SEScoops

Author: Anutosh Bajpai

  • Bret Hart Reveals Change In Backstage Reception After Vince McMahon\’s WWE Exit

    Bret Hart has explained how people\’s behavior in WWE has changed toward him since Vince McMahon was outlawed from the company.

    The wrestling legend recently joined Cheap Heat with Peter Rosenberg to talk about a number of things. He discussed topics such as Roman Reigns\’ wrestling style, WWE trying to erase his legacy, and more.

    When asked about his relationship with the company now that Vince McMahon is no longer in charge of things, Bret Hart claimed that he feels more respected now:

    \”I\’ll be honest, I feel like I have a little more respect now. I think people are kind of going, \’Maybe Bret Hart was right all along.\’ I\’ve always been kind of banished and a little bit punished for all [that happened.] \’What do you expect? He punched out the boss.\’ I knocked him out cold in the dressing room. So it\’s always been kind of a black spot, and maybe still is, too.\”

    I Did The Right Thing: Bret Hart

    Bret Hart was referring to a backstage incident that happened after the infamous Montreal Screwjob at Survivor Series 1997. Per numerous accounts, Vince McMahon confronted the Hitman in the locker room after the show and the WWE Hall of Famer knocked him out with a single punch.

    The Attitude Era star said that he always felt \’untrusted\’ in the company after that, and it\’s probably the reason why he hasn\’t been used as much as he could have been in the decades since then. Despite being neglected however, Bret claimed that he would not change a thing if given a chance:

    \”In my own heart of hearts, I would never change anything that I did. I did the right thing that day, and I feel like there\’s been a bit of an upswing, or a certain sort of an appreciation, more for my work rate and how hard I worked, and what I contributed to the business.\”

    The former WCW Champion had told his side of the story about the infamous Vince McMahon confrontation last year. You can check out what he said about the whole thing here.

  • Update On Chris Jericho\’s AEW Contract After Not Ruling Out WWE Return

    Chris Jericho could return to WWE before WrestleMania 42 if he wants.

    The former AEW Champion teased taking a break from AEW during the April 9 Dynamite. This came after Jericho dropped the ROH title to Bandido during the Dynasty PPV on Sunday.

    Sean Ross Sapp provided an update on Y2J during his Dynamite review show. He noted that Chris Jericho has a Foggy tour coming up. Interestingly, he also revealed that the wrestling veteran\’s current deal is up at the start of next year:

    “He’s got a tour coming up. But I hate to be the bearer of bad news for those that don’t want to see him; he’s only got one Wednesday date there. Now, he is not planned for ROH stuff. They wanted to kinda send him away for that. But, man’s got like eight, nine months left on his deal.”

    Chris Jericho talked about a potential WWE return only a few days ago, saying that it would be crazy for him to rule out the possibility. The former WWE champion even went on to claim that he would have considered an offer from the company even if Vince McMahon was still leading the creative.

    Many believe that Jericho has done everything he could in AEW, and working with the new crop of WWE talent might be a more interesting prospect for him at this point in his career. Having Triple H in charge of the company only helps the possibility.

    As for his immediate future, it seems like Jericho will be taking some time off before returning to AEW TV. Though having most Wednesday\’s free even during the tour means he can be brought back sooner if needed.

  • Update On Joe Hendry\’s TNA Rebellion Status Following Recent Injury

    Joe Hendry is not letting his injury get in the way of being a defending champion.

    The TNA world title holder was revealed to be dealing with a rotator cuff injury last week, putting his status for the upcoming Rebellion PPV in question.

    The viral star made an appearance on the April 10 episode of Impact to provide an update on his health. Hendry revealed that the medical professionals have advised him against wrestling, though he has decided to still defend his title.

    The TNA Champion was then interrupted by Frankie Kazarian, and it was announced that Joe Hendry will be defending his title against both Kazarian and NXT\’s Ethan Page at the upcoming show.

    Not only that but Hendry will also be teaming up with Masha Slamovich to fight Kazarian and Tessa Blanchard at TNA Unbreakable on April 17.

    Updated TNA Rebellion 2025 Match Card

    TNA Rebellion 2025 will be taking place from the Galen Center in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday, April 27, 2025. Below is the updated card for the show:

    • Ultimate X Match For X-Division Championship: Moose (c) vs. KC Navarro vs. Leon Slater vs. Matt Cardona vs. El Hijo del Vikingo vs. TBA
    • Six Women Tag Match: Fatal Influence (Fallon Henley, Jacy Jayne and Jazmyn Nyx) vs. Rosemary, Xia Brookside and Léi Ying Lee
    • Singles Match: Mike Santana vs. Mustafa Ali
    • TNA Tag Team Championship Match: The Hardys (Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy) (c) vs. The Nemeth Brothers (Nic Nemeth and Ryan Nemeth)
    • TNA Knockouts Championship Match: Masha Slamovich (c) vs. Tessa Blanchard
    • TNA World Championship Match: Joe Hendry (c) vs. Frankie Kazarian vs. Ethan Page

    Internal AEW Reaction To The Death Riders Storyline (Report)

  • ‘I Was F***ing Angry’: CM Punk Reveals Match He Considered His WrestleMania Main Event

    CM Punk has revealed a match that was like a WrestleMania main event to him.

    Being the main event of the Show of Shows was one of Punk\’s biggest aspirations during his first run with the company. He probably came the closest to it during his historic 434-day-long WWE Championship reign before The Rock decided to return to wrestling and took the spot.

    The Straight Edge star recently talked about this time during his interview with Metro. He recalled being put into a match with John Cena on Raw before WrestleMania 29, noting how he considered it to be his main event of Mania:

    \”I had the flu, I had a fever, and I was just f***ing angry. I said \’Well, this is the main event of WrestleMania. I know you guys are doing that, but that’s what this is.\’”

    Fuelled By Anger: CM Punk

    CM Punk discussed how he gave his all in the bout because he was fuelled by anger at that point in his career. To him, it\’s the best match of his life:

    \”So nobody could tell me anything, I did what I wanted. That’s probably the best match in my career. There was just an energy, and there was a buzz in the building. I think part of that is because I was just fuelled by anger at that point in my career. It got me out of bed.\”

    The former World Champion\’s career will be coming full circle at WrestleMania 41 as he battles against Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns in a triple threat match. The bout has been announced to main event one night of the Show of Shows, finally fulfilling CM Punk\’s biggest wrestling dream.

  • Internal AEW Reaction To The Death Riders Storyline (Report)

    AEW sees the Death Riders storyline differently than fans do.

    The general reaction to AEW programming in recent times has been more positive than before. The company had seen a decline in interest in the past couple of years as the promotion strayed away from their original formula. With Tony Khan taking more control in recent times, fans have seen a general improvement in the product, and the promotion seems to be gaining momentum once again.

    The one complaint that has persisted, however, is the continuation of the Death Riders storyline. Many fans believe that the group has lost its charm and that AEW should do away with the whole story, putting the world title on a different star.

    Though the officials do not seem to agree with the sentiment. In a new report about the finish to the Dynasty PPV, Fightful Select provided an update on the Death Riders storyline. They noted that the AEW Top Brass see the whole thing as a success:

    \”AEW internally has touted the success of the Death Riders and Moxley winning the title, citing a disconnect with online fans. AEW claims that the company\’s live+dvr quarters have climbed throughout the year with Moxley as champion, peaking with the Moxley vs. Cope street fight.\”

    The ending of the Dynasty PPV this past Sunday saw Jon Moxley retaining the AEW title over Swerve Strickland. This came after The Young Bucks made their surprise return and took out Swerve. The site noted that there was never a plan for Strickland to win this match and that Mox has been planned for a lengthy title run since before he won the championship.

    It\’s unclear if the Young Bucks had always been factored into the finish for the PPV, as many in the company were not sure how long they would be out of action. A theory is that Jay White was originally planned to be part of the main event in some capacity before his injury forced the company to change things up.

  • Gunther Confirms Unique Perk of New WWE Contract

    Gunther has revealed a unique perk he asked for in his new WWE deal.

    The WWE World Heavyweight Champion had an interview with Ariel Helwani to promote WrestleMania 41. He talked about things such as how Triple H saved wrestling, his upcoming match with Jey Uso and more.

    During the interview, The Ring General also confirmed that he has signed a new deal with the company. Unsurprisingly, the new deal comes with some interesting perks for the Raw star including his own tour bus:

    \”I signed a new contract and [A tour bus] was part it. I asked for that. What you don\’t ask for, you don\’t get,\”

    When asked when he signed the deal, the current champion revealed that he did so towards the end of last year. Though he did not reveal the length of the contract during the show.

    Apart from this, Gunther also talked about his match not being the main event of WrestleMania despite him being the world champion. He said that main eventing the show is a big achievement but he is not stressed about it. Per the heavyweight star, he would still be happy with his career if he never closes the Show of Shows.

    WWE has confirmed that the triple threat match with CM Punk, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins is going to main event one night of WrestleMania 41. While the other main event has not been confirmed, it\’s almost certain to be the WWE title match between Cody Rhodes and John Cena.

  • \’I Was Not Sure\’: Kevin Owens Reveals Triple H Idea He Didn\’t Buy At First

    Kevin Owens has opened up about the creative approach of Triple H compared to Vince McMahon.

    All the superstars who have given opinion on the matter agree that the creative process is much better under Triple H compared to Vince McMahon. Not only the characters and storylines are much more consistent but the creative team under The Game is also willing to try out new things that help make the presentation of the shows better.

    A unique example of it was when Kevin Owens\’ heel turn was done off-screen. Owens attacked his former best friend Cody Rhodes after the Bad Blood PPV, and the company relied completely on fans to capture and make the moment viral. Speaking about this unique approach during his recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, Kevin revealed that he wasn\’t sold on the idea at first:

    “It wasn’t me. That was Triple H. That was his idea. He felt confident in doing it that way. I was not sure. I’m like I don’t know, is there even going to be enough people there? It turns out he was completely right, there was and yeah, it’s just a different way of telling the stories and he’s got a different mentality than Vince had. It’s really interesting, and people really responded to it.\”

    Makes The Show Way More Interesting: Kevin Owens

    Kevin Owens noted how they did something similar when he turned on Randy Orton, and the attack was recorded with security cameras. Per the wrestling veteran this new approach is helping keep things fresh and interesting for the fans:

    \”He wants to tell stories differently, and he’s willing to try stuff out and see what sticks and I think that makes the show way more interesting. It doesn’t mean it’s always gonna work, there might be sometimes it doesn’t land, but we’re trying different things and new things, and I think that’s so important in wrestling.\”

    The former World Champion later explained that even with good matches and promos, things can get monotonous if you keep doing the same things. He cited the era of 2008-09 as an example noting how he started paying a lot less attention to WWE at the time because they told the same stories over and over again.

  • Steph De Lander Announces Engagement With Fellow TNA Star

    Two TNA stars have announced their engagement.

    Former TNA Digital Media Champion Steph De Lander took to social media early on Wednesday to reveal her engagement with fellow TNA star Mance Warner.

    The female star posted a photo with her fiancé from what appeared to be a tropical spot, and Warner replied to her post, calling Steph De Lander his wife:

    Steph De Lander who made her pro wrestling debut in 2017, had a run with WWE NXT in 2021-2022 before she joined TNA in February 2023. She became the TNA Digital Media champion in January this year after announcing that she had acquired the title in a divorce with on screen husband PCO.

    This was done to explain the situation with PCO, who attempted to destroy the digital media championship at a GCW show after learning that the company would not renew his deal.

    Mance Warner made his debut for the promotion during the same segment, aligning himself with his real-life fiancé and attacking Sami Callihan. He has worked for companies like AEW and MLW prior to signing with TNA.

    The Digital media title has since been retired by the promotion and TNA Director of Authority Santino Marella replaced it with the TNA International Championship. The Australian star is recognized as the final Digital media champion by the company.

  • Chris Jericho Teases Break From AEW TV After Dynasty Loss

    Chris Jericho might be taking a break from AEW.

    All three members of the learning tree picked up losses at the AEW Dynasty PPV this past Sunday. Y2J dropped the ROH title to Bandido during the show, while Big Bill & Bryan Keith failed to win the tag team titles from The Hurt Syndicate at the event.

    Jericho held a TV Time segment on this week\’s episode of Dynamite from Baltimore, demanding answers from his associates. Before he could blame them, however, Big Bill took the mic.

    The heavyweight star told Chris Jericho that he joined the faction because he wanted to learn from the wrestling veteran, not to be his punching bag whenever things went wrong.

    The former AEW Champion then took up the mic and explained that some might say he lost the ROH title because Bill and Keith were not at his side. Chris, however, claimed that he doesn\’t believe that.

    The wrestling legend then lost his cool and started tearing down the talk show set. Chris Jericho went on to declare that he was disappointed with his faction members and decided to leave until they changed that.

    It\’s unknown what this means for the future of the Learning Tree or how long Chris Jericho will be away. Though it seems very likely that this was the last we\’ll see the trio as a group on AEW TV.

  • Adam Cole Reveals New Name For The Undisputed Kingdom

    The Undisputed Kingdom is no more.

    The new TNT Champion Adam Cole made an appearance on this week\’s episode of Dynamite after his big victory over Daniel Garcia at the Dynasty PPV. He was accompanied by Kyle O\’Reilly and Roderick Strong in a backstage segment.

    Both O\’Reilly and Strong first talked about The Undisputed Kingdom\’s history in the company before Cole discussed how the past 2 years have been challenging for him. The former NXT Champion then seemingly revealed a new name for their group, saying that they\’re \’The Paragon\’:

    \”The past 2 years, I\’ve been through hell and back. They were 2 of the most challenging years not just of my career but of my life. Now I stand before you, the face of TNT – your new AEW TNT Champion.

    Trust me, when I tell you this is just the start for the three of us. Because it\’s a new era here in All Elite Wrestling because we, we are The Paragon, and that is undisputed.\”

    The Undisputed name was first given to the group in WWE where they were known as The Undisputed Era in NXT from 2017 until the group disbanded and its members left the company in 2021.

    Cole reunited with his teammates on occasion after joining All Elite Wrestling in 2021. Their faction officially got the Undisputed Kingdom name in January 2024.

  • More On Awkard Charlotte Flair & Tiffany Stratton Segment

    More details have emerged regarding the controversial Charlotte Flair – Tiffany Stratton segment.

    The segment that saw the two female stars battling on the mic during the April 4 SmackDown went haywire very quickly. Both the stars seemingly went off-script during their promos, and the whole thing ended on an awkward note when Stratton left the ring after delivering a personal jab to The Queen.

    Fightful Select provided an update on the whole thing, noting that the consensus backstage is that Charlotte went off-script first, calling herself \’Nepo Queen.\’

    The former Champion addressing the negative reaction from the Chicago crowd was also something that wasn\’t planned and was called \’run of the mill ad-libbing that would never get anyone any heat.\’

    Here is the full Tiffany Stratton and Charlotte Flair segment from #Smackdown

    That was definitely NOT it ?? pic.twitter.com/1bej9yAh1b

    — Wrestling Pics & Clips (@WrestleClips) April 5, 2025

    According to the site, neither the line about Charlotte\’s divorce nor Ludwig Kaiser sliding into her DMs was cleared ahead of time.

    While many felt that Tiffany Stratton needed to fight back after Flair mocked her voice, going personal to the degree seen on TV was not recommended. Both the lines were removed in video of the segment that was uploaded on social platforms.

    The whole situation was referred to as a \’wreck,\’ and both the female stars had heat for going off-script. Though the issue between the two did not escalate further backstage after the show.

    It\’s unknown how WWE is planning to handle the build for their upcoming match after this segment. It\’d be interesting to see if the two stars come face to face again in coming weeks or if they are kept apart until WrestleMania.

  • Triple H Compares Heel John Cena To Classic Movie Villain

    Triple H has compared John Cena\’s new character to one of the most famous fictional villains of all time.

    The Game appeared on the Tonight Show this Tuesday to promote WrestleMania 41. He talked about things such as getting inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, his early gimmicks before he signed with WWE, and more.

    When Jimmy Fallon asked about John Cena, Triple H discussed how the Cenation Leader has been the ultimate good guy of the wrestling business for the past 2 decades:

    \”So John Cena, who is the ultimate good guy, and has been…his whole mantra his entire career – Hustle Loyalty Respect. He has just been the ultimate good guy, as a human being has done more wishes for Make-A-Wish than any other celebrity in history.

    He\’s incredible. But the challenge on this is he\’s in his retirement run. He will end his career, in-ring career in December with WWE. So he\’s kind of got this year as his farewell.\”

    From Anakin Skywalker To Darth Vader

    Speaking about Cena\’s heel turn in his retirement year, Triple H compared the 16-time world champion to Darth Vader, saying that he is working very hard to make people hate him:

    \”He came back and turned into a bad guy. In our business he turned heel and he beat the crap out of Cody Rhodes with the Rock and with Travis Scott and he beat the crap out of Cody Rhodes.

    It\’s amazing to see that transformation of John from like the most beloved character in WWE to just Darth Vader. And he is working very hard to make them hate him.\”

    John Cena will be chasing a record-breaking 17th world title when he goes up against Cody Rhodes at the Show of Shows this year. The match is currently expected to main event night 2 of the PPV.

  • Former Champion Added To Stand & Deliver Title Match After Surprise NXT Return

    Stephanie Vaquer will have to deal with not one but three contenders for her NXT Women\’s Championship come WrestleMania 41 weekend.

    This week\’s episode of the Black & Silver show featured a #1 contender match between Jordynne Grace and Jaida Parker to determine Vaquer\’s opponent for the upcoming Stand & Deliver event.

    The Women\’s Champion, however, got into a fight with Parker mid-match, leading to a brawl between all three of the women at the ringside. This is when Giulia made her return to the brand.

    The Japanese star first took out both Parker and Grace. She then got into it with the current champion as well. Giulia delivered a headbutt to Stephanie and then took her out with a brainbuster.

    WWE Stand & Deliver Updated Match Card

    After this encounter between the two former friends, WWE announced a fatal four-way NXT Women\’s title match among all four women involved in tonight\’s segment for the upcoming show. Here is the updated NXT Stand & Deliver card taking place from from T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada:

    • Ladder Match For NXT Women\’s North American Championship: Zaria vs. Kelani Jordan vs. Sol Ruca vs. Izzi Dame vs. 2 TBD
    • Fatal Four Way Match For NXT Women\’s Championship: Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs. Giulia vs. Jordynne Grace vs. Jaida Parker
    • Triple Threat match For NXT Championship: Oba Femi (c) vs. Trick Williams vs. Je\’Von Evans

    Apart from this, both Fraxiom and Ricky Starks are set to defend the Tag Team Championships and the North American Championship, respectively at the April 19 event but their opponents are yet to be determined. NXT Stand & Deliver will have a special start time of 1:00 P.M. ET

  • Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias Discusses Potential WWE Match

    Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias has explained why he hasn\’t explored the physical side of wrestling despite being a longtime fan.

    There is a long list of celebrities who have been bitten by the wrestling bug after making an appearance at a show. Both Travis Scott and Jelly Roll showing interest in a potential in-ring debut after their recent WWE appearance is the latest example of this phenomenon.

    The comedy star, who has never denied his love for the business, was asked about the same during a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet. Gabriel Iglesias noted that he isn\’t looking to get involved as he won\’t be able to deliver the physicality required for it at his age:

    “I just gotta pass the physical, and that’s probably the main reason why I haven’t asked to participate in the ring, is I’m pushing 50. I got in the ring one time and it was scary. It was scary.

    You could feel the intensity. People say, Oh man, it’s fake. No. Maybe it’s predetermined but I felt the hits in the ring, and I wasn’t even the one getting hit and so, yeah, I’m good. I’d rather be on the outside watching.”

    Apart from this, Gabriel Iglesias talked about how he got into wrestling and noted that he was a Hulk Hogan fan growing up. Later in the life however, he realized how there were many other great wrestlers on the roster and named talents such as Ricky Steamboat and Randy Savage as people he became fan of.

    You can check out Iglesias\’ full interview where he also talks about things such as his experience with DDP Yoga, hosting the WWE Rivals show and more below:

  • \’Say It To Their Face\’ Booker T Reveals Advice For Swerve Strickland After Dynasty Jab

    Booker T has responded to Swerve Strickland\’s AEW Dynasty jab.

    The former AEW Champion challenged Jon Moxley for the world title at the company\’s latest PPV. He failed to win the belt after The Young Bucks made their return and took out Strickland. In an off air promo after the show, Swerve added more fuel to his ongoing feud with the WCW veteran with some harsh words.

    The WWE legend responded to this promo from the AEW star on the latest episode of his podcast. Booker T noted that he thought the beef between them was over but he\’s not upset at the young star:

    \”I\’m going to give Swerve Strickland a little bit of advice, just a little bit. That advice would be, don\’t be talking about something other than the pay-per-view at the end of the night. That\’s the main event and the last thing people are going to remember. The last people are going to remember is me, my name being said.\”

    Say It To Their Face: Booker T

    Booker T explained that he has been an advocate for all the black kids who want to get into the business as well any other kids who have the talent and deserve the opportunity. The WWE Hall of Famer noted how he has put in the word for many such young talents at times but he tries not to publish these things:

    \”I\’m sure Tony Khan don\’t appreciate the news, the headline not being what happened at Dynasty with all the matches. They\’re talking about Booker T. That was a bad move. He\’s got a lot of energy at the end of the show. I\’m not that type. I\’m from that school, if you got something to say to somebody, say it to their face. I\’m gonna leave it at that.\”

    The former WCW champion ended his remarks saying that he\’s learned his lesson and would probably not put over Swerve anymore but he still wishes the best for him and he wants to see people like him succeed.

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

    CM Punk found a new tag team partner after this week\’s episode of Monday Night Raw from Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota went off air.

    The build for WrestleMania 41 continued on this week\’s episode of the Red Branded Show. Bron Breakker once again showed his incredible athleticism in a viral moment after a fatal four way for his IC title was announced for the show of shows.

    El Grande Americano also picked up a controversial win over LWO in a tag match, after which Rey Mysterio confronted Adam Pearce and a match between the two masked stars was then made official.

    What Happened After Raw

    Looks like @CMPunk got a new tag team partner in @bertkreischer who hit a pair of CHOKESLAMS after #WWERaw on @netflix went off the air! ? pic.twitter.com/2f985HBpBY

    — WWE (@WWE) April 8, 2025

    The main event of the show was a Paul Heyman promo, which was interrupted by Seth Rollins. The Architect first explained why Heyman should not help either Roman Reigns or CM Punk come WrestleMania. Rollins, however, then lured Punk out by threatening to attack Paul.

    Seth laid out the Straight Edge star after a brawl when he came out and left Paul Heyman in shock after announcing that Heyman now owed him a favor too. Rollins retreated as the show went off air but Punk and Heyman stayed around the ring as A-Town Down under came out.

    The duo of Austin Theory and Greyson Waller threatened to beat up Bert Kreischer who was in attendance for the show. Fortunately for Bert, Punk recovered in time and took out both the former NXT names before sharing a moment with the comedy star to end the show.

  • Dominik Mysterio Explains CM Punk Hate

    Dominik Mysterio has a good reason to hate CM Punk.

    Dirty Dom, along with Women\’s World Champion Liv Morgan recently had an interview with Sprotskeeda to promote WWE content moving to Netflix in India. The duo talked about things such as their relationship with Finn Balor, John Cena\’s heel turn and more.

    Mysterio has been a fierce hater of the Straight Edge Star since his return to the company in 2023. Dominik was Punk\’s first opponent after his return to the promotion and the two have been at odds since then.

    What\’s Wrong With Him: Dominik Mysterio

    When asked why he hates CM Punk, the former NXT North American Champion recalled his encounters with Punk as a child when the former World Champion was feuding with his deadbeat dad, Rey Mysterio:

    “I hate CM Punk. Why? Because he’s old. He disappeared for what? 30 years and came back. He’s now 60, and he’s still wrestling. He tortured me when I was a kid. So I was 12 years old, and he was probably 45 at the time, maybe 50?\”

    Dominik Mysterio held off something he wanted to say about the former AEW star but questioned him over his actions back in the day:

    “So, like, I don’t know, what’s up — I can’t say that. I’m not gonna say that…. But I don’t like CM Punk. He traumatized me as a kid. Like, who does that to a 12-year-old? What’s wrong with him?”

    During the same tour, Liv Morgan also revealed her dream WrestleMania match involving Punk. You can check out more about it here.

  • Watch: What Happened With Cody Rhodes After SmackDown Went Off Air

    Cody Rhodes made an appearance after this week\’s episode of SmackDown from Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois went off air.

    While the undisputed WWE Champion was not part of the broadcast, the show had plenty of big names and interesting moments. This included the WWE debut of Rey Fenix and Jacob Fatu winning a US title shot. The episode unfortunately also featured the segment where Kevin Owens announced his neck injury and pulled out from his WrestleMania match with Randy Orton.

    The main event of the show was a promo battle between CM Punk, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. The three WrestleMania opponents exchanged words before Punk finally revealed the favor Paul Heyman owes him. The broadcast ended with Punk delivering a GTS to Roman Reigns.

    What Happened After SmackDown

    https://twitter.com/WrestlingFan250/status/1908356869082526189

    Cody Rhodes came out after the show went off air and all other stars had left the ring. The WWE Champion competed in a dark match with Solo Sikoa.

    The ending of this bout saw Sikoa trying to introduce a chair in the bout. The referee stopped him from using it on Rhodes. As the ref was discarding the chair, however, Sikoa delivered a low blow to his longtime rival.

    The Bloodline leader went for his finishing move but Rhodes somehow countered it into a Cross-Rhodes. The American Nightmare delivered two more Cross-Rhodes to finally win the match. Cody cut a short promo afterwards before giving away a signed weight belt to end the night.

  • CM Punk Finally Reveals Paul Heyman Favor For WrestleMania 41

    CM Punk has finally revealed the favor Paul Heyman owes him.

    The Straight Edge Star made his triple threat WrestleMania match with Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins official with a contract signing segment last week. Heyman had revealed that the match will be main eventing the show of shows, a lifelong dream of Punk.

    The three stars met once again for a promo battle on this week\’s episode of SmackDown from Chicago. Roman was the first to come out. He took credit for the match being a WrestleMania main event and asked Punk to come out and reveal the favor he keeps talking about.

    Seth Rollins came out ahead of Punk and exchanged words with his former Shield partner. Rollins then said that he wanted to hear the Straight Edge Star himself.

    CM Punk Reveals Paul Heyman Favor

    ROMAN GOES TO GRAB PAUL HEYMAN

    PUNK HITS ROMAN WITH THE GTS

    ROLLINS & PUNK STARE DOWN TO CLOSE THE SHOW

    WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT?!#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/AUjDea0xpt

    — The Movement – Pro Wrestling (@TheMovementXx) April 5, 2025

    CM Punk finally made his entrance to a thunderous applause in his hometown. He explained that his favor was about things like friendship and legacy.

    The former AEW star then referenced the old WWE management, telling a story about how Paul made him promise that Punk would ask for Heyman to be in his corner whenever he main evented WrestleMania.

    Now the old management is not here anymore, so he has decided that Roman Reigns will have to deal with it. Punk revealed that Heyman will be in his corner at the upcoming event instead of The Tribal Chief.

    Reigns looked distraught at this revelation and shoved Heyman into a corner. Punk saved the Wiseman, however, and delivered a GTS to Reigns. The segment and the show then ended with Punk and Rollins staring each other down.

  • Samoa Joe Reveals Origin Of Famous Spot

    Samoa Joe has revealed the origin of one of his most famous spots.

    The former AEW World Champion recently had an interview with Chris Van Vliet. He discussed things as the muscle buster that ended Tyson Kidd\’s career, how long he plans to continue wrestling, and more.

    During the interview, he also talked about his \’nope\’ spot which has become a staple of his matches. Samoa Joe revealed that the whole thing started as a joke between him and Christopher Daniels:

    “Well, it started out as a gag, and it was a house show gag where I’d work Christopher Daniels and at some point, I would call a cross body or something and I’d walk away from it.

    And Chris, to his credit, every time I did it, as he’s diving here, he’s like, you son of a bitch, you dirty bastard, he would always like cursed little phrase at me as he fell to his doom.\”

    Then It Became A Bit: Samoa Joe

    According to the wrestling veteran, it was AJ Styles who encouraged him to continue the spot with other wrestlers as well, and it slowly became a regular bit:

    \”So it kind of started out as that, and then I remember I did it to him, and then him and AJ began requesting it on people, like, Oh, you got to get him with the walk away today. Come on, dude, it’ll be hilarious. You got to get him with it. So then it became kind of a bit when I started showing up on TV.”

    The former WWE star also told a similar story about the origin of his name. He noted that he was given the stereotypical character of a Samoan wrestler despite not being part of the Samoan wrestling family.

    So he chose the name Samoa Joe as a joke. As he started delivering good matches, however, bookers started requesting him by name. Joe noted that at that time, the internet wasn\’t as big, and getting your name out there was a process. So he didn\’t dare change it afterward in fear of losing the bookings.

  • Third Name Added To AEW Injury List In A Week

    Yet another name has been added to the AEW injury list.

    Jay White was pulled from the upcoming Owen Hart Cup Tournament following an attack from Death Riders on the April 2 episode of Dynamite. It was later revealed that White was dealing with a hand injury that would require him to have surgery.

    Former AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy was then confirmed to be sidelined with an injury as well, with no timetable for his return.

    Now Fightful Select is reporting that the newest Don Callis Family member, Mark Davis, has also joined the list. He suffered the injury during his March 26 Dynamite match with Powerhouse Hobbs.

    Davis had been out of action for over a year after suffering a wrist injury in October 2023, and people within AEW feel horrible for him at getting sidelined again.

    The good news for the Australian star is that the latest injury is not expected to keep him out of the ring for long, and the company officials are hopeful that he\’ll return to action within 4 to 8 weeks.

    Mark Davis had been a part of the Aussie Open team with Kyle Fletcher since his AEW signing in 2022. Fletcher joined the Callis Family in October 2023, and Davis followed in his footsteps, joining the faction in February this year.

    SEScoops wishes a speedy recovery to the AEW star.

  • Karrion Kross Reacts To Having Only 1 Match For WWE In 2025

    Karrion Kross is not taking his current WWE status as a negative.

    The former NXT Champion has found himself in a precarious position within the company after the disbandment of the Final Testament. While he has been featured on TV since the release of AOP and Paul Ellering in February, he hasn\’t had any matches on flagship shows. His only match for WWE in 2025 came earlier this week when the former champion defeated Akira Tozawa during the Main Event taping from London.

    While many wrestlers would not be happy with being relegated to Main Event matches, the 39-year-old is trying to stay positive. Talking about the match in a new interview with TSC Wrestling, Karrion Kross claimed that the name of the show does not matter to him:

    “I know a lot of guys, not saying any names, not throwing any shade, but sometimes they feel a particular way if they’re not on the main show, and they’re on Main Event.

    For me, and I know that Tozawa is the exact same way, it doesn’t matter what the name of the show is. It’s about the people that are there live, and it’s about giving them a piece of the greatest show on earth that they came to see.”

    That\’s The Name of The Game: Karrion Kross

    The silver lining for Karrion Kross has been his involvement in various backstage segments despite not getting booked for matches. The wrestling veteran explained that being part of narratives and storylines is as important as actual matches:

    \”That\’s the name of the game man It\’s…obviously being out there in the ring in front of the audience performing is always where you wanna be for as long as possible. But you can never forget like it\’s imperative to remember that it is a TV show and being involved in narratives and stories actually make the matches feel even more important.

    So just like you said every week I\’m on TV doing something whether it\’s with Jackie or it\’s a backstage with AJ or Logan or Sami or Dominik, there\’s always something going on. [I\’m] always happy to be able to have that.\”

  • CM Punk Takes Credit For The Shield\’s Success: I Brought Them Into This

    CM Punk has taken credit for the idea of The Shield.

    The trio of Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, and Dean Ambrose first made their mark on WWE TV helping CM Punk during his historic 434-days-long WWE Championship reign. More than a decade after his first encounter with them, the Straight Edge Star has found himself in the crosshairs of two-thirds of the group again, heading into WrestleMania 41.

    The former WWE Champion recently had an interview with Rich Eisen to promote his appearance on ESPN+ series Stephanie’s Places. He talked about things such as returning to the company, their ongoing European tour and more.

    When the topic of his feud with Reigns and Rollins was brought up, CM Punk claimed that he conceptualized the group because he knew that he would need guys to work with in the future:

    “I was always looking towards the future. Yeah, there’s the now, there’s me, and there’s Cena. But outside of that, I would look at the landscape and be like, ‘What do we need to do to get money-talent in the position that I’m in now? How do I bring guys up? How do we elevate Superstars?’\”

    They Were Picked For A Reason: CM Punk

    CM Punk was part of an explosive contract signing segment on this week\’s episode of SmackDown with both Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, where they all made their WrestleMania 41 triple threat match official. The notable thing about this segment was Paul Heyman\’s declaration that the bout will main event the show of shows, a goal Punk never achieved in his first run with the company.

    Now that his dream is finally set to become a reality, the former AEW star is not letting anyone else take credit for it. Punk was not shy claiming that he was the one who brought Rollins and Reigns to this level:

    \”So the idea with The Shield was that simple. I need guys to work with, for good or for bad, whether I like them, whether I hate them, whether I’m going to wind up having personal problems with them. I need talented individuals to work with, or I have nobody to work with in the future.

    Lo and behold, who am I working with at WrestleMania? So, life’s pretty funny the way things kind of work out. I just don’t want those two guys to forget that they were picked for a reason. I brought them into this and at WrestleMania. I get the chance to take them out.”

  • Kane Reveals WWE Moment That Made Him Feel Like A Superstar For First Time

    Kane has revealed the moment when he first felt like he had made it in wrestling.

    The former World Champion recently had an interview with Outkick. He discussed things such as a potential charity wrestling match with Tim Walz, how he got signed to WWE, and more.

    During the interview, Kane was asked when he first realized that the Big Red Monster gimmick was the opportunity that he had been looking for in wrestling. The 57-year-old claimed that he knew it was going to be big on the night of his debut:

    \”It was my debut at St Louis at the In Your House Bad Blood pay-per-view when I came out, ripped the cell door off during Shawn Michaels and Undertaker match. That was the first time that I actually really felt like a superstar.

    I\’ll never forget just walking out, the music is playing but for a moment, there was…that was it. I mean just the entire arena was in shock. You could hear a pin drop. 15,000 people weren\’t making a sound until they kind of intuitively, I guess, realized what was going on.\”

    They Had To Figure It Out Themself: Kane

    The WWE Hall of Famer explained that the reaction was made possible due to the storyline everyone else had built for months before the PPV, leading to his unforgettable debut:

    \”We always think about Vince doing that \’That\’s gotta be Kane\’ thing. We have to understand that was only going out to the audience watching on pay-per-view.

    That wasn\’t going out to the people there at the event. So again, they had to figure it out themselves, and then within 30 seconds, they had. They were all thinking themselves, \’That\’s gotta be Kane.\’\”

    Apart from this, Kane also talked about his early gimmicks before he became the Undertaker\’s brother. He told the story of Vince McMahon pitching him the Isaac Yankem character which you can check out here.

  • \’I Was Mortified\’: Kane Recalls Vince McMahon Pitching The Isaac Yankem Gimmick

    Kane has recalled his very first meeting with Vince McMahon.

    The Mayor of Knox County recently had an interview with Outkick. He talked about things such as his early days in wrestling, his favorite version of Kane, wrestling with and without a mask and more.

    During the interview, the former World Champion was also asked about the Isaac Yankem gimmick he was given before he became the brother of The Undertaker. Kane noted that Vince McMahon pitched it to him during their very first meeting:

    \”Yeah, I\’ll never forget my first meeting with Vince McMahon and he brought up the Isaac Yankem character as only he could. He asked if I had ever been afraid to go to the dentist. I was like \’No I haven\’t been.\’ He\’s like \’Well I have this idea for a character, a wrestling dentist – Isaac Yankem.\’ He\’s like \’I yank em, get it?\’

    Then he starts doing the Vince laugh. I was mortified actually because here I am sitting across from Vince McMahon who\’s the most powerful person in the wrestling industry and all I could think was \’Wait you flew me all the way up from Knoxville Tennessee to New York to tell me that you want me to be a wrestling dentist?\’\”

    I Couldn\’t Sink My Teeth Into It: Kane

    Though according to Kane, the management was not trying to sabotage his career with the gimmick. He explained that it was on par with the other characters of the era and they actually thought that it could be successful:

    \”But that\’s where the industry and WWE specifically was at that time. it was pretty campy. You see some of the characters from that period. It was just cartoonish and it was really focusing on going for kids actually. The product itself was very sanitized.

    You look at what happened a few years later in the Attitude Era and the pendulum completely swung the other way. So for that particular period of time, it wasn\’t like they were thinking \’Oh we\’re gonna saddle Glenn with this horrible gimmick.\’ They actually thought it could be successful. But unfortunately I couldn\’t sink my teeth into it.\”