SEScoops

Author: Anutosh Bajpai

  • Longtime AEW Talent Signs New 5-Year Deal

    AEW has re-signed a longtime talent.

    Fightful Select recently provided a backstage update on Tony Khan\’s promotion and revealed that the company has retained “Daddy Magic” Matt Menard.

    The 41-year-old\’s previous contract with the company was originally set to expire around the All In: Texas event last month before the company extended his deal.

    The new contract is five years in length, meaning that it\’ll keep Menard with the company at least until 2030. The AEW star was said to be \’ecstatic\’ to stay with the promotion.

    Matt Menard made his debut for the company with his longtime tag team partner, Angelo Parker, back in August 2021. Known together as 2.0, they were featured regularly during the early years, competing against names such as Jon Moxley, Darby Allin, and Sting.

    The duo joined the Jericho Appreciation Society in early 2022. They remained part of the group until July 2023, when 2.0 and Daniel Garcia branched off as their own group.

    Though Menard has reduced his wrestling role in the company since then, only having four matches in 2025 so far. He\’s been doing commentary for the promotion for the last two years instead.

    Matt is not the only longtime AEW talent who has taken on other responsibilities. Recent report revealed that an AEW original is now working with the company behind the scenes. You can check out more about it here.

  • We All Make Mistakes: Vince McMahon Defends Hulk Hogan\’s 2018 WWE Return After Racial Remarks

    Nearly a decade after Hulk Hogan\’s racist comments scandal rocked WWE, Vince McMahon has broken his silence with his most candid assessment yet of the controversy that severed ties with wrestling\’s biggest star.

    In a revealing TMZ special that aired Tuesday night on Fox, McMahon opened up about the 2015 incident that led to Hogan\’s immediate removal from WWE programming and the Hall of Fame. The wrestling mogul\’s comments reveal the deep personal conflict he experienced between his decades-long relationship with Hogan and the corporate responsibility to address the scandal.

    \”It was unforgivable. And I was aghast. \’What happened?\’ And when those things occurred.. \’that\’s not like him. What in God\’s name is going on?\’\” McMahon told TMZ\’s Harvey Levin, describing his initial reaction to learning about Hogan\’s recorded racial slurs.

    The revelation prompted swift corporate action from WWE, despite McMahon\’s personal feelings about the wrestling icon he had worked with for decades. \”As soon as it happened, I was made that company didn\’t have anything to do with me anymore. We even took them out of the Hall of Fame,\” McMahon explained, detailing the immediate severing of ties.

    However, McMahon\’s most striking comments came when he defended Hogan\’s character while condemning his words. \”I knew he wasn\’t a racist. I\’ve been with him for so many years. He wasn\’t racist. He said some racist things and he should pay for that and he did. But in the end, I think that everyone saw the real Hulk Hogan and Terry Bolea and they felt, \’wait a minute, this guy, he doesn\’t act like a racist. He\’s not a racist. We all make mistakes.\’ That was a big one. But he wasn\’t a racist.\”

    This nuanced stance highlights the complex challenge facing entertainment companies when personal scandals involve their biggest stars. McMahon\’s comments suggest a distinction between momentary actions and fundamental character, though he acknowledged the severity of Hogan\’s words.

    The interview provides rare insight into WWE\’s crisis management during one of its most sensitive controversies, revealing how quickly the company moved to distance itself despite the personal relationships involved. McMahon\’s willingness to publicly defend Hogan\’s character while maintaining the comments were \”unforgivable\” demonstrates the ongoing tension between personal loyalty and corporate accountability.

  • Vince McMahon Reveals Immediate Reaction To Hulk Hogan\’s Passing

    Vince McMahon has revealed how he reacted to news of Hulk Hogan\’s passing.

    The former WWE chairman was one of the personalities interviewed for \’The Real Hulk Hogan\’ TMZ documentary that aired today. McMahon talked about his relationship with the late wrestling veteran at length.

    When asked about his reaction to the news of Hogan passing away at the age of 71 on July 24 last month, Vince McMahon said that he was shocked.

    The former wrestling promoter explained that you never think about a family member or close friend passing away and mentioned how Hulk Hogan, real name Terry Bollea, had overcome serious health issues before:

    “Shock. You just don’t think about someone, a family member or someone that close to you, you don’t think about them passing away. Terry had kicked out, so to speak, of so many surgeries.

    He had to get like 20 surgeries on his back, plus others on his knees and hip or something. He overcame all that. It was a tremendous shot. It was a blow to my heart.”

    Vince McMahon also talked about his relationship with the WWE Hall of Famer in detail. He said Hogan and he were brothers \’to a certain extent.\’ While they would get into verbal scrap sometimes, it always turned out to be for the best.

    The former owner of WWE was the one who closed the documentary saying “One thing he said in character, which is ‘Hulkamania will live forever.’ Indeed, it is.”

  • TNA Title Match Added To NXT Heatwave

    A TNA title match has been made official for NXT Heatwave.

    The last few weeks have seen the TNA Knockouts Champion Jacy Jayne defending her title against Masha Slamovich and Ash by Elegance in singles matches. Both the contenders, however, interfered in each other\’s bouts, causing the DQ.

    It was then announced on this week\’s episode of the development brand that Jayne will be defending her title against both the challengers at the upcoming NXT PLE.

    The promotion also confirmed a triple threat between Lola Vice, Kelani Jordan, and Jaida Parker for the upcoming PPV to determine the next challenger for the NXT Women\’s title. The match was announced on social media after NXT went off air.

    NXT Heatwave Updated Match Card

    NXT Heatwave will be taking place on August 24, 2025, from the Lowell Memorial Auditorium in Lowell, Massachusetts. It\’ll be competing with AEW Forbidden Door PPV set for the same day. You can check out the updated card for the show below:

    • Singles Match: Jordynne Grace vs. Blake Monroe
    • Tag Team Championship Match: Hank and Tank (Hank Walker and Tank Ledger) (c) vs. DarkState
    • Triple Threat For TNA Knockouts Championship: Jacy Jayne (c) vs. Ash by Elegance vs. Masha Slamovich
    • #1 Contenders Triple Threat For NXT Women\’s Title: Lola Vice vs. Kelani Jordan vs. Jaida Parker

    The company previously announced a #1 Contender match for Oba Femi\’s NXT title between Je\’Von Evans and Trick Williams for next week\’s episode of NXT.

  • Zilla Fatu Reveals Why Father Umaga Didn\’t Want Him To Wrestle

    Zilla Fatu feels closer to his father after his wrestling debut.

    The 25-year-old wrestling star recently spoke to Chris Van Vliet for a new interview. He talked about things such as working with Booker T in his Reality of Wrestling promotion, Shelton Benjamin being a father figure for him and more.

    Fatu began his wrestling career in 2023 and currently wrestles in the indie circuit. He was asked about following the footsteps of his father Umaga into the business. Zilla revealed that growing up his family always advised kids to try their hands at something else before trying to become a pro wrestler:

    “My dad used to tell us every Thursday, we had a family meeting, he always used to tell us, ‘I don’t want you guys doing this. I need you guys to be better than me. I don’t want you guys going through what I went through. I don’t want you guys putting your body on the line or whatever, I need you guys to do something more safe.’\”

    I\’m Happy: Zilla Fatu

    The fourth-generation wrestler obviously did not follow this advice. Though he explained that he understands the words of his father much better now than he did during his childhood. He also revealed that he now feels closer to his father because he is able to understand all the struggles his dad went through:

    \”And at that time, I didn’t really understand it. But now, obviously, since I’m in the business, I definitely understand why, and there’s a lot that comes with this that I feel like people don’t see, the media don’t see. Just being able to kind of embrace it,

    And then not run from it. I’m happy that I chose to wrestle, because it brought me closer to him, and now I’m learning who my dad was through wrestling. So I’m so happy that I started wrestling.”

    Umaga was a second-generation wrestler who was most famous for his WWE run between 2005 to 2009. He won the IC title twice during this time and feuded with top stars such as John Cena, Triple H, and Shawn Michaels. He unfortunately passed away in December 2009 at the age of 36 after suffering a heart attack.

  • Karrion Kross Reveals Failed WWE Pitch For \’Judgment\’ Faction

    Karrion Kross has revealed one of his WWE pitches that never came to fruition.

    The now former WWE star discussed his departure from the company in a lengthy video earlier this week. He talked about things such as his interaction with Triple H after his WrestleMania promo, how being a good soldier in the promotion can backfire, and more.

    During the talk, Kross also revealed some of the pitches he made to creatives that never went anywhere. He first revealed the inspiration behind one of his shirts:

    “I’ll tell you a crazy story about this shirt. Do you know the lore? So big Metallica fan. I came up with sort of a design that was based off of Injustice For All. So we had Scarlet on the shirt, blind folded. The whole concept was judgment. There’s the judgment quote on the back.\”

    Karrion Kross Wanted A Faction

    The white shirt currently on sale on the WWE shop reads \’Faith for the Fallen\’ in front and \’Nothing we do is unjust, all are guilty and hand of time decides the judgment\’ in the back alongside a logo.

    Karrion Kross revealed the significance of these words, saying that he was pitching a faction based on the idea of judgment, before the Judgment Day was a thing in the company:

    “So, before Judgment Day was the thing I was pitching a group and a faction based on targeting people who have done bad things throughout their life.

    And the predication was basically on judgment. And the quote on the back of that shirt was going to be the thing we were all going to say. So it just became a shirt, but it’s still one of my favorites. And there’s an original one in black as well. So you have a special one there.”

    Kross did lead a faction in WWE later on. Featuring Authors of Pain (AOP) and Paul Ellering, the group was called The Final Testament and they even wrestled against Bobby Lashley\’s The Pride at WrestleMania XL.

    The group didn\’t last for long, however, and it was disbanded after AOP and Ellering were released from their WWE contracts.

  • Mercedes Mone Details \’Night And Day\’ Difference Between WWE And AEW Locker Rooms

    Mercedes Mone has revealed the difference between AEW and WWE locker rooms.

    The TBS Champion recently appeared on Marking Out with MVP & Dwayne Swayze. She talked about things such as making her debut in Japan, picking her new ring name after WWE departure and more.

    Discussing the difference between the locker rooms of WWE and AEW, the former Sasha Banks claimed that it\’s like night and day. Mercedes Mone revealed that she gets her own locker room in Tony Khan\’s promotion and everyone in the company wants to help the growth:

    “For me, it’s night and day. First of all, I have my own locker room [laughs]. So, I’m not in it. I like being away from it. I don’t want to be part of the drama or anything. When I am around the girls, it just feels like such a community of wanting to make this place grow. There is a hunger.\”

    We\’re All Trying: Mercedes Mone

    Mercedes Mone left WWE in 2022. She made her NJPW debut in January 2023. She spent the next few months working in Japan before suffering an ankle injury in May. Mone returned from injury almost a year later, making her official AEW debut in March 2024, and returning to ring in May that year.

    The former WWE star who has been part of the AEW roster for more than a year now, claimed that the promotion still has an underground feel to it with all the talents having a lot of passion and drive:

    \”I feel like we still feel so underground and we want to make it up here. All these women have so much drive and passion. I can feel it. They fire me up. I want to be the best because they want to be the best. Same with the guys, too.

    The energy with the guys. It feels so different. I don’t want to say, ‘WWE is bad and people have egos,’ it just feels like we’re all trying to fight for something and we’re trying to fight to make this the best. I love people who have passion and hunger,”

    Mone suffered her first singles loss in AEW when she unsuccessfully challenged \’Timeless\’ Toni Storm for the AEW Women\’s title at All In last month. She is set to defend her TBS title in a fatal four way at the upcoming Forbidden Door PPV.

  • Cody Rhodes Believes It\’ll Be \’Very Hard\’ To Get Third Match With Roman Reigns

    Cody Rhodes has commented on a potential third match with Roman Reigns.

    The two top WWE stars have faced each other in two singles matches since Cody\’s return to WWE. The Tribal Chief defeated Rhodes in the main event of WrestleMania 39 and the American Nightmare then traded the loss for a win over Reigns at WrestleMania 40.

    During his recent interview with SI Media podcast, the WWE champion was asked about a potential third match with his arch rival, and he expressed contentment with how their rivalry ended. Cody Rhodes also suggested that a third match between the two will be very hard to book:

    “I’m very happy with what we put out there. I always try to wax poetic about him, anytime I’ve ever said something a little snarky, I guess it’s been more for entertainment. But I can tell you, that’s probably a very hard match to have happen.”

    I Don\’t Know His Outlook: Cody Rhodes

    Roman Reigns turned face after his WrestleMania 40 loss. The Head of the Table even teamed with Cody to take on The Bloodline under Solo Sikoa at Bad Blood last year. Due to these developments, a lot of people believe that Rhodes will have to turn heel to make the third match interesting.

    Cody Rhodes said that he is not against facing the former Undisputed Champion once again but he doesn\’t know what Roman thinks about a third match:

    “But I could see it being very significant, it happening again. And for the fans who really make this all up… for that, you can’t just have two, you know? We split it. So that third exists.

    And a lot of times, sometimes matches can go in the file of the greatest match that never happened. I’m certainly not adverse to it. I don’t know what his outlook on it is. We’re different than we were. And again, not adverse to it, because we’re split. He won one, I won the other.”

    The former AEW star also talked about his SummerSlam match with John Cena during the show and revealed if there was any talk of turning him heel at the PLE. You can check out his remarks here.

  • Eric Bischoff Details Recent Meeting With CM Punk

    Eric Bischoff has revealed what happened during his recent meeting with CM Punk

    The former WCW President talked about a number of things during the latest episode of his 83 weeks podcast. He discussed things such as Brock Lesnar\’s return, Seth Rollins working everyone with his knee injury and more.

    While detailing his recent visit to Raw for Hulk Hogan tribute after the legend\’s passing, Bischoff revealed that he met Punk there. Eric, who previously traded shots with the former AEW star over Tony Khan\’s business strategies, claimed that Punk is a classy guy:

    “Classy guy. I had a chance to meet him for the very first time at Monday Night Raw when I was there for the tribute, and we had a couple of conversations.

    I’ll just leave it at that. One hundred percent classic individual, and I’m really glad I had an opportunity to talk to him.”

    A Very Honest Guy: Eric Bischoff

    Eric Bischoff was also someone who was against CM Punk\’s WWE return, saying that he wouldn\’t touch the former UFC star with a 10-foot pole. The former wrestling executive revealed his side of the conversation, but not what Punk said to him, suggesting that he got a receipt for his previous take:

    “I’ll just tell you what I said: ‘Man, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve said some pretty stupid sh*t. Just want you to know I’m glad to have an opportunity to meet you in person.’

    That was my half of the conversation. He can do with that what he wants. His reaction, the approach, the honesty—that’s what made me a CM Punk fan. He’s a very honest guy.”

    CM Punk was part of this week\’s Raw where he teamed up with LA Knight in the main event of the show. He was then announced for a big title match at Clash In Paris. You can check out more about it here.

  • Watch: What Happened With CM Punk After Raw Went Off Air

    CM Punk sent the fans home happy after Raw.

    This week\’s episode of the Red Branded show from Quebec, Canada, ended on a chaotic note. Punk was in action for the main event of the night, teaming with LA Knight to square off against Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker.

    The former AEW star got the hot tag and he looked to deliver a GTS on Breakker before Seth Rollins showed up. The Architect caused a DQ and the Vision then started beating up the two babyfaces.

    This continued until Jey Uso came out. The Yeet Man brought a steel chair with him to get the heels to retreat outside the ring. Raw General Manager Adam Pearce then announced a big fatal-four-way world title match for Clash In Paris.

    What Happened After Raw

    After the announcement, however, Punk, Knight, and Uso got into a brawl, allowing Rollins to take advantage. Seth and his faction beat up all three stars and stood tall to end the show.

    The Vision left after the show went off air, and both Jey Uso & LA Knight also made their way to the back. Though CM Punk stayed in the ring for a while, even after the broadcast ended.

    Knowing that he had to send the crowd home happy, the former world champion decided to do a Jey Uso impression, complete with his theme song to end the night.

  • Seth Rollins To Defend World Title In Big Fatal Four Way At Clash In Paris

    Seth Rollins just got himself in a lot of trouble.

    This week\’s episode of Raw from Centre Videotron in Quebec, Canada, opened with a CM Punk promo. The Straight Edge Star was interrupted by LA Knight, with both stars arguing about who deserves a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship.

    Paul Heyman then came out with Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker, and a tag team match between the two teams was made official for the main event of the show. Knight also had a backstage confrontation with Jey Uso with both arguing about the line for the world title shot.

    The babyfaces had control of the match early on but Reed and Breakker managed to get the upper hand later. Punk got the hot tag and he looked to deliver a GTS to Breakker after a top rope splash but Seth Rollins showed up.

    Seth Rollins Match Announced For Clash In Paris

    The World Champion caused the DQ by attacking his arch rival, and The Vision then started beating up Punk and Knight. This continued until Jey Uso showed up with a steel chair and got the heels retreating.

    Raw GM Adam Pearce then came out saying that he\’ll not be angry at Rollins and instead turn this into an opportunity. Pearce announced that Seth will defend his title against Punk, Knight, and Uso in a fatal-four-way at Clash In Paris.

    The three babyfaces started brawling each other after the announcement, allowing The Vision to swoop in. The faction beat up all three of the stars and stood tall to end the show.

  • AEW Original Now Working Behind-The-Scenes

    An AEW original is now working with the company in a behind-the-scenes capacity as well.

    Former TH2 member Angelico has not been seen much on AEW programming in recent times. He remains with the company, however, making regular appearances for the ROH brand.

    Now, Fightful Select is reporting that wrestling for ROH is not the 38-year-old\’s only role in the company, as he\’s also been working as a coach and producer as of late.

    It\’s unknown when his backstage stint began, but the former Lucha Underground star has been working in this capacity throughout this year. He was credited with producing the recent Megan Bayne vs. Emily Rose match on last week\’s Collision.

    The high-flying star who made his wrestling debut in 2007, has been with the company since year 1. He teamed with Jack Evans, as The Hybrid2, to make his debut for the company during AEW\’s inaugural Double or Nothing PPV.

    The duo later became part of the Hardy Family Office under Matt Hardy but they have not tagged with each other since 2021. Evans would leave the promotion in 2022 after his contract expired.

    Angelico has been teaming with Serpentico in recent times. Serpentico has worked as a producer for the promotion for a long time and it\’s possible that he\’s helping his tag team partner learn the craft.

  • John Cena Doesn\’t Know Who His Final Opponent Will Be

    John Cena has again emphasized that he is not booking his retirement run.

    WWE CCO Triple H had tried to suggest that Brock Lesnar\’s SummerSlam return was inspired by The Cenation Leader wanting to square off against the Beast Incarnate one last time before retirement. The 17-time world champion however, had denied having anything to do with Brock\’s comeback.

    The former champion reiterated the sentiment while speaking to the Boston Herald for a new interview. Answering a question about the final opponent in his retirement tour, John Cena said that he\’s never once chosen an opponent:

    “I’ve been doing this for 23 years, and I’ve never once chosen my opponent, I’ve always lived by the philosophy that life will give you opportunities every single day,

    And you have to do the best you can every single day with what life gives you. So whoever challenges me for that last match, I’m going to give it my best shot.”

    With his appearance on last Friday\’s SmackDown setting up his Clash In Paris match, John Cena now has a total of 11 appearances left before he calls it a career.

    Though reports suggest that his retirement match will not be happening at a PPV and it\’ll be on a televised show instead. You can check out more about it here.

  • Cody Rhodes Reveals If SummerSlam Heel Turn Was Discussed For Him

    Cody Rhodes has commented on speculations about his SummerSlam plans.

    The WWE Quarterback recently had an interview with Jimmy Traina for SI Media. During the talk, he was asked about all the rumors of him potentially turning heel at the most recent WWE PLE and if something like this would be his decision or the management\’s.

    The Undisputed Champion first explained that he\’s a team player, so he\’ll do whatever he\’s asked to. Though he will offer some suggestions for the same:

    \”Well, so I play for the team. So if the coach tells me this is what we\’re doing, I might have a question or two about it. I can weigh an objection or not, or a comment, but also that\’s the whole quarterback element. I\’m gonna run the play.

    So when discussions like that and Unreal\’s kind of shed some light on this, but you have that writer\’s room. Ed Koskey\’s right there. You have Triple H. Of course, The Final Boss, always present in a way, and Nick Khan. That would be a big discussion that we would all have.\”

    I Don\’t Think: Cody Rhodes

    Cody Rhodes then mentioned how Triple H likes to make plans for every potential scenario while working on a big event. He claimed, however, that he didn\’t hear any serious discussion of a heel turn before the PPV:

    \”If it was discussed, it didn\’t go far. I don\’t think it got to me by any means. Because I would have some ideas on maybe how I would execute it and what would happen. But again, I think if you\’re Triple H and you\’re looking at three years of record business and you\’re looking at your team as it is.

    Rhea Ripley, who\’s a face of the company, CM Punk, who\’s a face of the company, Seth Rollins who\’s a face of the company, young Bron Breaker who\’s on his way up, Jacob Fatu on his way up. I think if you look at your team, if you move a piece in a big way, does it affect the rest of the team? Do we keep running? Do we keep record business?

    Who knows what it may be. But yeah, that\’s a discussion that this company in the way it\’s done today, it\’s a team effort. Hunter\’s gonna make the call, but he\’s got a good war room of people to weigh it all out.\”

  • Paul Heyman Reacts To Goldberg Blasting WWE Over His Final Match

    Paul Heyman has reacted to Bill Goldberg\’s recent tirade.

    The Mad Genius of Wrestling recently had an interview with Ariel Helwani. He talked about things such as Brock Lesnar\’s WWE return during SummerSlam, WWE Unreal on Netflix, Roman Reigns\’ impact on the business, and much more.

    When asked about Bill Goldberg putting WWE on blast over his retirement match, Paul Heyman said that he\’s not surprised at how the former WCW Champion feels after everything that happened:

    “It’s Bill. Bill Goldberg had very, very high expectations for WWE. In Bill Goldberg’s mind, they weren’t met. I’m not gonna sit here and tell you Bill Goldberg was wrong.

    I’m not going to tell you WWE was wrong. I’m going to tell you this is how Goldberg felt and he’s not shy in letting people know how he feels. I’m not surprised. It’s Bill. This is how he feels, and he’s going to let you know about it.”

    Goldberg competed in what was advertised as his final match during the July 2025 Saturday Night\’s Main Event. He challenged Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship but ended up losing the bout.

    Unfortunately for the wrestling veteran, reports suggested that the last 40 minutes of the show were re-worked on the fly and as a result, his post-match speech was cut off from the broadcast.

    The former WCW star went on a rant during an interview with Ariel Helwani after the match. He called out the company for the poor build and the mismanagement of his final outing, accusing them of not reciprocating the effort he put in the preparation for this match.

  • Drew McIntyre Reveals His Take On Brock Lesnar\’s WWE Return

    Drew McIntyre wants you to remember that he beat Brock Lesnar.

    Top WWE names have been supportive of Brock\’s controversial SummerSlam return. WWE CCO Triple H said that it is incredible to have the former world champion back in the company, while Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes said that he fits right in the direction the promotion is taking.

    The Scottish Warrior was also asked about the same during his recent interview with The West Sport. Mcintyre suggested that Brock\’s return did not surprise him:

    “I just thought, ‘There’s Brock. There he is.’ It’s not like anything crazy. I just, you know, saw him come out.

    I had wrestled Night One of SummerSlam on the Saturday, the first two-day SummerSlam ever. Very successful—113,000 people over two days. And I’d finished my last appearance.\”

    The Guy I Beat: Drew McIntyre

    Drew McIntyre had a more balanced take on the situation compared to his peers. He noted how the Beast Incarnate is someone who causes a lot of headlines and is part of his own history in the company:

    \”I got on a plane. I believe I had just arrived home in the Nashville area here when I saw it, and I went, ‘Oh, there he is.’ Brock is back. And you know he’s the Beast.

    He causes a lot of headlines. And most importantly, he’s also the guy I beat in the main event of WrestleMania for my first WWE Championship… in five minutes.”

    The former world champion faced Brock Lesnar in the main event of WrestleMania 36 after winning the 2020 Royal Rumble. Unfortunately for Drew, the event was held in the performance center without an audience, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Tony Khan Says AEW Star Will Be Out of Action \’For A Long Time.\’

    Tony Khan has commented on the injury of a top AEW star.

    The AEW president recently appeared on My Mom’s Basement podcast. Among other things, he talked about Jon Moxley\’s recently concluded reign as the World Champion during the interview.

    Khan discussed how Mox had a vision for the promotion and he wanted to make AEW better by challenging young talents to step up. He mentioned some of the names that benefited from feuding with Moxley. While talking about Jay White, he said that the former Bullet Club leader will be out of action for a long time:

    \”You saw wrestlers step up—some of them challenged Jon Moxley along the way and fell. Early on, there were casualties in Jon Moxley’s reign like Orange Cassidy and certainly Darby Allin, who made great runs at Jon Moxley.

    Jay White, one of the best wrestlers in the world, got injured along the way and is going to be out for a long time.\”

    Tony Khan also hinted that White\’s injury led to some big creative changes. He said Jay is a superstar who is always figured into their plans and if someone like that gets injured then that\’s going to affect your planning.

    Jay White last wrestled during the March 29 episode of Collision against Kevin Knight. He had announced his entry into the 2025 Owen Hart Cup. A hand injury, however, forced him to withdraw from the tournament and he was written off TV with an attack from Death Riders.

  • Backstage News on Potential WrestleMania In Saudi Arabia

    Saudi Arabia might be getting a WrestleMania in the coming times.

    Rumors about the Middle Eastern country potentially holding WWE\’s biggest PPV of the year picked up when Chairman of the Entertainment Authority Turki Al-Sheikh teased a \’massive entertainment event\’ coming to the Kingdom in 2027.

    Fightful Select recently provided an update on the whole matter. They noted that the Kingdom has wanted a Mania-level show for a long time and it\’s not out of the question for TKO:

    \”We reported on May 30 that WWE had considered doing a special WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia, as the country wants a WrestleMania-level show. It is certainly not out of the question based on what we heard, but sources we spoke to believe that a standard North American WrestleMania would still happen.\”

    WWE is set to host the 2026 Royal Rumble from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and bringing the Show of Shows to the country next seems like a logical step for the promotion.

    Though the officials are more likely to host a special with the WrestleMania branding at a different time of the year, similar to the \’Greatest Royal Rumble\’ from 2018.

    Whether or not this is the event Al-Sheikh was talking about should be revealed soon. Stay tuned to SEScoops for more updates.

  • Watch: R-Truth Reunites With John Cena On SmackDown

    R Truth is back!

    The Attitude Era star reunited with his childhood hero John Cena on this week\’s episode of SmackDown from Montreal, Canada. This came after Cena turned babyface again at last week\’s episode of the Blue Branded show.

    The two WWE veterans seemed unsure of each other at first but they quickly left the doubts behind. Seeing Cena back in his face avatar, Truth exclaimed, “You’re back! You’re really back! If you back, I’m back! We’re back!”

    After sharing a hug, John Cena told R-Truth that he was acting weird the last few months, being mean to people and saying that he wanted to \’ruin wrestling.\’ The Cenation Leader then left, leaving the former NWA champion confused:

    The two WWE stars feuded during Cena\’s heel run. John defeated Truth in a match at Saturday Night\’s Main Event in May, after which Truth was released from the company.

    Truth attacked Cena in his return at the Money In The Bank PPV leading to another match ending in DQ. The 53-year-old then cut his hair during a promo on SmackDown and adapted a more serious persona.

    With the latest segment, it appears we\’ll be getting the old R-Truth back on WWE programming, alongside the return of the babyface John Cena.

  • Watch: What Happened With Sami Zayn After SmackDown From Montreal Went Off Air

    A lot happened after this week\’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown from Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, went off air.

    The main event of the show saw John Cena teaming up with Cody Rhodes to square off against Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul. This came after the Cenation Leader accepted the YouTuber\’s challenge for a match at the upcoming Clash In Paris PPV earlier in the night.

    Paul ended up low-blowing John, causing the tag team match to end in DQ. The two PPV opponents went through the entrance area while trading blows after the bell, and they weren\’t seen again. McIntyre at the ringside unleashed a brutal attack on Rhodes and he was the last one standing tall as the broadcast ended.

    What Happened After SmackDown

    Cody Rhodes was helped up by the security and medical after the show went off air. The Undisputed WWE Champion was able to get back on his own.

    There were two dark matches that took place after the broadcast. The first saw Bayley taking on Raquel Rodriguez in a singles bout which the horsewoman won.

    Hometown star Sami Zayn came out after this to address the crowd. He was attacked by El Grande Americano however, resulting in an impromptu match which Zayn won. The Canadian star then spoke to the crowd for a while and also brought a kid in the ring to end the night.

  • Karrion Kross Says Fans Will Know His Future \’Very Soon\’

    Karrion Kross is not saying anything about his future yet, but promising that fans will know all about it very soon.

    The WWE status of the former NXT Champion has been one of the biggest topics of speculation among fans in recent weeks. With reports of his current deal expiring soon, a lot of people have been wondering if the SummerSlam loss to Sami Zayn was his last appearance for the company.

    During his interview with The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast on Thursday, Karrion Kross confirmed that he was still under contract. The 40-year-old told fans that the only way they\’re gonna get the real scoop is through him:

    “I’m still under contract. I saw a bunch of stuff online today—what is today? Thursday? I don’t know when you’re putting this up, but today’s Thursday. I saw a bunch of stuff online today.

    I don’t know where it’s coming from, and I don’t care to speak to any of it. But I mean, all I can tell you is the only way you’re going to get the real story is when you get it from me. That’s all I can tell you.”

    They\’re Gonna Know: Karrion Kross

    Karrion Kross also promised fans that they won\’t have to wait long to know what the future holds for him, and everything will become clear very soon:

    “I can’t really speak to any of the legitimacy of anything that is being recently reported, but I’ll tell you right now, everyone’s going to know exactly what’s going on very soon. They’re gonna know.”

    Fightful Select reports that Kross\’ WWE contract ends on August 10. If true, that should be the date when we get a concrete answer about his future with the company

  • John Cena Retirement Match Will Not Be At PPV (Report)

    Unofficial details have emerged about John Cena\’s final match.

    The Cenation Leader is on a year-long retirement tour, which is expected to conclude in December. After his SummerSlam match with Cody Rhodes, the 17-time world champion has a total of 12 appearances left as an active performer.

    A new report from Wrestling Observer has now provided an update on how this run is expected to end. It noted that with the return of Evolution in July, and the addition of a second night to SummerSlam, the company will be able to fulfil this year\’s PLE commitment to Peacock with the Survivor Series PPV set for November.

    This means, however, that the promotion will not be holding a PLE in December, and Cena\’s retirement will come at a televised show instead.

    John Cena previously stated that his retirement match is expected in mid-December, and his father told a local news outlet that his final bout will take place in his hometown arena of TD Garden in Boston.

    The most likely scenario is for the company to hold its final Saturday Night\’s Main Event of 2025 in the area on December 13, featuring Cena\’s final wrestling match.

    WWE has yet to announce any official details, and things could change between now and December, but as of right now, this seems to be direction for John\’s retirement match.

  • Dominik Mysterio Names Controversial Segment As Inspiration For Heel Work

    Dominik Mysterio has revealed which WWE heel he gravitated towards during his childhood.

    The Judgment Day star recently had an interview with Billboard. He talked about things such as the biggest heel in pro sports today, his SummerSlam victory over AJ Styles and more.

    When asked which was the first heel he idolized as a fan, Dominik Mysterio named JBL. Explaining why the former WWE Champion was the one who he gravitated towards, the current Intercontinental Champion proclaimed that everything Bradshaw did felt genuine:

    \”Because everything he did seemed so genuine and with hatred. He called himself “The Wrestling God” for a reason.

    Being a Latino Mexican myself, the skit of him going down by the border — and I know it might be a touchy subject right now — was crazy to me. As a heel, you’re pushing the button as much as possible.\”

    He Can Get Away With Everything: Dominik Mysterio

    JBL changed his look and started wearing a suit, cowboy hat, and tie back in 2004 after his partnership with Faarooq ended. The controversial segment came shortly after he assumed the new gimmick, during the build to his 2004 Judgment Day match against Eddie Guerrero.

    Dominik Mysterio claimed that the whole thing made him feel like JBL was someone who can get away with everything and it made him a fan:

    \”So to me, JBL was that dude, to where he can get away with everything and just do anything — because he’s also a 6’7 cowboy of a heel that’ll knock your head off with a clothesline.\”

    Apart from this, Dominik Mysterio talked about Eddie Guerrero and named a skill of the late legend which he thinks is underrated. You can check out more about it here.

  • Dominik Mysterio Reveals Underrated Eddie Guerrero Skill

    Dominik Mysterio has named an underrated Eddie Guerrero trait.

    The WWE Intercontinental Champion recently had an interview with Billboard. He talked about things such as his SummerSlam victory over AJ Styles, potentially beating Gunther\’s 666 days IC title reign record and more.

    When asked to describe an in-ring skill of Eddie Guerrero that doesn\’t get enough appreciation, Dominik Mysterio noted that the late legend had a ring IQ like no other and that was the secret of his success:

    \”I believe his ring IQ. People see how good he was inside the ring, what he did and how he achieved those things [because] his moves were great, but the way he would put things together and how he could be able to manipulate feelings based off what he was doing with his movements, I think that was severely underrated.\”

    Dirty Dom discussed how no one who got in the ring with Guerrero can say that he wasn\’t the best person to work with. The Judgment Day member explained that Eddie was the best person if you needed to change things on the fly during a match and reiterated that the wrestling veteran\’s ring IQ was his most underrated skill.

    Dominik Mysterio was last seen in action during this week\’s Raw in a match against Dragon Lee. He won the bout after a third El Grande Americano made his debut. You can check out more about it here.

  • Hulk Hogan Tribute Set For NASCAR Race This Weekend

    A Hulk Hogan tribute is coming to NASCAR.

    Despite all his controversies, the former face of WWE was one of the most influential stars in pro wrestling history. Tributes have been pouring in from all over the world since the news of his passing came out.

    According to a new report from TMZ, one such tribute will be seen at the NASCAR race this weekend, as driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is planning to honor the late Hall of Famer with changes to his car.

    Stenhouse Jr. and his Hyak Motorsports team partnered with Hulk Hogan\’s Real American Beer for a race in June. They said that they\’re thrilled to keep building on that relationship.

    For the tribute, Ricky and his team will be bringing back the red, white and blue paint job for their No. 47 Chevrolet at \”Go Bowling at the Glen\” Cup Series event on Sunday at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York.

    In addition to this, the car will also feature a Hulkamania forever design, depicting Hogan in his signature pose of tearing his shirt off.

    Hulk Hogan passed away on July 24 at the age of 71 due to acute myocardial infarction. You can check out what his estranged daughter Brooke Hogan said about wanting to be excluded from the will here.