SEScoops

Author: Anutosh Bajpai

  • \’I Was Pissed\’: AJ Styles Gets Candid About TNA\’s Hulk Hogan Debacle

    AJ Styles has opened up about Hulk Hogan\’s failed stint in TNA.

    The Phenomenal One recently had an interview with Chris Van Vliet. He talked about things such as his recent foot injury, how long he plans to continue wrestling, his time in WCW and more.

    During the talk, Styles also opened up about Hogan\’s run with TNA. The former World Champion noted how the company had been steadily growing until the point they brought the Hulkster back into the fold in 2009:

    “They hired Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff. I believe Eric was trying to do the right thing, to see where we’re at as far as getting more eyes on us that we’re growing. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out the way it was supposed to. We lost a lot of money.\”

    He Was Embarrassed: AJ Styles

    Ultimately for the company, however, Hulk Hogan\’s tenure proved to be a disastrous move. While he was part of some memorable moments during his early run, Hogan\’s involvement mostly led to sub-par stories. During the 4-year run, TNA would distance themselves from all the traits that made the company popular in the first place, resulting in a steep decline in popularity.

    Talking about Hogan\’s work with TNA, AJ Styles said that he was mad at the WWE Hall of Famer for not promoting the product like he was supposed to. Per the former IWGP World Champion, however, he now realizes that Hulk was probably embarrassed to talk about the promotion:

    \”I think I was kind of pissed at Hogan at the time, because I was like, why doesn’t he talk about TNA? Why is he not helping us? He’s not advertising at all. He never talked about TNA. I was pissed, but I now realize I think he was embarrassed.

    It was embarrassing to him to talk about that, so he didn’t. I think Dixie was trying to do some things, and it was just they keep butting heads, so it just kind of fell apart, and when it fell apart, they lost a lot of money.\”

    AJ Styles also noted that talents were asked to take pay cuts due to the company\’s poor financial condition after Hogan\’s run ended in 2013. This ultimately led to his own departure from the company when his deal expired a year later in 2014.

  • \’Friends Are Not Real\’: Rhea Ripley Is Emotional Mess After Title Loss On Raw

    Rhea Ripley was visibly emotional after unexpectedly losing the Women\’s World Championship to IYO SKY In the main event of Raw.

    The Mami had the match won but she was distracted by Bianca Belair cheering for IYO at the ringside. The distraction led to the two exchanging blows. The whole thing resulted in SKY taking advantage when the referee decided not to terminate the match and the Japanese star shocked everyone by walking out of the show as the new champion.

    In the post-Raw interview, Rhea claimed that she can\’t fully be mad at IYO or Bianca and she is more disappointed at herself. Ripley mentioned how she faced similar circumstances with Liv Morgan and The Judgement Day before. She is mad at not recognizing that \’friends are not real\’ and she needs to keep her eye on the prize at all times.

    The now-former champion said that she understands that both IYO and Bianca have had journeys similar to her coming up from NXT. Belair however, is an opponent she has talked about facing at WrestleMania because of their past connection.

    Rhea Ripley also admitted that she feels lonely after being thrown out of Judgement Day and Damian Priest being moved to SmackDown. She has been screwing things up since then and definitely feels \’isolated\’ at present.

    It\’s unknown where this storyline is headed. Though it seems logical that Ripley will find her way back into the title picture and we\’ll see a three way for the championship at WrestleMania 41.

  • Becky Lynch Fires Back At CM Punk With AJ Lee Jab After Raw

    Becky Lynch had a fiery response to CM Punk bringing her up on this week\’s episode of Monday Night Raw from KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.

    The Straight Edge star opened this week\’s episode of the Red Branded Show with another pipebomb, calling out \’Bald Frauds\’ John Cena and The Rock for their actions at the end of Elimination Chamber.

    Punk then turned his attention to the man who cost him the Chamber match in Seth Rollins, telling Lynch to \’come get her man\’ before he puts the Architect in a wheelchair for his actions on Saturday.

    The former Women\’s Champion responded to the jab on X with one of her own. In a now-deleted tweet, Becky Lynch poked fun at the relationship of Punk and his protege Roxanne Perez, suggesting that it\’s AJ Lee who needs to come get her husband instead:

    https://media.sescoops.com/uploads/2025/03/\"https://media.sescoops.com/uploads/2025/03/\"

    The promo of Punk turned into a huge brawl when Seth Rollins showed up and the two continued their rivalry backstage when they met later on.

    The backstage fight forced General Manager Adam Pearce to give in to the wishes of the two stars and he made a huge stipulation match between the two official for next week\’s Madison Square Garden show.

    Becky Lynch has defied all speculation of her WWE return in recent months. Despite being featured on the promotional material for Raw\’s Netflix premiere, the former champion was not present at the show.

    Having signed a new deal with the company recently, people have continued guessing when she\’ll finally make her return to TV, but so far all the attempts at predicting her return have proven futile.

  • Watch: What Happened With Rhea Ripley After Raw Went Off Air

    Rhea Ripley was as shocked at the conclusion of this week\’s episode of Monday Night Raw from the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.

    The Mami defended her Women\’s Championship against IYO SKY in the main event of the show, with the 2025 Women\’s Elimination Chamber winner Bianca Belair looking on from the ringside. The two competitors fought hard proving themselves to be main event worthy. The action went outside the ring towards the ending of the bout with both women brawling in front of Belair.

    Belair and Rhea then got into a heated exchange after which Ripley shoved the former Tag Team Champion onto her chair. Belair responded by having a go at the defending champion in return. A scuffle like this generally results in disqualification but Referee Jessika Carr decided that a main event title match will not stop over this kind of bickering.

    What Happened After Raw

    god is a woman named rhea ripley #WWERaw #WWEonNetflix pic.twitter.com/qyWF1y2bhs

    — kenz is at raw (@liv4ripley) March 4, 2025

    Rhea Ripley got back into the ring and went for a Riptide. SKY, however, countered it into an avalanche Frankensteiner, following with a Diving moonsault for the surprise pin. The show went off air with IYO celebrating her victory. The Judgement Day star remained at the ringside in disbelief for a while after the broadcast ended, before finally heading to the back.

    Bianca on the other hand, confronted IYO SKY who she will now be challenging for the title at WrestleMania 41 before heading to the back. The new champion remained in the arena the longest, greeting the fans for a while after her big victory at the show before going out.

  • Natalya\’s WrestleMania Week Booking Puts WWE Future In Doubt

    Natalya has been booked for a big event during the WrestleMania 41 weekend in Los Angeles but with an interesting twist.

    Josh Barnett announced on social media late on Monday night that the former Women\’s Champion will be making her GCW debut next month.

    The announcement confirmed that the female star will be competing in the 13th edition of Josh Barnett\’s Bloodsport on April 17, two days before WrestleMania 41.

    What\’s interesting about this appearance is that while her WWE past was acknowledged in the poster, the wrestling veteran was billed as Nattie Neidhart instead of her well-known ring name.

    While the former Women\’s Champion has been regularly booked by WWE in 2025, she has mostly been relegated to Main Event and WWE Speed matches. Her only main roster appearance so far this year was at Royal Rumble.

    Female WWE talents have recently been concerned about their spot in the company after the abrupt exit of Sonya Deville. Deville had been in active negotiations with the officials for a new contract so the decision to not renew her deal came as a surprise to even the former WWE star herself.

    While WWE has been more willing to allow signed stars to make appearances outside of the company in recent times, the timing and build for the event definitely raises questions about Natalya\’s future with the promotion.

  • Huge Steel Cage Match Announced For WWE Raw Return To Madison Square Garden

    A WrestleMania main event caliber steel cage match has been made official for next week\’s episode of Monday Night Raw from Madison Square Garden. CM Punk opened this week\’s episode of the Red Branded Show with another one of his iconic promos, calling John Cena and The Rock \’bald frauds.\’

    The promo turned into a huge brawl with the introduction of Seth Rollins into the mix after Rollins cost Punk his chance to main-event WrestleMania at Saturday\’s Elimination Chamber PPV. The officials had a hard time separating the two as they continued to brawl for several minutes in one of the best opening segments of Raw of all time.

    The Stage Is Set For Roman Reigns\’ Return

    Rollins and Punk did not wait for the next opportunity to tear each other apart for long after this, however, as they went at it again backstage not long after their fight in the ring. Seth then had a shouting match with Adam Pearce surrounded by security. Finally having enough, the Raw General Manager gave in to The Architect’s demands and booked a steel cage match between the two bitter rivals for the March 10 episode of Raw.

    This match at the legendary arena perfectly sets up the stage for the return of Roman Reigns and it\’d be interesting to see which of the two end up being his primary target on the show. The Tribal Chief has not been seen on WWE TV since Royal Rumble where he was eliminated by CM Punk and then taken out with multiple brutal curb stomps by Rollins.

  • Triple H Responds To Criticism Of Odd Jade Cargill Storyline

    Triple H had an interesting remark about Jade Cargill\’s WWE return at Elimination Chamber.

    The former AEW star had been off TV after being attacked backstage at the November 22, 2024 episode of SmackDown. She finally returned to WWE programming tonight after months of mysterious inaction.

    The Game talked about Cargill\’s comeback during the post-Elimination Chamber press conference. He responded to the criticism to the odd build suggesting that they didn\’t know if Cargill was even going to return at all:

    \”I know sometimes that seemed like an odd build or an odd storytelling, the way it all went down over time. Sometimes, it is very difficult to do. It is very difficult to tell a story when you don’t know the outcome that you have in front of you yet. Is she going to be back? Is she going to be back soon or really long?

    You just don’t have any answers. Each week, you’re kind of kicking the can down the road a little bit to see where you get to. Luckily, she was able to come back when she did, right now, and we were able to get to the place we did tonight. I thought it was an incredible moment and so happy for her to be able to come back and do that. Excited to see where that leads with her and Naomi,\”

    Jade Cargill wasted no time going to work upon her return tonight. The popular star brutally attacked Naomi before the women\’s chamber match could begin, resulting in the former women\’s champion being eliminated from the bout.

    The third member of this story Bianca Belair was watching helplessly from her pod as Cargill was beating up Naomi. It\’d be interesting to see how things unfold when The EST comes face to face with her former tag team partner after this.

  • The Rock Reveals One Thing His Mom Hates About The Final Boss

    The Rock says his mom is the biggest fan of his Final Boss character.

    This latest evolution of The Great One is potentially the most brutal character he has ever played, especially for Cody Rhodes. This quality was at display once again at Elimination Chamber when The People\’s Champion left The American Nightmare a bloody mess after John Cena\’s shocking heel turn.

    During the post-PPV press conference, The Rock was asked what his mother thinks about his character. The Hollywood star noted how his mother has grown up in the business and claimed that she loves the final boss except for one thing:

    \”My mom is my biggest fan. She grew up in the business too. My grandfather, for those of you who don\’t know, High Chief, Peter Maivia, a Hall of Famer in WWE, wrestled for Vince McMahon sr. in the 70s. That\’s my mom\’s dad. She\’s my biggest fan.

    She loves this business of pro wrestling and loves the Final Boss. Mama Rock loves the final boss. I\’ll tell you what she doesn\’t love. She hates when I cuss. She hates it. Completely hates it. And I was like, \”Come on, Mom. Who gives fuck\” [Laughs] Kidding. Kidding. She\’d slap me. No, no. Not at all.\”

    The Rock also peeled back the curtain a little bit on Cena\’s heel turn revealing how much influence he had on the decision. You can check out his comment on the matter here.

  • The Rock Reveals Exchange With John Cena After Elimination Chamber Heel Turn

    The Rock has peeled back the curtain a little on John Cena\’s shocking heel turn at tonight\’s Elimination Chamber PPV from Toronto.

    The Great One took part in the post-show press conference after the PPV where he was asked how much influence he had on the shocking decision. The Hollywood star suggested that the Cenation Leader wanted to make the turn himself and he was a mere conduit to the whole thing:

    \”So with John, I don\’t know if I was the influence to this, perhaps maybe I was a conduit to help him in a way, in my small way. I don\’t want to take any credit for this because this is John. In my small way, a conduit to help John get to the place he\’s gotten tonight. So, storyline, no storyline, fiction, nonfiction.

    What you guys felt tonight out there was decades of what John has experienced as a performer and as a human being. I felt it in the ring. I\’ve had conversations with John. We\’re good buddies. I knew what his why was going into this and it is so incredibly moving and compelling and it just, it grips you by the neck when he talks about it as he\’s talked to me about it. And this is why I\’m doing what I\’m doing tonight.\”

    Now It\’s Coming Out: The Rock

    The Rock praised John Cena for his commitment revealing that the 16-time world champion had to take long flights to make the appearance possible. He mentioned how Cena did not speak at the press conference, opting to just \’drop the mic\’ instead and revealed the short exchange between them before John left for his next destination:

    \”And again, storyline, no storyline, fiction, non-fiction. The greatest I think angles in wrestling is when it\’s anchored in some sort of authenticity. What you felt tonight, he didn\’t say a word. Look, he came out and dropped the mic. That\’s decades of a man who gave everything to this business that I love. Now it\’s coming out.

    I told him as he left. By the way, he flew in today this morning from Budapest. He\’s flying out right now to Africa to continue. So that\’s a level of commitment. I told him as he left, I said…we say two things in our wrestling vernacular. He said, \’hey, thank you for the house.\’ And I said, \’I\’m proud of you.\’ It\’s a big deal.\”

    Tonight\’s PPV provided the Rock an opportunity to shut down his critics who had called him out for his last few appearances. You can check out how he buried all those people here.

  • Take A Breath: The Rock Buries His Critics After Shocking Elimination Chamber Conclusion

    The Rock has sent a message to critics and all the fans after giving us one of the most memorable moments in wrestling history at Elimination Chamber.

    The Great One had made several seemingly unconnected appearances on WWE TV in the last few months starting with Bad Blood. A lot of people had been confused about where the whole thing was going and if the company even had a plan to string all these together into one story. Fans got the answer to these questions when The Rock did the same neck-slashing gesture tonight that he had done last year, before John Cena turned on Cody Rhodes and joined The Final Boss.

    During the post-Elimination Chamber press conference, the Attitude Era star was asked how long the whole thing was in the works. The Hollywood star noted how people criticized his Bad Blood appearance saying that it meant nothing, and claimed that he is a long gamer who always knew what he was doing:

    \”It meant something. You said a word – it\’s long and that\’s what it is. I\’m a long gamer and I like long gaming. I like creating with Paul and with Brian Gewirtz and Maya Lazri who\’s on my side of the team and I like creating with Paul and his team as well. We\’re long gamers.

    So what a lot thought of Bad Blood when it was a pay-per-view that the Rock attended and I just did a very small subtle thing. There was a lot of criticism like \’Oh it didn\’t mean anything.\’ Well it did. It\’s okay. It\’s okay if you\’re not thinking about it now but just trust me when I tell you we are thinking about this stuff and long gaming this and I love that.

    Same thing last week, same thing when we opened up with Netflix in LA where I came out as the director of the board and welcomed everybody and welcomed the Netflix executives. I thanked Cody Rhodes for carrying this company in such a tremendous way on his shoulders. I gave him a dap; I gave him a big hug. Well I knew this night was coming.\”

    Take Your Time: The Rock

    The Rock was also asked if he has a message for the fans heading into WrestleMania 41. The former World Champion told people to take a breath and enjoy the story instead of trying to dissect it all:

    \”I do. I think the fans can expect the unpredictable. I think they can expect exciting storylines to unfold. And I also want to encourage the fans, whether they\’re hardcore fans or not hardcore fans who just enjoy the product. Take your time, take a breath. It\’s all going to unfold. It\’s okay. And now, by the way, not everyone\’s going to like everything that we present, and that\’s okay too.\”

    The wrestling veteran later claimed that he and Triple H are always thinking about where they can take the current story in the long term. He said that fans can expect the unexpected on the build to WrestleMania and also some predictable moments as they want to satisfy the audience while keeping them on their toes.

  • The Rock\’s Bad Blood Appearance Has New Meaning After John Cena\’s Shocking Heel Turn

    Did the Rock know about John Cena\’s heel turn months in advance?

    The Great One influenced one of the most shocking moments in the history of pro wrestling at Elimination Chamber tonight, becoming the reason John Cena finally turned heel after two decades in wrestling.

    Fans have been wondering how long this surprise was in the works and some have uncovered evidence that suggests that the whole thing had been planned for a long time. A photo making rounds on social media reminds people of the gesture The Rock made during his surprise Bad Blood appearance last year.

    The Great One showed up after Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns beat Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu. He held up three fingers at the time to indicate something and fans have pointed out that the gesture was very similar to the signature gesture Cena does during his iconic entrance:

    https://media.sescoops.com/uploads/2025/03/\"https://media.sescoops.com/uploads/2025/03/\"

    Though some have also pointed out that The Rock also gestured with 2 fingers at the show from Toronto which suggests that something even bigger might be coming at WrestleMania:

    Roman Reigns is still the missing link of this story and one has to wonder which side The Tribal Chief will stand on when he finally comes face to face with his cousin after the events of the past couple weeks.

  • Watch: What Happened With Cody Rhodes After Shocking Conclusion To Elimination Chamber

    Cody Rhodes got a huge ovation from the crowd after the shocking conclusion to Elimination Chamber from Toronto.

    The ending to the latest WWE PPV was one for the ages as John Cena picked up a huge victory in his final Chamber match, pinning longtime rival CM Punk. The Undisputed WWE Champion came out to congratulate the wrestling legend on his victory before both got interrupted by The Rock with Travis Scott.

    The Great One demanded an answer from Cody Rhodes and as expected, the American Nightmare refused to sell his soul to the Hollywood star. The unthinkable took place afterward as Cena turned on the WWE Champion and aligned himself with The Final Boss.

    The Rock Buries His Critics After Shocking Elimination Chamber Conclusion

    What Happened After Elimination Chamber

    John Cena went on a mean streak after shockingly turning heel and he beat Cody up with every weapon in sight. The conclusion of the segment was The Rock beating Rhodes up with the belt he showed on SmackDown last night, after smearing Cody\’s blood on it.

    The trio of Cena, Rock and Scott slowly exited the ring and posed at the entrance way to end the show. Cody meanwhile remained in the ring as the medical staff and all three of the commentators for the show Michael Cole, Pat McAfee and Wade Barrett came to check up on him.

    The former AEW star refused the help however. He got a huge ovation from the crowd as he got up by himself and slowly made his way to the back, still unsure about what had just transpired.

  • Christopher Daniels Names \’Leading Voice Of Reason\’ In AEW Locker Room

    Christopher Daniels has named his longtime friend as one of the leading voices of reason in the AEW locker room.

    The Fallen Angel has worked extensively with Samoa Joe throughout his career. Whether it\’d be ROH, TNA or AEW, the two stars seemed to follow more of the less the same path, being a part of each other\’s journey at every turn.

    During his recent appearance on AEW Unrestricted podcast, Christopher Daniels talked about his long-standing relationship with the former AEW Champion. He claimed that knowing him for so long is very cool:

    \”It was sort of cool to see Joe grow from the young guy that I met him in UPW in like 1999, 2000. Wrestled him there for the UPW heavyweight championship, wearing his own t-shirt, blonde hair, slapping the crap out of me. To going to Ring of Honor where he became such a staple. One of the longest reigning ROH champions.

    Then going through TNA where he became TNA World champion. Then seeing him become successful in WWE and then coming to AEW. He\’s grown so much and become such a figure in professional wrestling. To say I knew him when is very cool.\”

    He\’s Got Fucking Aura: Christopher Daniels

    Christopher Daniels explained that his relationship with Samoa Joe is not only professional and the two are very good friends in real life. He also described what the former TNA champion means to the AEW locker room:

    \”The fact that he\’s one of my best friends, I stood up for him at his wedding. He held my baby daughter when she was a couple weeks old. He\’s basically Uncle Joe here in the house. To see the success that he\’s become, and sort of the one of the leading voices of reason in the locker room, like Joe knows what works in professional wrestling.

    Above all that he\’s just one of the coolest guys you\’ll ever meet. He\’s got swagger, he\’s got fucking aura. That\’s Joe man. That\’s just been Joe since 1999 and probably for another 30 years going forward. He\’s going to be just like that.\”

    Apart from this, the former ROH Champion got emotional talking about his retirement and said he\’ll be thanking everyone who made his wrestling dream possible. You can check out his remarks here.

  • Adam Cole Comments On Bryan Danielson\’s Full Time Retirement

    Adam Cole says Bryan Danielson has earned the right to do what\’s right for him after so many years of doing what\’s right for everyone else.

    The former AEW Champion said goodbye to his full-time wrestling career at the WrestleDream PPV in October last year. His contract with the company had already expired and the American Dragon dropped the title to Jon Moxley at the event.

    During a recent interview with In The Kliq podcast, Adam Cole discussed his friendship with the wrestling veteran. When asked about Danielson taking retirement from full time action, the former NXT Champion said that he wants Bryan to do what\’s best for him:

    \”Yeah, you know I, in every sense of the word, want Bryan to do what\’s best for Bryan because Bryan has always done what\’s best for the company and what\’s best for everybody else. Bryan is one of the most unselfish just wonderful and talented wrestlers I have ever met. He\’s an amazing amazing human being.\”

    The Respect And Love Will Never Go Away: Adam Cole

    Adam Cole noted that he feels sad to know that Bryan Danielson\’s full-time run has come to an end. However, his health and well-being is above everything else:

    \”It breaks my heart to know that I\’m not going to be able to see Bryan wrestle full-time because again, he is one of the absolute best to ever do this. So of course that\’s sad.

    But again when it comes to Bryan\’s health and when it comes to Bryan being the best version of him, that\’s what I want for him. He gave his entire life to professional wrestling. He\’s going to be missed but that respect and that love will never go away. I think the world of Bryan Danielson.\”

    Before his match with Moxley, Bryan Danielson had noted that he had been dealing with neck issues similar to what led to his first retirement back in 2016. Since his WreslteDream match, he has been backstage at numerous AEW shows but has claimed that he is 50/50 on the possibility of wrestling again.

  • The Undertaker Reveals How CM Punk\’s Backstage Behavior Has Changed Since Return

    The Undertaker is happy to see how CM Punk has changed.

    The Dead Man recently had an interview with Daily Mail. He talked about things such as Triple H and Shawn Michaels being in charge of WWE and how the backstage environment today is much calmer than his time in the business.

    Speaking about CM Punk\’s behavior since his WWE return in November 2023, The Undertaker claimed that the Straight Edge Star is a \’truly different person\’ than he was during his first run with the company:

    \”I\’m not around the day to day like I used to be, but every time that I have been at an event and have seen Punk, he is a truly different person. He\’s very friendly, outgoing, can hold a conversation and I see him mentoring a lot as well, which obviously makes me happy, him being one of the greats of his generation.\”

    You Enjoy The Things You Have: The Undertaker

    The Undertaker explained that Punk has matured a lot after going through the journey in life and he doesn\’t worry about small things anymore:

    \”I think there\’s just a journey you have to fly through and go through in life to get to that point where you don\’t sweat the small stuff anymore and you enjoy the things that you have.\”

    Punk has not only changed his behaviour but the former World Champion has also changed his opinion on people such as The Rock. You can check out what he said about The Great One\’s surprise return to WWE programming last week here.

  • There\’s No Denying: CM Punk Reveals Changed Opinion On The Rock

    CM Punk is not as big The Rock hater anymore.

    The Straight Edge star was one of the harshest critics of The Great One when he returned to WWE back in 2012-2013. Punk who was the WWE Champion at the time took shots at the Hollywood star for being part-timer and stealing the main event spot away from hard-working full-time talents.

    During a recent interview with The Daily Mail, however, Punk expressed a much softer opinion on part-time talents. He noted how Rock\’s return will affect everybody in the company but also discussed how the WWE schedule is much lighter now with house shows almost completely eliminated from the lineup:

    \”I\’m sure it\’s going to trickle down and impact everybody. I think one of the difficult parts of this being so big and there’s so many moving parts, and you’re seeing it with [John] Cena now. Definitely, I have a different perspective now than I did ten years ago, when I was working with The Rock.

    It was easy for everybody to say, ‘You’re not here. We’re grinding, we’re doing this.’ The schedule now is so much more limited than it was ten years ago. I can’t point a finger at somebody else now and say, ‘Well, you’re not here.’ Plus, a guy like John Cena, to me, he’s a busy dude. He’s earned that right.\”

    More Exciting For Everybody: CM Punk

    CM Punk noted that he is less inclined to call out someone like John Cena for not showing up while he is on his path to retirement. He added that there\’s a flip side of the coin with many talents in the locker room who may be thinking that they\’re grinding every week.

    According to Punk, however, at the end of the day everyone just wants to rise to that level despite being inclined to poke fun at it at the same time:

    \”There’s no denying what a giant box office star The Rock is. I think peeling back a little bit and him being ‘Final Boss’ instead of being happy-go-lucky Rock, I think that is a character that can say, ‘Yeah, I’m not here all the time. Yeah, so what? I’ll show up for eight minutes every six months, and it’ll still be the biggest.’

    I think there’s freedom and there’s an air to play with that a little bit, and it makes it better and more real and more exciting for everybody.”

    There is a possibility that CM Punk will come face to face with The Great One this Saturday at the Elimination Chamber PPV. The former AEW star will be competing in the cage match at the event and speculation is that Rock could get involved if Cody Rhodes ends up refusing his offer.

  • Watch: Cody Rhodes Attacked After SmackDown Goes Off Air

    Cody Rhodes got physical after this week\’s episode of SmackDown went off air.

    Tonight\’s show continued from The Rock\’s promo last week where The Great One demanded that the Undisputed Champion give him \’his soul.\’ Multiple top WWE stars greeted the American Nightmare backstage throughout the episode. People like The Miz, Drew McIntyre, and CM Punk gave Cody their opinions on how he should respond to the offer.

    The closing segment of the show saw Michael Cole bringing out Rhodes and explaining that becoming The Rock\’s champion would result in benefits like Cody being able to choose his opponents and work schedule and more. Cole then got a message saying The Great One had another gift for the WWE Champion.

    What Happened After SmackDown

    A truck painted with Cody\’s logo was then brought out and the Rock himself appeared on the big screen to cut another promo. He talked about Dusty Rhodes\’ passing and hoped that the current world champion would make the right choice tomorrow night.

    The broadcast concluded with a confused Cody Rhodes standing by the truck but things didn\’t end there. After the episode went off air, Solo Sikoa sneak attacked his longtime rival. The leader of the New Bloodline continued his attack bringing Cody into the ring.

    When Sikoa tried to introduce a chair into the mix, however, Cody turned things around. He delivered a Cross-Rhodes to Sikoa to take him out. Rhodes then cut a short promo and gifted his weight belt to a young fan to end the night.

  • Watch: WWE Star Pulls \’Eddie Guerrero\’ To Win Qualifying Match On SmackDown

    Eddie Guerrero would be proud.

    The late great WWE star was known for his incredible ring awareness and for using his surroundings to outsmart both the referee and his opponents to win matches. There are many current wrestling stars who took inspiration from Eddie in their careers and Carmelo Hayes proved that he is one of them.

    The former NXT North American Champion had the monumental challenge of going up against Braun Strowman in a singles match during this week\’s episode of SmackDown from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

    Carmelo Hayes Pulls An Eddie Guerrero

    CARMELO HAYES JUST PULLED OFF THE EDDIE GUERRERO SPECIAL LMAOO #Smackdown pic.twitter.com/4dyjjbiHkO

    — Wrestling Pics & Clips (@WrestleClips) March 1, 2025

    Even with The Bloodline interference in the bout, it didn\’t look like the Monster Among Men would be going down easy.

    This is when Carmelo changed his strategy. As the referee had his back turned, Hayes used the chair introduced by Solo Sikoa and pretended to have been hit by Strowman after hitting it on the canvas.

    Believing him to be the victim, the referee declared Carmelo Hayes the winner of the bout. The young star quickly retreated from the ring after the bell, leaving Braun Strowman to powerbomb Tama Tonga in frustration to end the segment.

    The win earns Carmelo Hayes a spot in the announced #1 Contenders Triple Threat match for the US Championship alongside LA Knight and Jacob Fatu.

  • Christopher Daniels Gets Emotional Talking About Retirement: I\’ll Be Thanking People For The Next 10 Years

    Christopher Daniels says he will be thanking people for a long time.

    The Fallen Angel touched the lives of many wrestling talents and fans through his storied career. Both as a wrestler for three decades as well as in his role as the head of AEW talent relations, there are a lot of people who will credit Daniels for their success in one way or the other.

    The wrestling veteran who retired from active competition just last month appeared on AEW Unrestricted podcast to talk about his career. When asked about the lives he has affected, CD got emotional and said that it\’ll be him who will be saying thank you to all those people for letting him live his dream for so long:

    \”It gets me emotional honestly. I think about having to go to every guy in that locker room at some point and I\’m still doing it. I haven\’t finished. I haven\’t even scratched the surface. But there\’s going to be a moment where I\’m probably going to walk up to every person I\’ve ever wrestled in that locker room and be like, \’Thanks for letting me wrestle.\’

    There\’s a movie that I just watched called My Old Ass and it\’s very poignant. There\’s a scene where a guy goes, \’You know, there\’s going to be a day where you\’re going to go out with your friends and you\’re going to play pretend and you\’re going to come home and that\’ll be the last time you ever play pretend.\’

    That hit me really hard because I watched it right when I had retired, right when I had made the decision. I thought to myself like, I\’ve spent my life playing pretend. So I\’m going to go up to each one of these guys and let them know it meant so much to me to be able to share a ring with all of them and play pretend.\”

    It Just Means A Lot To Me: Christopher Daniels

    Christopher Daniels said if he has inspired or helped anyone through his career then it\’s only gravy on top of his own work. The former ROH Champion claimed that he cherishes even the worst wrestling match he has had because it was a moment that allowed him to do what he loved to do:

    \”Even the worst wrestling match I ever had was wonderful in that sense of doing what you love to do and doing what you felt you were sort of born to do. I got to do it for 32 years and each match I ever had, even the worst one was fun.

    So I\’m going to go up to each one of these guys and say I appreciate how much, we risk our lives, we risk our health to get in the ring and do this ridiculous dance called professional wrestling. It just means a lot to me to be able to have gone out there and affect the lives of fans like I have. If working with these guys has benefited them in any way, if I\’ve made anyone happier or better as a professional wrestler, then that to me is just gravy.

    I\’m so happy that if I\’ve had that experience with people, I\’m thrilled to have done that. But honestly, they enriched my life by giving me the opportunity to do what I did for as long as I did. I think I\’ll be thanking people for the next 10 years. I\’ll be walking up to them and \’Hey, I remember this match and I appreciate it and thank you.\’\”

  • Lex Luger Gives Credit To Late Legend For His Star Making Moment

    Lex Luger has reflected on one of his most memorable moments in wrestling.

    The retired wrestling star recently had an interview with Chris Van Vliet. He talked about things such as working on his recovery with DDP, being responsible for the death of Ms. Elizabeth, potential Hall of Fame induction, and more.

    During the interview, the former WCW World Champion also discussed potentially his most famous moment in wrestling – the time when he body slammed Yokozuna. Lex Luger revealed that he was actually really nervous before the spot and it was Yoko who calmed him down:

    \”We’re supposed to be trash-talking, but I’m telling Yoko we can’t do it. I was panicking. I got no footing. Yoko actually was a cool as ice Samoan. We call him the dancing bear. He was so agile for a guy at 600 pounds. He looks at me and goes ‘No problem, brother. Just get a wide stance, I’ll do the rest.’\”

    Basically Slammed Himself: Lex Luger

    Widely considered Lex\’s star-making moment in wrestling, the spot happened in 1993 after the departure of Hulk Hogan. WWE was looking to replace Hulk with Lex and they tried to recreate the famous Hogan slamming Andre The Giant moment from WrestleMania III.

    The whole thing took place aboard USS Intrepid where the nearly 600-pound Yokozuna challenged people to body slam him. After a number of WWF wrestlers as well as athletes from NBA and NFL failed to do so, The All American arrived on the deck by helicopter and finally did the impossible.

    The Total Package revealed that they had done a walkthrough before but not practiced the actual spot. At the time of the actual performance however, Yokozuna took care of things:

    \”We did a walk through, but I’ve never slammed him. They didn’t want me in the walk through to hurt Yoko. I go hurt Yoko? What about me? I’m going to get double hernia trying to slam the guy. But we did it live first time in that ring, so I was really nervous. With no footing. Yoko just pushed himself around me.

    I had to help turn him and that ain’t easy, so I played a part. I go, Yoko basically slammed himself. He was that agile. He flipped himself off of me by getting a wide stance. Unbelievable athlete. One of the best big men ever. He doesn’t get credit for one of the best.”

    Apart from this, Lex Luger also talked about other memorable moments from his wrestling career including becoming the co-winner of the 1994 Royal Rumble with Bret Hart and much more.

  • Eric Bischoff And Former WWE Star Squashed Past Beef In Recent Meeting

    The ever-controversial Eric Bischoff always finds himself in headlines due to his wrestling opinions and his remarks often lead to strained relations with superstars. Though he got to turn things around and make up with one such superstar during his recent wrestling appearance.

    Donovan Dijak is one name that has made MLW his home in recent months just as the former WCW President has made appearances for the brand.

    During a recent interview with Fightful Overbooked, Dijak was asked about meeting Bischoff in MLW after the two traded some harsh words during Donovan\’s time in Retribution back in 2020. The former T-Bar said their previous exchange was all water under the bridge:

    \”Nothing too dramatic. He and I have no actual history before, that was the first time we had ever met, as far as I know, besides the time we were yelling at each other Twitter in 2020 when I was T-BAR, but it’s water under the bridge.\”

    There\’s No Issue: Donovan Dijak

    The wrestling star explained that they were all on the edge due to the pandemic at the time. There is no ill will between the two because both him and Eric Bischoff were only doing their job:

    \”We were all going through COVID and it was a mess. His job is to talk about pro wrestling and my job was to defend what was happening at that point. It was a tall task for both of us, but there’s no issue there or anything like that. It was nice to meet him in person and tell him I was a big fan of his work.\”

    Donovan Dijak announced in June last year that he would be leaving WWE after the company had decided not to renew his deal. He has been wrestling in the indie circuit since then, and been a regular for MLW.

  • I\’m Not Supposed To Be In This Position: Jey Uso Acknowledges Reproval of His WrestleMania Opportunity

    Jey Uso knows he has a lot to prove at WrestleMania 41.

    The Bloodline member received mixed reactions online after winning the 2025 Men\’s Royal Rumble match. Many people questioned the decision to put him ahead of other participants of the bout like CM Punk, John Cena and Drew McIntyre.

    Uso acknowledged his doubters during a recent interview with CBS Sports. He noted that a lot of fans don\’t believe him to be the right choice for the world title picture heading into Mania and Jey is determined to prove them wrong:

    \”This is do or die for me, I feel like I am doubted a lot. A lot of people are doubting me right now, Uce. I\’m not supposed to be in this position. I know that. They know that. But I\’m going to shut them all up.\”

    This Is Redemption Time: Jey Uso

    One of the big arguments against Jey Uso\’s opportunity against World Champion Gunther is the lack of memorable singles performances. The Yeet Man got a chance to prove himself last year when he squared off against brother Jimmy Uso at WrestleMania 40 in what many considered a dream match.

    The bout, however, ended up being a disappointment after time was cut from the match. After the debacle of his last Mania performance, Jey is definitely feeling the pressure to redeem himself:

    \”I always thought we put on great matches. If you look at it, we had great matches with The Wyatt Family, The Shield, The New Day. Now, I feel like I\’ve had a couple of good matches but not ones that stick in people\’s minds. This is redemption time on the big stage. The pressure is on.\”

    Though it\’s not all bad for Jey Uso. Despite the online negativity, he continues to garner strong reactions from the crowd in arenas. Per the former IC Champion, people are rooting for him because they know where he comes from and he has grown in front of them.

  • Update On Giulia Heading Into NXT Roadblock

    • The following article contains potential spoiler for NXT Roadblock event

    A lot of people were concerned about Giulia\’s status heading into the big title vs. title match at NXT Roadblock special.

    It was reported that the bout was booked because the NXT Women\’s Champion was dealing with an injury, making many question about the company\’s decision to book her for the show at all.

    PWInsider which originally reported the news of her health recently provided an update. Per sources of the site, the Japanese star is banged up from physicality associated with her style of wrestling.

    The Women\’s Champion is not dealing with a major injury but there are \’bumps and bruises\’ she needs time off to recover from. Though this is not expected to affect her standing for Roadblock and Giulia is 100% expected to work the match against the NXT Women\’s North American Champion Stephanie Vaquer.

    It\’s believed that the former NJPW star will be dropping the title to Vaquer at the show. Though how long she will be out of action afterward is unknown.

    Giulia will not be the only star wrestling in a champion vs. champion match at the upcoming March 11 PPV from The Theater at Madison Square Garden.

    On this week\’s episode of NXT, multiple NXT champion vs. TNA champion matches were made official for the upcoming event. You can check out more about it here.

  • Shinsuke Nakamura Announces Passing Of Japanese Wrestling Legend

    WWE United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura has confirmed the passing of a Japanese wrestling legend.

    The current WWE star took to X late on Thursday. He paid tribute to wrestling veteran Osamu Nishimura on his passing, saying that Nishimura was like an older brother to him:

    \”Rest in peace, Osamu Nishimura. You were as kind as an older brother and taught me so many things?\”

    Nishimura began his wrestling training in 1990 while still in high school when he joined New Japan Pro Wrestling dojo. He made his official debut after a year\’s training, losing to Takayuki Iizuka in his first match. He then went on a foreign excursion to US.

    The wrestling veteran would continue traveling between Japan and other countries throughout his career, primarily wrestling for different promotions in the US. He wrestled for many NWA territories in the 90s and also unsuccessfully challenged Shane Douglas for the ECW World Title.

    In Japan, he had long runs with both NJPW and AJPW, even wrestling Ric Flair in a high-profile match that he lost back in 1996.

    The late star was diagnosed with stage-four esophageal cancer in March 2024. Despite the struggles, he kept his spirits high and even teamed with Dory Funk, Jr. for the latter\’s retirement match in August 2024.

  • Sean Waltman Dubs Classic Encounter \’Greatest Match I\’ve Ever Had\’

    There are a lot of people who had the best match of their career against Bret Hart and Sean Waltman is one of them.

    The WWE Hall of Famer recently appeared on the No Contest Wrestling podcast. He talked about things such as DX invading WCW, the effect of the Curtain Call on the wrestling world, and more.

    They also talked about Waltman\’s famous 1994 match with Bret Hart. Waltman who was very new to the business still, challenged Hart for the WWF World Heavyweight Title. While he did not win the match, Sean gave an incredible performance and many believe the bout to be his star-making moment.

    Sean Waltman, known as The 1-2-3 Kid at the time noted how Bret Hart worked the match as a heel despite being a babyface at the time to make sure the fans got behind him:

    \”Bret was so giving in that match man. I mean he didn\’t turn heel, but like he was the heel in that fucking match. He was on me. He made sure that people were behind me. That was like, you know, I mean he\’s the top babyface in the company so it\’s like – thank you.\”

    Greatest Match I\’ve Ever Had: Sean Waltman

    The former WWE star discussed how despite being a veteran by that point, Bret Hart took all the offense Sean Waltman threw at him. Per the former DX member, it was the greatest match he ever had:

    \”He let me do all my shit man. He put it in the proper place but yeah, he let me do everything I wanted to do. Some of that shit I never even used to…like I jack-knifed him and yeah. That\’s the greatest match I\’ve ever had. For sure. There\’s like seven minutes missing from the actual match itself. They chopped it up a little bit to fit it into, to fit it into that segment.\”

    Sean Waltman had recently revealed that he was also diagnosed with diverticulitis in 2024 and noted that Kenny Omega helped him through the disease. You can check out his comment on the matter here.