SEScoops

Author: Anutosh Bajpai

  • Big E Comments On WWE Championship Win: \”It Feels Earned\”

    Big E completed his promise to the WWE Universe of cashing in the Money In The Bank contract and became the new WWE champion during tonight\’s episode of Monday Night Raw. The new champion was joined by Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston in the ring shortly after his big win. The duo accompanied him for his backstage interview after the show was over as well.

    Big E was asked how was feeling after the biggest night of his career. Replying to it, E said that he is feeling good before explaining how he feels like he has earned the title:

    \”I think the dream for anyone in any vocation of craft or anything is getting to [not only] do really cool things and get to the top of your craft but to do it with your best friends. I always tell this story because I never wanna forget. I will always remember the three of us just fighting to get on TV.

    We have been able to do so many cool incredible things. I got to grow so much as a person, as a performer because of these guys. I could not have written a better career for myself. I am glad, in many ways that it took so long because it feels earned.\” said Big E, \”I am glad that I wasn\’t handed things right away. That I had time to grow to do all the things that we had chance to do.\”

    The former NXT champion was also asked how he felt getting applause from everyone backstage after his big win. He said that it felt like the cherry on top after seeing the people who have pushed for him over the years to be there and tell him that it was a job well done. You can check out his interview below:

  • Big E Explains Why He Chose To Cash In MITB On Monday\’s RAW

    Big E had announced before this week\’s episode of Monday Night Raw that he is going to cash in his Money In The Bank contract after the WWE championship match.

    Sports Illustrated spoke to the New Day star before the show from TD Garden in Boston. When asked why he chose tonight for his cash in, the former IC champion discussed his connections to the area:

    “Why not tonight? Why not the hometown of one Kofi Kingston? My sister lives here, my mom went to BC [Boston College] and Tufts [University]. Boston is a beautiful area, a beautiful town.\” said E, \”Why not here, why not now?,”

    WWE also released a video of Sarah Schreiber talking to the heavyweight star backstage before the episode. He made similar comments in the video when asked why he decided to cash in his contract today and announce it in advance:

    \”Why not here, why not now? I believe in setting your intentions for the day.\” said Big E, \”I woke up, stretched, yawned, removed the coal from my eyes and said you know what? Let\’s do it today.\”

    The championship match in the main event of Raw saw Bobby Lashley retaining his WWE title over Randy Orton with some help from MVP.

    Big E completed his promise after the bout. He successfully cashed in his Money In The Bank contract on the All-Mighty after the main event to become the new WWE champion.

    WWE & AEW Stars React To Big E Winning WWE Title

  • Damian Priest On His Interactions With Mr. McMahon

    While many WWE employees are afraid to confront Vince McMahon, Damian Priest is not one of them. The US champion actually claims his conversations with the boss to be very positive. The Archer of Infamy recently appeared on the Fightful podcast. He talked about things such as being a fan of archery in real life, owning more than one bow and arrow himself, and more.

    When asked about his interactions with the chairman of the boards, Priest claimed that his conversations with Mr. McMahon have been positive so far:

    “Positive to be honest. He knows what he wants for his show. He knows what he wants out of you. He’s been honest with me. He’ll tell me, ‘I need more of this, or I need more of that, or less of this.’ But, it’s always positive and he’ll explain to me why. So it’s like, ‘Oh, I get it.’

    \’He Has A Wat Of Speaking People\’

    The former NXT champion went on to claim that Mr. McMahon has a special way of speaking to people. According to Damian Priest, one shouldn\’t be in WWE if they don\’t understand what he is saying:

    \”He has a way of speaking to people that if you don’t get it after he talks to you, you shouldn’t be here. So my interactions with him have been very positive. He seems like he likes me, so that’s a good thing.”

    Apart from this, Damian Priest also discussed how he likes going back to NXT so he can help the newcomers while also learning things from Shawn Michaels and Triple H.

    Damian Priest Says He Tried To Convince Triple H To Face Him At WrestleMania

  • Mark Henry On When He Realised It Was Time To Leave WWE

    Mark Henry making his AEW debut came as a big surprise to many because the former champion had spent all of his wrestling career in WWE until earlier this year. The world\’s strongest man recently appeared on Talk Is Jericho podcast. Among other things, he also detailed the circumstances leading up to his WWE departure.

    Henry has previously explained how he wanted to get an executive position in the company and help young talent. During the talk, he explained the efforts he made to try and convince the top brass that he deserved the job:

    \”I spent months putting together a two year plan of events. I was like, ‘What else can I do?’ I called and said, ‘I’m going to start looking for work because I know what I can do well, and I don’t feel like I’m valued in that capacity.’\”

    Mark Henry then recalled how the answer to his request came from John Laurinaitis instead of Vince McMahon. This is when he knew that it was time to leave:

    \”When I got the no, it didn’t come from Vince or Brad Blum, it came from Johnny, who is an employee. It’s not his place to tell me no. If the dude has got delegated to somebody that is not their job to tell me, then it’s over. You have to know when the door has been closed.”

    Mark Henry made his last WWE appearance during the Raw Legends Night on January 4 where he was humiliated by Randy Orton. He made his AEW debut during the Double Or Nothing PPV in May.

    Mark Henry Responds To Booker T’s CM Punk Remarks

  • Adam Cole\’s AEW Deal Wasn\’t Made Official Until The Day Of All Out

    While everyone expected Adam Cole to end up in AEW after his WWE contract expired, his new deal wasn\’t made official until last minute according to latest reports.

    According to reports from Fightful Select, the former NXT champion\’s signing with Tony Khan\’s promotion didn\’t come as a surprise to people within WWE. Many within the company expected him to join the rival promotion.

    The WWE officials were operating under the assumption that he was already as good as gone even before his contract expired. Though the people in the organization had nothing but positive things to say about the way Cole handled things on his way out.

    The former NXT star had not told anyone in the Stamford-based corporation that he would be appearing at All Out. He was kept hidden before the PPV.

    Another interesting tidbit is that Adam Cole\’s AEW deal wasn\’t made official until Sunday. Although people handling different aspects of his debut such as merchandise were informed about it ahead of time.

    The former Undisputed Era leader made his surprise AEW debut at the All Out PPV on September 5. He first teased going against Kenny Omega and the others but has since turned heel and joined his friends of the Elite.

    Adam Cole Says It Was A “Fairly Easy” Decision To Sign With AEW

  • Reason Why The WWE Championship Match Was Moved To Raw

    Moving the WWE championship match between Bobby Lashley and Randy Orton to Raw was apparently WWE officials\’ response to AEW\’s recent success.

    Dave Meltzer talked about this change on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio. He explained how the big title match was moved to weekly television from the PPV event because WWE lost to AEW in 18-49 demo:

    \”They pulled the match because they lost in the ratings and they’re putting Randy Orton and Bobby Lashley, the pay-per-view main event on TV tomorrow night. Yea, that’s among the responses [to AEW]. I’m not surprised.”

    Meltzer also mentioned how the original plans were for RK-Bro to defend the Raw tag team championship against Bobby Lashley and MVP. They spent last week\’s episode of Raw building this match only for it to be changed.

    Lashley and MVP had won a tag team turmoil match on Raw to earn the right to face the current Raw tag team champions this Monday. Randy Orton had been announced to challenge the All-Mighty for WWE championship at Extreme Rules.

    While the latest episode of Monday Night Raw still garnered more viewers than Dynamite overall, AEW\’s show was able to beat WWE\’s red brand in the 18-49 demographic for the first time.

    Reports suggested that the WWE officials held meetings after Dynamite\’s victory over Raw. Now it has been confirmed that the title match was shifted from the PPV as a result of the TV ratings.

    AEW Dynamite Tops WWE RAW in 18-49 Demo For The First Time

  • Deonna Purrazzo Says She Considered Quitting Wrestling After NXT Run

    Deonna Purrazzo had such a bad experience during her run with WWE that the former NXT star had seriously considered quitting the wrestling business altogether after being released from the promotion. The Impact Knockouts champion recently appeared on Oral Sessions with Renee Paquette. She talked about her wrestling career in detail including her time in NXT.

    Opening up about how she felt upon her release from the promotion, Purrazzo said that she was emotionally drained. She revealed that she had started thinking about quitting the business to lead a normal life:

    “I was just kind of emotionally drained from wrestling, that environment and that system just really didn’t work for me as a person. I was just very much, ‘this is such b******t! This is not what I love about wrestling.

    When I was fired, I had contemplated going back to school a whole bunch.\” said Deonna Purrazzo, \”and I was like, ‘okay, I’m definitely going to go back to school.’ So I immediately sent in applications to different schools that were online, and I was like, ‘maybe I’ll just be a normal person again.’\”

    What Deonna Purrazzo Would Have Done After Quitting

    The Impact wrestling star also talked about what she was planning for herself after her release. According to her, she had contemplated becoming a full-time teacher:

    \”I am really, just a big history buff. So when I was released in May, that was the first thing. ‘I’m going to go to school and I’m going to be a history teacher maybe!’\”

    Deonna Purrazzo was released from her WWE contract in April 2020, after wrestling only 16 televised matches in her two-year-long stint. The female star thankfully didn\’t quit wrestling and she has since returned to Impact where she is in her second reign as the Impact Knockouts champion.

    Deonna Purrazzo Would Love to Team With Dr Britt Baker

  • Becky Lynch Hopes To Be Bigger Than The Rock

    Becky Lynch is already one of the biggest stars in the pro wrestling industry but she is not satisfied with her position yet and she wants to be even bigger than the great one himself, The Rock.

    The SmackDown women\’s champion recently spoke to New York Daily. She talked about many things and also addressed the rumors that she was trying to break into movies before her pregnancy.

    While she didn\’t provide much detail, Lynch hinted that there are some projects \’in the works\’, before claiming that she wants to be even bigger than the people\’s champion:

    “I hope I can be bigger than The Rock and better than The Rock. The Rock is a good friend. The Rock is a great friend, but I’m on a different path and I’m different than The Rock and I’m not trying to be the next anybody. I’m the first Becky Lynch.”

    Becky Lynch also commented on the reports about her character change after her return. She mentioned how everybody thinks she turned heel because of the way she defeated Bianca Belair at SummerSlam.

    However, according to The Man, she doesn\’t really understand the talk about being a heel. The current champion explained that she hasn\’t changed and instead, she has just gotten smarter.

    Becky Lynch Responds To Criticism Over Heel Turn

  • Recently Released NXT Star Comments On AEW Debut

    Former WWE NXT star Asher Hale made his AEW debut in his first match as a free agent after being released from the black and yellow brand earlier this year.

    The star now going by the name Anthony Henry took part in the AEW Dark tapings over the weekend. He commented on his experience via Twitter and claimed that everything positive he had heard about the company was true:

    “Ironic that my first show back, as a free agent, was for @AEW. Heard so, so many positive things about the company and how it was ran. Everything I heard was confirmed. Thank you!”

    AEW Dark At Universal Studio

    Henry faced Eddie Kingston in a singles match in the first AEW Dark tapings from the show\’s new home in Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Though Anthony was not able to win this match.

    He wasn\’t the only former NXT star to make an appearance on the show. Names such as Stallion Rogers, Anthony Greene, Adrian Jaoude, and Santana Garrett also competed during the tapings

    Asher Hale was released from his NXT contract alongside several other stars last month on August 6. He was able to compete for AEW as NXT stars only have a 30-day non-compete clause.

    AEW Announces Universal Studios Tapings This Weekend

  • AEW Planning A Major Rematch Between Thunder Rosa And Britt Baker (Report)

    AEW women\’s champion Britt Baker and Thunder Rosa received a lot of praise for their lights-out unsanctioned match earlier this year. It appears AEW is looking to capitalize on that buzz with a rematch between the two.

    According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the company officials are planning a \’major\’ rematch between these two female stars.

    AEW has discussed various potential stipulations for this bout between Rosa and Baker. Discussion range from a cage match to a hair vs. hair match with the idea to build it as the biggest women\’s match in the promotion\’s history.

    Though the rematch is not expected to take place anytime this year. Per the report, this mega rematch will likely take place sometime in early 2022.

    Thunder Rosa and Britt Baker were the first female stars to main event AEW Dynamite when they competed in the unsanctioned lights out match during the St. Patrick’s Day Slam special of the show on March 17, 2021.

    Their match was every bit as extreme as any other unsanctioned match in AEW history. The bout was universally praised and both the stars were given credit for breaking down sexist assumptions about women in hardcore matches.

  • Jeff Hardy On WWE Using His Personal Struggles For Storyline

    The personal struggles of Jeff Hardy have been a topic of discussion among fans recently, even more so after WWE used his real-life issues into his feud with Sheamus. Though if the former world champion is to be believed, then he is not bothered by the publicity of his personal battles and instead it feels like therapy to him.

    Hardy talked about this during a recent interview on Wrestling Inside the Ropes with James Stewart. He revealed that the officials asked him if he was comfortable with the storyline beforehand:

    “It was just an idea. It all starts as an inkling, a concept, and then naturally, they ask if you’re comfortable with that, for me, all that stuff is like therapy. It’s like being honest with the world. The people that have pretty much provided me with an incredible living, you know, over the years, my fans, the WWE Universe.

    I’m open minded to anything, and if I feel comfortable with it, I roll with it.\” said Jeff Hardy, \”I’ve never felt uncomfortable with anything they’ve ever pitched to me.”

    The charismatic enigma then discussed the use of cinematic matches in recent times. He mentioned the Final Deletion and claimed that they had a lot of fun shooting that. Jeff also shared the idea of a cinematic match with The Usos. He said that it was one of his biggest dream matches and it\’s one of the things he would still love to do.

  • Damian Priest Details Backstage Interaction With Goldberg At SummerSlam

    Damian Priest picked up a big win at the SummerSlam PPV. He was not only congratulated by fans on his victory but by a couple of wrestling veterans as well.

    The current US champion talked about defeating Sheamus for the title at the SummerSlam event during a recent interview with ViBe & Wrestling.

    Priest revealed that Goldberg interacted with him backstage at the show after his victory and the former Universal champion congratulated him on his big win:

    \”Goldberg, the last time I saw him, he came to greet me when I won the championship. And before his match, he gave me a hug and congratulated me. He told me that he was happy for me and all that, and we did not know each other.\”

    Goldberg was not the only big name to congratulate Damian Priest at the event. He revealed that Edge also reached out to congratulate him and gave him a hug:

    “Edge also congratulated me, and gave me a hug, and told me that he was happy for me. They are people that I saw on TV when I was young, and now, I have them there and they give me advice and help me. And it is incredible for me.\”

    Priest went on to say that he doesn\’t know how he got to this place. Though he claimed that he is very happy to be able to share conversations with these legends.

    Damian Priest Says WWE Allowed Him To Use Punisher Martinez Name

  • Ruby Soho Says She Became An AEW Fan \’Long Before\’ Leaving WWE

    Ruby Soho made her spectacular AEW debut during the All Out PPV last Sunday. According to the female star, the decision to sign with the company was not very difficult. The former WWE star recently had an interview with Sports Illustrated. She talked about things such as her journey in professional wrestling, and more.

    Speaking of her time in WWE, Soho explained that she was able to experience a lot in the company and make lifelong friends. So she is grateful for her time there:

    “I was able to experience a lot in WWE and make lifelong friends, so I’m very grateful for my time there, but that chapter is closed, And I knew there had to be a new place for me. This is a chance to experience a side of professional wrestling I haven’t experienced yet.\”

    Ruby Soho On Choosing AEW

    Talking about her decision to choose AEW as her next destination, Ruby Soho revealed that she had been a fan of the promotion long before her WWE departure. According to her, she has started feeling like at home in AEW in the short time she has spent in the company:

    “Choosing AEW wasn’t a difficult decision, I had been a fan of AEW long before I left WWE. I could sense there was something very special and very different about this company. Now that I’m here, I am beginning to realize it was the home I have always been searching for. This is where I belong.

    Ruby Soho was released from her WWE contract back in June this year. After months of rumors, she finally made her AEW debut during the All Out PPV.

    Tony Khan Offers Praise To Ruby Soho For Her Debut Match

  • Big E Thinks Brock Lesnar Does Stuff Because He Is Bored

    The return of Brock Lesnar has changed the dynamic of the Universal title picture to a great extent but Big E is not too worried about this change. The Money In The Bank holder appeared on the latest episode of Talking Smack. He was asked if The Beast\’s return affects his plans for the championship contract he is holding.

    Replying to it, E claimed that Brock Lesnar has reached a level of wealth where you do stuff because you are bored. Though he claimed that Lesnar\’s return is not going to deter him from his plans:

    \”Well, the hair was a choice. It really was a choice, but I don\’t have Brock money. You know, you get to a level of wealth where you just do stuff because you\’re bored, I think he\’s at that level of wealth. So congrats to him.\” said Big E, \”He\’s still a very large and massive man, but that\’s not going to deter me from my plans here.\”

    Brock Lesnar made his return to WWE programming during the SummerSlam PPV after over a year of absence. He confronted Roman Reigns upon his comeback. The Beast Incarnate then challenged the Universal champion for his title during the September 10 SmackDown. Reigns accepted this challenge but said that the match will take place after his bout with Finn Balor at Extreme Rules.

    Big E Says AJ Lee Could Have a ‘Brock Lesnar Schedule’ If She Returned To WWE

  • Heyman On His Dream Survivor Series Team Of \’Paul Heyman Guys\’

    With the Survivor Series PPV being around the corner, people have started talking about their dream teams. Paul Heyman listed his own recently as well.

    The former ECW owner recently had an interview with Josh Martinez from Z100. He talked about many things such as The Street Profits being one of the top tag teams currently and more.

    Heyman also discussed the list of the guys he has managed in his career. When asked about his dream Survivor Series team of \’Paul Heyman guys\’, he named members of the Bloodline faction:

    “Roman Reigns, The Usos and I will even through myself in there because I will never need to tag in. The three of them can handle any four beings on the face of the planet,”

    Paul went on to credit Jimmy and Jey as the best tag team in the world today. Though he acknowledged The Street Profits, saying that after The Usos, they are the best tag team of the past 20 years.

    Survivor Series this year will take place from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on November 21. There is no word yet on what The Bloodline or Brock Lesnar will be doing at the show.

    Paul Heyman On Adding Naomi To The Bloodline

  • Super SmackDown From Madison Square Garden Notes: Vince McMahon, Nick Khan And More

    WWE chairman Vince McMahon was in attendance for the Super SmackDown from Madison Square Garden this Friday. He was running the show from the gorilla position, according to PWInsider.

    President Nick Khan was in the arena as well. He was on the floor talking to fans all night. Both Khan and Stephanie McMahon also greeted fans before the show.

    WWE officially announced a 14,425 sellout for the special SmackDown episode. Both Peter Rosenberg and author Keith Elliot Greenberg were in attendance for the show.

    Edge was pretty emotional for his return to Madison Square Garden after many years. He got down on his knees and kissed the mat during the commercial break after his entrance and before the match with Seth Rollins.

    Apart from the canceled women\’s tag team match which got the company a lot of heat online, a Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch dark match was also advertised for SmackDown which didn\’t take place.

    There were three dark matches, however, that did take place during the night. The dark matches saw several Raw brand stars and John Cena competing in different matches before and after the show. You can check out a detailed report of the dark matches and watch videos of them here.

    More On Nixed Zelina Vega Match From SmackDown, Mick Foley Comments

  • Sami Zayn\’s WWE Contract Expiring This Year (Report)

    Kevin Owens has been hinting at leaving WWE when his contract expires. Latest reports suggest that Sami Zayn will get a chance to join him around the same time.

    According to the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the former NXT champion\’s contract is set to expire before the end of this year as well.

    While the exact date when Zayn\’s contract ends is unknown, the news is still interesting considering his friendship with the Elite among others in AEW.

    News about Kevin Owens\’ contract expiring earlier than originally thought excited fans this week. The buzz started when Owens made and then quickly deleted a tweet teasing a reunion with some of the AEW stars.

    Reports later revealed that Kevin\’s deal expires in January next year instead of 2023 as originally believed. The Observer notes that the exact date for the expiry of his contract is January 31, 2022.

    Now this new report about Sami Zayn makes things more interesting. It opens the door for another major acquisition for AEW after recent signings such as Bryan Danielson and CM Punk.

    Whether these two make the move or decide to stay with their current promotion will be revealed in future. This news is certainly expected to fuel the chatter about their future among fans in the coming times.

    Sami Zayn Is Not a Fan of The “You Deserve It” Chant

  • More On Nixed Zelina Vega Match From SmackDown, Mick Foley Comments

    WWE nixed a tag team match from this week\’s episode of SmackDown due to time restraints. People like Zelina Vega, Carmella, and Liv Morgan who were supposed to compete in this bout had later reacted to the news on Twitter.

    When reports about this tag match being canceled from the Madison Square Garden show first came out, the name of the fourth participant for this bout was not known.

    Now Post Wrestling\’s John Pollock has provided some update on the situation. He revealed that Toni Storm was the wrestler originally scheduled to team with Liv Morgan for this SmackDown match.

    WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley who has recently been very vocal about the company\’s mistreatment of talents commented on this situation as well. He noted how it was unfortunate that Zelina Vega didn\’t get to compete on the show:

    https://twitter.com/RealMickFoley/status/1436844772795224064

    For those who don\’t know, WWE had dedicated the super SmackDown episode to the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the 20th anniversary of the unfortunate incident.

    Zelina Vega, who lost her father in the attack, was a big part of the promotion for this episode. Fans have since expressed their displeasure with the way WWE handled this situation and nixed her match.

    Toni Storm made her official main roster debut during the July 23 episode of SmackDown. Though the former NXT UK women\’s champion has not been seen on WWE programming since.

    Mick Foley: WWE Is No Longer The Place For Talent To Aspire To

  • Jonathan Coachman On His Last WWE Run: \”I Will Never Work With Somebody Like That Again\”

    His 2018 return to WWE has left a sore taste in the mouth of Jonathan Coachman. The sports analyst is vowing to \’never work with\’ somebody like that again. The former WWE star talked about his experience of going back to the company in 2018 on the latest episode of his Ask Coach Anything Live podcast.

    Coachman admitted that he has a very bad taste in his mouth from the sport of wrestling, claiming that at this point in his life he wants everything to be positive:

    “I have a very bad taste in my mouth from the sport of wrestling right now. I’m at a point in my life that everything I do, I want it to be positive.\”

    The coach went in length to detail his frustrations with the promotion. He revealed that he is owed a lot of money for his XFL appearances. He discussed how WWE top brass fired many people from XFL and WWE as well during the coronavirus pandemic while making a lot of money from stocks. Jonathan Coachman then promised to never work with somebody like that again:

    \”I will never work with somebody like that again. So, the taste in my mouth from wrestling right now is very, very bitter because when you put in 20 years into somebody, a relationship to help them build their brand, and then they just turn your back on you over, to them, a little bit of money. To me, it was a lot of money. Then at the same time, they’re cashing in millions of dollars in stock, and laying people off the same day they are doing that is bad business.\”

    Jonathan Coachman continued his explanation mentioning how you cannot take money with you when you are gone and all you can take is your legacy. He also discussed being taken off Raw commentary team in September 2018. Coachman explained that while people saw it as a demotion, he didn\’t feel the same. According to Coach, he was being paid the same amount of money while making only one appearance per month as a host for PPV pre-show panels.

  • Jeff Hardy Comments On Relationship With Vince McMahon, How Long Can He Still Go

    Fans have not been happy with Jeff Hardy\’s descend in WWE. A former WWE champion in his own right, Hardy has been seen among the group chasing the 24/7 championship on WWE programming in recent times.

    The former world champion recently had an interview with Felger & Massaroti. He talked about things such as his goals in the company and more.

    When asked how long he sees himself continuing his wrestling career, Hardy claimed that he has no idea and any match he wrestles can be his last:

    \”I have no idea. Every match I have now might be my last match. Sometimes, the little things kill. It\’s so easy to get hurt. I just don\’t know. I live week-to-week and match-to-match.\”

    Jeff Hardy On Relationship With Vince McMahon

    Amidst the fan flare about his position within the company, Jeff Hardy was asked about his relationship with Vince McMahon. Replying to it, he labeled it as \’business relationship\’:

     \”I\’m so grateful to have this opportunity to be a WWE superstar and very thankful and grateful for every show that I\’m on.

    It don\’t matter what I\’m doing, I\’m blessed to be part of WWE still. It\’s a business relationship. I try to do the best I can for him and for WWE. Hopefully that\’s enough.\”

    Apart from this, Jeff Hardy talked about things such as the return of live audience after a year, potentially becoming universal champion and more.

    Jeff Hardy: “I Show Up to Work, Do What They Need Me To Do & Move On”

  • Details On The Length Of Bryan Danielson\’s AEW Contract

    Bryan Danielson was revealed as the latest AEW signee after weeks of rumors during the All Out PPV. Latest report might have revealed the length of his contract with the promotion.

    Dave Meltzer talked about the former world champion\’s decision to sign with the company on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio.

    Meltzer first discussed how his signing brings a lot of new possibilities. He then claimed that if Danielson doesn\’t like things in AEW, he can go back to WWE \’in three years\’.

    A three-year deal would mean that the former champion would remain with the company through the Summer of 2024. He would have to make a decision about his future afterward.

    Bryan Danielson To AEW

    Reports suggest that both WWE and AEW offered Bryan Danielson similar money. The ability to work with NJPW was an important factor in his decision

    While WWE officials were ready to allow him to work with NJPW, the former WWE star also wanted to open the door for other talents to work for the Japanese promotion.

    Since nothing came out of the talks between WWE and NJPW and the Asian wrestling promotion joined forces with AEW, Bryan made the decision to sign with them as well.

    Update On Bryan Danielson’s Reasons For Signing With AEW

  • WWE Announces Madison Square Garden Return For Post-Christmas Special

    WWE has announced that they will be resuming the tradition of the post-Christmas live event from Madison Square Garden after their return to the arena this week.

    The company made the announcement during the Super SmackDown this week. A graphic on the show confirmed that they will be holding a live event from the legendary arena on December 26:

    WWE considers Madison Square Garden a home arena because they have been promoting shows there for more than four decades.

    Madison Square Garden has held many televised and non televised events of the company over the dacades including PPVs such as SummerSlam and Survivor Series.

    Most notably, MSG was the home of the first-ever WrestleMania event in March 1985. The PPV returned to The Garden for its 10th and 20th anniversary in 1994 and 2004 respectively as well.

    The COVID-19 pandemic had forced WWE to cancel a show from the arena scheduled for March 2020. They also had to halt the tradition of holding a post-Christmas live event from MSG last year.

    Though the company returned to the legendary arena with a special episode of SmackDown this week. Now they have confirmed that they will be resuming the tradition for their post-Christmas special as well.

    WWE SmackDown Results (9/10): Reigns & Brock Lesnar, Title Match, The Demon Returns

  • Watch John Cena And Drew McIntyre Compete In Dark Matches After Super SmackDown

    This week\’s super SmackDown from Madison Square Garden featured multiple dark matches with names such as John Cena and Drew McIntyre competing in non televised matches. The first dark match took place before the show went on air. It saw Charlotte Flair retain her Raw women\’s championship over Rhea Ripley. Flair won the match via submission.

    The SmackDown episodes ended with Finn Balor reintroducing his demon persona and confronting Roman Reigns. This confrontation continued after the show went off air. It was a few minutes after the cameras had stopped rolling that the Bloodline left the ring. Balor was then cheering the crowd when Happy Corbin came out.

    Corbin quickly backed out after entering the ring but Finn Balor chased and attacked the lone wolf. Finn put him down with a pair of slingblades. Drew McIntyre made his way out as Balor was leaving the arena. The former WWE champion faced Baron Corbin in the second dark match of the show. Though this bout ended in disqualification after Corbin hit McIntyre with a steel chair at ringside.

    The duo then fought their way back into the ring. Drew McIntyre hit Corbin with the chair multiple times before ending the segment with a claymore to his opponent. The final dark main event of the night was a six man tag team match.

    John Cena was part of this bout. He received one of the biggest pops of the night. The Cenation leader teamed up with Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio to face The Bloodline. Cena countered a spear of Roman Reigns into an attitude adjustment and he then delivered another AA to Jimmy Uso to end the match. You can check out some photos and videos of the unaired matches from the show below:

  • SmackDown Match Nixed From The Show, Stars React

    It appears that WWE had to edit the script for this week\’s SmackDown on the fly and they nixed a women\’s tag team match originally planned for the show.

    According to reports from Fightful select, there were plans for a tag team match to take place on the show which would have seen Carmella teaming up with Zelina Vega.

    The duo were expected to go against Liv Morgan and a partner whose name was not mentioned. The match was apparently cut from SmackDown due to time restraints.

    The stars who were expected to compete in the bout reacted to this change on Twitter later on. Zelina Vega even posted photos of the gear she had prepared for tonight:

    https://twitter.com/TheaTrinidad/status/1436504528996732928

    On a related note, the storyline with Naomi and Sonya Deville also appears to have been cut from this week\’s SmackDown. There was no mention of the former SmackDown women\’s champion on the show.

    While it\’s not confirmed, it\’s likely that Naomi was expected to make her in-ring return at the show this week as the partner for Liv Morgan.

    Since the officials made the decision to cut the tag team match from the show, they also had to nix any planned segments for Naomi as well.

    Zelina Vega Talks Losing Her Father On 9/11

  • Tony Khan Offers Praise To Ruby Soho For Her Debut Match

    Ruby Soho was one of the surprise debutants for AEW that showed up at All Out and helped the PPV cross 200,000 buys. Tony Khan has nothing but praise for the former WWE star for her performance on the show. During his recent appearance on Busted Open Radio, the AEW president talked about things such as the TV ratings of the post All Out episode of Dynamite and more.

    Discussing the debut of Ruby Soho during the Casino Battle Royal on the PPV this past Sunday, Khan revealed that he was the agent for that match. He also explained how Soho came prepared for the bout:

    “I just have to say what an organized, intelligent, competent and professional Ruby Soho is. She was really well prepared and she had notes on everyone in the match. She knew what she was doing. I thought ‘wow this is a really hard working person’,

    And also just a really good person who really has a lot of integrity and a lot of pride in what they do but she interacted really well with everyone. She interacted really well with everyone. It was her first day at AEW and she really really is a great fit. Her Dynamite debut was tremendous”

    Ruby Riott was released from her WWE contract back in June this year. She decided to keep the name for her post-WWE career but had to change her last name due to WWE\’s copyright. She made her debut for Tony Khan\’s promotion during the All Out PPV earlier this month. Soho entered the Casino Battle Royal as the surprise Joker entrant and won the match.

    Ruby Soho Discusses AEW Debut & WWE Departure