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Shaq On What Fans Can Expect From Him In The Ring

Chris Stephens
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Tonight on AEW Dynamite, Shaquille O’Neal will team with Jade Cargill to face Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet. Shaq has long been around the wrestling industry, and even performed in the 2016 Andre the Giant memorial battle royal. Tonight will be his first time in a tag-team match, however, and his first match in AEW.

Shaq spoke to the Associated Press about what fans can expect from him once he gets in the ring.

“I’m not a professional wrestler, but I’ve been in a match before,” Shaq said. “I’ve got a lot of moves in my arsenal. When you step inside somebody’s world, you have to stick to what you’re masterful at. I’m not acrobatic. I’m not going to be jumping off the ropes. I’m coming with the power game. When I get hands on him, I’m going to display this power.”

“I’m the type that if I have a look and see you do it, I got it,” Shaq continued.

Shaq On What He Said To Hulk Hogan

Shaq also mentioned what he said when he met Hulk Hogan during the interview.

“I told him, ‘you broke my heart when you body-slammed Andre the Giant,’” O’Neal said. “I cried as a kid. I really did.”

Shaq also said that his match tonight will blow away all other matches by retired athletes.

“This one will top them all,” O’Neal continued.

The full interview with Shaq can be read here.

Joey Ryan Drops Lawsuit, Charity Show Canceled

Chris Stephens
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Yesterday, a charity show titled “Wrestling for Women’s Charity” began circulating a poster. Joey Ryan’s face on the poster drew a heavy reaction from fans online. It was later revealed that Ryan’s “Bar Wrestling” had some affiliation with the show.

AEW’s Tony Khan then stated AEW talent would not be appearing on the show if Ryan was involved. The promotion then Tweeted out that they were canceling the event. This all happened within the span of a few hours.

https://twitter.com/SwoleWorld/status/1366827607589851137

Wrestling journalist, David Bixenspan, has been providing updates via Twitter.

https://twitter.com/davidbix/status/1366874542900207616
https://twitter.com/davidbix/status/1366855285139202052

Joey Ryan Drops Lawsuit

Joey Ryan has dropped the lawsuit he won a default judgment on against his accuser. This could potentially mean some agreement was made between the two parties but that is just speculation. Although the name is being redacted on reports (including this one), the accuser deactivated their Twitter recently. Ryan’s Twitter has been wiped of all Tweets as well, it seems.

Ryan’s legal team filed to dismiss the lawsuit yesterday, the same day he appeared on the poster for the women’s charity show. Via HeelbyNature:

“TO THE COURT AND ALL PARTIES IN THIS ACTION, PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT plaintiff, Joseph R. Meehan (Meehan), voluntarily dismisses without prejudice defendant, REDACTED. REDACTED has not answered or filed a motion for summary judgment. This notice is made pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 41(a)(1)(A). Dated: March 2, 2021, Los Angeles, California UTZURRUM LAW OFFICES, A.P.C”

Former ROH Wrestler, Pelle Primeau, is fundraising for his legal defence.

RAW Superstar Mustafa Ali Currently Wrestling With Injury

Jake Skudder
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WWE RAW Superstar Mustafa Ali recently revealed that he is wrestling with an injury. The leader of the RETRIBUTION stable took questions from fans recently on Twitter and confirmed that he is working with a torn PCL.

A fan asked Mustafa Ali during the Q&A what his biggest frustration was and how had he adapted to it. Ali replied, saying “it’s right now actually. wrestling with a torn PCL is incredibly frustrating.”

Mustafa Ali on Riddle Match

Ali also confirmed during the Q&A that the finish to his match against Riddle on Monday was ‘scary’ and had to be changed on the fly. Mustafa Ali said that the finish was meant to be “a backstabber. Things obviously got scary, but last second adjustments were made and everyone is okay. We will be able to battle another day.”

It has not been confirmed if Ali will have a match at the upcoming WWE Fastlane PPV event. It will be the first WWE show to air on the Peacock streaming service, so talents will want to get themselves on the show. The only potential match is possibly a United States Championship match against Matt Riddle at this point.

Cody & Red Velvet vs Shaq & Jade Cargill Opening AEW Dynamite

Jake Skudder
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AEW EVP Cody Rhodes confirmed last night that his match against Shaquille O’Neal will be opening Dynamite tonight. Appearing on the NBA on TNT Tuesday postgame, Cody said that he and Red Velvet will be taking on Jade Cargill and Shaq to open the TNT show as it goes on the air.

There had been speculation that the bout would be ending the show. With AEW’s Revolution PPV taking place this Sunday, tonight’s episode of Dynamite is the ‘go home’ show for that event. There’s a chance that AEW have something planned for the end of the show to lead into Sunday’s PPV and try to get some extra buys ahead of the show.

The mainstream coverage of tonight’s match has been significant. There have been many outlets reporting on Shaq getting in an AEW ring tonight for the very first time. The match itself will be intriguing to say the least, as Jade Cargill and Shaq’s in-ring abilities are as of yet untested on television.

Stick here with us tonight on SEScoops for all of the coverage on AEW Dynamite: The Crossroads. 

NWA Power Return Confirmed By Billy Corgan

Rayan Sayyed
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NWA owner Billy Corgan has confirmed that NWA Power is making a return. As reported earlier, the NWA will be returning to PPV with the show “Back for the Attack” in less than 3 weeks. The show was spotted in a listing on FITE TV. Now, Corgan has said in a recent interview that NWA is in a deal with FITE TV but NWA Power is also making a return as the show starts taping episodes soon.

The first episode of NWA Power will take place on March 23, two days after Back for the Attack. The episodes are set to air at 6:05 PM on Thursday nights. Back for the Attack is listen on FITE TV for a cost of $19.99 USD.

In a bizzare turn of events concerning fans of the promotion, NWA took down all their content from YouTube, leaving the entire channel blank. Power was previously hosted on NWA’s YouTube channel so fans were left wondering about the future of the company at the time.

“What I didn’t anticipate was how much people would love the format and want more of it and not less of it,” Billy Corgan told Associated Press in an interview. “In our downtime, we did a fan survey and the No. 1 thing was, don’t get rid of ‘Power.’”

Corgan said that NWA is now taking the steps that they intended to take a year ago. “I feel like we’re finally taking the steps we were hoping to take a year ago. We were never in any financial peril,” Corgan added. “We were totally on a growth pattern. The plan for last year before things kind of hit the skids was to start pivoting. We were in discussions with Live Nation about running live events to help bring in revenue and expand who was watching the product. It was more about growing pains stuff, but we didn’t have any problems internally with the product.”

It was reported this week that NWA would resume TV tapings this month. The last set of tapings for Power took place in January 2020. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the promotion had to cancel its planned Crockett Cup 2020 PPV.

The Rock On How Influential Vince McMahon Is To Him

Rayan Sayyed
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The Rock is singing praises for Vince McMahon. During the airing of Young Rock’s episode 3 on NBC, The Rock fielded some questions about the episode from fans on Twitter. During the Q&A, a fan asked Rock about how influential Vince McMahon has been to him. Rock had high praise for the CEO of WWE, who said that he has been one of his greatest business mentors and like a father figure to him.

The Rock wrote, “@VinceMcMahon was one of my greatest business mentors and a father figure. Not always the relationship one would want with their boss but the convergence of our lives made it to be. We laugh when we get together because we always pick right back up where we left off. #YoungRock.”

The Rock has shared many instances from his WWE career of Vince McMahon giving him advice that helped him to be the star he is today. The Rock once revealed that during the early days of his career the WWE Chairman advised him to smile. “I was told by Vince McMahon, who was a very close friend of mine still today, is a mentor in the world of business, he would tell me, ‘You gotta go out there, you gotta smile, you just gotta… you just gotta smile!’”

The Rock added, “This was my rookie year, so you can imagine. Smile! So, I said OK, and again, you’re pissing vinegar… you’re ready to get out there and bang, man. And he said, ‘I want you to be… you’re grateful that you’re here, so you gotta smile.’ And then I would go out and I would hear these fans, they just knew that I wasn’t being authentic. You know, and they would be like… ‘You f–king suck!’ And I would smile, ‘Hey, thank you, man! I know I do, right?’ I gotta smile.”

The Rock also revealed how Vince McMahon gave him an opportunity to speak his mind on live TV during Raw, when he had little experience. Rock had promised McMahon that if he bombed, then he would never have to give him mic time again. The promo was about Rock joining The Nation of Domination where he said that him being part of the faction is not a black or white thing — it’s a respect thing and he’s gonna earn it every night by kicking ass. This very promo helped Rock cement the direction his character would later take.

On this week’s episode of Young Rock, Adam Ray debuted as a younger version of Vince McMahon. In the beginning of the episode, we see Ray calling one of Rocky Johnson’s matches on the commentary booth — this was before he took over WWF from his father Vince Sr. We also see him share a phone call with Maivia later. He offers some advice on how to deal with the competition and delivers the news that he needs all his wrestlers back for a show in the Madison Square Garden besides Rocky and the Wild Samoans. Coupled with the fact that Andre the Giant was the only wrestler to get his own action figure, this creates a little hostility between him and the other wrestlers. The episode also showed a rival promoter trying to recruit Rocky to his promotion.

NXT Likely Moving To Tuesdays After WrestleMania

Rayan Sayyed
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NXT is reportedly making a move to Tuesday nights on the USA Network starting April 13.

It was reported on Tuesday by the Mat Men Pro Wrestling podcast that WWE would move the broadcast of NXT to Tuesday nights according to their source. This will end the ongoing weekly Wednesday Night Wars for the Nielsen ratings that began on October 2, 2019 when AEW debuted Dynamite on TNT.

April 13 would be the first NXT show after WrestleMania 37. Dave Meltzer also confirmed the report regarding talks of the move, but wasn’t able to confirm if it is a done deal. At the very least, according to Meltzer, the talks may be in the last stages as it has been heavily discussed over the past week. Particularly, the topic was discussed in WWE on February 24.

Mat Men also added that they heard the same about the discussions on February 24, noting that NBC staff were told about the move this week. It was also mentioned in the Meltzer report that pretty much all key NXT staff haven’t been informed about the supposed move.

It was believed that when NBC announced the shutdown of NBC Sports Network later this year and the decision to move some of their content to USA, the National Hockey League could affect WWE programming on the USA Network as it also airs on Wednesdays. WWE president Nick Khan cleared any doubts about this as he revealed that the shutdown would not affect Raw or NXT.

NXT vs Dynamite is the first direct competition among two major wrestling promotion shows in 10 years when TNA moved Impact to Monday nights to compete with Raw back in 2010. It has been over 20 years since the original Monday Night Wars between Raw and WCW’s Monday Nitro that lasted from September 1995 to March 2001.

Raw Ratings Dip For WWE Title Match (3/1)

Andrew Ravens
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Monday’s edition of WWE Raw averaged 1.884 million viewers with a 0.58 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic. This is down from last week 1.889 million viewers with a 0.57 rating). 

Here’s the hourly viewership breakdown for Monday night:

  • The first hour did 1.918 million viewers and a 0.58 rating (A18-49).
  • The second hour did 1.916 million viewers and a 0.60 rating.
  • The final hour of the show had just 1.817 million viewers and a 0.57 rating.

This episode featured The Miz vs. Bobby Lashley for the WWE Title as well as the return of Drew McIntyre, who hadn’t been seen since dropping the title at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event. WWE saved the title match for the main event. 

The last time the company booked a WWE Championship Match on Monday Night Raw was back on the January 4th edition as McIntyre successfully retained against Keith Lee. This show had an increase in viewership due to it being Legends Night as that show did over 2 million viewers. 

SmackDown Viewership

Friday’s SmackDown averaged 2.145 million viewers. This is down from the 2.217 million viewers on FS1 that the show did for the previous week.

SmackDown pulled in a 0.54 rating in the 18-49 demos, down from the 0.59 rating the previous week’s show. The episode drew an average of 2.051 million viewers in the overnight ratings, down from the previous week that did 2.071 million viewers. 

The first hour saw it pull in 2.090 million viewers while hour two did 2.012 million viewers. The show did 2.038 million viewers in hour one while hour two did 2.105 million viewers two weeks ago.

NWA Returning To PPV With “Back for the Attack” (3/21)

Chris Stephens
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The NWA will be returning to PPV in less than 3 weeks. It was revealed today that the National Wrestling Alliance will present “Back for the Attack” on PPV March 21st, 2021.

Nick Aldis, Thunder Rosa, Aron Stevens, Trevor Murdoch, Elijah Burke, Tim Storm, and Kamille are all advertised to take part in the show. The show is currently being listed on FITE.TV for a cost of $19.99 USD.

Recently, many NWA fans became concerned when episodes of “NWA Powerrr” were removed from the promotion’s YouTube channel. It was later reported on Wrestling Observer Radio, that the promotion will conduct TV tapings from March 21st to 24th. Evidently, that first night will be a PPV event.

“So, this is the situation with the NWA. I don’t know why they pulled all their videos from YouTube but they are going to be taping March 21st to 24th and I was told it will come out in the next couple of days why they did it and it will be a positive,” said Dave Meltzer. 

The last set of NWA tapings took place in January of 2020 before the pandemic shut down businesses in the United States. NWA titles were part of the UWN shows at Thunder Studios last fall, but those were ultimately put on hiatus due to increased COVID-19 restrictions as well.

Joey Styles Files Trademark His Wrestling Name

Michael Reichlin
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Joseph Bonsignore is best known to wrestling fans as Joey Styles.

The voice of ECW has been away from the industry for several years, but recently filed a trademark application for the name, “Joey Styles.”

The United States Patent & Trademark Office database shows that Styles filed to trademark the name on February 25th, 2021. The ‘Goods and Services’ usage for the trademark covers the following:

“G & S: Entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibits and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer. FIRST USE: 19920101. USED IN ANOTHER FORM The mark was first used anywhere in a different form other than that sought to be registered at least as early as 11/06/2000.”

Styles previously owned his name, but that mark was canceled in 2019.

After working for ECW from 1993-2001, Styles had a brief stint with Major League Wrestling (MLW) before joining WWE in 2005 for the ECW One Night Stand pay-per-view.

He was a WWE employee up until 2016. Styles was a key executive in WWE’s Digital Media division from 2008-2016. He’s been away from wrestling since 2016.

Darby Allin Comments On “Small-Minded” People In Wrestling

Chris Stephens
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Darby Allin is a creative guy, which may partially explain his popularity. The film school dropout has a big match upcoming this weekend at Revolution. He’ll team with Sting in a street fight against Team Taz’s Brian Cage and Ricky Starks. Allin recently spoke with the Independent and a frequent topic of the discussion centered around creativity in wrestling.

“The biggest advice I’d give to anyone entering wrestling is to bring your outside world into wrestling because there are so many people [who] only know wrestling, and it gets so boring,” Allin said.

“It’s like ‘tell me who you are and what you’re about’ and they say ‘I grew up loving professional wrestling, it’s all I ever wanted, it’s my dream.’ That is so generic that you don’t bring anything to the table. There’s a whole world out there, and so many are so small-minded in wrestling that it’s not even funny.”

“There’s the whole world and I want to explore that world. I don’t want to be in a small bubble with all these people, so I don’t associate with a whole bunch of people, I just like to do my own thing.”

Darby Allin Teaming With Sting

Darby Allin has been aligned with Sting since the legend made his AEW debut at Winter is Coming. This Sunday at Revolution will be Sting’s first match since losing to Seth Rollins at Night of Champions in 2015. During a recent interview, Tony Khan confirmed that Sting has been medically cleared to wrestle.

“He’s been cleared, he’s been fully cleared,” Khan said of Sting. “He’s been training with Darby and sparring partners and he’s been fully cleared to wrestle. In his training, one thing he’s done to get ready with his sparring partners is a powerbomb. In terms of getting ready for this, I was more than fine with it and in fact called it.”

Cesaro Chooses Not To Comment Publicly on WWE Contract Situation

Jake Skudder
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WWE Superstar Cesaro recently spoke to Sports Illustrated. The Swiss ‘Cyborg’ discussed a number of topics during the interview, including his reported WWE contract coming up for renewal in the next few months.

Several reports have indicated that Cesaro’s contract will be running out shortly; although these have not been confirmed by the SmackDown Superstar himself. Cesaro specifically said during the interview with Sports Illustrated that he won’t be discussing the situation in a public forum in any interviews.

“I’m not going to confirm or deny anything” Cesaro stated during the interview. “To me, there needs to be a certain amount of mystery in wrestling. A lot of that magic gets lost, so I’ll let people talk. What is important to me is my work in the ring.”

Cesaro on Possible World Title Run

Cesaro also discussed a potential World Title run whilst contracted with the company. “It’s not up to me to decide what I deserve” Cesaro stated. “In wrestling, that’s up to the fans. I’ll keep working hard to reach my goals. This isn’t just about me. I represent all of Switzerland, all of Germany, all of Italy and all of the international world.”

“Wrestling is a universal language spoken all over the world” Cesaro continued. “I am so proud to be an international representative and do this to the fullest for all the international fans. I came from a country that’s not known for wrestling. I’m bringing an international flavor, showing that anything is possible. I am living my dream, and I bring that kind of realism, passion, and love to WWE. I hope to inspire people to go out and follow what they love.”

Do you think that Cesaro will stay with WWE or let his contract run out? Let us know in the comments

WWE Injury Updates On Asuka, Wes Lee, & Kacy Catanzaro

Chris Stephens
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There are several updates on injured WWE Superstars currently available. According to comments made on Wrestling Observer Radio, Wes Lee really does have a broken hand, Asuka may have more than just a busted tooth, and Kacy Catanzaro is not injured significantly.

“(Asuka) probably got a concussion too,” said Dave Meltzer after it was noted that she suffered a broken tooth on last week’s RAW. “I’m relatively certain she got a concussion because when nobody says it, that’s usually what it means.”

Asuka took a boot to the face from Charlotte Flair, who was actually her teammate against Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax that led to the injury. There is no timetable for her return.

It was also noted during the discussion that Kacy Catanzaro’s “broken leg” in NXT is just an angle.

“It’s not like she’s 100% but she’s fine,” Meltzer said about Catanzaro. In storyline, Catanzaro’s leg was broken by Xia Li as part of her and Kayden Carter’s rivalry with her and Boa.

MSK’s Wes Lee really did break his hand, however. The injury angle on NXT was done to explain why Lee will really be missing some time.

“Wes Lee did have a broken hand, he got it in the tag-team match with Grizzled Young Veterans on the Takeover show on one of his dives. That’s why there’s no tag-team title match with Lorcan and Burch against MSK that was originally scheduled for Wednesday’s show because he’s hurt,” Meltzer said.

Lee Tweeted out an x-ray of the injury:

Jim Crockett Jr. In Hospice Care

Chris Stephens
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Legendary wrestling promoter, Jim Crockett Jr. is in grave condition and currently housed in hospice care. The 76-year-old’s liver and kidneys are both said to be failing. His health was addressed on the most recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio.

“I don’t have a lot of details but from what I understand he took himself off dialysis and he’s in hospice care,” said Dave Meltzer. “That’s kind of a sign that it’s not looking good.”

After taking over his father’s company, Jim Crockett Jr. was elected the NWA President in 1980. He would win two subsequent elections as well. By 1988, WCW and Crockett Promotions were failing financially. He sold his company to Ted Turner but remained on as NWA President until 1991. Crockett would make a few attempts at promoting wrestling in the early to mid-90s but eventually left the industry altogether. He worked as a realtor and mortgage loan originator in the years that followed.

“Please keep Jim Crockett jr in your thoughts & prayers. Legendary promoter, ran a big mama & pop co, good to the talent, helped produce some of the best tv. Him & Dusty allowed me to live my dream by being on tbs after I bombed in WWE. Thanked him @starrcast in 2018,” Tweeted Missy Hyatt.

Randy Orton Rips Soulja Boy For Calling Wrestling Fake

Chris Stephens
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Randy Orton has called out Soulja Boy for comments the rapper made about WWE being fake. Soulja Boy Tweeted out that the rap game is faker than WWE and drew heavy criticism from those in the wrestling industry and some of its fans.

Retribution’s T-Bar then responded to Souja Boy.

“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.

“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.

Orton then noted that Bad Bunny would win in a fight against Soulja Boy.

Soulja Boy then began responding to Orton.

Fans are now hoping to possibly see Orton vs Soulja Boy in a WWE ring someday. Some are event Tweeted out match graphics like the one below:

EvdltuwVcAAmEHB

Big E is hoping the influx of rappers into wrestling will lead to the revival of a once-beloved video game.

Sami Zayn Achieves Major Wrestling Career Milestone

Rayan Sayyed
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Sami Zayn has reached a major milestone in his career as a pro wrestler. Zayn is currently celebrating 19 years since he had his first wrestling match. Zayn said that he had his first wrestling match almost two decades ago, and that he has done well.

He acknowledged the milestone on Twitter to his followers, thanking everyone who has been part of his journey. Zayn wrote, “I had my first wrestling match 19 years ago today. I’ve done well. Thanks to everyone along the way.”

Sami Zayn’s Career

Prior to joining WWE, Sami Zayn worked for Ring of Honor famously under the ring name El Generico. His gimmick was that of a masked Mexican luchador with the “Olé!” catchphrase. Zayn wrestled as El Generico masked from his debut in 2002 until 2013.

He only started performing unmasked until he joined WWE. His first match however was at the FLQ promotion in Quebec back in his home country of Canada. He would wrestle as Stevie McFly in March 2002 in his debut. Zayn would debut the El Generico character a few months later in July 2002 at a IWS Scarred For Life event.

Sami Zayn has achieved much success in the indies in different territories. In Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG), Zayn won the PWG World Championship two times as well the PWG World Tag Team Championship five times.

el generico
Sami Zayn as El Generico

In WWE, Zayn debuted on the main roster on the May 4, 2015 episode of Raw. He was introduced by Bret Hart in Canada during John Cena’s “US Open Challenge”. Since then, Zayn has seen moderate success in his career and went on to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship two times.

Sami Zayn is currently working at the SmackDown brand and has been involved in the Intercontinental Championship scene. He teamed with King Corbin against the Street Profits in a losing attempt during last week’s Friday Night SmackDown.

Christian Shows Off Transformation He Went Through Before WWE Return

Rayan Sayyed
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0

Christian shocked the wrestling world by making his surprise return last month at the Royal Rumble, with the former World Heavyweight Champion stepping foot in the ring to wrestle for the first time in seven years.

Fans noticed how Christian’s physique was in top shape. His body looked as good as any other actively competing wrestler. A fitness company by the name of Nutrition Solutions shared transformation photos of the “Captain Charisma” on Instagram showcasing his transformation when he started preparing for his in-ring return.

“Everyone loves a ‘success story’… But what’s far compelling and relatable, is a story about someone who got to a dark place… decided enough was enough… drew a line in the sand… and then fought their way out of the darkness, back into the light,” the account wrote.

“That’s what Jay Reso, aka @christian4peeps did after going through a character building year, where he eventually found himself somewhere in a place that he refused to stay! Being a pro athlete his entire life who is well known for his work ethic and competitiveness, Jay committed not just to getting himself back in shape, but getting himself in the best shape of his life at 47 years young! And as you can see, in just 5 months time he’s made some remarkable progress! Thank you Jay for doing the work, kicking ass and giving us opportunity to serve you!”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLu6NefF60C/?utm_source=ig_embed

Christian’s Return to WWE

It is without a doubt that Christian’s hard work on his body paid off as his physique appeared in top condition and he performed decently in the ring. Christian has said that being part of the action for so long felt surreal to him and he didn’t know what to expect.

“It was surreal to be honest with you, I didn’t know what to expect. You know it’s funny, everybody has a plan until you get hit. And that’s exactly what happened to me.” said Christian, “I got hit once and I was like, ‘ok, it’s on.’ This is what I was born to do, so I felt like I was home. I was playing coy all day in the locker room since nobody knew what was going on. It was a fun surprise.”

When Christian was asked what’s next for him after his return, he said, “What’s next for me? All I ever promised was one more match. That could be it.”

It has been reported that Christian would be making future appearances, and it is believed that he would be working a part-time schedule. Christian has said that it was a long process for him to get himself in the physical condition to step inside the ring again. He said that seeing his friend Edge return at the Royal Rumble made him think that there’s a possibility for him to make a return to action too. He then hired a nutritionist company and built a gym in his garage to get ready for a potential return.

Shinsuke Nakamura On WWE Role: “Who Said I Am Happy?”

Rayan Sayyed
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0

Shinsuke Nakamura has had a pretty uneventful stint in 2021 so far on Friday Night SmackDown. Back in January, it seemed like Nakamura was going to get involved in the championship picture. He had a very impressive run in the No. 1 contender’s gauntlet match — only for his momentum to be disrupted by Roman Reigns and Jey Uso. This would have been his first involvement in the main event scene since his feud with AJ Styles back in 2018. While the former NXT Champion gained the upper hand on Uso the following week, nothing really came out of it.

Shinsuke Nakamura was then moved back to the mid-card. He is currently involved as a third wheel in the feud between Big E and Apollo Crews. Crews, who just went through a character change and turned heel, took out his frustrations on Nakamura too. They’ve faced one another two weeks in a row on SmackDown.

In a video uploaded to his Instagram, The King of Strong Style cut a promo saying that he’s going to take revenge on Crews.

“Apollo, you’ve changed. Yeah, I respect that, because I’ve changed too. But I don’t respect what you did to Big E; what you did to me tonight,” Shinsuke Nakamura said in the video. “You changed the outfit, you changed the attitude, but you cannot change who you really are and what you’ve done. You like to live in the past, but I am the future. Last week wasn’t personal. I want to be the world champion, you were my opponent. But now, you’ve started something that I will finish. You should remember who I am.”

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CLzG-O6BFsy/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Nakamura Unhappy?

A fan commented on this message and told Nakamura he should stop wasting his talent in WWE. Another fan, replying to this comment, argued, “he’s happy. He gets to surf and work a safer style. Yeah it’d be great to see him go all out again somewhere else… but that’s not what he wants. (sic)”

Shinsuke Nakamura saw the reply suggesting that he’s happy with his position in WWE and replied: “Who said I’m happy? Don’t believe anything other than what I said.”

You can see a screenshot of his comment here:

20210302 153742

There are many fans who think that Shinsuke Nakamura isn’t given enough opportunity to shine in WWE, especially after seeing how he performed back in his home country Japan. There has been an assumption amongst fans that Nakamura gets to collect paychecks while showing up to work in the midcard while getting to live in Florida and surf all he wants.

That being said, Shinsuke Nakamura’s run in WWE hasn’t been all bad. On the main roster, he has held the Intercontinental Championship, the United States Championship, the SmackDown Tag Team Championship with Cesaro and has even gone on to win the 2018 Royal Rumble. We also saw him gain momentum back in January as noted before, and while that fizzled out it wouldn’t be unlikely to see him get back in the scene once again.

WWE RAW Results (3/1): The Miz vs. Bobby Lashley For WWE Title, Drew McIntyre Returns

Robert Lentini
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0

WWE RAW aired live from the ThunderDome inside Tropicana Field. The Miz defended the WWE Championship against Bobby Lashley tonight.

RAW Results (3/1)

  1. Drew McIntyre def. Sheamus
  2. Nia Jax def. Naomi
  3. Hurt Business def. Braun Strowman & Adam Pearce to retain the RAW Tag Titles
  4. Damian Priest def. Elias
  5. Bobby Lashley def. The Miz via count out (Miz retained the WWE Title)
  6. Charlotte Flair def. Shayna Baszler
  7. Riddle & Lucha House Party def. RETRIBUTION
  8. Mustafa Ali def. Riddle in a non-title match
  9. Bobby Lashley def. The Miz to become the new WWE Champion

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

McIntyre Vowed To Win His Title Back

Drew McIntyre returned and said it has been a bitch of a month for him. McIntyre noted that Sheamus ruined their friendship and stabbed him in the back. Drew added that he still doesn’t understand why but he vowed that they were going to beat the hell out of each other in the first match of the night.

McIntyre brought up Lashley attacking him after winning the Elimination Chamber and The Miz cashing in his Money in the Bank contract at the PPV. Drew called The Miz a cockroach but it is all good because he knows his mission now. McIntyre vowed to recapture his WWE Championship and main event WrestleMania once again. Drew said that whoever wins tonight will have the biggest target on their back.

WWE Champion The Miz interrupted and demanded to be officially introduced by the ring announcer. The Miz raised the title as a ridiculous amount of pyro went off behind him. John Morrison asked McIntyre why he would he be upset with The Miz for successfully cashing in the contract and the correct time.

The Miz suggested that Bobby Lashley is the only one at fault and McIntyre said that Miz is going to have to deal with Lashley all by himself. The Miz claimed that he didn’t ask Lashley for help and is the victim in this whole situation. Miz added that he is the father of two baby girls and had to make the deal because Lashley threatened his well being.

Miz said that McIntyre is more deserving of a title shot and suggested that they work together. MVP interrupted and asked Drew if he was taking any of this seriously. McIntyre brought up rejecting MVP’s services last year and that he does not want or need any help regaining his WWE Championship. MVP told Miz that Lashley will win the title tonight and the match will begin at the beginning of the 2nd hour of RAW.

McIntyre def. Sheamus In A Great Match

Sheamus and McIntyre battled in the first match of the night. The two superstars traded punches on the entrance ramp before the match began. WWE officials broke them apart but McIntyre sent the Celtic Warrior over the barricade as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, the match officially started and Sheamus beat down Drew in the corner. McIntyre battled back and lit up Sheamus’ chest with a couple of chops. McIntyre connected with a Suplex and followed it up with a stomp to the side of Sheamus’ head.

Sheamus hit a series of elbows to McIntyre’s jaw and went for the cover but Drew was able to power out at two. McIntyre hit Sheamus with the 10 Beats of the Bodhran but Sheamus caught him with a Brogue Kick. McIntyre tumbled to the floor outside the ring as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Sheamus was in complete control and was targeting his attack on McIntyre’s recently broken jaw. Sheamus then hit the 10 Beats of the Bodhran and McIntyre collapsed to the canvas. McIntyre brought Sheamus out of the ring and hit a Belly to Belly throw that sent Sheamus onto the announce table.

McIntyre broke the count and slammed Sheamus on the table again before the action returned to the ring. Drew climbed to the top turnbuckle and connected with a Flying Clothesline for a two count. McIntyre went for the Future Shock DDT but Sheamus escaped and hit a Clothesline.

Sheamus regrouped in the corner before making his way to the middle turnbuckle. McIntyre hopped up and hit Sheamus with the Glasgow Kiss. McIntyre joined Sheamus on the top rope and slammed him to the canvas for another near fall as RAW went to a commercial break.

Sheamus went for White Noise but McIntyre escaped and rolled up Sheamus for a two count. Sheamus hit a knee to the face and went for the cover but Drew got his shoulders up at the last moment. Sheamus then hit White Noise but McIntyre kicked out once again.

McIntyre hit the Future Shock DDT but Sheamus kicked out at two. Drew went for the Claymore but Sheamus rolled to the apron. Sheamus bounced McIntyre’s face off the turnbuckle and then climbed to the top rope. McIntyre battled back and hit White Noise on Sheamus off the middle rope for another near fall.

Sheamus planted McIntyre with an Alabama Slam and went for the cover but Drew was able to kick out. Sheamus stumbled to his feet in the corner of the ring and went for the Claymore but McIntyre countered with the Claymore for the pinfall victory.

Nia Jax Dominated

Naomi squared off against Nia Jax tonight on RAW. Lana and Shayna Baszler were ringside for the match. Jax controlled the action early and slammed Naomi to the mat. Nia threw Naomi across the ring by her hair and started taunting her.

Jax connected with a headbutt and followed it up with the Samoan Drop. Nia took a break to trash talk with Lana before connecting with a Powerbomb for the pinfall victory.

Strowman Warned Shane McMahon

Braun Strowman marched to the ring and complained about being excluded from the Elimination Chamber match. Strowman claimed that the match sucked because he wasn’t in it and then bitched about having to compete in a tag match with a random partner.

Shane McMahon interrupted and came to the ring with Adam Pearce. Shane stated that Braun’s inability to reach his own personal goals is causing him to get angry. McMahon told Braun that he was out here to help him and has been taking a course about conflict management. Shane joked that it was way above Strowman’s reading level and that the key to resolving a conflict is communication.

Shane added that he made the tag match tonight and not Adam Pearce. McMahon claimed that in order for Strowman to resolve his conflict with WWE management he must work with WWE management. McMahon announced that Adam Pearce will be Strowman’s partner and Braun complained about it. Shane added that the match will be for the RAW Tag Team Championships. Strowman told Pearce that if he screws this up he will get these hands.

Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin then defended the titles against Braun Strowman & Adam Pearce. Strowman leveled Alexander and Benjamin to start off the match. Braun beat down Hurt Business for the next few minutes as Adam Pearce just stood on the ring apron. Strowman went for a shoulder tackle but Cedric got out of the way and Braun crashed into the ring post.

Shelton tagged in and hit Strowman with a knee to the face. Strowman planted Shelton with the Running Powerslam but Strowman hopped on the ring apron. Shane demanded that Pearce tag in and Braun obliged. Shelton rolled up Pearce for the pinfall victory and Hurt Business retained the RAW Tag Team Championships. Strowman shouted at Shane and vowed to wreck this place and it will be on McMahon’s hands.

Damian Priest Picked Up A Victory

Damian Priest faced Elias tonight. Bad Bunny and Jaxson Ryker were ringside for the match. Priest dominated the match early and locked in an Armbar. Elias broke free and connected with a right hand to the face. Priest dropped Elias with a boot to the face and Clotheslined Elias out of the ring as RAW went to a break.

When RAW returned, Priest had Elias in an Armbar again in the middle of the ring. Elias battled to his feet but Damian didn’t release the hold. Elias slammed Damian’s neck into the top rope and unloaded some strikes to the midsection in the corner of the ring.

Elias connected with a boot to the face and then bounced Priest’s head off the ring apron. Elias hit a knee to the face and followed it up with a Clothesline for a two count. Bad Bunny paced around the ringside area as Elias applied a Headlock. Elias went for a cover for a two count before trapping Damian in the Headlock once again.

Priest broke the hold with an elbow to the face and followed it up with a flurry of kicks to the ribs. Damian connected with a Clothesline and then a Splash in the corner. Priest planted Elias with the Broken Arrow and went for the cover but Elias was able to kick out at two.

Damian rolled Elias up but he kicked out and sent Priest to the apron. Elias caught Damian with a knee to the face for another near fall. Elias went for Drift Away but Priest was able to escape. Elias focused his attack on Damian’s lower back and lifted him up in the Electric Chair. Priest escaped and connected with Hit the Lights for the pinfall victory and is still undefeated on the main roster.

Alexa Bliss Interrupted Randy Orton

Randy Orton was interviewed backstage and said Alexa Bliss needs to leave him alone or he will have no compassion for what happens next. Bliss appeared on the screen and said “bring him back”. Alexa laughed and said there is something Randy should know. The screen went black and then a different version of Randy appeared on the screen. Orton’s voice was altered and told himself that he will soon come face to face with everything he has done. Randy then started coughing up the black ooze again to end the segment.

The Miz Got Himself Counted Out

Bobby Lashley came down to the ring for the WWE Championship match. The Miz’s theme hit but the WWE Champion didn’t come down to the ring. Miz was then shown holding his stomach and John Morrison said he was sick.

The Miz stated that he couldn’t defend the title because he was cramping up. Adam Pearce showed up and Lashley sprinted backstage. The Miz told Pearce that he needs some more time and Lashley grabbed Miz by the throat. Lashley shoved Miz to the floor and Pearce told him that he will defend the title at 10 PM.

The Miz and Lashley came to the ring and once again Miz started stalling. Miz said Lashley was waited 17 years for this moment and this isn’t the stage. The Miz suggested Lashley get his title match in the main event of WrestleMania. MVP said the match is happening right now and Miz threw the microphone out of the ring. Miz rolled out of the ring right as the bell rang and sprinted backstage with the WWE Championship. The referee then counted Miz out to end the match. Lashley was awarded the victory but the title cannot change hands via a count out.

Shane McMahon told Lashley that there will be a WWE Championship tonight and will think about stripping Miz of the title if he doesn’t defend it.

Charlotte Flair def. Shaya Baszler

Charlotte Flair came to the ring and said she wanted to team with Asuka when she came back and kick ass with someone she respects. Flair noted that she got tangled up with her dad and Lacey Evans and she told Ric to go home last week. Charlotte added that we are six weeks away from WrestleMania and nobody has challenged Asuka for the RAW Women’s Championship at WrestleMania.

Flair said she wants the RAW Women’s Championship but Asuka is at home injured. Charlotte stated that when Asuka comes back, Charlotte is going to challenge her for the title. Shayna Baszler then interrupted and told Charlotte that she is an army of one and is fighting an uphill battle. Baszler boasted about knocking Asuka’s teeth out and claimed that her and Nia are the most dominant force in WWE.

Jax claimed that nobody likes Flair and that the locker room wishes she sent herself home instead of her father. Nia added that it is going to be one of them that challenges Asuka for the title. Shayna and Nia then attacked Charlotte before the match. Jax hit Charlotte with a Leg Drop as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Shayna was in control but Flair quickly battled back. Charlotte went for a Figure Four but Shayna sent her out of the ring. Flair sent Jax into the steel steps and got back into the ring. Baszler locked in the Kirifuda Clutch but Charlotte broke free and hit Natural Selection for the pinfall victory.

Opinion: It is impossible to feel any sympathy for Charlotte Flair in my opinion. I have zero interest in her against Asuka at WrestleMania and it was ridiculous that she defeated Shayna Baszler so easily. Charlotte was attacked before the match, slipped the Kirifuda Clutch like it was nothing, and won with ease by hitting Natural Selection. Shayna referred to her an Nia as the most dominant force in WWE right before the loss. It is tough to think of a worse way to promote the women’s tag title match this Wednesday on NXT than this.

Mustafa Ali Pinned The US Champion

United States Champion Riddle and Lucha House Party faced RETRIBUTION tonight with Mustafa Ali ringside. Lince Dorado hit T-Bar with a Splash for the quick pinfall victory. After the match, Mustafa demanded a match against Riddle as RAW went to a break.

Mustafa Ali dominated early and targeted Riddle’s elbow. Ali planted Riddle with a Neckbreaker for a two count. Riddle connected with a Pele Kick and then an Exploder Suplex. Riddle followed it up with a Broton and went for the cover but Ali kicked out at two. Riddle hit the Final Flash but Slapjack hopped up on the apron. Reckoning and Mace distracted Riddle as well and Ali hit a rough looking Backstabber off the top rope for the pinfall victory.

Opinion: I cannot make sense of Riddle, the new United States Champion, losing to the leader of a group that has become a joke.

Bobby Lashley Captured The WWE Championship

The Miz once again defended the WWE Championship against Lashley in the main event.

Shane McMahon came to the entrance ramp before the match and brought out some lumberjacks. Hurt Business and the rest of the RAW locker room surrounded the ring as the bell rang. The Miz tried to hit Lashley with the title to get disqualified but Lashley blocked it. The Miz tried to hide behind the ring post but Lashley beat him donw.

The Miz rolled out of the ring but Hurt Business rolled him back inside. Lashley hit the Flatliner and unloaded some punches to Miz’s face. Bobby planted Miz with a Spinebuster and applied the Hurt Lock for the submission victory. Bobby Lashley is the new WWE Champion.

Bobby Lashley Wins WWE Title On Raw

Andrew Ravens
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The Miz made unsuccessful title defense as WWE Champion on Monday’s episode of Raw against Bobby Lashley. 

WWE kept delaying the time of the match as originally it was supposed to be at the top of the second hour, but Miz claimed he was sick and got it delayed another hour, but Miz ran away when the bell rang and Lashley won by count-out. Finally, the match with a few minutes left in the show after it was rescheduled took place with some lumberjacks around the ring. 

Miz tried to get DQ’d by hitting Lashley with the title, but Lashley blocked it. Lashley got a hold of him and hit the flatliner before locking in the Hurt Lock for the win. 

WWE set up this contest after the opening segment of last week’s Raw when Lashley told Miz that he demanded Miz to give him a title shot because he laid out McIntyre ahead of Miz cashing in the MITB briefcase. 

An hour later, Miz said that he need more time, which led to Braun Strowman coming out and demanding a title shot. Lashley beat Strowman in a singles match last week. The match had a stipulation of if Strowman had won then he would’ve been added to this title match and turn it into a three-way. 

After last week’s match, The Miz attempted to attack Lashley, who saw it and laid out the WWE Champion with a spinebuster and spear, standing strong to close out the show.

Bobby Lashley Talks When He Plans To Retire

Andrew Ravens
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Bobby Lashley is currently being pushed as one of the top stars of WWE Raw, but at 44-years-old, some fans are curious as to when he plans to wrap up his pro wrestling career. 

He spoke about retirement while doing an interview with Bleacher Report. According to Lashley, he has a few years left. 

“I know with my career that it’s not going to be a thing where I have 10, 15, 20 more years. Some of these guys do, so mine is kind of a sprint right now. I don’t mind that. I don’t mind ramping it up a little bit because, like I said, I don’t have 10 to 15 more years. I have a few more years left. There’s a lot of goals I want to accomplish, so I have to go hard. My body’s been able to take the abuse I’ve given it, and I knew I could keep going, so I knew it was my time.”

Lashley has had two stints with WWE, the first being from 2005-2008. He then went to TNA Wrestling in 2009 and lasted a year there. He then returned to the promotion as it’s now called Impact Wrestling in 2014 until 2018. In total, he held the World Title four times. He returned to WWE in 2018. 

Lashley is coming off an impressive United States Title reign, which ended at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event, and currently in a feud with The Miz for the WWE Title.

Chelsea Green Signs Contract Extension With WWE

Chris Stephens
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Chelsea Green has signed a new deal with WWE. The extension is reportedly for 3 years, according to a report at Fightful. Her previous deal was set to run out sometime over the summer.

Green signed with WWE in the fall of 2018. She performed in NXT up until last May when she fired her then-manager, Robert Stone, in storyline. It was reported that she was to be called up to the main roster shortly but didn’t end up doing so until that November. She wrestled in a Survivor Series qualifying 4-way match on the November 13th, 2020 Smackdown and broke her wrist. It was later reported that Green had been scheduled to win the match but it was changed so that Liv Morgan picked up the victory. Green has been on the shelf ever since.

The 29-year-old is from Victoria, BC, Canada and trained at Lance Storm’s Storm Wrestling Academy in Calgary, AB, Canada. She had a run with Impact Wrestling from 2016-2018 as Laurel Van Ness. Her time in Impact included a reign as Knockouts Champion and also as a key player in one of the most famous wrestling weddings of all time.

Green actually made her WWE programming debut just months into her wrestling career. She was cast as Daniel Bryan’s physiotherapist in 2014. Her debut can be viewed in the player below:

WWE Raw Preview: Miz vs. Lashley, Road To Fastlane

Michael Reichlin
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WWE returns to St. Petersburg, FL tonight for an all-new episode of WWE Raw from the ThunderDome at Tropicana Field.

Here are the top items scheduled for Raw:

  • WWE Champion The Miz defends against Bobby Lashley
  • Drew McIntyre will address Bobby Lashley’s attack at Elimination Chamber
  • Women’s Royal Rumble winner Bianca Belair has selected SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks as her WrestleMania opponent. Who will step up to challenge Raw Women’s Champion Asuka at the Show of Shows?
  • The road to WWE Fastlane continues. WWE’s next pay-per-view takes place in less than three weeks on Sunday, March 21st.

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

Catch up on the Top 10 Moments from last week’s show:

Triple H On Why Vince McMahon Was Hesitant About His Documentary

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE executive vice president Triple H recently appeared on Roz & Mocha where he talked about a number of things including the upcoming Netflix documentary on Vince McMahon. The Game revealed that the Boss had always been hesitant to agree to a documentary on himself because he thought that nobody was interested in knowing about him:

“Prior to now, Vince was always hesitant to do it. With Vince, he really doesn’t see himself — while Mr. McMahon is one of the most epic characters ever, he doesn’t see himself as part of the programming. when you ask him about those things, he goes, ‘Nobody is interested in me. They want to know about the stars and performers.'”

Triple H continued by claiming that the story of the WWE chairman is amazing and every chapter of his life is unbelievable. The former world champion explained that no one gives Mr McMahon the credit for all the things he has been through and most people only see him as the evil tyrant businessman:

“The truth is, they do (want to know about Vince). The most difficult thing with Vince’s life is making it succinct. Every chapter of his life is a whole other unbelievable story. His story is amazing, all the things he’s been through, the trials and tribulations of getting to where he is. No one gives him the credit; they just see this billion-dollar global empire he’s created and see him as the evil tyrant businessman,”

WWE announced back in October 2020 that Netflix will be producing a multi-part documentary focused on the chairman of the boards. The director behind Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened, Chris Smith will be directing the series while Bill Simmons will be serving as the executive producer. The documentary series is set to be one of the highest budgeted Netflix documentaries of all time, though no timetable for its release has been revealed so far.

Big Cass Comments On His Return, Redemption Journey

Anutosh Bajpai
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caZXL, best known as former WWE star Big Cass, returned to in-ring action over the weekend. He was away from the ring for over a year.

The former NXT star took on his Twitter to comment on his comeback after the video of his return made headlines over the weekend.

Cass thanked wrestling fans, for their support and Impact Wrestling Tag Team Champion Doc Gallows for the booking opportunity.

“After a long journey filled with an enormous amount of self-reflection, I now start my journey towards redemption. Thank you @The_BigLG for the opportunity, and thank you to everyone for continuing to believe in me #StraightOuttaStep12”

Big Cass’ Road to Redemption

Big Cass, who was once being eyed for a push in WWE after his break up with Enzo Amore, was released in 2018 due to behavioral issues.

He returned to the independent circuit after his release and made appearances for several well-known promotions but the former WWE star also got into some controversies in the months following his release.

He finally took some time off after an event in September 2019 and Enzo Amore had revealed that he had taken time off to seek help for his issues. This was Cass’ first wrestling appearance since then.

Big Cass also released a new shirt “Straight Outta Step 12” with the proceeds going to the Herren Project. It’s a nonprofit organization that was founded in 2011 and provides free resources and support for the treatment, recovery, and prevention of substance use disorder.

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