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“Mongopalooza” Benefit Concert Raises Money For Steve McMichael

Chris Stephens
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In April, it was revealed that Steve “Mongo” McMichael is suffering from ALS. Over the weekend, his former teammate Dan Hampton organized a benefit concert for McMichael dubbed “Mongopalooza.”

Mongo was on-hand personally for the event and spoke to media about how touched he was of the efforts.

“It’s a validation of everything I’ve done in my life for people,” McMichael said. “What you do in your life, you get back tenfold. That’s happening right now.”

Ric Flair was in attendance for the event. He also spoke to the media about how the event was a testament to the many people who appreciate the friendship they’ve had with Mongo through the years.

“I think these turnouts like this are an example of the friendship that he afforded everybody else in life,” Flair said. “Great guy.”

The event took place at a restaurant named after the former Chicago Bear great, Mongo McMichael’s located at 1101 N. Independence Blvd in Romeoville.

To help Mongo and his family deal with medical expenses, there is a GoFundMe setup here. You can also purchase Team Mongo shirts and bracelets here.

“It’s a testament to him as a person and the cause itself. ALS is a terrible thing,” said friend Larry Gress.

Footage of the event is below:

Shingo Takagi Makes First Comments As IWGP World Champion

Chris Stephens
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Shingo Takagi defeated Kazuchika Okada at Dominion yesterday to win the vacant IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. The new champion spoke to the media following his victory. NJPW1972.com has translated Takagi’s first comments as world champion.

“I am the third IWGP World heavyweight Champion, Shingo Takagi, and I am pretty damn tired,” Takagi said. “I went through the wringer last night, finally shut my eyes around 4AM, and then woke up at 7, got on the Shinkansen (bullet train), and wasn’t able to nod off there either. But y’know, waking up this morning and having the belt there in my room let me know that it wasn’t all a dream and what happened was real.”

Takagi was defeated by the former champion, Will Ospreay, before he vacated the title. Ospreay was supposed to face Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Grand Slam but the event was cancelled. Then Ospreay was forced to vacate the title due to neck injury.

“I mean, in Fukuoka with Ospreay, losing that match could have put me to the back of the line,” Takagi continued. “I figured I wouldn’t get back to this point for quite a while. But then, I don’t know whether you’d call it luck or what, but Ospreay gets hurt and goes back to the UK, and then I’m in this title match.”

Shingo Takagi vs Kota Ibushi

Following his victory, Takagi called out former champion Kota Ibushi. Takagi also spent some time talking about Ibushi following his title victory.

“I have my reasons for coming to New Japan in the first place, but getting to throw down with Ibushi, that was definitely one aspect. Having a proper place for us to square off. We didn’t start out as New Japan guys, but a few years ago it hit me that the guy I want to fight the most is in NJPW, and if I want that to happen then I have to be in NJPW too. Then October 2018 I arrived, and two years, what, eight months later… I wouldn’t call that a rapid ascent. I’m 39 this year, I can’t afford to take things slow.”

Takagi would continue to say that Ibushi has not yet given him a response to his challenge. It seems rather certain Ibushi will become Takagi’s first title challenger, however.

“Anyway, I am now the third IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, but apart from that, nothing’s changed about me. Just like normal, I’m gonna fight like Shingo Takagi fights, bring the fire and tear it up! That’s all I’ve got to say.”

 

Hikaru Shida Debuts New Look on AEW Dark: Elevation

Jake Skudder
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Former AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida debuted a new look during this week’s episode of AEW Dark: Elevation. The Japanese star lost to Dr Britt Baker D.M.D at the Double or Nothing PPV event just over a week ago, and now Shida has changed up her look as she looks to climb up the Women’s division rankings.

Hikaru Shida faced Diamante in the main event of the show. The episode also featured some of AEW’s more established names on the card, including Santana & Ortiz, Ethan Page, Brian Cage & Powerhouse Hobbs, The Acclaimed and Scorpio Sky.

Here’s the full results for this week’s episode of the YouTube show:

  • Jade Cargill w/ Smart Mark Sterling b. Rache Chanel
  • Santana & Ortiz b. Liam Gray & Adrian Alanis
  • Scorpio Sky b. Trevor Read
  • Brian Cage & Powerhouse Hobbs w/ Hook & Ricky Starks b. Trevor Aeon and Kendall Blake
  • Evil Uno w/ -1 b. Danny Limelight
  • Ethan Page b. Mike Sydal
  • The Acclaimed (Max Caster & Anthony Bowens) b. Alex Reynolds and Alan “5” Angels
  • Kris Statlander b. Queen Aminata
  • Varsity Blonds (Brian Pillman Jr. & Griff Garrison) w/ Julia Hart b. JD Drake and Ryan Nemeth w/ The Wingmen
  • Hikaru Shida b. Diamante
https://www.instagram.com/p/CP1tCl1JGFG/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Check out this week’s episode of AEW Dark: Elevation below:

Karl Anderson Gives Advice To Released WWE Talents

Jake Skudder
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Impact Wrestling star Karl Anderson has some advice for the WWE Superstars who were released this past week.

Anderson and his tag team partner Luke Gallows were cut by WWE in April 2020, just weeks after they participated in the Boneyard Match main event of WrestleMania 36.

During the latest episode of the Talk N Shop podcast, Anderson advised that the released talent be ‘less friendly’ in their social media comments.

“We know what it’s like to get canned from WWE,” Anderson began. “Here’s the advice I would say; enough of the ‘thank you’ tweets. Give me a f*cking break. When you get canned, let it go. How about hashtag ‘f*ck off.’ I don’t think less than 24 hours after being fired…take a second to take a breather.”

“Take it easy with the thank you bullsh*t within 24 hours” Anderson continued. “Breathe it in and take it all in for just one second. Put together a plan of attack before you start thanking all these motherf*ckers that fired you.”

Anderson Praises Jim Ross

Karl Anderson would then praise Jim Ross, who himself is a lot more candid than most when it comes to discussing WWE’s business practices. “People give Jim Ross a lot of heat, but I have respect for Jim Ross.”

“When we got canned, he said, ‘There’s a reason why WWE decided to not do business with these individuals anymore'” Anderson added. “It’s as true as it can get and Thank God. We made the most money we’ve ever made in our lives this past year and that’s after WWE.” 

There’s a good chance that a number of the talents released could end up at AEW and/or IMPACT; so Anderson’s comments could end up hitting home to some of the Superstars when he eventually works with them again.

Listen to the latest episode of Talk N Shop at MLWRadio.com.

Fred Yehi To Make NJPW Strong Debut

Alex Laybourne
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Since its inception in August 2020, NJPW Strong has been a place to see some great wrestling names. This coming week on Strong, Fred Yehi will make his debut. Yehi is a name known to many wrestling fans and is currently the number one contender for the ROH Pure Championship.

Yehi will perform in a tag team match alongside Wheeler Yuta. Their opponents are Misterioso and Jordan Clearwater.

Fred Yehi has wrestled for many promotions, including ROH and MLW. Interestingly enough, during this time in MLW, Yehi was a member of Team Filthy.

Tom Lawler, the leader of Team Filthy is the first and inaugural NJPW Strong Openweight Champion. The stable is the primary one based on the NJPW Strong brand. If Fred Yehi impresses in this match he could secure a regular place on the Strong roster. It is then not inconceivable to assume he will join the team.

Team Filthy is currently down one member, after Tom Lawlor, orchestrated a beat down of form member Chris Dickinson.

Fred Yehi is a talented wrestler, and while he might not be the powerhouse that Dickinson was, he could certainly fill the spot in Team Filthy and help them continue their brand dominance.

As NJPW Strong approaches its one year anniversary, the show is moving from strength to strength. Growing in confidence each week. The use of freelance talent and willingness to not tie fighters down to just their promotion gives them a lot of room to grow. This is a benefit to the brand, and to fighters like Fred Yehi, who are looking to build their career in the business.

John Cena Had Ring Gear Made For His Heel Turn

Anutosh Bajpai
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Former WWE writer Matt McCarthy recently talked about John Cena on his We Watch Wrestling podcast. He revealed how close the cenation leader was to a heel turn in the company at one point. McCarthy was talking about the time when the former world champion was still a full-time performer.

Vince McMahon was trying to figure out a way to incorporate some heelish qualities in his character but not turn him completely. However, the Hollywood star wanted to do a complete heel turn. He was committed to the idea to a point where John Cena even had new ring gear made for him:

“Vince kept trying to figure out how do we do like a Bret Hart thing? Where he’s a heel in some places, but he’s a babyface in the rest of the places. Cena was like, ‘If I’m going heel, I want to go full heel,’ and it did get close enough to the point where, and I’m sure he still has this gear, like Cena had gear made for the heel turn, you know? No longer the jorts. I don’t know what the gear was, but he had specific gear made ready and waiting.”

Though as we know the heel turn never happened. Revealing the reason behind it, Matt explained that the company cooled down on the idea after they couldn’t reach an agreement. The officials decided that a heel turn wouldn’t change things for Cena. So it was best to keep things as they were:

“And then obviously we know it never happened, and there was a point in the discussions where it was like, ‘Well, the people who are gonna cheer him are going to continue to cheer him and the people who are gonna boo him, are just gonna keep booing him.’ So the thinking was, that’s the most heelish thing he can do is to stay that white meat, smiling, pure babyface…”

John Cena has since moved on from his role as the face of the company. After a 15 year-long run at the top, the former champion now only makes sporadic appearances for the promotion. Although he is expected to make a return very soon. Latest reports suggest that we may see the former US champion competing in a big championship match at SummerSlam.

Ted DiBiase To Make A ‘Priceless Announcement’ On Tuesday’s NXT

Alex Laybourne
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The storyline involving the Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase, Cameron Grimes and LA Knight has been dominating NXT. The build-up between Grimes and DiBiase grained pace when Knight stepped into the frame. Both men claiming they have what it takes to carry on the million dollar legacy.

The pair will face off one-on-one at the upcoming NXT In Your House PPV, with the winner believing they will receive the favor of Ted DiBiase. However, the story is not yet fully told.

WWE recently tweeted that tonight on the In Hour House go-home episode of NXT, Ted DiBiase is making a priceless announcement.

This is most likely to be the confirmation of the return of the Million Dollar Belt. The winner between Grimes and Knight being awarded the belt at NXT In Your House.

This would be the logical conclusion to any storyline involving Ted DiBiase. Not to mention, the poster for the NXT In Your House show already features the belt.

With both Grimes and Knight playing heel characters the feud lacks the traditional good guy versus bad guy appeal. However, it means both men would be a perfect fit for some million-dollar tutelage.

The Million Dollar Belt has been out of circulation since 2010 but hasn’t seriously been used since the mid-’90s. While never officially recognized as a title, there is no denying that having that on your shoulder and Ted DiBiase in your corner is a benefit for any wrestler.

Original WrestleMania 37 Plans For Released WWE Star

Anutosh Bajpai
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The latest wave of WWE releases saw the company parting way with some surprising names. One of them was the Riott Squad leader Ruby Riott.

Bryan Alvarez talked about Riott and her time in WWE during the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Live. He revealed the original WrestleMania 37 plans for her.

Ruby Riott teamed up with Liv Morgan to compete in the tag team turmoil match at night one of the show which also featured four other teams.

According to the wrestling journalist, the team of Riott and Morgan were originally scheduled to win this match and go on to challenge the then women’s tag team champions Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler on night two of the show.

However, the company changed the plans on the day of the event. Natalya and Tamina went on to win the bout and challenge for the titles. Jax and Baszler were scheduled to retain the title in the original scenario as well.

While Natalya and Tamina couldn’t cash in their opportunity at WrestleMania, the match opened the doors for more opportunities for them. They finally won the tag team titles on an episode of SmackDown last month.

Things are always changing in WWE but one can only wonder what would have happened if Ruby Riott and her partner would have got the opportunity and if they would have gone on to win the championships instead.

Jake Atlas On Coming Out To Stephanie McMahon As Gay

Anutosh Bajpai
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Jake Atlas has had an interesting journey to WWE. It all started when the former indie star came out to Stephanie McMahon as gay without realizing who she was.

The young star recently appeared on WWE’s The Bump alongside guests such as Hall Of Famer Bret Hart, current NXT women’s tag team champions Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell, and more.

Discussing his infamous interaction with Stephanie McMahon, Atlas revealed that he hadn’t discussed his sexuality before his conversation with the WWE official:

“I wasn’t an ‘out’ performer before I met Stephanie. Meeting Stephanie undercover and not knowing it was Stephanie was so much better and helpful in a way, I don’t know if I would have been able to talk to her if I knew it was Stephanie.

“Meeting Stephanie and coming out to her… I mean, I came out to one of the most powerful people in professional wrestling. [After filming] I was a mess, and I was crying, and she hugged me.”

The 26-year-old appeared on an episode of Celebrity Undercover Boss as an undiscovered wrestler in 2018. The episode also featured WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon as an undercover boss.

During the show, Atlas explained to Stephanie that he wanted to become the first openly gay WWE champion. He was hired in an ambassador role by WWE after that and he was officially signed as a wrestler in 2019.

Bret Hart On The Origin Of Hart Attack Finisher

Anutosh Bajpai
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Before becoming one of the most celebrated singles wrestler of all time, Bret Hart made his name in tag team wrestling as part of The Hart Foundation.

The WWE Hall Of Famer discussed the legacy of the group during his recent appearance on The Bump and talked about the various aspects of his team with his brother in law Jim Neidhart.

One of the most exciting things about their team was the Hart Attacker finisher. Revealing the origin of it, Bret detailed where it came from and why it was a great finisher for their tag team:

“You know, it came from me using a running clothesline in Calgary. I remember thinking about it, and it was a lot of things Jim and I did, Jim was a 280-pound man.

To launch him like a missile, you know, 10-15 feet across the ring, was a serious consequence.” said Hart, “So many things we did as a team including, the Hart Attack, were great team wrestling.”

The wrestling veteran also commented on the recent women’s tag team title win of his niece Natalya and Tamina during the May 14 episode of SmackDown.

Bret Hart said that both Jim Neidhart and Tamina’s father, Jimmy Snuka would be proud of their daughters. He claimed that the duo will surprise everyone by being around as a team for a long time.

Ezra Judge On The Reason He Was Given For His WWE Release

Anutosh Bajpai
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Former NXT star Ezra Judge is one of the many names released by WWE in the past couple of months. He was released alongside names such as Alexander Wolfe, Jessamyn Duke, and more.

The now-former WWE star recently had an interview with WrestlingInc where he opened up about his release from the promotion and discussed it in detail.

Due to his massive physique, Judge was considered a big future star by many and so his release sparked many rumors as well. Discussing the various rumors, he claimed that he didn’t have any backstage heat in the company:

“I don’t know why I was released. Do I want to know why? Of course. I got the generic response, budget cuts. Do I believe that? No, but it is what it is. I’m the type of person that respected everybody, got along with everybody.

I didn’t have bridges that were burnt or anything like they say.” said Ezra Judge, “I was told, actually, before I left that I was a catalyst in a locker room.”

The former WWE star also commented on his future in the wrestling business. He confirmed that he will continue his wrestling career and claimed that we are going to see him soon.

A former Football player and Bodybuilder, Ezra Judge was signed to a contract by WWE in August 2019 after multiple tryouts. He was released in May 2021.

WWE RAW Results (6/7): Alexa Bliss & Shayna Baszler, Contract Signing, Battle Royal

Robert Lentini
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WWE RAW aired live from the ThunderDome in Tampa. Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley signed the contract to make their WWE Championship match official at Hell in a Cell. The tag teams on the RAW roster competed in a Battle Royal to determine the #1 contenders for the RAW Tag Team Championships tonight as well.

RAW Results (6/7)

  1. Viking Raiders won the #1 contender’s Battle Royal and earned a shot at the RAW Tag Team Championships
  2. Jaxson Ryker def. Elias via count out
  3. Ricochet vs. Humberto Carillo ended in a double count out
  4. Jeff Hardy def. Cedric Alexander
  5. Asuka & Nikki Cross def. Charlotte Flair & Rhea Ripley
  6. Mansoor def. Drew Gulak
  7. Kofi Kingston def. Riddle

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Viking Raiders Earned A Title Shot

John Morrison, New Day, Viking Raiders, Lucha House Party, Mace & T-Bar, and Riddle & Orton competed in a Battle Royal to determine the #1 contenders for the RAW Tag Team Championships. Before the match, champs AJ Styles & Omos made their way to ring. Styles gave the New Day some props but noted that they defeated them at WrestleMania. Styles praised Lince Dorado being out there by himself as Gran Metalik is injured.

AJ brought up Riddle and Orton and claimed that their chemistry is phenomenal. An argument broke out before Riddle said he is wearing two of their new t-shirts because Randy won’t wear one. Orton hushed Riddle before Miz and Morrison made their way to the ring. Miz is in a wheelchair and said that Morrison will be competing on behalf of their team in the Battle Royal. Miz started rolling down the ramp and Morrison stopped him before he crashed. Orton dropped Woods and Dorado with an RKO to begin the action as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, WWE Champion Lashley and MVP were shown in a lounge with their models having a good time as the Battle Royal continued. Mace and T-Bar tried to eliminate Orton but Riddle stopped it. They then hit Riddle with High Justice in the middle of the ring. Orton recovered and eliminated T-Bar. Woods and Erik teamed up and sent Mace over the top rope as RAW went to a commercial.

Viking Raiders, RKBro, and New Day were the remaining teams in the Battle Royal. Viking Raiders eliminated Riddle and then battled with New Day. Kofi leveled Viking Raiders with a Crossbody and then turned his focus to Orton. Riddle slid into the ring and hopped into a Trouble in Paradise from Kingston. Orton capitalized and sent Kingston over the top rope. Viking Raiders then eliminated Orton to earn a future shot at the RAW Tag Team Championships.

Charlotte & Ripley Will Team Up Tonight

Charlotte Flair had a conversation with Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville backstage. Charlotte claimed she was pressured into last week’s Beat the Clock Challenge against Nikki Cross and demanded that the match be removed from her record. Charlotte then wanted a rematch and Pearce & Deville agreed.

RAW Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley interrupted and said that she actually respects Nikki Cross, unlike Charlotte Flair. Pearce and Deville then booked Ripley & Flair versus Nikki Cross and a partner of her choosing. Charlotte said that unlike Rhea Ripley, she can professional about this and walked away.

Jaxson Ryker def. Elias

Elias came to the ring and said that Jaxson Ryker was going crazy and they would have become RAW Tag Team Champions if Ryker followed his lead last week. Elias added that he saw “the ghosts of war” in Ryker’s eyes, but did not see a man who would go to war for him. Ryker showed up with a new look and attacked Elias from behind. Jaxson launched the guitar up the entrance ramp as RAW went to a break.

Ryker then battled Elias in a singles match. Ryker Clotheslined Elias out of the ring but Elias responded with a Spinebuster for a near fall. Elias controlled the action for a bit but Ryker battled back and connected with a massive Chokeslam. Elias rolled out of the ring and then cowered a way to end the match in a count out.

Lashley Will Face McIntyre Inside Hell In A Cell

Drew McIntyre came to the ring and took a seat and waited for WWE Champion Bobby Lashley to arrive for their contract singing. Lashley took his sweet time but eventually made his way to the ring with MVP and the models by his side.

MVP congratulated McIntyre on once again finding his way into the title scene and said that Drew will not get another title match if he loses. McIntyre said he accepts the terms and just wants MVP to stop talking. Drew said he will never challenge Lashley for the title again if he loses, but wants the match to be inside Hell in a Cell. They accepted the terms and signed the contract.

McIntyre noted that Hell in a Cell is brutal and will be a new experience for Lashley. Drew added that he will give Lashley mercy with a Claymore and take the WWE Championship back. Lashley posed with the title and McIntyre chopped the table in half with his sword to end the segment.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1402072213927440386?s=20

Ricochet vs. Carrillo Ended In A Double Count Out

Humberto Carillo squared off against Ricochet tonight on RAW. The winner of the match will earn a shot at the United States Championship. US Champion Sheamus made his way to the ring with a face protector on after breaking his nose in a match against Humberto last week. Sheamus complained about the match even happening in the first place and Ricochet & Carrillo made it seem like they were going to run at him and he backed away.

When RAW returned, Ricochet connected with a Crossbody and went for the cover but Humberto kicked out at two. Ricochet followed it up with a Powerbomb for another near fall. Carrillo sent Ricochet out of the ring and hit him with a Suicide Dive. The action spilled to the apron after Ricochet connected with a German Suplex. Ricochet hit a Spanish Fly and both superstars crashed to the floor to end the match in a count out.

MVP Tried To Talk Business With Kofi Kingston

MVP approached Kofi Kingston backstage tonight on RAW. MVP said he wanted to talk business and Kingston tried to avoid him. MVP stopped him and brought up Kingston winning the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. He added that KofiMania was everything and then it just went away.

MVP noted that Kingston shook McIntyre’s hand last week after losing to him and suggested that is why KofiMania ended, because Kingston is comfortable with being a loser. Kingston brought up the little kids watching RAW and learning to believe in themselves because of him. Kofi wondered why Lashley fights and said it was because of money. MVP claimed Lashley fights for honor and the perks that come along with being the champ.

Jeff Hardy def. Cedric Alexander

Cedric Alexander faced Jeff Hardy tonight on RAW. Before the match, Jeff Hardy cut a promo about how the locker room veterans do not get respect like they used to. Hardy said Cedric Alexander expects everything handed to him and is going to teach him a lesson in respect tonight.

Jeff controlled the action early and beat Cedric down in the corner of the ring. Hardy connected with a Dropkick but Cedric responded with one of his own for a near fall. Hardy went for the Twist of Fate but Cedric blocked it. Alexander climbed to the second rope and started taunting Hardy. Jeff caught him with a boot to the face and then the Twist of Fate. Hardy followed it up with the Swanton Bomb for the pinfall victory.

Asuka & Nikki Cross def. Flair & Ripley

Nikki Cross teamed up with Asuka to face RAW Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley & Charlotte Flair tonight. Ripley will defend the title against Charlotte at WWE Hell in a Cell. Before the match, Charlotte approached Rhea backstage and told her to follow her lead since she is the more experienced superstar. Ripley said she will be glad to follow Flair straight to hell in two weeks. Rhea added that being champ makes up for inexperience and told Charlotte to follow her lead tonight.

Charlotte shoved Nikki Cross to the mat to start off the action. Flair demanded that Rhea tag in and the RAW Women’s Champion made the tag. Ripley taunted Charlotte and Nikki Cross capitalized with a roll-up for a near fall. Asuka tagged in and Rhea greeted her with a headbutt.

Rhea got knocked out of the ring and gave Charlotte a shove on her way back. Flair responded with a forearm to Rhea’s face and the two started arguing as RAW went to a commercial break. When RAW returned, Nikki had a Headlock applied but Ripley broke free. Asuka tagged in and hit Flair with a Hip Attack.

Asuka hit a Codebreaker on Ripley but Charlotte got into the ring to prevent a cover. Rhea connected with a Northern Lights Suplex and bridged into a cover but Asuka kicked out at two. Charlotte and Ripley started arguing again and Flair planted the champ with Natural Selection. Nikki Cross capitalized with a cover on Ripley for the win.

Mansoor def. Drew Gulak

Mansoor faced Drew Gulak tonight on RAW. Before the match, Mustafi Ali had a conversation with Mansoor backstage. Ali told Mansoor that he is ready for a fair and square match but wondered what is going to happen once Gulak starts cutting corners. Mustafa told Mansoor that not everyone plays by the rules and walked away.

Gulak controlled the match early and kept Mansoor grounded. Gulak applied an Ankle Lock and started stepping on Mansoor’s neck. Mansoor escaped and ducked under a Clothesline attempt from Gulak. Drew went for a roll-up while using the tights for leverage but Mansoor reversed it for the pinfall victory.

Kofi Kingston def. Riddle

Kofi Kingston faced Riddle tonight on RAW. Xavier Woods was ringside for the match. Kingston hit a Splash and then an Enziguri for a two count. Kingston quickly followed it up with another Splash and went for the cover but Riddle was able to kick out at two. Riddle battled back with a Senton as Randy Orton made his way to the ring. Kofi sent Riddle to the outside and then hit a Baseball Slide onto Orton.

Woods stood over Riddle and started playing Francesca the trombone. Orton slammed Woods onto the announce table as RAW went to a break. When RAW returned, Riddle connected with an Exploder Suplex and but Kingston responded with a Stomp for a near fall.

Riddle took back control and connected with the draping DDT as Orton cheered him on. Orton told Riddle to finish it and Riddle set up for the RKO. Kingston blocked it and hit Trouble in Paradise for the pinfall victory.

Lilly Trapped Shayna Baszler

Nia Jax told Shayna Baszler that she was out of line for what she did to Reginald last week and that “Reggie” is at home recovering. Jax added that she has known Alexa Bliss for a while and this is the most dangerous she has ever been. Nia said that Alexa definitely has something planned tonight and Shayna shrugged it off.

Baszler claimed she wasn’t afraid of a little girl with a doll and suggested that Nia Jax help Bliss after she finds out what happens when you cross the Queen of Spades. When RAW returned from a break, Bliss welcomed everyone to Alexa’s Playground in the ring. Shayna marched down the entrance ramp and knocked over a toy horse before taking a seat on a swing.

Alexa wanted Baszler to apologize to Lilly but Shayna refused to say sorry to a doll. Shayna blamed Alexa for Reginald getting injured and added that they would be Women’s Tag Team Champions if it were not for her. Shayna grabbed Lilly and said “sorry Lilly is just a stupid doll” instead of apologizing.

Bliss and Shayna then traded strikes. Shayna knocked Alexa out of the ring and then stomped on Lilly. The ThunderDome screens and lights flickered and then pyro went off. Shayna retreated up the entrance ramp as Alexa smiled from her swing. Shayna made her way backstage as pieces of the ThunderDome fell around her. Baszler locked herself in a room but realized Lilly was also there in the mirror reflection. Shayna broke the mirror but Lilly was still visible in the broken glass and RAW went off the air with Shayna Baszler screaming.

Eva Marie’s WWE Return Date Announced

Anutosh Bajpai
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Eva Marie will finally be returning to Raw next week.

WWE had been teasing the return of the All Red Everything with promos for weeks but there was no confirmed date for her actual return to the company.

The promotion finally confirmed during this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw that Marie will be making her return during next week’s Hell In A Cell go-home episode of the show:

Reports suggest that the modeling star will not be coming in alone. It’s believed that she will have a female star as her bodyguard upon her return.

The two names which are being discussed for the role as of now are Piper Niven from NXT UK and former Retribution member Mercedes Martinez.

Eva Marie’s first run with WWE started in 2013. Many believed that the female star who had no background in wrestling was too green for TV at the time.

This led to the former Raw star going back and forth between the main roster and NXT a number of times. She was finally released from her contract in August 2017.

Marie’s return to the company was first reported in October last year. After months of rumors, WWE finally confirmed her re-signing with a vignette last month during the May 3 episode of Raw.

WWE Hell In A Cell Updated Card: Top Title Match Receives Stipulations

Andrew Ravens
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WWE made some Hell in a Cell announcements on Monday’s episode of Raw. 

WWE Champion Bobby Lashley vs. Drew McIntyre will now take place inside of the Hell in a Cell structure. Also, as part of the contract, which was signed on Raw, if McIntyre loses this match then he won’t be able to challenge for the WWE Title as long as Lashley is champion. 

Their first match came back at WrestleMania 37 where Lashley defeated McIntyre to retain the WWE Championship. One month later at WrestleMania Backlash, Lashley retained by defeating Braun Strowman and McIntyre in a triple threat match. WWE kept McIntyre strong as Lashley pinned Strowman to get the win.

WWE presents the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event on Sunday, June 20, 2021 from Tampa, Florida at Yuengling Center that will air on Peacock. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks.

Updated WWE Hell In A Cell Card

WWE Champion Bobby Lashley vs. Drew McIntyre – Hell in a Cell Match (if Drew loses, he can’t challenge Lashley for the title again)

WWE Raw Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair

WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley vs. Bianca Belair

AEW Dynamite Sinks To Lowest Viewership Yet (6/4)

Andrew Ravens
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Preemptions due to TNT’s coverage of the NBA Playoffs continue to plague AEW Dynamite’s ratings.

The June 4th Friday Night edition of Dynamite did 462,000 viewers on TNT, according to Nielsen via PWTorch. That is down 12.17% from last week’s show that aired on the same night and timeslot, which pulled in 526,000 viewers. 

The show did a 0.19 rating in the all-important 18-49 demographic, which was slightly down from the 0.20 rating the show did a week prior. As a result, this was the lowest audience in the history of the show. 

For comparisons, let’s take a look back at other ratings from past episodes of Dynamite that aired on a different night instead of its traditional Wednesday night slot. 

The episode that aired one year ago in the same week and went head-to-head against WWE NXT was up 36.7%. The Saturday Night Dynamite episode on August 22, 2020 drew 755,000 viewers with a 0.31 rating while the Thursday Night Dynamite episode on August 27, 2020 drew 813,000 viewers and a 0.29 rating.

This was the post-Double Or Nothing edition of Dynamite that featured the fallout from the show. AEW will continue to be preempted for NBA action for the rest of this month.

WWE Draft: 6 Moves That Need To Happen

Staff
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With the report that the WWE Draft is coming this summer, many fans breathed a collective sigh of relief. Both WWE RAW and SmackDown need some fresh faces; the red brand, in particular, has felt stale for months. Thankfully, the draft is an easy way to shake things up heading into the fall.

With that in mind, here’s a look at a few moves that could benefit WWE by placing some of its top-stars in new places.

Street Profits to RAW

WWE RAW often feels like a chore these days. The show doesn’t tend to feel fun anymore; repetitive matches and head-scratching booking continue to derail WWE’s flagship show. The red brand needs some electricity, and though moving the Street Profits to the program wouldn’t fix the aforementioned problems, they could at least add some levity.

Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins can effortlessly add some buzz to any segment on any given day; in hindsight, though their initial role as the hypemen for RAW wasn’t ideal, at least the duo made various matches and developments feel actually important. That’d be a big step up from the current state of the show. Plus, Ford and Dawkins could boost RAW’s tag team division; on paper, they could put on some dynamic matches with AJ Styles & Omos and R-K-Bro.

Asuka to SmackDown

Like some other names on this list, Asuka needs a change of scenery. Though she held the WWE RAW Women’s Championship for a year across two reigns, her run with the title was fairly lackluster. That’s not a knock on Asuka; she rarely got the chance to face credible opponents who had been built up as legitimate threats to her titles.

Since Rhea Ripley’s call-up and Charlotte Flair’s returned, Asuka has gotten lost in the shuffle. It’s unclear exactly how she would fit in SmackDown, but given the blue brand’s need for another big-name star in the women’s division, she should be better off on the blue brand.

Kevin Owens to RAW

If Kevin Owens stays on WWE SmackDown, he could get trapped in a potentially dull time loop. The former Universal Champion has already engaged in lengthy feuds with SmackDown’s top heels, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. Plus, he’s currently locked into a program with Apollo Crews and a continuation of his never-ending feud with Sami Zayn. Beyond these opponents, the options on SmackDown seem fairly slim.

By switching brands, Owens would gain access to several fresh adversaries. Clashes with AJ Styles, Bobby Lashley, Randy Orton, Riddle and Sheamus, among others, could reinvigorate Owens’ career and add more star power to the red brand.

Shayna Baszler to SmackDown

Shayna Baszler needs to leave WWE RAW, plain and simple. For months, her booking on the red brand has been questionable, if not downright disappointing. From getting pinned by Reginald to suffering bizarre leg cramps mid-match, these creative decisions have essentially neutered the former NXT Women’s Champion who had initially been built up as a dominant player on WWE RAW.

It’s not too late to salvage Baszler’s run on the main roster. But she desperately needs a fresh coat of paint because it would give her the chance to start over. Moving to WWE SmackDown would give Baszler the chance to face stars like Bianca Belair, Bayley and, at some point, Sasha Banks. These match-ups could easily remind fans that Baszler is still a force to be reckoned with.

John Morrison To SmackDown

Maybe more than anything else, WWE needs change. Breaking up The Miz and John Morrison could be an easy way to shake things up. While USA Network might want to keep “The A-Lister” on WWE RAW for promotional purposes, Morrison could easily slide over to SmackDown and get an overdue singles run.

When he returned to WWE, many fans wanted to see what today’s version of Morrison could offer as an individual star, but he didn’t get the chance to prove himself. Shortly after he came back to the company, he quickly reunited with The Miz. Even after the former WWE Champion got eaten by zombies, Morrison still couldn’t escape this team. But the draft is an easy way to send Morrison on his own way, and he could easily thrive on the blue brand, either as a heel or as a face.

Mandy Rose to SmackDown

The latest round of releases depleted the women’s division, particularly on the WWE SmackDown side of the equation. The blue brand is down to seven active female competitors, and two of them split time with WWE RAW because they hold the tag titles. There’s not a perfect way to fix this issue, as the depth across both brands is lacking. But SmackDown needs help, and Mandy Rose could be the answer.

Rose’s return to SmackDown could open the door for another chapter in her romance with Otis, which never got the ending it deserved. The draft could also pair Rose and her partner, Dana Brooke together in order to prevent another loss in the tag team division.

Update On Plans For Eva Marie’s Return To WWE TV

Chris Stephens
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Eva Marie is on her way back to WWE. We’ve heard in recent weeks that WWE is planning to pair her with another woman who will serve as her bodyguard/assistant.

According to the Wrestle Votes Twitter account, Piper Niven and Mercedes Martinez are in the running to be at Eva Marie’s side when she returns.

Eva Marie’s last match for WWE took place on July 10, 2016. She lost to Becky Lynch on a non-televised live event. Almost 5 years later, vignettes for her return began airing on the May 3rd, 2021 edition of RAW.

Shortly after the vignette aired, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer said she will be packaged as a babyface. “The idea is that she’s a supermodel who has worked hard to become a supermodel and somehow, yeah, that makes her — the idea is she’s a celebrity who wants to help other people. So, she is a babyface,” Meltzer said.

According to Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men podcast, Eva Marie’s return is currently scheduled for the June 21st edition of WWE Raw.

Next WWE Draft Scheduled To Take Place After SummerSlam

Michael Reichlin
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WWE is gearing up to ‘shake things up’ once again.

Following the latest round of talent cuts, WWE is currently discussing plans to reshuffle the rosters for the Raw and SmackDown brands.

According to Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men Podcast, the company is planning to hold the Draft on the Monday, August 30th edition of Raw and the Friday, September 3rd episode of SmackDown. Zarian also noted that he’s heard this will a Draft format, as opposed to the (similar) Superstar Shakeup that we’ve seen in recent years.

WWE Draft

This will be the the 16th WWE Draft event (including Superstar Shakeups). The past two WWE Drafts (2019 and 2020) were held in October. In recent years, we’ve also seen a Wild Card rule, a brand-to-brand invitational, as well as other ‘unofficial’ talent exchanges between WWE’s three primary brands.

2021 has been an eventful year for WWE’s roster. We’ve seen dozens of wrestlers released, as well as some meaningful call-ups from NXT. This summer marks the next ‘new chapter’ for WWE, with the return of live touring and SummerSlam taking place from a 70,000+ person stadium in Las Vegas. The WWE Draft will be another way for WWE to jumpstart fan interest as we head into the fall season.

We have reached out to WWE for comment on this report.

WWE Raw Preview (6/7): HIAC Contract Signing, 5-Team Battle Royal

Michael Reichlin
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WWE returns to Tampa, Florida’s Yuengling Center tonight for a live episode of Monday Night Raw from the ThunderDome.

We are currently on the road to Hell in a Cell. The upcoming pay-per-view takes place in less than two weeks on Sunday, June 20th. Tonight on Raw, we’ll get a HIAC contract signing between WWE Champion Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre.

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We will also see a 5-team #1 Contender’s battle royal. The winners will earn the right to challenge Raw’s reigning tag team champions, AJ Stylers and Omos. Participating teams include:

  • RK-Bro (Randy Orton & Matt Riddle)
  • The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods)
  • Mace & T-Bar
  • Lucha House Party (Gran Metalik & Lince Durado)
  • The Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar)

Finally, WWE is also advertising that Shayna Baszler will visit Alexa’s Playground. This should be an interesting segment for fans who enjoy a healthy dose of ‘sports entertainment.’

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Check back later tonight for our WWE Raw Results & Takeaways feature.

Billy Corgan Comments On The Relationship Between NWA and AEW

Chris Stephens
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Billy Corgan’s NWA presented the When Our Shadows Fall PPV this weekend. Kamille defeated Serena Deeb to win the NWA World Women’s Championship on the show. Deeb had most recently successfully defended that same title against Riho on the Double or Nothing Buy-In show.

Corgan appeared on the 2 Man Power Trip podcast recently and spoke about the relationship his promotion has with AEW.

“We work everything out. Tony has been an incredible partner and I never felt like the NWA or myself wasn’t totally respected,” Corgan said on the show (transcriptions via Fightful). “The communication is great and we talk fairly often. He’s obviously a very busy guy. When we do talk, we keep it to what is most valuable. I’m a fan of Tony. He’s been a breath of fresh air to business.”

Corgan continued to talk about Khan’s influence in wrestling. In particular, Corgan says that Khan and AEW are proving that there is room at the table for other promotions.

“It’s great to see their success because Tony is paving the way for us to make the argument that there is more room at the table for others,” Corgan continued. “Five years ago, when I was with TNA and I’d go into those meetings, we’d sit in meetings and they’d say, ‘It’s WWE and no one else.’ TNA’s biggest year generated like $39 million gross revenue, which is a big number. In those meetings, they didn’t care what I was selling. If they couldn’t make it happen, what could you say if you were [at a lower revenue], no matter how good your ideas are.”

Corgan’s NWA is back in the GPB Studios today. They welcomed fans back for the first time since the pandemic for tapings scheduled from June 5-7.

“Tony is proving there is more and you see that with them expanding their programming. They wouldn’t be expanding their programming if there wasn’t a desire for more.”

With Thunder Rosa and Serena Deeb becoming regulars in AEW while still in the NWA Women’s division, it begs the question of who else could be shared between the two promotions. Could Kamille defend her newly won NWA title in AEW? Could former AEW talent and recent NWA signing Kylie Rae appear on Dynamite?

Cody Rhodes vs Nick Aldis III?

Corgan was also recently on Busted Open Radio and spoke about wanting to book a trilogy bout between Cody Rhodes and Nick Aldis.

“I’ve pitched it to Tony [Khan] a few times [Nick Aldis coming over to AEW]. It’s Tony’s world, I respect him for what he’s building. But yeah, look, I’ll say it again, Nick [Aldis] versus Cody Rhodes for a third time. I mean, that is an epic, epic matchup waiting to happen,” Corgan said (transcriptions via Post Wrestling). 

Shingo Takagi Wins IWGP World Heavyweight Title At NJPW Dominion

Chris Stephens
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Shingo Takagi is the new IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. He defeated Kazuchika Okada today in a shocking upset at NJPW Dominion to win the vacant title.

Following the victory, the new champion called out former champion Kota Ibushi as his first challenger. Ibushi had defeated Jeff Cobb in the night’s co-main event.

The title had recently been vacated by former champion Will Ospreay due to a neck injury. In the wake of Ospreay’s injury, the match between Takagi and Okada was booked for today’s Dominion show.

Technically, NJPW has separated the lineage of the current belt with the former IWGP Heavyweight title. This became official in March when Ibushi defended both titles successfully on NJPW’s 49th Anniversary show in March.

The 38-year-old Takagi is also a former 2x NEVER Openweight Champion, 1x Jr. Heavyweight Tag Champion (w/Bushi), and 1x 6-Man tag champion (w/Bushi & EVIL). He won the “Rookie of the Year” award in 2005 as voted on by readers of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Takagi vs Will Ospreay in the 2019 Best of the Super Juniors finals was voted Match of the Year by the same publication.

Finish of Kazuchika Okada vs Shingo Takagi

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The finish of the match came not long after the 30-minute mark had been passed. Okada was in control at this point but Takagi countered a Rainmaker attempt into one of his own. After the two exchanged strikes for a period, Takagi hit a Death Valley Driver but then Okada hit a series of short-arm Rainmakers before missing a bigger version. Takagi then hit a Pumping Bomber Lariat for a near fall. He then hit a dragon suplex followed by a sliding elbow before landing Last of the Dragon for the win.

Reactions to Shingo’s Win

Here are some reactions to Shingo Takagi capturing the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at NJPW Dominion:

https://twitter.com/CiaranRH/status/1401869090277498890
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Kylie Rae Signs With NWA Following Agreement With Impact

Chris Stephens
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Kylie Rae made her NWA debut yesterday at the When Our Shadows Fall PPV. She teamed along with Taryn Terrell, who was making her in-ring return for the first time since 2017. They defeated the team of Thunder Rosa and Melina.

During the broadcast it was announced that Rae had signed with the NWA. According to a report from PW Insider, Rae signing with the NWA required an agreement be made with her former promotion, Impact Wrestling. Rae had last been with Impact in October but departed the organization shortly after she was unable to make a scheduled PPV match against Deonna Purrazzo at Bound for Glory. A deal between the two promotions and Kylie was reportedly reached over the last 4-5 days.

The NWA is taping from June 5th to 7th in the GPB Studios. It’s not clear if Kylie is taking part in the rest of the tapings. She was in Chicago for a Warrior Wrestling show on Saturday but would seemingly be available to film episodes of Powerrr today.

Rae got the pin over Melina in the match, although it was under dubious circumstances. Rae appeared to be working for Terrell’s approval through much of the match, but also seemed to be apologetic to the live fans for any cheating that she did. After Thunder Rosa had carried Terrell to the back, it left Melina and Kylie Rae alone in the ring together. Kylie then rolled Melina up, grabbed the trunks, and got the 3-count. Rae then apologized to the crowd as they booed her heelish tactics.

Aleister Black Reveals Intense Storyline Rejected by WWE Creative

Alex Laybourne
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Following his release from WWE, Aleister Black is the latest wrestler to turn to Twitch as a means of creative expression. In a series of streams discussing his wrestling career, and the end of his WWE run, Black talked to fans about some of the storyline ideas he pitched ahead of his return. All of them rejected by WWE creative.

He explained one particular plan in some detail. Talking about how he wanted his character to return with a hit list of sorts. He would go on to feud his way up the WWE ladder until reaching the very top with Vince McMahon himself.

“The good thing about this character was that he could’ve endlessly blamed people. He would start with Kevin Owens because Kevin Owens wasn’t there for him. After Kevin Owens, I wanted him to go to Rey Mysterio and then Rey Mysterio Junior. While actually the other way around, I wanted to like kinda work an angle where I would take Mysterio Junior and his daughter hostage and kind of make him feel the way he made me feel by abandoning me.”

Sadly, these were all rejected by WWE, and Aleister Black was subsequently released just weeks after a return from a lengthy injury layoff. Retuning just long enough to start a feud with Big E, but not long enough to finish it.

Aleister Black is subject to the standard 90-day release clause, but expect to see Tommy End back in a wrestling ring on August 31st.

Universal Championship Match Reportedly Set for Hell In a Cell

Jake Skudder
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The WWE Hell In a Cell match for the Universal Championship has now reportedly been set. Dave Meltzer reports that Rey Mysterio is set to challenge Roman Reigns for the biggest prize on SmackDown.

Roman Reigns attacked both Rey and his son Dominik this past Friday on the program. Reigns attacked the duo during their second SmackDown Tag Team Titles match against The Usos.

As of this writing, Bobby Lashley vs Drew McIntyre is the only cage match confirmed for the PPV. No word yet on if Reigns vs. Mysterio will take place inside the massive steel cage structure. Mysterio vs Reigns would be the first contest in the feud, which makes the stipulation less likely. However, it’s not out of the realm of possibility, as WWE have done this in the past.

Here’s the current lineup for WWE Hell In a Cell which is set to take place on Sunday June 20:

  • Roman Reigns (c) vs. Rey Mysterio – WWE Universal Championship Match
  • Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Drew McIntyre – WWE Championship Match
  • Bianca Belair (c) vs. Bayley – SmackDown Women’s Championship Match
  • AJ Styles and Omos (c) vs. TBD – RAW Tag Team Championship Match
  • Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Charlotte Flair – RAW Women’s Championship Match

Sami Zayn Reacts To Logan Paul vs Floyd Mayweather

Jake Skudder
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WWE Superstar and former Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn took to social media to react to the Logan Paul vs Floyd Mayweather fight. The contest took place over the weekend and saw the YouTuber turned boxer Paul take on one of the greatest of all time, the 50-0 Mayweather.

Prior to the fight, Logan Paul made multiple appearances on WWE programming around WrestleMania 37. Paul was part of the Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens feud heading into the event, and received a Stunner from Kevin Owens following the match between the two at ‘Mania.

Logan Paul also recently appeared on WWE’s The Bump to discuss the Fanmio PPV event. The contest follows in a line of ‘celebrity’ vs fighters boxing contests that last saw Logan’s brother Jake Paul defeat former MMA fighter Ben Askren.

Sami Zayn on Logan Paul

“I’ll say this, @LoganPaul no doubt worked his ass off and proved a lot of people wrong” Sami Zayn tweeted. “But if he never meets Sami Zayn, he never realigns his perspective.”

“And no chance he goes 8 rounds with Floyd Mayweather” Zayn continued, weaving in a bit of character work into the tweet. “I’m glad to have played my part in this historic bout.”

Logan Paul is currently teasing a rematch with Floyd Mayweather, but that isn’t confirmed to be happening at this time.

Would you like to see Logan Paul return to WWE? Let us know in the comments

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