SEScoops

Author: Anutosh Bajpai

  • Anthony Henry Signs With WWE

    WWE has signed former Evolve star Anthony Henry. He will soon be heading to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando to begin his stint with the company.

    The 36-year-old star has been one of the top performers of North Carolina indie scenes in the last few years and he has been an important talent for Premiere Wrestling Xperience promotion.

    The veteran wrestler finished up his commitments with PWX over the weekend and Anthony Henry posted an emotional farewell message for the fans on his Twitter recently.

    Though this wasn\’t the indie star\’s final non-WWE appearance and he still has one last date booked for Tyrone, Georgia on February 12 where he will be facing Nolan Edward in an Action Wrestling event.

    Anthony Henry originally had a failed WWE tryout in December 2019 and he had announced plans for his retirement by the end of 2020.

    However, Anthony had another tryout with the promotion in October last year and it appears he has changed the plans for retirement since then.

    The exact date for his reporting at the Performance Center is not known yet but the announced match in February suggests that he will report to the PC after that.

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  • Taya Valkyrie Done With Impact Wrestling After Latest Appearance

    Taya Valkyrie is done with Impact Wrestling. This week\’s episode of Impact on AXS TV featured a segment to write her off TV. PW Insider was first to report this would be her last appearance for the promotion.

    Valkyrie originally signed a two year contract with Impact back in 2017. Officials chose the option to roll over her deal for another year in 2019. The extended contract expired last month. The former Lucha Underground star decided to stay with the company until last Saturday\’s Hard To Kill PPV where she put over Deonna Purrazzo.

    This week\’s episode of Impact then saw a segment featuring Valkyrie where it was revealed that she was the one who shot John E. Bravo at his wedding segment with Rosemary. The explanation for her actions were that Taya was trying to protect her friend Rosemary without realizing that the demon Mary was using Bravo to get his “virgin blood.” Tommy Dreamer then had Taya Valkyrie taken to jail as a way to write her off TV.

    https://twitter.com/TheTayaValkyrie/status/1351711286493589504/photo/1

    Dreamer also joked about Taya\’s future saying that she will go to Jacksonville State Prison if she is lucky, referencing AEW. However, if she is not lucky she will end up at Stamford Correctional where WWE\’s headquarter is situated which, according to Dreamer, changes a person\’s soul forever.

    You can check out the full segment below:

  • Mercedes Martinez Opens Up About Decision To Quit Retribution

    Mercedes Martinez originally made her main roster debut as part of the Retribution faction last year but she later requested her removal from the group and returned to NXT.

    The NXT star recently had an interview with PWinsider where she talked about a number of things and opened up about her decision to leave the group.

    Martinez who was known as Retaliation in Retribution said that she didn\’t know the outcome when she said yes to the opportunity and she later realised that it wasn\’t for her:

    “I was given an opportunity, and I took the opportunity not knowing what the outcome would be, you got to make the best with anything you can, but I think when that opportunity came, it just wasn’t for me.

    When you hit the pinnacle of your career, as I did, hitting 20 years,\” said Martinez, \”you want to make the most of your career, and make it part of a legacy.\”

    Though later in the interview, the NXT star claimed that she has no hard feelings about her stint with the group and she wishes the best for them:

    “It’s kind of one of those things where it’s, ‘This is where Mercedes is, but maybe it doesn’t fit the mold, doesn’t fit her career.’ It was no hard feelings,

    I just think we both had two different plans, I wanted one thing to go one way, and they had a different outlook. I wish them success, to all those part of the group, and I wish them the best.”

    Mercedes Martinez has returned to NXT since leaving the group and she recently began a feud with the current NXT women\’s champion Io Shirai.

  • Roman Reigns Believes It Makes Sense For Him To Face The Rock At WrestleMania 39 In Hollywood

    While a match between Roman Reigns and The Rock is not likely for the upcoming WrestleMania 37 event, the current Universal Champion has not given up on the idea and he has a very interesting location in mind for this mega bout.

    WWE recently confirmed the location and dates for the next few editions of the Show Of Shows with WrestleMania 39 being planned for Los Angeles.

    During a recent interview with Fox Sports, Roman Reigns talked about a potential match with his cousin and said that it makes sense for them to face off when WrestleMania returns to Hollywood:

    “We’ll go to Hollywood for WrestleMania 39, and I think it just makes sense, he’s the biggest box office attraction for the big screen.

    So, to be able to take that and match it up with the biggest box office attraction in sports entertainment, I think some magic would be made.”

    A match between Roman Reigns and The Rock has been in discussion for a few years now and the People\’s Champion also showed interested in squaring off with the Big Dog last year.

    Though due to the movie commitments of the Hollywood star, the match will require a lot of planning. So a destination such as WrestleMania 39 seems to be a much more likely scenario for the bout than a closer date.

  • Matt Hardy Returns To Impact, Private Party Earn Impact Tag Title Shot

    Kenny Omega didn\’t appear live on Impact Wrestling this week, but it didn\’t stop other AEW stars from invading the show and the episode saw the return of Matt Hardy to the Impact Zone for the first time since 2017, alongside appearances from several other stars from his current company.

    A segment during the show saw The Good Brothers bragging about their victory at Saturday\’s Hard To Kill main event but they were interrupted by Chris Sabin who wanted a rematch for the Impact tag titles. Gallows and Anderson pointed out how Sabin did not have his partner Alex Shelley on his side again but Chris said he has another guy and introduced the returning James Storm.

    The two then tried to get into the ring but they were interrupted by AEW stars Matt Hardy and Private Party. Hardy praised the AEW tag team and said that they should be the ones getting a shot at the tag titles. Hardy also claimed that he saved the company from collapsing in 2016 and the Hardy Boyz technically never lost the Impact tag team titles before they left the promotion.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loJcWcc4u1c

    The segment resulted in a #1 contenders match for the tag titles being announced between the teams of Storm & Sabin and Private Party for the main event of the show. The episode interestingly also featured another paid advertisement from Tony Khan and Tony Schiavone but AEW producer Jerry Lynn was at Khan\’s side this time.

    The AEW president alongside Lynn showed up at the Impact Zone for the main event match to get a closer look at the action. Matt Hardy was already on the ringside to support Private Party. The match saw Private Party winning the bout and becoming the new #1 contenders for the Impact tag team championships thanks to interference from Jerry Lynn.

    The Good Brothers came out to face off with Private Party after the bout but they were attacked by Sabin and Storm. The show went off air as a big brawl broke out among all the stars. There is no word yet on when Private Party will get their title shot and after the brawl, it would be interesting to see if Chris Sabin and James Storm are also added to the match.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hcf5KipibqM

  • Danny Limelight On His Contractual Status With AEW

    Danny Limelight has wrestled for companies such as NJPW, AEW, Championship Wrestling From Hollywood and GCW in the past year and gained a lot of reorganization from his appearances for these promotions.

    Though his participation in events of both AEW and NJPW have raised questions among fans and many people have been wondering about his status with both the companies.

    During his recent interview with WrestlingInc, Limelight revealed his contractual status with both the promotions and he confirmed that he remains a free agent:

    \”I\’m not signed anywhere. I haven\’t signed any contracts. When an opportunity presents itself, I\’m gonna make sure it\’s a company that I can add value to, that I feel like I would be an asset to,

    A company I feel that\’s gonna care about me and care about how my career is gonna go.\” said Danny, \”It needs to be what I feel is best for the company and what\’s best for me and my daughter.\”

    Talking about the year he has had, the indie star said that he is very fortunate that the last year took him in the right direction and the hard work and consistency paid off.

    Apart from this, Danny Limelight also talked about things like a potential partnership between AEW and NJPW and more. You can check out his full interview at this link.

  • Madison Rayne Opens Up About Decision To Retire From Impact Wrestling

    Former Knockouts Champion Madison Rayne announced her retirement from the wrestling world earlier this week, though at the time, she hadn\’t explained the reason behind her decision.

    The former champion recently had an interview with SportsKeeda where she talked about a number of things and also opened up about her call.

    Rayne, who recently earned a college degree first talked about how the business has given her a lot before explaining that it\’s time for her to move away from the industry:

    \”This business… I have given it so many years of my life, but it has given infinitely more back to me,\” Rayne said. \”In the sense that, for the first seven years of my daughter\’s life, I haven\’t been sitting behind a desk, and committed to a structured schedule. And, I spent so much time with her that a lot of parents don\’t get in those early years.\”

    But, I think it\’s time now to pivot, and to… you know, I just graduated from college in December.\” revealed Madison Rayne, \”So, it\’s time to put those student loan dollars and that degree to use.\”

    The female star continued by showing her appreciation for the fans saying that her supporters deserve a lot more but all she can say is thank you.

    Apart from this, Madison Rayne talked about how she will now have to adjust to the \’real life\’ away from wrestling and more. You can check out her full interview at this link.

  • ODB Confirms She Is Returning To Impact Wrestling Soon

    Former TNA knockouts champion ODB has confirmed that she is returning to the company now known as Impact Wrestling and bringing her food truck with her.

    The female star recently had an interview with Chris Van Vliet where she talked about her time with the company and confirmed the news of her return.

    During the interview, ODB explained how despite the hard moments, she has never burned a bridge in wrestling before announcing that she will be getting back in the ring:

    \”I am actually getting back in the ring, so IMPACT obviously called me and that\’s the cool thing about stuff, I\’ve never burnt a bridge in wrestling.\”

    The former ROH star also talked about bringing her food truck to the company and said that driving ODB\’s Meat and Greet truck into a stadium has been her ultimate goal:

    \”They were like \’Hey, do you want to come back and see what happens? And possibly bring the food truck?\’ So that\’s my ultimate goal, to actually drive my ODB\’s Meat and Greet into a stadium and kick some ass.\”

    ODB wrestled for Impact Wrestling from 2007 to 2014 and during the period, she won the knockouts championship on 4 different occasions. Since 2014, she has made sporadic appearances for the company.

  • Jim Ross On His Pitch Which Convinced Shawn Michaels To Come Out Of Retirement In 2002

    Shawn Michaels coming out of retirement in 2002 is one of the most unbelievable wrestling returns of all time. Broadcasting legend Jim Ross reveals that he was one of the people who convinced HBK to lace up the boots once again.

    JR discussed Michaels\’ comeback during a recent Royal Rumble themed episode of his Grilling JR podcast. Michaels had a Hall-of-Fame-worthy career up until WrestleMania 14. Sadly, he was forced out of the ring due to a debilitating back injury. Towards the end of his run, Michaels was admittedly difficult to deal with. According to Jim Ross, he told the Heartbreak Kid that his legacy deserved better than how he was remembered in 1998.

    \”My pitch to Shawn was always that you can\’t allow your legacy to end this way,\” said Ross. \”You have put a bad taste in peoples mouth, whether inadvertently or premeditatedly. I don\’t know and I don\’t really care. Right now, the perception of you is not so positive.\”

    Jim Ross recalls telling Shawn Michaels that he was up there with Ric Flair as one of the greatest pro wrestlers ever. He owed it to himself and the fans to make things right.

    \”For a guy that’s considered to be, along with Ric Flair, the two greatest in ring performers of all time, that\’s just not right,\” Ross recalls telling Michaels. \”It\’s not right for you or your fans.\”

    Shawn Michaels\’ back was in bad shape for some time, but was worsened at the 1998 Royal Rumble during a match with The Undertaker. After dropping the WWE Championship to \”Stone Cold\” Steve Austin at WrestleMania, he closed the book on what was thankfully only the first half of his storied career.

    Michaels made sporadic non-wrestling appearances for WWE over the next several years. He made a full-time return to the ring in 2002. He wrested a full-time schedule until 2010. That run included classic matches against the likes of Triple H, Kurt Angle, John Cena and of course, The Undertaker.

  • Sheamus On His Favorite Royal Rumble Of All Time

    Royal Rumble is one of the most anticipated PPVs of the year and Sheamus, who won the iconic battle royal at the show in 2012, is also excited for the PPV.

    The former world champion recently appeared on WWE\’s The Bump where he talked about things like having both great and embarrassing moments at the show and more.

    During the interview, Sheamus also revealed his favorite Royal Rumble event. He recalled watching the confrontation between Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior as a kid from the PPV in 1990:

    \”Uh, I think for me as a kid, the biggest moment for me was the Royal Rumble in 1990, I remember I snuck downstairs and watched it – I recorded it – and watched Hulk Hogan win it all but then he and Ultimate Warrior went at it. I remember that was an unbelievable moment \’cause I was a huge Warrior fan because of his intensity.

    I liked the energy he brought to the ring.\” said Sheamus \”There was a lot of electricity about him. It was such a surreal moment. You didn\’t really see two good guys go at it like that, you know? They both had such a high profile in the company. So, it was crazy.\”

    The Celtic Warrior also talked about winning the Royal Rumble match himself in 2012 and claimed that he is the kind of person who gets his adrenaline going after every show.

    So winning the Royal Rumble was a pretty surreal moment for him and it was a bucket list item for the former champion. You can check out his full interview in the The Bump episode below:

  • Sha Samuels Announces Signing To NXT UK

    Indie star Sha Samuels made his on-screen in-ring debut for the NXT UK brand during this week\’s episode of their weekly show on WWE Network.

    The heavyweight star was built as Ed Harvey and he competed in a match against Joe Coffey. Unfortunately for the new NXT star, Coffey emerged victorious in this bout.

    One interesting thing that happened during the match was that Samuels grabbed the mic mid-match. He announced that he wasn\’t Ed Harvey and everyone knows his real name Sha Samuels.

    After the match, the new WWE star took on his Twitter and announced that he has officially signed a contract with the company after a long journey full of ups and downs:

    https://twitter.com/NXTUK/status/1349810314137763841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1349810314137763841%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.postwrestling.com%2F2021%2F01%2F14%2Fsha-samuels-officially-signs-with-wwe%2F

    This is not the first WWE match for Samuels and he previously wrestled in a dark match for the company during the NXT UK taping in 2019 at Plymouth.

    Prior to his signing with the company, Sha Samuels has wrestled for many top indie promotions including companies such as wXw, RevPro, OTT and ICW.

    He is not the only star to have joined the brand in recent times and WWE has signed names such as Ben Carter and Rampage Brown in the past few months.

  • Chavo Guerrero On Why He Hasn\’t Returned To WWE: \”You Have To Give Up Your Life\”

    Chavo Guerrero had a decade long run with WWE from 2001 to 2011 but the former champion hasn\’t made any appearances for the company since then and a lot of people wonder why he hasn\’t made a comeback.

    The former Lucha Underground star recently had an interview with Rick Bassman’s ‘Talking Tough’ show where he spoke about a number of things and also explained why he hasn\’t returned to WWE.

    Guerrero explained that he is doing a lot of different things such as running his own cigar and beer company which he would have to give up for a WWE return:

    \”I would have to give up too much to sit there and go back to WWE full-time. WWE takes — you have to give up what you’re doing in your life to do that,

    And I have so many other things going on with Hollywood and my own ventures, my own cigar company, my own beer company, my podcast so it’s hard. I think it’d be hard for me to give up everything like that.\”

    Though later in the interview, Chavo Guerrero claimed that he doesn\’t have any hard feelings and suggested that he would be open for a return for the right amount of money:

    \”It’s all about making money. If we can make money and Vince [McMahon] thinks like, ‘Hey Chavo, let’s bring you back in,’ make him money, make me money then it works out. If it doesn’t then it doesn’t. There’s no hard feelings.\”

    Chavo Guerrero had a successful career in WWE and he won over a half a dozen titles in the company but the former WWE star left the promotion in 2011 after requesting his release.

  • Candice Michelle On Unique Clause In Her WWE Contract

    WWE is usually known for controlling the careers of superstars signed with the company in and outside of the wrestling world as well but it appears Candice Michelle was an exception to this rule.

    The former WWE star recently had an interview with WrestlingInc where she talked about things like being considered an eye candy and more.

    During the interview, Michelle talked about being featured in the ad for domain provider GoDaddy which got her a lot of attention and she revealed a unique clause in her contract that allowed her to keep control over certain things:

    \”So I had a clause in my contract which allowed me to do that. Because I was coming from Hollywood, I just had a different type of contract from the average wrestler who comes from the indie scene or comes from the wrestling school.

    My website was off-limits and certain things on there were off limits that they weren\’t allowed to take away from me or have control over,\” said Candice Michelle, \”and GoDaddy just happened to be one of those.\”

    The female star also recalled having heat in the locker room due to not having an indie background and her lack of experience in the pro wrestling industry.

    Apart from this, Candice Michelle opened up about her infamous romantic angle with Vince McMahon. You can check out her comments on the matter at this link.

  • AJ Styles Wants To Face Triple H At WrestleMania 37

    AJ Styles faced The Undertaker in a highly praised boneyard match at last year\’s edition of WrestleMania and he wants to face another legend at this year\’s edition of the show.

    The former WWE Champion recently spoke to WWE Now India and answered fan questions such as the origin of the Styles Clash and more.

    During the interview, the former champion was asked which star he wants to face next at WrestleMania after his match with The Dead Man and Styles took the name of Triple H:

    “Triple H is definitely the next guy I’d like to face at some point if it could happen, maybe not. But it was an absolute pleasure to be in the ring, or not necessarily the ring, the Boneyard with the Undertaker.”

    This is not the first time AJ Styles has expressed interest in a match with the King Of Kings and the Phenomenal One has previously listed him alongside people like Edge and Drew McIntyre as potential opponents.

    Triple H also made a brief return to the ring earlier this week during Monday\’s episode of Raw and the Evolution member seemed to be in pretty good shape.

    With the probability of the Undertaker not competing at WrestleMania this year being high, it\’s very much possible that Triple H could be brought in as a special attraction. It would be interesting to see if all this talk leads to an actual match between him and AJ Styles.

  • Ricochet Responds To Reports Of Him Leaving WWE Soon

    WWE star Ricochet has responded to the reports about his contractual status with the company and denied the rumors about his future.

    The high flying star took on his Twitter yesterday and replying to a report of him possibly leaving the company soon, he claimed that the news is fake:

    For those who don\’t know, it was first reported back in September that a top WWE star has decided not to re-sign with the promotion and leave the company when his contract expires.

    It was then revealed recently that Ricochet\’s current deal with the company is expiring soon and the One and Only has not signed a new deal with the promotion.

    The former NXT star apparently signed a three year deal with WWE back in 2018 which means that his current contract will be expiring sometimes this year.

    While Ricochet has claimed the news to be fake, we have seen a trend of stars denying reports about their comeback or departure from the company recently which have eventually come true.

    So while the Raw star is claiming that the reports are not accurate, it\’s very much possible that he is working the fans until he gets free of his WWE deal.

  • Stone Cold Steve Austin Joining The Third Season Of Dark Side Of The Ring

    Stone Cold Steve Austin will be joining the third season of the Dark Side Of The Ring documentary series.

    The former WWE star recently appeared on Won\’t Stick to Sports talk show where the Texas Rattle Snake talked about the upcoming second season of Straight Up Steve Austin.

    Interestingly during the interview, host Jemele Hill mentioned that the former world champion will be joining the first episode of Dark Side Of The Ring season three, to talk about the death of Brian Pillman:

    \”Other than our show, my favorite show on Vice is Dark Side of the Ring, which is a docu-series about pro wrestling, you\’re actually on season three to talk about the life and unfortunate death of your friend Brian Pillman,\”

    The news has since been confirmed by both the official Twitter account of the documentary series and Steve Austin himself as well:

    Brian Pillman began his wrestling career in the late 80s and he wrestled for many famous promotions such as NWA, WCW, ECW and WWE as well.

    The American star crossed paths with Steve Austin in both WWE and WCW. In WCW, Pillman teamed up with Austin in a team called Hollywood Blonds.

    The two then had a feud in WWE and fans remember this rivalry for a controversial promo filmed in the late star\’s home where he pulled a gun on Stone Cold Steve Austin before the cameras went black.

    Brian Pillman unfortunately passed away due to a heart attack in October 1997. The 35 year old star was found dead in his motel room in Bloomington, Minnesota.

  • The Good Brothers On Losing Their Confidence In WWE

    A lot of former WWE stars have said that their run with the company resulted in a loss of passion and confidence for them and The Good Brothers shared their similar experiences recently.

    The team of Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows were recently interviewed by Sports Illustrated where they opened up about their time with the company and more.

    During the interview, Anderson said that he hates to admit the fact that there was a point in WWE when they had lost their confidence:

    “I hate to admit this, but I think there was a point in WWE where we had a loss of confidence, but I can promise you that the confidence is back.

    We needed to get out of that environment to remind ourselves who we really are and what we can be. Right now, we’re on top of our game. It feels that way to us, and hopefully, it shows.\”

    Though later in the interview, Doc Gallows said that the Good Brothers don\’t have any sour grapes about their time with the company before joking about not getting Slammy Awards for their participation in the Boneyard match:

    “We don’t have any sour grapes about WWE, except that they forgot to mail us our Slammy Award for Match of the Year, maybe the mail is slow. I’m still waiting on that. But we’re focused on right now.\”

    Apart from this, the Good Brothers also discussed their reunion with the Elite on last week\’s episode of AEW Dynamite and said that it felt good to do it in front of a live crowd. You can check out their full interview at this link.

  • Kurt Angle Says His TNA Career Was Better Than WWE Stint

    Kurt Angle started his professional wrestling career in WWE in 1998 and the Olympic Gold Medallist achieved a lot of success in the company including half a dozen world title reigns.

    However his WWE run came to an abrupt end in 2006 when the former champion asked for his release from the promotion due to health reasons.

    After quitting WWE, Angle joined TNA and during his recent appearance on Wrestling Perspective podcast, Kurt claimed that his TNA career was better than his run with WWE:

    “I actually had a better career there,” said Angle. “I hate to admit it because WWE was the big company, but I got better. I was only in the business six and a half years when I switched to TNA, and that was the prime of my career.

    I mean, my matches with Samoa Joe, Sting, AJ Styles, Bobby Roode, all those guys, and I had a really great career there, “said Kurt Angle, \”As much as I love WWE, that was so much better.\”

    The former Raw General Manager went on to say that there is a part of him that wishes that he would have stayed in WWE during those years because there were more eyes on WWE\’s product.

    Would you put Kurt Angle\’s TNA run above his stint with WWE? Do let us know your thoughts on the claims made by the former world champion.

  • Tony Schiavone Confirms Erick Rowan\’s AEW Status

    Tony Schiavone confirmed on the latest Dynamite post show that former WWE star Erick Rowan is not part of the AEW roster just yet.

    The AEW commentator was asked if fans can expect to see the former Wyatt Family member in action again.

    Replying to it, Schiavone said that his appearance was only for the tribute show though he did not rule out the possibility of Rowan returning to the company in future:

    \”I believe Erick\’s appearance only came on that tribute show to his former tag team partner. Then again, I say that but who knows? He might show up tomorrow,\”

    Erick Rowan made a surprise appearance during the Brodie Lee Celebration Of Life episode of Dynamite to pay tribute to his former tag team partner.

    The former WWE star was released from his contract in April earlier last year as part of the company\’s coronavirus budget cuts alongside several other stars.

    Many of the released stars such as Miro and The Good Brothers have since signed new contracts with different promotions but Erick Rowan remains a free agent.

    Now it would be interesting to see if the indie star makes any more appearances for AEW in future and which company he eventually joins as a full time star.

  • Update: Sonny Kiss Is Not Injured

    AEW star Sonny Kiss has clarified a report that he is currently out of action due to injury.

    The story about a potential injury began circulating late Wednesday night. During the AEW Dynamite post-show, Tony Schiavone was asked by a fan about Sonny Kiss\’ whereabouts. Schiavone replied, \”He\’s been injured; I\’ve seen him in the training room. So he\’s been banged up. I\’ve seen him in the gym but he\’s just not able to perform. He is a tremendous athlete.\”

    On Thursday afternoon, Sonny Kiss set the record straight on social media:

    Sonny Kiss signed an AEW contract back in February 2019. He made his debut at the company\’s inaugural Double or Nothing PPV in May and has been a part of the AEW roster ever since.

    Kiss last competed during the December 22 episode of AEW Dark where he was defeated by Miro. His last Dynamite appearance came on October 21 when he competed in a match against Kenny Omega.

  • AJ Styles Talks About Competing For WCW In 2001

    AJ Styles wrestled for many well known promotions across the globe before eventually signing with WWE in 2016 and the list includes a forgotten run with WCW as well.

    The former WWE Champion was paired with Air Paris in a team called Air Raid and the two had one match for the promotion as part of WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship tournament right before the company folded.

    During his recent appearance on WWE\’s The Bump, Styles opened up about his experience of competing in the promotion and revealed that he actually had a contract with the company:

    \”I knew I had a contract. So, I knew I was going to be coming back for a few more matches, Now, I didn\’t know that WCW was going to go out of business. That sucked for me. But, it is what it is, and it happened for a reason.

    I wasn\’t ready to be in WCW. And I\’m sure as heck was not ready to be in WWE.\” said AJ Styles, \”So, I\’m glad things happened the way they did. I\’m happy for the experience, but the timing wasn\’t right.\”

    Later in the interview, the former TNA star also talked about his WWE debut and how the company had hidden him before Royal Rumble in order to try and stop the leaks about his debut.

    WWE will be releasing a new episode of the WWE Untold featuring the story of AJ Styles\’ Royal Rumble debut on WWE Network this Sunday at 9 AM EST.

  • MSK, Formerly The Rascalz, Debut In NXT (Video)

    MSK has arrived in NXT. The tag team formerly known as The Rascalz made their in ring debuts on Wednesday\’s NXT TV.

    Earlier in the day, WWE released the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament brackets. Among the 16 teams listed was MSK, a team that we had yet to meet. As expected, it was the Rascalz. The men formerly known as Dezmond Xavier and Zachary Wentz are now using the ring names Wes Lee and Nash Carter.

    MSK defeated Isaiah \”Swerve\” Scott and Jake Atlas in the first round of the tournament.

    MSK in WWE NXT

    The two high flying stars signed with WWE back in December. Though the third member of the Impact Wrestling stable Trey Miguel did not sign with the promotion at the time and it was reported that he was still weighing his options.

    This wasn\’t the only match of the tournament that took place during tonight\’s episode of NXT and The Grizzled Young Veterans defeated Ever-Rise to advance in the first round of Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic as well.

    MSK will now be face the winners of the match between Kushida & Leon Ruff and The Way in the second round.

    You can check out video of MSK\’s NXT debut below:

  • WWE Superstar Spectacle: Details On Special Event Airing In India

    WWE has announced a Superstar Spectacle special for the Indian audience. It will be airing on the Republic Day in the country as part of their strategy to expand its operations in India.

    Superstar Spectacle will be taped at WWE Capitol Wrestling Center in Orlando, Florida at around 21 January. The event is scheduled to air on Sony TEN 1 and Sony TEN 3 on the Indian Republic Day on Tuesday, January 26 at 8 PM local time.

    The Superstar Spectacle is expected to be 90 minutes to two-hour-long show and it will features commentaries in both English and Hindi languages.

    The previous plans were for the show to be taped across several days and edit it together to make one show but it\’s now expected to be taped in one day.

    The local advertising for the Superstar Spectacle is built around the Indian stars of the WWE roster including names such as Jinder Mahal, NXT star Kavita Devi and tag teams Indus Sher and The Bollywood Boys.

    The show is expected to feature a number of Indian NXT trainees as well and the company has filed a trademark for names Giant Zanjeer, Dilsher Shanky and Guru Raaj for their Indian recruits.

    WWE has confirmed the upcoming special with a official announcement on their website and provided some more detail on the show:

    \”WWE Superstar Spectacle, an unprecedented two-hour television special event for India featuring WWE\’s Indian performers alongside Superstars from Raw, SmackDown and NXT, will premiere exclusively on Sony Ten 1, Sony Ten 3 and Sony MAX on India’s Republic Day, Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 8 p.m. IST, with commentary available in both English and Hindi.

    The unique showcase of Indian-inspired action will emanate from the state-of-the-art WWE ThunderDome and incorporate stunning elements of traditional and contemporary Indian culture among epic matches featuring WWE Champion Drew McIntyre, Rey Mysterio, WWE Women\’s Tag Team Champion Charlotte Flair, AJ Styles, Bayley, The New Day, Shinsuke Nakamura, Cesaro, SmackDown Tag Team Champions Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode, Natalya, Ricochet and many more plus an appearance by WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair.

    \”We love the passion and support from the huge WWE Universe in India, so we\’ve teamed up with SPN, the exclusive home of WWE in India, to surprise our fans with an incredible event to kick off 2021,\” said Paul \”Triple H\” Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Global Talent Strategy & Development. \”WWE Superstar Spectacle will be an epic event with electrifying matches featuring some of the biggest names in WWE along with our incredible Indian performers, plus thrilling and authentic Indian-inspired entertainment.\”

    “WWE has consistently featured among the top watched sports properties in India over the years,” said Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer, Distribution and Head – Sports Business, Sony Pictures Networks India. “We are excited about presenting WWE Superstar Spectacle to WWE fans and viewers in India on Republic Day which will showcase and celebrate the best of the next generation Indian talent in WWE.”

    With matches announced in the coming weeks, WWE fans can look forward to witnessing appearances by 10 Indian WWE talent, including:

    • WWE Superstar Jinder Mahal, the first WWE Champion of Indian descent.
    • The Bollywood Boyz, WWE Superstars Samir and Sunil Singh.
    • The first all-Indian tag team in WWE, Indus Sher, featuring Rinku and Saurav.
    • NXT Superstar Jeet Rama.
    • Kavita Devi, the first Indian woman to sign a WWE contract.
    • The Great Khali trainees Giant Zanjeer (7ft 2in, 340 pounds) and Dilsher Shanky (7ft, 310 pounds).
    • Guru Raaj, the first Indian-born high-flyer in WWE.

    The arrival of WWE Superstar Spectacle comes at a time when WWE\’s popularity in India continues to increase. WWE is one of the most-watched sports properties in India, and India ranks No. 1 for WWE YouTube consumption and No. 1 in WWE Facebook followers. In addition, WWE has been actively recruiting elite athletes and performers from the country. In 2019, WWE hosted its largest tryout in history, where more than 70 top athletes from India showcased their abilities in Mumbai and four Indian recruits were selected to train at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, U.S.

    Follow WWE social channels for all the latest updates on WWE Superstar Spectacle.\”

  • Big E On Getting His First World Title Opportunity In WWE

    WWE superstar Big E has never received a world title opportunity and he is ready to win the Royal Rumble PPV and get his first shot at the world title.

    The Intercontinental Champion recently had an interview with Stuart Osborne of Dayton 24/7 Now where he talked about the upcoming PPV and more.

    Discussing a potential opportunity to win the Universal Championship after winning the Royal Rumble match, Big E said that he is looking forward to his first world title opportunity:

    \”You know, I\’ve never had a world title match, a world title opportunity. This would be my very first one, so I\’m looking forward to that,\”

    The New Day member also opened up about his singles run and Big E said that he wants to see how much he can do as a singles competitor:

    \”I want to see how much I can do as a singles competitor. A lot of people have had these high hopes for me, which I really appreciate,\”

    It was reported last year that WWE officials were high on Big E and they are planning a singles push for the former NXT champion in future.

    Since then, the company has broken up his pairing with the New Day by drafting them onto different brands and Big E also recently won the intercontinental championship by defeating Sami Zayn.

  • Ridge Holland Provides Update On His Recovery

    WWE NXT Superstar Ridge Holland has made his first comments since being put out of the action due to a leg injury he suffered during the October 7 episode of NXT last month.

    The heavyweight star was recently interviewed by Alex McCarthy of Talk Sport where he opened up about his injury and provided updates on his recovery.

    Holland first provided some details on the damage he suffered revealing that his left leg was fractured and he dislocated his kneecap in his right leg:

    \”On my left leg I fractured and dislocated my ankle and then on my right leg, I dislocated the kneecap and ruptured my patella tendons. Kind of a buy one get one free on injuries! But, it\’s coming on well. The WWE medical staff are top-notch and they\’ve got me well on the road to recovery.\”

    When asked about a potential timeline for his recovery, Ridge Holland mentioned that it\’s still early to say anything for certain but the doctors have given an initial timeline of six to nine months:

    \”It\’s early days yet, but the doctor has said six to nine months, so I\’m just taking it day-by-day and see how the knee and ankle feels.

    If I look too far in the future I\’ll probably take my focus on what needs to be done today. So yeah, we\’ll see how it goes,\”

    Apart from this, Ridge Holland also spoke positively of the WWE management for taking care of him after his injury and revealed the influence William Regal has had on him.