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Molly Holly Announced For WWE Hall Of Fame’s Class Of 2021

Chris Stephens
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Two classes will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in the week leading up to WrestleMania 37.

The 2021 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place Tuesday, April 6th. WWE will induct the Class of 2020 and a new Class of 2021 honorees. Last year’s event was canceled due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

The WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony will stream live on Peacock. Viewers outside the United States can watch on the WWE Network.

WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2020 inductees include:

  • Batista
  • The nWo (Hollywood Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Sean Waltman
  • The Bella Twins
  • JBL
  • British Bulldog
  • Jushin “Thunder” Liger

Molly Holly Joining WWE Hall of Fame

WWE has announced Molly Holly as the first member of the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2021. They broke the story on Wednesday’s episode of The Bump. Molly Holly was on the show and reunited with her old superhero pal, Hurricane Helms.

Molly Holly first broke into wrestling in late-era WCW during the late 90s. She was often apart of Macho Man’s entourage as “Miss Madness”. Holly would sign with WWE in 2000 and is a former 2x Women’s Champion.

Additional members of the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2021 will be announced in the weeks ahead.

Fellow WWE Hall of Famers Triple H and Beth Phoenix commented on Molly Holly’s induction. Triple H tweeted, “Many people say WWE Superstars are real-life superheroes and in this case … she truly is! A women’s champion, an inspiration to our current roster, and simply a wonderful person. Congratulations to #MollyHolly on being the first inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2021!!”

WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix wrote:

https://mobile.twitter.com/TheBethPhoenix/status/1369676101316997120

Impact Results (3/9): Impact vs TNA vs AEW World Title Matches Announced

Chris Stephens
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Impact Wrestling 3/9 was the go-home show for Saturday’s Sacrifice event. Scott D’Amore made a huge announcement as it concerns the main event of Sacrifice and the main event of next month’s Rebellion PPV on this week’s show.

Impact Wrestling 3/9 Quick Results:

  1. Jazz defeated Tasha Steelz
  2. James Storm & Chris Sabin defeated Rohit Raju & Shera
  3. Trey Miguel defeated Sam Beale
  4. Chris Bey defeated Ace Austin
  5. ODB defeated Susan

Key takeaways from the show are below:

Scott D’Amore Announces Impact vs TNA and Impact/TNA vs AEW World Title For Title Matches

In the final segment of the show this week, Moose called out Scott D’Amore to make the major announcement he had promised. D’Amore came out to the ring and brought out Swann as well. D’Amore announced that the match between Swann vs Moose at Sacrifice will be title for title. Whoever wins that match will be both Impact and TNA World Heavyweight Champion. He then announced that the winner will also move on to Impact Rebellion on April 24th to face the AEW World Champion, Kenny Omega, in another title for title match.

The show closed with Don Callis talking into a phone, presumably to Kenny Omega, saying things are going just as they had planned.

ODB Picks Up Win Over Susan Ahead Of Title Clash With Deonna Purrazzo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW9q-XznGIo

ODB picked up a win this week over Su Yung’s Karen-inspired character of Susan. After Susan decided to pour out OBD’s flask, she took a kick to the gut followed by a Samoan Drop for the win.

After the match, Purrazzo and Kimber Lee attacked ODB, trying to soften her up for Sacrifice. Jordynne Grace and Jazz would make the save, however. This brought out Fire N Flava who will defend against Jazz and Grace at Sacrifice. The segment would close with the heel champions standing tall.

Tony Khan & Tony Schiavone Preview AEW Dynamite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_Dn_Ui-exg

The two Tonys were back this week again. They said they were thrilled with the big buyrate they did with Revolution over the weekend. They promoted Christian’s appearance on Dynamite this week and noted that he is one of the greatest champions in Impact history.

Khan also said Omega is terrible at building exploding rings but that doesn’t take away from Eddie Kingston’s sacrifice. They then ran down the card for tonight’s Dynamite.

Good Brothers and FinJuice Sign Their Title Match Contracts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfVCBixH0Lk

At Sacrifice, we will see The Good Brothers and FinJuice clash with the tag-team titles on the line. This week, we saw the two teams sign their contracts. Scott D’Amore presented both teams with their contracts and left, asking both teams to just return the documents after. The 4 men then drank to celebrate beforehand, however. After downing a couple of shots, the two teams broke out into a wild brawl.

TJP Costs Ace Austin Match Against Chris Bey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD6LZ7w87ck

Ace Austin will challenge TJP for the X-Division Championship this Saturday at Sacrifice. He lost this week to Chris Bey, however. TJP came out to the stage area and provided the distraction, allowing Bey to hit the Art of the Finesse for the win. How will this impact the X-Division title picture? Chris Bey may have just earned a future title shot. Josh Alexander would later confront TJP in the back and state his desire to get a title shot as well.

Sami Callihan Continues To Antagonize Trey Miguel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xZr_2RSX9c

Sami Callihan continues to claim that Trey Miguel has no passion, and that’s why he didn’t end up with his partners in another promotion. This week, it was revealed that Callihan has taken a former Miguel student, Sam Beale, under his wing. Miguel then defeated Beale fairly easily in singles competition. After the match, however, Callihan delivered a piledriver on Beale to close the segment.

Jazz Showcases Submission Skills In Win Over Tasha Steelz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZV7h1mw3Ys

Jazz and Jordynne Grace will challenge Fire N Flava for the Knockouts tag-team titles at Sacrifice. This week, we saw Jazz face Tasha Steelz in singles competition. The legend was able to wrap Steelz up in an STF to gain the submission win. If Jazz breaks out that hold at Sacrifice, we could have new champions.

Chris Sabin and James Storm Pick Up Win Ahead of Sacrifice

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

Chris Sabin and James Storm picked up a win over Rohit Raju & Shera this week. Sabin pinned Raju with the Craddleshock. Later in the show, however, the duo confronted Eric Young in the back. They noted that the 3 of them helped build this company but Young is no longer the same person he was. Sabin and Storm were then booked against Young’s stablemates, Joe Doering and Deaner, at Sacrifice.

Updated Lineup For Sacrifice

  • Impact vs TNA World Heavyweight Championship
    Rich Swann (c) vs Moose
  • Knockouts Championship
    Deonna Purrazzo (c) vs ODB
  • Impact Tag Team Championships
    The Good Brothers (c) vs FinJuice
  • X-Division Championship
    TJP (c) vs Ace Austin
  • Knockouts Tag Team Championships
    Fire N Flava (c) vs Jordynne Grace & Jazz
  • Hold Harmless Match
    Brian Myers vs Eddie Edwards
  • Violent By Design (Joe Doering and Deaner) vs. James Storm and Chris Sabin
  • Reno Scum vs. Decay (Black Taurus and Crazzy Steve)
  • Tenille Dashwood and Kaleb Konley vs. Havok & Nevaeh

AEW Dynamite Preview: Darby Allin vs. Scorpio Sky, Revolution Fallout

Michael Reichlin
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All Elite Wrestling returns with an all-new episode of AEW Dynamite from Jacksonville, FL. This show will feature fallout from Sunday’s AEW Revolution pay-per-view, including Kenny Omega retaining the AEW World Championship and the signing of Christian Cage.

It will be interesting to see how AEW addresses the controversial conclusion of the Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match.

AEW is advertising the following items for this week’s TNT broadcast:

  • TNT Champion Darby Allin will defend against Scorpio Sky. The SCU member won the “Face of the Revolution” ladder match to earn this title shot.
  • Matt Jackson of the Young Bucks vs. Rey Fenix of Death Triangle
  • Hikaru Shida, Thunder Rosa and Ryo Mizunami team up against Dr. Britt Baker, Maki Itoh and Nyla Rose in six-woman tag-team action.
  • Cody Rhodes will be in action
  • Ethan Page vs. Lee Johnson

Plus, we’ll hear from Christian Cage and the Inner Circle will hold their “War Council” to announce some changes to the group.

Join us here later tonight for our AEW Dynamite Results and Takeaways feature.

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WWE Re-Hires John Laurinaitis To Lead Talent Relations Department

Chris Stephens
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John Laurinaitis is bringing “People Power” back to the WWE Talent Relations office. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer, WWE has recently hired him back in a role similar to the one he performed in WWE from 2004 to 2012.

Laurinaitis was originally hired by WWE in 2001 as a road agent. Prior to that, he had been working as an executive with WCW, briefly replacing Vince Russo as head booker in the late stages of the company.

It will be Laurinaitis’ first time back with the company in a full-time role since 2012. His official title will be General Manager, Talent.

WWE is splitting the talent relations department into two separate divisions. Laurinaitis will head the talent management division, while ‘talent branding’ will focus on booking WWE Superstars for appearances in television, movies and other engagements.

Laurinaitis replaced Jim Ross as the Head of Talent Relations in 2004. He would become an on-screen character from 2011-12. His most notable role was as the heel authority figure in a feud against CM Punk. Following his on-screen firing in 2012, Laurinaitis stepped down from his backstage role in the company as well.

Laurinaitis had a 14-year in-ring career from 1986-2000. His most notable run came in All Japan Pro Wrestling from 1988-2000. He won multiple tag-team titles in the promotion with Kenta Kobashi and “Dr. Death” Steve Williams.

In 2015, Laurinaitis married Kathy Colace, mother of the Bella Twins.

CazXL/Big Cass Talks Return To Wrestling and Rehab

Jake Skudder
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Former WWE Superstar CazXL/Big Cass recently spoke to WrestleTalk. The tag team partner of Enzo Amore discussed a number of topics during the interview, including his time in rehab and return to professional wrestling.

CazXL appeared recently at Doc Gallows’ independent promotion and joined the aforementioned Enzo in-ring.

“It was just a long, long journey man” CazXL began in the interview with Louis Dangoor. “I had been in and out of rehab a few times and it just wasn’t clicking. Then I went back to rehab last January and everything started clicking at that point.”

“!I embraced the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous” the former Big Cass continued. “Which I beforehand thought was silly, and I really, really started focusing on my recovery and myself. Magically when you do that you just start to get happier. It’s as if it’s this thing that millions of people had done successfully all over the world; but for me, I was like, ‘No that’s not for me’, but when I finally embraced the program of Alcoholics Anonymous, everything started going good mentally, I was a happy person for the first time in a really long time.”

CazXL on Wrestling Return

“I wasn’t sure about wrestling” CazXL stated. “I kinda thought maybe that wasn’t for me anymore. About four months ago, I woke up with a clear head and was like, I really love wrestling, it is like my first love and my passion. I was like, ‘I gotta go back’.”

CazXL finished by saying that coming back to professional wrestling was what he ‘really wanted to do,’ and it helped him in his battle with addiction. “I could have let my addiction stop me from doing what I really want to do, I could’ve taken the easy road and done something a lot easier and less fulfilling, but instead I decided I was gonna come back to wrestling.”

Do you want to see Enzo and CazXL appear in a major wrestling promotion? Let us know in the comments

First AEW Dynamite Match Confirmed for Ethan Page

Jake Skudder
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  • Ethan Page made a surprise debut at AEW Revolution
  • He will compete against a member of Cody’s Nightmare Family on Dynamite

One of the surprise appearances at AEW Revolution saw former IMPACT Wrestling Tag Team Champion ‘All Ego’ Ethan Page make his company debut.

Ethan Page was the secret competitor in the AEW ‘Face of The Revolution’ ladder match. Page joined Cody Rhodes, Scorpio Sky, Penta El Zero Miedo, Lance Archer and Max Caster in the match.

The match was eventually won by Scorpio Sky as he grabbed the ‘brass ring’ that was hanging above the ring.

AEW has now confirmed that Ethan Page will be in action on tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite. The company sent out a tweet noting that the former IMPACT star will be taking on Nightmare Family member Lee Johnson.

QT Marshall will be in Johnson’s corner for tonight’s bout.

Christian On Edge’s Reaction To His Royal Rumble Return

Anutosh Bajpai
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Christian recently appeared on Renee Paquette’s Oral Sessions podcast where he opened up about the circumstances leading to his in-ring return and his signing with WWE’s rival promotion.

The AEW signing of the former world champion is a bitter-sweet deal for his fans as he will get to compete against a plethora of exciting talent but it also means that we will probably never get to see him having a proper reunion with Edge.

Though they did get to share a moment at Royal Rumble in January when Christian made his in ring return. During the interview, he revealed Edge’s reaction to his comeback:

“Well, he was one of the very few people who knew. When I told him what I was thinking, he was very supportive,” he noted. “When you get to that point where you think it’s gone, and then it comes back, it’s like what just happened?

“When he came back at Royal Rumble from the year previous, he’s always been good at keeping his nerves in check. I’ve never seen him nervous before. And he was super nervous for that Rumble.” recalled Christian, “I was there to lighten the mood. And he kind of did the same for me. It’s just reverse roles. He’s a great sounding board.”

Apart from this, the former WWE star talked about his AEW signing. He explained that he has no animosity towards his former employers and that joining AEW was just the better choice for him.

Christian also explained how his AEW deal came about. He revealed that he had signed within a week of initiating the talks with AEW president Tony Khan.

First Look At Stephen Amell In Pro Wrestling Drama Series Heels (Photo)

Anutosh Bajpai
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Starz has shared the first look of Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig in the upcoming pro wrestling drama series dubbed ‘Heels.’

In the photos as seen below, both the stars are seen in their ring gear in a backstage setting and it looks like they are about to go through the curtain:

“Heels” follows the story of two brothers in Jack Spade and Ace Spade. Jack, played by Amell is a heel while Ace played by Ludwig is a babyface.

The wrestling drama series focuses on the two brothers’ struggles to save the Duffy Wrestling League promotion which was left to them by their father.

The show started filming back in August 2020 and it’s currently in post-production. The release schedule for it has not been revealed but it’s expected to have a total of 8 episodes.

A number of known wrestling figures are expected to be featured in the show. Wrestlers such as CM Punk, Doc Gallows, Stevie Richards, Perry Hawx, J Spade and others have filmed content for the program.

WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley is also rumored to be part of the cast for the TV series but his appearance hasn’t been confirmed so far.

Potential Spoilers For NXT’s Two Major Announcements

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE has announced that the NXT GM William Regal will be making two ‘game-changing’ announcements during this week’s episode of the show.

Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated has now provided more details on the situation and he reveals the announcements the company is planning to make.

According to him, Regal’s first big announcement will be the creation of the of the NXT women’s tag team championships, which has been speculated recently.

The second big announcement from the general manager will be about the upcoming Takeover event during the WrestleMania 37 weekend.

It was revealed recently that an NXT Takeover event is currently scheduled for WWE Network on Thursday, April 8, two days before night 1 of WrestleMania 37.

Later reports suggested that the company officials have discussed the idea of holding the NXT event in two nights this year. Night 1 of the show is expected to air on the USA Network on its regular timeslot on Wednesday.

Night two of the event would then take place on Thursday and air exclusively on the WWE Network and the latest reports confirm that to be the plan.

There was also speculation about the company announcing NXT’s move to Tuesday nights but it appears that the announcement for that will be made at a later date.

Impact Title Unification Match Announced For Sacrifice, Winner Faces Kenny Omega

Anutosh Bajpai
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0
  • Impact & TNA World Championships will unify
  • Unified Champion to face AEW World Champion Kenny Omega

Impact Wrestling has announced a big title unification match for their upcoming Sacrifice PPV event this Saturday, March 13 on tonight’s go-home episode of their weekly show.

Moose brought back the TNA world heavyweight championship at Rebellion last April. He has been defending the title against TNA veterans since then and calling himself a ‘self-proclaimed’ champion.

Rich Swann on the other hand, is the current Impact world champion and he won the title by defeating Eric Young at last October’s Bound for Glory PPV event.

Moose had been targeting Swann for a title shot since the Hard To Kill PPV and a title match between the two had been made official for Sacrifice.

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Executive Vice President Scott D’Amore then announced during tonight’s episode of Impact that Moose will also be defending his championship at the PPV this weekend in a title unification match.

The winner of the match will become the undisputed world champion of the company and they will then go on to face the AEW world champion Kenny Omega at Rebellion on April 24.

This match is interestingly going to be a title vs. title bout as well which likely means that Omega is on his way to becoming the next Impact world champion.

Raw Ratings Increase Slightly For WWE Title Rematch (3/8)

Andrew Ravens
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Monday’s edition of WWE Raw averaged 1.897 million viewers with a 0.55 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic. This is up from last week 1.884 million viewers with a 0.58 rating). 

Here’s the hourly viewership breakdown for Monday night:

  • The first hour did 2.031 million viewers and a 0.58 rating (A18-49).
  • The second hour did 1.921 million viewers and a 0.55 rating.
  • The final hour of the show had just 1.738 million viewers and a 0.53 rating.

This episode featured The Miz vs. Bobby Lashley for the WWE Title, which was a rematch from last week. When WWE did this match a week ago, WWE kept building it up every hour as it got delayed for various reasons. Thus, with the promise of a likely title change continuously being moved back, the fans who wanted to see the title change stayed tuned in. This week’s show, WWE had it take place early in the show. 

SmackDown Viewership

Friday’s SmackDown averaged 2.252 million viewers. This is up from the 2.145 million viewers on FOX that the show did for the previous week.

SmackDown pulled in a 0.60 rating in the 18-49 demos, up from the 0.54 rating the previous week’s show. The episode drew an average of 2.166 million viewers in the overnight ratings, up from the previous week that did 2.051 million viewers. 

The first hour saw it pull in 2.153 million viewers while hour two did 2.179 million viewers. The show did 2.090 million viewers in hour one while hour two did 2.012 million viewers two weeks ago.

Cody Rhodes On NXT Possibly Moving To Tuesday Nights

Chris Stephens
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With it being reported that NXT could be moving to Tuesday nights, some believe the Wednesday Night Wars could be over soon. Cody Rhodes recently commented on that possibility during an interview with Action Sports Jax for ESPN Jacksonville 690AM.

“Not trying to sound braggadocios, we have destroyed them [NXT] for over a year now in that space. Them leaving, perhaps that opens up a different viewership for us on Wednesdays,” Rhodes said on the show.

“I’m not assuming moving to Tuesday nights, is a true white flag. I’ll wait and see.”

Cody Rhodes On NXT Moving To Tuesdays

Cody Rhodes continued to talk about AEW’s attitude toward NXT.

“We’re not reactionary to their booking and won’t change anything we do with what they decide to do on Wednesdays,” Cody continued.

“There are a lot of smart people who work for WWE and perhaps they are planning something else, maybe it’s Wednesday Night Raw for all I know. I’m not assuming their white flag, moving to Tuesday nights, is a true white flag. I’ll wait and see.

“In the interim, we’ll continue to come up with new content, great stories, and make new kings and queens on our roster,” Cody said before stating AEW does not talk about competition backstage.

“If you’re ever backstage at AEW no one is talking about our competition.”

You can listen to this Cody Rhodes interview at Apple Podcasts.

Christian On Getting Medically Cleared, Who He Wants To Work With In AEW

Michael Reichlin
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Christian Cage is Renee Young’s guest on the latest episode of the Oral Sessions podcast. Hot off his AEW debut at Sunday’s Revolution pay-per-view, Christian goes in-depth about his experience getting medically cleared after 7 years away from the ring, his jump to AEW and much more.

renee christian

Returning To WWE, Jumping To AEW

Christian said when he returned at the Royal Rumble in January, he wasn’t nervous at all. However, he was nervous at AEW Revolution. He doesn’t know why, but he suspects the nerves were related to the new environment.

The PPV began at 8pm (Eastern) and he showed up after 7pm. He went straight onto his bus and did not mingle with anybody. He felt like the new kid in class. He really wanted to live up to the hype set by Paul Wight and AEW.

It felt great to appear in front of the AEW crowd. Obviously, these times are not ideal due to the pandemic. However, the people who were in attendance were loud. Wrestling at the ThunderDome was cool, but there’s nothing like a live audience.

When he signed with AEW, he did not know how he’d be introduced. He wasn’t signed when Paul Wight announced a ‘huge huge star’ would be at the PPV.

Christian says he will be a full-time performer. If he didn’t have the confidence to go at 100%, he wouldn’t be in AEW. He’s coming back to show the world he’s one of the greatest pro wrestlers of all time.

Getting Medically Cleared

He feels like his body has been preserved for 7 years. He’s in a great place mentally and physically.

Christian visited the University of South Florida Concussion Center in June 2020 in hopes of getting medically cleared. He went there on his own and did not tell anybody about the visit. He figured, if the doctors tell him he needs to stay retired, nothing would really change.

After undergoing rigorous medical examinations, his doctor told him, “You crushed these tests.” He was average or above average on all the scores related to his brain. He didn’t fail any of the tests. The doctor told him, “You’re good to wrestle again.”

At this point, he knew it was time to get the rest of his body in peak physical shape. Edge referred him to Nutrition Solutions, a meal prep company. He built a minimalist gym in his garage and trained hard using basic weights, kettle bells and an assault bike. He’s also doing a lot of planks.

As he was getting into shape, he got a call from WWE around September/October. He spoke with Vince McMahon and told him the news about getting medically cleared. Vince was very happy for him. They had a few good conversations. Christian told Vince he still wanted to get his body into better shape and they left things there. Edge was very supportive about his journey.

Who He Wants To Work With In AEW

Christian says he’s with AEW for the long haul. He’s not here just to wrestle a couple matches. He sees a lot of people in AEW that he wants to work with, including:

Jon Moxley: Moxley has told Christian that he’s learned a lot from working with him in WWE. “At some point, he and I are going to do something together.”

Kenny Omega: Christian has never met Omega, but is familiar with his work. Renee added that Omega is a tough nut to crack. She’s been around him a few times but hasn’t gotten to know him.

Darby Allin: Christian says he’s got the Jeff Hardy “cool” factor.

The Young Bucks: He knows the Young Bucks grew up as fans of the Hardy Boyz and Edge & Christian. Renee suggested that we might see The Young Bucks vs. Matt Hardy & Christian.

MJF: Christian says Max is super talented and “gets it.”

Christian added that he still hasn’t wrapped his brain around all the possibilities that await him in AEW. He can’t wait to get started. In addition to wrestling, he’s also excited to contribute behind the scenes. He spoke very highly of Pat Patterson and his role in WWE.

Rikishi Comments On Training Bow Wow To Wrestle

Chris Stephens
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Rapper Bow Wow recently revealed that he is planning to train as a pro-wrestler with Rikishi. In a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, Rikishi spoke about Bow Wow coming to train with him and how he will be treated as a student.

“We have been talking and I’m very happy, let me tell you the story about how I met this kid,” Rikishi said about Bow Wow. “So back in the day, I was actually coming onto a flight in Atlanta and as I was making my way to my seat in first class, there Bow Wow was. I think he was about 9 or 10 years old at the time, but he was already making hit records, and we just kind of kicked off.”

“Me, I was on my way to work and I knew who he was. My father figure kind of kicked in saying I’m very proud of you and continue the hard work, make sure you do good in school and that kind of stuff. Twenty-something years later, I see this tweet come up and I just put a message out to him. I just felt like I knew this kid for a long time and again my passion for the business and for those coming in, I just felt obligated to teach him the right way.”

How Will Bow Wow Be Treated As A Student?

Rikishi also commented on if Bow Wow will receive any special treatment.

“He’s actually based out there in Atlanta but he will be coming down here (to Southern California) sometime this month to get it going. But I’m going to train him like I train all my students. We know his celebrity status, but in order for him to really understand the industry correctly, we got to put that all aside,” Rikishi said.

“If Bow Wow can come into our industry and put asses in seats at WrestleMania, then why not? And everybody should motivate him or help him because him coming in, or anybody coming in from hip hop or the movie industry into our industry, obviously they’re green and they need to be smartened up. So there is no time for jealousy or those who just hate on the poor guy who is just trying to come in to live his dream.”

The full video can be viewed in the player below:

Big Swole Releases Statement On Struggle With Crohn’s Disease

Chris Stephens
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Big Swole has been out of action since early January due to flare-ups of her Crohn’s Disease. AEW’s Tony Khan recently addressed Swole’s absence. During the Revolution post-event media scrum, Khan stated that they hope to have her back soon. Swole recently released a statement through social media as well.

“This past year has been filled with ups and a lot of downs. After my bout with pneumonia early last year, I was informed that resuming medicine for Crohn’s would result in death given the COVID-19 circumstances. Seeing as how the biologic I was on shuts down my immune system and acts as such, resuming my medicine was not an option.”

“I was doing alright self-managing until the flare ups started in the fall. As some of you may not know Crohn’s attacks the body as a whole so on top of my intestines issues different body parts would lock up and become incapable of bending at the joints. Some days I could barely walk and that took a toll on me emotionally and mentally.”

“Living with this disease may seem like a thorn and it is but it also shows me that His grace is sufficient and no matter what happens, I will smile because I am more than a conqueror. I am Swole and that mentality/faith will carry me through it all. I ask that you bare with me, I’m getting the treatments that I need and my journey to complete healing is underway.”

“Thank you for your love and thoughtful messages, I appreciate them and you! Much love to everyone, be safe! #Chronies”

https://twitter.com/SwoleWorld/status/1369136699184455681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1369136699184455681%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.redditmedia.com%2Fmediaembed%2Fm0yz50%3Fresponsive%3Dtrueis_nightmode%3Dfalse

New Day Debuts Mortal Kombat-Inspired Gear, Ed Boon Reacts

Chris Stephens
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Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon approves of the New Day rocking MK-inspired ring gear.

A new Mortal Kombat movie is set to debut on HBO Max and in theaters next month. New Day members Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston paid homage to the beloved video game franchise with their latest outfits.

Renowned video game producer Ed Boon tweeted a response to Kofi and Woods dressing up as Scorpion and Sub-Zero.

Xavier Woods Is Really Good At Mortal Kombat

In the spring of 2020, Xavier Woods won a Mortal Kombat tournament to raise money for charity.

The topic of video games being played by wrestlers recently came up when The Undertaker had some negative comments about today’s roster playing video games in the locker room.

“In that era of guys too, men were men,” Taker said on the Joe Rogan Experience. “You go into a dressing room today and it’s a lot different. I remember walking into my first real dressing room… half of them had knives and guns in their bags. Sh*t got handled then. Now you walk in and there’s guys playing video games and f**king making sure they look pretty. It’s evolution, I guess. I don’t know what it is, but I just like those eras, man. I liked when men were men.”

Woods issued the below comments in response:

“I wouldn’t be the person that I am without the guidance and lessons of a few key people from the previous generation of wrestling. They taught me about the business, to save my money, & that having video games in the locker room is healthier than having [redacted]. Thank you guys”

Randy Orton Takes More Shots At Souljah Boy With Late-Night Tweets

Chris Stephens
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Randy Orton picked up on a 1-week old argument he’d had with Soulja Boy early this morning. Last week, Orton and several others fired off shots at Soulja Boy after the rapper referred to WWE as “Fake.” After taking 7 days off from Twitter, Orton started things up again around 5 AM est this morning.

Orton responded to a Tweet from the NXT UK account:

Soulja Boy has not replied as of yet.

Randy Orton vs Soulja Boy

The following Tweet from Soulja Boy at the end of February drew harsh criticism from some in the wrestling industry.

“Does the rap game take years off your life and leave you with countless injuries and debilitating pain? Oh well maybe just stick to super soaking hoes or whatever it is you did 15 years ago,” T-Bar Tweeted.

Randy Orton then posted two Tweets in response last week as well. 

“Fake? Dare this prick to step up. He dont like movies? Consider us actors that do stunts, without pads 200 days a year and don’t bitch when we get surgically repaired and come right back. Consider us 100 times tougher then anyone you’ve come across. Aint nuthin but a bitch ass…” Orton Tweeted.

Kenny Omega ‘Furious’ About Exploding Ring Dud

Jake Skudder
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The ending of Sunday’s AEW Revolution PPV would cast a shadow across the show in its entirety. The Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch with Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley was a bloody affair; however the ending ‘explosion’ left a lot to be desired, with some sparkles and small blasts.

Eddie Kingston appeared at the end of the show, trying to help his friend Jon Moxley. Kingston covered his longtime friend in the ring before the impending end of show blast. As mentioned, the blast itself was miniscule.

The issue with this was that Eddie Kingston was selling the explosion massively. Tony Khan discussed the ending during the Revolution post show scrum. “Who would have thought when he drew up the big plan with crayons that maybe the bomb might fail to take both guys out?” Khan noted, saying how Kenny Omega ‘built’ the explosives himself in storyline.

“I thought that for the battle, it really delivered excellent action” Khan continued. “Both guys came out okay, which is great because on paper it looked like the kind of match where somebody could get hurt.”

Dave Meltzer recently reported on Wrestling Observer Radio that Kenny Omega was “furious” at the botch that took place. It’s not currently clear how AEW appear to be trying to rectify the situation, but it is likely that they will try and address it on screen as many fans online have lambasted the brand for the finish to the PPV.

WWE Hyping Two Major Announcements For Wednesday’s NXT

Jake Skudder
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WWE has confirmed that NXT General Manager William Regal will be making two ‘major’ announcements on this week’s episode of the show on USA Network.

WWE executive Triple H and NXT producer Shawn Michaels joined in on the hype. Triple H is touting them as “game-changing” announcements, which had led to some speculation that we’ll dig into below.

Reportedly, the two points addressed will be NXT’s move to Tuesday nights and the brand getting it’s own Women’s Tag Team Championships.

NXT Moving To Tuesdays

It was recently reported that NXT will be moving to Tuesday nights after WrestleMania 37 in April. This move signals the end of the ‘Wednesday Night Wars’ that have been ongoing since October 2019.

The brand moving to Tuesday nights can easily be considered a win-win for both NXT and All Elite Wrestling. With the two brands now on different nights it will give both the opportunity to ‘breathe’ in terms of storylines and content. This will mean not having to compete against a similar product in the same timeframe.

NXT Women’s Tag Titles

The second announcement is again being touted as a confirmation of the new NXT Women’s Tag Team Championships. The match for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships ended in controversy; with Adam Pearce got and cost Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez a shot at winning the titles.

Due to the involvement of a WWE official; it is expected that NXT will be bringing in their own titles and giving them to Kai and Gonzalez.

Paul Wight On The Difference Between Locker Room Environment In AEW And WWE

Anutosh Bajpai
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Former WWE star Big Show aka Paul Wight hasn’t been part of the AEW roster for very long but he is already feeling the difference in the backstage environment between the two companies.

The former world champion took part in the post Evolution media scrum where he talked about his decision to leave the company he has been with for so long.

When asked about the backstage environment of All Elite Wrestling during the interview, Big Show said that the one thing he enjoys in the AEW locker room is the support and fight the talent have:

“The one thing that is different here that I really enjoy is the support and the fight that the talent have over here, the respect and recognition and the drive.

That’s the heart of professional wrestling and doing entertainment.” said the Big Show, “It’s not guys stepping on each other’s toes, cutting each other’s throat to get a position.”

Big Show had spent over two decades being part of the WWE roster in his two runs with the company and his signing to AEW was a big surprise to many.

During the interview, the former champion also revealed Vince McMahon’s reaction to his big move. You can check out his comments on the matter here.

WWE RAW Results (3/8): Bobby Lashley vs. The Miz, Two Title Matches Set For Next Week

Robert Lentini
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WWE RAW aired live from the ThunderDome inside Tropicana Field. Bobby Lashley defended his title against The Miz in a rematch from last week’s episode and Randy Orton faced AJ Styles in the main event of tonight’s show. Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler also put the Women’s Tag Team Championships on the line against Lana and Naomi.

RAW Results (3/8)

  1. Bobby Lashley def. The Miz via submission to retain the WWE Championship
  2. McIntyre vs. Sheamus ended in a no contest
  3. Xavier Woods def. Shelton Benjamin
  4. Riddle def. Slapjack
  5. Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler def. Lana & Naomi to retain the Women’s Tag Team Championships
  6. AJ Styles def. Randy Orton

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Bobby Lashley Retained The WWE Championship

WWE Champion Bobby Lashley was interviewed backstage to begin the show. Lashley noted that it took him 16 years to get this opportunity and dealing with locker room politics. Lashley claimed that he punished The Miz last week because he was delaying the inevitible and vowed to do the same tonight in the rematch. Bobby said that nobody is taking the title from him and the All Mighty era has begun.

The Miz made his way to the ring with John Morrison. Miz said he stands in the ring empty handed because Bobby Lashley is the new WWE Champion. The Miz claimed that he expected to get his ass handed to him last week but did not expect to lose the WWE Championship.

Miz added that Shane McMahon pulled a fast one on him and went on a rant about all he has done for the WWE in his career. The Miz suggested that nobody believed him when he said he had cramps is because the fans are not professional athletes. Miz boasted about outsmarting everyone when he got counted out intentionally and that his contract does not state that he had to defend the WWE Championship twice in one night.

He claimed that it was unfair that he had to wrestle in a Lumberjack match and it was also unfair that Lashley brutalized him following the match. The Miz looked into the camera and told everyone to stay close to their phones or computers so they can tweet out #AndNew once he wins the title back.

The Miz rolled out of the ring to start off the match. Lashley waited for him to get back inside and tried to tie up with him. Miz once again rolled out of the ring and got distracted by MVP. Lashley grabbed Miz from behind and brought him back in the ring. Lashley connected with a massive Suplex as Drew McIntyre was shown watching the match backstage.

The action spilled out of the ring and Lashley connected with a Clothesline as RAW went to a commercial break. When RAW returned, Miz went for a Clothesline but Lashley blocked it. Lashley hurled Miz out of the ring and then into the barricade.

Lashley bounced Miz’s head off the announce table before the action returned to the ring. Miz hit a boot to the face that knocked Lashley out of the ring. The Miz went for a Dropkick but Lashley dodged it and slammed Miz’s head into the ring post. Lashley planted Miz with a Spinebuster and applied the Hurt Lock in the middle of the ring for the submission victory. Bobby Lashley is still the WWE Champion.

Sheamus Attacked Drew McIntyre

Drew McIntyre was then interviewed backstage. McIntyre noted that Lashley decided to attack him from behind so he can set up The Miz as champion. Drew questioned where Lashley’s passion and balls were because he took the easy way out in beating The Miz. Sheamus showed up out of nowhere and attacked McIntyre. Sheamus beat him down and shouted that this was not over. Drew got pissed and started launching storage crates around as RAW went to a commercial break. When RAW returned, McIntyre asked Adam Pearce to set up a No DQ match against Sheamus later tonight.

Shane Apologized To Braun Strowman

Braun Strowman made his way to the ring and cut a promo about Shane McMahon. Strowman wondered if Shane is laughing at him and said that cannot be the case because he could snap his neck like a twig. Strowman shouted that he is not looking to get fired, he is looking for some respect.

Braun demanded that Shane give him an apology and McMahon’s theme hit. Shane joined Strowman in the ring and apologized to him. Shane then exited the ring and made his way to the top of the entrance ramp. Shane stopped like he was going to say something else but walked away. Shane then refused a backstage interview as well.

Sheamus vs. McIntyre Ended In A No Contest

Drew McIntyre got some payback and attacked Sheamus during his entrance for their No DQ match. McIntyre dominated the beginning of the match but the Celtic Warrior battled back with a knee to the face. Sheamus stomped on Drew before making his way to the top turnbuckle. Sheamus connected with a Flying Clothesline for a two count.

McIntyre brought Sheamus to the outside and launched him over the announce desk. Sheamus hit another Clothesline and grabbed a kendo stick from under the ring. Sheamus took a swing but McIntyre ducked and sent Sheamus over the barricade. McIntyre grabbed the kendo stick as Sheamus rolled into the ring.

Sheamus hit McIntyre with a low blow as he was getting into the ring and grabbed the kendo stick. Sheamus struck McIntyre over the back with the kendo sticks a few times before shoving his boot in Drew’s face. McIntyre battled back and planted Sheamus with an overhead Belly to Belly Suplex.

Drew followed it up with a Neckbreaker and several kendo stick shots to the back of Sheamus. McIntyre hit a Backbreaker and went for the cover but Sheamus was able to kick out at two. The action spilled out of the ring and Sheamus slammed McIntyre on top of the announce table as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, McIntyre planted Sheamus with a Superplex and went for the cover but Sheamus kicked out at the last moment. McIntyre brought a steel chair into the ring and hit Sheamus with the Future Shock DDT on top of it for a near fall. Sheamus hit McIntyre with a knee to the face for another near fall.

Sheamus set up the chair in the corner but it backfired because McIntyre launched him onto it. McIntyre hit Sheamus with a Claymore but couldn’t go for the cover because it sent Sheamus tumbling out of the ring. McIntyre followed him out there and Sheamus caught him with a Brogue Kick.

Both superstars grabbed steel stairs and charged at each other. McIntyre and Sheamus collided and both fell to the floor. The referee checked on both of them and the referee called for the bell.

Xavier Woods def. Shelton Benjamin

Xavier Woods squared off against Shelton Benjamin tonight on RAW. Kofi Kingston and Cedric Alexander were ringside for the match. Woods booted Benjamin in the face for a two count to begin the action. Benjamin connected iwth a Body Slam and sent Woods into the turnbuckle. Shelton started trading words with Kofi Kingston ringside before applying a Headlock on Xavier in the middle of the ring.

Woods escaped but Shelton caught him with a knee strike to the face. Shelton dominated the new few minutes of the match and once again got distracted with trash talking with Kofi Kingston. Xavier Woods capitalized on the distraction and rolled up Shelton for the pinfall victory.

Hurt Business will defend the RAW Tag Team Championships against New Day next week.

Riddle def. Slapjack

Riddle faced Slapjack tonight on RAW. Mustafa Ali was ringside for the match. Riddle slammed Slapjack to the canvas and hit him with a Broton. Riddle sent Slapjack out of the ring and Mustafa Ali started shouting that he was embarrassing him. Slapjack took control and brought Riddle back into the ring. Slapjack connected with a Falcon Arrow for a near fall. Riddle connected with the Final Flash and followed it up with the Bro Derek for the pinfall victory.

Riddle will defend the United States Championship against Mustafa Ali next week.

Shane McMahon Thinks Strowman Is Stupid

Shane McMahon had a conversation with Adam Pearce and told him to go have Strowman meet him in the ring. Strowman got into the ring and Shane immediately exited. Shane started backing up the entrance ramp and said last week was all in good fun.

McMahon admitted to having fun sometimes at other’s expense but that is okay as long as it benefits him. Shane paused forever and Braun suggested that he was trying to make him look stupid. McMahon said he doesn’t want Braun to feel stupid and that wasn’t his intention. Shane jokingly started stuttering while saying “Braun” and ran away. Strowman chased after him but Shane’s car sped away. Strowman walked away and Shane appeared to say “so stupid”.

Opinion: Shane’s promo was horrible and this storyline is off to a terrible start. The match at WrestleMania will probably be fun because most Shane McMahon matches are. However, the build up is going to suck if everyone has to listen to Shane McMahon breathing into the microphone during multiple awkward silences every week. I’m assuming Shane McMahon forget his lines and froze tonight. I cannot imagine this promo went as the writers intended it to.

Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler Retained

Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler defended the Women’s Tag Team Championships against Naomi & Lana. Nia Jax brought Reginald to the ring with her. Naomi and Lana controlled the match early and Naomi connected with a Crossbody onto the Women’s Tag Team Champions as RAW went to a break.

When RAW returned, Reginald tripped up Naomi while the referee was distracted. Lana tagged in and hit Reginald with a Dropkick. Nia Jax capitalized on the distraction with a Splash. Nia followed it up with a Powerbomb for the pinfall victory. Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler are still the Women’s Tag Team Champions.

Alexa Bliss Distracted Randy Orton

AJ Styles and Omos were interviewed backstage tonight. Styles joked about Randy Orton and he showed up. Styles suggested that Orton was weak and Randy challenged him to a match. AJ looked at Omos and accepted the challenge.

Orton dominated the match early and beat Styles down. AJ battled back and sent Orton out of the ring. Styles hit Orton with a forearm to the face and Randy fell right next to Omos are RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, AJ was still in control and sent Orton to the turnbuckle. Styles focused his attack on Orton’s leg and stomped on it several times. AJ went for the Calf Crusher but Orton was able to block it. Styles stayed on the attack and was able to apply the hold in the middle of the ring.

Orton reached the hopes to break the hold and hit Styles with the draping DDT. Alexa Bliss showed up on the jumbotron and blew out a match. Fire shot out of the turnbuckles and Orton coughed up the black liquid again. Styles hit the Phenomenal Forearm for the pinfall victory. After the match, Alexa Bliss laughed on the jumbotron to close the show.

Opinion: I’ve pretty much lost all interest in the storyline between Orton and The Fiend. It has just gone on too long and reached the point of insanity in my opinion. However, the ending pyro with one of the turnbuckles not going off was a funny little jab at AEW. Sheamus and McIntyre had the match of the night and the rest of the show was forgettable.

Ric Flair On Who Should Break His 16 World Championship Record

Anutosh Bajpai
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Ric Flair is one of the greatest pro wrestlers of all time and one of the things that prove this status is his record 16 championship reigns with the world title.

During his recent interview with WrestlingInc, the legend talked about a number of things and also revealed which star he thinks should break his record.

Flair was reminded about John Cena and Randy Orton who are both close to breaking his record. When asked about it, the Hall Of Famer said that he would like a full-time performer to be the one to achieve the feat:

To be honest with you, I would like to see my daughter break it. Randy Orton has expressed the sentiment to me too. Who knows? It’s funny because I would love to see Randy break it.

John, I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to John breaking it, but I think the person that breaks it needs to be a full-time performer,” said Ric Flair, “just because I think it’s better for the company, not that it matters who the individual is.”

John Cena is tied to Flair for the number of world title victories with 16 title wins. Randy Orton is close behind him with 14 world title reigns.

Which star do you think should break the 16 world championship record of Ric Flair? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

WWE Announces WrestleMania 37 Tickets, Prices & On-Sale Date

Andrew Ravens
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After much speculation, WWE has released ticket information for WrestleMania 37. The event takes place on April 10th and April 11th at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

There will be a limited amount of tickets that will go on-sale on Tuesday, March 16th at 10 am ET with tickets ranging from $35-$2,500 U.S. As of this writing, it wasn’t mentioned what capacity will be limited to at the stadium, but they will be coordinating with local partners and government officials

This marks the second year in a row where it is separated over two nights. Obviously, last year’s show didn’t have fans and was held at the WWE Performance Center early in the pandemic. 

WWE’s Official Announcement

STAMFORD, Conn., March 8, 2021 – WWE® (NYSE: WWE) today announced that a limited number of tickets to its two-night pop culture extravaganza, WrestleMania presented by SNICKERS, will go on sale next Tuesday, March 16 starting at 10 AM ET. WrestleMania will take place Saturday, April 10, and Sunday, April 11, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay and stream live exclusively on Peacock in the United States and on WWE Network everywhere else.

Ticket prices for WrestleMania range from $35-$2,500 and can be purchased through www.ticketmaster.com. Two-day combo tickets will also be available. All tickets are subject to service charges and facility fees.

Fans interested in an exclusive WrestleMania presale opportunity can register at www.wrestlemania.com/presale.

WWE is coordinating with local partners and government officials regarding safety protocols for WrestleMania and will share details in the coming weeks. Information on additional WrestleMania Week events is forthcoming.

Edge vs. WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks vs. Bianca Belair has been announced for the show thus far.

Big Cass Discusses His Battle With Alcohol Addiction

Andrew Ravens
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CazXL, formerly known as Big Cass in WWE, has opened up his battle with alcohol addiction. 

He did so during an interview with Wrestle Talk. He started out by talking about how it’s been a long journey and everything started to click in January 2020. 

“I had been in and out of rehab a few times and it just wasn’t clicking, and then I went back to rehab last January and everything started clicking at that point. I embraced the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous which I beforehand thought was silly, and I really, really started focusing on my recovery and myself, and magically when you do that you just start to get happier. It’s as if it’s this thing that millions of people had done successfully all over the world, but for me, I was like, ‘No that’s not for me’, but when I finally embraced the program of Alcoholics Anonymous, everything started going good mentally, I was a happy person for the first time in a really long time.”

Cass noted that he wasn’t sure he would return to pro wrestling because he thought it wasn’t for him anymore, but one day, he woke up with a clear head and realized he loves wrestling as its first love and passion. Thus, at that moment, he knew he needed to get back. 

“I could have let my addiction stop me from doing what I really want to do, I could’ve taken the easy road and done something a lot easier and less fulfilling, but instead I decided I was gonna come back to wrestling.” 

He stated that he went back to the gym and took it very seriously. He brought up how he’s been open in the past about his addiction and struggles with mental health.  

“I feel like there’s a stigma around addiction where people don’t like to admit it or they tell themselves that they’re not an addict, and I feel like, more on a human being side, you know performance-wise I’m gonna go out there and be myself, be a turned-up version of myself and kick ass, and I really think that I have the ability to get over and do some things in this business as being myself.”

Cass stated regarding the aspect of a human being, he wants to show people that it can be done no matter how far you get down. He said that there are some things that he’s not ready to talk about that the public hasn’t seen

“But I got to really, really low points, and I really wanna show people that if you love something and you’re passionate about it, it doesn’t matter how low you get, just get up every morning and fight and fight and fight. Because you can accomplish what you wanna accomplish if you believe in yourself. The only person in this world that I need to believe in me for me to succeed, is me.

He said that if you believe in yourself, and you’re going through anything and you feel like the world is against you, it’s possible to get back and to accomplish some great things. That’s his goal going forward. He said the first step to that is reaching out for help, which is something that took him a long time to do. 

Cass was released by WWE in 2018. At the time, it was reported that his release was due to behavioral issues such public intoxication during a WWE tour and disobeying direct orders from Vince McMahon. 

WWE Raw Preview: Lashley vs. The Miz WWE Title Rematch

Michael Reichlin
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WWE returns to the ThunderDome in just a matter of hours for an all new edition of Monday Night Raw.

The following items are advertised for tonight’s broadcast from St. Petersberg, Florida:

  • An Almighty WWE Championship Celebration will be held for Bobby Lashley. It will be interesting to see what the Hurt Business has in store. However, the celebration might be short lived.
  • Bobby Lashley will defend the WWE Championship against The Miz in a rematch from last week. Can The Miz shock the world once again, or will Lashley prove that his win was more than just a fluke?
  • Braun Strowman will demand an apology from Shane McMahon.
  • Continued hype for WWE Fastlane, which is now less than two weeks away.

Join us here later tonight for our WWE Raw Results & Takeaways feature.

WWE has posted this video of 2 things you need to know before Raw:

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