SEScoops

Author: Anutosh Bajpai

  • Scott Steiner Confirms Son Brock Rechsteiner\’s Wrestling Ambitions

    Scott Steiner has revealed that another member of the Steiner family is planning to join the wrestling business at the right time.

    ESPN recently caught up with the wrestling veteran during the StaffDNA Cure Bowl game between Jacksonville State and Ohio Bobcats. Steiner along with WWE IC Champion Bron Breakker, was there to support his son, the Jacksonville State wide receiver Brock Rechsteiner.

    The former WWE star was asked about the potential of his son following his footsteps and joining the wrestling business. Answering the question, Scott confirmed that Brock is indeed interested in joining the sports entertainment world:

    “Yeah, that’s the plan. That’s what he wants to do, so, whatever makes him happy.”

    A Genetic Freak Like Myself: Scott Steiner

    When asked about the secret of success in the pro wrestling world, Scott Steiner explained that you have to be a genetic freak like himself:

    \”Be a genetic freak like myself. Takes a lot of work you know. I did it for like 25 years, so it takes a while. It\’ll be good. He\’s a Steiner, so that helps out. But, he\’s a good athlete, so the sky\’s the limit for him.\”

    Brock\’s cousin and the current Intercontinental Champion Bron Breakker also played football before joining WWE. While attending Georgia\’s Kennesaw State University, he played for the Kennesaw State Owls. He also entered the NFL drafts after graduation before beginning his pro wrestling career in 2020.

  • Cody Rhodes Seen With Neckbrace In First Public Appearance Since SNME

    Cody Rhodes has made his first public appearance since being brutally attacked by his former friend Kevin Owens at Saturday Night\’s Main Event.

    The American Nightmare made an appearance at an event for Brandi Rhodes\’ NakedMind Yoga & Pilates studio on Friday. Rhodes was seen wearing a neck brace and carrying the original WWE title in photos posted by fans:

    Rhodes had brought back the Winged Eagle belt for his title defense against Kevin Owens at the December 14 show. He retained the belt after delivering a Cross Rhodes to his opponent on a chair that Owens himself had introduced earlier in the bout.

    Unhappy with the result, Owens attacked the WWE Champion after the show went off-air. He took Rhodes out with the banned package piledriver, leading to him being stretchered out of the arena.

    Triple H confronted Kevin at the entrance ramp after this brutal attack but in the end, the former NXT Champion was able to leave the arena with the Winged Eagle belt.

    Kevin Owens then infiltrated the WWE Raw on Netflix kickoff event earlier this week. Carrying the stolen belt, Owens declared himself the \’true WWE Champion\’ and vowed to defend the title at future shows.

    Cody Rhodes To Read CBeebies Bedtime Stories On New Year’s Day

  • Danhausen Makes Surprise Return At ROH Final Battle 2024

    Danhausen has returned to ROH TV after a lengthy unexplained absence.

    ROH presented the Final Battle 2024 PPV from the Hammerstein Ballroom this Friday night, December 20. The opening match of the night saw Atlantis Jr. taking on Mansoor of MxM Collection.

    Mason Madden was in Mansoor\’s corner for this bout and throughout the match he continued to interfere on his partner\’s behalf. After several such instances, however, a man with a Danhausen mask emerged from underneath the ring to confront Madden.

    The mysterious figure removed his mask to reveal the face of Danhausen. He went on to deliver a dick punch to Madden, allowing Atlantis Jr. to pick up the victory. Mason tried to attack the winner after the bout but Danhausen made the save again, stuffing teeth into the MxM Collection star\’s mouth:

    Danhausen had been absent from both AEW and ROH programming for a long time without explanation. The 34-year-old last wrestled for AEW at the 2023 Worlds End PPV and his last ROH match came in February this year.

    The very evil star had continued to be active in the independent scene, making his absence from the Tony Khan-produced shows even more puzzling.

    Now that he has returned to Ring of Honor, the big question is if we\’ll see him back on AEW TV as well or if he\’ll continue being featured on the streaming show exclusively.

  • Moose Responds To \’Fake News\’ About TNA Locker Room Morale And X Division Championship

    TNA X-Division Champion Moose has addressed the fake news that\’s been going around about the Anthem-owned company the last few days.

    The return of Tessa Blanchard to the company has garnered mixed reaction from fans and there have been all kind of rumors about how it has affected morale behind the scenes. Adding to the negativity was the rumor about the officials retiring the coveted X-Division title at the most recent TV tapings.

    The current champion addressed both of these topics in a new X post calling them fake news. He urged the fans to tune in to AXS TV to find out the future of the TNA belt:

    The X Division championship was originally introduced back in October 2002 as a secondary title for the company. With names such as AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, and Kurt Angle being on the list of former champions, the title holds a special place in the history of the wrestling industry.

    Tessa Blanchard exited TNA back in 2020 under mysterious circumstances. The company had terminated her contract and stripped her of the Impact World Title, resulting in all kind of rumors about her departure.

    The former champion returned to the company during the Final Resolution PPV last week. She made a surprise appearance, targeting former Knockouts champion Jordynne Grace during her match with Rosemary.

  • Dominik Mysterio Was Robbed of His SummerSlam 05 Paycheck: All I Got Was One Bike

    \’Dirty\’ Dominik Mysterio was robbed of his first big pay check by his own family.

    The 20-year wrestling veteran recently detailed all the struggles of his childhood in an interview with No Contest Wrestling podcast. He mentioned how he had to grow up fending for himself on the hard streets of San Diego. Despite all the success of Rey Mysterio he only bought his son a BMW when Dom asked for a Mercedes.

    His home life wasn\’t any better and as per Dominik, his mother made him do hard labour like doing his own laundry without pay. Even when he went out and earned his keep, he never got to see any of that money:

    \”To make matters even worse when I did do stuff here in WWE for like SummerSlam and I ended up getting paid for that, I never knew where the money went. I need to talk to her about that.

    I bought one bike and my mother said \’Oh there goes your money\’ and I said \’I did three pay-per-views, how many weeks of TV and you\’re telling me one bike is [it]…and I\’m done?\’ This wasn\’t Toys R Us Prime. This was like a little off-the-rack bicycle. I\’m pretty sure it still had the training wheels on.\”

    Dominik Mysterio made his official wrestling debut at the young age of 8 back in 2005. He was the center figure for the feud between Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio leading to their famous SummerSlam ladder match.

    Apart from this, Dirty Dom also talked about things such as his reaction to the passing of his real dad Eddie Guerrero, being CM Punk\’s first match after his WWE return and more. You can check out the full SummerSlam match below:

  • Sami Zayn Explains Why Johnny Knoxville Match Might Be His Favorite Of All Time

    Sami Zayn has revealed why the Johnny Knoxville match may be his favorite of all time.

    The Honorary Uce recently spoke to The Five Star podcast to promote the upcoming Raw tapings from Charlotte NC on February 17. He discussed things such as reuniting with The Bloodline, what the Netflix move means for WWE and more.

    When the topic of his favorite match came up, Sami Zayn noted how he has been lucky to have many great matches throughout his career. The one match that stands out to him, however, is the WrestleMania 38 encounter with the Jackass star because they were able to defy all expectations:

    \”I\’ve had a lot of really great matches that I\’m really proud of. The Knoxville one jumps out at me because for so many reasons, I think. For starters expectations were low. Anytime you can take people on that kind of ride when they\’re not really expecting to be taken on that kind of ride. To me that\’s all wrestling really is.

    It\’s like a ride. An emotional ride, a ride of different reactions. It\’s going left and it turns right and it\’s up and it\’s down and the next thing you know you\’re just caught up in it. It\’s a great feeling to be caught up in it.\”

    Very Proud of That Match: Sami Zayn

    Sami Zayn noted how they were able to put together a really entertaining match that got them a standing ovation from a lot of fans. He is particularly proud of this performance because he was the only pro wrestler involved in the bout:

    \”I think that\’s the remarkable thing that we were able to do in that match is get people completely caught up in what we were doing. Particularly proud of it because Johnny Knoxville is not a wrestler.

    He went out there and to his credit, as much as I don\’t like to give him credit for anything, he went out there at age 50 and put 20 minutes in at WrestleMania and had people on their feet. There\’s [not a lot of] people on Earth that can do that. He was part of that. So very proud of that match.\”

    Apart from this, Sami Zayn also mentioned his matches against AEW\’s Pac and Claudio Castagnoli as some of his favorite outings.

  • Dominik Mysterio Discusses Emotional Impact Of Eddie Guerrero\’s Passing

    Dominik Mysterio has reflected on the passing of Eddie Guerrero and what it means for him to have worked with the legend after entering the business himself.

    The WWE star recently had an interview with No Contest Wrestling podcast. He discussed things such as his love for chicken nuggets, working with CM Punk, and more.

    Coming from the legendary Mysterio family, Dirty Dom has been around wrestling all his life. When asked which was the first storyline that really broke his heart as a kid, the former NXT North American Champion recalled watching the tribute package for Eddie Guerrero after his passing:

    \”[Back in] \’05 when I was still young at the time but when Eddie passed and just seeing the community. I don\’t remember showing emotion as a kid unless I was like physically hurt…cause never nothing really [bothered me]. I always kept to myself.

    I remember when we were watching at home when Eddie had passed and the video package that they played with the Three Doors Down song. I just remember I started crying as a kid watching this and remembering him. Just what he had done with me and just everything that we had gone through in that angle. So I remember that as a wrestling fan that got me. Because I knew I wasn\’t gonna see him again.\”

    It Sucks Even More: Dominik Mysterio

    The storyline between Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio over the custody of Dom was one of the last feuds for the wrestling legend before his untimely passing. It was also the first time Dominik had gotten involved in a WWE angle.

    Now that he has entered the business himself, the 27-year-old cherishes the time he got to spend with Guerrero even more. According to him, seeing Eddie\’s work makes him realize how special the time was:

    \”Then now as an adult being in the business, it kind of sucks even more. Cause not only did I know him as a person and I got to be in the ring with him but I get to appreciate his work so much more now. Because it\’s just…I\’m living through it, trying to honor it. Looking at his matches and seeing how good he was, it just really…it makes me appreciate so much more the time I did get to spend with him.\”

    Dominik Mysterio is one of the wrestlers who continues to honor the legacy of Eddie Guerrero in various ways. This includes paying tribute through his gear and look as well as incorporating Eddie\’s signature moves like the Three Amigos into his matches.

  • Matt Cardona Highlights Chelsea Green\’s Struggles After US Title Win

    Matt Cardona says he is beyond proud of Chelsea Green.

    The female star made history becoming the first-ever Women\’s United States Champion at Saturday Night\’s Main Event. This opportunity didn\’t come easy for Green who had to work hard to get the recognition she deserved for years. She kept at it even after getting released from WWE once in 2021 and finally started becoming a fan favorite after returning to the company in 2023.

    The Deathmatch King who married Chelsea Green in 2021, expressed his feelings on her big win in a new video. Matt Cardona said that he can\’t put his feelings into words:

    \”Chelsea Green, new first ever women’s United States champion. Beyond proud of her. I can’t even put into words how proud of her I am. I wish I was there, Long Island. But I’m here, I’m working. She understands that.\”

    Very very proud of @ImChelseaGreen! pic.twitter.com/kvxV5eLnSk

    — Matt Cardona (@TheMattCardona) December 19, 2024

    She\’s Earned This: Matt Cardona

    Cardona who has ample experience of the WWE system himself, highlighted the struggles of his wife through the years. He also thanked Green for paying tribute to his Zack Ryder character during the championship match with Michin:

    \”I saw this girl, like get rejected from WWE, had to beg for tryouts, then got a job, then got fired, and worked her ass off on the indies, then got back. So, she’s earned this. So, I’m beyond proud. And she wore like one-legged tights, Zack Ryder style. Did the Rough Ryder on Long Island. So, thanks babe, appreciate you.\”

    Chelsea Green has already declared herself the longest reigning Women\’s US Champion and called out a big name to come challenge her. You can check out more about it here.

  • Jinder Mahal Open To New Contract With \’Right Opportunity\’

    Jinder Mahal is not rushing to sign a new contract.

    The former WWE star recently spoke to MuscleManMalcolm at WrestleCade. He discussed things such as his WWE title win, which talents he would like to face in 2025, his Waffle house order and more.

    When asked if he\’s open to signing a contract in wrestling, Mahal who goes by the name Raj Dhesi mentioned how he\’s enjoying his time as an independent wrestler. He noted that he is not opposed to signing a new deal somewhere but the opportunity will have to be the right one:

    \”For the right opportunity, yes. Obviously, it\’s wrestling business and we\’re open for business. But all things have to be right. I don\’t mind what I\’m doing. I pick my own schedule, wrestle whoever I want. I\’m open to do things outside of wrestling. Which is a big thing. But again, for the right opportunity, the right time, anything is possible.\”

    Jinder Mahal On WWE ID

    Speaking about the new WWE ID program, the Modern Day Maharaja said that he\’s happy to see a program that can help young indie wrestlers get more opportunities:

    \”I\’m really happy that WWE created the ID program. An opportunity for independent wrestlers to get some brand power with WWE. Help them pursue other opportunities and then one day end up in WWE. I think it\’s a great initiative. I think it\’s balances well with the NIL program.\”

    Mahal also talked about his 2018 feud with Roman Reigns and their match at Money In The Bank in Chicago. He revealed that WWE had considered the idea of making it a Punjabi Prison match.

  • Drew McIntyre: \’It’s Awesome\’ to See Friends Succeed in AEW

    Drew McIntyre is happy to have more places in wrestling where talents can make a living.

    The Scottish Warrior returned to WWE during the December 2 Raw after going on a hiatus following the October 5 Hell In A Cell PPV. McIntyre has referred to the sacrifices he has made for his wrestling career in the promos he has cut since his return.

    The former WWE Champion was asked for his thoughts on AEW during a recent TikTok live workout session. Drew McIntyre revealed that he spent his time off catching up on various wrestling promotions other than WWE.

    “I’m happy to watch all wrestling, especially when I’m off. When I was out that three months, when one person called me the entire time I was out, that’s the time for me to catch up on everything. IMPACT, AEW, New Japan, the independents.\”

    Drew McIntyre says it's awesome to see his friends make a living in AEWpic.twitter.com/aygbzj9rWQ

    — Anutosh Bajpai || SEScoops || Wrestling News (@AuthorAnutosh) December 20, 2024

    So Many People Making Full Time Living: Drew McIntyre

    When Drew McIntyre was released from his WWE contract following the 3MB stint in 2014, he had to rebuild himself from scratch. Starting off in IWC in Scotland, the wrestling veteran slowly re-established himself as a serious performer on smaller stages before getting a big break again.

    The WWE star referenced this period of his career while discussing AEW and how it has provided a second chance to a lot of people that he didn\’t get in 2014. He said that it\’s great to see so many of his friends getting to make a full time living in other companies:

    \”I’m happy to see so many people I’m friends with making a full-time living. That wasn’t the case when I was fired in 2014 and reinvented what it meant to be a professional wrestler, using social media as I still do to this day at the top level.

    It’s been going since 2014. To rebrand myself, to see how much the industry grew in those three years, and it led to so many places and so many people making a full-time living. It’s awesome.”

    Drew McIntyre has reignited his feud with The OG Bloodline since returning to TV. After defeating Sami Zayn at Saturday Night\’s Main Event, McIntyre proclaimed that there were \’4 more\’ opponents to go.

  • Tito Santana Speaks Up About Old WWE Regime\’s Treatment Of Legends

    Tito Santana has opened up about the mistreatment of stars under the old WWE regime.

    The WWE Hall of Famer recently had an interview with VOC Nation’s Wrestling with History podcast. He discussed things such as signing a new legends deal with the company, appearing at Saturday Night\’s Main Event and more.

    Discussing how the old management treated its stars, Santana claimed that they were not very nice. He noted how a lot of talents from their time went broke because of poor financial management:

    “They weren’t very nice (to us). I’m doing ok, thank God. I had another career, and I didn’t blow my money away. But so many of my friends, you know, were just left in the dust… I gave Vince my notice – not too many people give Vince their notice – I gave Vince my notice in ’93.\”

    We Should Have Gotten Paid More: Tito Santana

    Tito Santana had three different runs with WWF through his active years. The longest of the three runs lasted from 1983 to 1993. During this time, he became the first Mexican American wrestler to win the Intercontinental Championship.

    The wrestling veteran also wrestled in the opening match at the very first WrestleMania from MSG in 1985 where he defeated The Executioner.

    Speaking about his time in the company, the 71 year old claimed that the officials should have paid them a lot more than what they got:

    \”Should Vince have done a lot more with Tito Santana? I feel like, yeah. But I could have also done a lot worse without Vince McMahon. I appreciate everything he did. I was there longer than anyone else… 

    I got there before Hulk in 1983, and I was there when he left…Him and I were the only ones that were there for Wrestlemania one through nine…I think we should have gotten paid more than what we did, especially for our merchandise. 

    This new company is paying us more than what the WWF was paying us. They could have taken (better) care of the boys, but I don’t really hold any grudges.”

    Santana also revealed that the new WWE management had tried to bring him in for appearances on multiple occasions in the past but he had declined the offer.

  • Athena Says Billie Starkz Match Will Main Event ROH Final Battle 2024

    ROH Women\’s Champion Athena believes her upcoming match with Billie Starkz is going to close the ROH Final Battle 2024 PPV from Hammerstein Ballroom.

    The two female stars have been involved in a long-running feud. The upcoming event will bring their storyline to a full circle as the Forever Champion first won her title at the same PPV in 2022. She also defended the championship against Starkz at the 2023 edition of the show.

    Despite Chris Jericho defending the ROH Championship against Matt Cardona at the event, many fans believe that the female competitors have earned the right to headline the night.

    Athena addressed the topic in a new interview with Denise Salcedo of Instinct Culture. She claimed that her and Starkz will become the first female competitor for ROH to main event the legendary arena:

    “I think we are going to be, me and minion 4,237 and 3 quarters or whatever she wants to be referred to now, I don’t really care, but we will be the first women to main event in Hammerstein as far as I know, as far as Ring Of Honor goes anyway. That could be a really cool moment, another history on the belt there.”

    Tony Khan was also asked about the same during the Final Battle media call but the ROH owner only said that the show will have a \’double main event.\’

    Apart from these two bouts, the upcoming ROH show will feature matches such as Jay Lethal vs. Q. T. Marshall, and The Sons of Texas vs. The Righteous. You can check out our predictions for the show here.

  • Logan Paul Joins WWE Raw On Netflix Roster

    Logan Paul is joining WWE Raw on Netflix.

    The company presented a special kickoff event for their upcoming streaming debut at the WWE Headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut. The event featured a number of big names including Triple H, Rhea Ripley, Kevin Owens, Paul Heyman and more.

    During a segment on the show, Raw General Manager Adam Pearce took the mic to introduce the newest member of his roster and out came none other than Logan Paul.

    The YouTube star went on to cut a promo about being the best athlete present in the building and referenced Conor McGregor\’s remarks about a potential match in India.

    Paul also sent a message to the WWE roster saying \’If you have something I want, I\’m gonna take it.\’ He ended the segment claiming that he\’s a future World Champion.

    Gunther Responds To Logan Paul

    The promo got an instant response from the defending World Champion of the Red Brand, Gunther during his own segment on the show.

    The Ring General made it clear that Logan will have to earn his shot at the title and if he ever does so, the World Champ will “smack the stupid smirk off his face.”

    Apart from this, WWE made a number of big announcements for Raw\’s January 6 Netflix debut including the confirmation of a highly anticipated match as the main event. You can check out more about it here.

  • Tony Khan Explains How Chris Jericho\’s GCW Appearance Came Together

    Tony Khan has revealed Matt Cardona helped put together Chris Jericho\’s recent GCW appearance.

    The Deathmatch King is set to challenge Y2J for the ROH title at the upcoming Final Battle event on December 20. After Cardona made multiple appearances on ROH TV to build the bout, Jericho returned the favor with an appearance at the December 15 GCW event. Wearing an AEW shirt, he interfered in the match between Matt and Effy, attacking both the indie stars.

    The AEW President was asked about this appearance by Bill Pritchard of WrestleZone during the Final Battle media call. Tony Khan explained that Cardona helped put the whole thing together and he was happy to send Jericho:

    \”Matt helped put that together, Matt asked me about it, and obviously, I was happy to send Chris to promote the match that is happening on ROH as part of the double main event.

    With Matt appearing there, and this being a title match, it made sense to do something to promote. It\’s very much along the lines of things we\’ve done with other matches along the ways over the years.\”

    This appearance comes as an interesting turn in the AEW-GCW relationship. When Ricky Starks was abruptly pulled from the GCW shows, many speculated that Effy\’s comments about Shad Khan were the reason behind it.

    With Tony Khan allowing Jericho to work with Effy during his GCW appearance, however, the question now is if the problem was on Starks\’ end and if his promo about not being used in AEW was the reason for the action.

  • Booker T Defends Tessa Blanchard\’s TNA Return

    Booker T believes Tessa Blanchard deserves a second chance.

    The former Champion made her surprise return to the company at the Final Resolution event last week. The comeback sparked mixed reactions from fans and even people behind the scenes were said to be surprised by this move from the TNA top brass.

    The WWE Hall of Famer gave his opinion on the matter during his Hall of Fame podcast. Booker T said that people should be able to move on:

    \”Man, the thing is, I’ve already seen criticisms of Tessa Blanchard being back and people still wanting to try to cancel her. Man, y’all get off of it. The thing is, if something was said, if an apology was made and fences were mended, we should be able to move on.\”

    Nobody Knows What\’s Going On: Booker T

    The wrestling veteran explained that everyone on social media thinks that they know what\’s going on with talents but they really don\’t. Booker T said that people should let Tessa resurrect her career:

    \”One thing about certain things, in the social media sphere, everybody know about it but don’t nobody really know what’s going on.

    Everybody know about the story but don’t nobody know what’s going on. My thing is, guys, get off of all of this hate and let Tessa Blanchard hopefully try to resurrect her career and go out there and redo this thing all over again. Let’s just look at it as that, a redo.\”

    Blanchard attacked former Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace during her return. She has since claimed that she is not signed to a contract with the company and her current goal is to get a match with Grace.

  • Mariah May Discusses Pressure of All In: London Match Against Toni Storm

    Mariah May felt the pressure of facing Toni Storm at All In: London 2024 but the duo was determined to prove that they deserved the opportunity.

    The match against Storm was special for May on a lot of levels. Not only was it her first PPV match ever under the AEW banner, but it was also her first match in the UK in many, many years. Being the conclusion of a long-running angle with the timeless one, fans had high expectations from the bout as well.

    The AEW Women\’s Champion spoke about the match and her victory over Storm during a new interview with Niko Exxtra. She claimed that even though it was her rookie year in AEW, she knew that she had what it takes to become the face of the division:

    \”So I never actually had a pay-per-view match before. But obviously like I said I always knew, I know it\’s my rookie year, but I always knew I could run this division and be the face.

    So for me, it was like it was my first pay-per-view. It was also my first time wrestling in the UK for years, I think. Cuz I lived in Japan and wrestled there and I\’ve been in America and Canada. So it was kind of my return. My whole family was there.

    The only time they ever saw me wrestle was my debut which was I think like 80 people in a school gym. So it was a pretty cool come up to be like \’Look I did it.\’ So yeah, I think there\’s definitely pressure.\”

    Diamonds Are Made Under Pressure: Mariah May

    Mariah May noted how fans were also expecting them to deliver big on a card that featured many notable matches. All the pressure, however, only motivated them to do their best:

    \”I think there was pressure too because I knew how much people cared about this story and this match. I think I\’m never one to say \’Women should get more time because we\’re women.\’

    I don\’t believe that. I think if you are the best match on the card, you\’re the most entertaining feud. We were getting millions of views online. I was like \’I want to prove that we are the most entertaining characters.\’ This was the feud that everybody cared about on such a strong card where we had Bryan Danielson might have retired. We had Mercedes Mone who\’s a huge star that just joined us.

    We had all these other factors. I wanted to prove that people underestimate us, Toni and I. But we were going to deliver the best. I think what we created Cinema is what I always say. I think there was definitely pressure but diamonds are made under pressure.\”

    Toni Storm took time off from AEW for a world tour after her loss to May. The former champion returned to the company last week, but with a twist. You can check out more about it here.

  • Watch: What Happened With Trick Williams And Eddy Thorpe After Chaotic End To NXT

    The main event of this week\’s NXT between Trick Williams and Eddy Thorpe ended in chaos and things didn\’t improve even after the show went off air.

    Williams defended the NXT Championship against Thorpe during the December 17 show after the latter faked an attack and convinced General Manager Ava to give him a shot at the title.

    The ending of the championship match then saw Thorpe failing to get the pin after hitting Manifest Destiny on Trick, as he also knocked out the referee in the process. Williams recovered by the time the new referee approached and the match continued.

    After some more offense from Thorpe, the NXT Champion hit the Trick Shot and he went for a pin of his own. The problem occurred when the other referee also recovered and simultaneously made the count in favor of Thorpe as Williams\’ shoulder was also down.

    What Happened After NXT

    WWE posted the video of NXT GM Ava coming out to sort the situation followed by Shawn Michaels after the show went off air. Aca declared that Trick Williams was the retaining champion on account of all four shoulders being on the mat during the pinfall.

    Thorpe was not happy with this decision and he continued arguing with the NXT official. In his frustration, the NXT star shoved Michaels, causing more referees to come out to contain him.

    Williams then took matters into his own hands. Shoving Thorpe back into the ring, he delivered another Trick Shot. The NXT champion then stood tall, as both Ava and Michaels retreated through the stage.

    This is the second time Michaels has been involved in a physical confrontation with Thorpe in recent weeks. Seeing how the events unfolded tonight, it doesn\’t appear that the storyline is over just yet.

  • Jesse Ventura Praises New WWE Management After Saturday Night\’s Main Event

    Jesse Ventura loved being part of the Saturday Night\’s Main Event.

    WWE decided to opt for the retro vibes when they revived Saturday Night\’s Main Event as part of their new deal with NBC. Apart from using sets and costumes inspired by the classic shows, they also brought in legendary wrestler and broadcast personality Jesse Ventura to be a part of the event.

    The former governor of Minnesota reflected on his experience at the event in a new post on his Substack.  He claimed to have been truly honored to be back home and thanked his son for putting the wheels for it in motion:

    \”First of all it was truly an honor to come back home to the WWE. First off, I have to thank my son, Tyrel Ventura, for putting the wheels in motion last summer. It’s been such an incredible feeling to return to the place where my career essentially began or, more accurately, really took off from.\”

    Strong Sense Of Teamwork: Jesse Ventura

    Jesse Ventura was paired with Joe Tessitore as part of a special panel and he made multiple appearances during the event. The legendary wrestler was also on commentary for the main event match between Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens.

    Writing about the feeling behind the scenes, he praised the new WWE regime for creating a positive environment. He claimed that the difference in energy and vibe backstage was the biggest thing he noticed during his visit:

    \”You don’t feel a battle of egos like you often did back in my day. From the executive level to the locker room level you instead feel a very strong sense of teamwork and creativity. Everyone is running in the same direction. Fuelled by a desire to see everyone succeed, not just themselves.\”

    The wrestling veteran noted that this positive change speaks volumes about the leadership of Triple H, Nick Khan, and the rest of the management team. He concluded his post saying that he loved being backstage sharing stories and having a laugh with the new generation of talent.

    This return was not a onetime thing. WWE has already announced the date for the next edition of Saturday Night\’s Main Event and Ventura has confirmed that he\’ll be appearing at the show set for early 2025.

  • Update On LA Knight After Being Pulled From Appearance

    LA Knight is not injured.

    The former US Champion was pulled from a scheduled appearance at Luken\’s Wine and Spirits on Friday, December 27. In the statement announcing Braun Strowman as his replacement, the establishment had originally claimed that the WWE star was dealing with an injury.

    Fightful Select is now reporting however that this is not the case. According to them, WWE has confirmed that LA Knight is not injured and he was actually never approved for this particular appearance.

    It\’s unknown why the false announcement was made but things seem to have been rectified since then. The wine store has since deleted their original tweet claiming Knight was injured and they\’re now simply promoting The Monster Among Men for the upcoming session:

    LA Knight lost the US Championship to Shinsuke Nakamura at the Survivor Series: WarGames event on November 30. This concluded his run with the title at 119 days.

    He has since started a feud with Solo Sikoa\’s Bloodline. Knight faced the self-proclaimed Tribal Chief in a match at the December 13 SmackDown but the bout ended in disqualification after Jacob Fatu and the rest of the faction got involved.

    The SmackDown star is scheduled to go up against Bloodline again, this time in a six-man tag team match at the December 20 SmackDown. You can check out the spoiler results of the match and the rest of the show here.

  • Matt Riddle Wishes He Could Have Finished The RK Bro Run In WWE

    Matt Riddle would have loved to finish his story with Randy Orton.

    When the Superking of Bros was released from his WWE contract in September 2023, it also effectively ended his run with The Viper. Randy had been on the shelf due to a prolonged back injury at the time, so Riddle did not get an on-screen chance to explain the end of RK Bro.

    During a recent interview with the Developmentally Speaking podcast, Matt Riddle discussed his tag team with the wrestling veteran and commented on the abrupt end of his WWE run. He noted how Orton had to take time off a lot during that period:

    \”I wish I would have been able to finish the run with Randy, with his injuries and then when we first started teaming up, he got COVID and was out for a couple months, he got it really bad. Then with the injuries, he’d have to take weeks off here and there. I was honestly waiting for him to come back.\”

    It\’d Be Nice To Finish That: Matt Riddle

    The former US Champion claimed that the run of RK Bro was a storyline he would have loved to finish in an on-screen capacity. Even if it was something as simple as Randy Orton turning heel and attacking him:

    \”The one that I really wanted to finish was RK-Bro. RK-Bro has some untied ends, some loose ends if you will. It’d be nice to finish that, even if it’s just me getting punted, whatever. It’d be nice to put a period at the end of it.\”

    Riddle noted that despite the way his WWE run ended, him and Randy are still friends. He said that the Legend Killer still texts him all the time and that\’s good enough for him.

  • Tessa Blanchard Claims She Is Not Signed To TNA After Final Resolution Return

    Tessa Blanchard has claimed that she is not signed to a contract anywhere.

    The former Impact World Champion made her surprise return to TNA during the 2024 Final Resolution event this past Friday. She attacked former Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace during her singles match against Rosemary.

    While speaking to Contralona following her return to the company, Blanchard provided an update on her contract status. She claimed that she is not signed to a deal:

    “I am not signed with anyone, including TNA and CMLL. My eyes are now in Jordynne Grace because her locker room in TNA previously had my name on it with a lot of stories I had there.\”

    I\’m The Best In The World: Tessa Blanchard

    Tessa Blanchard said that she\’s seen Grace\’s career going up and up in the past year. She explained that the 3 times Knockouts Champion would not have had the same success had Blanchard stayed with the promotion. With her return, she wants to prove that the TNA locker room still belongs to her:

    “Right now, my goal is to get a singles match with Grace to prove who is the best wrestler in the world.

    I had a lot of matches against men, women and have always won multiple championships and tourneys so. I have a lot of confidence in my wrestling that I can say I am the best in the world.\”

    After a run with TNA Knockouts Championship, Tessa Blanchard defeated Sami Callihan at Hard to Kill in January, 2020 to win the Impact World Title. Due to dispute with the management however, her contract was terminated in June that year and Blanchard was stripped of the title.

  • WWE Raw Spoilers: Taping Results Airing 12/23

    WWE taped the December 23 episode of Monday Night Raw tonight from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The taping will allow talents to stay home during the upcoming Christmas week. Below are the complete spoiler results for the taped show:

    Drew McIntyre Promo: McIntyre opened the show talking about his recent struggles and called out the fans for \’instantly forgetting about him\’ after he lost the Hell In A Cell match to CM Punk. He said that it was \’pathetic\’ for people to forgive Roman Reigns so easily. This prompted Sami Zayn to confront the former World Champion. Jey Uso came out to help Zayn when a fight broke out and rematch between McIntyre and Sami was made official.

    First Round Match In Women\’s Intercontinental Championship Tournament: IYO SKY def. Abla Fyre and Natalya: SKY replaced Kairi Sane in the match after the latter was attacked by Pure Fusion Collective backstage on this week\’s Raw.

    Singles Match: Chad Gable def. Akira Tozawa: Gable won the match via submission but refused to let go even after the bell. Otis then made the save for Tozawa.

    Singles Match: Damian Priest vs. Dominik Mysterio ends in DQ: JD McDonagh dressed as Santa Claus was in Dom\’s corner. After Priest laid out McDonagh, Finn Balor and Carlito attacked the former World Champion. The attack continued until War Raiders made the save.

    The War Raiders Win WWE World Tag Team Titles On Raw

    Singles Match: The Miz vs. Dexter Lumis ends in a DQ: The Final Testament got involved causing the disqualification. The Wyatt Sicks then came out and the segment ended in a big brawl.

    New Day Homecoming: Kofi Kingston\’s mother was at the ringside for this segment. The duo mocked Wade Barrett for not being \’man enough\’ to wrestle again, comparing him to Big E. Kofi said that his mother didn\’t deserve to see her son get booed in his hometown like this.

    Singles Match: Drew McIntyre def. Sami Zayn: Jey Uso was in Sami\’s corner for the bout. McIntyre pinned Zayn in the rematch for Saturday Night\’s Main Event. The new Bloodline showed up after the match and attacked both Zayn and Jey.

    WWE also taped the December 20 episode of SmackDown in advance featuring stars such as Kevin Owens, LA Knight and more. You can check out the spoiler for it here.

  • Championship Street Fight And More Confirmed For AEW Worlds End 2024, Updated Card

    Two new championship matches including a stipulation match have been made official for the AEW Worlds End PPV following tonight\’s Collision.

    Mariah May had previously told Thunder Rosa to name a time and a place for their Women\’s title match. This week\’s episode of the Saturday night show then saw Rosa announcing that she would be challenging May in a Tijuana Street Fight at the upcoming PPV event.

    Elsewhere in the show, Don Callis declared that he would have his revenge on Powerhouse Hobbs for betraying the Don Callis Family. He announced that Konosuke Takeshita will defend the International Championship against the heavyweight star at the upcoming show.

    AEW Worlds End Updated Match Card

    A total of four title matches have been made official for the show so far, apart from the finishing matches of the ongoing C2 tournament. Below is the updated match card for AEW Worlds End:

    • Continental Classic Semi-Finals and Final
    • Dynamite Diamond Ring Match: MJF (c) vs. Adam Cole
    • AEW World Championship Fatal Four Way Match: Jon Moxley (c) vs. Orange Cassidy vs. \”Hangman\” Adam Page vs. Jay White
    • Tijuana Street Fight For AEW Women\’s World Championship: Mariah May (c) vs. Thunder Rosa
    • AEW International Championship Match: Konosuke Takeshita (c) vs. Powerhouse Hobbs

    AEW Worlds End 2024 will be taking place on Saturday, December 28, from the Addition Financial Arena in Orlando Florida.

  • Matt Hardy Details His First Impression Of Kurt Angle

    Matt Hardy did not expect Kurt Angle to become the ultimate entertainer when the two first met.

    The Broken One talked about the career of the Olympic Gold Medallist in detail during the latest episode of his podcast. He talked about things such as Angle\’s WWE TV debut, his first world title win and more.

    Before all this, however, Hardy discussed his first impression of the fellow wrestling veteran. He noted that Kurt Angle seemed to be a mix of a dry personality with killer instincts when the two first met:

    \”When I think about Kurt Angle initially. I remember hearing about him when he was signing with WWE. I remember meeting him and just how, it almost seemed like he had a very dry personality.

    He was just like one of these straightforward, kick-ass athletes, who was just kind of quiet and just kind of did his thing but he was a killer whenever he would get you on the mat. That\’s what it seemed out initially.\”

    \’Does He Have A Larger Than Life Personality?\’: Matt Hardy

    Even when Matt Hardy got the chance to work out with Angle, he did not perceive the success Kurt would achieve with his character work. He did not see the WWE Hall of Famer becoming the ultimate entertainer that he ended up becoming:

    \”Even working out with him in the beginning, as he was kind of learning about pro wrestling and whatnot, it just seemed like \’Ah, I don\’t know. This guy. Does he have a larger-than-life personality? Is he really gonna excel?\’ He\’s gonna be great in the ring, because his mechanics are awesome. They\’re just unbelievable. He\’s so physically, athletically gifted, he would probably be great.

    But just the thing I think about with Kurt Angle was like how I did not expect him to morph into this complete, entertaining character that was absolutely amazing, had a great comedic timing and great comedic humor. [He] could just entertain the shit out of everyone out there. He ended up being the ultimate entertainer, and like you said, one of the greatest packages ever in pro wrestling.\”

    You can check out the full episode of Matt Hardy\’s podcast on Kurt Angle below:

  • Kevin Owens \’Explains\’ Post Saturday Night\’s Main Event Attack On Cody Rhodes

    Kevin Owens has given his version of the events that followed his loss to Cody Rhodes in the Undisputed WWE Championship match at Saturday Night\’s Main Event.

    The ending of the bout at the WWE show saw KO introducing a chair to try and take out his opponent. In the end, however, Cody managed to take advantage of it himself and he pinned Owens after delivering a Cross Rhodes on the chair.

    When the company posted the footage of Kevin attacking the American Nightmare following the show, the former champion responded. He claimed that he sent the crowd home happy after the referee screwed him out of a WWE championship victory.

    The former Universal Champion also reacted to the video of Triple H shoving him on the ramp on his way back. Kevin Owens rationalized it as the WWE CCO thanking him for the full house:

    Cody Rhodes had to be stretchered out of the ring after Owens delivered the banned piledriver on the WWE champion. It\’s possible that he\’ll be kept off TV for a few weeks to sell the attack.

    Triple H has not made any public comments on Kevin\’s attack despite tonight\’s altercation. It\’s likely that we\’ll see the WWE Executive making an appearance on TV soon to confront the former NXT star.

    Apart from this, Saturday Night\’s Main Event also featured the finals of the Women\’s US Title tournament. You can check out reactions to the crowning of the Inaugural champion here.