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Batista On His Wrestling Retirement: “Nothing Is Bringing Me Back”

Andrew Ravens
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It’s been a few years since Batista worked his last match and announced his retirement. However, there are some fans who want to see “The Animal” wrestle one more match. 

During an appearance for Justice Con, the former WWE star made it clear that he has no intentions of coming out of retirement.

“Don’t put that out there, people will jump all over that [laughs]. ‘He’s coming out of retirement!’ No, I’m not. It’s so hard to convince people that I’m actually retired. You have no idea how tough that discussion is. 

When a professional wrestler retires, they don’t really retire, they kind of retire. If the paycheck or event is big enough, they’ll come out of retirement. It’s just not that way with me. I exited the business in such a storybook way, I could never go back. I’m just done. I got to finish on my own terms and nothing is going to bring me back and take away from that.” 

Batista’s last full-time run with WWE came in 2014 at the Royal Rumble event where he won the rumble match, but eventually lost to Daniel Bryan for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in a triple threat match that also featured Randy Orton at WrestleMania 30.  He stayed around for a few more months before deciding to leave again to further pursue his acting career. 

His retirement match came against Triple H at WrestleMania 35 where he lost and then announced his retirement. 

MLW To Make Special Announcement Tonight at 9PM (Eastern)

Michael Reichlin
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Major League Wrestling is set to make a major announcement Monday night at 9pm (Eastern) on the MLW YouTube Channel.

No further details have been made public as of this writing. However, all signs point to the fight league landing a national television deal.

MLW boss Court Bauer has been touting that MLW was on the verge of blowing people away with what they’ve got cooked up.

https://twitter.com/courtbauer/status/1371966671519428609?

Earlier this month, Bauer indicated that the paperwork was signed.

https://twitter.com/courtbauer/status/1380251831331340291

Check back later tonight for the big reveal of the MLW special announcement.

Rich Swann Ready For The Match Of His Life Against Kenny Omega At Rebellion

Chris Stephens
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Impact Wrestling champion Rich Swan will battle AEW World Champion Kenny Omega this weekend at Impact’s Rebellion PPV. Swann spoke to Sports Illustrated to hype the match and explained why this is the biggest match of his career.

“The focus is on Kenny Omega, and that’s understandable,” said Swann. “He’s the Best Bout Machine, he’s Dave Meltzer’s favorite wrestler, he’s this seven-star wrestler. Kenny has proven why he deserves this attention. But I’m here, too. I’m also a person that has battled adversity.”

Swann says he was told he would have to retire due to injuries, but he’s still here. He’s faced adversity and has earned the right to be part of this historic match.

“Two world champions from two different companies, repping two different television stations, and we’re about to blow this industry’s roof off,” he said. “I’m going to make this different than any match we’ve ever had in our careers. This is an opportunity I won’t let slip. It’s going to be the match of my life.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGSqmxPANSo

Impact Rebellion PPV

In addition to Swann vs Omega, several other big matches have been booked for the show. The updated lineup is below.

  • AEW World Championship vs Impact World Championship
    Kenny Omega (c) vs Rich Swann
  • Impact Tag Team Championships
    FinJuice (David Finlay & Juice Robinson) (c) vs. The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson)
  • Knockouts Championship
    Deonna Purrazzo (c) vs Tenille Dashwood
  • X-Division Championship
    Ace Austin (w/Madman Fulton) (c) vs. TJP vs. Josh Alexander
  • Knockouts Tag Team Championships
    Fire N Flava (c) vs Jordynne Grace & TBA
  • Brian Myers vs Matt Cardona

Order Impact Wrestling: Rebellion now at FITE.TV.

Vince Russo On Why Samoa Joe Wasn’t Pushed Harder In TNA

Chris Stephens
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On the heels of Samoa Joe being released by WWE on April 15th, former TNA Wrestling writer Vince Russo recently commented on why he wasn’t pushed harder while he was in TNA. Granted, Joe is a former Grand Slam champion in TNA but according to Russo, Joe’s weight was a factor backstage.

“The problem we always had with Samoa Joe, always revolved around weight. It was never that he was a pain in the ass or he wasn’t talented or he couldn’t do this… it was always (his) weight,” Russo said recently on his Writing with Russo podcast (transcriptions via Sportskeeda).

“So what would happen, and this always happened, it was like a yoyo… Samoa Joe would come to TV looking great so now we’re all excited because physically Samoa Joe could look really good or look really bad. He would come to work looking really great so now we’re booking for ‘Joe was off, Joe lost some weight, Joe is in shape…’, now we’re booking for that guy. So we’ll book six to eight weeks of TV, then we’ll go home, we’re all excited about Joe, we’re writing the next set of TVs and he comes back and he’s out of shape and you could tell in the ring. We had these talks with him all the time. We were all upfront with this. This is my POV. There’s a huge difference in Samoa Joe when he’s in shape and when he’s not in shape and you saw it. This happened so many times.”

Joe is a former TNA World Heavyweight Champion. He also held the X-Division title, the short-lived TNA TV title, and twice held the tag titles (once by himself and once with Nick Aldis).

Defending (But Not Really) WWE For Releasing Samoa Joe

Jake Skudder
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Samoa Joe was perhaps the biggest name to be released by WWE last week as part of the company’s latest round of cost-cutting.

Whilst many fans and critics were completely shocked about the former TNA and ROH World Champion being released; WWE would’ve had fair reason.

Well hopefully they would’ve had fair reason and not just the petty usual stuff.

Check out the video below and let us know if you agree or disagree with my reasoning for defending WWE somewhat in their decision to release Samoa Joe.

What would you like to see us produce for video content on YouTube going forward? Let us know in the comments

Update Regarding Mia Yim On The Main Roster

Chris Stephens
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While MACE and T-Bar are still on RAW, they are no longer being led by Mustafa Ali as members of Retribution. They are also no longer flanked by Reckoning, the Retribution character portrayed by Mia Yim. With Yim now no longer part of the group, some fans have been wondering what comes next for her.

According to a report from PW Insider, Mia Yim is expected to become part of the Smackdown roster. Details such as when she’ll debut and if she will be keeping the Reckoning persona are not immediately available, however.

Yim was originally called up to the main roster in the fall of 2020 with Retribution.

Mia Yim In WWE

32-year-old Mia Yim signed with WWE in late 2018 after performing in the Mae Young Classic. She would spend the next two years in NXT, which included a shot at Shayna Baszler and the NXT Women’s Championship at TakeOver: Toronto II in 2019.

Mia Yim Championship Statistics:

  • 1x Knockouts Champion (Impact/TNA)
  • Queen of the Knockouts Winner (Impact/TNA)
  • 1x Shine Champion
  • 1x Shine Tag Team Champions w/ Leva Bates
  • Shine Tag Team Title Tournament Winner (2014)
  • 1x DDT Ironman Heavymetalweight Champion

Yim celebrated her 32nd birthday recently on April 16th. According to her post below, she couldn’t have asked for a better birthday celebration:

Chris Jericho Talks Why Celebrities Are ‘Better’ at Wrestling Than Years Past

Jake Skudder
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Chris Jericho remains at the forefront of AEW storylines. His Inner Circle faction is embroiled in a heated feud with MJF’s new group, Pinnacle. The two factions will soon clash at Blood and Guts, AEW’s version of the War Games double-catch “match beyond.”

Le Champion recently spoke with Hollywood Life and discussed celebrity involvement in professional wrestling. Jericho has worked closely with Mike Tyson in AEW and says celebrities are doing better with wrestling than in previous years.

“You now have guys that have a large amount of respect for pro wrestling,” Jericho began. “You can throw Jay Leno’s name in there and I will raise you a Karl Malone, a Dennis Rodman or a Lawrence Taylor way back in the day.”

He continued, “There are athletes and guys like Bad Bunny who have been lifelong fans of wrestling and really respect what we do and want to be involved. Those are the ones that always work the best. If you take a guy who doesn’t want to do the training and do the things to put on a good match, you will not get one. Then it becomes more of just a stunt casting.”

Chris Jericho on Shaq and Bad Bunny

Over the past several months, mainstream celebrities Shaquille O’Neal, “Iron” Mike Tyson and Bad Bunny have all gotten involved with professional wrestling.

Jericho praised Shaq in particular for his match on AEW Dynamite against Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet, alongside Jade Cargill.

“Shaq took it very seriously” Jericho stated. “He worked very hard to put on the match he did. The same thing with Bad Bunny. You can tell the training was there because what he did was very much like the match we had with Shaq.”

Head over to Hollywood Life to read their full interview with Chris Jericho.

Ivelisse ‘Shocked’ By AEW Release, Cites Politics

Jake Skudder
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Controversial wrestling star Ivelisse has broken her silence about her recent release from All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

The veteran performer from Puerto Rico says she was blindsided when AEW let her go. Despite her in-ring talent, Ivelisse has a reputation for being difficult to work with behind the scenes.

“I was in shock, definitely, but not as much because I had already recalled everything that went on in the past, so I had an idea,” Ivelisse told Hugo Savinovich for Lucha Libre Online. “I noticed too late just how much damage was made to my name, and I only realized after analyzing the chain of events from everything that went on and it made a lot more sense, because this and this happened because of this and whether it was fair or not.”

As she reflects on what transpired in AEW, she understands how everything transpired. After AEW stopped booking her for matches, people reached out to ask about her role with the company. She decided to focus on her mental and physical health.

Ivelisse on AEW Release

Ivelisse has wresteld for WWE, NXT, Shine, TNA, Lucha Underground. She was hopeful about her AEW run, but it seems that run met a similar fate.

“I did not expect it to turn into a positive reaction, so when they gave me the notice, I was still in shock,” she admitted. “Again, I understand wrestling and it’s politics, but the fact that someone was brought in as strongly, that is what shocked me the most, especially during a pandemic.”

Ivelisse then mentioned how she came to AEW during the pandemic to try and elevate herself and her wrestling career in the United States.

“I came from Puerto Rico on my own” Ivelisse stated. “With my clothes on my back in a suitcase, and I came here to kill myself from ground zero with many against me; so when I lost everything on the fire, literally the little that I achieve because, as you mentioned, if I was a man, I would have had a lot more wealth and success than I would as a woman in my career, I lost it.”

“I had my hopes very elevated, but I lost everything,” Ivelisse concluded. “Everything that happened there, plus everything else on top of it, and I still did everything I was asked to do. I gave it my all to my work, and I lost a lot of weight due to the stress of what was going on and personal issues that I was going through, I was suffering. So I lost the person that was with me when everything would go South, everything was gone, so that’s why I put everything in my work. I will be super honest, I was in that wave of depression trying to hold on, specially.”

Watch Ivelisse’s interview with Lucha Libre Online:

Edge Reveals Why He Chose To Adopt ‘Tweener’ Character for WrestleMania 37

Jake Skudder
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2021 Men’s Royal Rumble winner Edge recently took part in a WWE media call. The Rated R Superstar discussed a number of topics during the call, including his ‘tweener’ character he portrayed heading into WrestleMania 37.

Main eventing Night 2 of WrestleMania 37, Edge and Daniel Bryan both lost in a Triple Threat match with Roman Reigns defending his Universal Championship.

“When you find out it’s a triple threat, you go, okay, we both can’t play the underdog hero” Edge began during the call, discussing how Daniel Bryan was added to the match. “[You can’t have] that Rocky vibe and both pull that off. If you look at the both of us, well, that’s Bryan. That’s his thing. No one does that better than him.”

“I’d like to think if I could come at it with that little ‘Rated R’ vibe back, that gives me an edge that I think our audience was ready to see” The ‘Ultimate Opportunist’ continued.

Edge on Character Development

“I think we’re past, and here’s what’s difficult because we don’t have the audience to really know, but I think they were past this veteran who’s coming back” Edge added.

“Can he do it? He’s questioning” Edge continued. “They saw that with Randy [Orton], and that worked there. I thought it could continue to work, but I saw that it wasn’t, and then you throw Bryan into the mix, okay, he’s going to corner that market. Roman [Reigns] is cornering his market.”

“I have to find a direction to come from here, and to me, it’s neither heel nor babyface” The Rated R Superstar stated. “It’s not hero. It’s not a villain it’s Edge. And he wants back what he never lost, and the character of Edge was always driven by the championship. Nothing else.”

“It was so simple. Edge wants the title” the former World Champion concluded. “That’s it. Doesn’t matter who has it. It could have been Batista. It could have been JBL. That’s what Edge wants.”

Do you think that Edge should keep this character going forward in WWE? Let us know in the comments

Jim Ross Can’t Understand Why This Superstar Never Turned Heel

Alex Laybourne
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AEW broadcaster Jim Ross recently discussed The Rock and John Cena’s legendary rivalry on a recent episode of his Grilling JR podcast. The feud ran for two years and culminated with main-event clashes at WrestleMania 28 and 29.

Jim Ross says he still struggles to understand why Vince McMahon didn’t turn Cena into a heel during that run. As a wrestler, Cena was primed to be a big heel. The crowd were booing him resoundingly, wherever he went. The stage set for an epic face vs heel feud. Yet, it never happened.

“The thing that’s always been funny to me is that Cena never turned heel,” Ross confessed. “There’s where my brain fart starts. Why didn’t we do that? Why was that not done? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwarI5G1Rhs&list=PLZhSB0DI3lFhhaRMHC5MxOm0Bqf2LJQi0&index=101

The decision to stick with Cena as the companies leading babyface is one that baffles many fans even to this day.

Jim Ross Draws Parallels Between John Cena and Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns and John Cena
Roman Reigns and John Cena

There are a lot of parallels that can be drawn between Cena and Roman Reigns. Reigns was also the proud face of the company, despite being booed by everybody. He had no spice or character as a face and looked set to go down as Cena II. However, the voice of the fans won out. Roman is now a dominant heel in a character that seems to be a far more natural fit for him.

“Cena getting booed was a lot like Roman Reigns getting booed whenever he was just getting rolling, and now there’s a reason to boo Roman Reigns because thanks to Paul Heyman he’s become a significant antihero. He’s a heel, and he’s a damn good one.”

Jim Ross has been the voice of wrestling for several generations now and has echoed what we have all been saying for the last decade. WWE missed the boat with Cena, and it does leave you wondering just how different things would have been had they pulled the heel trigger when the time was right for it.

The Real Reason Why WWE Released Samoa Joe

Alex Laybourne
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There are few wrestlers out there who have such a rapport with the fans as Samoa Joe. From his legendary run with ROH to his somewhat hindered tenure with WWE, Joe has always been a fan favourite despite being a heel for his entire career. In fact, he was turning face for the first time just before his recent layoff due to a concussion.

When news broke last week that Joe had been removed from the RAW broadcast team, many speculated that the submission machine would be making a return to the ring. They may have been right. It just won’t be in a WWE one, as the star was cut from the roster a few days later in what is now the annual post-Wrestlemania slim down.

Joe was gracious in his departure from the company, but his recent hiatus must have been frustrating for him.

Samoa Joe Still Has Enough Gas in the Tank for One More Run

At 42 years old, Samoa’s Joe’s best years may be behind him. Yet to hear his release from WWE looks to be because they felt he was over the hill is shocking. Citing age and injuries as being too much of a liability to keep him on the roster. At least that is the reason for his departure as given by Dave Meltzer in his most recent newsletter.

“But perhaps WWE believes with his age and injuries, he wouldn’t be, similar to not competing to keep Jay Reso (Christian Cage).”

It is a mind-boggling decision to many. Even if there were no plans to give Joe a title run, there are a great many potential matchups that would have stolen the show. Not forgetting the experience he brings behind the scenes.

AEW is the most likely place for Joe to head. He must first serve the obligatory 90 days no-compete clause. Wherever Joe does go, legions of fans are sure to follow. One thing is for sure, we have no seen the last of Joe in a wrestling ring.

Toru Yano Sets a Wild Stipulation for his Match with Evil

Alex Laybourne
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NJPW fans were given the chance to vote for the stipulation in the upcoming fight between Toru Yano and Evil. Both Yano and Evil picked their desired match and the vote was opened to the NJPW universe.

Evil suggested a darkness match, stipulating the lights to be turned on and off at thirty second intervals, until the three-minute mark. Following that, the lights would cut out for thirty seconds every three minutes.

Toru Yano suggested a Creation of Darkness Blindfold match, stipulating that a blinding hood be hung from each corner post. The wrestlers much first attempt to place the hood over their opponent. From then on normal rules exist with victor coming via pinfall or submission.

An the winner is…Toru Yano

The winner with 51.58% of the votes was Toru Yano and his creation of darkness blindfold match.

This stipulation is certainly an interesting one. Given that Yano is such a master of sneaky style that even Rocky Romero can be seen taking notes at his matches, you have to wonder what sort of cheeky deviousness Yano will be looking to spring on the former LIF member.

On paper, a matchup between the two should be a no brainer. However, if Yano has proven anything during his tenure with New Japan it is that he can beat absolutely anybody on his day. Just ask Tanahashi.

While many may laugh him off as a fool, Yano is a seasoned professional. When it comes to putting on matches that are shall we say less than traditional, he proves that perhaps he is truly the ace of New Japan.

The Young Bucks Reveal ‘Retirement Age’ from Pro Wrestling

Jake Skudder
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AEW Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks have been working hard on their recent heel turn on All Elite programming. The duo have been utilizing their social media, specifically Twitter, to advance their NJPW Bullet Club-esque characters over the past few weeks.

One way that Matt and Nick Jackson have used Twitter is by posting ‘New bio!!’ every few days to get fans to click on their profile and check out the latest musings from AEW’s top tag team.

In the latest update, The Young Bucks have said that they plan to ‘retire’ from professional wrestling at the age of 40.

The Young Bucks on Retirement

“Wrestling’s sweethearts. Needle movers. Goalpost chasers” The Young Bucks write. “Polarizing, self-made millionaires. Could’ve retired years ago so this is all extra credit. Done by 40.”

It’s worth noting that Matt Jackson is 36, and his brother Nick will be turning 32 in July.

It’s not uncommon for professional wrestlers to still be performing well into their 40s or even 50s. Arguably the biggest mainstream name in AEW is Chris Jericho, and he turned 50 last year.

Do you think that The Young Bucks/Matt Jackson will be retiring in the next 4 years? Let us know in the comments

Corey Graves Talks Michael Cole Botch from WrestleMania 37

Jake Skudder
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WWE commentator Corey Graves recently discussed Michael Cole and the botched call from the WrestleMania 37 Night 1 main event. The match between Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair ended when Belair hit a KOD on the reigning Champion; however Cole incorrectly called that Banks had kicked out.

This came after a number of WWE Superstars praised Cole for saying that this was the first ever WrestleMania main event featuring two black women.

“If there’s anybody that’s truly unshakable, it’s [Michael] Cole,” Graves stated on the WWE After the Bell podcast. “Cole felt bad, he felt terrible but I can relate. I almost thought the same thing, from our vantage point, it was not crystal clear.”

Corey Graves on Michael Cole

“I’m not making excuses cause it was what it is, it didn’t take anything away from the amazing moment, it was reality” Corey Graves continued. “It was a very genuine real reaction. Take into consideration, yes we have the monitor, yes we have audio in our headphones, but we’re also in a stadium full of 20,000 people.”

“Any wrestler’s book that you have ever read says being in a stadium is very different than an arena” Corey added. “Because it takes a second, the sound has to leave and come back before anybody can truly register. I myself, wasn’t sure.”

Graves finished by defending the call from Michael Cole, saying that there are always a number of instances of finishers being kicked out of during a WrestleMania match.

“Hey, it’s the main event of WrestleMania, people have kicked out of each others finishers 35 times already tonight” Graves concluded. “Why wouldn’t this be any different? It was a genuine shock after that so everyone, leave Michael Cole alone.”

credit WWE After the Bell and a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription

Latest on How Long WWE Plan to Run Shows in the Thunderdome

Alex Laybourne
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According to Sports Illustrated, WWE is planning to have their next big PPV held with a live crowd. By big, we refer to the four OG events. After the success of having Wrestlemania held in front of a live crowd for the first time since the global pandemic struck, WWE has decided to hold off on removing the Thunderdome for their weekly shows. They are however are planning to bring the live crowd back for SummerSlam.

Nobody can deny that having the fans back for Wrestlemania made it a night to remember for all of those on the cards.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNglg_1hMf6/

The reintroduction of fans for the big events would be a sensible way to bring things back to normal. Obviously it is all dependant on the pandemic situation, but signs are looking promising. The rumours are also substantiated by the recent revelation by WWE President Nick Khan to Variety that the company are looking into getting their teams back onto the road.

No Crowds for Now but WWE Expecting to Make Changes in the Second Half of 2021

What is interesting with these announcements is that Khan also went onto say that should WWE get back on the road, it will be just like it used to be. No half measures.

“But just know that once we’re back on the road, we’re on the road full time. We’re not looking to do other one offs.” Khan said.

This would make it seem as if the WWE were going to continue with Thunderdome until at least August. That is when their current deal runs out anyway. Maybe they are looking to use SummerSlam as a move back to live crowds on a full-time basis.

Either way, it is undoubtedly exciting to think that we could be getting back to normal after so much time.

Kurt Angle Claims this WWE Superstar is the Best Wrestler in the Business

Alex Laybourne
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Not many WWE superstars can lay claim to as many accolades as Kurt Angle. From his Olympic medal to his plethora of championships and victories in the squared circle, he has done it all. He was a powerful, technically adept wrestler who made the transition from one side of the sport to the other almost seamlessly.

He is a man who knows talent and can call a good wrestler when he sees one. That’s exactly what he did this week when talking about Wrestlemania 37 on his own podcast, The Kurt Angle Show.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNsMcG7HFDY/

When asked who the best wrestler was in WWE today, Angle wasted no time in giving his answer. Danial Bryan.

“Daniel Bryan without a doubt,” Angle responded.

Kurt Angle Believes Daniel Bryan is a Technical Master

That answer should not really come as a shock, Bryan is a tremendous athlete, and his career has seen him fight for the top promotions across the world. Whether he was Bryan Danielson, American Dragon or Daniel Bryan, his list of accomplishments is nearly endless. From the Wrestlemania moment of moments back in 2014 to his comeback from a career-ending injury. He has held numerous championships and been both heel and face.

Often the underdog, he has never been one to back down from a fight, and the praise he received from Kurt was both understandable and well-deserved.

“That guy is a technical master. I love his work; I wish I would’ve wrestled him. He is one of the best in-ring performers today and I think of all time. Even though he is a little undersized, he makes up for it in work ethic. What he can do in the ring, he is just incredible.”

Beneath it all, one common theme always shone through. His technical abilities. There is no wrestler on the roster who is more technically sound than Daniel Bryan. Not just in WWE but across the globe.

Mike Bennett Says AEW ‘Never Reached Out’ after WWE Release

Jake Skudder
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ROH star and former WWE Superstar Mike Bennett recently spoke to The Shining Wizards Podcast. The former WWE 24/7 Champion discussed a number of topics during the interview, including his release from WWE and subsequent lack of contact from All Elite Wrestling.

“You know, they didn’t reach out to me,” Bennett began, talking about AEW. “Wrestling is very like ‘brother, brother.’ You talk to some people, you put out feelers.  Everything was always put out there, but nothing was ever like attacked.”

“I think always in my head, with Taven, it was always Ring of Honor” Bennett continued. ” I never really wanted to go anywhere else. You obviously, if you’re a businessman, and a smart businessman, you put everything out to everybody because you never want to put all your eggs in one basket.”

“But you know, when I got fired, one of the first people to reach out to me was Delirious” Bennett added. “He just sent me a winky emoji on Twitter.  It was just one of those ‘Hey I got ya,” you know?’ That always meant a lot to me because Delirious took over the book when I first started in ROH.”

“We have always had a very good relationship, and it’s always meant a lot to me” the former WWE Superstar noted. “So when I got that, it was just kind of like ‘I got you pal.’ It was one of these things where I was going to put out these feelers, but I know where I’m going and I know where I want to go. So it wasn’t really like attacking anything head on.”

Do you think that AEW will be contacting any of the talent released this week? Let us know in the comments

News On The Backstage Reaction To Bianca Belair vs Sasha Banks

Chris Stephens
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On night 1 of WrestleMania 37, Bianca Belair defeated Sasha Banks to win the Smackdown Women’s Championship in the main event. According to sources who spoke with SI.com, the match was universally praised backstage.

“Sources within WWE say there was universal praise for the work of Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair in their match at WrestleMania 37,” wrote Justin Barrasso. He would continue to say that at one point Reginald had been shoehorned into their program but in the end, the decision was made to let the two wrestlers perform on their own.

The report would even continue to say that internally Belair-Banks is considered the bigger program in comparison to Roman Reigns right now.

“Internally, Banks and Belair is the single biggest narrative in WWE, with the work of universal champion Roman Reigns a close second,” Barrasso continued.

Belair spoke to CBS Sports about her experience at WrestleMania.

“It’s still hitting me. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it,” Belair said. “It’s been a whirlwind of emotions, even since we found out. It was announced I was going to be the main event on my birthday and it was like I was trying to wrap my mind around that. But before I could, we were standing out there. That’s why I was so emotional. That’s when it hit me that we were the main event, when I was standing out there across from Sasha Banks. Then, having my hand raised as SmackDown women’s champion, it hit me when I heard the fans and when I was celebrating with my family and my husband, but I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it. I keep saying it feels like a dream. It still feels so unreal, but I know it’s so real.”

Rhea Ripley Talks The ‘Wednesday Night Wars’ Between NXT and AEW

Jake Skudder
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WWE RAW Superstar Rhea Ripley won the red brand’s top Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 37 by defeating Asuka. Both Ripley and Asuka are two women who are aguably synonymous with NXT, with both having sat atop the roster in Full Sail University.

NXT’s run as one of the hottest brands in the world was put to the test when AEW started running on Wednesday nights. With both shows going head-to-head, fans dubbed the new competition as the ‘Wednesday Night Wars.’

The Gold brand of WWE moved to Tuesday this past week and gained viewers in the 800,000 range, with the show no longer having direct pro wrestling competition. AEW in comparison did 1.2 million in the ratings, signalling that the move of NXT and the end of the Wednesday Night Wars was best for both shows.

Rhea Ripley on Wednesday Night War

Speaking to talkSPORT, Rhea Ripley would discuss what it was like being ‘in the trenches’ during the Wednesday night shows.

“I think the internet definitely blew it up a lot more than we thought,” Ripley said. “We didn’t really think about it, at least I didn’t really think about it too much when we were on NXT. I just went there, did my job. I totally forgot there was a ‘war’ going on.”

“I just wanted to do the best that I could do and I think everyone was in the same boat as that” Ripley continued. “I think everyone in NXT just loves what they do so much and we just wanted to do the best that we could. And if that meant we were in a ‘war’ with someone, I guess we’re going to fight. But I think the internet blew that up a lot more than it was.”

CM Punk Names Eddie Kingston As The Best Talker In Wrestling Today

Alex Laybourne
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Back when he was wrestling, CM Punk was a man who knew how to cut a good promo. That’s not even talking about the Pipe Bomb promo, a moment forever etched into the annals of wrestling history.

When a man knows what it takes to deliver a good speech in front of a crowd, they are also going to be adept at recognizing that same ability in someone else. So when CM Punk took the time to respond to a recent tweet asking about the best talkers in wrestling, his answer may have come as a bit of a surprise.

His response may also come as a bit of head-scratcher after in a recent Twitter Q&A session Punk openly admitted that he had not been following wrestling for some time.

“I do not [currently watch wrestling], … Whatever I know, I know strictly off of social media just because it’s huge on social media. If someone does something relatively newsworthy, it’s in the feed, so I’ll keep up with it that way.”

How true that is will probably remain a mystery. However, for a man who name can be heard at pretty much any WWE taping, and the self-proclaimed ‘Best in the World’ it seems almost as unlikely as us ever seeing him back in the ring.

CM Punk Had a Very Different Promo Style to Eddie Kingston

Since his move to AEW, Eddie Kingston has risen to become a big name, his new partnership with his old-time buddy Jon Moxley points to exciting things in the future.

While there are some who may question his in-ring finesse, Kingston is an old-school brawler. He comes ready for a fight, and not just with his fists. Was CM Punk right to claim Kingston is gives the best promo going right now? Maybe. There’s not much originality or heartfelt talk coming from WWE these days, and while Jericho remains hot on the mic, Kingston has a depth and grit to his speeches that right deserve to be recognized.

Just imagine if you would, the chance to see Kingston and Punk both being the mic-men in a feud between two factions. It could be worth its weight in gold.

Jungle Boy To Challenge Darby Allin For The TNT Title On AEW Dynamite

Alex Laybourne
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In the aftermath of AEW Dynamite pulling in 1.2 million views this past week, TNT Champion took to social media to call out his boss, Tony Khan.

Allin told Khan to pick a Top 5 contender to be the next challenger. That list includes a who’s who of AEW’s deep roster: Hangman Page, former AEW World Champion Jon Moxley, Jungle Boy, former TNT Champion Cody Rhodes and Powerhouse Hobbs of Team Taz.

AEW has since announced that TK selected Jungle Boy the #1 contender to the TNT Championship. The undefeated member of Jurassic Express will get his chance to make history next week. This will be an exciting contest between two of the top young babyfaces in All Elite Wrestling.

Jungle Boy commented on the news of his upcoming opportunity. The 23-year-old is grateful for the chance to win his first championship gold on the big stage.

Darby Allin as TNT Champion

Darby Allin is one of the most exciting figures on AEW right now. His bond with Sting has been entertaining and fitting given his character. The best part about it was that it wasn’t necessary. It wasn’t done to push him into main even status, it was done because they were a good fit, and that always makes more compelling television.

His run to the TNT title was the reward for a job well done. Putting aside the tragedy of Brodie Lee, Darby earned his title shot and took the chance he was given.

Since then, he has never backed down from a challenge putting on some memorable matches along the way. His recent match with John Silver – who has a big future with the company – being just one example.

Titles shouldn’t change hands every few weeks. A champion should be the best man in the company at that time. Their reign should reflect the reward for their work. With only two singles titles in the organization, it doesn’t make sense to dilute either of them with short runs. The odd surprise here and there makes for entertaining viewing, but on the whole, strong champions make for strong titles. As it stands, it doesn’t look as if Darby will be dropping the belt any time soon.

Yes, he is closing in on a six-month reign, but with Omega being the true heel, and following the more traditional route of only defending his championship at specific, grand occasions, it makes sense to keep the TNT belt active and around the waist of a wrestler who gives his all every single match and can take a beating like nobody else on the roster.

Six-Year-Old Kid Cuts a Killer Promo on Hulk Hogan

Alex Laybourne
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It was January 1984 when Hulk Hogan pinned The Iron Sheik in front of a packed Madison Square Garden that Hulkamania was born. In that match, Hogan became the first man to ever escape the dreaded Camel Clutch and captured his first title in what is now WWE. That match, that victory changed the course of wrestling forever.

Love him or hate, Hulk Hogan changed wrestling back in the 1980’s and apparently he is still changing the lives of wrestling fans today.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNflaw_BCG7/

That kid is only six years old. That means his parents were most likely his age or younger when Hulk Hogan burst onto the scene and started the groundswell that we still talk about today. That speaks volumes about the longevity of the Hulkster.

While many will criticise this spot as being rehearsed, well, welcome to the world of professional wrestling. It still goes a long way to show how important fan interaction.

Hulk Hogan Will Always be a Controversial Wrestling Figure

Hulk Hogan remains one of the more polarizing figures in the wrestling industry. Revered by some as a pioneer and ridiculed by others in the wake of his recent public trials and tribulations. His recent appearance at Wrestlemania 37 certainly caused very mixed reactions.

Putting all of those aside, he rightly holds the status as a living legend. It’s a joy to see Hulkamania still capturing the hearts and minds of wrestling fans today.

Hogan’s appearances on WWE have been sporadic in recent years. Yet he remains an active voice in the world of professional wrestling. His history with the company means he will always carry WWE association and help grow the WWE brand.

WWE SmackDown Results (4/16): WrestleMania Fallout, Roman Reigns & Cesaro

Robert Lentini
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WWE SmackDown aired live from the ThunderDome. It was the first episode of SmackDown following WrestleMania 37. Pat McAfee made his debut on commentary with Michael Cole. Cesaro faced Jey Uso in the main event of this week’s edition of SmackDown.

SmackDown Results (4/16)

  1. Rey Mysterio def. Otis
  2. Kevin Owens def. Sami Zayn
  3. Ziggler & Roode def. Street Profits to retain the SmackDown Tag Team Championships
  4. Natalya def. Shayna Baszler
  5. Cesaro def. Jey Uso via DQ

Here are the takeaways from this week’s episode of SmackDown:

Roman Reigns Ignored Cesaro

Universal Champion Roman Reigns kicked off the show and made his way to the ring with Jey Uso and Paul Heyman. Roman Reigns said he called his shot and walked out of WrestleMania as the Universal Champion. Reigns pointed to his shirt that read “acknowledge me” and claimed that nobody in WWE wants to face him now.

Reigns boasted about defeating two HOFers at WrestleMania and that he has fulfilled his obligation and it was time to head to the jet. Cesaro interrupted and joined Reigns in the ring. Universal Champion Roman Reigns left with Heyman and Jey and Cesaro stood alone in the ring. Cesaro threw the microphone out of the ring to end the segment.

Cesaro asked for a match against Roman Reigns and Adam Pearce was about to make it official but Sonya Deville interrupted. Sonya said she will go talk to Reigns to see if he wants the match. Paul Heyman was later interviewed by Kayla Braxton. Heyman said Cesaro isn’t an attraction, he is a joke and stated that he will face Jey Uso in the main event.

Rey Mysterio Picked Up A Win

Otis faced Rey Mysterio tonight. Chad Gable and Dominik Mysterio were ringside for the match. Otis dominated early and slammed Rey to the canvas. Rey battled back with a Senton off the middle turnbuckle for a near fall. Otis caught Rey in midair and planted him with a Powerslam.

Otis went for a Splash off the middle rope but Rey got out of the way. Mysterio tripped up Otis and hit the 619. Rey climbed to the top rope and leaped onto Otis. Rey then rolled him up for the pinfall victory.

Kevin Owens def. Sami Zayn

Sami Zayn marched to the ring and claimed he got screwed over at WrestleMania. Sami noted that Logan Paul was his guest of honor and was supposed to help with the documentary to expose the grand conspiracy. Zayn claimed Logan’s mind was poisoned by Kevin Owens and everyone in the WWE Universe.

Zayn said he was distracted by wondering what Logan Paul was thinking and that is way Kevin Owens was able to beat him at WrestleMania. Kevin Owens interrupted as SmackDown went to a break. Sami and Owens battled in a singles match when SmackDown returned.

Owens dominated early and unloaded several punches to Zayn’s face. Kevin Owens hit Sami with a Swanton and went for the cover but Zayn kicked out of two. Zayn rolled out of the ring and crawled up the entrance ramp but Kevin brought him back down to the ring. Kevin hit a Neckbreaker for another near fall. Owens went for the Stunner but Sami rolled out of the ring. The match ended in a countout and Owens brought Sami back to the ring. Owens hit a few right hands and followed it up with a Stunner to Zayn.

Bianca Belair Celebrated Her Title Win

Street Profits came to the ring with balloons in the corners. They vowed to take the titles from Roode & Ziggler tonight and brought up Bianca Belair defeating Sasha Banks in the main event of WrestleMania. Montez Ford then introduced SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair as the greatest part of his life.

Bianca Belair delivered a motivation speech about chasing your dreams and her victory was for all the little girls around the world. Sasha Banks was then interviewed backstage and showed the mark left on her by Belair’s hair whip. Sasha got pissed off and walked away to end the segment. Bayley was then interviewed backstage and vowed to restore dignity to the SmackDown Women’s Championship.

Roode & Ziggler Retained The SD Tag Titles

Street Profits then battled Roode & Ziggler for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships. Street Profits controlled the action early and isolate Ziggler in the corner. Angelo Dawkins hit a Spinebuster and Ford sent Ziggler out of the ring.

Dawkins hit Roode with a Splash and followed it up with a Bulldog. Angelo connected with a massive shoulder tackle on Roode as SmackDown went to a commercial break. When SmackDown returned, Roode connected with a Spinebuster and tagged in Ziggler.

Dolph hit Dawkins with a Neckbreaker for a near fall and Montez tagged in. Ford hit Ziggler with a Clothesline and followed it up with a Standing Moonsault to Roode for a two count. Ziggler tagged in but Montez didn’t see it. Ziggler snuck up behind Ford and hit the Zig Zag for the pinfall victory. Ziggler and Roode are still the SmackDown Tag Team Champions.

Natalya Easily Defeated Shayna Baszler

Natalya faced Shayna Baszler tonight on SmackDown. Nia Jax and Tamina were ringside for the match. Natalya went for the Sharpshooter right away but Shayna rolled out of the ring. Nia and Tamina started trash talking as Shayna got back into the ring.

Shayna brought Natalya down to the canvas but Natalya was able to break free. Shayna connected with a knee to the face and went for the cover but Natalya kicked out at two. Natalya went for the Sharpshooter but Nia hopped on the apron for a distraction. Natalya shoved Shayna towards and Baszler stopped herself. Natalya capitalized with a roll-up for the victory.

Seth Rollins Attacked Cesaro

Jey Uso squared off against Cesaro in this week’s main event. Uso went for a Crossbody but Cesaro countered into a Backbreaker to start off the action. Jey rolled to the apron and Cesaro followed him. Cesaro bounced Jey’s face off the top turnbuckle a couple times and then booted him to the floor outside the ring. Jey caught Cesaro with a Superkick as SmackDown went to a break.

Jey climbed to the top rope but Cesaro tripped him. Cesaro went for a Superplex but Jey blocked it. Cesaro connected with an uppercut and followed it up with a Gutwrench Suplex off the middle turnbuckle for a near fall.

Cesaro hit an awesome springboard uppercut for another two count. Jey and Cesaro started trading punches in the middle of the ring. Cesaro leveled Jey with a Clothesline and went for the cover but Jey kicked out at two. Cesaro then hit Jey with the Swing but Seth Rollins interfered. Seth attacked Cesaro from behind and the match ended in a DQ.

Opinion: I’m fine with the feud with Rollins continuing and am looking forward to Cesaro eventually facing Roman Reigns. I was looking forward to both RAW and SmackDown this week and unfortunately they both were forgettable shows following WrestleMania.

Logan Paul Talks Wrestlemania Moments and Lays Down a Challenge for Kevin Owens

Alex Laybourne
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Logan Paul is a rather polarizing figure. The internet personality has a great many fans and an equal number of haters. Yet that didn’t stop him from making the most out of his WWE appearance at Wrestlemania 37.

While everybody can agree, Bad Bunny was by far the best celebrity wrestler in WWE, with an argument possible for his performance being second to Banks and Belair on night one. That said, Paul showed up, played his own character well and ate a stunner from Owens drawing praise for how he sold the move.

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

When talking on his podcast IMPAULSIVE, Paul admitted there wasn’t much to sell when it came to the move.

“Sold? Like, I actually, I actually got f*cked up” he commented before going on to quash the naysayers claims that wrestling is always fake.

Paul then went on to lay jokingly lay down a challenge for Kevin Owens “Maybe one day I will get my revenge on you, Kevin Owens, I’m coming for you.”

Logan Paul Had the Time of His Life at Wrestlemania

Logan Paul also admitted that he had the time of his life at the grandest show of them all. He added that he couldn’t stop smiling once he was backstage after the Kevin Owens – Sami Zayn match.

The comments from the loudmouthed celebrity cast a positive light on professional wrestling. If his words were anything to go by, he came away with a more appreciative understanding of what professional wrestling is all about.

Paul is still planning on having his exhibition boxing bout with Floyd Mayweather at some point in 2021. However, speculation could linger about whether we could see Kevin Owens vs Logan Paul at Wrestlemania 38.

A Double Dose of Positivity For AEW Dynamite Crowds and Venues

Alex Laybourne
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Welcome to Daily’s Place, home of the Jags … and AEW Dynamite. Ever since the pandemic struck, AEW has been running their promotion from Daily’s Place. The stadium is home to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the NFL team owned by the Khan family. This has proven to be a reliable and stable home for AEW, who tape three shows there each week.

For the past few months AEW have slowly reintroduced crowds into the stadium, and news of a sold out Machine Gun Kelly concert being held there on April 23rd can surely be a sign that AEW could soon see the return of capacity crowds to its wrestling events too, perhaps even for the upcoming Blood and Guts match on May 5th. Interesting that they don’t even mention limited places.

It starts a double hit of positive news for AEW fans, with speculation also rife that the promotion will look to move away from Daily’s Place and take AEW Dynamite back onto the road. With previously planned shows for both Houston and Milwaukee still on the cards, albeit for dates in August as opposed to the original June and July dates.

Could We See AEW Dynamite Back on the Road?

The fact that they were rescheduled rather than postponed indefinitely shows that while it may not necessarily be imminent, the future is looking positive for AEW Dynamite to get back out on the open road. Dave Meltzer is even speculating that All Out could be held in Chicago later this year. Of course, that is dependent on all things pandemic related going according to plan.

If that’s the case it won’t be long before it’s not only Sammy carrying signs around the arena

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNawdd9pXVq/

It will be interesting to see how this will impact the AEW Dynamite and its two Dark counterparts. Throw in the possibility of house shows too, and it is easy to see how AEW can take the great momentum they have and really ramp up the pressure on their rivals.

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