SEScoops

Author: Anutosh Bajpai

  • Triple H Reveals Conversation He Had With Vince McMahon After Curtain Call

    Triple H says he knew the business was changing even back in 1996.

    The Game recently spoke to Greg & The Morning Buzz. He talked about things such as Raw moving to Netflix, his booking philosophy and more.

    When the topic of the infamous Curtain Call was brought up, the Chief Content Officer claimed that even then he could see that the business was moving towards a more reality-based programming and he told as much to Vince McMahon:

    \”When all that went down and I took the brunt of the heat for it, because I was the only one that could. Kevin and Scott were leaving. Shawn was World champ. What were they going to do to him, right? So I took the heat. No problem.

    But as I was leaving Vince\’s office, after a thorough ass [whooping]. As I was walking out, I looked back at him. I said, let me ask you this, Vince. I said, \’If this is so wrong, lifting that curtain is so wrong, why was it the loudest thing at Madison Square Garden that night?\’ It was sold out. The biggest reaction by far was that.

    Watch: Triple H Meets Up With President-Elect Donald Trump At UFC 309

    That Was The Truth: Triple H

    The infamous moment took place back in May 19, 1996, during a Madison Square Garden taping. Both Scott Hall and Kevin Nash were on their way out of WWE to join WCW. After the main event of the show, both Hall and Nash shared a group hug with fellow Kliq members Shawn Michaels and Triple H to end the night.

    This was seen as highly unusual as HBK and Hall were babyfaces at the time. Triple H and Nash on the other hand were heels and the top brass were not happy with them breaking character so publicly.

    With the eventual rise of the internet and social media, Triple H proved to be right in his assumptions about the business. Though it didn\’t stop Vince McMahon from punishing him at the time:

    \”The business is changing. It\’s passing people by and they\’re not seeing it yet. He said, \’You might be right, but that doesn\’t change where we are right now. So the punishment is what it is.\’ [laughs] But that was the truth. The business was changing, right?

    You go fast forward years from there, the internet comes in. Everybody knows what we do. They know the real stuff. They know who\’s married to who, they know who\’s in relationship, or at least they think they do right. Half the stuff in the internet is wrong, but it\’s all out there, and they know how this works.\”

    The Game then discussed how things have changed completely now and people are as intrigued by content that shows how they build the storylines as they are by the storylines themself. He named the most recent WrestleMania 40 documentary as an example.

  • Maven Teases New WWE Role In Mysterious Video

    Former WWE star Maven Huffman has teased a potential return to the company in a new role.

    The 47-year-old has become a regularly discussed name in the wrestling circle again after launching his own YouTube channel in July last year.

    Instead of going the podcast route that many retired wrestlers have taken, the former Hardcore champion has found success uploading videos in a more entertainment-based style. He has garnered more than 500k followers since the start of his channel.

    His increased popularity has got people wondering if Maven could return to the Endeavor-owned promotion in a new role. He addressed the topic in his latest upload. Huffman first claimed that a WWE employee told him the officials quickly shot down the idea when his name was brought up in a conversation:

    “I ran into a current WWE employee and no, it’s not any wrestler. This employee informed me that they not only went to bat for me, but tried to encourage and tried to suggest possible ways of utilizing me, utilizing the talents that I may possess now. This person told me that not only was the answer no, they were actually shot down mighty quickly.\”

    Sometimes We\’re Just Passing Through: Maven

    Maven said that he wasn\’t upset or disappointed over this conversation. According to him, he has learned to accept his fate in the last 20 years. He no longer wishes to alter or change things that are behind him:

    \”I have this platform now and I’m able to still provide some value to a business I love so much. I’ve learned to be grateful and accepting of whatever fate comes my way because honestly, sometimes in life, whether good or bad, sometimes we’re just passing through.\”

    The retired wrestling star was driving as he made these claims, and the video curiously led to him pulling up to the WWE Performance Center. The whole thing then ended abruptly after showing a quick shot of an \’Employee only\’ door in the PC.

    Neither the YouTube personality nor the company have officially confirmed anything regarding Maven\’s future. We\’ll likely have to wait for his next video to find out more.

  • SmackDown Spoilers: Taping Results Airing 11/29

    WWE taped the November 29 episode of SmackDown after the November 22 episode of the show this week from the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. They had the Prime-branded canvas for the second taping. Below are the complete spoiler results:

    Triple Threat Women\’s US Title Tournament Match – Michin def. Piper Niven and Lash Legend: Legend replaced Jade Cargill in the match after the former AEW star was attacked by an unknown assailant this week. Chelsea Green was at the ringside for Niven and she attacked Michin during the bout. B-Fab came out to even the odds, allowing Michin to finally pick up the victory.

    Singles Match – Shinsuke Nakamura def. Andrade: Nakamura entered with a new variation of his theme song. He defeated Andrade with a Kinshasa. US Champion LA Knight tried to attack the Japanese star after the bout but Nakamura sprayed black mist into his eyes.

    Singles Match – Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes def. Carmelo Hayes: This match was made official after a backstage confrontation between the two at this week\’s show. Rhodes beat Melo with a Cross Rhodes.

    WarGames Segment: Bianca Belair, Naomi, Bayley, Iyo Sky, and Rhea Ripley all came out to promote the Women\’s WarGames match. Bayley was there replacing Cargill into Ripley\’s WarGames team. Rhea cut a promo before Liv Morgan, Nia Jax, Raquel Rodriguez, Tiffany Stratton, and Candice LeRae came out. Morgan said that it was suspicious for Bayley to join the team right after Jade was taken out. The two teams then got into a brawl before the security ran down to break the fight up.

    Singles Match For Advantage In Men\’s WarGames – Jacob Fatu def. Jey Uso: Fatu won the match with a springboard moonsault to get the advantage for his team.

    WWE also taped a Speed match where Zelina Vega beat Chelsea Green in between the two SmackDown episodes. The advance taping will allow the talents to stay home for the Thanksgiving holiday instead of traveling.

  • Orange Cassidy Claims AEW Is In Its \’Middle School Age\’

    Orange Cassidy believes AEW is still figuring out its unique identity in the pro wrestling industry and it just needs to continue evolving.

    The former International Champion recently spoke to amNewYork Metro to promote Saturday\’s Full Gear PPV from Newark, New Jersey. He talked about things such as growing up as a wrestling fan and more.

    Addressing the recent troubles of AEW, Cassidy claimed that it\’s because the company\’s fast growth. He explained that the Tony Khan promotion right now is in it\’s \’middle school age\’:

    “It’s tough for AEW because of how fast the company grew and for how successful it has been in just under, we’re talking five years.

    We’re growing and we’re changing, and we’re going through that weird middle school age of figuring out who you are and do you want your hair short or long. It’s important that AEW just takes the natural evolution, and we don’t try to force anything.\”

    I Feel Very Secure: Orange Cassidy

    Orange Cassidy also praised the AEW President as someone who has an incredible eye for talent. He claimed to feel secure in knowing that Khan will continue recruiting the best talents across the board:

    \”Tony Khan has an incredible eye for talent, and he’s an incredibly generous person that understands professional wrestling.

    And no matter what changes we go through; I feel very secure in the fact that I know that Tony Khan will make sure that the best are wrestling for AEW.”

    The 40-year-old discussed his feud with Jon Moxley as well. He recalled their encounter at the 2023 Full Gear event and said that going to war with the AEW World Champion has actually changed him.

    Talking about their upcoming match, Cassidy claimed that he is not worried about what Mox may do before or after the bell on Saturday, and he\’s focused on winning the contest that\’ll take place in between.

    You can check out the updated Full Gear match card featuring Orange Cassidy vs. Jon Moxley and more here.

  • Gigi Dolin Returns To Action After 8 Months At NXT Live Event

    NXT star Gigi Dolin has returned to action after spending most of 2024 on shelf due to an unfortunate knee injury.

    Dolin had been out of action since March this year. Her last match before the injury came during the March 12 episode of NXT where the female star lost a singles bout to Arianna Grace.

    The 27-year-old finally returned to action during Friday\’s NXT Live Event from Lakeland, FL. She came out after Cora Jade claimed that no one was strong enough to challenge her. Gigi Dolin then pinned Jade in her return match to pick up the victory:

    Gigi Dolin In NXT

    Dolin took part in the 2018 Mae Young Classic and was signed to a contract in 2021. Before her WWE signing, she made a couple of appearances for AEW as well.

    Prior to her injury, the NXT star was involved in a storyline with Arianna Grace who wanted to give her a makeover. Gigi was supposed to get the makeover after she lost the bout to Grace but the storyline was dropped due to her hiatus.

    In her absence, NXT has brought on names such as Giulia, Zaria, and Stephanie Vaquer. There is no word on when Gigi Dolin will make her return to TV but it\’s sure that things will not be easy for her whenever she makes her on screen comeback.

  • The Great Khali Claims He Made Big Show Cry In Real Life Altercation

    The Great Khali has claimed that he made Big Show cry during a real-life altercation.

    The former World Champion recently had a lengthy interview with Indian publication The Lallantop. He talked about things such as his political career, his social media posts, life after wrestling and more.

    During the talk, Khali was also asked about his real-life altercation with Big Show. He mentioned that the fight happened after a six-man tag in Puerto Rico. Show was apparently mad at Khali for doing his move where the Giant chopped his opponent after shoving them into the ring corner:

    \”We had a match in Puerto Rico, we had a six-man tag. The reaction I got for my corner chop; he didn\’t get it. So he thought that it was because I did his move. He started arguing with me when we got back into the locker room. I said let it go, it\’s not what we\’re after. People do each other\’s moves every day.\”

    This fight has also been detailed in Chris Jericho\’s Best In The World autobiography. Y2J corroborates most of the details given by Khali, although with a more neutral stance. He even mentions Khali withstanding the first punch thrown by Show that caught the Indian star right in the Jaw.

    He Started Crying: The Great Khali

    The details vary when it comes to the ending of this brawl, however. While Jericho says that Big Show tripped over a chair, Khali claims that he knocked the fellow Giant out and the loss got him crying:

    \”I started saying things back to him. I took off my shoe, and then he came to punch me. I leaned back. I got up and leaned again for the second punch. When I punched him, he got knocked down and I got on top of him.

    After 2-3 punches, all the people in the locker room pulled us apart. Afterward, he started crying. He thought he could impress the young talent by taking me out, but it backfired on him.\”

    The true account of the backstage altercation will probably never be known as each person telling the story has his own biases. The different perspectives of any backstage incident makes it hard to come up with one coherent narrative that fits all accounts.

    It\’s still fascinating to know that among the many backstage altercations WWE locker room has witnessed over the years, there was one that included two of the biggest heavyweights the sport has ever seen.

    The quotes in this article have been translated from Hindi and edited for clarity

  • Renee Paquette Frustrated With Jon Moxley\’s Green Bubbles, Says He Doesn\’t Trust Apple

    Renee Paquette loves her husband Jon Moxley very much but there is one habit of him which frustrates the AEW personality very much.

    The female star recently had an interview with Busted Open Radio. She talked about things such as managing her own work in AEW with the work of Mox and more.

    When the topic of technology was brought up, Paquette joked that she lives in a divided home because Moxley refuses to switch over to an iPhone

    \”I live in a house divided where I\’m an iPhone [while] my husband is an Android user, and this green text…it just causes me a lot of pain and anguish. But there\’s no changing him. The man is set in his ways. It is what it is. So I can never leave him a proper voice memo. If I\’m on a plane I cannot communicate with him. It\’s very frustrating.\”

    He Wants Nothing To Do With The Cloud: Renee Paquette

    The hosts mentioned that many people take the green bubble vs blue bubble difference very seriously and couples have even broken up over it. Renee then said that she doesn\’t generally care about it but it does get frustrating when she can\’t get hold of her husband in a WiFi only situation:

    \”People are very unhinged about this and while of course there are times…Listen my love for this man, what a bright light but it just gets dimmed a little when the green texts come in or it\’s not even the green text, I don\’t really care about that.

    it\’s not being able to get a hold of you if I\’m in a WiFi only situation. That\’s the problem. This is the father of my child. Sometimes I need to talk to him. I\’m not just talking to him to ask how the day is. Sometimes I need information and I can\’t get it.\”

    When asked if she has tried to convince Mox to switch over, Renee Paquette revealed that the AEW World Champion does not trust the cloud system:

    \”He wants nothing to do with the cloud. He\’s not interested. He doesn\’t trust it. I think he thinks something shifty is up with Apple and their products. So he\’s not interested but I also think that he comes from an entire family of green texters so….it\’s an inherited thing.

    It\’s very stressful. What if I had to tell him something? I\’ve had to email him. I have to email my husband sometimes like \’From the desk of Renee Paquette.\’ What the f*ck?\”

    Jon Moxley will be defending the AEW title against Orange Cassidy at Saturday\’s Full Gear PPV. You can check out the updated match card for the show here.

  • Renee Paquette On Managing Her AEW Role With Jon Moxley\’s Work

    Renee Paquette says she steers clear of Jon Moxley\’s path when the couple goes to work for AEW.

    Mox has been leading a new Death Rider faction in AEW. After taking Bryan Danielson out with a brutal attack and taking the AEW World Title from him, the wrestling veteran has declared war on AEW roster. His aim is to rid the company of its problems.

    Jon\’s new mission puts Renee in an awkward position as she is generally on good terms with the AEW roster. Most of the people who have been resisting the Moxley takeover are good friends of the AEW announcer.

    The female star addressed the conflict during a recent interview with Busted Open Radio. She claimed that she tries to stay away from Mox\’s business as much as possible:

    \”I don\’t know, I kind of just steer clear. The truth of it is, when Jon and I go to work, we\’ve always been like this, he does his job, I do my job. We\’ve always been like that. I honestly don\’t even see him most of the day. He\’s off doing his thing, I\’m doing mine.\”

    My Job Is Different: Renee Paquette

    Renee Paquette claimed that she respects the work of her husband and it helps her understand the business better. She also loves watching Jon\’s work but sticks to her own job when they\’re in the arena for any show:

    \”I immensely respect what he does and I think that\’s another level that helps me understand more of the wrestling business and always has is my relationship with him obviously.

    I love watching him do what he does. But my job is different and I also really love what I get to bring to the table. So I just kind of stick to my job, I let him do his and then we reconvene at the end of the night.\”

    Jon Moxley is set to defend the AEW World Title against Orange Cassidy at this Saturday\’s Full Gear PPV. Renee is also expected to be a part of the show. You can check out an updated match card for the event here.

  • Goldberg Says People Will Be \’Pleasantly Surprised\’ By His Final Match

    Goldberg has provided an update on his physical condition before his final match which is expected to take place sometime in 2025.

    The former Universal Champion talked about things such as Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul Fight, the cancellation of the TV series Roadkill, and more on the latest episode of his CarCast podcast.

    Speaking about his final match, Goldberg claimed that preparation is always much harder than the actual performance. Compared to his other recent matches, he is getting a lot more time to prepare for a showdown this time around:

    This time, I’m actually getting some prep time and the ability to get ready. Comparatively, even though I’m at the age that I’m at, I will have five times as much time to prepare than I have for any other match.

    If I can’t get ready in that period of time, with what I have to offer, then it’s not going to be enough. I do believe that I’ve set my standards quite high and at the end of the day, I think people will be pleasantly surprised by the outcome and my performance.”

    This Is A Huge Change: Goldberg

    A date or an opponent has not officially been confirmed for the 57-year-old\’s last match. Though after his run-in with World Champion Gunther at Bad Blood in Atlanta, it\’s not hard to imagine that the wrestling veteran will love to get his hands on the Ring General before he hangs his boots for good.

    The former WCW Champion admitted that he is dealing with plenty of nagging physical issues including neck and knee issues. The worst part of his anatomy according to Goldberg however, is his torn-up shoulder which is still feeling a lot better than it has done in a long time:

    \”I’m able to do things right now with that torn-up shoulder that I haven’t been able to do in ten years. This is prior to a number of matches that I’ve wrestled. My shoulder is in a better position months before I have to perform than it was days before leading up to matches in the past. That is a huge change.\”

    Goldberg revealed that he couldn\’t even lift his arm properly the last time he entered the ring for a match. Now he feels that he\’s way ahead of the curve and he knows that he will be much better prepared for his next match than he has been in the past.

  • Linda McMahon Issues Statement After Being Named Next Secretary of Education

    Linda McMahon has issued her first statement since being named the next US Secretary of Education by President-elect Donald Trump.

    The former WWE CEO took to Twitter to repost the statement from President Trump, and wrote that she is looking forward to working with students and educators to strengthen the US education system:

    \”I look forward to working collaboratively with students – educators – parents and communities to strengthen our educational system; ensuring every child regardless of their demographics is prepared for a bright future.\”

    Linda\’s daughter and former WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon was the first member of their family who congratulated the female politician on her new role:

    Linda McMahon\’s Political Career

    Linda McMahon previously served as the Administrator of the Small Business Administration between 2017 and 2019, during Trump\’s first term.

    She played a crucial role in getting the Businessman-politician re-elected. McMahon was one of the top donors of the 2024 Republican campaign and she was also named the co-chair of Trump\’s 2024 transition team.

    There has been a lot of chatter about how Linda\’s appointment and Trump\’s re-election will affect the ongoing federal investigation against former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon over sexual trafficking charges.

    Though Linda\’s attorney has claimed that she is separated from the billionaire wrestling promoter and our analysis suggests that Trump will not be able to pardon all of Vince\’s legal woes away.

  • Rey Mysterio On Reason For Dominik Mysterio\’s Mega Heat: \’It\’s Gotta Be The Mustache\’

    Rey Mysterio has not given up on a potential reconciliation with son Dominik Mysterio, but he knows that it\’s going to be very hard to achieve.

    The WWE Hall of Famer recently had an interview with Rosenberg Wrestling. He talked about things like what he thinks about potential retirement, playing golf and more.

    On the topic of Dominik having mega heat with the audience, Rey was asked how much he thinks it\’s because of his own status as a longtime beloved babyface. The Master of 619 explained that it was a trigging point for fan\’s reaction at the start of Dom\’s heel run but joked that now it\’s all because of his Mustache:

    \”I think it was definitely a triggering point at a certain part of his career or his turn but then after that I think now it\’s mainly based on the Mustache. I think the Mustache is what really is what the fans hate.

    I mean I hate it. I don\’t know about you. [It\’s] gotta be the Mustache. Not so much the hatred that he has on his father, it\’s the Mustache, yeah.\”

    That\’s Going To Be Very Hard: Rey Mysterio

    The former World Champion was also asked about the possibility of reconciling with his son sometime in the future and potentially teaming with him again. Rey Mysterio said that it\’s something a father would always be open to. He hopes that one day Dirty Dom will be able to see the bright side of being on the same team:

    \”That\’s something that as a father they always would love to have with their kids. To be able to reconnect. End off how you started, on the good side. So I don\’t know if that\’s going to happen over the years.

    People change – sometimes for good, sometimes for bad. Hopefully one day Dom can see the bright side of being on the Mysterio side and just being family overall. But I think that\’s going to be very hard.\”

    Elsewhere in the interview, Rey claimed that his story with Dom is not over and he would be open to facing his son in another match as well.

  • Ricardo Rodriguez Opens Up About Alcohol Addiction Following WWE Career

    Ricardo Rodriguez has opened up about his alcohol addiction and how Drew McIntyre helped him get into rehab through WWE.

    The former WWE manager had an interview with Chris Van Vliet. He talked about things such as his run with Alberto Del Rio, his WWE release in 2014, and more.

    During the session, Rodriguez went into length talking about his alcohol addiction. He mentioned that he got used to the grind during his time in WWE. After leaving the company, however, he had nothing to fill his time with and he turned to alcohol.

    The 38-year-old revealed that he was chugging whole boxes of wine by himself at a time before he finally realized that he had a problem. He then put out a tweet asking for help and got a reply from a gentleman named Christopher Dreisbach. Rodriguez later contacted his friend Drew McIntyre to help him get in touch with WWE:

    \”WWE has this really cool wellness program part where if you’ve been with them and you encounter a similar situation, they can help you out, they’ll figure something out.

    So I got in contact with WWE, and this is where a good friend of mine Drew McIntyre comes in. I sent Drew a message, and I was like, \’Hey, can you find out the information of the wellness policy, who’s in charge or something.\’\”

    Drew Was A Big Part In Making That Connection: Ricardo Rodriguez

    The Mexican-American pro wrestler recalled always being angry and bitter during his addiction. He admitted to pushing a lot of his close friends away when they tried to help him because he didn\’t care about anyone. It was the conversation with McIntyre that finally led to him getting the help he needed:

    \”So then he dug around, and he got me the info. I contacted WWE because of that, and it just yeah, it became a thing and that’s how we got connected. I had talked to WWE, and I told who had contacted me up here in Lancaster.

    And he’s like, oh, and we’ve done stuff with them before. Go ahead and set it up, and we can figure out the details later. So yeah, Drew was a big part of making that connection.”

    Rodriguez mentioned that something like that never goes away but he has learned to manage his addiction better. It remains a daily battle for him but he has learned to be grateful about things in life. He now tries to take a pause when something upsets him instead of reacting instantly and spiraling back into his old habits.

    You can check out our exclusive interview with Ricardo on the 10th anniversary of his WWE exit below:

  • Jon Moxley Says Bryan Danielson Had A \’Beautiful Funeral\’ At WrestleDream

    Jon Moxley says taking out Bryan Danielson was nothing more than an objective that needed to be completed.

    The AEW World Champion has shown a completely new side of himself since returning to the promotion in August. Leading the Death Riders into a spree of violent attacks on various AEW talents, Mox proclaims to rid the company of all its problems.

    The most gruesome of these attacks came at the WrestleDream PPV. Moxley not only defeated his former friend Bryan Danielson for the AEW title at the show but he also took out the American Dragon for good in a brutal post-match attack. Bryan had to be taken out on a stretcher afterwards and he is not expected to make an AEW appearance anytime soon.

    A Beautiful Funeral

    Speaking about the attack during a new interview with TVInsider, the AEW World Champion claimed that Danielson had to be taken off the board as part of the big picture. To him, Bryan was nothing more than a thing on a checklist:

    \”To me, it was a beautiful funeral. His mom was in the front row as I was squeezing his neck as his mom screamed that she loved him, and he screamed it back to her. I’m not sure if that was caught on camera, but that was quite a powerful moment to see up close.\”

    Jon Moxley mentioned how it is very easy to get emotionally attached to a match of Bryan Danielson. He reiterated however that he has no time to feel sad about it despite Bryan being one of his best friends and training partner for a good part of his career:

    \”A lot of guys’ careers will end in the hospital or their phones will stop ringing. It won’t be on their terms. Bryan was able to do very much to end this stage of his career on his terms. He did not verbally submit or tap out, but I felt the spirit of the American Dragon leave his body and feel that he can now rest.\”

    The former Shield member also claimed that the potential of AEW is \’fucking huge.\’ He said that their roster is stacked to a ridiculous level and there are many talents who haven\’t gotten the chance to showcase what they\’re truly capable of.

  • Bobby Lashley Teases More Members For Hurt Syndicate

    Bobby Lashley has teased an expansion of Hurt Syndicate.

    The newest AEW signee recently had an interview with The Lame Guys Wrestling podcast. He talked about things such as his run-ins with Swerve Strickland, his future plans, and more.

    The former world champion also explained his decision to join AEW after his departure from WWE. He revealed that one of the things that convinced him was Tony Khan\’s promise of allowing him to work on other projects:

    \”Part of it is because Tony did tell me that I had opportunities to do other things also. So If I do want to tackle that fight and do another fight, whether it\’s boxing, bareknuckle, MMA, I think he\’ll give me the opportunity to. Then, all my other projects also that I\’ve been working on.\”

    We Are Good For The Company: Bobby Lashley

    The 48-year-old also noted that he wants to go out on his terms, an opportunity he didn\’t get in WWE. He wants to work with his friends MVP and Shelton Benjamin again while helping young talents on his way.

    Bobby Lashley explained that taking out the whole Hurt Syndicate might not be a realistic goal for an up-and-coming talent but they can benefit from working with different members of his group. The heavyweight star then teased bringing other members to the faction:

    \”I was like, \’If I\’m going to go out, there are certain ways that I want to go out.\’ I didn\’t get an opportunity to go out the way that I wanted to with putting guys over and having a feud with those guys. Another avenue I could be happy with is to be able to work with P and Shelton again, being able to run with that and have fun with it.

    Ultimately, we are a group that is good for the company. We have the ability to be able to build talent. If you go into a feud with us or you\’re on the mic against P, you have Shelton, me, whoever else we bring on. You have a lot of obstacles.\”

    When asked which are some names he would like to bring into the Hurt Syndicate fold, Lashley mentioned that he would like to have Lio Rush around him again. Other names that were mentioned during the conversation included Ricochet and HOOK.

  • Kenny Omega Confirms Return Match For Wrestle Dynasty 2025

    Kenny Omega has seemingly confirmed his in-ring return match against Gabe Kidd at next year\’s Wrestle Dynasty PPV event.

    This comes after the Cleaner made his first wrestling appearance in a long time at the November 4 Power Struggle PPV. Omega announced his intention to make an in-ring return at the January show. He was then attacked by Gabe Kidd backstage.

    In a new interview with NJPW, the former AEW World Champion addressed these recent events, saying that he has had some time to reflect on things since Power Struggle:

    \”Well, I’d like to address recent circumstances, and things that have happened with Gabe Kidd. I’ve had time to reflect after Power Struggle, and I feel I would regret not being able to make things right. I would hate for this situation to cause a rift between AEW and New Japan Pro-Wrestling.\”

    Kenny Omega then seemingly confirmed his return match for the Wrestle Dynasty event on January 5, claiming that he\’ll do it if that\’s what the fans want:

    \”So after conversations I’ve had with President Tanahashi and other executives in NJPW, I’ve decided that if New Japan requests it, if Gabe requests it, and if the fans want it, then I will wrestle Gabe Kidd, as a professional at Wrestle Dynasty January 5.\”

    The former IWGP World Champion went on a hiatus at the end of 2023 after being diagnosed with diverticulitis. His last match came against Ethan Page at the December 12, 2023 episode of Collision.

    Omega also recently explained his decision to make his in-ring return in Japan instead of US. You can check out his comments on the matter here.

  • Powerhouse Hobbs Promises a Fiercer, Realer Persona After AEW Return

    Powerhouse Hobbs says he\’s gonna start bringing more of his real-life self into his character to fill a gap in the wrestling world after his return.

    The 33-year-old recently had an interview with Uproxx. He talked about things such as his knee injury that kept him out of action for 7 months this year, his AEW return earlier this month, and more.

    Talking about his future plans, the heavyweight star revealed that there were talks of him bringing more of his real-life self into his character before his hiatus. Now that he is back, he is going to show people how much more intense he can be:

    “I’m just gonna show everyone how much more intense I can be, how destructive I can be, how I don’t give a shit at times who’s in my way. In the end, this business, there only can be one.

    It’s going to come to a point where I’m going to show everybody that it’s all about me. They’re either going to be with me or be against me. It doesn’t matter. They boo me, I’m just going to start tearing everything up in front of them.\”

    It\’s Time To Bring It Out: Powerhouse Hobbs

    Powerhouse Hobbs explained that wrestling is missing the crop of big guys that can make people afraid just by their presence. The former TNT champion feels that he can be one such performer:

    \”And I think that’s what wrestling is missing a little bit. That one guy who makes people afraid, but they want to see him kick someone’s ass. I feel that it’s time to bring it out.”

    Wrestling has had a rich history of heavyweight stars who can intimidate people just by their presence. Though it does feel like the tradition has taken a backseat with the influx of smaller, more athletic talents in the last few years.

    WWE also seems to be recognizing this void. The most recent reintroduction of Bronson Reed suggests that the company sees an opportunity in having a monstrous performer who can strike fear in the hearts of talents with his capability for destruction.

    You can check out Hobbs\’ AEW return match below:

  • Adam Cole Reveals WrestleMania Match That Inspired Him To Become A Wrestler

    Adam Cole has revealed the one WrestleMania match that instantly got him hooked on wrestling and led to him becoming a wrestler himself.

    The AEW star recently had an interview with PennLive.com. He talked about things such as spending the majority of the last 2 years on shelf due to various injuries, the uncertainty of his future during this time period and more.

    During the talk Adam Cole also revealed where he got his first taste of wrestling. The former NXT Champion recalled taking Karate lessons when he was 9 years old. One day he got there early and found his instructor watching Monday Night Raw:

    \”It was Kane and ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin putting Paul Bearer in a sewer. And I remember he looked at me and said, ‘Do you watch pro wrestling?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, yeah, I watch it all the time.’ Just lying through my teeth. I had never seen it before, but I wanted to fit in with him so badly. And it looked intriguing.”

    For The Rest of My Life: Adam Cole

    Cole then begged his mother to allow him to rent the tape for WrestleMania 15. The 1999 event emanating from the First Union Center in Philadelphia was enough to get him hooked to the world of sports entertainment:

    “The first time I saw The Rock and Steve Austin, I was like, ‘This is what I wanna do for the rest of my life’. Genuinely. From that point on, from 9 years on, everything that I did was for the idea of eventually getting into pro wrestling.”

    Adam Cole returned to action during the WrestleDream PPV last month. He has reignited his rivalry with MJF since then. Cole was looking to get a match against the former AEW champion at the November 23 Full Gear PPV.

    He failed to complete the challenge laid out by Maxwell, however. So instead of Cole, it\’ll be Roderick Strong who\’ll face The Salt of The Earth at the upcoming show.

  • CM Punk Comments On Potential Match With John Cena On His Retirement Tour

    CM Punk has a long list of talents he would love to face in WWE.

    The Straight Edge star was recently interviewed by Peter Rosenberg of Rosenberg Wrestling. He talked about things such as the potential of his wife AJ Lee returning to wrestling, his regrets about his AEW career and more.

    When asked which are some superstars he would love to get in the ring with, Punk mentioned talents who have shown a great understanding of in-ring psychology in recent times. The list included names such as Chad Gable and Ludwig Kaiser:

    \”When you ask me \’Who do you want to get in the ring with\’ I go \’Oh the list is…it\’s pretty lengthy\’ I think Chad Gable\’s on the top of the list. I think Bronson Reed\’s on the top of the list.

    [Ludwig] Kaiser is somebody I see a lot in. I think could be fun. Gunther…I\’m selfishly talking about guys that I would love to wrestle on House shows.\”

    The Money Stuff

    CM Punk then mentioned how there is a whole other list of names that he could main event PPVs with, such as Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns:

    \”But then you talk about the money stuff. You talk about the marquee stuff. You talk about what is a match that you could see Main Eventing a pay-per-view. That\’s what get my juices flowing.

    I think whenever myself and Roman Reigns are face to face on television, I think that\’s going to be a moment. I think there\’s the table set for myself and Cody. You never know when The Rock\’s gonna come back.\”

    When the name of John Cena was brought up, Punk admitted that he would love to get in the ring with his old rival. Although he explained that Cena has earned the right to call his own shots in his final year:

    \”There\’s Big Match John coming right around the corner. Another guy that I don\’t want to talk about because he\’s gonna do his own thing. If I\’m a part of that…what a fortunate career I\’ve had but John deserves everything that he wants. He calls his own shot is basically what I\’m saying. But yeah, I\’d love to get hands on him too.\”

    Starting from Raw\’s Netflix premiere on January 6, John Cena will be going on a retirement tour. He\’ll be active throughout the year competing at events such as Royal Rumble and WrestleMania. The Cenation Leader will bid goodbye to his in-ring career at the end of the year.

  • Ridge Holland Secures NXT Title Shot, Ends Chase U Faction

    NXT faction Chase U has been forced to disband after Ridge Holland won the high-stakes main event match against Andre Chase at the November 19 episode of the show.

    The latest episode of the Black & Silver show featured the two NXT stars battling for a shot at Trick Williams\’ NXT Championship in the main event. The stakes were higher for Chase as he was also putting the future of his group on the line.

    Holland grabbed a chair at one point in the match but the referee stopped him from using it on Andre. As the referee was busy disposing of the chair, however, Ridge delivered a low blow to Chase and connected with a Cradle DDT.

    As the former The Brawling Brutes member went for the pin, Duke Hudson and Thea Hail appeared at the ringside. Hudson pulled the referee from the ring. He then looked to send Holland crashing through the exposed concrete floor.

    Holland came back with some offense and he sent Hudson crashing through the NXT set. Riley Osborne finally came out to help his team as well but he inadvertently ended up taking Hail out while leveling Holland with a top rope splash.

    Ridge Holland then took out Osborne by sending him through the concrete floor and put his focus back on Andre Chase. The ending of the bout saw Chase attempting a crossbody but Holland countered it into a cradle DDT for the pin.

    The commentators confirmed that after this match, Chase U will be forced to disband while Holland will challenge Williams for the NXT title at the Deadline event.

    The upcoming NXT event taking place from The Armory in Minneapolis, MN on December 7 will also feature the Men\’s and Women\’s Iron Survivor Challenge match.

  • Update On Mike Bailey\’s TNA Departure

    \’Speedball\’ Mike Bailey is on his way out of TNA and many expect him to be AEW-bound imminently. Though latest reports suggests that it will still be a few weeks before he is officially able to make his next move.

    The former X-Divison Champion finished his run with the Anthem-owned promotion during their Detroit tapings in October. He was absent from this month\’s tapings from Fayetteville, NC. The former champion further signified the end of his current run by filing a trademark application for his name.

    Fightful is now reporting however that Bailey\’s contract has not actually expired. While he has effectively finished up with the company, his contract officially expires at the end of the year.

    Mike was allowed to talk to other companies starting in November but he won\’t be able to actually sign a contract with a different promotion until next year.

    Mike Bailey is believed to be headed to AEW following his Impact departure. Though this complication means that he will likely not be making his debut as part of the 2024 Continental Classic tournament as fans expected.

    The 34-year-old made his wrestling debut back in 2006. He competed for promotions such as Ring of Honor, CZW, PWG and more during his early years.

    The Canadian star joined the TNA roster in October 2021. He\’s used the TNA spotlight well and has made a name for himself as one of the best in-ring talents in the world.

  • Nick Aldis Highlights Chelsea Green’s Creative Brilliance

    Nick Aldis has praised Chelsea Green for her recent performances in WWE.

    Green who made her wrestling debut in 2014 had runs with companies such as Impact and Lucha Underground before signing with WWE in August 2018. She failed to make a positive impression on WWE top brass, however, and got released from the company during the 2021 budget cuts.

    Despite the setback, Green took things positively and went right back to work on the indie circuit. Her hard work paid off and the Endeavour-owned promotion brought her back on board in January last year. Green has become one of the most entertaining stars on WWE TV since then, and her work is said to be one of the catalysts for WWE introducing a Women\’s US title.

    Aldis talked about working with Chelsea during a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet. He explained that the female star has a great creative mind and she always has many ideas on how to make their segments better:

    \”I mean, it’s a night off. It’s great. You don’t have to think very hard because she’s just going to give you endless material. What a great example of maximizing your minutes.\”

    She Has Taken This And Ran With It: Nick Aldis

    Nick Aldis mentioned how he and Chelsea have had somewhat of a similar path. They\’ve worked for the same promotions and the opportunity they finally got is not necessarily what they may have envisioned.

    Despite the challenges, however, Green has done her best. Aldis pointed out how she has made the most of any opportunity given to her:

    \”I think for her, there was this thing of will I ever get the shot on the main show? Then it comes. And I’m sure that this probably isn’t what she first had in mind. I don’t want to speak for her, but I would venture to say that what she’s doing, it probably isn’t like what she envisioned a long time ago. But man, Has she taken this and run with it.”

    Apart from this, Aldis also talked about his role as the SmackDown General Manager and reflected on his WWE TV debut. You can check out what he revealed about his debut segment with Dominik Mysterio here.

  • CM Punk\’s Next WWE Feud Teased On Raw

    WWE fans have been wondering which storyline will bring CM Punk back to TV after he took time off following his Hell In A Cell match. The latest episode of Raw suggests Punk might be getting involved in a completely unexpected feud upon his comeback.

    This week\’s episode of the Red Branded Show included a backstage segment featuring the world heavyweight champion Gunther. Speaking to his lieutenant Ludwig Kaiser, the Ring General asked Kaiser to \’look into his eyes\’ and tell him what he saw:

    CM Punk vs Gunther? Count me In!pic.twitter.com/z3gMAQ041F

    — Anutosh Bajpai || SEScoops || Wrestling News (@AuthorAnutosh) November 19, 2024

    The line comes straight from the former AEW star\’s beloved Cult of Personality theme song. Punk has used different versions of the Living Colour song as his entrance music since 2011.

    CM Punk vs Gunther?

    The Straight Edge Star has taken time off from TV after defeating Drew McIntyre in a Hell In A Cell match at Bad Blood. It\’s believed that the former World Champion would return to the company before or at the upcoming Survivor Series PPV on November 30.

    Many have theorized that CM Punk could be revealed as the final member of Roman Reigns\’ WarGames team. After Reigns tried calling Paul Heyman on Friday\’s SmackDown, people pointed out that Punk has close ties with Heyman and the two have a lot of history together.

    The Triple H regime, however, is known for its long-term planning and using MCU-esque easter eggs to give smart fans a preview of what\’s to come.

    Gunther\’s latest promo is unmistakably a nod to the former WWE Champion and it definitely suggests that Punk will be going after the World Heavyweight Championship whenever he reappears on TV.

  • Nick Aldis Reflects On WWE Debut Segment With Dominik Mysterio

    Nick Aldis has changed what it means to be a wrestling authority figure in many ways since his WWE debut in October last year. It all started with his very first segment with Dominik Mysterio, where Aldis mocked the young star with a simple line and established himself as a General Manager who will not be pushed around.

    The former NWA champion reflected on the segment during a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet. He noted that he had already been working as a producer for the company for a couple of months at the time, so he had a bit more leeway to make improvements.

    When his debut segment was presented to him, Aldis knew that the majority of the WWE audience would not be aware of his previous work. He had only one chance to make a strong impression. When he looked at the line with Dirty Dom, he knew that it was the one thing he needed to establish himself:

    \”I was like what if I put a pause in there, in my mind I was like that’s kind of my sense of humor. That’s my sort of sh*t-talker type of style. ‘I’m a big fan of your dad.’ I said it, and Hunter and whoever was around at the time, all sort of laughs.

    Okay, so I went, \’Okay, that might work.\’ I knew that this segment isn’t necessarily about me. It’s I’m here to facilitate and that’s sort of what that character is a lot of the time. But at the same time, I’ve got 10 seconds here to f*cking smash something. I was like that’s it, that’s my bit.\”

    Nick Aldis also talked about Dominik Mysterio\’s popularity and said that he is at the sweet spot for a heel character in the modern era. He explained that the young star is someone who you love to hate, and he has real heat which is very hard to get.

    The SmackDown GM took the time to praise Dom\’s partner in crime Liv Morgan as well. He mentioned how Morgan has been part of WWE for a long time so you can\’t call her a break out star but for Aldis, she is definitely the MVP of 2024.

  • Reason For Street Profits\’ Passionate Promo Regarding Their WWE Status

    The Street Profits are not expected to follow the footsteps of Bobby Lashley and exit WWE, at least in the immediate future.

    The former tag team champions have made headlines recently after referencing the WWE exit of Lashley and highlighting their struggles in the tag division in a passionate promo earlier this month. The promo was in preparation for their tag team title match against Motor City Machine Guns on the November 15 SmackDown.

    The bout ended in disqualification after Tomasso Ciampa interfered and attacked members of both the teams. After the duo failed to capture the tag titles yet again, a lot of people wondered if this was a sign of them being on their way out of the company.

    Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins are locked into WWE deals, and their recent grumbling in the media about their lack of success is merely part of a storyline to generate interest. (h/t PWInsider)

    Ford is one of the WWE talents who has signed with Paradigm Talent Agency as part of their new Sports Division and he has been working on some outside projects. So it\’s possible that he might be taking some time off from WWE programming for that. Beyond that, however, there is no internal chatter about the two potentially leaving the company.

    The SmackDown match saw some interesting storyline development with the disqualification finish. When Johnny Gargano came out to confront his DIY partner, Ciampa shoved him aside, further teasing tensions between the two.

    The Street Profits were also frustrated with their opportunity going to waste. When The Machine Guns offered to shake their hand, the duo of Ford and Dawkins ended up attacking the current champions. The post-match action makes it very clear that the Street Profits are not done with the legendary tag team.

  • Rey Mysterio Announces Passing of His Father

    WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio has announced the passing of his father Roberto Gutierrez at the age of 76 earlier this week.

    The wrestling veteran shared some photos of his father alongside a tribute on Instagram. He thanked his dad for setting up a great example for him in every walk of life.

    He mentioned that there are a lot of traits he picked up from his father and assured him that he will always take care of his mother and look out for her:

    A three-decade veteran of the business, Rey Mysterio was contemplating retirement from active competition before his son Dominik Mysterio entered the business in 2019. Teaming with his son rejuvenated Mysterio\’s passion for the business.

    They even made history by becoming the first-ever father-son tag team champions in WWE history back in 2021. Dominik has since broken up the partnership to join Judgment Day instead, while his father has taken up a mentor role for Mexican talents as the leader of the revived Latino World Order.

    In recent interviews, the 49-year-old has said that he doesn\’t plan on wrestling beyond the age of 50. Though unlike John Cena, the master of 619 has not revealed a timetable for his retirement yet.