernatural style characters on the main roster. Undertaker, Kane, Papa Shango, Gangrel and many others have had such powers in the past. The Ultimate Warrior also demonstrated some supernatural abilities during his WCW run as well.

Learn more about the Tian Sha origin story with the below video:

Samoa Joe Returning To WWE NXT In Authority Role (Report)

Chris Stephens
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Last night’s TakeOver: In Your House event concluded with NXT GM William Regal giving some ominous comments about it being “time for a change.” Some fans are speculating this could mean a new authority figure for the brand. According to comments made on Wrestling Observer Radio, Samoa Joe has signed a deal with NXT and might be a perfect fit for the role.

“I think that’s the cue for Samoa Joe, I don’t know that 100%,” said Dave Meltzer regarding William Regal’s comments following TakeOver. “I was told today that Samoa Joe was in in a Regal-like role and then all of a sudden Regal’s talking like he’s stepping down. So, maybe the Regal-like role is Regal’s role.”

“If (Regal) is leaving, based on what I was told, Samoa Joe is definitely the favorite to be the new commissioner.”

Meltzer continued to say that Joe has signed a deal with NXT but in a non-wrestling role. He continued to speculate this could mean Joe is not medically cleared.

“Joe is in and he’s in as a non-wrestler,” Meltzer continued. “So, I think that tells you that he’s not cleared and so even if you want him to go to another company, if he’s not medically cleared…”

Joe’s last official match was on February 10th, 2020. He teamed with the Viking Raiders and Kevin Owens on RAW. They lost to Seth Rollins, Buddy Murphy, and AOP.

“He has taken a job in NXT and he’s doing something there,” Meltzer continued. “He may be the new authority figure on television, or he may not be, but he’s gonna be behind the scenes.”

Alexander Wolfe Talks WWE Contract After NXT UK Move

Jake Skudder
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Former WWE Superstar Alexander Wolfe/Axel Tischer recently spoke to Nick Hausman for WrestlingINC Daily. The former Sanity member discussed a number of topics during the interview, including when he moved from the main roster ‘down’ to NXT UK.

One of the more intriguing aspects of moving talent in WWE is that their contract status does not appear to change. That is at least the case when it came to Alexander Wolfe, as he said that he was still making ‘main roster money’ when he was on the NXT UK brand.

Alexander Wolfe on NXT UK Contract

“I had just signed the contract and had two years left” Wolfe revealed during the interview, indicating that he did not have to sign a new contract when moving to the smaller NXT UK brand from SmackDown.

“So you just stay under contract, and that’s it” Alexander Wolfe continued. “Which I am very grateful for because I went to NXT UK and just made main roster money, so that was sweet.”

It’s interesting that this would be the case for someone like the former Sanity member. Finn Balor of course made the move back ‘down’ to NXT in Florida, but with his status as a more upper card talent, it was almost expected from fans that he would be on a similar deal.

Liv Morgan and AEW’s -1 Have Rematch In Florida

Jake Skudder
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WWE Superstar Liv Morgan and the son of John Huber, Dark Order’s -1, recently had a ‘rematch’ from earlier this year. Morgan was training at Natalya and Tyson Kidd’s ‘dungeon’ in Florida and Brodie Lee Jr was visiting earlier this year shortly after his father passed away.

John Huber’s wife Amanda posted a video of the ‘rematch’ between -1 and Liv Morgan on Instagram. Huber also wrote a heartfelt message and thank you to Natalya and Kidd.

“The rematch everyone has been waiting for -1 vs Liv Morgan” Amanda Huber began. “Thank you again to Natalya and Tyson Kidd for letting us come hang out and letting B roll around. He always looks forward to being around wrestling and this is a safe way for him to learn basics without bumping around.”

Liv Morgan vs -1

“Keeping close to wrestling has been so important for the boys” Amanda Huber continued. “And staying close to the people they have known for their whole lives has been even more important. We don’t have any blood relatives in Florida, so keeping close to our wrestling family has been a huge part in our healing process.”

You can check out the video of -1 practicing below with Liv Morgan. The AEW star actually looks really promising and could become an asset to All Elite Wrestling at some point:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQFU9jXhmGi/?utm_source=ig_embed

Triple H Comments on William Regal’s NXT Future

Jake Skudder
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NXT General Manager William Regal seemed to cast doubt on his future with the brand on Sunday night. The former Intercontinental Champion mentioned how the NXT locker room had been at war over the past few weeks, specifically the performers in the Fatal 5 Way match for the NXT Championship.

Regal said after the event that it might be time “for a change” on NXT. It wasn’t clear if William Regal meant he was going to leave the position, however Triple H did discuss the situation on the post-show media call.

“William Regal, he’s been such an integral part of this since day one,” Triple H began. “There are certain people that have and then there’s people that have come in along the way. It’s hard to envision doing it in any sort of way without them.”

Triple H on William Regal

“Regal’s definitely one of those people” ‘The Game’ added. “And I don’t think that we will ever do it without him. He’ll be a part of this until the day that he tells me he doesn’t want to be a part of it anymore.”

“It’s why Shawn’s here, it’s why I’m here, it’s why Matt Bloom’s here, Sara’s [Amato] here, it’s why this whole team is here, they love the business, and they love all the aspects of this business and want to see it continue and move forward” Triple H added.

“They want to help guide it and change it into the future, try to create the business that they always hoped and wished it could be as they were coming up and get rid of the things that none of us liked or understood about the business and enhance the bits and pieces that we did love about it.”

It’s likely that the situation will be addressed further on this week’s episode of NXT on Tuesday.

NXT TakeOver In Your House Results: Fatal 5-Way For NXT Championship, Ladder Match

Robert Lentini
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NXT TakeOver In Your House 2021 aired live from the Capitol Wrestling Center tonight. Karrion Kross put the NXT Championship on the line in a Fatal 5-Way against Adam Cole, Pete Dunne, Johnny Gargano, and Adam Cole in the main event. Cameron Grimes and LA Knight battled for the Million Dollar Championship with the legendary Ted DiBiase ringside.

NXT TakeOver In Your House 2021 Results

  1. Bronson Reed & MSK def. Legado Del Fantasma to retain the North American Title & the NXT Tag Team Championships
  2. Xia Li def. Mercedes Martinez
  3. LA Knight def. Cameron Grimes in a Ladder Match to win the Million Dollar Championship
  4. Raquel Gonzalez def. Ember Moon to retain the NXT Women’s Championship
  5. Karrion Kross def. Kyle O’Reilly, Pete Dunne, Johnny Gargano, and Adam Cole in a Fatal 5-Way match to retain the NXT Championship

Here are the takeaways from the PPV:

Bronson Reed & MSK Retained

NXT Tag Team Champions MSK (Wes Lee & Nash Carter) & North American Champion Bronson Reed defended their titles in a Winner Take All 6-Man Tag Match against Legado Del Fantasma. Raul Mendoza went for a shoulder tackle early but Bronson Reed didn’t budge in the ring.

Reed leveled Mendoza with a Clothesline and hit him with a Senton but Santon Escobar tagged in. Santos hit a kick to the face but Bronson shrugged it off and connected with a slam. Joaquin Wilde tagged in and Bronson Reed took back control of the match.

MSK hit a Splash in the corner but Wilde was able to kick out at two. Nash Carter climbed to the middle rope and hit a Moonsault onto Escobar outside the ring. Wilde then hit Carter with a Splash and then Wes Lee flipped onto Joaquin. Bronson Reed then took out everyone with a massive dive as the crowd chanted “this is awesome!”.

Back in the ring, Escobar connected with a Hurricanrana as Legado Del Fantasma took control of the match. Wilde, Mendoza, and Escobar took turns beating Wes Lee down in the corner as Nash was still laid out on the floor outside the ring. Bronson tagged in and hit a Splash onto Wilde and Mendoza in the corner. Reed followed it up with a Samoan Drop to both of them in the middle of the ring.

Bronson connected with a Suplex but Mendoza caught him with a chop block form behind. Escobar tagged in and hit a big Michinoku Driver for a near fall. Nash Carter finally tagged in but was greeted with a High/Low. Legado Del Fantasma went for the cover but Wes Lee broke it up at the last moment.

Santos grabbed the title outside the ring but Bronson leveled him with a tackle through the barricade. MSK hit Wilde with a Double Stomp and isolated Mendoza in the corner. They leveled him and tagged in Bronson Reed. Bronson climbed to the top rope and hit a big Splash for the pinfall victory. Bronston Reed is still NXT North American Champion and MSK retained the NXT Tag Team Championships.

Xia Li def. Mercedes Martinez

Xia Li faced Mercedes Martinez tonight at TakeOver. Mercedes defeated Xia in the Mae Young Classic four years ago and Xia wanted to right that wrong tonight. Xia dominated the action early and beat Mercedes down outside the ring. Li wrapped Mercedes’ midsection around the ring post until the referee broke it up.

Martinez tried to battle back but Li planted her with an Exploder Suplex. Mercedes hit the Cliffhanger for a near fall and a Dropkick that knocked Li out of the ring. Xia charged at Martinez but she was ready and hit a Back Body Drop on the floor. Back in the ring, Mercedes went for an Air Raid Crash but Xia broke free. Li dropped Martinez with a strike to the face for the pinfall victory. After the match, Xia tried to hit Martinez with a chair but she blocked it. Martinez beat Xia down with the chair until Mei Ying broke it up. Mei launched Mercedes into the barricade and stood with Xia and Boa.

LA Knight Won The Million Dollar Championship

Cameron Grimes faced LA Knight in a Ladder Match for the Million Dollar Championship. Ted DiBiase was ringside for the match. Grimes and Knight locked up to start off the action. Knight connected with a shoulder tackle that knocked Grimes to the canvas. Knight threw Cameron out of the ring and then brought a ladder inside.

Knight set up the ladder in the middle of the ring but Grimes got back into the ring. LA Knight and Grimes then jockeyed for the ladder and Cameron sent Knight out of the ring. Knight brought another ladder inside the ring and the two superstars charged at each other. Grimes got the better of the exchange and then hit a big boot that sent Knight back out of the ring.

Grimes shoved a ladder into Knight’s midsection and spiked him into the barricade. Cameron went to the ring apron and delivered a running kick to Knight’s face. Knight battled back and took a break to pose on top of the steel steps. LA stomped on Grimes’ ribs before bouncing his face off the steel steps.

LA set up a ladder from the ring apron to the barricade as Grimes rolled back into the ring. Knight followed him and Cameron hit a forearm to the face. Knight responded with a diving shoulder block that knocked Grimes to the canvas. LA set up a ladder against the turnbuckle but it quickly backfired as Cameron sent him flying onto it with a release German Suplex.

Cameron tried to hit Knight with the ladder but he got out of the way and connected with a Neckbreaker on top of the ladder. Knight then set up a larger ladder in the ring but it gave Grimes some time to recover. Cameron connected with a Dropkick but Knight bounced off the ropes and sent Grimes into the ladder.

Grimes battled back and slammed LA Knight on top of the ladder set up from the ring apron to the barricade. Grimes then got the golden ladder at the top of the entrance ramp and brought it down to the ring. Cameron climbed to the top of the set (lighting rig) over the announce table and leaped onto Knight. Grimes climbed up to the top of the ladder but LA Knight shoved it over and Cameron crashed onto a ladder on the entrance ramp. Knight then made his way to the top of the ladder and grabbed the Million Dollar Championship.

Raquel Gonzalez Retained The NXT Women’s Championship

Raquel Gonzalez defended the NXT Women’s Championship against Ember Moon tonight at TakeOver. Moon ducked under a Clothesline and connected with a Dropkick but Gonzalez quickly battled back with a slam. Ember sent Raquel into the ring post but got distracted by Dakota Kai.

Moon went for a running knee but the distraction allowed Gonzalez to get out of the way. Ember bashed her own knee off the ring post and then got launched off the ring apron and onto the barricade by the NXT Women’s Champion. Gonzalez rolled Ember back into the ring and went for the cover but Moon kicked out at two.

Gonzalez hit a Side Slam and then followed it up with a corkscrew Senton for a near fall. Raquel hit an Alabama Slam and went for the cover but Moon kicked out at the last moment. Ember battled back with a Destroyer and went for the cover but Gonzalez powered out.

Ember applied a submission hold in the middle of the ring but Kai shoved the bottom rope to Raquel’s hands to break the hold. Kai and Gonzalez regrouped outside the ring and Moon leveled Gonzalez with a Suicide Dive. Back in the ring, Moon went for the cover but Gonzalez kicked out at two.

Moon climbed up to the top turnbuckle but Kai hopped on the apron for another distraction. Raquel capitalized with a Back Suplex for a near fall. Gonzalez went for a Powerbomb but Moon countered into a roll-up for a near fall. Gonzalez responded with a massive big boot and went for the cover but somehow Ember kicked out and the match continued.

Raquel lifted Moon up for a Suplex but Ember countered into a modified Eclipse in the center of the ring. Moon followed it up with a Jawbreaker and a Codebreaker. Ember climbed back up to the top rope and connected with an Eclipse but Kai put Raquel’s foot on the ropes to break it up. Shotzi Blackheart rushed the ring and attacked Dakota Kai. The two battled backstage as Ember got back up in the ring.

Gonzalez and Ember battled on the ring apron. Moon bounced Raquel’s face off the turnbuckle and followed it up with a Tornado DDT on the entrance ramp. Back in the ring, Ember went for the cover but the NXT Women’s Champion kicked out at two. Gonzalez blocked the Eclipse and planted Moon with a Powerbomb for the pinfall victory. Raquel Gonzalez is still the NXT Women’s Champion.

Karrion Kross Retained The NXT Championship In A Great Main Event

Karrion Kross defended the NXT Championship against Kyle O’Reilly, Adam Cole, Johnny Gargano, and Pete Dunne in a Fatal 5-Way in the main event of In Your House. Before the match, Gargano walked by Shotzi & Dakota Kai as an angry William Regal tried to break it up.

O’Reilly and Cole battled to the outside right away. Pete Dunne launched Gargano out of the ring and locked up with Kross. Karrion lifted Dunne up and planted him with a Suplex. Dunne rolled out of the ring and then Kyle O’Reilly and the NXT Champion circled each other.

Karrion swatted away a couple kicks and booted Kyle in the face. O’Reilly tried to battle back and took Kross down to the canvas with a Heel Hook. Kross powered out of the hold and sent Kyle flying across the ring and to the outside with a ridiculous release German Suplex.

It was Johnny’s turn now and Gargano hit Kross with a chop block. Karrion shrugged it off and grabbed Gargano’s neck but he escaped. Gargano went for a kick but Kross countered into another Suplex. Adam Cole got into the ring and knocked the NXT Champion down to his knees. Cole hit an Enziguri but Dunne dragged him out of the ring. Dunne trapped Cole in the ring apron and everyone beat the hell out of him with a flurry of punches. Kross dragged Cole back inside and hit him with a couple Clotheslines in the corner of the ring.

Kross unloaded a big boot to O’Reilly, Gargano, and then Dunne. The NXT Champion followed it up with a double Suplex to Gargano & Dunne and then turned Gargano inside out with a Clothesline. O’Reilly went after Karrion’s knee with a couple of strikes and then knocked him down with a spin kick.

Dunne ran into a big boot from O’Reilly and Kyle delivered some knees to Cole’s ribs. O’Reilly got on top of Cole and started punching him in the face. Pete Dunne got O’Reilly in an Armbar out of nowhere but Johnny broke it up. Johnny looked for the Gargano Escape but Dunne started bending back his digits. Kross put an end to all of it and slammed all three of them to the mat.

Karrion went after Cole on the entrance ramp and went for a Powerbomb but Adam broke free. Dunne and Gargano then shoved Kross through the door on the stage. The action returned to the ring and Cole hit O’Reilly with a Neckbreaker for a near fall. Gargano put Cole on top of O’Reilly in the Tree of Woe and went for a Splash but Dunne got in the way. Gargano spiked him with a DDT and then through him like a lawn dart onto Cole and O’Reilly. Johnny went for the cover but Dunne kicked out at two.

Gargano stomped on Cole but turned around into a Clothesline from Kyle. Dunne and Kyle then collided and fell to the mat. Adam Cole tried to pin Gargano but he was able to kick out at two. O’Reilly applied an Ankle Lock but Cole broke free. Karrion Kross brought O’Reilly out of the ring and launched him over the barricade.

Kross did the same to Adam Cole and then Chokeslammed Gargano right onto the ring apron. Kross threw Dunne onto Cole and O’Reilly before rolling Johnny back into the ring. Karrion hit a massive F5 and went for the cover but Gargano was able to kick out at two.

Gargano battled back and hit Kross with a Suicide Dive. Johnny delivered a DDT onto Dunne on the floor as a “Johnny Wrestling!” chant broke out. Back in the ring, Gargano ducked under the Last Shot and sent Cole to the corner. Adam countered a Spear with a Superkick and went for Panama Sunrise but Gargano blocked it with a slam for a near fall.

Dunne got back into the ring and Kyle greeted him with a forearm to the face. Dunne responded with a kick to O’Reilly’s face but then got planted with a Suplex. Gargano booted Cole in the face and O’Reilly followed it up with a Suplex. Kyle went for the cover but Gargano broke it up at two.

Kross got back into the ring and everyone hit him with a Clothesline but he wouldn’t go down. Kyle hit Gargano and Dunne with a Clothesline but turned around into big Lariat from the NXT Champion. The crowd in the Capitol Wrestling Center chanted “NXT!” as all five superstars were down.

Karrion was the first up and planted O’Reilly with a German Suplex. Kross hit Cole with a German Suplex and then flipped him off. Karrion hit Gargano with a German Suplex and then posed in the ring. Dunne landed on his feet and booted Kross in the back of the head.

Cole hit Kross with a Superkick and then took a look at O’Reilly. The former Undisputed Era members teamed up for a moment and Powerbombed the NXT Champion off the apron and onto the announce table but it did not break. Gargano, Cole, O’Reilly, and Dunne then traded punches in the middle of the ring.

Dunne and O’Reilly locked in submission holds in the middle of the ring before trading punches with each other. Pete applied a Guillotine choke but Kyle broke free. Dunne went for a Triangle submission but Gargano broke it up with a Slingshot Spear. Cole planted O’Reilly with a Neckbreaker for a two count.

Adam Cole and Pete Dunne then exchanged chops in the middle of the ring. Gargano and Cole hit Dunne with a couple Superkicks and then Johnny connected with One Final Beat but Adam kicked out at two. O’Reilly broke up the Gargano Escape and all four superstars were down with Kross still behind the announce table.

O’Reilly hit Gargano with a Brainbuster and made his way to the top rope. Cole shoved him to the floor and hit Panama Sunrise on Gargano. Cole went for the cover but Dunne dragged him out of the ring. Dunne planted Cole with a Suplex on the floor but Karrion Kross hopped back up.

Dunne got back into the ring and challenged Kross to join him as the crowd chanted “Bruiserweight!”. Pete hit some punches but Kross connected with a German Suplex. Dunne hit a German Suplex of his own and delivered Bitter End but Karrion Kross somehow kicked out at two.

Pete went for a Triangle submission but Gargano, Cole, and O’Reilly broke it up as Kross started to fade. Dunne bent back Cole’s fingers but Kross broke it up with a double Suplex. Karrion hit Cole with a forearm to the back of the head and applied the Kross Jacket to Dunne. Pete broke free by bending back Kross’ digits.

Gargano hit Dunne with One Final Beat and then Karrion got Johnny in the Kross Jacket. Cole broke it up with the Last Shot as Kyle O’Reilly climbed to the top rope. Kyle hit Kross with a Knee Drop but Cole caught him with a Superkick. Cole hit Gargano and Dunne with a Superkick as well. O’Reilly then got Cole in the Heel Hook in the center of the ring.

Adam Cole screamed in agony as he desperately reached for the ropes. Kross grabbed O’Reilly by the head and applied the Kross Jacket. Cole reached for the bottom rope still but O’Reilly passed out and released the hold. Karrion kept the Kross Jacket locked in and the referee called for the bell as O’Reilly couldn’t continue. Karrion Kross is still the NXT Champion.

NXT GM William Regal was then interviewed outside at the end of the show and said tonight has been complete madness and he thinks it is time for a change. An exhausted William Regal then walked away to close the show.

Opinion: NXT delivered yet another outstanding TakeOver event tonight. 5-Way match was fantastic and NXT found a way to showcase all five superstars. Karrion Kross looked like an absolute monster and deserved to walk out as the NXT Champion. I thought the Fatal

Karrion Kross Survives Fatal-Five Way Match, Retains NXT Title At TakeOver: In Your House

Andrew Ravens
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Karrion Kross has always said that he welcomes all challengers and backed up what he says in his latest title defense as the NXT Champion. 

He worked a fatal 5-way match against Johnny Gargano, Pete Dunne, Kyle O’Reilly, and Adam Cole in the main event of WWE NXT TakeOver:  In Your House event in Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center.

The match saw Kross be booked strong throughout it. Dunne and Gargano sent Kross through the front door of the stage. Kross even broke out an F5 to Gargano for a near fall. There was a double submission spot with Dunne and O’Reilly. Kross won with his sleeper hold on O’Reilly. 

Originally, Kross was supposed to defend the title against one person until Cole screwed up NXT General Manager William Regal’s storyline plans. A triple threat match between O’Reilly, Dunne, and Gargano took place on the June 1st edition of NXT with the winner supposed to face Kross at TakeOver, but Cole attacked all three stars and it ended in a no contest. Later in the show, Kross told Regal that he wants to face everyone at TakeOver: In Your House and Regal agreed so he booked the match. 

Kross won the NXT Championship from Finn Balor at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. Since that time, he’s made one title defense and that also came against Balor. 

WWE holds the fallout episode from this show of NXT on Tuesday.

Raquel Gonzalez Retains Women’s Title At WWE NXT TakeOver: In Your House

Andrew Ravens
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Ember Moon was the latest challenger for Raquel Gonzalez’s NXT Women’s Championship. 

The title match happened at the WWE NXT TakeOver:  In Your House event in Orlando, Florida on Sunday night. The match saw the champion dominate most of it by using power moves and going for near falls. Things turned around when Moon hit a double knee strike off the top rope. Moon hit her finisher, but Dakota Kai put Raquel’s foot up to prevent the pinfall. 

Shotzi Blackheart took care of Kai. Moon hit a DDT off the middle rope to the rampway at one point. Gonzalez hit her powerbomb finisher for the win. 

On the June 1st edition of NXT, WWE announced the match. The previous week, Moon was forced to watch Gonzalez lay out her tag team partner Shotzi Blackheart after they worked a tag team match with the babyfaces going over. 

Moon cut a promo last week about how she wasn’t going to let what Gonzalez did to Blackheart slide. Moon brawled with Gonzalez until Moon was taken out thanks to an ambush by Kai. 

This past week, Kai battled Moon in a singles match on NXT. Gonzalez won the NXT Women’s Championship by defeating Io Shirai at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver this April, which marked the first time that she held the title. 

Her first title defense came against Mercedes Martinez last month. Moon knows what it’s like to be a champion as she previously held the NXT Women’s Championship from November 2017 to April 2018.

LA Knight Wins Million Dollar Title At WWE NXT TakeOver: In Your House

Andrew Ravens
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0

WWE raised the stakes for the feud between Cameron Grimes and LA Knight when they brought back the Million Dollar Championship. 

The two wrestlers worked a ladder match at the WWE NXT TakeOver:  In Your House event in Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center to determine the new champion. 

The match obviously saw them use the ladders as weapons throughout. They did a neck breaker spot on the ladders. Grimes sent Knight face-first into a ladder set up in the corner. Grimes hit a back drop to Knight onto the ladder. The finish saw Grimes at the top of the ladder in the ring, but Knight titled it and sent Grimes crashing onto a ladder on the ramp way. 

Last week on NXT, the title made its return as part of this storyline because Grimes and Knight have each been vying for Ted DiBiase to choose them to be the wrestler to carry on his Million Dollar legacy.

WWE first introduced the title by DiBiase as an unofficial title in 1989 and it was most recently featured on WWE television in 2010 when Ted DiBiase Jr. held it. 

https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/1404243390666088448

MSK & Bronson Reed Retain Titles In Winners Take All Match At WWE NXT TakeOver: In Your House

Andrew Ravens
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0

The NXT North American Championship and NXT Tag Team Titles were on the line in a winners-take-all six-man tag match at the WWE NXT TakeOver:  In Your House event. 

NXT North American Champion Bronson Reed & NXT Tag Team Champions MSK (Wes Lee & Nash Carter) faced Legado del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde). The stipulation to go along with this match was if Reed & MSK win, they’ll retain their titles. However, should Legado del Fantasma win, Escobar will become the NXT North American Champion and Mendoza & Wilde will become the NXT Tag Team Champions.

The match started with the babyfaces getting the early advantage including some dives until the heels took over. At one point, Escobar grabbed the North American Title and Reed tackled him through the barricade.  MSK and Reed went over with a double team finisher that resulted in Reed hitting a splash off the top rope for the win. 

Reed became the North American Champion when he defeated Johnny Gargano in a steel cage match three weeks ago while on the flip side, MSK has been NXT Tag Team Champions since winning the titles at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver this April.

This feud started about two weeks ago when Legado del Fantasma confronted Reed and was about to attack him until MSK came out to make the save. A week later, Reed made the save for MSK when they worked a match against Mendoza & Wilde

This past week on NXT, MSK came out to back up Reed during a confrontation with Legado del Fantasma. Escobar threw out the challenge for such a match and the babyfaces accepted. 

Kenny Omega Talks ‘Limits’ To Forbidden Door Partnerships

Jake Skudder
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0

AEW, AAA Mega, IMPACT and TNA Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega recently appeared on the PWI Podcast. The former IWGP Champion discussed a number of topics during the interview, including the ongoing ‘Forbidden Door’ storyline that has seen multiple companies work together during the pandemic era.

“I think there will always be limits,” Omega began, discussing the concept of the Forbidden Door and companies working in tandem. “There will always be lines that you cannot cross. But I believe that there is a world, right place, right time, when you can see every company working together.”

“And I don’t necessarily mean every company. I just mean if another wanted to work with another company, I think they’d be open to the idea. And I think again, this is a terrible thing to say, one of the reasons the Forbidden Door, quote unquote, was opened with New Japan, it was partly due to what we’re all struggling with right now, which is a pandemic” Omega continued, highlighting the overall landscape of pro wrestling.

Kenny Omega on The Forbidden Door

“For us to take a step back and stop worrying about our own stuff and see what kind of world we’re all living in. It’s the same world” Kenny Omega would continue. “And how we need to set aside petty differences, how we need to set aside just age old tropes of ‘this is my company and my territory and stay the heck out. There’s no way we can ever play nice and cross paths.’

Although New Japan appear to still be working with AEW, there have been rumors of WWE working out a deal with the Japanese company. These are not currently confirmed, however talks between WWE and NJPW are at a more advanced stage than previously thought.

Andrade Competes In First Match Since WWE Release

Staff
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Former WWE star Andrade has returned to action, but he still hasn’t made his in-ring debut for All Elite Wrestling. At an RGR Lucha Libre show in Los Angeles, Andrade teamed up with V.I.P. and Piloto Suicida to face El Hijo del Santo, Rey Leon, and Misterioso.

In the end of a chaotic, violent bout that included chair shots and high-flying wrestling, Andrade pinned El Hijo del Santo to earn his first victory since he left WWE. “El Idolo” also donned some new ring gear. Highlights of the match can be seen in the video below.

With the completion of this bout, it’s fair to say that Andrade has fully put his WWE career behind him. “El Idolo” already has at least two more matches lined up; he’ll compete at Federacion Wrestling‘s first pay-per-view on June 19, and he’ll face Alberto Del Rio on July 31.

Beyond these two bouts, the former WWE United States Champion has a major match on the horizon. He’ll challenge AEW World Champion Kenny Omega for his AAA Mega Championship at TripleMania XXIX in a clash between two renowned stars.

Andrade also moved on from WWE by signing with AEW. He has already debuted for the company, and he will speak with Jim Ross on this week’s episode of Dynamite. Given “El Idolo’s” upcoming match with Omega, it’ll be interesting to see how the opening stretch of his AEW run turns out.

In a tweet after he arrived in AEW, Andrade emphasized that he wasn’t made in WWE; he has experience all over the world.

It’s important to remember that as he enters this next chapter of his career.

Roman Reigns Sends Stark Warning To Rey Mysterio Ahead of Hell In a Cell

Jake Skudder
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0

It was confirmed on this week’s episode of Talking Smack that Rey Mysterio will challenge for the Universal Championship inside of the Hell In a Cell. Mysterio suggested the stipulation and ‘The Special Council To The Tribal Chief’ Paul Heyman confirmed that the match will take place inside of the structure.

Roman Reigns has now taken to social media to issue a stark warning to his opponent on June 20. “For a man whose legend looms so large in our industry, he sunk to the lowest depths to try to take me down” Roman Reigns began.

Roman Reigns on Rey Mysterio

“Next week, you will #AcknowledgeMe properly. #HIAC”

There are now two matches on the Hell In a Cell card that will be taking place inside of the structure at the ThunderDome. Bobby Lashley vs Drew McIntyre will also be a Cell match, where Drew McIntyre will never get to challenge for the title again if he loses.

Here’s the current confirmed card for Hell In a Cell 2021:

  • WWE Championship: Hell in a Cell Match – Bobby Lashley (c) with MVP vs. Drew McIntyre
  • Universal Championship: Hell in a Cell Match – Roman Reigns (c) with Paul Heyman vs. Rey Mysterio
  • WWE RAW Women’s Championship Match – Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Charlotte
  • WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship Match – Bianca Belair (c) vs. Bayley

Jim Ross On How Difficult Steve Austin’s 2001 Heel Turn Was

Chris Stephens
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Steve Austin toasted beers with Vince McMahon to close-out WrestleMania X-7, turning heel in the process. Austin’s heel turn was and still is quite controversial. Jim Ross spent some time on “Grillin JR” talking about how difficult it was to get Austin over as a heel at the time.

“We realized early on that we were swimming upstream. It was going to be very daunting to get Steve to the position that he wanted to be as the top heel,” said JR. He would continue to say that fans just didn’t hate Austin enough for it to work.

“Heel qualities include having enough heat on them that you will pay your money to drive to the arena to watch them get their ass whipped,” Ross continued.

“Nobody’s going to pay their money to come to RAW, a house show, live event whatever you want to call it, to see Austin get his ass whipped. They’re not mad at him. As much as they were uncomfortable with my little angle, the Lita situation, they still weren’t angry enough at Steve to turn on him. So, what else could we do?”

JR continued to say that he was against the heel turn. Austin was insistent, however, and Vince felt the company owed it to him to try.

“He was hell bent on it and as we’ve discussed, I was just as hell bent going the other way,” JR continued. “I’ve told you what Vince said, ‘JR he wants to do it real bad, he thinks it’ll work, and we owe it to him.’ After I heard that explanation my push back was less.”

JR’s comments can be heard in the player below:

Update On WWE & AEW Ticket Sales For Summer Tours

Chris Stephens
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0

WWE are heading back on the road starting next month. So far, ticket sales aren’t exactly what the company would have hoped for, however. According to comments made by Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE’s ticket sales have not been good.

“They’re bad,” Meltzer said when asked about WWE ticket sales.

“People aren’t buying tickets. It’s a message, that’s the deal. I don’t want to hear any excuses because they are behind AEW in ticket sales now, as far as a per show thing.”

“There’s a lot under 2000 (tickets sold), a lot of shows,” Meltzer continued.

Some numbers aren’t so discouraging, however.

“They had a very good first week. Houston for the 16th with Edge and the first night back came out very strong. The Fort Worth PPV is almost sold-out, so they’ll have 10,000 people in there, so that’s good.”

The RAW in Chicago is selling somewhat well (over 6000 tickets) as are shows in Pittsburgh and San Antonio. Many markets have less than 2000 seats sold, however.

AEW Beating WWE In Some Markets

It was also noted that AEW is beating WWE in some markets that they are both running.

“They’re both running the Dallas market, WWE is definitely ahead big in that one,” Meltzer said. He also noted AEW is ahead in ticket sales in Jacksonville, but considering that is AEW’s home base that’s not that surprising. He also noted that AEW is selling more tickets in Miami and Charlotte.

“Miami: AEW is ahead. Charlotte: AEW is ahead. Charlotte is a big surprise because in those Carolina markets, WWE is way ahead in those Carolina markets,” he continued.

Paul Heyman Accepts Rey Mysterio’s Challenge for Hell In a Cell

Jake Skudder
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0

Rey Mysterio will be challenging for the Universal Championship at the Hell In a Cell PPV next Sunday. Interestingly, that’s also Father’s Day, so the ongoing story involving Rey’s son Dominik having been attacked by Roman adds an extra layer to the narrative.

Mysterio challenged Reigns on this week’s episode of SmackDown to make it a Hell In a Cell match. During Talking Smack, the ‘Special Council To The Tribal Chief’ Paul Heyman would accept the challenge from the Luchador legend.

“I get this story, I want to see it go down,” Heyman began on Talking Smack. “As special counsel to the Tribal Chief, the Universal Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns. I, Paul Heyman, hereby inform the public that I’m authorized to accept Rey Mysterio’s challenge against Roman Reigns inside Hell in a Cell. And that’s bad news for Rey Mysterio.”

Paul Heyman on Mysterio’s Challenge

“Because you are not stepping into Hell in a Cell with just a defending champion. You’re stepping into Hell in a Cell against the monarch of the mat” Heyman added. “The gracious God of the grappling game. The taste-maker of the island of relevancy. The savage Samoan sadist. The devil himself — inside Hell in a Cell. You’re stepping into the demonic structure with Roman Reigns.”

Here’s the full card for Hell In a Cell on Sunday June 20:

  • WWE Championship: Hell in a Cell Match – Bobby Lashley (c) with MVP vs. Drew McIntyre
  • Universal Championship: Hell in a Cell Match – Roman Reigns (c) with Paul Heyman vs. Rey Mysterio
  • WWE RAW Women’s Championship Match – Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Charlotte
  • WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship Match – Bianca Belair (c) vs. Bayley

Update On Brock Anderson & Hook’s Wrestling Training

Chris Stephens
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0

This week on Dynamite, it was revealed that Brock Anderson will make his debut on next week’s show. The son of Arn Anderson will team with Cody Rhodes to take on Aaron Solow and QT Marshall of the Factory.

According to comments made by Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, both Brock Anderson and Hook have been training for months.

“Him and Hook, Taz’s son, have been training for months before TVs every week with Jerry Lynn, and Dustin (Rhodes), and the coaching staff basically,” said Dave Meltzer.

Meltzer continued to say that he’s been told both Hook and Anderson are ready to wrestle on television.

“I was told, I don’t know a month ago, that they are both ready to do a TV match. So we’ll see,” Meltzer continued.

That Hook is ready to wrestle on television comes as Team Taz seems to be having some internal conflict. Brian Cage chased Rick Starks to the back on Dynamite this week after once again refusing to cheat. Will Hobbs was left alone to drop the fall to Hangman Page and Ten from the Dark Order.

Cody Rhodes & Brock Anderson vs QT Marshall & Aaron Solow will preview the South Beach Strap match between Marshall and Rhodes on July 7th.

John Cena Avoids Question About Appearing At SummerSlam

Chris Stephens
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0

There are many rumors about what big stars will be returning to WWE in the near future. One is that John Cena will return to WWE at SummerSlam on August 21st, possibly for a huge main event match with Roman Reigns. Cena was asked what he is doing on August 21st during a recent media appearance to promote Fast & Furious 9.

Cena was asked if he has any plans for August 21st, the date of this year’s SummerSlam in Las Vegas.

 “Hopefully, enjoying the summer I don’t know,” Cena responded.

“In Vegas perhaps?” he was then asked.

“What’s in Vegas?” Cena asked in response.

“I heard there’s something called SummerSlam.”

“Oh *laughs* that was a good way to do that,” Cena admitted.

Will John Cena Be At SummerSlam?

WWE appears to be going full throttle trying to get big stars to appear at marquee events throughout the remainder of 2021. In addition to the rumored Cena vs Reigns match at SummerSlam, there are also rumors WWE is hoping for The Rock to return at Survivor Series. That could also possibly be for a match against Roman Reigns.

Cena missed WrestleMania this year due to his filming schedule. He noted during an interview this spring that his schedule opens up around July, however.

“Currently, I’m in Vancouver shooting Peacemaker, the series for HBO Max,” Cena said earlier this year. “Given the quarantine regulations, if I were to leave Canada, upon return I would have to quarantine for another two weeks. Essentially, that would shut production down. Strictly based on the letter of the law right now, there is no logistical way I can be there. We film now until July.”

Mark Henry Says Bringing Braun Strowman To AEW Is “High On His List”

Chris Stephens
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0

Mark Henry wants to bring Braun Strowman to AEW. According to comments Henry made to TMZ recently, there is already interest on both sides for such a deal. The World’s Strongest Man told the outlet that bringing Strowman to AEW is “high on his list.”

“Super high on my list,” Henry said. “It’s not an all Mark Henry decision, but there’s already interest on both sides.”

“Hopefully by the time he’s allowed to wrestle in August, I think the middle of August, then we could have a serious conversation about contractual things of that nature but right now there’s interest on both sides,” Henry continued. “I love that dude.”

“I talked to him, I mentored him but I tell him all the time, I can’t talk business,” Henry added. “When your contract expires, you call and let me know and then we’ll have a talk.”

AEW’s interest in Strowman was addressed recently on Wrestling Observer Radio as well.

“Mark Henry helped recruit him (to WWE) because they have similar backgrounds as far as being really strong guys. He helped recruit him in WWE and he’s mentored him and everything like that so he is going to want to suggest he come in because they’re buddies,” said Dave Meltzer.

Mark Henry vs Braun Strowman

Strowman and Henry have met in singles action twice. Once on a house show from 2016 and another from RAW on February 13th, 2017. Strowman won both matches. The last time they were both in the same match together was the Greatest Royal Rumble event on April 27th, 2018 from Saudi Arabia. That match was also won by Braun Strowman.

Henry’s comments can be heard in the player below:

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