SEScoops

Author: Anutosh Bajpai

  • What Jacob Fatu Has Reportedly Told People About His Injury

    The nature of Jacob Fatu\’s injury has seemingly been revealed.

    The report of the heavyweight star dealing with an injury first came out earlier this week. At the time, it was reported that he was dealing with a major injury that could keep him out of action for a long time but no other details were given.

    Fightful Select recently provided an update on the situation. They revealed that the former US Champion has actually been dealing with a dental injury and he\’s told people that he will be out of action for at least a month:

    \”It was confirmed by Fightful Select that the injury Jacob Fatu was written off with is a dental injury that will keep him sidelined. He was telling people he wouldn\’t be back for at least a month.\”

    The Samoan Werewolf was written off TV with an angle on this week\’s SmackDown. He was originally scheduled to compete in a singles match with Drew McIntyre in the main event of the show.

    Nick Aldis confirmed the match to be #1 Contenders bout for the WWE title during the episode. Just before the bell, however, Fatu was shown to have been attacked backstage, and the match was called off. Cody Rhodes then had an impromptu match with McIntyre which ended in a DQ and a big brawl.

  • Tony Khan Reveals How Sting\’s WrestleDream Appearance Came About

    Tony Khan has commented on Sting\’s WrestleDream appearance.

    The Icon made a surprise return to AEW TV during the main event of the company\’s latest PPV. He helped his former tag team partner, Darby Allin in beating Jon Moxley at the show.

    The AEW President was asked about the return and how it came about during his appearance on WrestleDream post-show. Tony Khan explained that Sting remains a part of the AEW family even after his retirement:

    “Sting is still part of AEW and a big part of the family. He’s been away from AEW on-screen, but we’ve seen Sting and he visited us in Philadelphia. We did something off-screen with Sting. It was very awesome for us to see Sting backstage and have him back appearing in the ring.\”

    Speaking about his WrestleDream appearance, Tony Khan suggested that it had been in the works since their 2300 Arena tapings last month, where Sting had made a non-televised appearance:

    \”I had talked to Sting about coming back for something special like this and he was always open to returning to AEW, especially if Darby ever needed anything. The connection between those two is really special. It’s a real thing.\”

    The AEW owner also talked about Bryan Danielson missing the WrestleDream PPV. He gave two reasons behind the American Dragon\’s absence which you can check out here.

  • Tony Khan Addresses WrestleDream Streaming Issues On Amazon Prime

    Tony Khan has commented on the WrestleDream steaming issues.

    During the PPV post show, the AEW President was asked about the Amazon Prime video feed cutting multiple times during the show. Khan mentioned that it was something completely out of their control:

    “It’s something out of AEW’s control. It was a technical problem with the Amazon delivery. I think our other streams are unaffected. It was something with their systems internally there.\”

    Some fans were able to get refunds from Amazon after complaining to their helpdesk. The E-commerce giant however has not addressed the issues officially or announced wider compensation for everyone who bought the PPV through them.

    Tony Khan mentioned how the whole thing reminded him of similar issues with Death Before Dishonor PPV earlier this year. At that time, the company had given free Honor Club credits to users and put the whole show on YouTube for free:

    \”I thought the show was perfect, the wrestling was perfect and the replay’s gonna be available there for everybody through them and I think they’ll address that and hopefully Amazon will get that figured out but for AEW, everybody here did a fantastic job.

    I was really glad to hear that HBO Max delivered the pay-per-view without any issues. All of our other providers did really well. But that was an unusual thing and it did remind me because we had a problem with just certain web browsers that were affected for that Death Before Dishonor show and in that case, I was able to at least address it because it was a streaming service that I owned,”

    Apart from this, Tony Khan also addressed the surprising absence of Bryan Danielson from WrestleDream commentary and gave two different reasons for it. You can check out what he said here.

  • Tony Khan Gives Storyline And Real Life Reason Behind Bryan Danielson\’s WrestleDream Absence

    Tony Khan has revealed why Bryan Danielson missed WrestleDream.

    The AEW President was asked about the absence of the American Dragon from commentary tonight and his future during the PPV post-show. Khan first gave a storyline reason, saying that it was a decision he made because of the main event I Quit match between Jon Moxley and Darby Allin:

    \”No, he\’ll be back. To be honest, there was a couple of things. I think it made sense given what was happening with the main event.

    I think it would have been really, really hard for Bryan to restrain himself, and now knowing what Jon had planned, I also think it would have been really hard for Bryan to sit there at the desk while Darby is in that position.\”

    Bryan Danielson has a long history with the Death Riders leader. It was Jon Moxley who put an end to Bryan\’s full time wrestling career at the WrestleDream PPV last year. Tony Khan later also revealed that the former WWE star was given the night off because of a prior family commitment:

    \”And since Bryan had a family commitment, I told him, \’Hey, if you have a family thing, tonight\’s probably the night to go to your family commitment, because I don\’t want to put you in a position where you might be risking your job if you get up from the desk and interfere in this match.\’

    So it\’s worked out for everybody because Bryan was able to be with his family as planned. We had, I think one of our very best pay-per-views tonight and Bryan didn\’t have to risk his job by being in that position at the desk where he\’s in a no man\’s land, right?\”

    The media scrum also featured Kris Statlander who named her potential next challenger after her win at the show. You can check out more about it here.

  • Kris Statlander Names Potential Next Challenger After WrestleDream Victory

    Kris Statlander is ready for any and all challengers.

    The AEW Women\’s Champion appeared on the WrestleDream post-show. This came after she picked up another big victory, defeating Toni Storm at the PPV event.

    The champ was asked if there was anyone not in the title picture who she thinks deserves a shot at her belt. Kris Statlander mentioned that Marina Shafir of Death Riders is probably someone who thinks that she is owed a title match:

    \”Well, I feel like it could be anybody at this point, but I think someone who probably thinks they deserve and a lot of people related to her, or in relation to her that want to see her kind of take me out is probably Marina.\”

    The Death Riders have tried to recruit Statlander on multiple occasions, but they\’ve been unsuccessful in this quest. The AEW Champion noted how they might not be so keen on her right now and joked that she would even defend the title against Wheeler Yuta if he steps up to the challenge:

    \”I feel like possibly Death Riders might have a little bit of a… you know, they might be not so keen on me right now, and if they need me to put her in her place, they will.

    Also if Wheeler Yuta wants to step up and challenge for this, I will put him in his place right the same. So whoever is brave enough, I\’m open to any and all challenges, and I\’m open to giving anyone a shot who is worthy.\”

    Despite these comments, Kris Statlander will not get a lot of time to worry about Marina as a different star has already laid out a challenge for her at Full Gear. You can check out more about it here.

  • Mercedes Mone Wins 11th Title At WrestleDream With A Twist

    Mercedes Mone has got her wish, but in an unusual way.

    The AEW star went into tonight\’s WrestleDream PPV holding 10 different championship belts. She was tied with Ultimo Dragon for holding the most titles concurrently in professional wrestling.

    The reigning TBS Champion had announced that she\’ll be holding an open challenge for the AEW title at the PPV. She made her entrance on the show right after the AEW Women\’s Championship match between Kris Statlander and Toni Storm ended.

    Mercedes Mone congratulated Statlander on retaining her title before telling her to get the hell out of her ring. The two champions had a brief confrontation before Statlander decided to leave the arena.

    The former WWE star then reiterated her challenge, which was answered by ROH Interim Women’s World Television Champion Mina Shirakawa.

    Shirakawa put on a great fight, but in the end, Mone\’s tactics proved too much for her. The TBS Champion was able to pin the Japanese star by putting her feet on the ropes for the advantage.

    The win means Mone is now in the possession of the 11th belt she needed to break the record of Ultimo Dragon. Mercedes will still have to beat the original champion Red Velvet when she returns to action to become the Undisputed champion.

    Though this win doesn\’t seem to have ended Mone\’s quest. After the interaction earlier in the PPV, the wrestling veteran has challenged Kris Statlander for the Women\’s Championship at the Full Gear PPV next month.

  • Watch: Former AEW Champion Turns Heel At WrestleDream

    Samoa Joe has had enough.

    The former AEW Champion competed in a big match at tonight\’s WrestleDream PPV from St. Louis’ Chaifetz Arena, when he challenged Hangman Page for the World Heavyweight Championship.

    The two competitors put on a physical match filled with many impactful moves as expected. In the end, Page was able to retain the title after delivering not one but three Buckshot Lariats.

    Both Katsuyori Shibata and “Powerhouse” Will Hobbs joined Joe in the ring after the match. Hangman Page showed respect to his opponent with a handshake, and the two then embraced each other.

    Samoa Joe Turns

    Samoa Joe seemed to return the gesture by raising the AEW Champion\’s hand, only to drop him with a big lariat. Both Shibata and Hobbs then joined the party, and they started beating up the Cowboy.

    The Samoan Submission Machine picked up the title belt and cracked Page with it, after telling Hangman that he wasn\’t worthy of the championship. Samoa Joe finally delivered a muscle buster to Page on the belt itself before retreating, leaving the medical staff to check on the Elite member.

    After this segment, the commentators confirmed that the Opps will be defending their Trios titles against The Hurt Syndicate at this Wednesday\’s episode of Dynamite.

  • Latest on Andrade Amid WWE Contract Situation

    The WWE contract situation continues to sting Andrade.

    The former WWE star was pulled from AEW TV after making his return to the company earlier this month. Reports have since revealed that WWE believes Andrade to still be under a non-compete clause, and they sent a Cease & Desist letter to the rival promotion which led to this abrupt change.

    While the contract situation concerning the 35-year-old remains unsolved, Fightful Select provided some minor updates on the whole situation.

    According to the site, AEW had plans for Andrade at the WrestleDream PPV this week. While not confirmed, it\’s likely that he would have been involved in a match between Golden Lovers and Don Callis family in some way.

    Regarding the confusion about his contract, people within AEW have put a lot of the blame on the company\’s legal department for not clarifying the situation ahead of his appearance on TV.

    Andrade is currently in Puerto Rico for the WWC show despite his scheduled match for the WWC Universal title being cancelled after WWE\’s intervention. The Mexican star is trying to do whatever else he could do to make up for the cancelled match.

    It\’s unknown if the wrestling star is any closer to solving the situation with WWE and his status remains very much up in the air at the moment.

  • Veteran Wrestling Referee Killed In Bear Attack

    A veteran of the Japanese wrestling scene, Katsumi Sasazaki, has reportedly passed away from a bear attack.

    The 60-year-old had worked as a referee for promotions such as All Japan Women’s Wrestling and Marigold in Japan and was known as Katsumi Tiger. Though he seemed to have retired from the industry and had been working at an inn dubbed Semi Onsen in Kitakami, Iwate, recently.

    According to Japanese news outlet Asahi Shimbun, Sasazaki went missing early on Thursday morning, when he was cleaning an outdoor bath by the Getogawa River alone. The police officers who responded to a missing persons complaint from the Inn manager found animal fur and bloodstains scattered near the bath alongside Sasazaki\’s personal belongings, such as glasses and slippers.

    A search party consisting of local police, city officials, and the local hunter’s association started looking for the wrestling veteran in the afternoon, but they had to call off the search after 30 minutes due to bad weather. A body believed to be of Sasazaki was discovered only 50 meters northwest of the hot spring inn when the search was resumed the next day.

    This wasn\’t the only bear attack in the area recently, as another man who had been picking mushrooms was found dead about 2 kilometers west of the Semi Onsen site last week, on October 8. After the latest incident, the search and rescue team killed an adult male Asiatic black bear near the area where the body was found.

    Marigold promoter Rossy Ogawa paid tribute to Katsumi on X which you can see below:

  • Blake Monroe Makes Surprise SmackDown Appearance

    Blake Monroe made her surprise SmackDown debut this week.

    This week\’s episode of the Blue Branded show, coming live from SAP Center in San Jose, California, featured the Women\’s tag team champions Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair in action.

    The champs defended their title against NXT Women\’s North American Champion Sol Ruca and her partner Zaria. The former AEW Women\’s Champion was shown sitting in the crowd for this bout.

    The ending of the bout saw Zaria countering a hurricanrana attempt from Alexa Bliss outside the ring and then throwing the Goddess into the barricade.

    Flair then attacked Zaria, only to be taken out by Ruca herself. Instead of focusing on the match after this, however, the Women\’s North American Champion got into Monroe\’s face.

    Charlotte did not miss this opportunity and she targeted Ruca\’s leg. The Queen then got her opponent back in the ring and locked in the Figure Four, which ended up being the deciding move of the bout.

    Blake Monroe had explained recently why she chose to start her WWE career in NXT, and tonight\’s appearance doesn\’t seem to indicate a main roster call-up for the former champion.

    The company did confirm after this match that Monroe will get a shot at Ruca\’s NA title at the upcoming Halloween Havoc event. You can check out the other matches announced for the NXT special here.

  • Watch: Former WWE Champion Pitches Match With John Cena After SmackDown

    There were some interesting developments that happened after this week\’s episode of SmackDown from SAP Center in San Jose, California, went off air.

    The main event of this week\’s episode of the Blue Branded show saw Cody Rhodes defending his WWE title against Drew McIntyre in an impromptu match, after Jacob Fatu was attacked backstage.

    The bout ended in DQ after Cody attacked McIntyre with the title belt. The ending of the broadcast saw General Manager Nick Aldis still trying to regain control of the situation, with the security struggling to keep the two WWE stars apart.

    What Happened After SmackDown

    There were two dark matches that took place after the show went off air. Natalya squared off against Ivy Nile in the first match, while Sheamus faced Greyson Waller in the second dark match of the night.

    This was Natalya\’s first match under the WWE banner since the AAA x WWE Worlds Collide event last month, and after reports that she hadn\’t been backstage for recent shows. Sheamus on the other hand, had not wrestled since the Clash In Paris PPV in August.

    After picking up the victory in his bout, the Celtic Warrior took the mic and challenged John Cena for one final match before the end of his retirement tour:

    Sheamus had a rivalry with the Cenation Leader early in his career. The Irish Star actually defeated Cena to win his first WWE Championship back in December 2009.

    John Cena has only 4 dates left in his retirement tour, including Survivor Series and Saturday Night\’s Main Event. It\’d be interesting to see if the two old rivals actually meet in the ring before this.

  • Alexa Bliss Reveals Origin of Tag Team With Charlotte Flair

    Alexa Bliss has revealed the origin of her tag team with Charlotte Flair.

    The Goddess recently had an interview with In The Kliq podcast. She talked about things such as balancing her wrestling career with being a mom, her work with Bray Wyatt and more.

    During the interview, one-half of the current Women\’s tag team champions explained how her tag team with Charlotte Flair was formed. She revealed that creative had a list of talents in need of storylines and Alexa Bliss herself pitched the idea of working with Charlotte Flair:

    \”This was something that came about very kind of randomly, we were talking to creative, and I kind of like threw it out there.

    I was like, well, what about- they gave me like a list of names of people who were kind of like in this little bubble of needing storyline, and I was like, ‘well, what about Charlotte?’\”

    That\’s Been Super Fun: Alexa Bliss

    The WWE veteran mentioned how the success of their tag team has allowed both of them to show a different side of their characters. Before this, both Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair were only shown as stars who were after singles titles:

    \”We have this long past. They said Charlotte’s name and I was like, yeah, we have a long past I think it would be a fun dynamic to see what do these two people who don’t normally interact get along with other people or have success with other people look like getting stuck together and that’s been super fun.\”

    The alliance of convenience between Bliss and Flair was first teased on TV in June. They have gone on to become a popular and successful tag team, winning the tag titles at SummerSlam this year.

  • Dominik Mysterio Comments On Potential Match With \’Old Geezer\’ John Cena

    Dominik Mysterio has commented on a potential match with John Cena.

    Despite all the accolades in his long career, the Cenation Leader has never won the Intercontinental Championship. With only four dates left in his retirement tour, there has been a lot of talk on whether or not we\’ll see Cena holding the belt.

    During a recent interview with tonyfree27, Dirty Dom was asked about the potential match with the Peacemaker star. The current IC Champion said that if the \’old geezer\’ wants him to put the final nail in his coffin, he knows where to find the Judgment Day star:

    “At the end of the day, I’m here. If John Cena wants some, he can come get some. He’s got four dates left, you said.

    If that old geezer wants me to put a final nail in his coffin, I’ll be more than happy to. That’s what I’m here for. I’m here to be and stay your dirty double champ.”

    John Cena is set for two Raw appearances in November, followed by a match at Survivor Series. It\’ll be his last PLE as an active competitor before his retirement match at the December 13 edition of Saturday Night\’s Main Event.

    Reports suggest that the 17-time world champion will indeed challenge Dominik Mysterio for his title at the next WWE PPV, but we\’ll have to wait for his TV return next month for the confirmation.

  • AEW Cancelled Plans For A Performance Center This Year (Report)

    AEW cancelled plans for a training center.

    Since the inception of AEW in 2019, People have been discussing how the company needs a training facility for its talents and what a Performance Center for them would look like.

    At one point, there were talks of CM Punk\’s trainer Ace Steel leading the facility, before both of them abruptly left the company after the infamous backstage incident with Jack Perry.

    The discussions about a potential training facility picked up once again this week and Fightful Select provided an update on it, revealing that the officials actually cancelled similar plans this year once again.

    The site revealed that the company does have a building with a ring that talent can access but there had also been talks of a bigger facility earlier this year. The discussion was centered around establishing a hub in Asheville, North Carolina.

    Both Adam Copeland and FTR reside in the area and would have helped train the talent if the plans had moved forward. It\’s also why Steven Borden; the son of Sting was going to Asheville for his wrestling training.

    The promotion ultimately decided not to move forward with these plans with rumors suggesting that the expected cost associated with a full-fledged facility led to this decision.

  • Samoa Joe Reacts To AJ Styles Crown Jewel Tribute

    Samoa Joe has responded to AJ Styles\’ recent tribute.

    John Cena has been paying tribute to many of his career opponents through their moves in recent matches. His latest Crown Jewel encounter with AJ Styles saw The Phenomenal One busting out some tributes of his own, giving a nod to TNA veterans such as Sting, Bobby Roode and Samoa Joe.

    During a recent interview with Forbes to promote the WrestleDream PPV, The Samoan Submission Machine was asked about this moment from the latest WWE PLE. The former AEW Champion claimed that it pales in comparison to his friendship with the WWE star:

    \”I mean, it’s cool. It’s really, really cool. Obviously, I’m super flattered, but I think my friendship with AJ over the years has always been super duper strong. So, I mean, any tribute always pales in comparison to the phone calls and trash talk that usually happen anytime we get together.\”

    Unyielding Amounts of Respect: Samoa Joe

    Samoa Joe has shared the ring with AJ Styles in multiple companies at various stages of their careers. The two legends have squared off against each other and joined forces against other opponents in ROH, TNA and even WWE. While Joe\’s record with John Cena is not as extensive, the two veterans did cross paths for a couple of matches under the WWE banner in 2017.

    The former TNA World Champion noted that it\’s good to be appreciated by his peers in this way and that he is honored and flattered by this recognition:

    \”So, yeah, I’m obviously more than honored and flattered. It’s good to know that your peers appreciate that sense, especially when it talks about the breadth of their career and what it means to them.

    I’m beyond honored—it\’s an awesome thing to see. I have unyielding amounts of respect for both men involved in that match, and I\’m so happy that [Styles and John Cena] are getting their flowers.\”

    The WrestleDream PPV taking place from St. Louis, Missouri this Saturday will see Samoa Joe challenging Hangman Adam Page for the AEW World Heavyweight Championship.

  • IYO SKY Explains Unmatched Chemistry With Rhea Ripley

    IYO SKY has explained her chemistry with Rhea Ripley.

    The former WWE Women\’s World Champion recently had an interview with Chris Van Vliet. She talked about things such as what was special about her WrestleMania 41 victory, the WarGames trash can moonsault spot and more.

    The Japanese star has formed a popular partnership with Rhea Ripley in recent times and the two even teamed to defeat The Kabuki Warriors at Crown Jewel last week. When asked why she thinks she has great chemistry with The Mami, IYO SKY explained that their different styles make them great partners:

    “I think so, because she has muscle. I’m running fast. I’m so small, but I can flip and she’s not a flipping person, like so much the opposite. So that’s why I think we have great chemistry.”

    They Shape Who We Are: IYO SKY

    The High-Flying star also explained her love for wrestling during the interview. She discussed the difference between other combat sports and wrestling, mentioning how losses are just as important in the business as the wins:

    “Wrestling is my life. It is hard to explain. So in combat sport, wins and losses are all that matter.

    However, it’s only pro wrestling where losses have a value because they shape who we are and give us a chance to turn into something special. Additionally, in pro wrestling, it is important for a character to have weaknesses.”

    SKY was on Ripley\’s side when the former NXT UK champion picked up a victory over Kairi Sane on this week\’s Raw. Asuka unleashed a post-match attack on the two afterward, however. The Kabuki Warriors stood tall at the end of the segment, signalling that this rivalry is not over just yet.

    The quotes in this article have been edited for clarity

  • Grayson Waller Reacts To Logan Paul Comparisons

    Grayson Waller doesn\’t take the Logan Paul comparisons negatively.

    The Australian star recently had an interview with Battleground podcast. He talked about things such as his viral Meet & Greet moment, working with big names such as John Cena and Edge and more.

    During the talk, Waller was also asked about being compared to the YouTube star. Grayson explained that he doesn\’t take the comparison negatively at all, mentioning the success Logan Paul has had inside and outside of WWE:

    \”I don’t think that is a negative at all. Obviously, everything Logan’s done inside a short amount of time is very impressive. Look at everything he does outside the WWE. Look at the eyes that he brings to WWE.\”

    He Genuinely Cares: Grayson Waller

    Grayson Waller then revealed that he actually got to work with the former US Champion when he first joined the company. Waller was in NXT at the time and since Shawn Michaels was not going to get in the ring with Paul for his training, the job fell on the former tag team champion:

    “I could tell that day like he genuinely cares about what we do, and he’s very passionate. When you’re coming in as a celebrity, I think that’s, that’s the line that we draw in the locker room. Like, do you actually care about this?

    Are you trying to get a payday, trying to get eyes on you? Are you trying to just take from us? But Logan’s not that guy. He genuinely cares, and he’s very good at it, and I think that upsets a lot of people, so if I get compared to him, I’m not stressing, but I also do think I set myself apart from Logan in a lot of ways.\”

    The 35-year-old later explained that him being a full-time talent sets him apart from Logan. Since the social media celebrity has a lot of things going on, he can\’t be constantly available for appearances in WWE the way Grayson Waller is.

  • WWE Talent Disappointed Over Ridge Holland Treatment

    The Ridge Holland situation is not ideal for WWE.

    The English star announced earlier this week that the company had decided not to renew his deal and he will be leaving the promotion when his contract expires on November 14.

    The announcement led to uproar on social media because Holland is currently out of action. Ridge has been dealing with an injury he suffered while working a TNA taping last month as part of the company\’s partnership with NXT.

    Fightful Select provided some updates on this situation to better explain how the release will affect the former WWE star, real name Luke Menzies.

    The site revealed that Holland, who had returned to NXT in 2023 after a main roster stint, had been making less money recently. He signed a contract extension with the company in November 2024 after his original main roster deal expired.  This extension, however, came with a pay cut of about $200,000.

    Some fans had praised WWE for deciding to pay for Ridge Holland\’s rehab even after his release. The report notes, however, that the 37-year-old had not been paid anything extra for the TNA dates, and not paying for his rehab would leave TKO vulnerable to potential lawsuits.

    The former NXT tag champion is expected to stay on the shelf for the next 6 months. Talents within the company are disappointed with the fact that the promotion will not pay Holland through this period, when he\’ll be unable to work elsewhere.

    One veteran talent said that something like this would have never happened before the pandemic and the whole situation is cause for significant concern for the locker room.

  • AEW Star Says Injury Will Keep Him Out of Action For 2 Years

    Kota Ibushi will not be seen for a long time.

    The AEW star has been providing updates on social media after undergoing surgery for a broken fumer recently. Earlier this week, he had posted photos with the company president Tony Khan who visited him in the hospital.

    The Japanese star took to Instagram to provide some more updates on Tuesday, though this time a disappointing one for his fans. Kota Ibushi revealed in his latest post that it\’ll take him a year to recover from the surgery. He will, however, not return to the ring for 2 years:

    \”My current condition. One year to fully recover. Two years until I can step into the ring again. I believe in myself more than the doctors. I absolutely don\’t believe in that. I know I have amazing DNA that gives me the ability to heal!!\”

    Ibushi suffered the injury during a singles match with Josh Alexander during last Wednesday\’s Collision taping. AEW aired the match as part of the show on Saturday. It saw Kota landing awkwardly outside the ring during a top rope spot after which he was counted out:

    This is disappointing development for the fans of the 43-year-old as he had only returned to action in June this year. Ibushi had been out of action for nearly 2 years before that. With his age, it seems unlikely that we\’ll see him being featured on top of the card upon his return.

  • Day of The Dead Match And More Announced For NXT Halloween Havoc

    Multiple new matches have been announced for Halloween Havoc.

    This week\’s episode of the development brand saw the company start building the match card for the upcoming show with multiple big announcements.

    The episode opened with NXT Champion Ricky Saints calling out Trick Williams for bailing on him in the men\’s Elimination match at the NXT vs. TNA Showdown. Williams later attacked the current champion and it was announced that he\’ll face Saints in a title bout at the upcoming show.

    In a different segment, El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. called out the North American Champion Ethan Page after picking up a victory over Lexis King. Page announced a match between the two for Halloween Havoc. Wagner Jr. then proposed the bout to be a \’Day of The Dead\’ match, which is expected to be an anything goes bout.

    Apart from this, a rematch between Hardy Boys and DarkState, as well as an NXT Women\’s Championship match between Jacy Jayne and Tatum Paxley was also confirmed during the show.

    NXT Halloween Havoc Match Card

    The upcoming NXT PPV will take place from the Findlay Toyota Center in Prescott Valley, Arizona on October 25, 2025. You can check out the match card for the show below:

    • Day of The Dead Match For NXT North American Championship: Ethan Page (c) vs. El Hijo de Dr. Wagner
    • NXT Tag Team Championship Match: The Hardy Boyz (c) vs. DarkState
    • NXT Women\’s Championship Match: Jacy Jayne (c) vs. Tatum Paxley
    • NXT Championship Match: Ricky Saints (c) vs. Trick Williams

  • Watch: US National Anthem Booed Again At Crown Jewel

    WWE presented a highly praised PPV in Crown Jewel Perth this Saturday, but the start of the show did not go as the officials may have expected.

    The latest WWE PLE opened with Sophie Foster signing the national anthems of both US and Australia. While the crowd sang along with the Australian anthem, the US national anthem was booed by the people in the arena:

    This isn\’t the first time an international crowd has reacted negatively to the US anthem. Amid tensions with the US over trade policies, the Canadian crowd had also booed their National Anthem during the Elimination Chamber event from Toronto earlier this year.

    WWE Crown Jewel Results

    Thankfully for the company, the rest of the show went much better than this opening sequence. Bronson Reed picked up a big win over Roman Reigns in the opening match of the night, and then Stephanie Vaquer defeated Tiffany Stratton to become the new Women\’s Crown Jewel champion.

    Potentially the best match of the night was the encounter between John Cena and AJ Styles. The old rivals paid tribute to many talents from their past before Cena picked up the victory with a Tombstone and AA.

    After this, Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY defeat Asuka & Kairi Sane and Seth Rollins went on to pick up the victory over Cody Rhodes in the main event. This marks the first time Rollins has defeated Rhodes in singles action.

  • A Love Letter To Pro Wrestling: Triple H Reacts To Incredible John Cena vs AJ Styles Match At Crown Jewel

    Triple H hopes people appreciate the legends while they\’re still here.

    The WWE Chief Content Officer appeared on the Crown Jewel post-show. During the appearance, he was asked about his thoughts on the match between John Cena and AJ Styles at the PPV.

    The Game mentioned how it was a love letter to professional wrestling and explained that people should appreciate it while they still have it: 

    \”It was incredible. Just, you know, you hear this sometimes said in this business, it was a love letter to professional wrestling. I really believe that. Those [are] two of the most decorated performers, two of the greatest performers of a generation. Both kind of coming to the end now, in a way.

    I feel like there\’s a part of me at the end of this thing was like \’I hope people appreciate this while they still have it.\’ But, you know, for both of them to go out there, perform at this level, do what they did and just put on a massive tribute to what we all love to do, get to do, or get to watch, it was just incredible.\”

    John Cena has only four more appearances left in his retirement tour after the Crown Jewel PPV. Survivor Series 2025 will be his last PLE appearance, followed by his retirement match at Saturday Night\’s Main Event in December.

    AJ Styles on the other hand, has not announced a date for his retirement yet. The former TNA Champion, however, has confirmed that he will end his career sometime in 2026. You can check out more about it here.

  • Stephanie Vaquer Wants To Face Big Name After Crown Jewel Victory

    Stephanie Vaquer feels ready for her biggest challenge yet.

    The Women\’s World Champion made an appearance on the Crown Jewel post-show, after she defeated Women\’s Champion Tiffany Stratton to become the Crown Jewel Champion at the latest WWE PLE.

    During her appearance, Peter Rosenberg asked Vaquer which locker room member she\’d like to defend her world title against next. Stephanie first claimed that she is ready for any and all competitors.

    The fans then started chanting the name of AJ Lee, but La Primera went in a different direction, saying that she would like to face The Mami in a match if possible:

    “I don’t know if you’re happy with that, but Rhea Ripley. She’s an amazing wrestler. She’s an amazing person too, and she had a really good experience here, so I really want to face Rhea Ripley, yes.”

    The former Judgment Day star was in action on the PPV as well. The Australian star teamed up with IYO SKY to defeat the duo of Asuka and Kairi Sane, collectively known as The Kabuki Warriors, at the show.

    With WWE pushing Vaquer as the next face of the Women\’s division, an encounter between her and Ripley seems inevitable. Though she is still new to the main roster and it\’s likely that officials will hold off this feud for a later date.

  • The Undertaker Reacts To Crown Jewel Tribute From John Cena

    The Undertaker felt the same way about the John Cena and AJ Styles match at Crown Jewel: Perth event as the fans.

    The two arch rivals came face to face one last time at the Australian PPV and once again showed why they are considered two of the greatest stars of the business.

    Both Cena and Styles continued the tradition of paying tribute to their old rivals with names such as Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels, Samoa Joe, Sting, and many more being honoured during the show.

    The one name that stood out more than the others was that of The Undertaker. Not only did John Cena perform a chokeslam during the bout, but he also used the Tombstone Piledriver before hitting Styles with an AA for the win.

    The Undertaker Reacts

    The Phenom reacted to this tribute on Twitter not long after the match, dubbing the encounter of John Cena and AJ Styles as a masterclass and a beautiful tribute to wrestling:

    John Cena has a total of four appearances and only one more PPV match left in his retirement run after the Crown Jewel performance.

    Reports suggest that his opponent for his last PLE appearance has already been decided. You can check out more about it here.

  • Seth Rollins Finally Defeats Cody Rhodes At Crown Jewel: Perth

    Seth Rollins is the new Crown Jewel Champion.

    The Architect went into the latest WWE PLE with a lot of questions. Having never beat Cody Rhodes in singles action, Rollins had a lot to prove in this main event match both to his fans and The Vision faction.

    The Heavyweight Champion did not leave any stone unturned in his quest, and he busted out a number of high-risk moves to try and put the WWE Champion away.

    When the American Nightmare refused to quit, however, Seth was forced to use the object the whole feud was built around – the Rolex watch gifted to him by Cody after WrestleMania 40.

    Seth Rollins had hesitated in using the watch he wore to the ring to his advantage earlier in the match. He finally gave in to the temptation and quietly grabbed it from the ringside.

    The World Champion first knocked the referee out with a push and then hit Cody with the watch as the Quarterback went for a Cross-Rhodes. Seth then hit his opponent with not one but two stomps to finally pick up the victory.

    Triple H came out to award him the Crown Jewel title as well as the diamond ring, and the show ended with Seth Rollins standing tall with Stephanie Vaquer who won the Women\’s Crown Jewel title match earlier in the night.