SEScoops

Author: Anutosh Bajpai

  • Mark Henry On How Vince McMahon Reacted To His Decision To Join AEW

    When Mark Henry signed with AEW, he also ended his 25 year-long run with WWE and closed a chapter of his long-standing relationship with his former employer Vince McMahon. During the latest episode of Busted Open Radio, the former world champion opened up about his decision to leave the company and the conversation he had with the Boss about it.

    Henry first discussed how his decision to leave the company came about. The former champion explained that after the expiry of his contract, he started feeling like he could do more. He wanted to join the office and be in an executive position as well instead of being just a talent:

    \”I felt like I wanted to do more. I always wanted to do more. You know me, I’m a busybody. If I’m not doing what I know I can do, especially if I feel I can do it better than somebody else. If I can’t get that opportunity, I have to start looking for that somewhere else. And I did.”

    Mark Henry then discussed having the conversation with the boss and he claimed that their talk was not negative. He explained that whatever he said to Vince was like a conversation between two brothers.

    The world\’s strongest man revealed the reply he got from Vince McMahon and according to him, the chairman told him that he was going to be successful:

    “And man, it was just like the coolest thing. He was like ‘man, you know everything you need to know. You go and if you feel like you need to go, (I) don’t necessarily want it, but if you feel like you need to go, then go. I know you’re going to be successful.’ That’s what you want.\”

    Mark Henry made a surprise appearance at the AEW Double Or Nothing PPV this past Sunday. The company has since announced that he has signed a multi-year deal with the promotion as a commentator and coach.

  • Sheamus Confirms Status Of US Championship After Raw Injury

    Sheamus suffered a gruesome injury during this week\’s episode of Monday Night Raw in his second match of the night against Humberto Carrillo.

    Reports later revealed that the Celtic Warrior has broken his nose. This revelation made many wonder about the future of the US championship the Raw star currently holds.

    Though now Sheamus himself has confirmed the fate of the title. He made a tweet to reveal that he will not be vacating the title due to his injury:

    The Irish star pulled double duty on last night\’s episode of Raw where he competed against Ricochet and then Humberto Carrillo in singles matches.

    Sheamus got busted open from a hard strike from Carrillo during the second bout. He was seen bleeding heavily after this but he still completed the match as planned.

    It has since been confirmed that he will not be requiring any time off due to the damage. The Raw star will only be off TV if the company decides to sell his injury.

    There is no word yet on what the company is planning for him next. Considering the current storylines; it\’s possible that we will see a triple threat match between Sheamus, Ricochet and Humberto Carrillo in near future.

  • Sheamus Reportedly Suffers Broken Nose On Raw

    Sheamus who pulled double duty on this week\’s episode of Raw suffered a gruesome injury during his second match on the show.

    PWinsider provided some update on the United States champion\’s condition after this week\’s episode of Raw. The site notes that they have \’100% confirmed\’ that the Celtic Warrior has suffered a broken nose.

    Though a testament to his toughness, the report claims that Sheamus will not require any time off to heal and he will only be out of action if the company requires him to sit out.

    The former world champion pulled double duty on tonight\’s episode of Raw and competed against both Ricochet and Humberto Carrillo in separate singles matches during the show.

    Both these bouts were non-title matches but unfortunately for Sheamus; he lost both the matches due to Ricochet and Carrillo interfering in each other\’s bouts.

    The Irish star suffered the injury during his second match against Humberto. He took a stiff strike to the nose and got busted open. He started bleeding heavily due to the injury but the US champion still finished the match.

    It\’s possible that the company will keep him out of the WWE programming for a week or two to sell the injury. We will keep you posted on his status.

  • Anthony Ogogo On Why He Turned Down WWE Offer Despite More Money

    Anthony Ogogo wrestled in the biggest match of his wrestling career against Cody Rhodes at the Double Or Nothing PPV. Even though he lost the bout, the heavyweight star received praise for his performance.

    The former boxing star recently had an interview with The Sportster where he claimed that he was offered a contract by WWE as well but explained why he turned it down and signed with AEW instead.

    Ogogo revealed that WWE was offering him more money than AEW. However, he still turned down their offer because he believes in Tony Khan\’s vision for him:

    \”[WWE] offered me more money than AEW. I didn’t join them because I believe in Tony Khan’s vision. I believed in Cody Rhodes’ vision. I believe in AEW’s vision. I love being a part of AEW,\”

    Anthony Ogogo On The Difference Between WWE And AEW Management

    Anthony Ogogo went on to explain that at AEW he feels like the management cares about their wrestlers. While at WWE, it was all about the money:

    \”I love how the team give a f**k about their wrestlers. If I’m going through a tough time in a minute, I’m getting texts from the management asking me if I’m okay daily. They care about the people rather than the money,

    The other place, they seem to care about money first and people if at all. We care about other people first because they know that a happy workplace creates good stuff.\”

    Anthony Ogogo is a former Olympic boxer who had to retire after suffering a serious eye injury during a match in 2016.

    He began his pro wrestling career in 2019. He was signed by AEW the same year as their first developmental wrestler.

  • Eva Marie References Reports About Her WWE Return

    WWE has been teasing the return of Eva Marie for a while but some reports recently suggested that she might not be returning as an in-ring performer.

    The female star seems to have taken note of the speculations about her comeback to the company and she recently responded to the reports on Twitter.

    Marie posted her latest vignette and in the caption she wrote: “For the [clown emoji]’s who said I’m not coming back to wrestle! @wwe #EVALution #ALLEverything #WWERaw,”:

    https://twitter.com/natalieevamarie/status/1399540758890180609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

    The company started airing promos for the All Red Everything\’s return last month, confirming the long-lasting rumor that the former WWE star was preparing for a comeback.

    However, the language in her promos made many wonder if Eva Marie would take on a managerial role instead of wrestling and a recent report on her status suggested the same.

    Although now that the former NXT star has responded to the reports, it appears that she might be looking to make an in-ring return as well.

    There is no word yet on when Eva Marie will make her in-person return to the WWE programming. It would be interesting to see what the company has actually planned for her comeback.

  • Tony Khan Comments On Lio Rush\’s Contractual Status With AEW

    AEW President Tony Khan talked to media after their successful Double Or Nothing event this Sunday. During the talk, he confirmed Lio Rush\’s contractual status with his company.

    The former WWE star made his AEW debut during the company\’s latest PPV where he was revealed as the wild card entry in the casino battle royal.

    Talking about the kind of deal they have, Khan revealed that Lio hasn\’t signed any papers and the two parties are working on a handshake deal:

    “I don’t have a pen to paper [deal], but Lio and I have a handshake [deal] that he can work here and do New Japan both, I think we have something good on a handshake, and I think he’s doing that on a handshake with New Japan too.”

    Tony Khan then talked about the high flying star\’s future with the company and said that he think Rush will come back. Though he revealed that Lio Rush has other commitments in the near future:

    “I think he’s gonna come back. We’ll get to it, I’d like for Lio to come back. He’s also doing some stuff for New Japan, so he’s got some dates booked right now.

    He was free for this, and I’m going to respect the calendar, so I’m not gonna go out and ask him to cancel indie dates to do stuff for us. And he’s got a pretty solid calendar, but he was free for this, and I wanted him to come.\”

    Apart from this, Tony Khan also revealed that he wanted to bring Lio Rush in for battle royal at All Out last year but the former NXT star was not free at the time.

  • Mansoor On What WWE Officials Have Told Him To Do After Raw Debut

    Mansoor is the first Saudi Arabian wrestler to ever compete in WWE. The high-flying star also made his debut for the Raw brand earlier this month.

    While he hasn\’t made many appearances for the company since then, the 25-year-old is still working on himself behind the scenes and following an interesting suggestion from WWE officials.

    During a recent interview with Arab News, Mansoor talked about his Raw debut against Sheamus. He interestingly revealed that WWE officials have since told him to put on some muscle mass:

    One of the things WWE said is they would like me to put on some muscle mass, and right now I am working with Sheamus’ personal trainer, who has been really helpful. I am counting my macronutrients and calories,

    And recording all of my reps and sets in the gym.\” said Mansoor, \”It is crazy how much difference writing stuff down and tracking it makes.”

    Discussing his Raw debut, the young star claimed that the management was taking a look at him to see if he could perform at a level required for Raw. He was delighted to have an opportunity to wrestle Sheamus.

    Mansoor lost a singles match to Sheamus during his Raw debut on the May 3 episode of the show. He hasn\’t made a Raw appearance since then, though he did wrestle during the May 20 episode of Main Event where he defeated Cedric Alexander in a match.

  • Bianca Belair On Her Routine The Night Before A Big Match

    Many superstars like to get focused and avoid a lot of interactions before their big matches but it\’s the opposite for Bianca Belair, who likes to relax before a match.

    The current SmackDown women\’s champion recently had an interview with Sports Illustrated where she talked about things such as her WrestleMania win over Sasha Banks and more.

    Discussing her routine a day before a big match, Blair mentioned how she gets anxious when she is nervous so she tries to stay calm. The female star revealed that she likes to have cheat meals before a match:

    “So I embrace it. That reminds me I’m ready. And I’m usually making gear the night before. That keeps my mind occupied and ready and calm, especially with my husband right beside me.”

    People do their cheat meals after their matches, but I have pizza the night before, that always helps relax me. Before the Royal Rumble, I picked up a pizza and stayed up all night and worked on my gear.\”

    Bianca Belair also opened up about her experience the day before her big WrestleMania 37 match against Sasha Banks. She revealed that it was her birthday and she had a big celebration:

    “Since the night before WrestleMania was my birthday, it was the best birthday ever. I don’t know how I’ll ever top it. I saw all my family at the hotel, and my mom brought pizza. My gear took forever for WrestleMania, so I was working on that all night, and I ate some pizza and opened a few gifts.”

    Apart from this, Bianca Belair also talked about things such as WWE\’s return to touring, things she likes to travel with, and more. Belair won the Women\’s Royal Rumble earlier this year. She then went on to defeat Sasha Banks for the SmackDown women\’s championship at WrestleMania 37.

  • Britt Baker Talks Criticism Of AEW\’s Women\’s Division

    Britt Baker picked up a big win at the Double Or Nothing PPV. Her victory was not only the culmination of her own journey to the top but it was also a response to the critics of the company\’s women\’s division.

    During the post-Double Or Nothing media scrum, the new champion discussed how many people in the promotion have supported her and how the criticism has helped her get better as well.

    Baker first admitted that it was hard to hear the criticism of her work. However, she explained that you have to have criticism if you want to get better:

    “It’s just a growing and a learning process, and it’s hard. It’s hard to hear it in mass quantities, which I was. But you have to. Even if you’re the best in the business, you have to have criticism if you’re going to get better. I just happened to have a lot of it, so I got a lot better.\”

    Britt Baker On The Growth Of Their Women\’s Division

    Apart from this, Britt Baker discussed how AEW women\’s division as a whole has been a target of criticism from the fans but now people have started praising them because they have experienced their growth:

    “The division as a whole, I think most of the criticism, at the time, was the TV time. None of us, almost none of us had any TV experience. We were all learning and growing together as a division in front of your eyes.

    And I think that’s kind of a bit our charm and why people are jumping on the bandwagon now. Cause it’s like ‘oh man, I remember when Britt Baker couldn’t hold a microphone. And now look at her.’ So I think that’s why a lot of people are along for the ride.”

    Britt Baker also talked about how Tony Khan believed in her when nobody else did and how people like Chris Jericho, Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega and others have helped her in getting better.

    The role model defeated Hikaru Shida in a one-on-one match via submission at the Double Or Nothing PPV. She ended Shida\’s year-long reign to become the new AEW women\’s champion.

  • Reason For Aleister Black And Big E Being Absent From SmackDown

    The absence of Big E and Aleister Black from this week\’s episode of SmackDown after their big encounter at last week\’s show left many people puzzled.

    A new report from PWinsider provides some insight on the reason behind their absence. It reveals that both the stars were actually backstage at the TV tapings.

    According to the site, keeping E and Black off TV was a creative decision. The officials decided to let the story hang for a week before continuing with it.

    It is a rare instance of the creatives actually letting things breathe and not rushing the feud between the two former NXT stars which is usually the case.

    Last week\’s episode of SmackDown saw Aleister Black finally making his return to WWE programming after months of absence and attacking Big E.

    The New Day member was competing in a fatal four-way match for the Intercontinental championship. At a point, it looked like the heavyweight star was going to re-capture the title.

    However, Black whose return had been teased in previous few weeks made a surprise appearance during the show. He attacked E with a black mass, allowing the current champion Apollo Crews to retain his title.

    There is no word yet on where this feud is headed but it\’s good to know that the officials are not rushing the rivalry for once. It would be interesting to see what the company has planned for them next.

  • Bad Bunny Tells LeBron James & Jay-Z: Wrestling is \”100% Real\”

    Bad Bunny has nothing but good things to say about his experience working with WWE. The Puerto Rican music sensation recently appeared on the season premiere of HBO\’s The Shop: Uninterrupted. The show is hosted by LeBron James and Maverick Carter.

    During a discussion with with music mogul Jay-Z and others, Bunny was asked about the legitimacy of pro wrestling. He said wrestling is \’100% real\’ and credited legends such as The Undertaker and Triple H for their ability to endure decades of pain.

    “It\’s real, it\’s 100% real,\” he said. \”It\’s insane, the work. When I was learning the first day and they teach me, like how to fall, take bumps, I said, \’How these people can do this for 20-30 years?\’\”

    He named Triple H and Undertaker as legends who had long careers that included a hefty dose of physical punishment.

    \"\"/

    \”So many years receiving that pain,\” he added. \”It\’s crazy, it\’s crazy but I love it.\”

    Bad Bunny then explained how his love for wrestling came from watching the shows with his dad as a kid. He also discussed moving to Florida for his WWE training and did not produce any music during his time there.

    The rap star trained for almost three months for his WrestleMania match. He received praise from people such as Triple H, Randy Orton, and The Miz for his performance and work ethic afterward.

  • IWGP Heavyweight Championship Match And More Announced For Dominion

    NJPW has announced a small change in date and a number of big matches for their upcoming Dominion event, including the bout to determine the new IWGP heavyweight champion.

    The company made the announcements via a tweet and revealed that the upcoming PPV event will have to be delayed by a day due to the extension of the state of emergency which is in place in Osaka.

    The tweet confirmed that Dominion will now be taking place on Monday, June 7 instead of the originally announced date of Sunday, June 6.

    A more interesting news is the announcement that Kazuchika Okada will be taking on Shingo Takagi in a singles match for the currently vacant IWGP heavyweight championship:

    For those who don\’t know, the previous champion WIll Ospreay had to vacate the championship due to a neck injury. He went back to UK for his rehabilitation and he recently revealed that he might be suffering from a back injury as well.

    Apart from this, the company has also announced a match between Yoh and El Desperado for the IWGP junior heavyweight championship and a bout between Kota Ibushi and Jeff Cobb. NJPW Dominion this year will be taking place from the Osaka Jo Hall on Monday June 7.

  • Jade Cargill Picks Her New Manager On Dynamite

    After weeks of not wanting to sign with any manager, AEW star Jade Cargill has decided to join forces with Mark Sterling and allow him to be his manager.

    Tonight\’s Double Or Nothing go-home episode of Dynamite featured a segment where the female star tried to talk to Tony Schiavone. However, they were interrupted by Matt Hardy.

    Hardy tried to persuade Cargill to join him but Mark Sterling jumped in. He revealed that Jade had already selected him to be her manager in the company.

    Sterling told Hardy he is going to slap him with a restraining order if the former WWE star keeps bothering his client. Mark also revealed that his deal is different than Hardy\’s and he only gets paid when his client wins.

    Mark Sterling then accompanied Jade Cargill for her match against KiLynn King. During the match, Cargill sent King out of the ring. Sterling tried to present King his card as well but she attacked him instead.

    The ending of the bout saw Cargill hitting the Jaded finisher on her opponent. She then pinned KiLynn King to pick up the victory.

    Mark Sterling is an independent wrestler who has worked for ROH and other indie promotions. He previously made an appearance for AEW as MJF\’s lawyer last year.

  • Marc Mero On Having Backstage Heat Due To His WWE Contract

    A downside guaranteed contract is a standard deal WWE offers to its wrestlers nowadays but it wasn\’t the case when Marc Mero signed one such contract with the company back in 1996 and it got him some backstage heat.

    The former WWE and WCW star recently had an interview with WrestlingInc where he talked about his time with the company among other things.

    Talking about how he was one of the first wrestlers to get a guaranteed WWE contract, Mero mentioned how it upset some people. Though he claimed that his signing ultimately opened the doors for everyone to get a guaranteed deal:

    \”Mick Foley and Steve Austin went before me, and they never got a guaranteed deal after I got one. So as much as I think some guys were upset that I got it, if you really look back at it, it opened the doors for everyone to get it eventually. It was like breaking that glass ceiling.”

    Marc Mero also discussed his experience with WWE\’s medical facilities when he suffered a knee injury. He explained that the company sent him to the best doctor in the country for his treatment.

    The former boxing star started his wrestling career in 1990 and he was signed by WCW only a year later. He jumped ships to WWE in 1996 and lasted there until 1999. He also had a TNA stint in 2005-06.

  • John Cena Rumored For Headline Match At SummerSlam

    There has been some chatter within WWE about the current universal champion Roman Reigns possibly defending his title against John Cena in the main event of SummerSlam this year.

    WWE recently announced their return to touring for July. The cenation leader\’s comeback has been in discussion for the company\’s first show back on the road which will the July 16 SmackDown from Houston.

    The Wrestling Observer Newsletter is now reporting that people within the promotion have talked about Reigns vs. Cena as a top match for SummerSlam, though nobody has been able to confirm if this is the plan.

    On a related note, the Observer claims that despite their ongoing feud, there are currently no plans for Jimmy Uso to challenge for the universal championship at the upcoming Hell In A Cell PPV.

    There is no word yet on who could be Roman Reigns\’ opponent for the PPV if not his cousin. Though Paul Heyman recently teased Shinsuke Nakamura as a potential future opponent for the tribal chief.

    John Cena has faced the current champion in a one on match before. The two squared off at the No Mercy PPV in September 2017 and the big dog came out victorious in that bout.

    What do you think about a potential Roman Reigns vs. John Cena rematch main eventing the SummerSlam PPV this year?

  • DDP Heading To Colombia For Stem Cell Therapy

    WWE Hall of Famer and wrestling veteran Diamond Dallas Page aka DDP has announced that he is heading to Colombia for stem cell therapy.

    The former WWE star posted a video on his Twitter earlier where he revealed that he is looking to get stem cell therapy for the various parts of his body:

    \”Hey guys it\’s me, Diamond Dallas Page, WWE Hall Of Famer. After years of pro wrestling beating up my body, I can\’t tell you how excited I am to be heading to Medellin, Colombia to see my good friends at bio accelerator,

    Because they are gonna hook me up with some serious stem cells, in my neck, in my back, in my shoulders, and in my knees. I am looking for bio accelerator to take me from 65 years old to 65 years young and that\’s a fact.\”

    https://twitter.com/RealDDP/status/1398453080966975489

    A former WCW world champion, Diamond Dallas Page has been active in the wrestling business for more than three decades since his debut in 1988.

    He has made appearances for almost all major promotions in the US in this time. The list includes companies such as WCW, WWE, Impact Wrestling and AEW as well. There is no word yet on how long DDP will stay in Columbia for the treatment but we will keep you posted on his whereabouts.

  • Cody Rhodes Responds To Rumored Heat Among AEW VPs

    The Young Bucks previously reacted to the reports of infighting among AEW EVPs in their own unique way. Now Cody Rhodes has responded to these claims as well. The former TNT champion held a media conference call ahead of the Double Or Nothing PPV this Sunday where he was asked about the rumors.

    Replying to the question, Rhodes who was said to be having trouble with other VPs interestingly suggested that these stories are a result of their win over NXT in the Wednesday night wars. He explained that there is a lot of anger created by their victory and that\’s why stories like these don\’t surprise him:

    \”It is one of the things I chopped up as we’ve been very successful, AEW, and with NXT losing the Wednesday Night Wars, that created a lot of anger, and I understand there’s a lot of hardcore NXT and WWE fans out there, and that’s why those stories like that don’t surprise me. I think people need to cling to something, and as sexy as that story is, I talk to Matt and Nick every day.\”

    The former champion then responded to rumors about his heat with Kenny Omega and how the two are not on talking terms anymore. Cody Rhodes claimed that he talks to the AEW champion very often and all the company vice presidents support each others\’ projects:

    “I talk to Kenny [Omega] very often. I support their projects fully. They’ve been supportive of all my projects, and we would not be able to put this show on the air, Tony’s [Khan] the man and Tony’s the boss, but we would not be able to put this show on the air if the four of us were not functioning as one team. Unfortunately, it’s not very sexy to say, but there’s no truth to that.\”

    Rhodes also mentioned their upcoming expansion to TBS. He claimed that they are one team and they will remain one team in the future as the company expands. Apart from this, the AEW VP discussed things such as his current programs and more. Cody Rhodes is currently scheduled to face Anthony Ogogo at the upcoming Double Or Nothing PPV on May 30.

  • Natalya Reveals Nixed Plans For Her Before Tag Team Title Win

    Natalya formed an alliance with Tamina Snuka at the start of this year and their pairing paid off for both the stars in form of their big tag team championship win recently during the May 14 SmackDown.

    However, during her recent appearance on the Oral Sessions podcast, the former SmackDown women\’s champion revealed that the original plans for her this year were very different.

    Natalya talked about her pairing with Tamina during the interview and revealed that she was actually slated for a big program with Sasha Banks before the formation of their tag team:

    “I was supposed to go into a big rivalry with Sasha Banks early in the year, and everything changed when Bianca won the Royal Rumble.

    I was so excited about wrestling Sasha because I think Sasha is one of the greatest women’s wrestlers in the world, if not the best. And I was just so excited about it.\”

    After the change of plans, Natalya\’s husband Tyson Kidd who works as a backstage producer suggested that she should team up with her current partner.

    The former diva\’s champion admitted that she was sad at first at her program with Banks getting cancelled but Kidd\’s explanation made her excited about teaming with Tamina.

  • Paul Heyman Teases Brock Lesnar\’s Return For Upcoming WWE Show

    WWE has announced their return to touring for July and now Paul Heyman is teasing the return of Brock Lesnar for the company\’s first show back on the road.

    The former ECW owner recently appeared on SportsTalk 790 where he talked about a number of things. During the interview, he was also asked about the potential return of the beast incarnate.

    Replying to the question, Heyman first mentioned how Lesnar does what he wants to do but he then teased the former universal champion\’s return for the upcoming SmackDown episode from Houston:

     “Asking me about Brock Lesnar is a highly intelligent question and I commend you on your efforts. However, it’s a hypothetical. Brock Lesnar does what Brock Lesnar wants to do. If Brock Lesnar wanted to be back in WWE at this moment, at this particular time and place, he would be.

    Maybe, maybe he has been waiting for the live events, and maybe he’ll choose Houston to make that return… or maybe not, because Brock Lesnar is going to do whatever Brock Lesnar wants to do.”

    WWE has confirmed a total of six locations for their 25 city tour so far. Their first show back on the road will be July 16 episode of SmackDown from Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

    Brock Lesnar is not the only big name which has now been discussed for a potential appearance and reports suggest that John Cena could make his WWE return during the show as well.

  • Jim Ross Believes AEW Star Has The \’It Factor\’

    Legendary wrestling commentator Jim Ross recently had an interview with DAZN where he talked about a number of things and offered high praise to a young AEW star claiming that he will be the next breakout star for them.

    The wrestling veteran has a lot of experience in finding potential future stars due to his role as the head of talent management in WWE. He is responsible for signing people such as Brock Lesnar and John Cena.

    Ross talked about another star who he believes has the \’it factor\’ during his interview. He praised MJF\’s bodyguard Wardlow and compared him to a couple of former world champions.

    The \”IT\” Factor

    \"Wardlow\"
    Wardlow (Photo: AEW)

    “Combination of a few guys, Physique wise, he reminds me of Lex Luger. I think he’s going to end up being a much better worker. That’s not knocking Lex. He’s a little like Dave Batista. He’s still evolving. Batista got getting better and better as he got older. He was never going to be confused with Kurt Angle or Dory Funk Jr.

    This kid’s got it. He has the ‘IT’ factor. We can’t manufacture the ‘IT’ factor.\” said Jim Ross, \”You can’t anoint them with the ‘IT’ factor. You have ‘IT’ or don’t have ‘IT’. This kid’s got ‘IT’.”

    The AEW commentator explained that Wardlow not only has the big frame that promoters covet but he is also an athletic big man, something which the wrestling fans love.

    Jim Ross went on to predict that Wardlow will be the break-out star for AEW in the future and his time could come as soon as this year or in 2022.

    Wardlow will be in action this Sunday at AEW Double or Nothing. He\’ll compete in the Stadium Stampede match, when his faction The Pinnacle battles The Inner Circle.

  • Backstage News On Eva Marie\’s Return To WWE Programming

    WWE has been teasing the return of Eva Marie for several weeks, however latest report suggests that the female star might not be returning in the way many believe.

    The company has been airing vignettes for her return and the WWE star has also been training at the performance center for her comeback.

    However, the language of the promos have made many believe that Marie might be taking on some sort of managerial role and now a new report from Fightful has confirmed these speculations. The belief is that she will not be wrestling upon her return. The working plan for the female star is for her to be a vehicle to help get another female star over with the fans.

    There is no word yet on which female star Eva Marie could be managing in her new role with the company but it\’s still interesting to know that she will likely be managing someone instead of making an in ring return.

    The All Red Everything was originally signed by WWE to a development contract back in 2013. She went back and forth between the main roster and NXT and in August 2017, it was revealed that she has parted ways with the company.

  • Mick Foley And Others React To Tom Phillips\’ WWE Release

    Several wrestling personalities including Mick Foley and others have reacted to the news of WWE broadcaster Tom Phillips getting released by the company.

    The WWE Hall Of Famer wrote on Twitter that announcing in the WWE is not an easy job and the released star did it very well. The wrestling veteran also expressed his surprise over the decision.

    Former WWE star Aiden English also took on his Twitter. English who now goes by his real name Matt Rehwoldt said that he was grateful to Phillips for taking a chance on him.

    The last surprising name to comment on his release was AEW star Dax Harwood who claimed that the former WWE star was the best commentator he had the chance to work with:

    https://twitter.com/RealMickFoley/status/1397982550971359235?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

    After the release of Adnan Virk, many believed that Tom Phillips will be taking over his position on the Raw commentary team but they were left surprised when WWE announced that Jimmy Smith will be filling the spot.

    Reports then revealed yesterday that WWE had actually decided to release the former broadcaster quietly and he was no longer with the company.

    Tom Phillips joined WWE in 2012 and he worked in various roles during his time in the company including being the lead commentator for shows such as SmackDown, Raw and NXT.

  • The IIconics On Their Future After WWE Release

    The IIconics have not made a decision about their future after their release from WWE but the duo has a couple of interesting destinations in mind.

    The former tag team champions recently appeared on Busted Open Radio where they opened up about their time in WWE among other things.

    When asked what\’s next for the duo, Peyton Royce revealed that they want to move forward as a team because they are more comfortable together:

    “We definitely want to stay together. We want to move forward together, just like we said in the first episode of Off Her Chops we’re just most comfortable together. We can play off each other so easily. We don’t even have to talk about what we’re going to do.\”

    The female star was then questioned about which promotion The IIconics might be interested in joining and Royce discussed what they could bring to the table for both AEW and Impact Wrestling:

    “I think it’s tough, For example; AEW. I feel like we could really help their women’s division, though they don’t necessarily have a women’s tag division. But I feel we have that TV experience that we could bring to the division and help build that up.

    And then with Impact they have a women’s tag team division, as well as an established Knockout’s division, that I feel we can easily slip into. So it’s like, I feel like we have a lot to offer both of them and, I don’t know.”

    Billie Key explained how they are not only wrestlers but personalities and characters as well and they are just trying to figure out which company they would be better with.

    The IIconics were released from their WWE contracts on April 15 this year. Their non compete clause with the company expires on July 14 and it would be interesting to see which promotion they end up on after that.

  • Paige Banned From Twitch For Movie Stream

    Saraya Bevis, better known to WWE fans as Paige has apparently been banned by the streaming platform Twitch for a movie stream.

    According to some viewers, the former champion was holding a watch party for the movie Dumb & Dumber and her stream got cut halfway through.

    Streamers are allowed to hold watch parties for several movies at the Amazon-owned platform but Dumb & Dumber is not part of the list and Paige appears to have gotten a copyright strike for streaming the movie:

    https://twitter.com/AnEternalEnigma/status/1398094839028330499

    The former champion has been streaming on the platform since last year and she is one of the top wrestling personalities on the platform.

    Paige also faced some controversy when WWE decided to take over the Twitch profiles of all their contracted talents last year. The former SmackDown GM was one of the stars who protested the edict and continued streaming.

    According to Twitch guidelines, a suspension can last for up to 30 days. Accounts with prior suspension records can be removed from the site indefinitely as well.

    This seems to be Paige\’s first violation of the Twitch guidelines so it\’s likely that the former champion will not face an indefinite suspension and she will be back on the platform soon.

  • Cody Rhodes On Stephen Amell Possibly Wrestling For AEW

    Cody Rhodes has had a long-standing relationship with Stephen Amell that goes all the way back to their first encounter in WWE in 2015. The two have interacted publically numerous times since then and Amell even wrestled a singles match at the All In event hosted by the former WWE star and his friends.

    Now that Cody Rhodes is the executive vice president of a company he helped start, a lot of people wonder if we will see Amell returning to the ring and competing for the promotion down the line. During a recent interview with Comicbook.com, the AEW official was asked about the possibility.

    Replying to the question, Rhodes revealed that he has had talks with Amell for a potential program but the Arrow star\’s acting career has gotten in the way. Though later, the former ROH champion claimed that he can see Stephen getting in the ring at least one more time in future for sure:

    \”So Steven gets me excited. \’Oh, let\’s do this. Let\’s do this. Let\’s do this.\’ And then I\’ll write a little treatment out, and then it\’s, \”Well, I\’m doing this movie.\” I don\’t know. I think Stephen will absolutely appear on AEW television moving forward.

    I know it\’s difficult, because he broke his hip wrestling for Christopher Daniels at All In, which very few people know. So I don\’t know how excited he is about returning. I know he wants to do it, but he\’s got a family. It\’s not ballet, but I could see Stephen getting in the ring, for sure, for one more time. I could see that.\”

    Stephen Amell teamed up with Neville, now known as Pac to face Cody Rhodes and Wade Barrett at SummerSlam 2015. He had his first singles match against Christopher Daniels at All In. Apart from this; Cody Rhodes also revealed the fate of the TNT title after their move to TBS. You can check out his comments on the matter at this link.