SEScoops

Author: Anutosh Bajpai

  • Lana Got A Call From Vince McMahon After Dying Her Hair Blue

    WWE is very careful about how they present their stars. The officials do not like even the slightest appearance changes made by their talents on their own, and Lana found this out the hard way.

    The former WWE star recently took part in a virtual signing with East Coast Autograph Auctions . She recalled how she once changed the color of her hair to blue.

    \"Lana

    However, according to Lana, the WWE officials were not very happy with this change. Not only was she confronted by Michael Hayes about it but the female star even got a call from Vince McMahon himself.

    \”So, I did my hair blue and Michael Hayes walks up to me and is like, \’What are you doing?\’ \’I don\’t know, it matches my costume.\’ He\’s like, \’No, no, no. no.\’ I showed up with blonde hair the next day and he\’s like, \’Ah, you look great.\’ So, there you go,\”

    Vince\’s Reaction to Lana\’s Blue Hair

    Lana added, \”I also got a call from Vince McMahon about the blue hair. I\’ll have to be blonde forever.\”

    Lana isn\’t the only one who got in trouble for changing her hair. Her husband Miro (Rusev) has stated that WWE fined and punished him for cutting up his long hair during his early run with the promotion.

    Lana was one of the many stars released by WWE earlier this year on June 2. Even though her non-compete clause has already expired, the wrestling star has not confirmed any future plans for her just yet.

    CJ Perry: WWE Doesn’t Own ‘Lana’ Name

  • Original WWE Draft Plans For Lashley, Street Profits & More

    WWE had planned Bobby Lashley to be the #1 pick for Raw during night 1 of WWE Draft on Friday\’s SmackDown, according to PWinsider. The idea behind it was that the All Mighty\’s pick instead of Big E would have worked as a cliffhanger

    People would have had to tune in to this week\’s episode of Raw to know which brand the WWE champion would land on, especially with his New Day partners Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston being drafted to SmackDown.

    These plans were dropped over the course of the day of last week\’s SmackDown. The company replaced Lashley with Big E as the #1 pick for the red brand. Bobby Lashley himself was drafted to Raw on Monday.

    The officials also seriously considered breaking up The Street Profits. The plan was that Montez Ford would be moved to Raw alongside his wife Bianca Belair while Angelo Dawkins would remain on SmackDown.

    WWE cooled down on the idea over the course of last week. So the plan was changed to all three of these names being drafted to Raw instead of two.

    The Street Profits did not break up during the show but WWE did end up splitting the team of T-Bar and Mace. The former was drafted to Raw while the latter ended up being picked by SmackDown.

    WWE Draft Night 2 Results: All On Air Draft Picks

  • WWE Superstars React To Night 2 Draft Picks

    The night two of WWE Draft brought in almost as many surprises as the first night. WWE superstars have been reacting to the picks made during this week\’s Raw on social media all night.

    Bobby Lashley who was the #1 draft pick of the night for the red brand posted a photo with MVP and wrote that the business will continue to bloom.

    Seth Rollins reacted to becoming part of the red roster once again by posting some gifs. He also made a tweet reading: \”Monday Night Rollins Forever\”

    Ricochet was interviewed backstage after he was drafted to SmackDown. He claimed that maybe SmackDown is where he needs to be to achieve what he wants, mentioning how the past couple of months for him on Raw have been a slump.

    Finn Balor made several tweets after being brought back to Raw. He replied to tweets from people like Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens. The former NXT champion also sent a tweet to his fellow former Bullet Club member AJ Styles.

    Sami Zayn, who became the final pick of the night seemed unhappy with his late selection. He first said that his name might not be in the draft list at all before making another tweet about being the last pick.

    You can check out all the reactions below:

    https://twitter.com/fightbobby/status/1445189951063273472

  • Bayley, Asuka Among Names To Become Free Agents After WWE Draft

    A number of WWE superstars have become free agents after not being picked by any brands during the WWE Draft including the former women\’s champion Bayley.

    Brock Lesnar announced during night 1 of WWE Draft at last week\’s SmackDown that he had become a free agent thanks to his advocate Paul Heyman.

    A number of other stars then became free agents after they weren\’t mentioned during the main or additional drafts on night 2 of WWE Draft.

    The list of people who have become free agents include Brock Lesnar, Asuka, Bayley, Elias, Eva Marie, Gran Metalik, John Cena, Lacey Evans, Lince Dorado, Shane McMahon, Slapjack and Titus O’Neil.

    Out of these names, both Metalik and Lince Dorado are said to be unhappy with their bookings as of late. Reports even suggested that Gran Metalik has asked for his release from the company.

    Though WWE has announced that the roster changes made during the Draft will not come into effect until the Crown Jewel PPV which will be taking place on October 21.

    So it\’s likely that at least some of these free agents will be assigned a brand before that. It would be interesting to see which brand talent like Asuka and Bayley end up on.

    WWE Draft Night 2 Results: All On Air Draft Picks

  • WWE Crown Jewel Updated Match Card: Bobby Lashley Vs. Goldberg Stipulation Match Announced

    WWE has announced that Bobby Lashley will be taking on Goldberg in a No Holds Barred match at the upcoming Crown Jewel pay-per-view from Saudi Arabia.

    These two heavyweight stars originally collided at the SummerSlam PPV in a WWE championship match in August. The All-Mighty won this match when his opponent was declared unable to compete due to a knee injury.

    However, Lashley continued attacking the former WCW star afterward. He attacked Goldberg\’s son Gage when he came to check on his father as well. Goldberg had vowed to take revenge over this.

    This week\’s Raw then saw the former Universal champion challenging Lashley for the bout. Bobby Lashley was the one who suggested the stipulation for the match.

    WWE Crown Jewel 2021 Updated Match Card

    WWE announced a few other matches for the Crown Jewel PPV alongside Lashley vs. Goldberg during the night. You can check out the updated card for the show below:

    • Universal Championship Match: Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns
    • WWE Championship Match: Drew McIntyre vs. Big E
    • Triple Threat SmackDown Women’s Championship Match: Sasha Banks vs. Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch
    • Raw Tag Team Championship Match: AJ Styles and Omos vs. Randy Orton and Riddle
    • No Holds Barred Match: Bobby Lashley vs. WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg

    WWE Crown Jewel will take place on October 21 from the Mohammed Abdu Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    WWE RAW Results (10/4): WWE Draft Night 2, Goldberg Returns, Belair vs. Flair

  • WWE Announces Additional Draft Picks After Raw

    The WWE Draft continued after this week\’s episode of Raw during Raw Talk. The company announced some additional draft picks during the show.

    The show saw picks such as The Miz being drafted to the red brand. His former tag team partner John Morrison was picked by the show as well last week.

    The Hurt Business\’ Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander also remained on Raw after Bobby Lashley was confirmed to be staying on the same brand earlier in the night during WWE Draft.

    WWE Draft Night 2: All Additional Draft Picks

    A total of 16 superstars were picked by the brands in the additional picks made during Raw Talk. Here is a list of stars that were drafted during the show:

    Raw Picks

    • Dana Brooke
    • Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode
    • Jaxson Ryker
    • Veer
    • Liv Morgan
    • Mia Yim
    • Tamina Snuka
    • Tegan Nox
    • Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander
    • The Miz

    SmackDown Picks

    • Jinder Mahal
    • Shanky
    • Natalya
    • Shotzi Blackheart

    The company has confirmed that the updated rosters will not come to effect until the 2021 Crown Jewel PPV on October 21.

    Many stars have become free agents after not being picked during the WWE Draft and it will be interesting to see what the officials have planned for them.

    Gable Steveson Reacts To Being Drafted To Raw

  • Gable Steveson Reacts To Being Drafted To Raw

    The biggest surprise coming out of night two of WWE Draft on Monday\’s episode of Raw was the red brand picking up Gable Steveson to join their roster.

    WWE showed a video of the Olympic gold medallist with his parents after his pick was announced. The amateur wrestling star also took on his Twitter to react to the news:

    SHOCKER!@GableSteveson has been drafted to #WWERaw in the sixth round of the #WWEDraft. pic.twitter.com/z2pwjPMnza

    — WWE (@WWE) October 5, 2021
    https://twitter.com/GableSteveson/status/1445217691678265345

    While Gable Steveson had been talking about a potential WWE career since last year, the 21-year-old was officially signed by the promotion only last month.

    The Olympic star himself had revealed after his signing that there was a good chance he would skip an NXT run and be sent to main roster directly. Though very few expected it to happen this soon.

    It\’s unknown what Steveson\’s immediate role on Raw will be but reports suggest that he will go full time in May 2022. So it\’s possible that he will be more focused on his pro wrestling training and make sporadic appearances till then.

    The night two of WWE Draft brought in some other surprises as well such as both SmackDown women\’s champion Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins being drafted to Raw from SmackDown and more.

    You can check out all the draft picks made during the show here.

  • WWE Draft Night 2 Results: All On Air Draft Picks

    WWE Draft continued on this week\’s episode of Raw. The show saw some changes that were expected after last Friday\’s SmackDown and a couple of surprises as well.

    After the Raw women\’s champion Charlotte Flair was drafted to the blue brand, many believed Becky Lynch will be shifted to Raw to balance the star power, and this change was made official with the very first draft pick of the night.

    The WWE Draft brought in some unexpected changes for the second night of the event as well, such as the former Universal champion Finn Balor being moved to Raw or Sheamus being picked up by SmackDown.

    Though probably the biggest surprise of the night was Raw picking 2020 Olympic gold medallist Gable Steveson to join the red roster in the final round of the draft.

    SHOCKER!@GableSteveson has been drafted to #WWERaw in the sixth round of the #WWEDraft. pic.twitter.com/z2pwjPMnza

    — WWE (@WWE) October 5, 2021

    WWE Draft Night 2

    A total of 24 picks were made on air during the WWE Draft on this week\’s episode of Raw. You can check out the night 2 draft picks below:

    Raw Picks:

    • SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch
    • Bobby Lashley
    • Seth Rollins
    • United States Champion Damian Priest
    • AJ Styles and Omos
    • Kevin Owens
    • Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins
    • Finn Balor
    • Karrion Kross
    • Alexa Bliss
    • Carmella
    • Olympic gold medallist Gable Steveson

    SmackDown Picks:

    • SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos
    • Sasha Banks
    • Intercontinental Champion King Shinsuke Nakamura and Rick Boogs
    • Sheamus
    • Shayna Baszler
    • Xia Li
    • The Viking Raiders
    • Ricochet
    • Humberto Carrillo and Angel Garza
    • Cesaro
    • Ridge Holland
    • Sami Zayn

    You can check out the Draft picks from night 1 here and the additional picks announced after SmackDown here.

    Big E vs. Drew McIntyre Set For WWE Crown Jewel, Updated Card

  • Riddle Gives His Thoughts On NXT 2.0

    As one of the final stars to be called up to the main roster before the rebranding of NXT, Riddle likes the revamp of the brand. He thinks they are doing a good job of pushing new talent. One-half of the current Raw tag team champions recently made an appearance on the After The Bell podcast. He discussed topics such as the biggest thing he has learned from Randy Orton and more.

    Giving his thoughts on the re-design of WWE\’s third brand, Riddle said that he likes the new colors. Though he is not so sure about the 2.0 moniker:

    “I like the colors, I like the colorfulness, but I don’t know about the 2.0, I don’t think they needed the 2.0, but hey, I get it, we’ve evolved to the next level of NXT. I like it. I feel like, right now, they’re doing a great job of catering and pushing newer talent. Instead of getting guys with huge independent reputations and just putting them in the forefront, it’s really good that they’re building stars.\”

    Riddle Compares Bron Breakker To Goldberg

    The former UFC star also gave his opinion on the fastest rising star of NXT 2.0, Bron Breakker. Riddle claimed that the son of wrestling veteran Rick Steiner reminds him of a young Goldberg with the way he moves around the ring:

    “Bron Breakker, dude’s a house, guys pretty stacked, you know? I mean, right now, he reminds me of a younger Goldberg. I feel like him on the mic, he’s very short, very intense, and then in the ring, he’s not doing a lot of dips and dives, but he definitely gets the job done. The guys a ball of muscle, that’s all I can say.\”

    The Raw star continued by saying that he thinks of Bron when he thinks about up and coming future guys. He claimed that the heavyweight star could be fighting for the world championship in three years. Riddle admitted that only time will tell whether this actually happens, but from what he has seen, Bron Breakker seems to have a bright future ahead.

    Riddle On His Relationship With Vince McMahon

  • TJP On How He Got Chosen To Play Suicide In Impact Wrestling

    The Suicide character in Impact Wrestling has been portrayed by more than half a dozen wrestlers over the years. One of them is the former WWE star TJP. The former cruiserweight champion recently had an interview with Cageside Seats. Among other things, he explained how he got chosen to play the character.

    TJP first recalled the time the character made its debut in December 2007 portrayed by Frankie Kazarian. The high flying star remembered how Kazarian was reluctant about it and Christopher Daniels had joked that he should play the character instead:

    \”He [Frankie Kazarian] didn’t want to do it, he wasn’t having it. We all sat around the locker room and Christopher Daniels joked, ‘TJ should just be Suicide, he’s already in a mask,’ because I was Puma at the time.”

    How TJP Got To Be Suicide

    Perkins finally got the chance to play the character in May 2013. Explaining how he got the role, TJP revealed the officials originally wanted to bring it back for one night only. Since his Puma character was not being used at the time, the former 205 live star volunteered for the role:

    \”They were bringing it back for one night only as maybe nostalgia. I don’t think they knew who they wanted to portray it. I said, ‘If you don’t have any idea for this, I’d be happy to do it.’ At the time, I was tired of sitting at home. They said, ‘Good idea.’ One night turned into two, turned into three.\”

    The former Impact star continued to portray the character for a while before Suicide was revealed to be Perkins during an episode of Impact in June 30, 2013. His ring name was changed to Manik. TJP continued portraying the Manik character till he took his mask off in September 2015. Suicide has since made a few appearances on Impact and he even teamed with Manik in March 2020.

  • Riddle On The Biggest Thing He Has Learned From Randy Orton

    Matt Riddle is not only winning titles with Randy Orton as part of their RK-Bro tag team in WWE but he is learning a lot of things from the wrestling veteran as well. The former UFC star recently made an appearance on After The Bell. He discussed things such as how he is able to be himself in WWE and more.

    Discussing his partnership with the Viper, the former NXT star said that Randy has thought him a lot. He explained that in indies they had a much faster workrate:

    “Randy, over the time we’ve been working together, he’s taught me so much.  The way he moves in the ring, I think for me being from the indies, you have a faster workrate.  You’re trying to get everything in.  You’re only given a certain amount of time.  You’re trying to do everything you can do, instead of making the most of what you’re doing. \”

    Riddle On What He Has Learned From Randy Orton

    \"\"
    Riddle\’s relationship with Orton has evolved over time

    Now that he is working with the 14-time world champion, Matt Riddle said that he feels like he is able to get the most out of what he does:

    \”Working with Randy, I feel like instead of killing myself, which I still do, but I think I’m getting the most out of doing what I do now.  That’s the biggest thing I’ve learned from Randy.”

    Riddle also discussed the ongoing Draft and claimed that he wants to stay on Raw because he loves the show. The current champion mentioned how some people don\’t like the three-hour show but he loves it because he gets the time to not only wrestle but to talk and have fun as well.

    Riddle On His Relationship With Vince McMahon

  • Nia Jax Expected To Take Time Off From WWE Programming (Report)

    Nia Jax is expected to take an extended period off from WWE programming after recent injury angle on the September 20 episode of Monday Night Raw.

    We have seen former NXT star Shayna Baszler talking out both her former tag team partner and Eva Marie by stomping their hands after putting them inside the steel steps in the past couple of weeks.

    In an update, PWinsider is reporting that Marie was backstage for Friday\’s episode of SmackDown. She was selling her injury by wearing a sling all night.

    As for Jax, she wasn\’t seen in the arena at all. Word is that the former women\’s champion is taking an extended period off from WWE programming. The attack from Baszler was to write her off TV.

    WWE has announced storyline injuries to both the female stars. Eva Marie is suffering from possible dislocated elbow while Jax is out with an elbow posterior fracture and dislocation in left elbow.

    Based on these reports, we can expect Marie to stay out of action in near future. Though it\’s possible that she still makes on screen appearances.

    Nia Jax who was drafted to Raw during the additional draft picks made after SmackDown will likely not be seen on TV at all in the coming weeks.

    Nia Jax Criticized For COVID-19 Comments

  • Big E Discusses Potential Match With Goldberg, His Part-Time Schedule

    Big E understands the fan notion about part-time talents such as Goldberg taking the spotlight from full-time wrestlers like himself, but he thinks from the perspective of such stars as well. The WWE champion recently had an interview with Renee Paquette for her Oral Sessions podcast. During the talk, he discussed things such as paying tribute to Brodie Lee on Raw and more.

    E has previously said that he would love to be the one to retire Goldberg. He continued talking about this bout during his appearance, mentioning how he once thought he would never get the match:

    \”There’s a bunch of things that I never, you know, like the Goldberg match. When I was making my stupid little comebacks about being a main event, I never thought I’d get the Goldberg match. But now I sit in a position where, you know, maybe if I make enough noise, we can get that done.\”

    Big E On Fan Sentiment About Part Time Stars

    \"Goldberg\"
    A 54-year-old Goldberg has won the Universal title twice since his 2016 return

    Big E also discussed the sentiment people have about part-time stars. He claimed that he understands and appreciates the fans who have an affinity to full-time performers. Though he also discussed things from the perspective of the former WCW star:

    \”And you know people will feel different ways about that. I understand that and I appreciate fans who have an affinity to the performers who are there, on the house shows, working every single night. Because I feel like we are the heart of this company. We’re the ones that keep this thing going.

    But in the same vain, if someone were to throw a bundle of cash at me at age 50 to work two or three times a year, who am I to turn that down? So we’ll see.\”

    The New Day star also commented on his feelings after the big WWE championship win. He explained how he doesn\’t ever want to feel like he has made it because that\’s the point where you stop growing. Big E cashed in his Money In The Bank contract on Bobby Lashley to win the WWE championship on September 13 Raw.

    When Did Big E Know He Was Winning WWE Title?

  • Rumor Killer On Future Of Bray Wyatt

    There has been a rumor going around that Bray Wyatt has agreed to a deal with Impact Wrestling but latest reports suggest that this news is not correct.

    Although Impact does have an interest in bringing the former WWE Superstars, Fightful notes that no deal has been made between the two parties.

    Impact officials asked one of their roster members to reach out to Wyatt but they are nowhere close to reaching an agreement. The report doesn\’t state the name of the Impact star who reached out to Bray.

    The eater of worlds was released from his WWE contract back on July 31 after more than a decade with the promotion. His non-compete clause is set to expire later this month on Friday, October 29.

    Bray Wyatt has been teasing his next move on social media. In a Twitter post last month, the Fiend promised to see everyone very soon. He then responded to some comments from Seth Rollins about their Hell In A Cell match.

    Though despite the teases, there is no word yet on which company he is leaning towards and no clear indication of what the former champion is planning for his future.

    Bray Wyatt ‘Fiend’ Sign Confiscated At WWE SummerSlam

  • Jinder Mahal Disputes Notion That WWE Doesn\’t Create New Stars Anymore

    WWE\’s declining ratings are generally attributed to the notion of the officials blocking the rise of new stars. Though Jinder Mahal doesn\’t agree with this sentiment. The former WWE champion recently had an interview with Inside The Ropes. Discussing the belief that WWE doesn\’t create new stars anymore, he named the stars of different generations including his own:

    “Yeah, they absolutely do. That’s what we’re in the business of, right? Just being a fan myself. So I grew up first the Hulk Hogan era. Then the new stars came Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, Mankind, right? And the new stars came the next generation – Rock, Stone Cold and then the next generation after that, Randy Orton and John Cena, Batista, right? And then the next generation after that, I guess, is possibly my generation, right? Me, Drew McIntyre, Big E, Bobby Lashley, Kofi Kingston, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins.”

    Jinder Mahal Believes WWE Still Creates New Stars

    \"\"
    Jinder Mahal had a 170 day long WWE title reign in 2017

    The former NXT star went on to describe how the names he listed alongside his own are all first-time world champions. Jinder Mahal explained that out of the total 53 WWE champions in the history of the company, 10 have been crowned in the past decade which is a proof of the fact that WWE still creates stars:

    “So actually, I started with WWE in 2010 and all those champions that I’ve listed are first-time champions and there’s more that I’ve missed. So in the last ten years, we have had several champions. And if you look back in the 70-year history, I believe we’re at number 53. Ten have happened in the ten years. I think that speaks for itself, that we are creating new stars.

    Mahal went on to say that looking at the stats will make people realize that there have been a lot of first-time champions. He claimed that people just need to sit back and enjoy the product and let the storylines unfold. Jinder Mahal won the WWE Championship from Randy Orton at Backlash in May 2017. He held the title for a total of 170 days before dropping it to AJ Styles in November the same year.

    Jinder Mahal Denies Being Experimental WWE Champion

  • WWE Announces Additional Draft Picks After SmackDown

    WWE Draft began on this Friday\’s SmackDown. The show saw several surprising changes such as the WWE Hall Of Famer Edge moving to Raw or The New Day members Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods moving to the blue brand without Big E.

    However, the company only announced a total of 16 draft picks on air during the episode, which left a lot of eligible superstars undrafted.

    The promotion later continued the Draft on Talking Smack and announced additional picks for both the brands before next Monday\’s episode of Raw.

    During the show, Raw picked Nia Jax, John Morrison, WWE 24/7 Champion Reggie, R-Truth, Drake Maverick, T-BAR, Akira Tozawa, Otis, Chad Gable, Apollo Crews, Commander Azeez, Doudrop, and Zelina Vega for the brand.

    On the other hand, SmackDown drafted stars such as Aliyah, Drew Gulak, Mace, Mansoor, Mustafa Ali, and Toni Storm to the blue brand\’s roster.

    WWE Draft will continue on Raw with stars such as Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins, and Bobby Lashley being available to be picked by either of the brands.

    You can see all the draft picks made during this week\’s episode of SmackDown here and check out the reactions of stars such as Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston on the breakup of The New Day here.

  • WWE Superstars React To Night 1 Draft Picks

    Night 1 of WWE Draft on SmackDown featured some surprises. WWE stars have been reacting to the picks on social media since the show went off the air.

    After becoming the #1 overall draft pick, the Universal champion Roman Reigns tweeted a couple of pictures of himself and wrote \”I am the one.\”

    One of the most surprising changes of the nights was Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods once again being separated from Big E. The New Day members were drafted to SmackDown while the WWE champion remained on Raw.

    Kingston seemed excited with this change and he made a tweet about being part of the blue brand now. He also seemed hopeful about E possibly being drafted to SmackDown as well during night 2 of WWE Drafts on Raw.

    Woods on the other hand didn\’t seem very enthusiastic. He posted a video and noted how it does not make sense to pick only two out of three members of their faction.

    Austin Theory who was drafted to Raw was interviewed backstage afterward. He was very excited over WWE Draft and claimed that the red brand just became all day.

    One interesting reaction came from none other than Becky Lynch herself. A fan tweeted at her saying that Bianca Belair was picked before The Man.

    Replying to it, the SmackDown women\’s champion mentioned how she is not eligible to be picked up until night 2 of the WWE Draft and gave her reason for it.

    You can check out all the reactions below:

    https://twitter.com/MsCharlotteWWE/status/1444089750244270082

  • WWE Draft Night 1 Results: All On Air Draft Picks

    The first night of WWE Drafts on SmackDown saw some surprising picks and gave people a lot to talk about until Monday\’s episode of Raw.

    Many of the stars stayed on the same brand as expected. SmackDown picked the Universal champion Roman Reigns as their first pick of the night while Raw chose Big E as their #1 pick.

    Some big brand switches that were teased in the past couple of days also got confirmed during the WWE Draft. The most notable of them was the former WWE champion Drew McIntyre being picked by the blue brand.

    The company had a few surprises in store too. The first of them was SmackDown picking the Raw women\’s champion Charlotte Flair in the first round.

    Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston being drafted to SmackDown was a big surprise as well. This was especially shocking because the duo had only reunited with Big E on Raw a few weeks before WWE Draft.

    WWE Draft Night 1 Result: All Draft Picks Made On Air

    A total of 16 picks were made on air during tonight\’s episode of SmackDown. Here is a list of all the stars picked by both the brands during tonight\’s show:

    SmackDown picks:

    • WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns
    • RAW Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair
    • Drew McIntyre
    • Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods
    • Happy Baron Corbin and Madcat Moss
    • Hit Row (“B-Fab” Briana Brandy, Ashante “Thee” Adonis, “Top Dolla” AJ Francis, NXT North American Champion Isaiah “Swerve” Scott)
    • Naomi
    • Jeff Hardy

    Raw picks:

    • WWE Champion Big E
    • Bianca Belair
    • Raw Tag Team Champions Randy Orton and Riddle
    • WWE Hall Of Famer Edge
    • WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Nikki A.S.H. and Rhea Ripley
    • Keith “Bearcat” Lee
    • Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio
    • Austin Theory

    WWE Draft will continue on Raw this Monday.

    WWE SmackDown Results (10/1): WWE Draft Night 1, Lesnar Confronts Reigns

  • Angelo Dawkins On Potential Street Profits Break Up During Upcoming Draft

    There is a possibility that some tag teams will be split up during the upcoming WWE Draft and Angelo Dawkins of the Street Profits is ready if it happens. The former NXT star recently had an interview with Rick Ucchino of Sportskeeda. He was asked about the possibility of their team being drafted to different brands.

    Replying to it, Dawkins said that they have not thought about it. Though he claimed both of them would be ready for it if it happens, mentioning how Montez Ford went up against the Universal champion Roman Reigns last week:

    \”We haven\’t really thought about it, but I also know if it were to happen, we\’ll both be ready,  I mean, Tez just showed last week that he can handle it. You know what I\’m saying? I\’m not shying away from it.\”

    Angelo Dawkins said that both the stars will still support each other. He then explained how people will get to see a different side of him if their tag team is split:

    \”Not a lot of people know what I can bring to the table. I\’m the powerhouse of the team. So like not many people have seen me really move.

    I don\’t really need to fly because I got the flyer next to me. And I let him handle the high-flying stuff. So, if it ever happens to where we\’re on different brands, I think I got a different side that nobody\’s ever seen of me before to show.\”

    The Street Profits originally debuted on NXT back in March 2016. The two started making appearances on Raw in July 2019. Their tag team was moved to SmackDown in the 2020 draft. The duo have won tag team titles in all three of WWE\’s brands.

    Paul Heyman Believes The Street Profits Are Magic

  • CM Punk Reveals Backstage Reaction To His \’Pipebomb\’ Promo

    CM Punk\’s infamous \”Pipebomb Promo\” (2011) is still talked about to this day. Punk appeared on the AEW Unrestricted podcast this week to discuss his return to pro wrestling and much more.

    Thinking back to his groundbreaking promo, Punk [jokingly] says he was ready for a physical confrontation when he returned to the backstage area. He hoped to avoid a scuffle with anybody he offended and decided to exit the side of the stage instead of the usual entrance way. To Punk\’s surprise, he found the whole area empty:

    \”When I got in the back, nobody anywhere,\” he said. \”Backstage is normally buzzing, people in the hallways. It was empty.\”

    Punk continued, \”I remember looking around like, ‘Jeez, what’s going on’. And then I walked past the curtain through Gorilla and everybody in the company was jammed into the tunnel waiting to see me come through Gorilla, because they figured the same thing, they were like, ‘Ah man, this is gonna get real.’\”

    Texts From \’Lofty People In The Business\’

    \"\"
    The storyline was among the first to blur the line between reality and kayfabe

    Revealing some interesting reactions to his promo, CM Punk mentioned how chef Robert Irvine was in the arena at the time who told him that the promo was amazing. He then detailed the weird reaction of Chris Masters:

    \”And then I saw Chris Masters and Chris Masters looks at me and goes, ‘Did you just hear what Punk said?’, and I was like, ‘Chris, it’s me’, and he was like, ‘Oh. Oh it is you! You’re gonna get fired dude’. And then I just walked up. It was a weird scene. I didn’t know it was gonna become as big as it did, but I knew just based off those reactions, I knew we had something.

    The straight edge star went on to claim that he received texts from some \’pretty lofty people in the business\’ who he respected after the promo. So he knew that he did some good television. CM Punk delivered his pipebomb promo criticizing the WWE chairman Vince McMahon among others during the June 27, 2011 episode of Raw.

    You can relive the iconic moment below:

  • WWE Draft Again Shows Brand Loyalty Is Not A Thing

    WWE has pushed Survivor Series PPVs as a test of brand loyalty since the brand extension was reintroduced on TV many years ago. Raw and SmackDown talents were sorted through a Draft back in 2016. Since then, wrestlers are asked to put their differences aside once every year. Friends and foes work together against the competing brand for the bragging rights until the next competition.

    The WWE Draft, however, proves how futile the narrative of brand supremacy is as most superstars don\’t seem to mind ending up on the show they have competed against. The frailty of WWE\’s brand warfare storylines is at display again ahead of the upcoming WWE Draft. If anything, stars seem to be excited over the coming changes and they are expressing this feeling through social media.

    Former WWE champion Bobby Lashley has been part of Raw roster since his 2018 seems to be excited for a potential move to the blue brand. He wrote on Twitter that he\’s been \’running\’ Raw for years, but it might be time to shake things up.

    Drew McIntyre, who carried the Raw brand through the pandemic era, feels that he has worked with everyone he could on the red brand. He\’s actually looking forward to fresh storylines. Angelo Dawkins isn\’t afraid of ending up on a different brand even without his partner. He believes fans will get to see a new side of him if it happens.

    The phenomenal one, AJ Styles, who became the face of SmackDown after the 2016 Draft and helped build it as the promotion\’s A-show, is not too worried about which brand he would end up on. One-half of the current Raw tag team champion Matt Riddle on the other hand, seems more concerned about a possible split with his RK-Bro partner Randy Orton.

    Even someone like Carmella, who has been a loyal soldier of the blue side since the brand extension returned, doesn\’t seem that fond of her current home. Despite being is the only one left of the original SmackDown roster from 2016 who hasn\’t changed sides, the former champion will not mind a move to the opposite brand during Draft.

    See all the reactions yourself and decide how much weight would you put on the brand supremacy storyline when Survivor Series comes around this year:

    The WWE Draft this year will begin on the October 1 edition of SmackDown. It will conclude on the October 4 episode of Raw.

  • The Bella Twins Won\’t Be Returning To The Ring After All

    The Bella Twins have been hoping to wrestle for WWE again. Unfortunately, it won\’t be happening any time soon, if ever.

    Nikki and Brie appeared on the Sippin’ The Tea podcast this week and provided an update on their futures as in-ring performers. The show is hosted by former WWE Superstar Ariane Andrew & Matt Dillon.

    Nikki said she would love to make a comeback one day so her son Matteo can see her compete. However, it might be several years before that becomes a reality.

    “I would love one day, like when Matteo’s maybe three, and he knows it, to have my son be ringside while his mom kicks ass. That would be amazing to me.\”

    \”But because he is my everything, I have to listen to the doctors and as of now, they’ve put me on the retired bench for life. So, it would take a lot of scans, x-rays, and all this different stuff for them to actually approve me to have a run and so that would be unlikely — that will be years down the road.”

    Nikki Bella underwent spinal fusion surgery in 2016.

    Bella Twins Have Moved Beyond Wrestling

    Brie gave her thoughts on the situation. Pro wrestling was a huge part of their lives and they will always love the business. However, Brie feels she has moved beyond pro wrestling and is focusing on other ventures.

    \”For me, I just feel like I’m in such a different place in my life and a place I really love. We’re gonna be 38 in November and I’m like, you know too, for us to be winemakers and well, I can’t imagine taking a bump right now.”

    The Bella Twins retired from active competition back in March 2019. They gave birth to baby boys just one day apart in August 2020.

    Earlier this year, the Bellas said they wanted to make a run at the WWE Women\’s tag titles. Those plans have now been put on hold indefinitely.

    Bella Twins Were Only Given 5 Minutes For WWE HOF Speech

  • Chelsea Green Was More Angry Than Sad Following WWE Release

    Chelsea Green got resourceful she was released by WWE earlier this year. During an appearance on Busted Open Radio this week, she detailed her initial reaction to the news.

    Green was caught off guard when WWE let her go. She had been medically cleared to wrestle and would show up to TV tapings hoping to be utilized. She pitched ideas to WWE creative, but they were not used.

    \”I had no clue,\” she said of her release. \”I think my initial reaction was that I had no reaction and I just got down to business. I opened up my Pro Wrestling Tees store, then contacted Ring of Honor, NWA, and Impact and stuff. But then later on, slowly as time has gone by, it’s been one of – I just think it was a missed opportunity.\”

    She added that she was a little upset about WWE releasing her, but she\’s more \”pissed\” than sad. She felt she was at the top of her game and is motivated to show the wrestling world what she can do.

    Since leaving WWE in April, Green has worked for Impact Wrestling and Ring of Honor.

    Chelsea Green Talks Crisis of Confidence During WWE Run

  • Dante Chen On When He Found Out About His NXT Debut

    Singapore\’s Dante Chen did not know that he will be making his debut on WWE TV or who his opponent is going to be hours before it happened. The NXT 2.0 star recently had an interview with Yahoo News Singapore. The 25-year-old talked about the reaction he received after his debut and more.

    Revealing when he found out that he would be making his debut for the brand, Chen said that he didn\’t know that he was scheduled to compete until the day of the show:

    “I didn’t even know that I was scheduled to compete, or even who my opponent will be, until the very day itself, I was asked to be at the arena at 11am, and a couple of hours later, I was told that I would be making my debut facing Trey. There were only a couple more hours to prepare by then.

    Dante Chen made his official WWE debut during the September 21 episode of NXT 2.0. He faced Trey Baxter and defeated the fellow NXT star in his first match. Apart from this, Chen also discussed things such as his training routine, getting inputs from people like Shawn Michaels and Triple H, and more. You can find his interview here.

    NXT 2.0 Reportedly in Discussion to be involved in WWE Draft

  • Dynamite Viewership For TNT Title Main Event, 18-49 Demo Rating Compared To Raw

    This Wednesday\’s episode of Dynamite without an announced Bryan Danielson match saw a big decline in the viewership numbers, though it still stayed above a million.

    The show featuring the TNT championship match between Miro and Sammy Guevara for the main event drew a total of 1.152 million viewers according to Showbuzz daily.

    This is a 9.50% decline from last week\’s episode of Dynamite. The episode with the much-hyped Bryan Danielson vs. Kenny Omega match for an opener among others had drawn 1.273 million viewers.

    The show drew a 0.45 rating in the 18-49 demographic. It\’s a 6.25% decline from last week’s 0.48 rating. A 0.45 rating represents around 588,000 viewers of the age group.

    Monday\’s episode of Raw in comparison had drawn 1.709 million viewers. The show did a 0.48 rating in the 18-49 demo. It represents 625,000 viewers of the 18-49 age group for the Big E vs. Bobby Lashley WWE championship steel cage main event.

    AEW\’s weekly show managed to rank #1 in the Cable Top 150 for the sixth week in a row thanks to the 0.45 rating. Dynamite ranked #29 in viewership for the night, down from last week\’s #22 ranking.

    The promotion has announced Bobby Fish\’s AEW debut and a Casino Ladder match among other things for next week\’s episode of Dynamite. You can check out the card for the show below:

    Bobby Fish, Casino Ladder Match Set For Dynamite Next Week