SEScoops

Author: Anutosh Bajpai

  • Ricochet Comments On AEW Having Too Many Titles

    Ricochet thinks AEW\’s deep roster justifies the number of titles in the company.

    With the introduction of the National Championship at Full Gear last November, AEW now has a total of 10 different titles. Counting the trios and two tag team champions, that\’s a total of 14 belts with as many champions at any given time. Considering that the company also features championships from its partner promotions on AEW TV regularly, many believe that there is a need to cut down on the number of championships.

    The One and Only was asked about this notion during a recent interview with Forbes. Ricochet mentioned that AEW has a deep roster filled with talents who each can be a champion at any point in time. He claimed that adding another prize when you have so many prizefighters is good for the company:

    \”At the end of the day, say what you want, we’re all prizefighters. We’re fighting for a prize. You’re fighting for something. So I think adding another prize to the pot is only good for the fighters, giving them something to fight for.\”

    I Think It\’s Ok: Ricochet

    After becoming the Inaugural National Champion, Ricochet has the responsibility of establishing the title as a meaningful prize for all talents. The former WWE star mentioned that he does understand the concern of people but claimed that it\’s not a problem for AEW:

    \”Especially when you have so many guys from the bottom to the top, everybody is so good. I do understand what people are saying, but at the same time, when the roster is that deep and everybody could be champion at any time, I think it’s okay.

    But there absolutely is pressure with a new title, being the inaugural champion, to make it mean something and to make its legacy mean something, especially with the pool of other championships that are out there to be fought for.”

    Ricochet later also talked about defending the National title outside of AEW, saying that he\’s putting everyone on notice with his work and giving people outside the company something to reach for.

  • MJF Reveals The Only Time In Life He Was Star Struck

    MJF has revealed the one interaction in his life that left him star-struck.

    The Salt of the Earth spoke to Chris Van Vliet for a new interview recently. He talked about things such as his appearance on the Rosie O’Donnell show, his rivalry with CM Punk and more.

    During the interview, the AEW World Champion also discussed his role in Happy Gilmore 2. When asked about sharing the screen with Eminem for the movie, MJF noted how he beat the shit out of the rap star:

    “I did beat the shit out of Eminem, yeah. Marshall Mathers, he rolls deep. He showed up on that movie set with a big crew, probably 10-15 dudes, and they were all easily as big as Luchasaurus. It’s like massive human beings, and I get it because he’s seen some sh*t.\”

    The Greatest Rapper of All Time: MJF

    MJF then admitted that meeting Eminem on the set of the movie was the first time in his life that he was truly star-struck:

    \”So I’d imagine it’s no different than when a wrestling fan might see me out and about, being next to who is arguably the greatest rapper of all time was one of the only times in my life where I was star struck was that moment.”

    The 29-year-old later revealed that he had originally auditioned for the role of the evil golfer in the movie, which would have been with Becky Lynch\’s character. When Adam Sandler saw his audition, the Hollywood star chose him for the role of his son.

  • MJF Comments On WWE Counter Programming: They Respect Our Product

    MJF says WWE counter-programming proves they respect AEW.

    The Endeavor-owned promotion seems to have renewed its efforts to stifle the growth of the Tony Khan promotion in the last year. One of the tactics they have adopted is running shows at the same time as AEW PPVs, to reduce the chatter about the rival promotion and stop the casual audience from checking out the product.

    The current AEW World Champion talked about this during a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet. He was discussing the interest from WWE before he signed with AEW. MJF claimed that WWE trying to kill them is smart business and it shows that they respect the work AEW is doing:

    \”I respect what they’re doing. I respect their product. I know that they respect our product because about a million times they’ve tried to counterprogram us, slash us any way they can, hurt us any way they can, which, by the way, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, that’s smart business. Try to kill me. Try to kill me before I kill you. It’s f*cking smart. I’m not going to take that away from them.\”

    MJF also claimed that he would have been just as successful if he had chosen WWE as his home. He knew AEW was the right choice for him; however, after having a long conversation with Tony Khan and realizing that he loved the era of territorial wrestling just as much as him.

    The Salt of the Earth is set to defend his title against Brody King at the Grand Slam Australia event later this week. You can check out the full match card for the show here.

  • Kris Statlander: No One Hates Wrestling More Than Wrestling Fans

    Kris Statlander does not understand wrestling fans being miserable despite having so many options.

    The AEW star recently spoke to TSN to promote the upcoming Grand Slam Australia event. She talked about things such as injuries setting her back in her career, finally winning the Women\’s World Championship and more.

    The former TBS Champion also talked about the negativity of fans, especially those who spend their time pitting companies and performers against each other instead of enjoying the wide variety of high-quality wrestling offered across the industry right now:

    “No one hates wrestling more than wrestling fans… I think it’s a shame that some people get so upset thinking that we don’t like each other or that people don’t want to see wrestling succeed, because I just want wrestling to succeed.\”

    It\’s Just So Unnecessary: Kris Statlander

    Kris Statlander discussed how the performers of different companies have no actual animosity and they just want the industry as a whole to continue growing. This doesn\’t appear to be the case for a segment of fans however, who seem to enjoy the failure of people more than their success:

    \”I want things to be executed well. I want everybody to have fun and enjoy their lives because we go out there and travel and we put our bodies through so much and people get so invested in our personal lives and all these other things and it’s just so unnecessary when all we’re trying to do is put on a good show for these people.”

    The New York native defended her World Title against Thekla on this week\’s episode of AEW Dynamite, but she unfortunately ended up losing the title. You can check out more about it here.

  • Tommaso Ciampa\’s Daughter Had The Most Adorable Reaction To His AEW Jump

    Tommaso Ciampa\’s daughter is the best.

    The newest AEW signee recently spoke to Vice for an interview. He talked about things such as the development of his new theme music, people he wants to face in Tony Khan\’s promotion and more.

    During the interview, the former NXT Champion also discussed his family\’s reaction to his AEW move. Specifically, Tommaso Ciampa revealed that his 7-year-old daughter Willow, was worried for him, thinking that people may not be kind to her father in his new home. The wrestling veteran noted that Willow, who has been at many shows with him, was also sad that she will not be able to meet some of her favorite people from the WWE roster anymore:

    “She was super nervous for me when we had to break the news to her. She would come sometimes and she has met everybody. We’ve had parties, we’ve gone to parties. In her little seven-year-old mind, it was like I’m starting a new school. ‘What if you don’t know anyone? What if they’re not nice to you?’ She got emotional. Even some of the people she was going to miss, ‘The Hair Boys’, is Pretty Deadly, ‘Kiss Lips’, which is Bianca [Belair]. ‘Neck Tattoo Boy’, which is Cody. She has nicknames for everybody, so she was just sad.\”

    It Immediately Changed How She Views This: Tommaso Ciampa

    Thankfully, the people at AEW did everything they could to make the little one more confident about the company. Tommaso Ciampa named Mark Briscoe and Willow Nightingale as people who helped his daughter get comfortable at his new workplace on the day of his debut:

    \”I’m so happy I brought her for the first one because it immediately changed how she views this. One, she bumped into a lot of people she’s already met and known. But two, Mark Briscoe, I think he’s got six or seven children, he’s great with kids. So charismatic, she’s meeting him and she thinks he’s just the coolest. Willow [Nightingale] has the same name; she has two titles and the coolest hair; her gear is awesome. So she’s just in love with her.”

    Tommaso Ciampa, unfortunately, lost his TNT title to Kyle Fletcher on Dynamite this week. The new champion has already been booked to defend his title in a ladder match. You can check out more about it here.

  • Huge Title Change In Dynamite Main Event

    Thekla has won the AEW Women\’s World Title.

    The Austrian star challenged Kris Statlander for the title in a strap match during the latest episode of Dynamite from Toyota Arena in Ontario, California. Bryan Danielson on commentary, revealed that the strap used for the match was the same one from his 2023 All Out match against Ricky Starks.

    The ending of the bout saw the Sisters of Sin interfering on behalf of the challenger. Sky Blue distracted the referee as Julia Hart entered the ring, but Statlander managed to fend the duo off. Thekla however, was able to take advantage of the distraction.

    She speared Kris and then tied the champion\’s hands with the strap. The Toxic Spider then delivered a stomp to the AEW Women\’s Champion to begin her first reign with the belt.

    Thekla joined Blue and Hart in attacking Kris Statlander after the bell, as the commentary mentioned that Babes of Wrath were in Australia and can\’t help Statlander.  Alex Windsor and Jamie Hayter then came out to make the save for the now former champion, to end the show.

    This wasn\’t the only unexpected title change of the night, before the Grand Slam Australia event set for this weekend. You can check out more about it here.

    Ladder Match Added to AEW Grand Slam Australia

  • Ladder Match Added to AEW Grand Slam Australia

    Klye Fletcher is coming home as champion.

    This week\’s episode of Dynamite featured an unexpected title change as the 27-year-old ended Tommaso Ciampa\’s run with the TNT title at just 11 days.

    The new champion immediately announced an open challenge for the title at the upcoming Grand Slam Australia event. It was Mark Briscoe who answered the challenge.

    The Conglomeration star mentioned that they each had 3 wins against the other so they needed a rubber match. Fletcher accepted the challenge on the condition that they will meet in a ladder match instead of a regular bout.

    AEW Grand Slam Australia Updated Card

    The AEW special will be taking place from Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia on February 14. Below is the updated card for the event:

    • AEW Continental Championship Match: Jon Moxley (c) vs. Konosuke Takeshita
    • AEW World Title #1 One Contenders Match: Hangman Page vs. Andrade
    • Hair vs Hair Match (Person who is pinned loses their hair): Orange Cassidy & Toni Storm vs. Marina Shafir & Wheeler Yuta
    • AEW Women’s Tag Team Championships Match: Willow Nightingale & Harley Cameron (c) vs. Megan Bayne & Penelope Ford
    • AEW World Championship Match: MJF (c) vs. Brody King
    • AEW TNT Championship Ladder Match: Kyle Fletcher (c) vs. Mark Briscoe

  • Tommaso Ciampa Loses TNT Title After 11 Day Run

    Tommaso Ciampa has dropped the TNT title.

    The Psycho Killer had defeated Mark Briscoe in his AEW debut match on January 31 to win the championship and establish himself as a serious contender after his WWE exit.

    He made his second title defence on this week\’s Dynamite, facing Kyle Fletcher in a hard-hitting match. Don Callis was in commentary for this bout.

    The ending saw Ciampa getting a near fall after a knee strike on the young star. Fletcher came back, however, and he was able to pin the champion with a Michinoku driver and a Brainbuster combo.

    The title change ends Tommaso Ciampa\’s run with the belt at just 11 days, while Kyle Fletcher begins his second reign with the belt.

    The Australian native already has his first title defence set as Mark Briscoe made an appearance after this match and challenged him for a ladder match at the upcoming Grand Slam Australia event on February 14.

    There is no word on what the company is planning for Ciampa after this unexpected loss, but it\’s possible that we will see him getting a rematch for the belt in future.

  • Tag Team Makes Surprise AEW Return After A Year

    Private Party is back.

    This week\’s episode of Dynamite featured a three-way #1 contenders match for a shot at the tag team championships, with The Young Bucks and Rascalz announced as the first two teams for the bout.

    The duo of Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen made their surprise return during the show as the third and final entry of this bout.

    The match was a chaotic one with fast-paced action. In the end, it were the Young Bucks who picked up the victory after pinning Myron Reed with a Meltzer Driver.

    This was Private Party\’s first AEW appearance since January last year. They dropped the AEW tag titles to Hurt Syndicate in their last match from the brand. The duo then wrestled one more match for HOG in March before going on a year-long hiatus without any explanation.

    FTR are the reigning AEW tag team champions in their third reign. They won the belt from Brodido at Full Gear last year. A date has not been announced for their title defence against the Young Bucks at the moment.

  • It Was Bad: Stephan Amell Did Not Enjoy 2026 Royal Rumble

    Stephen Amell did not enjoy Royal Rumble this year.

    The TV star has been a lifelong fan of wrestling. Apart from playing the part of a wrestler in Heels, Amell has entered the ring himself and competed at events such as the 2015 SummerSlam and the original All In.

    So it was no surprise when the topic of wrestling was brought up during his recent interview with iHeartRadio. He was asked about Roman Reigns winning the 2026 Royal Rumble, and Stephen Amell admitted that he was not a fan of this booking decision:

    \”I thought the Rumble was bad. Listen not every show can be great. I thought that like Night 2 of WrestleMania last year, and I was there, I thought that was an A++ night of wrestling. I thought top to bottom, tip to tail, it was great. I thought that this Rumble was…I just didn\’t think it was great.\”

    It Seemed Weird: Stephen Amell

    Stephen Amell also commented on the lighting of the venue in Riyadh that received a lot of criticism online. The Arrow star noted how the whole thing made the arena look empty and mentioned that it made the presentation weird compared to previous years:

    \”And I just thought that the atmosphere, it seemed weird, like the arena was kind of empty. Or was it? It was just optically, the way that it looks and presents is important. And I thought that it looked and presented poorly, relative to previous rumbles. I\’ve been to I think the last three prior to this in San Antonio, Tampa, and Indianapolis. Those shows were awesome. The atmosphere was great and this one just wasn\’t.\”

    Do you think Triple H failed Royal Rumble this year? Let us know your opinion of the PPV in the comments below.

  • Stephen Amell Says He Will Make WrestleMania 42 Cameo

    Stephen Amell says he will be at WrestleMania 42.

    The Arrowverse star recently spoke to IHartRadio to promote his new show, The Borderline. Among other things, he was also asked about wrestling, specifically if he is keeping up with the current product.

    The TV star noted that he does not watch AEW as much, but he knows what\’s going on in WWE. Stephen Amell also claimed that he will be making a cameo at WrestleMania this year:

    “I’m not up to date with AEW. I’m certainly up to date with WWE. We are on the road to WrestleMania. I think I’m going to make a cameo on night two at WrestleMania this year,”

    Stephen Amell is good friends with WWE\’s Cody Rhodes. His friendship with Rhodes goes back to SummerSlam 2015, when Amell competed in a tag team match opposite the American Nightmare.

    The two have since given each other platforms, with Amell competing at the original All In PPV and Cody playing the role of Derek Sampson in multiple episodes of Arrow.

    The 44-year-old has shared the screen with CM Punk as well, in the wrestling-based series Heels. Punk played the part of Ricky Rabies in the show, appearing in 6 episodes in total.

  • Update On Samoa Joe Injury

    Samoa Joe is in concussion protocol.

    AEW had announced during the latest Dynamite that the former AEW World Heavyweight Champion was out of action after sustaining a \’non-contact\’ injury.

    Fightful Select recently provided an update on his status, noting that Joe has been put in concussion protocol by the company.

    The Samoan Submission Machine last wrestled during the January 21 episode of Dynamite, where he defeated Mike Bailey.

    Samoa Joe was expected to continue being involved in the world title story after dropping the belt to MJF at Worlds End, but plans were adjusted after his injury. HOOK has been acting as the leader of the Opps in his absence.

    Andrade has found himself in the main event mix as part of the changed creative plans. AEW is said to be happy with the recent rise in popularity for the Mexican star, and it\’s reflected in his booking. The former La Sombra has picked up victories over the likes of Kenny Omega and Swerve Strickland recently.

    Though it\’s unknown if his spot is something that was originally meant for Joe. There is no update on how long the former champion would stay out of action either. Stay tuned for more updates on his status.

  • Sol Ruca Wins Unique Tag Match For NXT Women\’s Title Shot

    Sol Ruca has earned herself a Women\’s title match.

    This week\’s episode of NXT featured a tag team match between Sol Ruca & Zaria and Wren Sinclair & EVOLVE Women’s Champion Kendal Grey. The bout had a unique stipulation where the talent who secured the victory for their team would get a shot at the NXT Women\’s Championship.

    The ending of the match was a chaotic one as Zaria tagged herself in when Ruca went to the top rope in their corner for a move. Zaria, however, was then knocked into Ruca in the corner after a superkick from Grey. The referee counted it as another tag, making Sol the legal participant once again.

    Both Zaria and Ruca then took out one contender from the opposite team and went for the pin. It was Ruca who was awarded the victory because of the accidental tag earlier.

    The former Women\’s North American Champion will now challenge Jacy Jayne for the NXT Women\’s Title on the February 24 episode of the show from Center Stage in Atlanta, Georgia. This will be Sol\’s first singles opportunity at the brand\’s top title.

    WWE has been teasing the breakup of Zaria and Sol Ruca for a while now. It\’s possible that the feud will finally begin with the upcoming title match.

  • Booker T Reacts To Ava\’s Mysterious NXT Exit

    Booker T believes there\’s layers to Ava\’s WWE departure.

    The former NXT General Manager announced her sudden exit from the company on social media last week. A lot of people have been speculating about the reason behind her decision, as the daughter of The Rock did not even receive any kind of farewell on her way out.

    The WWE Hall of Famer addressed the whole thing on the latest episode of his podcast. Booker T, who is part of the brand\’s broadcast team mentioned how nobody knew that the January 28 NXT would be Ava\’s last appearance. He suspected that there are layers to the whole thing that we don\’t know about:

    “It’s definitely out of the blue. It definitely got a lot of layers there that you could peel back and say, man, was it this? What is that? Or the other? But, I left work last week and I didn’t know anything about it. I didn’t hear any rumors, I didn’t feel any rumblings or anything like that as far as, hey, maybe Ava’s gonna take a step back and move on into a different direction.\”

    Booker T later mentioned that wrestling is a very unpredictable business where anyone who is in the company can be gone tomorrow. The wrestling veteran claimed that even though he did not see Ava\’s exit coming, he still understands it.

    The former NXT star posted an anti-ICE message on her X account after her exit, suggesting that it was something she couldn\’t do while signed to the company. Though she has since deactivated her account, and there is no word on what the former Authority Figure is planning next.

  • Je’Von Evans Explains Not Doing The Kofi Kingston Spot In Royal Rumble

    Je’Von Evans has explained why he didn\’t do a Kofi Kingston-style spot at Royal Rumble.

    The New Day star had become a highlight of the Rumble for many years with fans anticipating his unique saves every time the match came around. After couple of years of back-to-back failures, however, Kingston stopped doing these spots and he has not even been featured in the battle royal for the past couple years.

    Many had expected Je’Von Evans to do something similar upon his Royal Rumble debut this year. During a recent Busted Open appearance, the 21-year-old revealed that he had actually practiced a spot for the match:

    \”Going back to the Rumble, everybody was kind of expecting me to do the Kofi Kingston save like, ‘Oh, is he going to jump from the table to the apron or whatever?’ I tried it. I tried it and it worked but I’m glad we didn’t do it.\”

    That Was His Thing: Je’Von Evans

    Je’Von Evans however, is glad that the spot was ultimately not included in the bout because he wants to do something of his own instead of interfering with the former WWE Champion\’s legacy:

    \”Because I feel like Kofi, he made that so memorable and his. I don’t want to continue something that he already made legendary, you know? That was his thing so I want to create something that everyone looks at and goes, ‘Oh, that’s Je’Von Evans.’ I always want to be myself for sure.\”

    The former NXT star entered the Rumble at #8, and he lasted over 40 minutes in the match, longer than any other participant. He was eventually eliminated by Randy Orton.

  • Big Title Match Confirmed For SmackDown Next Week

    A big title match has been announced for next week.

    This week\’s episode of SmackDown featured an appearance from 2026 Royal Rumble winner Liv Morgan, who was accompanied by Raquel Rodriguez. After Liv talked about her WrestleMania choice, Morgan and Rodriguez teased addressing \’the elephant in the room,\’ but Women\’s Champion Jade Cargill interrupted the duo.

    Jordynne Grace was next to come out, and it led to General Manager Nick Aldis booking a tag team match between the two sides. The chaotic ending of the bout saw Raquel accidentally hitting Liv with a big boot to her face while trying to take out Cargill.

    Rodriguez then had a staredown in the ring with the Women\’s Champion but Grace came out of nowhere, shoving the Judgment Day star into Cargill. This allowed Jordynne to pick up the victory for her team.

    Later in the night, we saw Jade Cargill and Jordynne Grace arguing with each other backstage. The SmackDown GM once again provided a solution, booking a title match between the two for next week\’s episode of the show. This will be Jade\’s first televised title defence since she won the belt from Tiffany Stratton on November 1 last year.

    The episode also featured the first qualifying matches for the Elimination Chamber. You can check out the names who earned a place in the bout here.

  • First Names Qualify For Elimination Chamber on SmackDown

    Elimination Chamber has its first contestants.

    This week\’s episode of SmackDown started the build for the upcoming PPV with the first two qualifying matches for the Chamber taking place on the show.

    Tiffany Stratton who returned at Royal Rumble won the first of these matches in her first appearance for the blue brand in 2026. She defeated Lash Legend and Chelsea Green for this opportunity.

    The second qualifying match saw Randy Orton, Solo Sikoa and Aleister Black battling in the main event, as Trick Williams looked on from the ringside. Breaking the tradition, Williams did not get involved in the action which saw none of the competitors getting a definitive upper hand throughout the bout.

    It was Orton\’s superior ring IQ that reigned supreme in the end, as Randy delivered an RKO outta nowhere to Solo Sikoa when the former Bloodline star was looking to sneak behind the Viper with his own finisher. With this victory, Orton has secured a place in what will be his 10th Elimination Chamber appearance

    The winner of the Men\’s Chamber is confirmed to challenge Drew McIntyre for the WWE title after Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk was officially announced as the first match for WrestleMania 42.

    Liv Morgan is yet to pick her own opponent for the Show of Shows after winning the Women\’s Royal Rumble, so we will have to wait to find out who the winner of the Women\’s Chamber will face at the upcoming PLE.

  • MJF: \’Paedophilia Is Not Okay, I Think It’s Pretty Fucked Up\’

    MJF is saying it as it is.

    The wrestling world has received a political charge in the past week, with the actions of ICE and the current US administration becoming the center of discussion after the video of fan chants at the latest AEW Dynamite received mainstream attention.

    So it was no surprise that the topic of the Epstein Files was also brought up during MJF\’s recent interview with Mostly Sports, after the Department of Justice released over 3 million pages of documents related to the case.

    The AEW World Champion did not mince his words at all, saying that the whole thing is  \’pretty fucked up\’ and that he does not understand how anyone can try to just sweep it under the rug:

    “This situation is disgusting and it’s really weird that people are just trying to sweep it under the rug. I don’t understand it. I don’t care what side of the aisle you sit politically. Paedophilia is not okay. I think it’s pretty fucked up,”

    MJF was part of the viral segment on this week\’s Dynamite, facing Brody King in an eliminator match in the main event of the night.

    Unfortunately for the reigning World Champion, he ended up losing the bout in less than 90 seconds after an appearance from Hangman Page. The win earns Brody King a shot at the AEW title at the upcoming Grand Slam: Australia event. You can check out the updated match card for the show here.

  • Big E Releases Statement After Confirming Wrestling Retirement

    Big E has released a statement.

    The former WWE Champion made his in-ring status official during a recent interview, confirming that he considers himself to be retired from active competition. After the story received a lot of attention from fans wishing E best in life, the 39-year-old posted a message for them on social media.

    The New Day Star talked about the various injuries he has suffered in his 13-year wrestling career and expressed gratitude at still being able to lead a normal life despite of it. He also thanked everyone who followed his work, writing that it was an \’immeasurable gift\’ to get to perform for fans:

    \”I’ve put my body through a lot. And somehow, I feel great. I don’t battle daily pain. I’m able to function normally and healthfully. I’m eternally grateful for the wonderful career I stumbled into. I pray for all of my fellow athletes and performers who have not had the same good fortune. A sincere thank you to everyone who has taken the time to follow my in-ring career. It was an immeasurable gift to get to perform for you all.\”

    Apart from making history with 8 New Day tag team championship reigns, Big E\’s list of accomplishments in WWE includes half a dozen singles titles as well as a Money In The Bank victory.

    He has continued making appearances for WWE during his time away from the ring after the 2022 neck injury, working primarily as a pre-show analyst for PPVs.

  • CM Punk Names The Most Underrated Iteration of His Character

    CM Punk has revealed the one iteration of his character he considers to be underrated.

    The WWE World Heavyweight Champion recently spoke to You Better You Bet podcast. He discussed things such as his upcoming WrestleMania match with Roman Reigns, his classic rivalry with Jeff Hardy and more.

    During the talk, the former AEW star was also asked about the Straight Edge Society, and CM Punk claimed that it is the most underrated iteration of his character:

    “If I was to say what was the most underrated iteration of CM Punk or moments in my career, I would definitely say that. Straight Edge Society was kind of near and dear to me.\”

    I Never Thought We Would Be Allowed: CM Punk

    CM Punk, who has adopted and promotes a straight-edge lifestyle himself, explained that he had more freedom with the character than with his other avatars. He mentioned that despite a lot of his ideas getting nixed, he was still able to do many things with it that he never thought would be allowed on TV:

    \”I had…not free reign, but I had a lot to do with a lot of the character direction and what we did. What I wanted to do with it a lot of the times got kiboshed, but I did manage to sneak through a lot of stuff that I never thought we would be allowed to do on television.”

    The wrestling veteran also recently discussed the WWE debut of Royce Keys and said that he doesn\’t understand fans complaining about it. You can check out his remarks here.

  • Seth Rollins Comments On Royal Rumble Mystery Man

    Seth Rollins is not confirming nor denying being the Royal Rumble mystery man.

    The latest WWE PPV featured yet another sighting of a masked man. The person dressed completely in black attacked Bron Breakker right before his Royal Rumble entrance, taking him out with a stomp. Breakker was then eliminated in mere seconds by Oba Femi, completely foiling the Vision\’s plan for the event.

    During a recent chat with Casey Buscher, The Architect addressed the possibility of being behind this attack. Seth Rollins said that his shoulder has not healed completely, while emphasizing that he is not reliant on his upper body as much for his signature move at the same time:

    “I’m telling you right now my shoulder is not fine. It is not fine. I cannot pick you up over my head and throw you…it’s not fine. But I don’t need my shoulders to do my signature move. So, again, I’ll just leave it up to you. You can figure it out.”

    Austin Theory was revealed as the last mystery man who was involved with The Vision, and he ended up officially joining the faction after his unmasking. Of course, he had been helping the group pick up victories at the time, as opposed to the events of Royal Rumble.

    If the previous events are any indication, we will have to wait some time before the latest mystery is solved. Though it will not stop fans from theorizing the outcome of this story.

  • Chris Jericho Recalls Vince McMahon Pitching Him To Go Naked On TV

    Chris Jericho has revealed another crazy Vince McMahon pitch.

    The former WWE Chairman is known as someone who had no boundaries, both in his personal and professional life. The craziness of the Attitude Era was his brainchild, but even crazier are stories about things he had suggested that never made it to TV.

    Y2J revealed one such wild pitch from McMahon from that time during a recent interview with Loaded Magazine. He was asked if there have been any stunts he didn\’t think he would get away with and Chris Jericho recalled the one-time McMahon wanted him to be completely naked in front of the audience:

    \”I remember once Vince had the Dudley’s Christian in my clothes and he came up with the idea that we would walk on stage just in towels, and have them ripped off us. We would be naked underneath.\”

    The segment in question took place during the November 25, 2002 Raw. The AEW star held the WWE tag titles with Christian at the time, and the Dudley Boyz stole their bags.

    Chris Jericho noted that he immediately said no to the idea and suggested alternatives. He also speculated that Vince never really wanted them to go naked but was just seeing their reaction:

    \”I’m like, “No! I don’t wanna be naked. What are you even thinking? There’s absolutely no way I’m doing that. I’m not a male stripper. There’s kids in the crowd!”

    I suggested we put one of those blurry things over our lower-abdominal area to cover us up. I think he was just saying it to see what our reactions would be. I told him he’d need to get someone else to be naked on stage in an arena.\”

    During the interview, Chris Jericho also talked about his future plans and revealed the one dream he is yet to chase. You can check out more about it here.

  • Brie Bella Reveals Why She Didn\’t Want To Return In Saudi Arabia

    Brie Bella was worried fans will not know her in Saudi Arabia.

    The WWE Hall of Famer\’s return at Royal Rumble this year was possibly the biggest surprise of the show. She had not been among the names rumored for the PPV. Fans were genuinely shocked when her music hit and she received one of the biggest pops of the night.

    During the most recent episode of the Bellas podcast, the former Divas Champion went into detail of the whole experience. Brie Bella revealed that her first reaction upon getting the call was wondering whether fans in the Middle Easte would even react to her surprise return, as she had never wrestled in the country before:

    \”I feel like it\’s just it was meant to be this way and it\’s crazy because doing it in Saudi Arabia, the first thing I thought when I got the call, I was like, \’I don\’t think they know who I am. Could I just wait to debut in Philadelphia?\’ and they\’re like, \’The Saudi people know who you are,” and I\’m like, “Do they?\’\”

    Brie Bella later noted that she did not get a lot of time to prepare for the match. While she did not reveal exactly when she got the call, the Total Divas star mentioned that she jumped right into training as soon as she found out, and did everything from weight lifting to boxing in preparation.

    Bella Twins made an appearance on this week\’s Raw from Philadelphia and made their intention of going after the Women\’s Tag titles clear. Brie also teased her sister Nikki about her relationship with Cooper DeJean during her promo, and the NFL star has since addressed this interaction. You can check out more about it here.

  • Chris Jericho\’s Next Evolution Might Not Be In Wrestling

    Chris Jericho could follow the footsteps of John Cena.

    Fans have been anticipating the former AEW World Champion to make his return to WWE for some time now. The rumors have been fuelled by his prolonged absence from Tony Khan\’s promotion, and none of the involved parties committing to an answer about his future in the wrestling business.

    During a recent interview with Loaded Magazine, the wrestling veteran discussed his various ventures apart wrestling. When asked about taking a break from the industry after his first WWE run, Chris Jericho explained that doing anything for too long reduces its value:

    \”I remember saying at that time that if you loved eating pizza, even if you ate the best pizza in the world, at some point you’d say, \’I’ve had enough. I need to take a break for a while.\’ There was no bitterness. I just felt I needed to step away. There were other things to do. I needed to cleanse my mind and clear my head. That’s kind of how Fozzy got going.\”

    If that didn\’t already sound like the former WWE star was intending to stay away from wrestling altogether for a while after criticism of his AEW run of late, Chris Jericho said that he would like to be involved more in the acting world when asked if there was a dream he was yet to chase:

    \”I’d like to do more acting. If you can make it to a high level in wrestling- and I think I have- and you’re playing a character, that’s acting. I have about four acting projects in the can, waiting to go at the moment.\”

    The Man of 1,004 Holds already has one acting project lined up to be released this year where he is sharing the screen with Nicole Kidman among others.

    Do you think these latest remarks from the 55-year-old are a hint of what his main focus would be moving forward or it\’s a deception to throw people off before his wrestling return?

  • Killer Kross Wins First World Title Since WWE Exit

    Killer Kross is a world champion.

    The star formerly known as Karrion Kross in WWE was part of the MLW Battle RIOT VIII event tonight, from Osceola Heritage Park’s Events Center in Kissimmee, FL. Mads Krule Krügger defended his World Title in a 40-man battle royal that main evented the show, and Kross entered the match at #1.

    The final contestants of the bout apart from the winner were Austin Aries, Donovan Dijak, Bishop Dyer, and Matt Riddle. Killer Kross eliminated both Riddle and Hammerstone in the end to win the match, and his first world title since leaving WWE:

    The 40-year-old was joined by his wife Scarlett Bordeaux in the ring for the post-match celebration. Kross went on to cut a promo, dedicating his win to his mother who had been at the ringside for the first time to watch him wrestle live.

    Killer Kross and Scarlett left WWE in August last year, after being offered only 24 hours to sign a new contract. Kross has been active in the independent circuit since then, having shared the ring with the likes of Matt Cardona, Darby Allin and Jimmy Jacobs for various promotions.