SEScoops

Author: Anutosh Bajpai

  • R-Truth Reveals His Favorite Match In WWE

    R-Truth is one of the most experienced stars in WWE currently and he is one of the few Attitude Era wrestlers who is still active in the business at a significant level.

    The 24/7 Champion recently appeared on WWE\’s The Bump where he talked about things like the current situation in America, the Black Lives Matter campaign and more.

    When asked about his favourite moment in the company, Truth said that it\’s hard to pinpoint one moment as such. Though when asked about his favourite match, the current champion replied instantly:

    \”It would have to be myself and The Miz versus The Rock and John Cena, I remember me and Miz were looking at each other and said, \’Bro, we\’re right here at Madison Square Garden.\’ Bro, that\’s a goosebump moment.\”

    The match R-Truth is talking about took place at the Survivor Series PPV in 2011. It was The Rock\’s first WWE match since his departure from the company in 2004.

    The Great One had teamed up with John Cena for the fight and the duo won the match. However, The Rock attacked the Cenation Leader after the bout, hitting him with a Rock Bottom. The two icons then faced off in a singles match at WrestleMania 28.

  • Chris Jericho\’s Match Announced For AEW Fyter Fest

    AEW has confirmed the former World Champion Chris Jericho\’s opponent for the upcoming Fyter Fest event, announcing that he will face Orange Cassidy at the show.

    The former WWE star had brutally attacked The King of Sloth Style on last week\’s episode of Dynamite and Y2J had beaten him down with a bag of blood oranges.

    This week\’s episode of the show then saw Jericho teaming up with Sammy Guevara to face the Best Friends in a #1 contenders match for the AEW World Tag Team Championships.

    The ending of this bout saw Guevara being tripped by a cameraman which led to the Inner Circle members losing the match. Cassidy then revealed himself as the cameraman.

    The former Chikara star then went on to attack Chris Jericho and the company confirmed a match between the two for the upcoming event as the show went off air.

    Updated Match Card For AEW Fyter Fest

    Fyter Fest this year will be taking place on July 1 and July 8 at 8 pm ET on TNT. You can check out the updated match card for the event after the latest announcement below:

    • AEW World Championship Match: Jon Moxley (c) vs. Brian Cage
    • AEW World Tag Team Championship Match: Hangman Page and Kenny Omega (c) vs. Best Friends
    • AEW TNT Championship Match: Cody (c) vs. Jake Hager
    • AEW Women\’s Championship Match: Hikaru Shida (c) vs. Penelope Ford
    • Singles Match: Chris Jericho vs. Orange Cassidy

  • WWE Cancels Tuesday\’s TV Tapings After Talent Tests Positive For Coronavirus

    WWE has cancelled Tuesday\’s TV tapings after a development talent who was at Performance Center recently tested positive for coronavirus.

    The company had confirmed the positive test in a statement and stated that they will be testing everyone who was on-site, for COVID-19.

    Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer then noted that the officials have called off Tuesday\’s TV tapings so they can test all their staff including wrestlers for coronavirus.

    Though the company is not planning to halt their operation for long and the hope is that they can resume the TV tapings on Wednesday once the test results are in.

    The news of a talent being tested positive for coronavirus came out a few hours ago. It has since been confirmed that the person is a Performance Center trainee and not someone who has been featured on NXT.

    WWE had previously mentioned on their programming that they have tested people for coronavirus. However, reports revealed that the company has only put them through a temperature check and a survey about possible symptoms.

    Now we will have to see how the company responds to this positive test and if they change their policies in any way to ensure better safety for the performers as well as the talent which are being used as audience.

  • Rusev On Speculations Of Him Making Appearance At Slammiversary

    Rusev is one of the names who have been speculated for an appearance at Impact Wrestling\’s Slammiversary PPV after the company released a video package teasing the appearance of a former WWE star at their show.

    The Bulgarian Brute addressed these speculations during a recent twitch stream, though his response on the matter only seems to entangle the mystery further.

    Rusev mentioned how Impact only showed a Bulgarian flag in their promo which means that anyone from the country could make an appearance before saying that he can\’t confirm or deny any rumours:

    \”As I said, any Bulgarian can go and debut,\” he said. \”They may have another kid from Bulgaria. I keep saying that. Could be anybody. Look, I don\’t know why you think it\’s me.

    I understand why you think it\’s me, but I can\’t confirm or deny. Or I don\’t wanna confirm or deny.\” said Rusev \”Maybe they wanna pay me a million dollars for one match. Who knows? Maybe I\’ll come in.\”

    There are a number of stars who can be the one behind the promo from Impact Wrestling. We know Gallows and Anderson are in discussion with the promotion and others like EC3 have also teased a return.

    The Slammiversary PPV will be taking place at July 18. It will only be days after the non compete clause of released WWE stars expires on July 15 and it would be interesting to see if it\’s Rusev or any other star who shows up at the event.

  • WWE Wrestler Tests Positive For COVID-19

    A WWE development talent who was on-site at the Performance Center as early as last week has tested positive for coronavirus.

    According to an announcement sent in by WWE a development talent who was at the Performance Center on June 9 has been tested positive. WWE says that to ensure the health of their employees, all the people who were on-site will be tested for COVID-19:

    “A developmental talent, who was last on site at WWE’s training facility on Tuesday, June 9, has tested positive for COVID-19. Since that time, no other individuals that attended the facility have reported symptoms.

    However, out of an abundance of caution and to ensure the health and safety of the company’s performers and staff, all talent, production crew and employees on site at the training and production facilities will be tested for COVID-19 immediately. Following the test results, WWE plans to proceed with its normal television production schedule.”

    It has also been revealed that the person who tested positive for the virus is a trainee at the Performance Centre and not someone who is featured on NXT TV.

    This news comes at a time when the company is preparing for the return of live audience and they even used some fans in attendance at the latest WWE tapings.

    We will have to see how the company handles the situation now after a positive coronavirus case in their facility and we will keep you posted on any updates on the situation.

  • Real Fans Reportedly Attended Latest WWE Tapings

    WWE has been holding events without any fans since mid-March but it appears that the situation is changing as the company is now bringing the audience back to the shows.

    Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline.com first reported that WWE used real fans for this week\’s television tapings alongside the development talents they have been using recently.

    The people who were allowed to attend the shows included some local diehard fans as well as some friends of the wrestlers who live in the area. The fans were scattered around the ring and some on the hard cam side were allowed to sit on chairs.

    The officials made them sign waivers to not take pictures or send out spoilers for the show. The waivers apparently also stated that there could be an inherent risk in attending the event and WWE was not liable if any of them contracted COVID-19.

    WWE has been preparing for the return of live audience for a while now and recent reports suggested that they are hoping to start holding house shows again from August.

    Though the unknowns that come with the coronavirus pandemic will be a big factor in this decision and this timeframe could be shifted later based on the situations at the time.

  • Randy Orton On Austin Theory Asking Permission To Use Move Similar To RKO

    It\’s a long-standing tradition in wrestling for younger stars to ask permission from a veteran if they want to use any of their signature moves and Randy Orton recently revealed the story of one such interaction with a former NXT star.

    The former World Champion was the guest on the latest episode of After The Bell podcast and the company recently posted a clip of his interview on YouTube.

    In the clip, Orton recalled a recent trip to WWE Performance Center. He revealed how Austin Theory came to him seeking permission to use a move similar to RKO and explained that he was taken aback by this gesture:

    “I was down in the PC and Austin Theory comes up to me to shake my hand. I could tell he was new, he was young and he was trying to not say the wrong thing. But he asked me, he goes, ‘Hey I want to start doing this move and it ends up in a similar position, kind of like a cutter.’ 

    I was so taken aback that this kid took the time and had the respect and the wherewithal to ask me if it was OK with me for him to do that.\” said Orton \”Before I could even think about what the right answer should be, I said, ‘Yes! Oh my god! Are you kidding me?’ He came to me and he asked me. I don’t know if that’s ever happened,\”

    Austin Theory has since been called up to the main roster and he recently joined Seth Rollins\’ faction after being kicked out of the team of Andrade and Angel Garza.

    Randy Orton is currently scheduled to face Edge in a one on one match at Backlash and he is not ruling out the possibility of a match with Tommaso Ciampa afterwards.

  • WWE Confirms Date For Matt Riddle\’s SmackDown Debut

    After weeks of buildup, WWE has confirmed that the former NXT star Matt Riddle will finally be making his main roster debut on SmackDown during next week\’s episode of the show.

    The former UFC star competed in a Fight Pit match against Timothy Thatcher with special guest referee Kurt Angle during the May 27 episode of NXT and he lost the bout. 

    Angle then announced the main roster call up of the NXT star two nights later on SmackDown and the company had been promoting his arrival ever since.

    The promotion finally confirmed the date for his debut on this week\’s episode of the show with a graphic, announcing that he will be making his in-ring debut on the post Backlash episode of the Blue Branded Show:

    Matt Riddle had commented on the announcement of his call up during an interview, and he said that the real money would have been in him attacking the WWE Hall Of Famer instead of being introduced by him.

    Though the company has not revealed the opponent for the former NXT star and it would be interesting to see if he ends up getting involved in a feud with any WWE star immediately upon his arrival.

  • WWE Reportedly Had Big Feud Planned For Jinder Mahal Before Knee Surgery

    Jinder Mahal revealed earlier this month that he has undergone knee surgery. Latest reports suggest that the timing for it was not in Mahal\’s favor as he was supposed to be involved in a big feud before being put on the shelf.

    Dave Meltzer discussed the injury of the former WWE Champion on the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter and revealed that he was scheduled to feud with the WWE Champion Drew McIntyre before the surgery.

    Meltzer noted that the match for Mahal was discussed because of the lack of top heels on the Raw brand and the idea behind it was that the two already had a history from their time as part of 3MB.

    Though this rivalry wasn\’t supposed to last for very long and while not confirmed, it\’s likely that the Modern Day Maharaja was going to be just a stop on McIntyre\’s reign.

    Jinder Mahal announced on Instagram earlier this month that he has undergone another knee surgery which was especially surprising because he only returned from a knee injury after a year of absence in April this year.

    His recent surgery was apparently only scheduled to be a minor operation but the damage turned out to be more significant than expected.

    So far there is no word on how long Mahal will stay out of action but we will keep you posted about any updates on his recovery.

  • Nia Jax Discusses Backlash Over Kairi Sane Incident

    Nia Jax once again became subject to high criticism from fans online when the former NXT star ended up injuring Kairi Sane during a match on Raw earlier last month.

    The former Raw Women\’s Champion recently had an interview with Talk Sport where she discussed a number of things and also commented on the fan backlash over the incident.

    Jax first confirmed that she is aware of the criticism she receives online and said that it does affect her. However, later she claimed that stepping back makes her realise that it comes from just a small percentage of people who have nothing better to do:

    \”But when I step back and I actually immerse myself into the WWE Universe – like when I get to see the crowd and fans – I know that\’s just a small percentage on Twitter who have nothing better to do than hate on somebody.

    The fans in real life are so welcoming, so giving and so understanding,\” said Nia Jax \”I\’ve had nothing but positive feedback from them and I\’m super grateful for that.\”

    The former NXT star also commented on Becky Lynch\’s decision to step away from WWE after her pregnancy announcement, saying that Lynch will be back and take her spot when she is ready.

    Apart from this, Nia Jax talked about things like her knee injury, working with Asuka and more. You can check out her full interview at this link.

  • Rey Mysterio On Who Will Be The Ideal Opponent For Dominick\’s In-Ring Debut

    It\’s no secret that Rey Mysterio\’s son Dominick is training for a career in wrestling. Since he has made a number of appearances on WWE TV recently, it looks to be only a matter of time before he makes his in-ring debut for the company.

    During a recent interview with GalaxyCon\’s Rock Around the Ring, the former World Champion talked about a number of things and revealed some interesting details about his son\’s training.

    When asked who he thinks would be the ideal opponent for his son in his debut match, Mysterio said that without a doubt, Andrade would be a great opponent for Dominick:

    \”I think without a doubt, just because of the style he brings, Andrade would be awesome, Andrade or [Angel] Garza. I think they would be incredible against my son.

    But Cesaro would do incredible as well just because of the height.\” said Rey Mysterio \”Dominick is 6\’2\” 195 pounds and still to this day I tell my wife I\’d love to DNA him because I believe he\’s not my son [laughs].\”

    The WWE veteran then revealed that Dominick has recently trained with people like Lance Storm and Jay Lethal and he is training in San Diego right now.

    The former champion also said that his son is open-minded and he may even consider training in Mexico or Japan. You can check out Rey Mysterio\’s full interview at this link.

  • Kurt Angle On Which NXT Star Has The Highest Potential

    WWE Hall Of Famer Kurt Angle recently held a Q&A session on his Facebook where he answered questions related to his early wrestling career, his training and more.

    A fan asked the former World Champion which title belt design he liked the most and the Olympic Gold Medallist said that he liked the Undisputed Championship belt that was used from 2002 to 2005.

    Angle was then asked about the backstage environment at the Ruthless Aggression Era and he said that it was fun because they had a little more creative control over their characters:

    \”It was fun. We had a little more creative control over our own characters and the wrestling just kept getting better. It might have been the best era in wrestling. Maybe.\”

    When asked which NXT talent he sees having the highest potential, Kurt Angle took the name of Velveteen Dream: \”It’s hard to say. I always liked Velveteen Dream. But…there are so many great talents in NXT right now.\”

    The Attitude Era star also discussed the promos during the Attitude Era and praised Stone Cold Steve Austin for his abilities on the mic saying that he was a rare breed.

    You can check out Kurt Angle\’s full Q&A in the post below:

    https://www.facebook.com/realkurtangle/posts/10159910464103047?__cft__[0]=AZVajHCpsL7t066EFIB2mtsdw_XvBkMSkjr4sB1YIaxWOWoWmA0a1WvPOfKMbxri-3DnIEfaa3IgFCPETW3TfRs_QCv16hKl6Ev2lcLV6v2RfdBe0MpT8E2_j4TL9b73587RE6CaTYjLHzv2L2u-RqGxuunoWUZrMZxpnOlpd3be4CePzu2XGk-QPqHffwtzDUo&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R

  • WWE Blocking Billy Gunn From Using His Last Name In AEW

    The battle between WWE and AEW Vice President Cody Rhodes over the last name of the latter has made a number of headlines since Cody left the company and it appears that he is not the only star in battle with WWE due to a similar issue.

    It was noted on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio that former DX member Billy Gunn is not allowed to use his last name in AEW due to WWE.

    While the exact details of the issues between the star and the company were not disclosed, it was noted that the veteran is not allowed to use his last name due to WWE lawyers getting involved.

    This would explain why AEW has refrained from referring to the former WWE star using his full ring name. The star\’s official ring name in the company is just Billy.

    Though AEW officials have still managed to work around these restrictions and they usually refer to the wrestling star as \”Billy of The Gunn Club\”. They also bill him as \”Billy and Austin Gunn\” when he is teaming with his son.

    Billy Gunn was hired as a producer and coach by AEW back in January 2019. He has made numerous on-screen appearances for the company since then and the wrestling veteran has also competed in several matches for the promotion.

  • Sonya Deville On If She Has Auditioned For Batwoman

    Recent reports have suggested that Sonya Deville is pushing for acting roles in near future and one possible opportunity for her is the role of Batwoman in the CW series.

    The former NXT star recently had an interview with ComicBookMovie.com where she talked about a number of things including a possible acting career and more.

    Deville is WWE\’s first openly gay female superstar. With Batwoman being a famous gay superhero, the female star was asked what it would mean for her to play the role:

    \”It was so cool to me to not only see a strong female being portrayed on a network like The CW, but that Batwoman is gay. That was so, so cool to me. I remember seeing when Ruby Rose got the part and being like, \’Oh my God, that\’s so badass.\’

    The fact they want to keep it in the LGBTQ+ community I think is something that\’s really, really cool.\” said Sonya Deville \”I would love to be able to be the one to continue that inspiring message.\”

    When asked if she has had any contact with the makers of the show or if she had been given any chance to audition for the role, Sonya said that it\’s a work \”in progress. I\’m working on it. [Laughs] I\’ll say that.\”

    Ruby Rose, surprisingly announced her departure from Batwoman after the first season of the show recently. The producers have since confirmed that Rose\’s Kate Kane will be replaced by a different character in season 2 of the series.

  • AJ Styles Responds To Harsh Comments From CM Punk: \”I Don\’t Respect Him Anyway\”

    CM Punk had taken some serious shots at AJ Styles while replying to a fan tweet recently and now the Phenomenal One has responded to his comments with the same sharpness.

    The former TNA star recently had an interview with Times Of India where he talked about a number of things including his upcoming match with Daniel Bryan and more.

    When asked about Punk\’s comments, Styles made some interesting remarks saying that he would not react to criticisms from a guy who he doesn\’t respect:

    \”I will not react at all coming from a guy like that I don\’t respect anyway, it doesn\’t really matter. Look, my job as a performer is to perform and get the mind off all the things that have happened throughout the world. I am not going to react to people saying ridiculous and stupid things.\”

    CM Punk \’Shoots\’ on AJ Styles

    The comments in question came in response to a tweet where a fan had questioned AJ Styles for being quiet on the current events in the United States.

    The fan had called out the SmackDown star for promoting his streams and claimed that his \”silence speaks volumes\” before noting that he is unfollowing the former champion.

    CM Punk interestingly responded to these remarks from the fan and in a tweet which has since been deleted he wrote \”Well. Come on. That one has been obvious for years.\”

    Now it would be interesting to see where this rivalry between the two former WWE Champions is headed next and how CM Punk comes back at AJ Styles.

  • Vince McMahon Has Reportedly Been \’Very Upset\’ With Raw

    WWE made some major changes to its creative team earlier yesterday when the company decided to merge the creative teams for its premier shows Raw and SmackDown.

    This change was a result of the declining ratings of the Red Branded Show which has seen over 20% decline in year over year audience in the past couple of months.

    PWInsider provided some more update on the changes recently and the site notes that the boss Vince McMahon has been \”very upset\” and openly \”frustrated\” with Raw of late.

    The TV audience has been on a decline across the board for all wrestling shows since the coronavirus pandemic forced companies to halt their regular production and produce shows without a real audience.

    However, the Red Brand of WWE has been hit hardest among the shows and 5 out of the last 6 Raw episodes have been the least-watched episodes in the show\’s history.

    In their response, the officials have decided to relive Paul Heyman of his duties as the Executive Director of Monday Night Raw, a position he took over in June last year.

    The company has also decided to merge the creative teams of Raw and SmackDown which will be led by Bruce Prichard to \’streamline\’ their writing process.

  • Randy Orton On How Long He Plans To Continue Wrestling

    Randy Orton has been a top of the class performer for WWE for almost two decades and he does not plan on stepping away from the ring anytime soon.

    The Viper recently took part in a media call to promote the Backlash PPV during which he talked about his twitter feud with Tommaso Ciampa among other things.

    Discussing the highly physical wrestling style of NXT stars, Orton said that it worries him because they wear and tear your career. Randy then went on to explain that he plans to continue wrestling for at least another decade:

    \”I’ve been doing this 20 years and I’ll do it another decade. I just turned 40 and my plan is to just keep going until my 50th birthday and I think I would be able to do that and I would be able to support my family for 30 years of wrestling under Vince McMahon because of the way I tell stories in the ring.\”

    The former World Champion went on to explain that the NXT stars should try to work smarter and improve on their ability to tell a story in the ring because wrestling is a business and they need to make money doing it to pay their bills.

    Randy Orton is currently scheduled to face Edge in the \’Greatest Wrestling Match Ever\’ at the Backlash PPV from Performance Center this Sunday night.

  • Triple H On Why They Re-Signed Drake Maverick After Release

    Drake Maverick was among the names which were released by WWE in April as part of the coronavirus budget cuts. However, the high flying star was able to turn his luck around and he was recently signed to a new contract by Triple H.

    The Game recently took part in a media conference call where he talked about a number of things and also explained why they decided to re-hire the former 205 Live GM.

    Triple H mentioned how Maverick managed to capture people\’s hearts. He said that they had the option to ignore it or turn it into something and they chose the latter:

    \”When the release happened, he wasn\’t involved in anything but it just happened the way it did, during the process of this tournament, he captured people\’s hearts and their imagination and he earned that spot.

    It was already out there so you either ignore it or you turn it into something.\” said Triple H \”We turned it into something based on him and his performances.\”

    Drake Maverick had been announced for the cruiserweight title tournament before his release. WWE decided to work this into a storyline and built a story where the high flying star was fighting to get his job back.

    The former TNA star managed to win people\’s hearts through his storytelling abilities in the tournament. Even though he couldn\’t win the title, the buzz he created forced the WWE management to change their decision and Triple H re-hired the NXT star.

  • Randy Orton Comments On Potential Match With Tommaso Ciampa

    There have been a lot of speculation about a potential match between Randy Orton and Tommaso Ciampa after the two got into a heated twitter exchange recently.

    The Viper took part in a conference call to promote the upcoming Backlash PPV and during the interview; he also talked about a potential match with the former NXT Champion.

    Orton said that he would be open to wrestling Ciampa if that\’s what Mr McMahon wants him to do before claiming that there are a few things he can help the NXT star with:

    “Yeah, as I was saying earlier, whatever Vince gives me to do, whatever my job is in that particular situation, I’m gonna do it.

    If it’s working with a Tommaso Ciampa, then I’d be all for it, because I think he’s very talented and I think that theres a few things that I can help him with.\”

    Randy Orton On Tommaso Ciampa\’s Injury Problems

    Randy then mentioned how the former DIY member has been plagued with injuries in his career. The legend killer said that he would like to help Tommaso get a little bit out of his character and slow things down:

    “What I worry about Ciampa in particular, is that with all these big injuries he’s had, and we’ve all had injuries, we’ve all worked hurt, we’ve all woke up stiff after a big fight,

    But he needs to learn how to tell stories and slow it down and not think that the fans want to see him kill himself.”

    While Randy Orton and Tommaso Ciampa have had an intense battle on twitter, reports suggest that there are no plans for a match between the two at the time.

    Randy Orton will be facing Edge at Sunday\’s Backlash PPV from the Performance Center and WWE has been dubbing this match as the \”Greatest Wrestling Match Ever.\”

  • Shawn Michaels Got Into Heated Argument Before NXT Takeover: In Your House

    WWE Hall Of Famer Shawn Michaels was reportedly involved in a heated backstage argument before the NXT Takeover: In Your House event this past Sunday night.

    According to FightFul, the Heartbreak Kid who is an important behind the scene figure of the Black And Yellow brand got into a heated debate with another WWE producer before the show went on air.

    Though the debate did not have anything to do with the show and it was about the current events in the United States and the issues of racism in the country.

    The other un-named producer reportedly claimed that everyone already gets treated the same in United States and these comments did not sit well with Shawn.

    The DX member got upset over the remarks and he responded with an explanation on inequality and systemic racism in the country. Though he was professional in the debate.

    It appears that things did not reach a breaking point as, despite his anger, Shawn Michaels and the other WWE official worked the Takeover event after the argument.

    The WWE veteran has been working with the stars from the NXT brand for a while now and the current NXT Champion Adam Cole is among the names the former World Champion has worked closely with.

  • El Hijo del Fantasma Unmasks On NXT, Big Reveal In Kidnapping Storyline

    This week\’s episode of NXT saw a big reveal in the masked man kidnapping storyline. Former Lucha Underground star El Hijo del Fantasma unmasked and revealed himself to be the leader of the mysterious group.

    The episode saw the new Cruiserweight Champion come to the ring for an interview about his win over Drake Maverick last week in the finals of the title tournament.

    Maverick was the next to come out and demanded a rematch against the masked star. The two mystery man who have been involved in the kidnapping storyline in NXT then came out as well.

    It looked as if Drake and Fantasma will team up to take on this challenge as both stood in the ring together, that was until the current champion turned on the former 205 Live general manager and three men took down the high flying star.

    El Hijo del Fantasma then went on to remove his mask and announced that he will now be known as Santos Escobar. The two masked men who stood with him were revealed as Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde of NXT.

    The segment then ended with Escobar hitting a Phantom Driver on Maverick before his peers hit top rope splashes on the former TNA star at the same time.

    There is no word yet on what the company is planning for Fantasma after this big reveal and it would be interesting to see if their group adds more members in the near future.

    You can check out the complete NXT results at this link.

  • Matt Riddle Reveals Original Plans For Broserweights

    The tag team of Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne collectively known as the Broserweights had become a fan favourite but their pairing came to an abrupt end due to COVID-19.

    The former UFC star recently had an interview with TalkSport, where he discussed a number of things and also revealed the original plans for their tag team.

    Riddle revealed that their pairing was originally not supposed to last for long but they were kept together because the fans loved them and they were working well together:

    \”Bro, all my eggs were in that Broserweight basket, I\’ll be honest, they put us together and we formed a team and I don\’t think we were supposed to last more than a couple of weeks.

    But the fans loved us, we were working really well together and me and Pete get along pretty well\” said Matt Riddle \”we have pretty good minds for wrestling. Be it on the indies or NXT/WWE, we had it going on and we had a history.\”

    The Broserweights were originally put together for the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic in January but they ended up sticking together after winning the tournament and the duo went on to win the NXT Tag Team Championships in February.

    However, Pete Dunne ended up being stuck in UK due to coronavirus related travel restrictions. WWE then made Timothy Thatcher the temporary partner for Riddle. They lost the NXT titles to Imperium in May and Matt was called to the main roster.

    During the interview, the former NXT star also talked about his main roster debut on SmackDown and Matt Riddle said that the real money would have been in him attacking Kurt Angle. You can check out his comments at this link.

  • Backstage News On The Twitter Exchange Between Randy Orton And Tommaso Ciampa

    The recent twitter feud between the former NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa and Randy Orton have given fans hope of seeing a match between these two in near future.

    However, the latest reports on the matter suggest that this dream match is not going to take place in the foreseeable future as it\’s not in the cards right now.

    Bryan Alvarez discussed the exchange between Orton and Ciampa on Wrestling Observer Live and he reported that the tweets were not setting up a match between the two.

    The exchange could be a shoot or something the two stars organised themselves but it was not set up by the company and they are not part of any creative plans.

    This does not necessarily mean that Tommaso Ciampa is not headed to the main roster but the tweets between the two WWE stars are not an indication of the things to come.

    Randy Orton is currently scheduled to face Edge in a match at Backlash and there is no news on if the company is planning to continue this feud after the upcoming PPV.

    On the other hand, Ciampa lost to Karrion Kross in a short match at NXT Takeover: In Your House PPV this past Sunday night and there have been rumors about a possible main roster call up for him after this bout.

  • Austin Aries Discusses Controversial Departure From Impact Wrestling

    Austin Aries is a star who frequently finds himself in a controversial situation and one such controversy that made a lot of headlines was his departure from Impact Wrestling in 2018.

    The former Impact World Champion recently appeared on the In The Room podcast where he talked about things like the diminishing kayfabe in the wrestling business and more.

    Talking about his controversial departure from the company formerly known as TNA, Aries confirmed that things did not go as planned and his stint with the company was actually supposed to continue after Bound For Glory:

    \”It was never intended for me, the way I walked out at Bound for Glory, that was not supposed to be the last that you saw me [there]. That was never the intention, I certainly wouldn\’t be trying to create a bunch of controversy for no payoff.

    Did it come off exactly as I envisioned in my head before hand? Probably not. Could I have done a couple of things that still would have maybe gotten the point across, without maybe taking on some of the criticism that I\’ve seen? Potentially.\”

    For those who don\’t know, the then Impact World Champion Austin Aries was scheduled to defend his title against Johnny Impact at the Bound For Glory PPV in October 2018.

    However, their feud blurred the line between a work and a shoot and the two stars started taking personal shots at each other on Twitter.

    Their rivalry culminated with a match at the PPV where Aries dropped the title to the now John Morrison but Austin no-sold the finish right after the bell rang and left the arena. This turned out to be his final Impact appearance.

  • FTR Reveal Their Contractual Status With AEW After Debut

    FTR finally made their AEW debuts after months of rumours and speculations last month but the duo have apparently not signed a contract with the company just yet.

    The former WWE stars recently appeared on The Experience podcast of Jim Cornette where they talked about their feud with The Young Bucks which has been going on since 2016.

    During the interview, the former tag champs talked about their status with the company and FTR revealed that they are currently on a handshake deal with the promotion:

    \”So, we\’re negotiating still, we have a short-term, almost handshake deal, because they want to get this thing [match with the Young Bucks] done finally, because it\’s been talked about for so many years. So, we\’re not under any long-term obligation with anybody.\”

    FTR then also talked about their relationship with the company president Tony Khan, saying that the AEW official has full trust in them and this is why he is allowing them to appear on their shows on a handshake deal.

    The duo formerly known as the Revival made their first AEW appearance during the May 27 episode of Dynamite and they are set to make their in ring debut for the company against The Butcher and The Blade this Wednesday night.